{
  "patent_number": "US 10241750",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How to Trick Your Phone Into Muting Its Own Microphone",
  "original_title": "Method and apparatus for disabling audio",
  "summary": "A hardware device that plugs into a phone's microphone jack to fool the system into thinking an external mic is attached, effectively silencing the internal microphone.",
  "what_it_does": "This patent describes a way to force a personal electronic device to stop using its built-in microphone by tricking it into thinking an external one is connected. When you plug the simulator into the device's audio interface (like a 3.5mm jack), the device's internal audio mixer detects the new connection and automatically switches the input channel away from the built-in microphone. The simulator then sends a signal that mimics a silent environment, ensuring the phone records nothing but silence. This effectively disables the internal microphone without needing software-level permission or settings.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover software applications that disable the microphone via operating system permissions.",
    "Does not cover physical hardware switches that cut the electrical connection to the microphone.",
    "Does not cover devices that simply leave the audio input port open without providing a silent signal.",
    "Does not cover methods that disable the microphone by removing the battery or power source."
  ],
  "filed": "2018-06-07",
  "granted": "2019-03-26",
  "expires": null,
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "Columbia Network Security Inc",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/columbia-network-security-inc",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Richard Ralston, Jr.",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/richard-ralston-jr"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 2,
  "tags": [
    "consumer_electronics",
    "telecommunications",
    "mechanical"
  ],
  "abstract": "The present invention comprises a microphone simulator or emulator, for use in conjunction with a “personal electronic device” or “PED.” The microphone simulator or emulator is used in conjunction with a PED that includes both a built-in microphone, along with an interface by which an external microphone can be utilized. Often, a PED is equipped with no specific user-level interface, by which the built-in microphone of the PED can be disabled. However, the microphone simulator or emulator, when connected to the external microphone interface of a PED, causes the PED to recognize the microphone simulator or emulator as an external microphone. Because of this, the PED disables its built-in microphone.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10241750/swift-programming-language",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10241750/swift-programming-language/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US10241750",
  "relatedPatents": []
}