Electronic Device Selective Audio Recording for Authorized Users

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Solution Overview

Problem

Modern electronic devices face challenges in securely identifying and differentiating authorized users from unauthorized ones, particularly in environments where multiple individuals are present, as existing technologies lack effective methods to distinguish and record audio inputs accurately.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of an electronic device equipped with audio sensors, imaging systems, and processors that utilize voice recognition, facial recognition, and beam steering techniques to identify and record audio inputs from authorized users while transcribing and storing text from unauthorized users, ensuring secure authentication and data protection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If audio sensors are used to capture audio inputs in multi-user environments, then the ability to record user inputs is improved, but the ability to accurately distinguish authorized users from unauthorized users deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaudio capture capabilityVSAvoiduser identification accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple authentication modalities including voice recognition, facial recognition, and beam steering techniques into a unified authentication system. This integration allows the device to leverage complementary strengths of each modality to achieve accurate user identification in multi-user environments while maintaining audio capture capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces beam steering as an intermediary mechanism that directs audio sensors toward authorized users. This spatial filtering approach acts as a mediator between the audio capture function and user identification, enabling the system to distinguish authorized users by directing acoustic beams toward their locations and filtering out audio from unauthorized users.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If multiple authentication methods are implemented to identify authorized users, then user identification accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser identification accuracyVSAvoidauthentication system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal authentication framework where a single system performs multiple authentication functions including voice recognition, facial recognition, and beam steering. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise be separate authentication systems into one integrated solution, managing complexity while maintaining high identification accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs dynamic authentication where the system can adaptively select and combine different authentication methods based on environmental conditions and user context. This dynamic approach allows the system to optimize authentication accuracy while managing computational resources efficiently, rather than continuously running all authentication modalities at full capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Loss of information

If audio inputs from all users are recorded, then completeness of recorded data is improved, but security and privacy protection deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata completenessVSAvoidprivacy risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and isolates audio inputs from authorized users using beam steering and voice recognition techniques, separating them from audio inputs of unauthorized users. This extraction process ensures that only authenticated user audio is recorded and stored, maintaining data completeness for authorized users while eliminating privacy risks associated with recording unauthorized users' audio.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the authentication system continuously monitors and verifies user identity during audio capture. This real-time feedback ensures that recording permissions are dynamically granted or revoked based on current authentication status, preventing unauthorized recording while maintaining complete audio records for authorized users.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10402149B2Electronic devices and methods for selectively recording input from authorized users
Publication Date: 2019.09.03 MOTOROLA MOBILITY LLC
  • US10402149B2 patent drawing
  • US10402149B2 patent drawing
  • US10402149B2 patent drawing

AI summary

An electronic device includes one or more sensors having at least an audio sensor and one or more processors. The one or more sensors detect multiple persons within an environment about the electronic device and identify at least one person as an authorized user of the electronic device. The audio sensor receives audio input from the environment, and the one or more processors filter the audio input into authorized user generated audio input and other audio input, record audio signals representing the authorized user generated audio input, and preclude the recording of other audio signals representing to the other audio input.