Submitted By

K.NAGESHWARAN

S.VENKATESAN

IT VI

IT VI

P.S.N.A College of Engg And Tech

P.S.N.A College of Engg And Tech

Dindigul (dist).,

Dindigul (dist).,

Mail-id :knageshwaran12@gmail.com

Mail-id:weknowvenkat@gmail.com

Ph No : 8870468634

Ph No : 7373399273

Detecting and Disabling Digital Cameras

Using Image Processing

Abstract - In this paper we discuss

where it is sent through image-

about the device capable of detecting

processing algorithms that pick out

and disabling digital cameras. The

infrared light bouncing back .Once

system locates the camera and then

camera is detected, the device would

neutralizes it. Every digital camera

project an invisible infrared laser into

has an image sensor known as a CCD,

the

which is retro reflective and sends

overexposing the photo and rendering

light back directly to its original

it useless. Low levels of infrared laser

source at the same angle. The device

neutralize digital cameras but are

shines infrared LED light, which is

neither a health danger to humans nor

invisible to the human eye, at a

a physical damage to cameras. We also

distance of about 20 feet. It then

discuss about the simplified design of

collects video of these reflections with

the above device that can used in

a camcorder. Then the video of the

theatres

reflections

domains being covered here are optics

is

transferred

to

camera's

to

lens,

prevent

thereby

piracy.

The

computer connected to the device,

and image processing.

1.1 Introduction

an image sensor known as a CCD, which

is retro reflective and sends light backing
directly to its original source at the same
angle. Using this property and

The system locates the camera, and then

neutralizes it. Every digital camera has

algorithms of image processing the

camera is detected. Once identified, the
device would beam an invisible infrared
laser into the camera's lens, in effect
overexposing the photo and rendering it
useless. Low levels of energy neutralize
cameras but are neither a health
danger to operators nor a physical risk to
cameras.

this property due to its shape. This forms

the principle for this device.

2. Block Diagram
Retroreflection by CCD

Timing and Control

Scanning
Infrared Emitter

CCD

Test Image
Recorder

Overexposure
IR Laser Beam
Image
Processing Unit

Infrared Laser
Beam
Projector

Camera Locator

DETECTOR UNIT

DISABLING UNIT

1.2 Retro reflection by CCD

A retro reflector is a device or surface
that reflects light back to its source with
a minimum scattering of light and at
same angle. An electromagnetic wave
front is reflected back along a vector that

is parallel to but opposite in direction

from the wave's source. The device or
surface's angle of incidence is greater
than zero. The ccd of the camera exhibits

3. Camera Detection
3.1 Scanning
The entire area to be protected is
scanned by using infrared light. Infrared
LED is used for producing them. The
circuitry required for producing infrared
beams are simple and cheap in nature.
The scanning beams sweep through the
vertical and horizontal direction of the
area, to ensure no camera escapes from
the device.

3.2 Wavelength
The infrared beam used here has a the
centre wavelength of 800-900 nm. This
wavelength falls under the near infrared
classification. The reason for choosing
near infrared are the molar absorptivity
in the near IR region is typically quite
small and it typically penetrate much
farther into a sample than mid infrared
radiation so that the retroreflections
would be of high intensity. The
generation of NIR is achieved using IR
LED. Due to the retro reflective property
of the ccd the part of the light gets retro
reflected by it and the infrared beam
does not have any effect on the other
objects hit the area other than the ccd.

called as the test image. It forms the

basis of the further steps of the process.
The test image is obtained by use of high
resolution camcorders. The response of
the test image capturer should be very
fast in order to sense even a small
change of position of the camera. The
camcorder should have a wide angle of
capture so that it can capture a wide test
image to cover the entire area. The
retroreflected beams also have the same
properties of the near IR. Therefore, they
are visible to the camcorders and
invisible to human eyes.
5. Image Processing
It is most important aspect of the device.
The raw image for image processing is
the test image being streamed lively. The
detection of the camera is accomplished
in this stage only. The image processing
for detection can be done in two steps.
We have coded an algorithm in
Matlab software to perform the image
processing operation.
5.1 Detection Of Retroreflecting Area

Plot of Reflectance Vs Wavelength of

Near IR Standard

The camera is detected by the

differentiation of the retroreflecting area
from the rest of the test image. The
camera lens also appears red in colour
and the rest part appears normal. This
keypoint is used for differentiation.

5.1.1 Thresholding
4. Test Image Capture
The area being scanned by the infrared
beams are simultaneously recorded. The
preprocessing image being acquired is

During the thresholding process,

individual pixels in an image are marked
as object pixels if their value is greater
than some threshold value (assuming an

object to be brighter than the

background) and as background pixels
otherwise.
The
separate
RGB
Components are determined and a
threshold value is set.
1. An initial threshold (T) is
choosen, this can be done
randomly or according to any
other method desired.
2. The image is segmented into
object and background pixels as
described above, creating two
sets:
1. G1 = {f(m,n):f(m,n)>T}
(object pixels)
2. G2 = {f(m,n):f(m,n)T}
(background
pixels)
(note, f(m,n) is the value
of the pixel located in the
mth column, nth row)
3. The average of each set is
computed.
1. m1 = average value of G1
2. m2 = average value of G2
4. A new threshold is created that is
the average of m1 and m2
1. T = (m1 + m2)/2
5. Go back to step two, now using
the new threshold computed in
step four, keep repeating until the
new threshold matches the one
before it (i.e. until convergence
has been reached).
This iterative algorithm is a special onedimensional case of the k-means
clustering algorithm, which has been
proven to converge at a local minimum
meaning that a different initial
threshold may give a different final
result.
5.1.2 Color Segmentation

We need to detect only the red infrared

part of the image. This is done by means
of colour segmentation. The RGB
Components are filtered separately and
finally the red area is detected. The
following algorithm was used for the
purpose
img = imread('sample.jpg');
%imshow(img)
img = imfilter(img,ones(3,3)/9);
%img = imresize(img,0.1);
% Decompose to separate colour
components
xr = img(:,:,1);
[N,M] = size(img);
m=4;
w = 1/m;
F = fftshift(fft(double(img)));
for i=1:N
for j=1:M
r2=(i-round(N/2))^2+(j-round(N/2))^2;
if (r2>round((N/2*w)^2)) F(i,j)=0; end;
end;
end;
Idown=real(ifft2(fftshift(F)));

5.2 Lens shape detection using

Hough Transform
The simplest case of Hough transform is
the linear transform for detecting straight
lines. In the image space, the straight
line can be described as y = mx + b and
can be graphically plotted for each pair
of image points (x,y). In the Hough
transform, a main idea is to consider the
characteristics of the straight line not as
image points x or y, but in terms of its
parameters, here the slope parameter m
and the intercept parameter b. Based on
that fact, the straight line y = mx + b can
be represented as a point (b, m) in the
parameter space. However, one faces the
problem that vertical lines give rise to
unbounded values of the parameters m

and b. For computational reasons, it is

therefore better to parameterize the lines
in the Hough transform with two other
parameters, commonly referred to as r
and .

the Hough space) where they cross

correspond to lines (in the original image
space) that pass through both points.
More generally, a set of points that form
a straight line will produce sinusoids
which cross at the parameters for that
line. Thus, the problem of detecting
collinear points can be converted to the
problem of finding concurrent curves.
6. Disabling the digital camera
6.1 Overexposure

The parameter r represents the distance

between the line and the origin, while
is the angle of the vector from the origin
to this closest point Using this
parametrization, the equation of the line
can be written as, which can be
rearranged to r = xcos + ysin
It is therefore possible to associate to
each line of the image, a couple (r,)
which is unique if and , or if and . The
(r,) plane is sometimes referred to as
Hough space for the set of straight lines
in two dimensions. This representation
makes the Hough transform conceptually
very close to the two-dimensional Radon
transform. (They can be seen as different
ways of looking at the same transform.)

Once the camera lens has been located it

has to be over exposed. A photograph
may be described as overexposed when
it has a loss of highlight detail, i.e when
the bright parts of an image are
effectively all white, known as "blown
out highlights". Since the infrared beam
is of high intensity rather than the other
light incident on the lens from the image,
the camera tends to be overexposed. The
auto focusing mechanism of the camera
adjusts the position of the lens to focus
on the infrared beam. This causes nonfocusing of the camera on the image that
is to be prevented from capturing.

An infinite number of lines can pass

through a single point of the plane. If
that point has coordinates (x0,y0) in the
image plane, all the lines that go through
it obey the
This corresponds to a sinusoidal curve in
the (r,) plane, which is unique to thatExample of overexposure by infrared laser
point. If the curves corresponding to two
points are superimposed, the location (in

Normal Exposure
(Fig. 1)

Effect of over-exposure
6.2 Surrounding adaptive
overexposure beam wavelength
The wavelength of the infrared beam
being emitted intermittently is not
constant. The wavelength is altered
according to the lighting nature of the
environment. This is achieved by using a
sensor which is based on photo detector.
If the surrounding is dark the beam of
center wavelength of 900-980 nm is
emitted. . If the surrounding is bright the
beam of center wavelength of 800-900
nm is emitted.

7. Observations

(Fig. 2)
Fig.1 : shows the photo captured
normally without using the camera
disabling device
Fig.2 : shows the photo captured after
using the camera disabling device
It is observed that the image quality has
been decreased to a great extent. This
could be use to diminish the clarity and
the visibility of the image being
captured.

8. Simplified Design For Use In

Theatres

The film industry losses about 3 billion

dollar a year due to movie piracy. This is
the method that can deployed to prevent
piracy.Infra red light emitting diodes are
placed behind the theatre screen. The
beams are emitted intermittently. The
wavelength of the beam and the timing is
varied continuously using the timing and
control unit. This beam can be detected
by the camera ccd sensors. Since the
beams is of high intensity and narrow the
auto focusing feature of the camera gets
detoriated. So the video which is being
tried to capture on the camera falls out of
focus. The quality of the image therefore
obtained is of poor clarity. Thereby, the
aim of pirating the movie is destructed.
the Since the infra red beam does not fall
within the visible range of the human
sight it remains invisible to the human
eyes. Therefore, the overexposure beam
does not affect the movie being played
on the screen.

1 Camera Disabling Device

2- Theatre Screen
3- Camera used for piracy
4- Theatre Projector

The Real Time Experimental Theatre

Screen

Front Of Screen

9. Merits
The circuitry and devices used for this
technique are simple in nature. The type
of radiation is proven to be not harmful
to humans. It can be implemented easily
in any type of rooms, buildings, theatres
etc without any alteration to the existing
area. Since the method uses a low cost
technology it can be implemented at a
comparatively less expense.
10. Conclusion
The device explained above can prove to
be essential to all environments like
theatres, lockers, private areas, antiespionage systems, defense secrecy etc.
This technology if developed to a good
extent it would be of great help prevent
piracy, maintain national secrecy in the
future.

Infrared LED
Array

11. References

Optical principles and technology

for engineers - James E. Stewart

Infrared optics and zoom lenses

By Allen Mann

Digital image processing using

Matlab By Rafael C. Gonzlez,
Richard Eugene Woods

Digital
Image
processing:
algorithms and systems San
Jose,Jaakko
Astola,
Karen
Egiazarian,
Edward
R.
Dougherty