Terminal, unlocking method, and program

• US 10,134,392 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2014
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Shima, Yoshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas-Homescu, Anne L
• Application Number:
  US14/758,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20150340025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,776 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/07 to the speaker
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command

Abstract

A terminal comprises: a speech receiving unit that receives speech in a locked state; a voiceprint authentication unit that performs voiceprint authentication based on the speech received in the locked state and determining whether or not a user is legitimate; a speech recognition unit that performs speech recognition of the speech received in the locked state; and an execution unit that executes an application using a result of the speech recognition.

Claims

1. A terminal, comprising:

hardware, including a processor and memory;

a speech receiving unit implemented at least by the hardware and that receives speech in a locked state;

a voiceprint authentication unit implemented at least by the hardware and that performs voiceprint authentication based on the speech received in the locked state and determining whether or not a user is legitimate;

a speech recognition unit implemented at least by the hardware and that performs speech recognition of the speech received in the locked state; and

an execution unit implemented at least by the hardware and that, if the voiceprint authentication determined that the user is legitimate, executes an application using the result of the speech recognition while allowing access to protected information stored in the terminal, and if the voiceprint authentication does not determine that the user is legitimate, executes without requesting the user for additional information the application using the result of the speech recognition of the speech, for which the voiceprint authentication has failed, and provides the user with a result of execution of the application while forbidding access to the protected information stored in the terminal.

2. The terminal according to claim 1, comprising:

a power activation unit implemented at least by the hardware that activates a power supply to the terminal if a prescribed operation is detected, wherein

the speech receiving unit starts receiving speech in the locked state if the power supply to the terminal is activated in response to the prescribed operation.

3. The terminal according to claim 1, comprising:

a sensor unit implemented at least by the hardware that measures a prescribed physical amount, wherein

the speech receiving unit starts receiving speech in the locked state if the physical amount measured by the sensor unit is a prescribed value.

4. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the execution unit extracts an application(s) related to word(s) included in the result of the speech recognition and displays a list of the extracted application(s) on a screen of the terminal if the voiceprint authentication determines that the user is legitimate.

5. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein

the execution unit extracts an application(s) according to orientation of the terminal or type of a peripheral device to which the terminal is connected and displays a list of the extracted application(s) on a screen of the terminal if the voiceprint authentication determines that the user is legitimate.

6. An unlocking method, comprising:

by a terminal, receiving speech in a locked state;

performing voiceprint authentication based on the speech received in the locked state and determining whether or not a user is legitimate;

performing speech recognition of the speech received in the locked state; and

if the voiceprint authentication determined that the user is legitimate, executes an application using the result of the speech recognition while allowing access to protected information stored in the terminal, and if the voiceprint authentication does not determine that the user is legitimate, executing without requesting the user for additional information, by the terminal, the application using the result of the speech recognition of the speed, for which the voiceprint authentication has failed, and provides the user with a result of execution of the application while forbidding access to protected information stored in the terminal.

7. The unlocking method according to claim 6, comprising:

by the terminal, activating a power supply to the terminal if a prescribed operation is detected by the terminal, wherein

speech reception in the locked state is started if a power supply to the terminal is activated in response to the prescribed operation.

8. The unlocking method according to claim 6, comprising:

by the terminal, measuring a prescribed physical amount by the terminal, wherein

speech reception in the locked state is started if the measured physical amount is a prescribed value.

9. The unlocking method according to claim 6, wherein the terminal executes the application using the result of the speech recognition while allowing access to protected information stored in the terminal if the voiceprint authentication determines that a user is legitimate.

10. The unlocking method according to claim 6, comprising:

by the terminal, extracting an application(s) related to word(s) included in the result of the speech recognition if the voiceprint authentication determines that the user is legitimate; and

displaying a list of the extracted application(s) on a screen of the terminal.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, storing a program that causes a computer provided in a terminal to execute:

receiving speech in a locked state;

performing voiceprint authentication based on the speech received in the locked state and determining whether or not a user is legitimate;

performing speech recognition of the speech received in the locked state; and

if the voiceprint authentication determined that the user is legitimate, executes an application using the result of the speech recognition while allowing access to protected information stored in the terminal, and if the voiceprint authentication does not determine that the user is legitimate, executing without requesting the user for additional information the application using the result of the speech recognition of the speech, for which the voiceprint authentication has failed, and provides the user with a result of execution of the application while forbidding access to protected information store in the terminal.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 11, wherein

the program causes the computer to execute:

activating a power supply to the terminal if a prescribed operation is detected; and

starting speech reception in the locked state if the power supply to the terminal is activated in response to the prescribed operation.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 11, wherein

the program causes the computer to execute:

measuring a prescribed physical amount; and

starting speech reception in the locked state if the measured physical amount is a prescribed value.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 11, wherein

the program causing the computer to execute:

executing the application using the result of the speech recognition, while allowing access to protected information stored in the terminal if the voiceprint authentication determines that the user is legitimate.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 11, wherein

the program causes the computer to execute:

extracting an application(s) related to word(s) included in the result of the speech recognition if the voiceprint authentication determines that the user is legitimate; and

displaying a list of the extracted application(s) on a screen of the terminal.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 11, wherein

the program causes the computer to execute:

extracting an application(s) according to orientation of the terminal, or type of a peripheral device to which the terminal is connected if the voiceprint authentication determines that the user is legitimate; and

displaying a list of the extracted application(s) on a screen of the terminal.