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 method comprising:
- intercepting, by a privacy module configured to replace one or more components of a listening device by being inserted in a communication path between a sensor and a processor of the listening device, signals associated with environmental audio, wherein the privacy module is configured to disrupt the communication path by at least one of:
- grounding the communication path, shorting the communication path, interrupting the communication path, or cutting the communication path;
- storing, in a memory associated with the privacy module, the environmental audio;
- determining whether an initial portion of the environmental audio comprises a trigger;
- permitting, based on a determination that the initial portion of the environmental audio comprises a trigger, a portion of the environmental audio after the trigger to be received by the processor;
- and
- resuming disruption of the communication path after the portion of the environmental audio after the trigger has been sent to the processor.
A computing device comprising:
- a first microphone configured to detect environmental audio;
- a processor connected to the first microphone via a communication path;
- and
- a privacy module comprising a memory configured to store environmental audio and a second microphone capable of replacing the first microphone after being inserted in the communication path between the microphone and the processor, wherein the privacy module is configured to:
- intercept signals associated with the environmental audio by disrupting the communication path, wherein disrupting the communication path comprises at least one of:
- grounding the communication path, shorting the communication path, interrupting the communication path, or cutting the communication path;
- store, in the memory, the environment audio;
- determine whether an initial portion of the environmental audio comprises a trigger;
- permit, based on a determination that the environmental audio comprises a trigger, the portion of the environmental audio after the trigger to be received by the processor;
- and
- resume disruption of the communication path after the portion of the environmental audio after the trigger has been sent to the processor.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, configure a privacy module to:
- intercept, via a second microphone of the privacy module that is configured to replace a first microphone of a listening device after the privacy module is inserted in a communication path between the first microphone and a processor of the listening device, signals associated with environmental audio, wherein the privacy module is configured to disrupt the communication path between the first microphone and the processor by at least one of:
- grounding the communication path, shorting the communication path, interrupting the communication path, or cutting the communication path;
- store, in a memory associated with the privacy module, the environmental audio;
- determine whether an initial portion of the environmental audio comprises a trigger;
- permit, based on a determination that the initial portion of the environmental audio comprises the trigger, a portion of the environmental audio after the trigger to be received by the processor;
- and
- resume disrupting the communication path after the portion of the environmental audio after the trigger has been sent to the processor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.