Internal signal diversion apparatus and method for mobile communication devices

A mobile communications device, comprising:

• a display;
• a plurality of sources comprising at least one microphone and at least one camera;
• a wireless communications module;
• a switch matrix configured to selectively couple the sources to an unsecured transmission path within the device and to a secured transmission path within the device;
• a main processor coupled to the switch matrix via the unsecured transmission path, the secured transmission path inaccessible by the main processor;
• and
• a switch mechanism coupled to the switch matrix and activatable by a user of the device, the switch matrix configured to:
• couple the sources to the secured transmission path and decouple the sources from the unsecured transmission path in response to activation of the switch mechanism;
• couple the sources to the unsecured transmission path and decouple the sources from the secured transmission path in response to deactivation of the switch mechanism;
• couple the sources to terminated paths within the device and decouple the sources from the unsecured transmission path in response to activation of the switch mechanism;
• and
• couple the sources to the unsecured transmission path and decouple the sources from the terminated paths in response to deactivation of the switch mechanism.

A mobile communications device, comprising:

• a display;
• a plurality of sources comprising at least one microphone and at least one camera;
• a wireless communications module;
• a switch matrix configured to selectively couple the sources to an unsecured transmission path within the device and to a secured transmission path within the device;
• a main processor coupled to the switch matrix via the unsecured transmission path, the secured transmission path inaccessible by the main processor;
• a module configured to couple the secured transmission path and the unsecured transmission path;
• and
• a switch mechanism coupled to the switch matrix and activatable by a user of the device, the switch mechanism is configured to move between a plurality of privacy operation states and a normal operation state where the plurality of sources are coupled to the main processor by unsecured transmission paths.

A method, comprising:

• generating an activation signal and a deactivation signal in response to user activation and deactivation of a switch of a mobile communication device, the device comprising a display, a plurality of sources comprising at least one microphone and at least one camera, a wireless communications module, a main processor, a secured processor inaccessible by the main processor, and a module configured to couple the main processor and the secured processor;
• selectively decoupling the sources from the main processor and coupling the sources to the secured processor in response to the activation signal generated by activation of the switch;
• and
• selectively decoupling the plurality of sources from the secured processor and recoupling the plurality of sources to the main processor in response to the deactivation signal generated by deactivation of the switch.