US-12624826-B1 - Adaptive optical obfuscation system for blocking electronic detection and providing visual concealment

US12624826B1US 12624826 B1US12624826 B1US 12624826B1US-12624826-B1

Abstract

An adaptive optical obfuscation system is disclosed and configured for blocking electronic detection and providing visual concealment for at least one object relative to at least one image sensor. In at least one embodiment, at least one obfuscation device is positioned between the at least one object and the at least one image sensor. The at least one obfuscation device provides at least one light emitter that emits a light emission at a wavelength that creates a controlled optical interference field preventing the at least one image sensor from accurately capturing an image of the at least one object. A microcontroller is in electrical communication with the at least one light emitter for controlling the at least one light emitter, and a power source is in electrical communication with each of the at least one light emitter and microcontroller.

Inventors

Eric Jeffery
Dennis Roark

Assignees

Eric Jeffery
Dennis Roark

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20251003

Claims (20)

1 . An adaptive optical obfuscation system configured for blocking electronic detection and providing visual concealment for an at least one object relative to an at least one image sensor, the system comprising: an at least one obfuscation device positioned between the at least one object and the at least one image sensor, the at least one obfuscation device comprising: an at least one light emitter that emits a light emission at a wavelength that approximates a corresponding wavelength utilized by the at least one image sensor so as to create a controlled optical interference field that prevents the at least one image sensor from accurately capturing an image of the at least one light emitter or the at least one object; an at least one microcontroller in electrical communication with the at least one light emitter for controlling the at least one light emitter; and an at least one power source in electrical communication with each of the at least one light emitter and microcontroller for selectively powering each of the at least one light emitter and microcontroller; whereby, the at least one obfuscation device is oriented such that the light emission of the at least one light emitter is directed at one or both of the at least one image sensor and the at least one object.
2 . The adaptive optical obfuscation system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one obfuscation device further comprises a device housing sized and configured for containing one or more of the at least one light emitter, the at least one microcontroller, and the at least one power source.
3 . The adaptive optical obfuscation system of claim 1 , wherein the light emission of the at least one light emitter is at least one of an infrared light and an ultraviolet light.
4 . The adaptive optical obfuscation system of claim 3 , wherein the light emission of the at least one light emitter is an infrared light having a wavelength between approximately 700 nanometers and approximately 1 millimeter.
5 . The adaptive optical obfuscation system of claim 4 , wherein the light emission of the at least one light emitter is an ultraviolet light having a wavelength between approximately 100 nanometers and approximately 400 nanometers.
6 . The adaptive optical obfuscation system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one obfuscation device comprises a plurality of light emitters.
7 . The adaptive optical obfuscation system of claim 6 , wherein one or more of the light emitters are configured for emitting a light emission having a wavelength that is different from the other of the light emitters.
8 . The adaptive optical obfuscation system of claim 6 , wherein the light emitters are configured for emitting a light emission in one or more pre-defined pulse patterns.
9 . The adaptive optical obfuscation system of claim 1 , wherein an emission intensity of the light emission of the at least one light emitter is between approximately 100 mW/sr and approximately 1 W/sr.
10 . The adaptive optical obfuscation system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one microcontroller is configured for selectively adjusting the emission intensity of the light emission of the at least one light emitter.
11 . The adaptive optical obfuscation system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light emitter is configured for emitting the light emission as a substantially cone-shaped emission field, with the emission field having an emission angle of between approximately 30 degrees and approximately 120 degrees relative to the corresponding at least one light emitter.
12 . The adaptive optical obfuscation system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one microcontroller is configured for selectively adjusting the emission angle of the light emission of the at least one light emitter.
13 . The adaptive optical obfuscation system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one light emitter provides a micro-lens array or a collimator for selectively adjusting the emission angle.
14 . The adaptive optical obfuscation system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one obfuscation device further comprises an at least one control switch in electrical communication with the at least one microcontroller for allowing a user to selectively control the at least one light emitter via the at least one microcontroller.
15 . The adaptive optical obfuscation system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one obfuscation device further comprises an at least one thermal layer positioned and configured for absorbing and dissipating any heat generated by one or more of the at least one light emitter, microcontroller and power source.
16 . The adaptive optical obfuscation system of claim 1 , further comprising an at least one activation sensor in communication with the at least one microcontroller and configured for assisting the microcontroller with controlling the at least one light emitter.
17 . The adaptive optical obfuscation system of claim 16 , wherein: the at least one activation sensor is positioned and configured for detecting the potential presence of the at least one image sensor oriented in the direction of the at least one object; whereby, upon the at least one activation sensor detecting the presence of the at least one image sensor oriented in the direction of the at least one object, the at least one microcontroller of the at least one obfuscation device activates the corresponding at least one light emitter.
18 . The adaptive optical obfuscation system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one activation sensor is at least one of a photo sensor and a radio frequency detector.
19 . An adaptive optical obfuscation system configured for blocking electronic detection and providing visual concealment for an at least one object relative to an at least one image sensor, the system comprising: an at least one obfuscation device positioned between the at least one object and the at least one image sensor, the at least one obfuscation device comprising: a device housing; an at least one light emitter positioned on or within the device housing and configured for emitting a light emission at a wavelength that approximates a corresponding wavelength utilized by the at least one image sensor so as to create a controlled optical interference field that prevents the at least one image sensor from accurately capturing an image of the at least one light emitter or the at least one object; an at least one microcontroller positioned within the device housing and in electrical communication with the at least one light emitter for controlling the at least one light emitter; and an at least one power source positioned within the device housing and in electrical communication with each of the at least one light emitter and microcontroller for selectively powering each of the at least one light emitter and microcontroller; whereby, the at least one obfuscation device is oriented such that the light emission of the at least one light emitter is directed at one or both of the at least one image sensor and the at least one object.
20 . An adaptive optical obfuscation system configured for blocking electronic detection and providing visual concealment for an at least one object relative to an at least one image sensor, the system comprising: an at least one obfuscation device positioned between the at least one object and the at least one image sensor, the at least one obfuscation device comprising: an at least one light emitter that emits a light emission at a wavelength that approximates a corresponding wavelength utilized by the at least one image sensor so as to create a controlled optical interference field that prevents the at least one image sensor from accurately capturing an image of the at least one light emitter or the at least one object; an at least one microcontroller in electrical communication with the at least one light emitter for controlling the at least one light emitter; and an at least one power source in electrical communication with each of the at least one light emitter and microcontroller for selectively powering each of the at least one light emitter and microcontroller; an at least one activation sensor in communication with the at least one microcontroller and configured for assisting the microcontroller with controlling the at least one light emitter; and the at least one activation sensor being at least one of a photo sensor and a radio frequency detector configured for detecting the potential presence of the at least one image sensor oriented in the direction of the at least one object; whereby, with the at least one obfuscation device oriented such that the light emission of the at least one light emitter is directed at one or both of the at least one image sensor and the at least one object, upon the at least one activation sensor detecting the presence of the at least one image sensor oriented in the direction of the at least one object, the at least one microcontroller of the at least one obfuscation device activates the corresponding at least one light emitter.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS Not applicable. BACKGROUND The subject of this patent application relates generally to optics, and more particularly to an adaptive optical obfuscation system configured for blocking electronic detection and providing visual concealment from image sensors. Applicant(s) hereby incorporate herein by reference any and all patents and published patent applications cited or referred to in this application. By way of background, digital cameras have proliferated throughout society and are available as standalone devices—including municipal, commercial, and residential surveillance cameras—as well as components on many other devices, such as smartphones, wearables, vehicles and the like. As a result, the number of digital images being captured by these cameras—often without consent—has exploded in recent years which, in turn, has significantly eroded individual and organizational privacy. Known existing privacy solutions are primarily software-based and reactive (e.g., image blurring or facial masking in post-processing after digital images have already been captured by cameras), offering little to no protection against real-time image capture. Furthermore, given that such solutions require access to or the cooperation of the owners of such cameras (in order to perform the post-processing on any captured images), those known solutions fail to enable individuals to effectively shield themselves from being photographed or video recorded without their consent. Accordingly, there remains a need for a proactive, hardware-based solution that can prevent image acquisition altogether and provide individuals with autonomy over their visual privacy without causing physical harm to the cameras or violating safety standards. Aspects of the present invention fulfill these needs and provide further related advantages as described in the following summary. It should be noted that the above background description includes information that may be useful in understanding aspects of the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art. SUMMARY Aspects of the present invention teach certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the exemplary advantages described below. The present invention solves the problems described above by providing an adaptive optical obfuscation system configured for blocking electronic detection and providing visual concealment for an at least one object relative to an at least one image sensor. In at least one embodiment, an at least one obfuscation device is positioned between the at least one object and the at least one image sensor. The at least one obfuscation device provides an at least one light emitter that emits a light emission at a wavelength that approximates a corresponding wavelength utilized by the at least one image sensor so as to create a controlled optical interference field that prevents the at least one image sensor from accurately capturing an image of the at least one light emitter or the at least one object. An at least one microcontroller is in electrical communication with the at least one light emitter for controlling the at least one light emitter. An at least one power source is in electrical communication with each of the at least one light emitter and microcontroller for selectively powering each of the at least one light emitter and microcontroller. During use, the at least one obfuscation device is oriented such that the light emission of the at least one light emitter is directed at one or both of the at least one image sensor and the at least one object. Accordingly, individuals or objects are capable of preventing visual detection by cameras before any data is collected. Other features and advantages of aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of aspects of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings illustrate aspects of the present invention. In such drawings: FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic view of an exemplary adaptive optical obfuscation system, in accordance with at least one embodiment; FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic view of an exemplary obfuscation device of the system, in accordance with at least one embodiment; FIGS. 3A and 3B are images of an exemplary obfuscation device of the system in use, as captured by an exemplary image sensor, in accordance with at least one embodiment; FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic perspective views of an exemplary adaptive optical obfuscation system integrated with an exemplary article of clothing, in accordance with at least one embodiment; FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic side view of the system of FIGS. 4 and 5 in use, in accordance with at l