Privacy and security systems and methods of use

• US 10,128,890 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2015
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PPIP, LLC
• Original Assignee: PPIP, LLC
• Inventors: Thomas, Teddy David, Quintus-Bosz, Harald, Menon, Manas Chandran, Parker, Anthony Clegg, Renner, Klaus Heribert, Aknin, Julien Prosper Marc, Evans, Christopher O., Xu, Bing, Le, Huyen NguyenNgoc Cam, Dai, Fa, Stadille, John, Fong, Michael, Kinnard, John, Ovans, Craig, Parada, Andres, Deros, John, Goodfellow, Andrew, Cumming, Justin David, Draudt, Gregg Robert, Smallwood, Eric, Diduch, Piotr, McCaslin, Christopher R., Samia, Elias R., Hutker, Evan, Hartmann, Robert Francis, Schechter, Stuart Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mastrodonato, Margaret G
• Application Number:
  US14/849,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20160233912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3838 Arrangements for reducing RF exposure to the user, e.g. by changing the shape of the transceiver while in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/12 for acoustic communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/18 for wireless local area networks or WLAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/20 for contactless carriers, e.g. RFID carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/68 using passive jamming, e.g. by shielding or reflection shielding of apparatus or components against electric or magnetic field H05K9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/825 by jamming
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/84 related to preventing electromagnetic interference in petrol station, hospital, plane or cinema
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/90 related to allowing or preventing navigation or positioning, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/035 Improving the acoustic characteristics by means of constructional features of the housing, e.g. ribs, walls, resonating chambers or cavities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/185 Improving the rigidity of the casing or resistance to shocks
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0069 Methods for measuring the shielding efficiency; Apparatus therefor; Isolation container for testing

Abstract

Some embodiments include a privacy/security apparatus for a portable communication device that includes a housing assembly configured to at least partially attenuate at least one of sound energy, acoustic energy, and electromagnetic energy including light, optical, and IR energy and RF radiation from passing through the housing assembly. The housing assembly includes a Faraday cage with two or more portions, and at least one protective shell coupled to or forming at least one aperture. The at least one aperture is configured and arranged to at least partially enclose the portable communication device so that at least a portion of the portable communication device is positioned within at least one portion of the Faraday cage, and the at least one seal coupled or integrated with the protective shell. The housing assembly can be an articulating assembly, a sliding assembly, and can include an active acoustic jamming or passive acoustic attenuation element.

Claims

1. A privacy/security apparatus for a portable communication device comprising:

a housing assembly configured to at least partially attenuate at least one of sound energy, acoustic energy, electromagnetic energy including light, optical and infrared (IR) energy, and radio frequency (RF) radiation from passing through the housing assembly, the housing assembly comprising;

a Faraday cage comprising two or more portions;

at least one protective shell forming at least one aperture, the at least one aperture configured and arranged to at least partially enclose the portable communication device, wherein the at least one protective shell comprises at least a portion of the Faraday cage enabling at least a portion of the portable communication device to be positioned on or adjacent the Faraday cage;

at least one seal coupled or integrated with the at least one protective shell; and

a hood assembly integral or coupled to the housing assembly, the hood assembly reversibly slidable or extendible from the at least one protective shell from a closed position to one of an open position and a position between the closed and open positions; and

a controller coupled to at least one speaker or noise generator, the controller configured and arranged to enable generation of acoustic jamming noise from the at least one speaker or noise generator based at least in part on at least one user-selectable privacy setting and the position of the hood assembly with respect to a portable communication device positioned in the housing assembly, wherein at least a portion of the acoustic jamming noise is received by one or more microphones of the portable communication device when at least partially positioned in the at least one protective shell; and

wherein the controller is configured and arranged to automatically turn off the acoustic jamming noise when the hood assembly is not in a closed position, and to automatically turn the acoustic jamming noise on when the controller is activated and the hood assembly is in a closed position at least partially enclosing a portable communication device.

2. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing assembly includes an articulating assembly configured and arranged to articulate a portion of the housing assembly to one or more positions to enable a user to insert or enclose and remove the portable communication device.

3. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing assembly includes a sliding assembly configured and arranged to slide a portion of the housing assembly to one or more positions to enable a user to insert, enclose or remove the portable communication device.

4. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one speaker is coupled to the at least one seal and an active acoustic jamming system activated by the controller.

5. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing assembly is configured and arranged to be movable between an open and a closed position to enable a user to insert or enclose and remove the portable communication device.

6. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing assembly comprises a sheath.

7. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing assembly comprises a base assembly, the base assembly including a Faraday base assembly forming at least one of the portions of the Faraday cage.

8. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one seal comprises an environmental seal.

9. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one seal comprises an RF attenuation or absorbing seal.

10. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one seal comprises at least one of a magnetic seal, an electromagnetic seal, an acoustic attenuation seal, and an optical seal.

11. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one seal comprises a fingerstock element.

12. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one seal includes at least one elastomeric element positioned adjacent to the fingerstock.

13. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one elastomeric element is positioned within at least a portion of the fingerstock.

14. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing assembly includes at least one port configured to couple with the portable communication device.

15. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one port comprises at least one of a sound transfer port, an RF transfer port, a data transfer port, a power transfer port, and an optical port.

16. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one protective shell includes a decorative layer or region.

17. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 16, wherein the decorative layer or region comprises at least one of a patterned surface, a window, a display, an emblem, and a logo.

18. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 1, wherein based on a user manipulation of a button or input device and hood assembly position, the controller is configured and arranged to modulate at least one privacy/security setting.

19. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one privacy/security setting is configured and arranged to alter the magnitude of energy reaching the portable communication device through the housing assembly.

20. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 19, wherein the energy comprises at least one of sound energy, RF energy, electrical energy, electromagnetic energy, optical energy, and IR energy.

21. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing assembly includes at least one microphone.

22. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one seal is configured and arranged to couple with at least one of a microphone, a speaker, a camera, a display, a sensor, and an RF antenna of the portable communication device.

23. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing assembly includes at least one direct current (DC) pass-through configured and arranged to pass direct current through the Faraday cage.

24. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing assembly includes an onboard power supply.

25. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hood assembly is configured and arranged to enable and disable one or more microphones and cameras of the portable communication device from receiving unjammed or unblocked audio and light energy in a single motion.

26. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hood assembly is configured and arranged to reversibly apply at least one audio jammer to reversibly enable and disable at least one microphone of the portable communication device from receiving unjammed audio energy.

27. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hood assembly is configured and arranged to reversibly apply at least one element to reversibly cover and uncover at least one camera of the portable communication device.

28. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one seal comprises a seal configured and arranged to cover at least one microphone of the portable communication device irrespective of the position or movement of the hood assembly on the housing assembly.

29. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one microphone configured and arranged to receive sounds emanating from outside of the protective shell;

an encoding capability coupled to the at least one microphone, the encoding capability configured and arranged to receive and encode a signal from the at least one microphone; and

at least one speaker coupled to the encoding capability, the at least one speaker configured and arranged to produce sound based at least in part on a receipt of one or more encoded signals from the encoding capability.

30. The privacy/security apparatus of claim 29, further comprising

at least one microphone configured and arranged to receive sounds emanating from inside of the protective shell;

a decoding capability coupled to the at least one microphone, the decoding capability configured and arranged to receive and decode a signal from the at least one microphone; and

at least one speaker coupled to the decoding capability, the at least one speaker configured and arranged to produce sound based on a receipt of a decoded signal from the decoding capability.