IP Library › Patent Application 19029701
Patent Application
App. No. 19/029,701

Privacy Mode for a Wireless Audio Device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
19/029,701
Abstract

Devices that record data from a space, such as audio or video devices having microphones and/or cameras, may have a privacy mode which allows a user to temporarily prevent the device from recoding audio or video of the space. The privacy mode may be a privacy cover, button, airgap, or other mechanism to obfuscate the acoustic or video signal, or to remove power and/or communication from the camera, microphone, control circuit, or to the entire device itself. Additionally, the privacy mode may be remotely enabled for multiple devices in a space.

Claims (39)

1 . An electrical load control apparatus, comprising:

a visual indicator, and

microphone circuitry;

a first controllably conductive device coupled in series with the microphone circuitry;

a second controllably conductive device coupled in series with the visual indicator and parallel to the microphone circuitry:

wherein, in a normal mode, the first controllably conductive device is in a conductive state to couple a supply voltage to the microphone circuitry sufficient to enable the microphone circuitry; and

wherein, in a privacy mode, the second controllably conductive device is in a conductive state to conductively couple the supply voltage through the visual indicator to ground; and

wherein the voltage drop across the second controllably conductive device is insufficient to enable the microphone circuitry.

2 . The electrical load control apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a user-adjustable input device to selectively transition between the normal mode and the privacy mode.

3 . The electrical load control apparatus of claim 2 wherein the user-adjustable input device comprises a manual input device to transition between the normal mode and the privacy mode.

4 . The electrical load control apparatus of claim 2 further comprising controller circuitry;

wherein the user-adjustable input device comprises an input to the controller circuitry; and

wherein the controller circuitry generates an output to cause the transition between the normal mode and the privacy mode.

5 . The electrical load control apparatus of claim 4 further comprising communication interface circuitry communicatively coupled to the controller circuitry.

6 . The electrical load control apparatus of claim 5 wherein the user-adjustable input device comprises a graphical user interface displayed on a portable computing device communicatively coupled to the controller circuitry.

7 . The electrical load control apparatus of claim 4 wherein the first controllably conductive device and the second controllably conductive device are coupled in electrical series.

8 . The electrical load control apparatus of claim 7 :

wherein the first controllably conductive device comprises a NPN bipolar junction transistor; and

wherein the second controllably conductive device comprises a PNP bipolar junction transistor

9 . The electrical load control apparatus of claim 8 :

wherein the controller circuitry provides an output connected to the gate of the first controllably conductive device and to the gate of the second controllably conductive device; and

wherein to generate the output to cause the transition between the normal mode and the privacy mode, the controller circuitry to further:

cause the output signal to go to a logical high value in the normal mode; and

cause the output signal to go to a logical low value in the privacy mode.

10 . The electrical load control apparatus of claim 2 wherein the user-adjustable input device to selectively transition between the normal mode and the privacy mode comprises:

a cover member displaceable between a first position that exposes the microphone circuitry and a second position that covers the microphone circuitry.

11 . An electrical load controller comprising controller circuitry to:

receive an input; and

responsive to receipt of the input, generate an output having one of: a logical high value or a logical low value;

wherein the logical high value causes a transition of a first controllably conductive device to a conductive state to couple a supply voltage to microphone circuitry, the supply voltage sufficient to enable the microphone circuitry; and

wherein the logical low value causes a transition of a second controllably conductive device coupled in parallel with the microphone circuitry to a conductive state to conductively couple the supply voltage through a visual indicator to ground;

wherein a voltage drop across the second controllably conductive device is insufficient to enable the microphone circuitry.

12 . The electrical load controller of claim 11 wherein to receive the input, the controller circuitry to further:

receive an input via a user-adjustable input device operatively coupled to the controller circuitry.

13 . The electrical load controller of claim 11 wherein to receive the input, the controller circuitry to further:

receive via a communication interface the input from a user-input on portable electronic device.

14 . The electrical load controller of claim 11 wherein the controller circuitry to further:

wherein the logical high value further causes the transition of the second controllably conductive device to a non-conductive state; and

wherein the logical low value further causes the transition of the first controllably conductive device to a non-conductive state.