SYSTEM, METHOD AND MODULE FOR A CONTENT CONTROL LAYER FOR AN OPTICAL IMAGING DEVICE

摘要

A system, method and content filtering module is provided for analyzing image data received from an imaging sensor, such as a CCD camera, determining whether or not image data meets appropriate image content criteria, and potentially blocking unacceptable image data, before the data is stored in a device memory or on some other storage medium, or passed to other applications. This system encourages safer and more responsible use of electronic imaging devices without compromising the general utility of said devices. In particular, it may help to protect young people from making and distributing nude, or sexually suggestive pictures, or pictures containing content that is deemed inappropriate, when using a PDA, camera phone, or computer equipped with a camera.

主权项

1. An electronic device comprising:
an imaging sensor for generating image data containing locally created image content , a processor, at least one of a data storage medium and a communications interface, and an image content control layer; the image content control layer being interposed between the imaging sensor and the at least one data storage medium and communications interface, to receive said image data from the imaging sensor; the image content control layer storing instructions, executable by the processor, for analyzing and filtering said image data received from the imaging sensor, said instructions comprising pre-defined image content criteria defining inappropriate content comprising sexually inappropriate content, said predefined image content criteria being applicable for filtering any image data received from the imaging sensor; the image content control layer being configured for analyzing and filtering all image data received from the imaging sensor based on said image content criteria before storing and before passing said image data for further processing, by intercepting image data before rendering of the image data as viewable, displayable, transmittable and otherwise accessible; wherein analyzing comprises detecting, based on said stored image content criteria, whether or not the image data contain sexually inappropriate content; and wherein filtering comprises blocking storage, transmission and further processing of said image data when it contains sexually inappropriate content, and otherwise passing said image data to the data storage medium or communications interface for any one of storing, transmitting, and further processing of the image data by the electronic device.