Electronic system, and method for identifying an authorized user and program therefor

• US 20020152070A1
• Filed: 04/08/2002
• Published: 10/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Oda, Toshiaki
• Application Number:
  US10/117,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20020152070A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/246
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32

Abstract

An electronic system according to this invention comprises a means for registering a set of one or more keywords and passwords which correspond one to one with each other; a selection means for selecting any arbitrary pair of keyword and password from among the registered set of keywords and passwords; a display means for displaying the selected keyword; a means for identifying voice fed from outside of the electronic system, using a voice recognition means; and a means for determining based on comparison with the identification result whether the voice input corresponds with the password paired with the displayed keyword, wherein, when it is confirmed as a result of said comparison process that the voice input corresponds with the password, a user that has fed the voice input is approved as an authorized user of the electronic system.

Claims

1. An electronic system equipped with a voice recognition means comprising:

means for registering a set of one or more keywords and passwords which correspond one to one with each other;

selection means for selecting any arbitrary pair of keyword and password from among the registered set of keywords and passwords;

display means for displaying the selected keyword;

means for identifying voice fed from outside of the electronic system, using the voice recognition means; and

means for determining based on the comparison with the identification result whether the voice input corresponds with the password paired with the displayed keyword,

wherein, when it is confirmed as a result of said comparison process that the voice input corresponds with the password, a user that has fed the voice input is approved as an authorized user of the electronic system.

2. An electronic system as described in claim 1 wherein the selection means selects any one or more arbitrary pairs of keyword and password from among the registered set of keywords and passwords.

3. An electronic system as described in claim 2 further comprising a means for generating a random number wherein the selection means selects any one or more arbitrary pairs of keyword and password according to a random number.

4. An electronic system as described in claim 3 wherein the comparison process is introduced for all the keywords given in accordance with said selected plural pairs of keyword and password.

5. An electronic system as described in claim 4 wherein, only after it is confirmed based on the comparison process that the voice input corresponds with the password for all the keywords given in accordance with said plural pairs of keyword and password, a user that has given the voice input is approved as an authorized user of the electronic system.

6. An electronic system as described in claim 4 wherein a user that has given the voice input is approved as an authorized user of the electronic system, only after it is confirmed based on the comparison process that the voice input corresponds with the password a specified number of times or more for all the keywords given in accordance with said plural pairs of keyword and password.

7. An electronic system as described in claim 1 wherein the display means gives a visible and/or audible display of the keyword.

8. An electronic system as described in claim 1 wherein the voice recognition means applies voice-based unspecific identification to an unspecified user.

9. An electronic system as described in claim 1 wherein the voice recognition means applies voice-based specific identification to a specified user.

10. An electronic system as described in claim 1 wherein the voice recognition means applies voice-based specific identification to a specified user, in relation with specified keywords out of said selected plural pairs of keyword and password, while it applies voice-based unspecific identification to an unspecified user, in relation with the remaining keywords.

11. A method for identifying an authorized user useful for an electronic system provided with a voice recognition function comprising the steps of:

registering a set of one or more keywords and passwords which correspond one to one with each other;

selecting any arbitrary pair of keyword and password from among the registered set of keywords and passwords;

displaying the selected keyword;

identifying voice fed from outside of the electronic system, using the voice recognition function;

determining based on comparison with the result obtained at the identification step whether the voice input corresponds with the password paired with the displayed keyword; and

approving, only after it is confirmed at the comparison step that the voice input corresponds with the password, a user that has fed the voice input is an authorized user of the electronic system.

12. A method as described in claim 11 for identifying an authorized user wherein the selection step comprises selecting any one or more arbitrary pairs of keyword and password from among the registered set of keywords and passwords.

13. A method as described in claim 12 for identifying an authorized user further comprising a step for generating a random number wherein the selection step comprises selecting any one or more arbitrary pairs of keyword and password according to a random number.

14. A method as described in claim 13 for identifying an authorized user wherein the comparison step is introduced for all the keywords given in accordance with said selected plural pairs of keyword and password.

15. A method as described in claim 14 for identifying an authorized user wherein the identification step comprises approving, only after it is confirmed that the voice input corresponds with the password for all the keywords given in accordance with the plural pairs of keyword and password, a user that has given the voice input is an authorized user of the electronic system.

16. A method as described in claim 14 for identifying an authorized user wherein the identification step comprises approving, only after it is confirmed that the voice input corresponds with the password a specified number of times or more for all the keywords given in accordance with the plural pairs of keyword and password, a user that has given the voice input is an authorized user of the electronic system.

17. A method as described in claim 16 for identifying an authorized user wherein specific identification based on the voice recognition function is applied in relation with specified keywords out of said selected plural pairs of keyword and password, while unspecific identification based on the voice recognition function is applied in relation with the remaining keywords.

18. A program for identifying an authorized user to be installed in an electronic system provided with a voice recognition function, effective for achieving the processes of:

registering a set of one or more keywords and passwords which correspond one to one with each other;

selecting any arbitrary pair of keyword and password from among the registered set of keywords and passwords;

displaying the selected keyword;

identifying voice fed from outside of the electronic system, using the voice recognition function;

determining based on comparison with the result obtained by the identification process whether the voice input corresponds with the password paired with the displayed keyword; and

approving, only after it is confirmed through the comparison process that the voice input corresponds with the password, a user that has fed the voice input is an authorized user of the electronic system.