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US 11,606,658 B2Granted
Privacy device for smart speakers
OwnerThomas Stachurainventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems, apparatuses, and methods are described for a privacy blocking device configured to prevent receipt, by a listening device, of video and/or audio data until a trigger occurs. A blocker may be configured to prevent receipt of video and/or audio data by one or more microphones and/or one or more cameras of a listening device. The blocker may use the one or more microphones, the one or more cameras, and/or one or more second microphones and/or one or more second cameras to monitor for a trigger. The blocker may process the data. Upon detecting the trigger, the blocker may transmit data to the listening device. For example, the blocker may transmit all or a part of a spoken phrase to the listening device.
Claims30
A system comprising:
- a smart device comprising at least one first microphone;
- and
- a blocking device comprising at least one second microphone and an output device,
- wherein the blocking device is configured to:
- determine, using the at least one second microphone, one or more first sounds comprising environmental audio associated with the smart device;
- determine one or more characteristics of the environmental audio, wherein the one or more characteristics comprise one or more of:
- a frequency range, a duration of a frequency, or a type of sound waveform;
- generate, based on the one or more characteristics and based on a volume of the one or more first sounds, first audio configured to impede receipt, by the at least one first microphone, of the environmental audio while the blocking device is in an untriggered state, wherein the first audio comprises layers of noise generated based on one or more sound modifiers in a dictionary of noise profiles;
- output, using the output device, the generated first audio to the at least one first microphone,
- detect a first trigger associated with de-activating the blocking device in one or more second sounds;
- store, in a memory associated with the blocking device, the one or more second sounds received after the first trigger, wherein the one or more second sounds comprises a second trigger associated with activating the smart device and is different from the first trigger;
- and
- based on detecting the first trigger, temporarily enter a triggered state and output, to the at least one first microphone and using the one or more second sounds stored in the memory and the output device, the second trigger.
10 more elements
A method comprising:
- determining, using at least one first microphone of a blocking device, one or more first sounds comprising environmental audio associated with a smart device;
- determining one or more characteristics associated with the environmental audio, wherein the one or more characteristics comprise one or more of:
- a frequency range, a duration of a frequency, or a type of sound waveform;
- generating, based on the one or more characteristics and based on a volume of the one or more first sounds, first audio configured to impede receipt, by at least one second microphone of the smart device, of environmental audio while the blocking device is in an untriggered state wherein the first audio comprises layers of noise generated based on one or more sound modifiers indicated in a dictionary of noise profiles;
- outputting, using an output device of the blocking device, the first audio to the at least one second microphone of the smart device;
- detecting a first trigger associated with de-activating the blocking device, wherein the first trigger is different from a second trigger associated with activating the smart device in one or more second sounds;
- storing, in a memory associated with the blocking device, the one or more second sounds received after the first trigger, wherein the one or more second sounds comprises a second trigger associated with activating the smart device and is different from the first trigger;
- and
- based on detecting the first trigger, temporarily entering a triggered state and outputting, to the at least one second microphone and using the one or more second sounds stored in the memory and the output device, the second trigger.
6 more elements
A blocking device comprising at least one first microphone and an output device, wherein the blocking device is configured to:
- determine, using the at least one first microphone, one or more first sounds comprising environmental audio associated with a smart device;
- determine one or more characteristics associated with the environmental audio, wherein the one or more characteristics comprise one or more of:
- a frequency range, a duration of a frequency, or a type of sound waveform;
- generate, based on the one or more characteristics and based on a volume of the one or more first sounds, first audio configured to impede receipt, by at least one second microphone of the smart device, of environmental audio while the blocking device is in an untriggered state wherein the first audio comprises layers of noise generated based on one or more sound modifiers indicated in a dictionary of noise profiles;
- output, using the output device, the first audio to the at least one second microphone of the smart device;
- detect a first trigger associated with activating the blocking device in one or more second sounds;
- store, in a memory associated with the blocking device, the one or more second sounds received after the first trigger, wherein the one or more second sounds comprises a second trigger associated with activating the smart device and is different from the first trigger;
- and
- based on detecting the first trigger, temporarily enter a triggered state and output, to the at least one second microphone and using the one or more second sounds stored in the memory and the output device, the second trigger.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.