Digital camera sensing and its image disruption with controlled radio-frequency reception/transmission

Photography is becoming more and more end user capability, with many people having digital cameras on their mobile phones. In general digital cameras are phasing out traditional film based equipment. The advantages of digital photography include the compactness of the cameras, high reliability and ease of image processing and transmission of the images via the internet or multimedia messaging (MMS) enabling the photographer to send his images within seconds. These processes emphasize a big problem: the ability to photograph an object without the approval of its owner. This unsolved problem has many aspects: the right to privacy, paparazzi, industrial intelligence and the protection of objects having high security sensitivity. This paper describes test methodology and test results to sense and then to disrupt digital imaging camera by using a controlled Radio Frequency (RF) transmission. This method can be used in order to create a system for causing a localized malfunctioning of a digital camera in a specified area to degrade photographic recording done by the digital camera, comprising the steps of coupling the digital camera to a source of electromagnetic interference and generating electromagnetic waves in a specific frequency to interfere with the correct functioning of at least one electronic component of the digital camera.