According to some embodiments, a system for securing communications between an implantable wearable medical device (IWMD) and an external device (ED) is disclosed. The system includes a wireless radio frequency (RF) channel configured for communication between the IWMD and the ED. The system further includes a vibration-based side channel configured for verifying communication between the IWMD and the ED such that the RF channel is activated only when the IWMD detects a vibration signal generated by an ED.

Certain example embodiments relate to speech privacy systems and/or associated methods. The techniques described herein disrupt the intelligibility of the perceived speech by, for example, superimposing onto an original speech signal a masking replica of the original speech signal in which portions of it are smeared by a time delay and/or amplitude adjustment, with the time delays and/or amplitude adjustments oscillating over time. In certain example embodiments, smearing of the original signal may be generated in frequency ranges corresponding to formants, consonant sounds, phonemes, and/or other related or non-related information-carrying building blocks of speech. Additionally, or in the alternative, annoying reverberations particular to a room or area in low frequency ranges may be cut out of the replica signal, without increasing or substantially increasing perceived loudness.

A sound masking system according to the invention is disclosed in which one or more sound masking loudspeaker assemblies are coupled to one or more electronic sound masking signal generators. The loudspeaker assemblies in the system of the invention have a low directivity index and preferably emit an acoustic sound masking signal that has a sound masking spectrum specifically designed to provide superior sound masking in an open plan office. Each of the plurality of loudspeaker assemblies is oriented to provide the acoustic sound masking signal in a direct path into the predetermined area in which masking sound is needed. In addition, the sound masking system of the invention can include a remote control function by which a user can select from a plurality of stored sets of information for providing from a recipient loudspeaker assembly an acoustic sound masking signal having a-selected sound masking spectrum.

Systems and methods for interrupting disclosure of sensitive information are described. Sensitive information data associated with a user is maintained. A primary device detects commencement of a voice input to a secondary device. As the voice input is detected by the primary device, the voice input is analyzed to determine the content of the voice input. The content is compared to the sensitive information data to determine whether the voice input contains sensitive information. When the primary device determines the voice input contains sensitive information, a speaker of the primary device is controlled to generate a noise canceling signal which interrupts receipt of further sensitive information by the secondary device.

The present disclosure relates to concepts of acoustic noise cancelling. A noise cancelling apparatus contains a propulsion component configured to autonomously move the noise cancelling apparatus, and circuitry. The circuitry is configured to determine a position of an acoustic source, to determine a position of an acoustic receiver, and, depending on the detected positions of the acoustic source and the acoustic receiver, to control the propulsion component to navigate the noise cancelling apparatus to a target position to at least partly cancel an acoustic signal from the acoustic source at the position of the acoustic receiver.

A system, method and program product for generating sound masking in an open-plan space. A method is disclosed that includes: establishing a set of acoustic criteria for the space that specifies minimum output levels at a set of specified frequencies; mixing sound samples to create an audio output stream for use as sound masking when broadcast over at least one speaker using a power amplifier; and processing the audio output stream, wherein the processing includes: analyzing the audio output stream with a spectrum analyzer to determine if the minimum output levels at the set of specified frequencies are met; and level adjusting the audio output stream with an equalizer to ensure that minimum output levels at the set of specified frequencies are met but do not exceed a given threshold above the minimum level.

A system, method and program product for obfuscating audible messages in a listening space A system is provided that includes an orchestrator having: an invocation detection system that triggers an obfuscation event; a system for selecting injector nodes in the listening space for the obfuscation event; and a key management system that distributes keys, derived from a natural interface key, to the injector nodes to cause the injector nodes to inject sounds into the listening space to obfuscate an audible message broadcast by a source node for a target node; and a machine learning system that calculates the natural interface key based on interactions captured from the source node in the listening space.

A speech recognition device of the present disclosure recognizes an uttered speech of a user, and includes a controller configured to control output of any disturbance sound according to whether uttered content requested to the user is content desired not to be heard by a third party, and stop the output of the disturbance sound in response to end of an utterance of the user.

A metamaterial comprising, a plurality of acoustic vector field sensors, each configured to sense an acoustic vector field of a fluid within a fluid-filled space in response to fluid waves, and producing an electrical signal corresponding to the sensed acoustic vector field; a processor configured to perform a time and space transform on the electrical signal; and at least one phased array transducer, configured to emit fluid waves according to a produced acoustic vector field pattern dependent on a result of the time and space transform, a within a portion of the fluid.

Techniques are provided for defending against an ultrasonic attack on a speech enabled device. A methodology implementing the techniques according to an embodiment includes detecting voice activity in an audio signal received by the device and generating an ultrasonic jamming signal in response to the detection. The jamming signal is broadcast over a loudspeaker for up to the duration of the detected voice activity to defend against the ultrasonic attack. According to another embodiment, the ultrasonic jamming signal is generated in response to detection of a wake-on-voice key phrase in the received audio signal, and the jamming signal is broadcast over the loudspeaker for a time duration selected to be less than or equal to a time window during which spoken commands are accepted by the device following the wake-on-voice key phrase detection. The jamming signal may include white or colored noise, combinations of tones, and/or a periodic sweep frequency.