Abstract:
Disclosed is a secret spy camera prevention system and method, in which a portable terminal having a camera module can be prevented from being used as a secret spy camera. The secret spy camera prevention system including: a terminal for stopping an operation of the camera module mounted therein if the restriction signal transmitted to the photographing-prohibited place is inputted thereto.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a system and method for preventing a portable terminal having a camera from being used as a secret spy camera.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART  
       [0002]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating a conventional secret spy camera detecting portable terminal.  
         [0003]     The portable terminal includes a power supply unit  110  for supplying a power supply thereto; a mode selecting unit  120  for selecting one of a proper function and a detection function thereof; a portable-phone function unit  130  for operating depending on a selection of the mode selecting unit  120 ; a detecting unit  140  for performing a detection function; a controller  150  for controlling all operations of the detecting unit  140 ; a display  160  for operating under a control of the controller  150 ; and an alarming unit  170  for performing a bell or vibration operation to inform a user when a telephone is called or when the detecting unit  140  detects the secret spy camera.  
         [0004]     The secret spy camera is a small and portable camera which can be easily hided for taking picture or moving images unauthorized scene. The secret spy camera is known as hidden camera or secret camera.  
         [0005]     However, the conventional secret spy camera detecting portable terminal has a drawback in that a user is just only informed of whether or not the secret spy camera exists, the secret spy camera cannot be fundamentally prevented from being used to take a photograph.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for preventing a secret spy camera in which a radio frequency identification (RFID) module is used to pause the camera function of a portable terminal under a control of a controller of the portable terminal such that the camera function can be automatically limited at a specific place to prevent illegal photographing.  
         [0007]     In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for preventing a portable terminal having a camera installed from being used as a secret spy camera, the system including: a portable terminal having a camera module; and a reader installed at a photographing-prohibited place, for transmitting a prohibit signal to limit a camera operation of the portable terminal.  
         [0008]     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for preventing a portable terminal having a camera from being used as a secret spy camera, the system including: a remote reader generating a restriction signal as the prohibit signal having a frequency band that is sensed within the photographing-prohibited place.  
         [0009]     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for preventing a portable terminal having a camera from being used as a secret spy camera, the system including: an adjacent reader installed at a boundary of a photographing-prohibited place, for outputting a restriction signal as the prohibit signal for limiting a camera operation of a terminal having a camera module, and a release signal for releasing a limitation of the camera operation caused by the restriction signal.  
         [0010]     In accordance with a further another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for preventing a portable terminal having a camera from being used as a secret spy camera, the method including the steps of: a) limiting an operation of a camera unit within a terminal by sensing a prohibit signal.  
         [0011]     In accordance with a still further another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for preventing a portable terminal having a camera from being used as a secret spy camera, the method including the steps of: a-i) determining whether or not a restriction signal as the prohibit signal is sensed and a-ii) in case the restriction signal is sensed, limiting an operation of a camera unit within a terminal, and then returning to the step a-i).  
         [0012]     In accordance with a still further another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for preventing a portable terminal having a camera from being used as a secret spy camera, the method including the steps of: a-1) determining whether or not a terminal enters into a photographing-prohibited place by determining whether or not a restriction signal is sensed, and if the restriction signal is not sensed, continuing to determine whether or not the restriction signal is sensed; a-2) in case the restriction signal is sensed, limiting an operation of a camera unit within a terminal, and then returning to the step a-1); a-3) determining whether or not the terminal exits from the photographing-prohibited place by sensing the release signal, and if the release signal is not sensed, continuing to determining whether or not the release signal is sensed; and a-4) in case the release signal is sensed, restoring the operation of the camera unit within the terminal, and then returning to the step a-1). 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a conventional secret spy camera detecting portable terminal;  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a system for preventing a portable terminal having a camera from being used as a secret spy camera in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a system for preventing a portable terminal having a camera from being used as a secret spy camera in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a method for preventing a portable terminal having a camera from being used as a secret spy camera in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating a method for preventing a portable terminal having a camera from being used as a secret spy camera in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0019]     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating a system for preventing a portable terminal having a camera from being used as a secret spy camera in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0021]     The system includes a remote reader  210  and a terminal  220 .  
         [0022]     The remote reader  210  transmits a restriction signal. Herein, it is desirable that the restriction signal has a high frequency band because the high frequency band has a wide detection distance as shown in Table 1.  
                   TABLE 1                       Frequency Band   Recognition distance                   Low frequency band   Short distance (below 1.8 m)       (100 kHz-500 kHz)       Intermediate frequency band   Middle recognition distance       (10 MHz-15 MHz)       High frequency band   Long distance (to 27 m)       (860 MHz-930 MHz, 2.4 GHz-5.8 GHz)                  
 
         [0023]     The remote reader  210  is installed at a bathroom, a dressing room or a photographing-prohibited secret place to control the terminal  220  having the camera module to be described later. Further, the restriction signal is transmitted at a first time interval (T 1 ), and the first time interval (T 1 ) is adjusted corresponding to a second time interval (T 2 ) to be described later.  
         [0024]     Further, if the terminal  220  receives the restriction signal from the remote reader  210 , an operation of the camera module installed in the terminal is stopped. In the below, the terminal  220  will be described in detail.  
         [0025]     A radio frequency (RF) transceiving unit  221  mounted within the terminal  220  receives the restriction signal from the remote reader  210 .  
         [0026]     Further, if a logic unit  222  mounted within the terminal  220  recognizes the restriction signal received from the RF transceiving unit  221 , a restriction-area recognizing signal is generated and outputted to a controller  223  to be described later. If the logic unit  222  does not recognize the restriction signal while the restriction-area recognizing signal is generated, a restriction-area releasing signal is generated and outputted to the controller  223  to be described later. Herein, if the restriction signal is not recognized during the second time interval (T 2 ), the restriction-area releasing signal is generated. The second time interval (T 2 ) should be set to a time longer than the first time interval (T 1 ).  
         [0027]     In the meanwhile, if the controller  223  mounted within the terminal  220  receives the restriction-area recognizing signal from the logic unit  222 , a control operation is performed to limit the camera function of a camera unit  224  to be described later. If the controller  223  receives the restriction-area releasing signal from the logic unit  222 , the control operation is performed to enable the camera function of the camera unit  224  according to a user&#39;s selection, which will be described later.  
         [0028]     Further, the camera unit  224  mounted within the terminal  220  performs a photographing operation under a control of the controller  223 .  
         [0029]     An operation of the system for preventing a portable terminal having a camera from being used as a secret spy camera in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention will be described in the following.  
         [0030]     First, if a terminal user enters into a bath room, a dressing room or a photographing-prohibited secret place to which the remote reader  210  in advance installed transmits the restriction signal at a certain interval, the logic unit  222  mounted within the terminal  220  recognizes the restriction signal inputted through the RF transceiving unit  221 . After that, if the logic unit  222  generates the restriction-area recognizing signal and the controller  223  receives the restriction-area recognizing signal, the operation of the camera unit  224  is limited.  
         [0031]     In the meantime, if the terminal user enters into a general area at which the remote reader  210  is not installed, the logic unit  222  mounted within the terminal  220  no longer recognizes the restriction signal. After that, if the logic unit  222  generates the restriction-area releasing signal and the controller  223  receives the restriction-area releasing signal, the operation of the camera unit  224  is restored to a normal state.  
         [0032]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating a system for preventing a portable terminal having a camera from being used as a secret spy camera in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0033]     The system includes an adjacent reader  310  and a terminal  320 .  
         [0034]     The adjacent reader  310  outputs a restriction signal and a release signal. The adjacent reader  310  is installed at a bathroom, a dressing room or a photographing-prohibited secret place to control a terminal  320  having a camera module to be described later. Herein, the adjacent reader  310  is described as follows.  
         [0035]     An entrance reader unit  311  mounted within the adjacent reader  310  is installed at entrances of the bathroom, the dressing room or the photographing-prohibited secret place to output the restriction signal.  
         [0036]     Further, an exit reader unit  312  mounted within the adjacent reader  310  is installed at exits of the bathroom, the dressing room or the photographing-prohibited secret place to output the release signal.  
         [0037]     Furthermore, the terminal  320  is adjacent to the adjacent reader  310  to receive the restriction signal or the release signal. If the terminal  320  receives the restriction signal, the operation of the camera module mounted therein is stopped, and if the terminal  320  receives the release signal, the operation of the camera module mounted therein is restored. Herein, the terminal  230  is described in detail as follows.  
         [0038]     A transceiving unit  321  mounted within the terminal  320  receives and transmits the restriction signal and the release signal outputted from the adjacent reader  310 .  
         [0039]     Further, if the logic unit  322  mounted within the terminal  320  recognizes the restriction signal received from the transceiving unit  321 , a restriction-area recognizing signal is generated and outputted to a controller  323 , which will be described later, and if the logic unit  322  recognizes the release signal, the restriction-area releasing signal is generated and outputted to the controller  323  to be described later.  
         [0040]     On the other hand, if the controller  323  mounted within the terminal  320  receives the restriction-area recognizing signal from the logic unit  322 , a control operation is performed to limit a camera function of a camera unit  324 , which will be described later. If the controller  323  receives the restriction-area releasing signal from the logic unit  322 , the control operation is performed to enable the camera function of the camera unit  324  according to the user&#39;s selection, which will be later.  
         [0041]     Further, the camera unit  324  mounted within the terminal  320  performs a photographing operation under the control of the controller  323 .  
         [0042]     An operation of the above-described system for preventing a portable terminal having a camera being used as a secret spy camera in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention is described as follows.  
         [0043]     First, if the terminal user enters into the bathroom, the dressing room or the photographing-prohibited secret place through the entrance port having the entrance reader unit  311  installed thereat, the logic unit  322  mounted within the terminal  320  recognizes the restriction signal inputted through the transceiving unit  321 . After that, if the logic unit  322  generates and inputs the restriction-area recognizing signal to the controller  323 , the operation of the camera unit  324  is limited.  
         [0044]     In the meantime, if the terminal user exits to a general area through the exit port having the exit reader unit  312  installed thereat, the logic unit  322  mounted within the terminal  320  recognizes the release signal. After that, if the logic unit  322  generates and inputs the restriction-area releasing signal to the controller  323 , the operation of the camera unit  324  is restored to the normal state.  
         [0045]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating a method for preventing a portable terminal having a camera being used as a secret spy camera in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, and a description therefore is as follows.  
         [0046]     First, it is determined whether or not the restriction signal is sensed at step S 401 . That is, at step S 401 , it is determined whether or not the user of the terminal enters a photographing-prohibited secret place such as the bathroom or the dressing room by receiving a restriction signal transmitted from the remote reader  210  previously installed.  
         [0047]     After that, in case the restriction signal is sensed, the logic unit  222  of the terminal  220  recognizes the restriction signal received through the RF transceiving unit  221 , and generates the restriction-area recognizing signal at step S 402 .  
         [0048]     Next, if the restriction-area recognizing signal is inputted to the controller  223 , the controller  223  controls to limit the operation of the camera unit  224 , and then returns to the step S 401  for determining whether or not the restriction signal is sensed at step S 403 .  
         [0049]     On the other hand, in case the restriction signal is not sensed, the logic unit  222  generates the restriction-area releasing signal at step S 404 . That is, a predetermined time is passed without sensing the restriction signal, the restriction-area releasing signal is generated. The predetermined time is preset as the second time interval T 2  and it must be longer than the first time interval T 1  being a transmission interval of the restriction signal.  
         [0050]     After that, if the restriction-area releasing signal is inputted to the controller  223 , the controller  223  controls to restore the operation of the camera unit  224  to the normal state at step  405  and it returns to the step S 401  for determining whether or not the restriction signal is sensed.  
         [0051]      FIG. 5  is a flow chart illustrating a method for preventing a portable terminal having a camera from being used as a secret spy camera in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0052]     First, it is determined whether or not the restriction signal is sensed at step S 501 . That is, it is determined whether or not the terminal user enters into the photographing-prohibited secret place such as the bathroom or the dressing room by receiving the restriction signal transmitted from the entrance reader unit  311  previously installed. In case the restriction signal is not sensed, it continuously determines whether or not the restriction signal is sensed at step S 501 .  
         [0053]     After that, in case the restrictions signal is sensed, the logic unit  322  of the terminal  320  recognizes the restriction signal inputted through the RF transceiving unit  321 , and the logic unit  322  generates the restriction-area recognizing signal at step S 502 .  
         [0054]     Next, if the restriction-area recognizing signal is inputted to the controller  323 , the controller  323  controls to limit the operation of the camera unit  324  at step  503 .  
         [0055]     After limiting the operation of the camera unit, it is determined whether or not the release signal is sensed at step S 504 . That is, it is determined whether or not the terminal user exits from the photographing-prohibited secret place such as the bathroom or the dressing room by sensing the release signal at step S 504 . In case the release signal is not sensed, it is continuously determined whether or not the release signal is sensed at step S 504 .  
         [0056]     However, in case the release signal is sensed, the restriction-area releasing signal is generated from the logic unit  322  at step S 505 .  
         [0057]     When the release signal is sensed, the restriction-are releasing signal is inputted to the controller  323  and the controller  323  controls to restore the operation of the camera unit  324  to the normal state at step  506 . After restoring the operation of the camera unit  324  to the normal state, it returns to the step S 501  for determining whether or not the restriction signal is sensed.  
         [0058]     As described above, the present invention has an advantage in that the RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) module is used to pause the camera function under the control of the controller of the portable terminal such that the camera function is automatically limited at the specific place to prevent the illegal photographing.  
         [0059]     While the present invention has been described with respect to the particular embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.