Methods and systems for conveying encrypted data to a communication device

• US 10,649,717 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2018
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nagravision SA (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: Nagravision SA (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Fournier, Jean-Claude, Benoit, Bernard, Wendling, Bertrand, Kudelski, Andre
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Venkat
• Application Number:
  US15/871,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20180157460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0208 Noise filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection

Abstract

An apparatus includes an audio-sensor inhibitor configured to inhibit detection of sound by an audio sensor of a communication device, and a secure communication interface coupled to the audio-sensor inhibitor, the secure communication interface being configured to transmit encrypted audio data from the secure communication interface to the communication device, wherein the communication interface generates audio data using a secure-interface audio sensor, and generates the encrypted audio data by encrypting the audio data using a cryptographic module.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an audio-sensor inhibitor configured to inhibit detection of sound by an audio sensor of a communication device, wherein the audio-sensor inhibitor is positioned adjacent to the audio sensor of the communication device; and

a secure communication interface coupled to the audio-sensor inhibitor, the secure communication interface configured to communicate encrypted audio data from the secure communication interface to the communication device, wherein the secure communication interface is configured to

(i) detect the sound inhibited from being detected by the audio sensor of the communication device;

(ii) generate the encrypted audio data by encrypting the detected sound using a cryptographic module; and

(iii) provide the generated encrypted audio data to the communication device inhibited from detecting the sound.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the audio-sensor inhibitor includes an acoustic dampening material.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the audio-sensor inhibitor includes a transducer to output a noise signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the audio-sensor inhibitor includes a signal generator to generate, via the transducer, the noise signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the noise signal is one or more of pink noise, white noise, and random noise.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the signal generator generates, via the transducer, the noise signal in response to a triggering event.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the triggering event includes commencement of an encrypted communication session.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the signal generator generates the noise signal for a duration of an encrypted communication session.

9. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a noise-cancellation module configured to remove noise-signal components from sound detected by the secure communication interface.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is disposed on the communication device.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an image-sensor inhibitor, wherein the apparatus is disposed on the communication device, the communication device further comprises an image sensor, and the image-sensor inhibitor is configured to obscure the image sensor of the communication device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the image-sensor inhibitor is one or more of a non-transparent covering and a light source.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the secure communication interface communicates the encrypted audio data from the secure communication interface to the communication device via a communication link.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the secure communication interface is further configured to decrypt an inbound encrypted audio data received from the communication device.

15. An apparatus comprising:

an audio-sensor inhibitor to inhibit detection of sound by an audio sensor of a communication device, wherein the audio-sensor inhibitor is positioned adjacent to the audio sensor of the communication device; and

a communication interface coupled to the audio-sensor inhibitor, the communication interface configured to receive an inbound wireless communication data transmitted from an external accessory that includes a secure communication interface, the inbound wireless communication data including encrypted audio data of the sound inhibited from being detected by the audio-sensor inhibitor, the communication interface including a communication link to enable relay of the encrypted audio data between the communication interface and the communication device inhibited from detecting the sound.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the communication interface enables transmission of an outbound wireless communication data to the external accessory, the outbound wireless communication data including encrypted audio data received from the communication device.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the communication interface is a personal area network (PAN) wireless-communication interface.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the external accessory is a Bluetooth-enabled headset.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the audio-sensor inhibitor includes an acoustic dampening material.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the audio-sensor inhibitor includes a transducer to output a noise signal.