Audio Packet Echo Analysis for Recording Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Participants in phone conversations lack a reliable method to determine if their conversation is being recorded by other participants, which can lead to concerns about sharing sensitive information.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that uses an analysis application to monitor audio packets and echo packets in communication devices to detect potential recording, involving the injection of special audio packets and statistical modeling to determine if recording software is present.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If audio packets are transmitted and echo packets are monitored to detect recording, then recording detection capability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverecording detection capabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces special audio packets as intermediaries to detect recording activity. These specially designed audio packets are transmitted through the communication channel and their echo patterns are analyzed to determine if recording is occurring, serving as a mediator between the communication device and the recording detection function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces complex recording detection mechanisms with audio signal analysis. Instead of using sophisticated hardware or software to directly detect recording, the system uses acoustic echo analysis of transmitted audio packets, substituting a simpler signal processing approach for complex detection mechanics

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If special audio packets are injected to enhance echo identification, then recording detection accuracy is improved, but audio quality may be degraded

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverecording detection accuracyVSAvoidaudio quality degradation

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by making special audio packets unnoticeable to human participants while maintaining their utility for detection. These packets have specific characteristics (short duration, boundary frequencies) that make them imperceptible to human ears but highly effective for automated echo analysis and recording detection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes audio packet parameters to create special detection packets. By adjusting duration to be very short and selecting frequencies at the boundary of the communication channel bandwidth, the packets achieve optimal properties for echo identification while remaining imperceptible to human participants

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If analysis application monitors timing of audio packets in real-time, then recording detection reliability is improved, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverecording detection reliabilityVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-processing and analyzing audio packets as they are transmitted and received. The analysis application continuously monitors timing characteristics in real-time, performing detection actions before the communication session concludes, thereby reducing post-processing time and enabling immediate detection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses periodic action by continuously transmitting special audio packets at regular intervals and analyzing their echoes. This periodic monitoring approach maintains reliable detection capability while managing processing load through structured, interval-based analysis rather than continuous heavy processing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS10205822B2Recording detection during a communication session

Publication Date: 2019.02.12 I M N A SOLUTIONS LTD

AI summary

A method of identifying recording of a conversation during a communication session, including establishing a communication session between a first participant and one or more remote participants, transmitting audio packets from a communication device of the first participant to the one or more remote participants, receiving audio packets from the one or more remote participants, including echo packets responsive to the transmitted audio packets, analyzing the received audio packets by an analysis application to identify delays in the echo packets relative to the transmitted packets providing an indication of the presence of a recording application at a communication device of a remote participant, notifying the communication device of the first participant.