Abstract: The present disclosure provides activatable and detectable membrane-interacting peptides that, following activation, can interact with phospholipid bilayers, such as cell membranes. The present disclosure also provides methods of use of such compounds. The compounds of the present disclosure are of the general structure X1a-A-X2-Z-X1b, where A is a membrane-interacting peptide region having a plurality of nonpolar hydrophobic amino acid residues that, following separation from portions Z, is capable of interaction with a phospholipid bilayer; Z is an inhibitory peptide region that can inhibit the activity of portion A; X2 is a cleavable linker that can be cleaved to release cleavage products from the compound; and X1a and X1b are optionally-present chemical handles that facilitate conjugation of various cargo moieties to the compound. Prior to cleavage of the composition at X2, the composition acts as a promolecule that does not associate with cellular membranes to a significant or detectable level.

Abstract: There is described a system and method for performing biometric authentication, preferably voice biometric authentication. The system has a host device such as a mobile phone and a coupled headset device. The headset device is arranged to receive audio, and to cryptographically protect the audio before transmission to the host device for verification and biometric authentication.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides activatable and detectable membrane-interacting peptides that, following activation, can interact with phospholipid bilayers, such as cell membranes. The present disclosure also provides methods of use of such compounds. The compounds of the present disclosure are of the general structure X1a-A-X2—Z—X1b, where A is a membrane-interacting peptide region having a plurality of nonpolar hydrophobic amino acid residues that, following separation from portions Z, is capable of interaction with a phospholipid bilayer; Z is an inhibitory peptide region that can inhibit the activity of portion A; X2 is a cleavable linker that can be cleaved to release cleavage products from the compound; and X1a and X1b are optionally-present chemical handles that facilitate conjugation of various cargo moieties to the compound. Prior to cleavage of the composition at X2, the composition acts as a promolecule that does not associate with cellular membranes to a significant or detectable level.

Abstract: A method of speaker verification comprises receiving an audio signal representing speech. While the audio signal is being received, features of the received audio signal are extracted. The extracted features, of at least a part of the received audio signal corresponding to the speech of at least one speaker, are summarised, and the summarised extracted features are stored. In response to a request for a speaker verification process relating to at least one enrolled user, the speaker verification process is performed using the previously summarised features.

Abstract: There is described a system and method for performing biometric authentication, preferably voice biometric authentication. The system has a host device such as a mobile phone and a coupled headset device. The headset device is arranged to receive audio, and to cryptographically protect the audio before transmission to the host device for verification and biometric authentication.

Abstract: An authentication system, comprising: one or more inputs, for receiving biometric input signals from a user; a routing module, configured to selectively route the biometric input signals from the one or more inputs to one or more of a plurality of components, the plurality of components including a biometric authentication module, for processing the biometric input signals and generating an authentication result; and a security module, for receiving a control instruction for the routing module, determining whether or not the control instruction complies with one or more rules, and controlling the routing module based on the control instruction responsive to a determination that the control instruction complies with the one or more rules.

Abstract: This application relates to transfer of microphone data from a microphone (101, 102, 102a, 201) to a processing module, such as voice biometric authentication module (111) in a secure manner, such that the receiving module can trust that the received audio is genuine. An authentication module (203) is configured to receive microphone data (DM) representative of an audio signal received at the microphone (201), and generate from the microphone data, authentication data (DA) for certifying that the microphone data did pass via the authentication module. The first authentication data (DA) comprises information relating to distinguishing characteristics of the audio content of the microphone data and may, for instance be an acoustic fingerprint of the audio content. The authentication data, may be cryptographically signed or encrypted and sent with the microphone audio to allow a receiver to verify that the audio is genuine and the content has not been substantially altered.

Abstract: An authentication system, comprising: one or more inputs, for receiving biometric input signals from a user; a routing module, configured to selectively route the biometric input signals from the one or more inputs to one or more of a plurality of components, the plurality of components including a biometric authentication module, for processing the biometric input signals and generating an authentication result; and a security module, for receiving a control instruction for the routing module, determining whether or not the control instruction complies with one or more rules, and controlling the routing module based on the control instruction responsive to a determination that the control instruction complies with the one or more rules.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides activatable and detectable membrane-interacting peptides that, following activation, can interact with phospholipid bilayers, such as cell membranes. The present disclosure also provides methods of use of such compounds. The compounds of the present disclosure are of the general structure X1a-A-X2-Z-X1b, where A is a membrane-interacting peptide region having a plurality of nonpolar hydrophobic amino acid residues that, following separation from portions Z, is capable of interaction with a phospholipid bilayer; Z is an inhibitory peptide region that can inhibit the activity of portion A; X2 is a cleavable linker that can be cleaved to release cleavage products from the compound; and X1a and X1b are optionally-present chemical handles that facilitate conjugation of various cargo moieties to the compound. Prior to cleavage of the composition at X2, the composition acts as a promolecule that does not associate with cellular membranes to a significant or detectable level.

Abstract: A grille configured for shielding a microphone cavity. The grille includes a first side. The first side includes a first plurality of parallel slats defining a first plurality of channels extending along a first direction. The grille includes a second side opposite the first side. The second side includes a second plurality of parallel slats defining a second plurality of channels extending along a second direction at a first angle relative to the first direction. The first plurality of parallel slats and the second plurality of parallel slats define a lattice having a plurality of openings extending through the grille. The openings are configured to diffuse air moving across the lattice. The channels and slats are configured to induce capillary action on water coming in contact with the lattice to drain water from the openings and the microphone cavity.

Abstract: A method of speaker verification comprises receiving an audio signal representing speech. While the audio signal is being received, features of the received audio signal are extracted. The extracted features, of at least a part of the received audio signal corresponding to the speech of at least one speaker, are summarised, and the summarised extracted features are stored. In response to a request for a speaker verification process relating to at least one enrolled user, the speaker verification process is performed using the previously summarised features.

Abstract: Received data representing speech is stored, and a trigger detection block detects a presence of data representing a trigger phrase in the received data. In response, a first part of the stored data representing at least a part of the trigger phrase is supplied to an adaptive speech enhancement block, which is trained on the first part of the stored data to derive adapted parameters for the speech enhancement block. A second part of the stored data, overlapping with the first part of the stored data, is supplied to the adaptive speech enhancement block operating with said adapted parameters, to form enhanced stored data. A second trigger phrase detection block detects the presence of data representing the trigger phrase in the enhanced stored data. In response, enhanced speech data are output from the speech enhancement block for further processing, such as speech recognition.

Abstract: A grille configured for shielding a microphone cavity. The grille includes a first side. The first side includes a first plurality of parallel slats defining a first plurality of channels extending along a first direction. The grille includes a second side opposite the first side. The second side includes a second plurality of parallel slats defining a second plurality of channels extending along a second direction at a first angle relative to the first direction. The first plurality of parallel slats and the second plurality of parallel slats define a lattice having a plurality of openings extending through the grille. The openings are configured to diffuse air moving across the lattice. The channels and slats are configured to induce capillary action on water coming in contact with the lattice to drain water from the openings and the microphone cavity.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides activatable and detectable membrane-interacting peptides that, following activation, can interact with phospholipid bilayers, such as cell membranes. The present disclosure also provides methods of use of such compounds. The compounds of the present disclosure are of the general structure X1a-A-X2-Z-X1b, where A is a membrane-interacting peptide region having a plurality of nonpolar hydrophobic amino acid residues that, following separation from portions Z, is capable of interaction with a phospholipid bilayer; Z is an inhibitory peptide region that can inhibit the activity of portion A; X2 is a cleavable linker that can be cleaved to release cleavage products from the compound; and X1a and X1b are optionally-present chemical handles that facilitate conjugation of various cargo moieties to the compound. Prior to cleavage of the composition at X2, the composition acts as a promolecule that does not associate with cellular membranes to a significant or detectable level.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatus for monitoring the routing configuration within an electronic device such that a biometric authentication process can be carried out without interference from other components of the device, such as may occur when the device has become infected with malware for example. The invention may provide a codec or speaker recognition processor, coupled to receive biometric input data, comprising a security module that determines whether a routing configuration complies with one or more rules. The security module may be implemented to prevent genuine biometric data from being output from the speaker recognition processor, and/or to prevent spoof biometric data from being inserted into the authentication module.

Abstract: Received data representing speech is stored, and a trigger detection block detects a presence of data representing a trigger phrase in the received data. In response, a first part of the stored data representing at least a part of the trigger phrase is supplied to an adaptive speech enhancement block, which is trained on the first part of the stored data to derive adapted parameters for the speech enhancement block. A second part of the stored data, overlapping with the first part of the stored data, is supplied to the adaptive speech enhancement block operating with said adapted parameters, to form enhanced stored data. A second trigger phrase detection block detects the presence of data representing the trigger phrase in the enhanced stored data. In response, enhanced speech data are output from the speech enhancement block for further processing, such as speech recognition.

Abstract: Received data representing speech is stored, and a trigger detection block detects a presence of data representing a trigger phrase in the received data. In response, a first part of the stored data representing at least a part of the trigger phrase is supplied to an adaptive speech enhancement block, which is trained on the first part of the stored data to derive adapted parameters for the speech enhancement block. A second part of the stored data, overlapping with the first part of the stored data, is supplied to the adaptive speech enhancement block operating with said adapted parameters, to form enhanced stored data. A second trigger phrase detection block detects the presence of data representing the trigger phrase in the enhanced stored data. In response, enhanced speech data are output from the speech enhancement block for further processing, such as speech recognition.

Abstract: There is provided a method in a peripheral device comprising one or more microphones. The peripheral device is connectable to a host device via a digital connection. The method comprises: receiving, from the one or more microphones, an audio data stream relating to speech from a user, the audio data stream comprising a stream of data segments; and, responsive to detection of a trigger phrase in one or more first data segments of the audio data stream: effecting activation of the digital connection; and transmitting one or more biometric features extracted from the one or more first data segments to the host device via the digital connection for use in a voice biometric authentication process.