Personal Audio Privacy Using Masking Sound and Acoustic Nulls
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Solution Overview
Problem
In confined public spaces, mobile phone users face significant risks of unintended eavesdropping, leading to potential identity theft, scams, corporate espionage, and social or professional repercussions due to lack of call privacy.
Innovation Solution
A personal electronic device equipped with a main sound producing device and auxiliary sound producing devices that generate masking sounds or anti-sounds to reduce speech intelligibility of bystanders, utilizing acoustic beamforming to nullify acoustic energy in specific directions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a main sound producing device is used to produce intended sound for the user, then the user can hear the conversation clearly, but bystanders in confined public spaces can easily overhear the conversation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different acoustic zones: one directed toward the user with clear speech, and another directed toward bystanders with masked or canceled speech. The auxiliary sound producing devices generate masking sounds or anti-sounds that are spatially localized to protect specific directions from eavesdropping while maintaining user communication quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary sound producing devices act as intermediaries between the main sound producing device and the bystanders. These devices generate masking sounds or anti-sounds that interfere with the direct sound path to bystanders, effectively mediating the sound transmission to protect privacy while allowing the user to hear the intended sound clearly.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If auxiliary sound producing devices generate masking sounds to reduce speech intelligibility of bystanders, then call privacy is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sound producing function into multiple independent devices: a main sound producing device for user communication and auxiliary sound producing devices for privacy protection. This segmentation allows each device to perform its specific function efficiently, with the auxiliary devices dedicated solely to generating masking or anti-sounds for privacy protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary sound producing devices serve multiple functions: they can generate masking sounds to obscure speech, produce anti-sounds to cancel acoustic energy in specific directions, and perform acoustic beamforming. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate devices for each privacy protection mechanism.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If acoustic beamforming is used to nullify acoustic energy toward bystanders, then speech intelligibility of bystanders is reduced, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by selectively nullifying acoustic energy only in directions where bystanders are present, rather than canceling sound in all directions. The acoustic beamforming operation focuses computational and energy resources on specific angular directions where privacy protection is needed, reducing overall energy consumption compared to omnidirectional sound cancellation.
Data Source
AI summary
A personal electronic device includes a main sound producing device, configured to produce an intended sound for an intended user; and an auxiliary sound producing device, configured to produce a masking sound or an anti-sound to reduce a speech intelligibility of a bystander within a neighborhood of the intended user of the personal electronic device.