TV Now Keeps Eye on Viewer (1960)

I was just reading through some old newspapers on the Google archive (I like to see how it was back then ) and I found this


Link to the newspaper - Page 18

Does this still happen?
Just thought I'd share.

I had a cousin , was in the crazy house for some time BUT, He swore back in the 80's the TV was watching him !!!

I'll post more on this later, because it's something I've been interested in/trying to follow for a while, but for now...

Voice-activated TVs debut at consumer electronics show

LAS VEGAS (CNN) - The 2012 International Consumer Electronics show is one of the largest consumer technology trade shows in the world and even with thousands of exhibitors, the biggest draws are always the televisions.

This year is no exception. The new trend is a TV you can talk to.

Samsung's new TVs are controlled by voice, physical gestures and facial recognition.

"What we've done is we've built a camera right into the TV. You can surge the web by moving your hand around. You can point to click," Ethan Rasiel with Samsung said...

Apple patent embeds thousands of cameras among LCD pixels

April 26th 2006

Oh Barry Fox, does a week ever go by when you don't find a great patent or two? Today the intrepid Mr. Fox manages to dig up an application by consumer-darling Apple for an LCD display embedded with thousands of microscopic image sensors that would allow users to video-conference while looking straight into the "camera." Data accumulated by the individual sensors would be stitched into actual images using special software, which will probably be bundled into future versions of iLife. Since the patent specifies almost as many sensors per screen as there are pixels, some of those sensors could have different focal lengths, with a defacto zoom lens created by switching between them. Apple goes on to suggest portable uses for the technology, such as employing the displays in cellphones and PDAs, so you can add another item to the list of features we'll be expecting from the iPhone and Newton 2.0 when they finally hit stores.

Apple's all-seeing screen

26 April 2006

We could soon see a new kind of display screen from computer maker Apple - one that simultaneously takes pictures while showing images.

The clever idea is to insert thousands of microscopic image sensors in-between the liquid crystal display cells in the screen. Each sensor captures its own small image, but software stitches these together to create a single, larger picture.

A large LCD screen filled with image sensors would be ideal for videoconferencing, Apple suggests, as participants would always appear to look straight into the "camera". The technique could also add a camera function to a cellphone or PDA without wasting space, and light from the screen should help illuminate a subject.

The more sensors there are, the wider and clearer the image. Sketches accompanying the company's patent show as many sensors as liquid crystal cells in a screen. If some of the sensors have different focal lengths, switching between them would make the screen behave like a zoom lens.

Read the full patent, here.

that patent; appft1.uspto.gov... R.&OS=DN/20060007222&RS=D ]http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220060007222%22.PG NR.&OS=DN/20060007222&RS=D

Integrated sensing display

Abstract

An integrated sensing display is disclosed. The sensing display includes display elements integrated with image sensing elements. As a result, the integrated sensing device can not only output images (e.g., as a display) but also input images (e.g., as a camera).

...

1. A device comprising: a display area; an array of display elements located within the display area, each display element capable of displaying a pixel of information, either alone or in combination with other display elements; and an array of image elements located within the display area, each image element being capable of capturing visual information from a source in front of the display area; wherein each image element has a lens that does not interfere with any display elements.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the image elements are located in a housing that isolates the image elements from the display elements.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein each image element is in its own housing.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein a row of image elements share a housing.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the array of display elements is a formed in a deep encased cell structure.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the array of display elements is a formed in a deep encased cell structure.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the array of image elements is a formed in a plurality of deep wells or channels.

8. The device of claim 1 further comprising an image assembler that modifies the data that is received by the array of image elements.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the image elements are dispersed within the display area such that they do not block any display elements.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the image elements are dispersed within the display area in such a way that they prevent some pixels of information from being displayed.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is used in a portable communication device.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the portable communication device is a telephone.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the portable communication device is personal digital assistant.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is used in a computer monitor or a television.

15. A device comprising: an illumination area that includes at least one light source that emits light; and an array of image elements dispersed throughout the illumination area, each image element being capable of capturing visual information from a source in front of the illumination area; wherein the image elements are dispersed such that space in-between at least some image elements is able to emit light from the at least one light source of the illumination area.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the device is a medical device.

17. A device comprising: a display area; an array of display elements located within the display area, each display element capable of displaying a pixel of information, either alone or in combination with other display elements; and an array of image elements located within the display area, each image element being capable of capturing visual information from a source in front of the display area.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the image elements are located in a housing that isolates the image elements from the display elements.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein each image element is in its own housing.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein a row of image elements share a housing.

...

reply to post by AKindChap


One the paper you linked to I could not find the article, what page out of 44 is it found on.

No doubt it is coming. Google and Facebook gear what you see to what they believe your preferences are. Obviously as technology gets smarter tv will also become geared to you and your specific preferences. Marketing directly to the masses. The future is with us.

This reminds me of 1984 by George Orwell.

Very interesting topic, they better hope they aren't able to see my in front of my television, God only knows.. they'd be traumatized.

On a serious note, I wonder if it's possible. I've always found myself wondering if webcams and whatnot could be turned on without one noticing, but then again, that's a completely different ballgame.

Great. So i can tell my tv "Warehouse 13" and I'll get "Buy more! Listen to this! Get that!". No thanks. Oh, and here's a hand gesture it can learn to recognize....

Comcast Cameras to Start Watching You?

Mar. 18, 2008

...Comcast responded to the article by claiming the device was, "in no way designed to – or capable of – monitoring your living room. These technologies are designed to allow simple navigation on a television set just as the Wii remote uses a camera to manage its much heralded gesture-based interactivity."

However, Albrecht shot back by pointing out that Kunkel told him the device was explicitly being designed so as to monitor who was entering the living room.

"After you granted me our initial video interview, you brought up the topic of Comcast knowing who was in the living room in a conversation between you, myself and another conference attendee," writes Albrecht.

"I actually left and came back to follow up on this point while you were talking with that same attendee. At this point, you were aware that I was a reporter and I took handwritten notes in front of you as we talked to make sure I had an accurate accounting of what you were saying," he added...

That article/denial came out before stuff like the "smart tvs" and the xbox kinect admitted they'll be using facial recognition tech...

Microsoft's Kinect 2 will offer improved motion sensing and voice recognition over the current model including the ability to determine which direction they are facing. It will track the pitch and volume of player voices, and even track facial characteristics to measure different emotional states, including anger.

reply to post by AKindChap


Who the hell would be monitoring billions of tv sets around the globe?.......that would be one hell of an office block!

Originally posted by ofNight
This reminds me of 1984 by George Orwell.

Very interesting topic, they better hope they aren't able to see my in front of my television, God only knows.. they'd be traumatized.

On a serious note, I wonder if it's possible. I've always found myself wondering if webcams and whatnot could be turned on without one noticing, but then again, that's a completely different ballgame.

Yes they can be turned on remotely..no it is not another ballgame.

Peace

reply to post by calstorm


Ah, I forgot to post that, sorry. Page 18 at the bottom right.

Originally posted by Argyll
reply to post by AKindChap

 

Who the hell would be monitoring billions of tv sets around the globe?.......that would be one hell of an office block!

Who's playing the millions of instruments in the thousands of songs on the ipod in your pocket?

A LOT of information can be stored in tinier and tinier spaces.

It's ridiculous to act like everything would be monitored as it happens, and it's a fact (at least when it comes to cell phone surveillance) that information is RECORDED and saved for if/when they need to fact-check something or dig up some dirt on someone.

Again; Not millions of people sitting around watching millions of others... Millions of gigs of collected/stored info to be called upon when needed.

Originally posted by ofNight

On a serious note, I wonder if it's possible. I've always found myself wondering if webcams and whatnot could be turned on without one noticing, but then again, that's a completely different ballgame.

The laptop spying case, Blake J. Robbins v. Lower Merion School District, was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, February 16, 2010.

According to the filing, the actions of the school district were exposed when one of the school’s vice principals disciplined Mr Robbins’ son for “improper behavior in his home,” and used a photo taken from the computer camera as evidence.

“Michael Robbins thereafter verified, through Ms. Matsko, (an assistant principal) that the school district in fact has the ability to remotely activate the webcam contained in a student’s personal laptop computer issued by the school district at any time it chose and to view and capture whatever images were in front of the webcam, all without the knowledge, permission or authorization of any persons then and there using the laptop computer.” the complaint states.

One of the nation's largest rental chains spies on customers by equipping rent-to-own computers with secret software that remotely snaps their photos, takes screen shots, tracks keystrokes, and snoops on private communications

In the suit, Crystal Byrd says she rented a Dell Inspiron laptop computer on a rent-to-own agreement from Aaron's in July 2010. She paid off the lease in October 2010.

But, according to the suit, the manager of the Aaron's store in Casper, Christopher Mendoza, mistakenly claimed the Byrds were in default on their lease and demanded the compujter be returned.

Mendoza showed Brian Byrd a photo of Byrd using the computer, the suit says. When Byrd demanded to know how Mendoza had obtained the photo, Mendoza allegedly said he was not supposed to disclose that information.

Byrd contacted local law enforcement agencies and investigators allegedly identified the spyware and learned that it was routinely installed on computers rented by Aaron's.

While investigators were at the Casper Aaron's store, the suit charges, they observed at least one other unauthorized photo of a consumer using an Aaron's machine.

The suit seeks class action status.

related...

Supreme Court rules that companies can block class-action lawsuits

and

On January 21, former National Security Agency analyst Russell Tice appeared Keith Olbermann’s MSNBC show. Tice, who helped expose the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping in December 2005, told Olbermann government programs designed to spy on the American people are more extensive and far reaching than previously admitted. “The National Security Agency had access to all Americans’ communications — faxes, phone calls, and their computer communications,” Tice said. “It didn’t matter whether you were in Kansas, in the middle of the country, and you never made foreign communications at all. They monitored all communications.”

and

A cellular telephone can be turned into a microphone and transmitter for the purpose of listening to conversations in the vicinity of the phone. This is done by transmitting to the cell phone a maintenance command on the control channel. This command places the cellular telephone in the "diagnostic mode." When this is done, conversations in the immediate area of the telephone can be monitored over the voice channel.

The user doesn't know the telephone is in the diagnostic mode and transmitting all nearby sounds until he or she tries to place a call. Then, before the cellular telephone can be used to place calls, the unit has to be cycled off and then back on again. This threat is the reason why cellular telephones are often prohibited in areas where classified or sensitive discussions are held.

www.wasc.noaa.gov...

FBI taps cell phone mic as eavesdropping tool

The surveillance technique came to light in an opinion published this week by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan. He ruled that the "roving bug" was legal because federal wiretapping law is broad enough to permit eavesdropping even of conversations that take place near a suspect's cell phone.

Kaplan's opinion said that the eavesdropping technique "functioned whether the phone was powered on or off."

My flatscreen Sony has sensors, which can detect movement..

So basically when nobody is watching, the TV is idle, so goes blank to save power..but will switch back on automatically when somone comes into the room.

This probably isn't the same as cameras built into TV's..but still, something I thought worth mentioning.

I'm wondering whats sending the picture back???

Back when they were a little more simple I used to repair tv's and they DID NOT contain circuits for transmitting output from a camera.

Precisely why I have sex in front of the TV

Originally posted by 1825114
Who's playing the millions of instruments in the thousands of songs on the ipod in your pocket?

A LOT of information can be stored in tinier and tinier spaces.

It's ridiculous to act like everything would be monitored as it happens, and it's a fact (at least when it comes to cell phone surveillance) that information is RECORDED and saved for if/when they need to fact-check something or dig up some dirt on someone.

Again; Not millions of people sitting around watching millions of others... Millions of gigs of collected/stored info to be called upon when needed.

Tom "Hey detective come take a seat"

Detective "I''m gonna get straight to the point, where were you on the night of Mrs Wheelbarrow's murder?"

Tom: "Well I was with my wife at home doing the naughties haha"

Detective "Hold on, I just got my warrant to find out.......Well I just called the Samsung data storage headquarters, it looks like your in the clear for murder"

Tom "See told ya! haha"

Detective "But that wasn't your wife that night was it?"

Tom "oh ****"

Detective "You weren't the murderer, but now your under arrest for adultry.......and you will be fined $200 for swearing" (in the future adultry and swearing is illegal)

Tom "I didn't swear!"

Detective "Well that TV will testify against you in court if you keep denying it"

Tom "Oh **** my life"

i remember a friend showing me a clip on you tube of a digital box being purchased and opened live on camera . it contained a miniture camera . the video also said that all tvs produced after 97 ? were able to view 2 ways .that was in 2008 cant remember more sorry

Originally posted by geobro
i remember a friend showing me a clip on you tube of a digital box being purchased and opened live on camera . it contained a miniture camera . the video also said that all tvs produced after 97 ? were able to view 2 ways .that was in 2008 cant remember more sorry

I was going to ask, if any of these TV sets have been taken apart with a camera built in. Cameras were expensive and not small back in the day. We all have TV sets and the like, many broken old ones. Try to take it apart and see if there is a camera inside. I wouldnt be so sure. And how would they go about getting the image? A set can only receive not transmit. Ever heard of sattelite DSL? For upload you still have to use your telefone line.

reply to post by Cassius666


it was the new digi boxes that had the cameras not the tvs but they could be manipulated to view into a room