Privacy Sleeve for Smart Speakers

US 11,404,038, assigned to Ronald J Zenk, covers a method of selectively preventing surreptitious listening by a smart speaker, and is available for sale through IPApproach.

US Patents

1 granted

Assignee

Ronald J Zenk

Availability

For Sale

Patents Included

• US 11,404,038↗

Technology Highlights

• The invention prevents the microphone to covertly listen and record the user's conversations through the speaker devices, i.e. preventing unauthorized eavesdropping or selectively preventing surreptitious listening.
• The invention has a toggle feature on the audible interference device as between a deaf mode and a listening mode at periodic intervals. This prevents both desired and surreptitious listening by the smart speaker. Also, this allows the microphone to receive and the smart speaker to interact with intelligible speech from the surrounding.
• The invention toggling feature between deaf mode and listening mode ranges from donning and doffing the device on the smart speaker, opening and closing a window through the noise barrier formed by the device, activating and deactivating a powered noise cancelling/masking speaker on the device, etc.
• The invention jacket is configured and arranged to inhibit the reception of intelligible speech by the microphone on the smart speaker when placed over at least a portion of the smart speaker.
• The invention is an easy-to-use, portable, soundproof sleeve or jacket with an open and a closed end that can be placed over a smart speaker or to mask and distort intelligible speech received by smart speaker.
• The invention sleeve or jacket can be customized to fit all shapes and sizes of smart speakers for temporary or permanent attachment.
• The invention jacket sleeves can be of material such as sound insulation, rubber, wood, polystyrene foam (Styrofoam), aluminum and aluminum foil, materials with a dense mass, metal, acoustic fabric, acoustic board, acoustic foam, acoustic plastic, acoustic sealants, fiberglass, quilted fiberglass, rockwool insulation, vinyl, mineral wool, mass loaded vinyl, foam padding, loosely or densely packed fibers, carpet, and any type of padding.
• The invention sleeve or jacket can be constructed with a fluid containing layer or pocket like bubble wrap or a water bladder to enhance the noise blocking effect.
• The invention can be a noise cancelling/masking speaker that generates noise-cancelling sound waves for cancelling at least portions of any intelligible speech or generating white noise for masking any intelligible speech reaching the audible suppression chamber.

Overview

The technology disclosed provides the following advantages:

Listing updated August 21, 2026

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