Voice signature transaction system and method

• US 20020010646A1
• Filed: 06/21/2001
• Published: 01/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Azuma, Tomihiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,127,417 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3825 Use of electronic signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques

Abstract

A voice signature transaction system for use in electronic commerce comprises user terminals, a server, and a data network. The server receives order data from a user, allocates an order ID to the order data, requests the user to enter, via voice, a plurality of signatures such as a name, ID, and so on, checks if the registered name and ID match the name and ID included in the voice data, and stores the voice data received from the user.

Claims

1. A voice signature transaction system comprising a user terminal used by a user, a server used by a person providing products or services, and a data network connecting the user terminal and the server for conducting a product or service transaction, wherein

(A) said user terminal comprises a voice input unit for inputting voice data, and wherein

(B) said server comprises a sending/receiving unit, an allocating unit, a storage unit, and a checking unit, wherein

(B1) said sending/receiving unit

(B11) sends product and service transaction information to said user terminal when accessed by said user terminal,

(B12) receives order data including data on a product or a service and a user name, said product or service being specified on said user terminal receiving the transaction information and being specified from products and services included in the transaction information,

(B13) sends order ID request information to said user terminal, said order ID request information requesting a signature of an order ID of the order data via voice, said order ID being allocated by said allocating unit in response to the order data,

(B14) receives order ID voice data that is input, via voice, on said user terminal receiving the order ID request information,

(B15) sends name request information to said user terminal when the order ID included in the received order ID voice data matches the allocated order ID, said name request information requesting to input, via voice, a signature of a name of a user who has placed the order,

(B16) receives name voice data that is input, via voice, on said user terminal receiving the name request information, and

(B17) sends acceptance information to said user terminal when the name included in the received name voice data matches the name included in the order data, said acceptance information indicating that the order data, the order ID voice data, and the name voice data have been accepted, wherein

(B2) said allocating unit allocates the order ID to the order data, wherein

(B3) said storage unit stores the order data as well as the order ID voice data and the name voice data that are related to the order data and stores the transaction information, and wherein

(B4) said checking unit

(B41) checks if the order ID included in the received order ID voice data matches the allocated order ID, and

(B42) checks if the name included in the received name voice data matches the name included in the order data.

2. The voice signature transaction system as defined by claim 1 wherein

(B1) the sending/receiving unit of said server further sends date/time request information to said user terminal when the name included in the received name voice data matches the name included in the order data, said date/time request information requesting to input, via voice, an order date/time, and

receives date/time voice data that is input, via voice, on said user terminal receiving the date/time request information, and

(B3) the storage unit of said server further stores the date/time voice data related to the order data.

3. The voice signature transaction system as defined by claim 1 wherein

the checking unit of said server further checks if a voiceprint of the received order ID voice data matches a voiceprint of the received name voice data and/or date/time voice data, and

the sending/receiving unit of said server further sends the acceptance information to said user terminal when the voiceprint of the received order ID voice data matches the voiceprint of the received name voice data and/or date/time voice data.

4. The voice signature transaction system as defined by claim 2 wherein

the checking unit of said server further checks if a voiceprint of the received order ID voice data matches a voiceprint of the received name voice data and/or date/time voice data, and

the sending/receiving unit of said server further sends the acceptance information to said user terminal when the voiceprint of the received order ID voice data matches the voiceprint of the received name voice data and/or date/time voice data.

5. The voice signature transaction system as defined by claim 1 wherein

the sending/receiving unit of said server sends

the order ID request information or the name request information again when the checking unit did not find a match in the order IDs, in the names, or in the voiceprints, and

information indicating that the order data is not accepted when the checking unit did not find a match in the order IDs, in the names, or in the voiceprints after the order ID request information or the name request information is sent a specified number of times.

6. The voice signature transaction system as defined by claim 1, wherein said server further comprises output unit outputting a voice of the voice data stored in the storage unit.

7. The voice signature transaction system as defined by claim 1, wherein said user terminal is a cellular phone and wherein said data network includes a wireless base station capable of making a wireless connection to the cellular phone.

9. The voice signature transaction method as defined by claim 7, further comprising the steps, before the acceptance information is sent said user terminal, by said server of:

(m) sending date/time request information to said user terminal when the name included in the received name voice data matches the name included in the order data, said date/time request information requesting to input, via voice, an order date/time;

(n) receiving date/time voice data that is input, via voice, on said user terminal receiving the date/time request information; and

(o) storing the date/time voice data related to the order data.

11. The voice signature transaction method as defined by claim 9, further comprising the steps by said server of:

(p) checking if a voiceprint of the received order ID voice data matches a voiceprint of the received name voice data and/or date/time voice data, and

(q) sending the acceptance information to said user terminal when the voiceprint of the received order ID voice data matches the voiceprint of the received name voice data and/or date/time voice data.

8. A voice signature transaction method for use in a system comprising a user terminal used by a user, a server used by a person providing products or services, and a data network connecting the user terminal and the server for conducting a product or service transaction, said method comprising the steps by said server of:

(a) sending product and service transaction information to said user terminal when accessed by said user terminal;

(b) receiving order data including data on a product or a service and a user name, said product or service being specified on said user terminal receiving the transaction information and being specified from products and services included in the transaction information;

(c) storing the received order data;

(d) allocating an order ID to the order data in response to the order data;

(e) sending order ID request information to said user terminal, said order ID request information requesting a signature of the order ID of the order data via voice;

(f) receiving order ID voice data that is input, via voice, on said user terminal receiving the order ID request information;

(g) storing the order ID voice data related to the order data;

(h) checking if the received order ID voice data matches the allocated order ID;

(i) sending name request information to said user terminal when the order ID included in the received order ID voice data matches the allocated order ID, said name request information requesting to input, via voice, a signature of a name of a user who has placed the order;

(j) receiving name voice data that is input, via voice, on said user terminal receiving the name request information;

(k) checking if the name included in the received name voice data matches the name included in the order data; and

(l) sending acceptance information to said user terminal when the name included in the received name voice data matches the name included in the order data, said acceptance information indicating that the order data, the order ID voice data, and the name voice data have been accepted.

10. The voice signature transaction method as defined by claim 8, further comprising the steps by said server of:

(p) checking if a voiceprint of the received order ID voice data matches a voiceprint of the received name voice data and/or date/time voice data, and

(q) sending the acceptance information to said user terminal when the voiceprint of the received order ID voice data matches the voiceprint of the received name voice data and/or date/time voice data.

12. The voice signature transaction method as defined by claim 8, further comprising the steps by said server of:

(r) sending the order ID request information or the name request information again when the checking unit did not find a match in the order IDs, in the names, or in the voiceprints, and

(s) sending information indicating that the order data is not accepted when the checking unit did not find a match in the order IDs, in the names, or in the voiceprints after the order ID request information or the name request information is sent a specified number of times.

13. The voice signature transaction method as defined by claim 8, further comprising the step by said server of outputting a voice of the stored voice data.

14. The voice signature transaction method as defined by claim 8, wherein said user terminal is a cellular phone and wherein said data network includes a wireless base station capable of making a wireless connection to the cellular phone.

15. A computer-readable program for use in a system comprising a user terminal used by a user, a server used by a person providing products or services, and a data network connecting the user terminal and the server for conducting a product or service transaction, said program causing said server to perform the steps of:

sending product and service transaction information to said user terminal when accessed by said user terminal;

receiving order data including data on a product or a service and a user name, said product or service being specified on said user terminal receiving the transaction information and being specified from products and services included in the transaction information;

storing the received order data;

allocating an order ID to the order data in response to the order data;

sending order ID request information to said user terminal, said order ID request information requesting a signature of the order ID of the order data via voice;

receiving order ID voice data that is input, via voice, on said user terminal receiving the order ID request information;

storing the order ID voice data related to the order data;

checking if the received order ID voice data matches the allocated order ID;

sending name request information to said user terminal when the order ID included in the received order ID voice data matches the allocated order ID, said name request information requesting to input, via voice, a signature of a name of a user who has placed the order;

receiving name voice data that is input, via voice, on said user terminal receiving the name request information;

checking if the name included in the received name voice data matches the name included in the order data; and

sending acceptance information to said user terminal when the name included in the received name voice data matches the name included in the order data, said acceptance information indicating that the order data, the order ID voice data, and the name voice data have been accepted.

16. The computer-readable program as defined by claim 15, wherein, before the acceptance information is sent said user terminal, said program further causes said server to perform the steps of:

sending date/time request information to said user terminal when the name included in the received name voice data matches the name included in the order data, said date/time request information requesting to input, via voice, an order date/time;

receiving date/time voice data that is input, via voice, on said user terminal receiving the date/time request information; and

storing the date/time voice data related to the order data.

17. The computer-readable program as defined by claim 15, wherein said program further causes said server to perform the steps of:

checking if a voiceprint of the received order ID voice data matches a voiceprint of the received name voice data and/or date/time voice data, and

sending the acceptance information to said user terminal when the voiceprint of the received order ID voice data matches the voiceprint of the received name voice data and/or date/time voice data.

18. The computer-readable program as defined by claim 16, wherein said program further causes said server to perform the steps of:

checking if a voiceprint of the received order ID voice data matches a voiceprint of the received name voice data and/or date/time voice data, and

sending the acceptance information to said user terminal when the voiceprint of the received order ID voice data matches the voiceprint of the received name voice data and/or date/time voice data.

19. The computer-readable program as defined by claim 15, wherein said program further causes said server to perform the steps of:

sending the order ID request information or the name request information again when the checking unit did not find a match in the order IDs, in the names, or in the voiceprints, and

sending information indicating that the order data is not accepted when the checking unit did not find a match in the order IDs, in the names, or in the voiceprints after the order ID request information or the name request information is sent a specified number of times.

20. The computer-readable program as defined by claim 15, wherein said program further causes said server to output a voice of the stored voice data.

21. The computer-readable program as defined by claim 15, wherein said user terminal is a cellular phone and wherein said data network includes a wireless base station capable of making a wireless connection to the cellular phone.

22. The computer-readable medium carrying thereon said program as defined in claim 15