Location based voice association system

• US 10,706,850 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2018
• Issued: 07/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tian, Cheng, Narasimhan, Srivathsan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brinich, Stephen M
• Application Number:
  US16/037,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20190051304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 704238-239, 704246, 704270, 704273-275, 345633
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/24 Speech recognition using non-acoustical features
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/06 Decision making techniques; Pattern matching strategies
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/51 for comparison or discrimination

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing location based voice recognition include receiving, through a first microphone, an audio signal from a first user that includes an audio command requesting a service that requires user authorization before access to at least a portion of the service is granted. The user authorization is based on voice recognition (e.g., voice authentication and/or voice identification) of the audio signal. The source location of the audio signal is determined and a user location of the first user is determined. If the source location of the audio signal correlates with the user location, voice recognition on the audio signal may be performed. The first user may be authorized to access the service based on the voice recognition performed on the audio signal.

Claims

1. A voice association system, comprising:

a microphone configured to capture an audio signal from an environment surrounding the microphone and convert the audio signal into an electrical signal;

a non-transitory memory; and

one or more hardware processors coupled to the non-transitory memory, and the microphone, wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured to read instructions from the non-transitory memory to cause the system to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by the microphone, a first audio signal from a first user of a plurality of users within the environment;

determining a first source location of the first audio signal;

determining a first user location of the first user and a second user location of a second user;

determining that the first user location correlates with the first source location such that the first source location and the first user location are within a predetermined distance of each other;

performing, in response to determining that the first user location correlates with the first source location, at least a first security action associated with the first user providing the first audio signal;

receiving, by the microphone, a second audio signal;

determining a second source location of the second audio signal;

determining that the first user is located at the second source location; and

performing, in response to determining that the first user is located at the second source location, at least a second security action associated with the first user providing the second audio signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, by the microphone, a third audio signal from a user of the plurality of users within the environment;

determining a third source location of the third audio signal;

determining that the second user location correlates with the third source location; and

performing, in response to determining that the second user location correlates with the third source location, at least one security action associated with the second user providing the third audio signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

performing voice recognition of the first audio signal to determine an identity of a user providing the first audio signal; and

determining an identity of the first user at the first user location, wherein the performing at least the first security action associated with the first user providing the first audio signal is further in response to determining the identity of the user providing the first audio signal correlates with the identity of the first user at the first user location.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining the first user is located at the second source location includes:

determining a third user location of the first user and a fourth location of the second user; and

determining the third user location correlates with the second source location and, in response, associating the second audio signal with the first user.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining the first user is located at the second source location includes comparing a first voice print of the first audio signal associated with the first user to a second voice print of the second audio signal and, in response to the second voice print of the second audio signal satisfying a threshold similarity to the first voice print of the first audio signal, associating the second audio signal with the first user.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, by the microphone, a third audio signal such that at least a portion of the third audio signal is received at the same time as the first audio signal such that a composite audio signal is received that includes the first audio signal and the third audio signal;

determining a third source location of the third audio signal; and

separating the composite audio signal into the first audio signal and the third audio signal based on the first source location and the third source location.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining the first source location of the first audio signal is based on a time of arrival of the first audio signal at the microphone, and wherein the determining the first user location of the first user and the second user location of the second user is independent from the first audio signal.

8. A method for voice association, comprising:

receiving, by a voice-controlled system through a microphone, a first audio signal from a first user of a plurality of users within an environment surrounding the microphone;

determining, by the voice-controlled system, a first source location of the first audio signal;

determining, by the voice-controlled system, a first user location of the first user and a second user location of a second user;

determining, by the voice-controlled system, that the first user location correlates with the first source location such that the first source location and the first user location are within a predetermined distance of each other;

performing, by the voice-controlled system in response to determining that the first user location correlates with the first source location, at least a first security action associated with the first user providing the first audio signal;

receiving, by the voice-controlled system through the microphone, a second audio signal;

determining, by the voice-controlled system, a second source location of the second audio signal;

determining, by the voice-controlled system, that the first user is located at the second source location; and

performing, by the voice-controlled system in response to determining that the first user is located at the second source location, at least a second security action associated with the first user providing the second audio signal.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, by the voice-controlled system through the microphone, a third audio signal from a user of the plurality of users within the environment;

determining, by the voice-controlled system, a third source location of the third audio signal;

determining, by the voice-controlled system, that the second user location correlates with the third source location; and

performing, by the voice-controlled system in response to determining that the second user location correlates with the third source location, at least one security action associated with the second user providing the third audio signal.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

performing, by the voice-controlled system, a voice recognition of the first audio signal to determine an identity of a user providing the first audio signal; and

determining, by the voice-controlled system, an identity of the first user at the first user location, wherein the performing at least the first security action associated with the first user providing the first audio signal is further in response to determining the identity of the user providing the first audio signal correlates with the identity of the first user at the first user location.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining the first user is located at the second source location includes:

determining, by the voice-controlled system, a third user location of the first user and a fourth location of the second user; and

determining, by the voice-controlled system, the third user location correlates with the second source location and, in response, associating the second audio signal with the first user.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining the first user is located at the second source location includes comparing, by the voice-controlled system, a first voice print of the first audio signal associated with the first user to a second voice print of the second audio signal and, in response to the second voice print of the second audio signal satisfying a threshold similarity to the first voice print of the first audio signal, associating the second audio signal with the first user.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving, by the voice-controlled system through the microphone, a third audio signal such that at least a portion of the third audio signal is received at the same time as the first audio signal such that a composite audio signal is received that includes the first audio signal and the third audio signal;

determining, by the voice-controlled system, a third source location of the third audio signal; and

separating, by the voice-controlled system, the composite audio signal into the first audio signal and the third audio signal based on the first source location and the third source location.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining the first source location of the first audio signal is based on time of arrival of the first audio signal at the microphone, and wherein the determining the first user location of the first user and the second user location of the second user is independent from the first audio signal.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon machine-readable instructions executable to cause a machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a microphone, a first audio signal from a first user of a plurality of users within an environment surrounding the microphone;

determining a first source location of the first audio signal;

determining a first user location of the first user and a second user location of a second user;

determining that the first user location correlates with the first source location such that the first source location and the first user location are within a predetermined distance of each other;

performing, in response to determining that the first user location correlates with the first source location, at least a first security action associated with the first user providing the first audio signal;

receiving, by the microphone, a second audio signal;

determining a second source location of the second audio signal;

determining that the first user is located at the second source location; and

performing, in response to determining that the first user is located at the second source location, at least a second security action associated with the first user providing the second audio signal.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, by the microphone, a third audio signal from a user of the plurality of users within the environment surrounding the microphone;

determining a third source location of the third audio signal;

determining that the second user location correlates with the third source location; and

performing, in response to determining that the second user location correlates with the third source location, at least one security action associated with the second user providing the third audio signal.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

performing a voice recognition of the first audio signal to determine an identity of a user providing the first audio signal; and

determining an identity of the first user at the first user location, wherein the performing at least the first security action associated with the first user providing the first audio signal is further in response to determining the identity of the user providing the first audio signal correlates with the identity of the first user at the first user location.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the determining the first user is located at the second source location includes:

determining a third user location of the first user and a fourth location of the second user; and

determining the third user location correlates with the second source location and, in response, associating the second audio signal with the first user.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the determining the first user is located at the second source location includes comparing a first voice print of the first audio signal associated with the first user to a second voice print of the second audio signal and, in response to the second voice print of the second audio signal satisfying a threshold similarity to the first voice print of the first audio signal, associating the second audio signal with the first user.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, by the microphone, a third audio signal such that at least a portion of the third audio signal is received at the same time as the first audio signal such that a composite audio signal is received that includes the first audio signal and the third audio signal;

determining a third source location of the third audio signal; and

separating the composite audio signal into the first audio signal and the third audio signal based on the first source location and the third source location.