IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,445,320
Granted Patent B2
US 12,445,320 · App. 18/344,004 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

Control apparatus, conference system, and recording medium

Inventor: Tomohiro Iwase (Fuchu, JP)
Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
H04L12/1895H04L12/1822
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,445,320
App. No.
18/344,004
Granted
Oct 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A control apparatus includes a hardware processor that obtains information on volume of a sound in a conference room detected by a sound detection device that detects the sound in the conference room during a conference in the conference room, derives an index value that represents risk of information leakage due to sound leakage, based at least on the obtained information on the volume of the sound in the conference room, and causes an output device or an information terminal device installed in the conference room to issue an alert, if the index value is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold.

Claims (20)

1. A control apparatus, comprising a hardware processor that obtains information on volume of an internal sound in a conference room detected by a sound detection device that detects the internal sound in the conference room during a conference in the conference room,

derives an index value that represents risk of information leakage due to sound leakage, the index value derivation being based at least on the obtained information on the volume of the internal sound in the conference room, and

causes an output device or an information terminal device installed in the conference room to issue an alert, if the index value is equal to or more than a value of a predetermined threshold;

wherein the hardware processor obtains information that is at least one or more pieces of information among (a) information indicating confidentiality of the conference held in the conference room, (b) information on volume of a sound around the conference room, (c) attribute information on a present member around the conference room, or (d) information on sound insulation of the conference room, and

the hardware processor further derives the index value based on the at least one or more pieces of information obtained.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein if the index value is equal to or more than the value of the predetermined threshold, and the conference in the conference room is a face-to-face conference, the hardware processor causes the output device installed in the conference room to output an alert character string, an alert image, or an alert sound.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein if the index value is equal to or more than the value of the predetermined threshold, and the conference in the conference room is a web conference or a teleconference, the hardware processor causes the information terminal device used for the conference to output an alert character string, an alert image, or an alert sound.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein if the index value is equal to or more than the value of the predetermined threshold, the hardware processor causes a sound output device installed outside of the conference room to output a sound at a volume louder than the volume of the internal sound in the conference room.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein if the index value is equal to or more than the value of the predetermined threshold, and the conference in the conference room is a web conference or a teleconference, the hardware processor forcibly terminates the web conference or the teleconference.

6. A conference system, comprising:

a sound detection device that detects an internal sound volume in a conference room during a conference in the conference room;

an output device or an information terminal device that is installed in the conference room; and

a control apparatus having a hardware processor that derives an index value that represents risk of information leakage due to sound leakage, based at least on first information pertaining to the internal sound volume detected by the sound detection device, and causes the output device or the information terminal device to issue an alert if the index value is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold value;

wherein the hardware processor obtains second information that is at least one or more pieces of additional information among (a) information indicating confidentiality of the conference held in the conference room, (b) information on volume of a sound around the conference room, (c) attribute information on a present member around the conference room, or (d) information on sound insulation of the conference room, and

the hardware processor further derives the index value based on the obtained second information.

7. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a program causing a computer to perform:

obtaining first information on volume of internal sound in a conference room detected by a sound detection device that detects the internal sound in the conference room during a conference in the conference room;

obtaining second information that is at least one or more pieces of additional information among (a) information indicating confidentiality of the conference held in the conference room, (b) information on volume of a sound around the conference room, (c) attribute information on a present member around the conference room, or (d) information on sound insulation of the conference room;

deriving an index value that represents risk of information leakage due to sound leakage, based at least on the obtained first information on the volume of the internal sound in the conference room and the obtained second information; and

causing an output device or an information terminal device installed in the conference room to issue an alert, if the index value is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold value.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 29, 2023
From: IWASE, TOMOHIRO
To: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
Reel/Frame 064112/0347 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-123033 · Aug 2, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240048400A1 · Feb 8, 2024
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