US-12621883-B2 - Split input/output system and method for multimedia communications

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a device including a processing system including a processor; and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations of facilitating establishment of a communications path between an open device and a remote device through a communications network; receiving an indication of potentially sensitive information on the communications path; and facilitating establishment of a secure communications path between a secure device and the remote device through the communications network. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Inventors

• Lars Benjamin Johnson
• Wei Wang
• Rachel Rosencrantz
• Mikhail Istomin

Assignees

• AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20240611

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A device, comprising: a processing system including a processor; and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising: receiving an indication of potentially sensitive information on a communications path between an open device, operated by a user, and a remote device through a communications network; and facilitating establishment of a secure communications path for communicating the potentially sensitive information between a secure device, operated by the user to provide the potentially sensitive information, and the remote device through the communications network responsive to the indication, wherein the secure device and the open device are separate devices and the open device and the secure device are remotely located from the remote device.
2. 2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein non-sensitive information is communicated over the communications path, and wherein the potentially sensitive information is communicated over the secure communications path.
3. 3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise suspending the communications path between the open device and the remote device, and wherein the suspending comprises blocking data from being transmitted by the open device to the communications network.
4. 4 . The device of claim 3 , wherein a router at a premises of the open device is used to block the data transmitted by the open device.
5. 5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the indication is provided by a user of the secure device.
6. 6 . The device of claim 5 , wherein the indication is provided to the user from the open device.
7. 7 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the indication is an alphanumeric code or quick response code.
8. 8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the indication is determined by monitoring the potentially sensitive information on the communications path.
9. 9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the monitoring is performed by a machine learning algorithm inspecting a transcription of the potentially sensitive information.
10. 10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise providing a notification of sensitive information by audio cues, visual cues, or a combination thereof.
11. 11 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing system comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed computing environment.
12. 12 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise authenticating the user of the open device.
13. 13 . A non-transitory, machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising: receiving an indication of potentially sensitive information on a communications path between an open device, operated by a user, and a remote device through a communications network; suspending the communications path; and establishing a secure communications path for communicating the potentially sensitive information between a secure device, operated by the user to provide the potentially sensitive information, and the remote device through the communications network responsive to the indication, wherein the secure device and the open device are separate devices and the open device and the secure device are remotely located from the remote device.
14. 14 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the suspending comprises blocking data from being transmitted by the open device to the communications network.
15. 15 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein a router at a premises of the open device is used to block the data transmitted by the open device.
16. 16 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the indication is provided by the user of the secure device.
17. 17 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the indication is provided to the user from the open device.
18. 18 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the processing system comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed computing environment.
19. 19 . A method, comprising: receiving, by a processing system including a processor, an indication of potentially sensitive information on a communications path between an open device, operated by a user, and a remote device through a communications network; creating, by the processing system, a secure communications path for communicating the potentially sensitive information between a secure device, operated by the user to provide the potentially sensitive information, and the remote device through the communications network responsive to the indication, wherein the secure device and the open device are separate devices and the open device and the secure device are remotely located from the remote device; and suspending, by the processing system, the communications path from the open device.
20. 20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein a router at a premises of the open device is used to suspend the communications path by blocking data transmitted by the open device.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/573,804 filed on Jan. 12, 2022. All sections of the aforementioned application are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The subject disclosure relates to a split input/output method for multimedia communications. BACKGROUND There are several devices in an average home that can provide audiovisual multimedia communications, such as Amazon or Google home assistants. These devices are always set up and ready to use, but at the same time, a user might not want sensitive information, such as personal medical records, to be discovered by commercially intrusive eavesdropping by the manufacturers of such devices, as may be legally permitted by their terms of service. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein: FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary, non-limiting embodiment of a communications network in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 2A is a block diagram illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of a system functioning within the communication network of FIG. 1 in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 2B is a block diagram illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of a system functioning within the communication network of FIG. 1 in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 2C depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of a virtualized communication network in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example, non-limiting embodiment of a computing environment in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example, non-limiting embodiment of a mobile network platform in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an example, non-limiting embodiment of a communication device in accordance with various aspects described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The subject disclosure describes, among other things, illustrative embodiments for facilitating switching from insecure and secure multimedia communication paradigms. Other embodiments are described in the subject disclosure. One or more aspects of the subject disclosure include a device including a processing system including a processor; and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations of facilitating establishment of a communications path between an open device and a remote device through a communications network; receiving an indication of potentially sensitive information on the communications path; and facilitating establishment of a secure communications path between a secure device and the remote device through the communications network. One or more aspects of the subject disclosure include a non-transitory, machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations of establishing a communications path between an open device and a remote device through a communications network; receiving an indication of potentially sensitive information on the communications path; suspending the communications path; and establishing a secure communications path between a secure device and the remote device through the communications network. One or more aspects of the subject disclosure include a method of establishing, by a processing system including a processor, a communications path between an open device and a remote device through a communications network; receiving, by the processing system, an indication of potentially sensitive information on the communications path; creating, by the processing system, a secure communications path between a secure device and the remote device through the communications network; and suspending, by the processing system, the communications path from the open device. Referring now to FIG. 1, a block diagram is shown illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of a system 100 in accordance with various aspects described herein. For example, system 100 can facilitate in whole or in part facilitating establishment of a communications path between an open device and a remote device through a communications network, receiving an indication of potentially sensitive information on the communications path; and facilitating establishment of a secure communications path between a secure device and the remote device through the communications network. In particular, a communications network 125 is presented for providing broadband access 110 to a plurality of data terminals 114 via access te