Voice Command Device Privacy Protection via Biometric Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Voice command devices often compromise the privacy of confidential user information by broadcasting it audibly, risking exposure to unauthorized individuals within range, as they lack the ability to recognize changes in the user's environment or authenticate the requestor.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that determines if requested data is private, transmitting such data to a user's preferred personal device securely, using voice recognition, facial recognition, or other biometric techniques to authenticate the user, and adhering to privacy policies, ensuring only authorized devices receive sensitive information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If voice command devices broadcast information audibly to respond to user requests, then the device provides convenient information access and maintains simple operation, but private or confidential information may be exposed to unauthorized individuals within range
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a camera as an intermediary device to detect whether the user is alone before the voice command device broadcasts information. The camera captures images of the environment, and image analysis determines if other people are present. This intermediary detection mechanism allows the system to conditionally enable or disable audible information broadcasting, thereby protecting private information while maintaining convenient access when safe.
2Reliability
If voice command devices authenticate users before providing information, then information security is improved, but the system complexity increases due to additional authentication requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service authentication using the device's existing camera and image processing capabilities. The system automatically captures images, analyzes them to detect the presence of other people, and makes authentication decisions without requiring manual user input or complex external authentication systems. This self-service approach enhances security while minimizing added complexity by utilizing resources already available in the device.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the device monitors the user's environment to detect changes in privacy context, then information privacy is protected, but the device requires additional sensors and processing capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the camera serve multiple functions: it is used both for standard visual operations and for privacy context monitoring. The same image capture and analysis capabilities are leveraged to detect whether the user is alone, eliminating the need for dedicated privacy monitoring sensors. This multi-functional approach enhances privacy protection while avoiding the addition of separate hardware components.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system of providing private data privately when such data is requested from a VCD utilizes a communications network to communicate with a service containing the private data to determine if the data is private. Once the data is determined as being private, instead of being sent to the VCD to be broadcasted audibly, the data may be transmitted to a user's preferred device to be presented privately to the user.