Sensitive Data Control in Speech Recognition Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current speech recognition systems lack the ability to effectively manage sensitive data privacy, often broadcasting personal or confidential information without user authentication, which can be inappropriate in various contexts such as medical prescriptions or financial information.

Innovation Solution

The system implements sensitive data controls by determining when user requests involve sensitive data and applying appropriate privacy controls, such as requesting passwords or enabling password protection, to ensure that such information is only disclosed with proper authentication.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If speech recognition systems broadcast personal or confidential information without authentication, then ease of operation is improved, but user privacy protection deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoiduser privacy protection
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary classification of speech content to identify sensitive data categories (medical, financial, personal information) before broadcasting. Privacy controls and authentication requirements are established in advance based on the classified content type, ensuring privacy protection is built into the system workflow rather than added as an afterthought.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Different privacy control mechanisms are applied to different types of sensitive information based on their classification. Medical information triggers one set of privacy controls, financial information triggers another, and personal information triggers a third. This localized approach ensures appropriate privacy protection for each data type while maintaining ease of operation for non-sensitive content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the system implements authentication requirements for sensitive data, then user privacy protection is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser privacy protectionVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The speech processing system is segmented into distinct functional modules: speech recognition module, natural language understanding module, sensitive data classification module, and privacy control module. Each module handles a specific aspect of the process, making the overall complex system manageable through clear separation of concerns and specialized functionality in each segment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A privacy control component acts as an intermediary between the speech processing system and the output broadcast. This intermediary receives classified sensitive data, determines appropriate privacy controls and authentication requirements, and manages the disclosure process. The intermediary simplifies complexity by centralizing privacy management logic in a dedicated component rather than distributing it throughout the entire system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the system classifies and controls sensitive data output, then user privacy protection is improved, but productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser privacy protectionVSAvoidproductivity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes parameters such as classification thresholds, privacy control levels, and authentication requirements based on the type of sensitive data detected. For example, medical information may require higher authentication levels than personal information. These parameter adjustments are made dynamically based on content analysis, allowing the system to maintain productivity by applying appropriate levels of control rather than uniform maximum security to all outputs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20240029739A1Sensitive data control
Publication Date: 2024.01.25 AMAZON TECH INC
  • US20240029739A1 patent drawing
  • US20240029739A1 patent drawing
  • US20240029739A1 patent drawing

AI summary

A system is provided for determining privacy controls for output including sensitive data. A user may subscribe to receive an output in the future based on the occurrence of an event. The system may determine when the event is occurred triggering the output, and determine that the output includes outputting sensitive data. The system may determine output data that does not include the sensitive data, send the output data to a device, and may request the user to provide an authentication input to receive the sensitive data.