Webcam privacy shield
OwnerKarl S Jonsson, Sigurbjorg Hlin Bergthorsdottirinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A webcam privacy shield is magnetically attached to a bezel of an electronic display that includes a webcam. The webcam privacy shield is positioned in either a shielded position where light is blocked from entering the lens of the webcam by positioning an opaque portion of the webcam privacy shield over the lens of the webcam, or an operating position where light is allowed to enter the lens of the webcam by positioning a transparent portion of the webcam privacy shield of the lens of the webcam. Sliding the webcam privacy shield between the shielded position and the operating position allows the user to selectively maintain their privacy from the webcam, or use the webcam.
Claims19
A webcam privacy shield comprising:
- a strip of opaque magnetic material having a hole through the strip, the strip attachable to an electronic device display bezel as the webcam privacy shield;
- wherein the strip is no wider than 40 mm, no longer than 400 mm, and no thicker than 1 mm;
- and
- wherein the hole is at least 10 square mm in size and is located no closer than 70 mm from either end of the strip.
An apparatus to selectively block light from entering a camera lens, the apparatus comprising:
- a thin, elongate, member comprising an opaque portion, a transparent portion, a first magnetic portion, and a second magnetic portion, the opaque portion located between the transparent portion and the first magnetic portion, and the transparent portion located between the opaque portion and the second magnetic portion;
- wherein the opaque portion, if held over a camera lens by a magnetic attraction of at least one of the first magnetic portion and the second magnetic portion, blocks light from entering the camera lens;
- and
- wherein the transparent portion, if held over the camera lens by the magnetic attraction of at least one of the first magnetic portion and the second magnetic portion, allows light to enter the camera lens.
An electronic system comprising:
- an electronic display comprising:
- a webcam integrated into a bezel of the electronic display;
- and
- a first magnet and a second magnet integrated into the bezel of the electronic display on opposite sides of the webcam;
- a thin, elongate, member comprising a steel sheet and having a first magnetic portion, an opaque portion, a hole through the steel sheet, and a second magnetic portion, the thin elongate member held on the bezel by a magnetic attraction between the first magnet integrated into the bezel and the first magnetic portion of the thin elongate member, and between the second magnet integrated into the bezel and the second magnetic portion of the thin elongate member;
- wherein the thin, elongate, member is slideable between a shielded position, with the opaque portion positioned over a lens of the webcam, and an operating position, with the hole positioned over the lens of the webcam.
A method to provide privacy from a webcam, the method comprising:
- attaching a webcam privacy shield to a bezel of an electronic display using a first magnetic attraction between a first portion of the bezel and a first portion of the webcam privacy shield, and a second magnetic attraction between a second portion of the bezel and a second portion of the webcam privacy shield, wherein the bezel comprises the webcam;
- positioning an opaque portion of the webcam privacy shield over a lens of the webcam to prevent light from entering the lens of the webcam;
- and
- sliding the webcam privacy shield between a shielded position and an operating position;
- wherein the shielded position of the webcam privacy shield positions the opaque portion of the webcam privacy shield over the lens of the webcam to prevent light from entering the lens of the webcam, and the operating position of the webcam privacy shield positions a transparent portion of the webcam privacy shield over the lens of the webcam to allow light to enter the lens of the webcam;
- and
- wherein the webcam privacy shield is held to the bezel of the electronic display by the first magnetic attraction between the first portion of the bezel and the first portion of the webcam privacy shield, and the second magnetic attraction between the second portion of the bezel and the second portion of the webcam privacy shield, in both the shielded position and the operating position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.