User identification using voice characteristics

• US 10,262,661 B1
• Filed: 04/18/2016
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Siddiqui, Ahmed Fuad
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherali, Ishrat I
• Application Number:
  US15/132,184
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 382115, 382118, 704231, 704246, 704247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/16 Human faces, e.g. facial parts, sketches or expressions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/54 for retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location

Abstract

Embodiments of methods, systems, and storage medium associated with providing user records associated with characteristics that may be used to identify the user are disclosed herein. In one instance, the method may include obtaining features of an individual, determining identifying characteristics associated with the obtained features, and initiating a search for a record associated with the individual based in part on the identifying characteristics associated with the obtained features, and, based on a result of the search, a verification of the record associated with the individual. The method may further include receiving at least a portion of the record associated with the individual, based at least in part on a result of the verification. The verification may be based in part on a ranking associated with the record. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing information associated with an individual, comprising:

obtaining voice data comprising a digital representation of speech by the individual;

determining one or more identifying acoustic characteristics associated with the voice data;

initiating, by sending a request over a network, a selection from a contact directory including a plurality of user information records, wherein a first user information record of the plurality of user information records is assigned a first ranking based at least in part on one or more factors associated with the first user information record prior to initiation of the selection, wherein the selection is for a user information record of the plurality of user information records based at least in part on the one or more identifying acoustic characteristics associated with the voice data and a ranking assigned to the first user information record; and

receiving at least a portion of the first user information record.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the initiating the selection includes causing an electronic entity to select from a storage location associated with the electronic entity for the first user information record.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the initiating the selection includes causing the electronic entity to:

compare the ranking associated with the first user information record to a threshold permitting a provision of user information records stored at the storage location; and

provide at least the portion of the first user information record.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the first user information record includes at least a name of the individual, and wherein the ranking assigned to the first user information record is based on at least one of:

a number of requests to obtain the first user information record, a duration of storage of the first user information record, a number of changes to the first user information record during the duration of storage, or an amount of data included in the first user information record.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a communication to the individual, the communication requesting a permission to add the first user information record to an address book.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

detecting a user located in a vicinity of a computing device; and

determining that an address book record in the address book is associated with the detected user.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising initiating recording of the voice data.

8. A computer-implemented identification method, comprising:

obtaining voice data comprising a digital representation of speech by an individual;

processing the voice data to derive one or more identifying acoustic characteristics; and

initiating, by sending a request over a network, a selection from a contact directory including a plurality of user information records, each user information record being assigned a corresponding ranking based at least in part on one or more factors associated with the user information record prior to initiation of the selection, wherein the selection is of a first user information record based at least in part on the one or more derived identifying acoustic characteristics and a ranking associated with the first user information record.

9. The computer-implemented identification method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing the one or more derived identifying acoustic characteristics to an electronic entity, wherein the electronic entity is associated with a storage location configured to store the first user information record.

10. The computer-implemented identification method of claim 9,

wherein the initiating the selection for the first user information record includes causing the electronic entity to compare the ranking assigned to the first user information record to a verification threshold and provide at least a portion of the first user information record.

11. The computer-implemented identification method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving the portion of the first user information record.

12. The computer-implemented identification method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a communication to the individual, requesting a permission to add the first user information record to an address book.

13. The computer-implemented identification method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining, by a computing device, that a user associated with one of a plurality of address book records included in the address book is located in a vicinity of the computing device.

14. The computer-implemented identification method of claim 8, wherein the ranking is based on at least one of:

a number of prior requests to obtain the first user information record, duration of storage of the first user information record, a number of changes to the first user information record during the duration of storage of the first user information record, or an amount of data included in the first user information record.

15. The computer-implemented identification method of claim 8, further comprising, initiating a recording of the voice data.

16. A computer system for processing requests for user information records, the system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory having processor-executable instructions that, in response to execution by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

receive a request from a remote computing device, the request including one or more identifying acoustic characteristics obtained from voice data associated with an individual;

select from a contact directory including a plurality of user information records, each user information record being assigned a corresponding ranking based at least in part on one or more factors associated with the user information record prior to initiation of the selection, wherein the selection is for a first user information record of the plurality of user information records based at least in part on the one or more identifying acoustic characteristics received from the remote computing device; and

provide at least a portion of the first user information record, based on a result of the selection and a first ranking assigned to the first user information record.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the processor-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor, in response to execution, to determine that a setting associated with the first user information record indicates a permission to add the first user information record to an address book without approval by the individual.

18. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the processor-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor, in response to execution, to compare the first ranking assigned to the first user information record to one or more threshold criteria.

19. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the voice data is obtained via a sound recording captured by the remote computing device.

20. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the first ranking assigned to the first user information record is based on at least one of:

a number of requests to obtain the first user information record, duration of storage of the first user information record, a number of changes to the first user information record during the duration of storage, or an amount of data included in the first user information record.