# US 2015/0296170 A1 · System and method for fine-grained control of privacy from image and video recording devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2015/0296170 A1 - Document ID: US20150296170A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/250,935 - Filed: 2014-04-11 - Published: 2015-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2014-04-11 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: ROBERT G FARRELL; JAMES R KOZLOSKI; CLIFFORD A PICKOVER - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20150296170A1 ## CPC - H04N 5/913: for scrambling {; for copy protection} - G06F 21/602: {Providing cryptographic facilities or services} - G06V 40/172: {Classification, e.g. identification} - H04N 9/8227: {the additional signal being at least another television signal} - H04N 2005/91321: {the copy protection signal being a copy protection control signal, e.g. a record inhibit signal} - H04N 2005/91335: {the copy protection signal being a watermark} - H04N 2005/91357: {by modifying the video signal} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract A system and method for fine-grained privacy control of image and video recordings uses a model-based approach to solve privacy issues. The method includes steps of: receiving a digital capture of a subject bound by privacy constraints; receiving information regarding the subject, the environment, and the privacy constraints; using the information to generate a model image of the subject within the environment; associating a disposition tag with an appearance of the subject in the model image; and comparing the model image with the digital capture to determine coordinates in the recording where a privacy control action, such as a blocking action, should be applied. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for providing privacy control for digital capture of a recording, said method comprising: using a processor device, performing: receiving the digital capture from a recorder, said digital capture comprising the recording of a subject within an environment, wherein said subject is bound by privacy constraints; receiving information regarding the environment, the subject, and the privacy constraints; generating a model image of the environment including the subject by applying the information about the subject, the environment, and the privacy constraints; associating a disposition tag with an appearance of the subject in the model image, wherein said disposition tag references a privacy control action to take according to the subject's privacy constraints; comparing the model image with the digital capture of the recording; and determining coordinates in the recording where the privacy control action is to be applied. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising sending the coordinates to the recorder. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the information comprises receiving data needed to predict an appearance of the subject from multiple angles. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the privacy restriction varies according to pre-determined disposition parameters. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the privacy restriction comprises a restriction selected from a group consisting of: no recording allowed, recording allowed but with payment, allowed resolution only, recording allowed at certain time of day, recording allowed with restrictions, and recording allowed only with credit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 further comprising performing a real-time comparison between the data needed to predict the appearance of the subject and the recording. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 further comprising increasing a confidence level of the comparison through at least one action selected from a group consisting of: sampling, smoothing the tagged area, increasing the tagged area, decreasing the tagged area, analysis of digital positioning data, and analysis of calendar data. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 wherein the confidence level controls the privacy control action applied to the image. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 wherein the confidence level triggers a signal sent to a crowd-sourcing component. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the privacy control action is selected from a group consisting of: jamming, applying a low resolution, overlaying the image, encryption, introduction of noise, masking for partial transparency of information, and replacement of image. ### Claim 11 An information processing system for providing privacy control for digital capture of a recording, comprising: a processor device; and a memory operably coupled with the processor device, said memory comprising computer-executable instructions causing a computer to perform: receiving the digital capture from a recorder, said digital capture comprising the recording of a subject within an environment, wherein said subject is bound by privacy constraints; receiving information regarding the environment, the subject, and the privacy constraints; generating a model image of the environment including the subject by applying the information about the subject, the environment, and the privacy constraints; associating a disposition tag with an appearance of the subject in the model image, wherein said disposition tag references a privacy control action to take according to the subject's privacy constraints; comparing the model image with the digital capture of the recording; and determining coordinates in the recording where the privacy control action is to be applied. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The information processing system of claim 11 wherein the recording is an audio recording. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The information processing system of claim 11 wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computer to perform: applying the privacy control action to the recording. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The information processing system of claim 13 wherein applying the privacy control action comprises applying a data overlay to at least a portion of the subject in the recording. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The information processing system of claim 11 wherein the privacy restriction comprises a restriction selected from a group consisting of: no recording allowed, recording allowed but with payment, allowed resolution only, recording allowed at certain time of day, recording allowed with restrictions, and recording allowed only with credit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The information processing system of claim 11 wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause a computer to perform: increasing a confidence level of the comparison through at least one action selected from a group consisting of: sampling, smoothing the tagged area, increasing the tagged area, decreasing the tagged area, analysis of digital positioning data, and analysis of calendar data. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The information processing system of claim 16 wherein the confidence level controls the privacy control action applied to the recording. ### Claim 18 A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with computer-executable instructions for providing privacy control for digital capture of a recording stored thereon, said computer-executable instructions comprising: receiving the digital capture from a recorder, said digital capture comprising the recording of a subject within an environment, wherein said subject is bound by privacy constraints; receiving information regarding the environment, the subject, and the privacy constraints; generating a model image of the environment including the subject by applying the information about the subject, the environment, and the privacy constraints; associating a disposition tag with an appearance of the subject in the model image, wherein said disposition tag references a privacy control action to take according to the subject's privacy constraints; comparing the model image with the digital capture of the recording; and determining coordinates in the recording where the privacy control action is to be applied. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the privacy restriction comprises a restriction selected from a group consisting of: no recording allowed, recording allowed but with payment, allowed resolution only, recording allowed at certain time of day, recording allowed with restrictions, and recording allowed only with credit ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause a computer to perform: increasing a confidence level of the comparison through at least one action selected from a group consisting of: sampling, smoothing the tagged area, increasing the tagged area, decreasing the tagged area, analysis of digital positioning data, and analysis of calendar data.