Speech privacy system and/or associated method

A speech intelligibility disrupting device, comprising:

• control circuitry configured to:
• receive, from a microphone, an original speech signal;
• generate an intelligibility-disrupting masking signal from the original speech signal, the intelligibility-disrupting masking signal being different from the original speech signal by virtue of being generated to have (a) a time delay relative to the original speech signal, (b) the time delay changing according to an oscillation frequency, and (c) an amplitude that is modulated;
• and
• cause the intelligibility-disrupting masking signal to be outputted through a speaker to reduce the level of intelligibility of the original speech signal,
• wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
• detect whether the original speech signal includes fundamental building blocks of speech;
• and
• condition the generation of the intelligibility-disrupting masking signal on the detection of fundamental building blocks of speech in the original speech signal.

A speech intelligibility disrupting system, comprising:

• a microphone;
• a speaker;
• and
• control circuitry configured to:
• receive, from the microphone, an original speech signal;
• generate an intelligibility-disrupting masking signal from the original speech signal, the intelligibility-disrupting masking signal being different from the original speech signal by virtue of being generated to have (a) a time delay relative to the original speech signal, (b) the time delay changing according to an oscillation frequency, and (c) an amplitude that is modulated;
• and
• cause the intelligibility-disrupting masking signal to be outputted through the speaker to reduce the level of intelligibility of the original speech signal, wherein:
• the control circuitry is further configured to:
• detect whether the original speech signal includes fundamental building blocks of speech;
• condition the generation of the intelligibility-disrupting masking signal on the detection of fundamental building blocks of speech in the original speech signal;
• and
• modulate the amplitude of the intelligibility-disrupting masking signal, avoiding appreciable increases in loudness beyond a loudness consistent with the original speech signal;
• and
• the generation of the intelligibility-disrupting masking signal comprises including in the intelligibility-disrupting masking signal frequency ranges that simulate fundamental building blocks of speech.