Skull Conduction Headset Biometric Access Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

During telephonic voice communications, participants often inadvertently share confidential information due to misidentification of listeners, leading to unauthorized disclosure and potential chaos within organizations.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method using skull conduction frequency biometric identification to manage access to confidential content by analyzing participant identities and muting unauthorized information in real-time through a voice communication headset and server system, integrating speech-to-text, natural language processing, and topic classification.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If skull conduction frequency biometric identification is implemented to identify participants, then information security is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation securityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a server as an intermediary that handles the complex biometric identification and content filtering tasks. The server receives skull conduction frequency data from headsets, identifies participants, determines their authorization levels, and filters confidential content accordingly. This mediator approach transfers the computational complexity from client devices to the server, improving information security while minimizing the impact on device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces traditional mechanical or manual identification methods with skull conduction frequency biometric identification. This substitution uses acoustic/physiological properties (skull conduction frequency) instead of physical tokens or manual verification, enabling automatic participant identification and authorization verification, thereby improving information security without requiring complex hardware changes at the client end.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If real-time content filtering is implemented to mute unauthorized confidential information, then information security is improved, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation securityVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-processing and indexing voice content as it is generated, rather than waiting for complete sentences or pauses. The system continuously analyzes speech-to-text conversions in real-time, identifying confidential keywords and contexts as they appear. This allows the filtering to keep pace with the conversation flow, minimizing delays while maintaining information security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs skipping by rapidly processing and filtering content in real-time without waiting for complete turns or pauses in conversation. When confidential content is detected through keyword matching and natural language processing, the system immediately mutes unauthorized participants, rather than waiting for the natural end of a speech segment. This rushing through the processing pipeline minimizes the perceived delay while ensuring security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #21Skipping (Rushing through)

3Measurement precision

If comprehensive participant identification and content analysis is performed, then accuracy of access control is improved, but computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of access controlVSAvoidcomputational resources
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by focusing computational resources on analyzing only the portions of speech that are relevant to confidential content. Rather than processing every word equally, the system uses keyword matching and natural language processing to identify sentences or phrases that contain confidential information. This selective analysis maintains high accuracy in access control decisions while reducing the overall computational burden by ignoring non-critical content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Effectively prevents unauthorized participants from hearing confidential information, maintaining information security and reducing unnecessary panic or disruption within organizations by accurately identifying participants and filtering sensitive content based on job roles and security clearance levels.

Implementation Method 1

a voice communication headset that includes a skull conduction speaker and microphone to measure and record a skull conduction frequency biometric sample

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSkull conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS10423797B2Skull conduction-based telephonic conversation management
Publication Date: 2019.09.24 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION
  • US10423797B2 patent drawing
  • US10423797B2 patent drawing
  • US10423797B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Managing access to confidential content is provided. An indication of an identity of a teleconference participant is received via a voice communication headset that includes a skull conduction speaker and microphone. A database is analyzed to identify confidential information the teleconference participant is not authorized to hear. Voice communication content is provided in real time to the teleconference participant. The identified confidential information the teleconference participant is not authorized to hear is muted in the voice communication content.