Securing audio data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9940930-B1
Application number	US-201615372182-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 7, 2016
Priority date	Dec 7, 2016
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for securing audio data. In one aspect, a method includes restricting access by the device to audio information detected by a microphone, receiving data indicating that the device is authorized to access audio information detected by the microphone during a limited period of time, and in response to receiving data indicating that the device is authorized to access audio information detected by the microphone during the limited period of time, providing audio information to the device. The method also includes monitoring audio information detected by the microphone during the limited period of time for the presence of a hotword and after the end of the limited period of time, restricting access by the device to audio information detected by the microphone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
restricting, by a processing module in a device, access by a processor in the device to audio information detected by a microphone in the device;
receiving, by the processing module in the device, data from the processor in the device indicating that the processor in the device is authorized during a limited period of time to access audio information detected by the microphone in the device;
in response to receiving data indicating that the processor in the device is authorized during the limited period of time to access audio information detected by the microphone in the device, providing the processor in the device access to audio information detected by the microphone in the device;
monitoring, by the processing module in the device, audio information detected by the microphone in the device during the limited period of time for the presence of a hotword; and
after the end of the limited period of time, restricting, by the processing module in the device, access by the processor in the device to audio information detected by the microphone in the device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising restricting access to audio information detected by the microphone in response to determining that the limited period of time has ended.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the data from the processor in the device indicating that the processor in the device is authorized during a limited period of time to access audio information detected by the microphone in the device comprises:
receiving a token from the processor indicating (i) that the processor in the device is authorized to access the audio information detected by the microphone during the limited period of time and (ii) a duration of the limited period of time;
wherein the method further comprises:
evaluating the token to verify validity of the token; and
in response to verifying the validity of the token, extracting data of the token indicating (i) that the processor in the device is authorized to access the audio information detected by the microphone during the limited period of time and (ii) a duration of the limited period of time.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein restricting access by the processor in the device to audio information detected by the microphone comprises at least one of:
encrypting the audio information detected by the microphone; or
blocking access of the audio information from the processing module to the processor in the device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting the presence of the hotword during the limited period of time; and
in response to detecting the presence of the hotword during the limited period of time, restricting, during the limited period of time, access by the processor in the device to audio information that is detected by the microphone and that follows the hotword.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
detecting, during the limited period of time, a voice request that follows the hotword, wherein the voice request is a spoken command or request;
determining that the voice request has ended before the end of the limited period of time; and
in response to determining that the voice request has ended before the end of the limited period of time, providing, to the processor in the device, unencrypted audio information detected after the end of the voice request.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
after determining that the voice request has ended before the end of the limited period of time, and after providing unencrypted audio information detected after the end of the voice request, detecting a second voice request that occurs during the limited period of time and that is not preceded by an additional hotword; and
in response to detecting the second voice request that occurs during the limited period of time and is not preceded by an additional hotword, providing encrypted audio corresponding to the second voice request to the processor in the device.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a request to access audio information detected by the microphone, wherein the request is provided by the processor in the device in response to detecting user interaction with the processor in the device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein receiving the request to access audio information detected by the microphone comprises associating the request with data derived from (i) an identifier for the processing module and (ii) data indicating a time.

10. A device, comprising:
a microphone;
a processor that handles primary functions of the device; and
a processing module configured to perform operations comprising:
restricting, by a processing module in a device, access by a processor in the device to audio information detected by a microphone in the device;
receiving, by the processing module in the device, data from the processor in the device indicating that the processor in the device is authorized during a limited period of time to access audio information detected by the microphone in the device;
in response to receiving data indicating that the processor in the device is authorized during the limited period of time to access audio information detected by the microphone in the device, providing the processor in the device access to audio information detected by the microphone in the device;
monitoring, by the processing module in the device, audio information detected by the microphone in the device during the limited period of time for the presence of a hotword; and
after the end of the limited period of time, restricting, by the processing module in the device, access by the processor in the device to audio information detected by the microphone in the device.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise restricting access to audio information detected by the microphone in response to determining that the limited period of time has ended.

12. The device of claim 10 , wherein receiving the data from the processor in the device indicating that the processor in the device is authorized during a limited period of time to access audio information detected by the microphone in the device comprises:
receiving a token from the processor indicating (i) that the processor in the device is authorized to access the audio information detected by the microphone during the limited period of time and (ii) a duration of the limited period of time;
wherein the method further comprises:
evaluating the token to verify validity of the token; and
in response to verifying the validity of the token, extracting data of the token indicating (i) that the processor in the device is authorized to access the audio information detected by the microphone during the limited period of time and (ii) a duration of the limited period of time.

13. The device of claim 10 , wherein restricting access by the processor in the device to audio information detected by the microphone comprises at least one of:
encrypting the audio information detected by the microphone; or
blocking access of the audio information from the processing module to the processor in the device.

14. The device of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:
detecting the presence of the hotword during the limited period of time; and
in response to detecting the presence of the hotword during the limited period of time, restricting, during the limited period of time, access by the processor in the device to audio information that is detected by the microphone and that follows the hotword.

15. The device of claim

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Campbell Lee
• Beder Samuel Kramer

Classifications

• G10L15/22 Primary

  Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue · CPC title

• G06F3/165

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title

• G10L2015/088

  Word spotting · CPC title

• H04L63/0428

  wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload · CPC title

• H04W12/02

  Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII] · CPC title