Signal detection system for improved microphone-controllable device security
A method and apparatus for detecting a photoacoustic light signal to prevent unauthorized voice commands for a microphone-controllable device are provided. The method includes receiving, by a processor, a signal, detecting, by the processor, that the signal is a photoacoustic signal generated by a thermal expansion and contraction of an object caused by at least one lightwave applied to the object, and activating, by the processor, a counter-measure to prevent the photoacoustic signal from reaching a microphone of a microphone-controllable device in response to detecting the photoacoustic signal.
1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a processor, a signal;
detecting, by the processor, that the signal is a photoacoustic signal generated by a thermal expansion and contraction of an object caused by at least one lightwave applied to the object; and
activating, by the processor, a counter-measure to prevent the photoacoustic signal from reaching a microphone of a microphone-controllable device in response to detecting the photoacoustic signal.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting comprises:
comparing, by the processor, the signal to a voice signature of a user of the microphone-controllable device to determine if a waveform of the signal matches a waveform of the voice signature.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting comprises:
receiving, by the processor, an indication from a heat sensor that a temperature increase is above a threshold.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting comprises:
receiving, by the processor, an indication from an optical sensor in response to detection of the at least one lightwave.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the signal is received by a second microphone separate from the microphone of the microphone-controllable device.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activating comprises:
deactivating, by the processor, the microphone in response to detecting that the signal is the photoacoustic signal.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activating comprises:
generating, by the processor, a counter-signal to cancel the photoacoustic signal; and
emitting, by the processor, the counter-signal.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the counter-signal comprises an inverted waveform of the photoacoustic signal.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
controlling, by the processor, at least one electronic device wirelessly via the microphone-controllable device in response to the signal being a voice command.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the object is a portion of the microphone-controllable device.
11. An apparatus comprising:
at least one microphone to receive a signal to activate a voice-activated assistant application;
at least one photoacoustic detection device to detect that the signal is a photoacoustic signal generated by a thermal expansion and contraction of a portion of the apparatus caused by at least one lightwave applied to the portion of the apparatus; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the at least one microphone and the at least one photoacoustic detection device to activate a counter-measure to prevent the photoacoustic signal from reaching the at least one microphone.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one photoacoustic detection device comprises:
a heat sensor to detect a temperature increase is above a threshold.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one photoacoustic detection device comprises:
an optical sensor to detect the at least one lightwave.
14. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
a second microphone to receive the signal; and
a memory to store a voice signature, wherein the processor is to compare the signal to the voice signature to determine whether a waveform of the signal matches a waveform of the voice signature.
15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the counter-measure comprises deactivation of the at least one microphone.
16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the counter-measure comprises generating a counter-signal to cancel the photoacoustic signal.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising:
a speaker to emit the counter-signal.
18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processing system including at least one processor, cause the processing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving a signal;
detecting that the signal is a photoacoustic signal generated by a thermal expansion and contraction of an object caused by at least one lightwave applied to the object; and
activating a counter-measure to prevent the photoacoustic signal from reaching a microphone of a microphone-controllable device in response to detecting the photoacoustic signal.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the detecting comprises:
comparing the signal to a voice signature of a user of the microphone-controllable device to determine if a waveform of the signal matches a waveform of the voice signature.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the activating comprises:
deactivating the microphone or generating a counter-signal to cancel the photoacoustic signal.