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US 11,770,665 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.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a listening device comprising:
- a first microphone;
- and
- one or more first processors;
- and
- a blocking device comprising:
- one or more light sources configured to generate a jamming signal;
- a second microphone configured to receive environmental audio;
- a second processor;
- and
- memory storing instructions that, when executed by the second processor, cause the blocking device to:
- jam, while in a blocking mode, the first microphone by emitting the jamming signal toward the first microphone, wherein the jamming signal prevents the first microphone from discerning the environmental audio;
- receive, by the second microphone, the environmental audio;
- determine whether the environmental audio comprises an audio trigger associated with a pass-through mode;
- based on a determination that the audio trigger has been detected, enter a pass-through mode by stopping generation of the jamming signal;
- allow, after cessation of the jamming signal, second environmental audio to be discerned by the first microphone;
- and
- re-enter the blocking mode and begin re-emitting the jamming signal toward the first microphone based on a determination that a predetermined amount of time has elapsed and after the second environmental audio has been received by the first microphone.
15 more elements
A blocking device comprising:
- a second microphone;
- one or more light sources configured to generate a jamming signal;
- one or more processors;
- and
- memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the blocking device to:
- jam, while in a blocking mode, a first microphone of a listening device by emitting the jamming signal toward the first microphone, wherein the jamming signal prevents the first microphone from discerning environmental audio;
- receive, by the second microphone, the environmental audio;
- determine whether the environmental audio comprises an audio trigger associated with a pass-through mode;
- based on a determination that the audio trigger has been detected, enter a pass-through mode by stopping generation of the jamming signal;
- allow, after cessation of the jamming signal, second environmental audio to be discerned by the first microphone;
- and
- re-enter the blocking mode and begin re-emitting the jamming signal toward the first microphone based on a determination that a predetermined amount of time has elapsed and after the second environmental audio has been received by the first microphone.
9 more elements
A method comprising:
- jamming, by a blocking device in a blocking mode, a first microphone of a listening device by emitting a jamming signal, generated using one or more light sources, toward the first microphone, wherein the jamming signal prevents the first microphone from discerning environmental audio;
- receiving, by a second microphone of the blocking device, the environmental audio;
- determining whether the environmental audio comprises an audio trigger associated with a pass-through mode of the blocking device;
- based on a determination that the audio trigger has been detected, entering, by the blocking device, a pass-through mode by stopping generation of the jamming signal;
- allowing, after cessation of the jamming signal, second environmental audio to be discerned by the first microphone;
- and
- re-entering the blocking mode and begin re-emitting the jamming signal toward the first microphone based on a determination that a predetermined amount of time has elapsed and after the second environmental audio has been received by the first microphone.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.