Speech screening
First Claim
1. A method of providing access control for a user device comprising:
- processing input audio data using an access control module having a speech recogniser to produce index data representative of the likelihood of matches of portions of the input audio data to a set of predefined phones;
searching the index data for a match to any one of a set of phone sequences corresponding to predefined threat words or phrases in order to detect any of the set of pre-defined threat words or phrases within the audio data; and
initiating a threat detection response by the access control module on detection of one or more said threat words or phrases, by varying the ability of a user to access the audio data via the user device, wherein the set of pre-defined threat words or phrases are categorised into one or more categories according to a level of perceived offensiveness for the threat words or phrases, wherein a level of threat is determined for the threat words or phrases detected in the input audio data based on the category in which the threat word or phrase is categorised, wherein the threat detection response by the access control module, and therefore the ability of the user to access the audio data via the user device, is based on the determined level of threat, said method steps implemented on a data processor.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This invention relates to screening of spoken audio data so as to detect threat words or phrases. The method is particularly useful for protecting children or vulnerable adults from unsuitable content and/or suspicious or threatening contact with others via a communication medium. The method is applicable to screening speech transmitted over a computer network such as the internet and provides screening of access to stored content, e.g. audio or multimedia data files, as well as real time speech such as live broadcasts or communication via voice over IP or similar communication protocols. The method allows an administrator, e.g. a parent, to identify groups of threat words or phrases to be monitored, to set user access levels and to determine appropriate responses when threat words or phrases are detected.
-
Citations
28 Claims
-
1. A method of providing access control for a user device comprising:
-
processing input audio data using an access control module having a speech recogniser to produce index data representative of the likelihood of matches of portions of the input audio data to a set of predefined phones; searching the index data for a match to any one of a set of phone sequences corresponding to predefined threat words or phrases in order to detect any of the set of pre-defined threat words or phrases within the audio data; and initiating a threat detection response by the access control module on detection of one or more said threat words or phrases, by varying the ability of a user to access the audio data via the user device, wherein the set of pre-defined threat words or phrases are categorised into one or more categories according to a level of perceived offensiveness for the threat words or phrases, wherein a level of threat is determined for the threat words or phrases detected in the input audio data based on the category in which the threat word or phrase is categorised, wherein the threat detection response by the access control module, and therefore the ability of the user to access the audio data via the user device, is based on the determined level of threat, said method steps implemented on a data processor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 28)
-
-
18. An access control apparatus for a user device capable of accessing audio data, said apparatus comprising:
-
a speech recogniser configured to process any audio data a user attempts to access so as to detect the presence of any pre-defined threat words or phrases and activate a threat detection response on detection of one or more said threat words the apparatus comprising; an access control module configured to process said audio data using a speech recogniser to produce index data representative of the likelihood of matches of portions of the audio data to a set of predefined phones and wherein a user accesses the audio data via the access control module; the access control module further configured to process said index data to detect any of a set of pre-defined threat words or phrases and, on detection of one or more said threat words or phrases, to initiate a threat detection response by the access control module varying the ability of a user to access the audio data via the user device wherein the set of pre-defined threat words or phrases are categorised into one or more categories according to a level of perceived offensiveness for the threat words or phrases, wherein a level of threat is determined for the threat words based on the category in which the threat word or phrase is categorised according to the user and wherein the threat detection response is based on the determined level of threat.
-
-
19. A method of monitoring audio data transmitted over a computer network, said method comprising the steps of:
-
processing input audio data using an access control module having a speech recogniser to produce index data representative of the likelihood of matches of portions of the input audio data to a set of predefined phones, wherein a user accesses the audio data via the access control module; searching the index data for a match to any one of a set of phone sequences corresponding to predefined threat words or phrases in order to detect any of the set of pre-defined threat words or phrases within the audio data; and initiating a threat detection response by the access control module on detection of one or more said threat words or phrases, by varying the ability of a user to access the audio data via the user device, wherein the set of pre-defined threat words or phrases are categorised into one or more categories according to a level of perceived offensiveness for the threat words or phrases, wherein a level of threat is determined for the threat words or phrases detected in the input audio data based on the category in which the threat word or phrase is categorised according to the user, wherein the threat detection response is based on the determined level of threat and the ability of the user to access the audio data via the access control module is varied according to the threat detection response, said method steps implemented on a data processor. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
-
Specification