Disrupting bone conduction signals

• US 9,349,280 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2013
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baldwin, Christopher, Amento, Brian S.
• Primary Examiner(s): McNally, Kerri
• Application Number:
  US14/083,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20150137960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 340/13.24, 340/870.39, 340/5.8, 340/4.4, 340/286.01, 600/500, 600/595, 600/437, 600/323, 600/300
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for disrupting bone conduction signals. According to one aspect, a device can receive a signal via a communication path that is external to a body of a user associated with the device. The device can generate a disruption signal to disrupt the signal. The device can send the disruption signal through the body of the user to disrupt the signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a device, a first instance of a signal via a communication path external to a body of a user, the user associated with the device;

generating, by the device, a disruption signal to disrupt the signal; and

sending, by the device, the disruption signal through the body of the user to disrupt a second instance of the signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending, by the device, the disruption signal through the body of the user to disrupt the second instance of the signal comprises sending, by the device, the disruption signal through the body of the user to a surface over which the second instance of the signal is propagating, wherein the user is in contact with the surface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, at the device, the first instance of the signal via the communication path external to the body of the user associated with the device comprises receiving, at the device, the first instance of the signal from a signal detection system via the communication path external to the body of the user associated with the device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, at the device, the first instance of the signal via the communication path external to the body of the user associated with the device comprises receiving, at the device, the first instance of the signal from a database.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, at the device, a partial signal, the partial signal comprising a portion of the signal;

generating, by the device, a request directed to the database, the request comprising the partial signal; and

sending, by the device, the request to the database, wherein receiving the first instance of the signal via the communication path external to the body of the user comprises receiving, by the device, a response from the database, the response comprising the first instance of the signal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the signal comprises an audible advertisement.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein generating, by the device, the disruption signal comprises shifting a frequency of the signal to an inaudible range.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating, by the device, the disruption signal comprises generating the disruption signal with signal characteristics to cancel a portion of the signal.

9. A device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

receiving a first instance of a signal via a communication path external to a body of a user associated with the device,

generating a disruption signal to disrupt the signal, and

sending the disruption signal through the body of the user to disrupt a second instance of the signal.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein sending the disruption signal through the body of the user to disrupt the second instance of the signal comprises sending the disruption signal through the body of the user to a surface over which the second instance of the signal is propagating and with which the user is in contact.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein receiving the first instance of the signal via the communication path external to the body of the user associated with the device comprises receiving the first instance of the signal from a signal detection system via the communication path external to the body of the user associated with the device.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein receiving the first instance of the signal via the communication path external to the body of the user associated with the device comprises receiving the first instance of the signal from a database.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a partial signal, the partial signal comprising a portion of the signal;

generating a request directed to the database, the request comprising the partial signal; and

sending the request to the database, wherein receiving the first instance of the signal via the communication path external to the body of the user comprises receiving a response from the database, the response comprising the first instance of the signal.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the signal comprises an audible advertisement.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein generating the disruption signal comprises shifting a frequency of the signal to an inaudible range.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein generating the disruption signal comprises generating the disruption signal with signal characteristics to cancel a portion of the signal.

17. A computer storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor of a device, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first instance of a signal via a communication path external to a body of a user associated with the device;

generating a disruption signal to disrupt the signal; and

sending the disruption signal through the body of the user to disrupt a second instance of the signal.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 17, wherein:

receiving the first instance of the signal via the communication path external to the body of the user associated with the device comprises receiving the first instance of the signal from a signal detection system via the communication path external to the body of the user associated with the device; and

sending the disruption signal through the body of the user to disrupt the second instance of the signal comprises sending the disruption signal through the body of the user to a surface over which the second instance of the signal is propagating and with which the user is in contact.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein the signal comprises an advertisement.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a partial signal, the partial signal comprising a portion of the signal;

generating a request directed to a database, the request comprising the partial signal; and

sending the request to the database, wherein receiving the first instance of the signal via the communication path external to the body of the user comprises receiving a response from the database, the response comprising the first instance of the signal.