US 12,339,991 B1
Data protection systems and methods
Justin Dax Haslam, San Antonio, TX (US); Jose L. Romero, Jr., San Antonio, TX (US); and Arthur Quentin Smith, Fredericksburg, TX (US)
Assigned to United Services Automobile Association (USAA), San Antonio, TX (US)
Filed by United Services Automobile Association (USAA), San Antonio, TX (US)
Filed on Feb. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/677,707.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/153,648, filed on Feb. 25, 2021.
Int. Cl. G06F 21/62 (2013.01)
CPC G06F 21/6245 (2013.01) 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A data protection system to selectively shield private data from a smart device, the system comprising:
a user device comprising a processor and memory and configured to:
receive input from a user that the user is generating private data; and
transmit shielding instructions via the user device responsive to receiving the input that the private data is being generated;
a smart device comprising a sensor configured to detect environmental data in an environment of the sensor and generate a sensor signal, wherein the sensor comprises a microphone or a camera, and wherein the shielding output is sensed by the sensor when activated; and
a shielding device, the shielding device comprising a controller that controls activation of a shielding output in response to the shielding instructions from the user device that the private data is being generated, wherein the shielding output is:
false keyboard signals responsive to keyboard input at the user device as the shielding output or when the sensor comprises the camera, light emitted towards the camera as the shielding output or, when the sensor comprises the microphone, white noise emitted as the shielding output.