Communications methods and systems using voiceprints
First Claim
1. A method of operating a communications system, wherein a plurality of users of the system may be associated with an account with the system and the account has a plurality of voiceprint samples corresponding to at least some of the plurality of users associated with the account, the method comprising:
- receiving a call from one of a plurality of users associated with an account; and
identifying a preference of the one of the plurality of users based, at least in part, on a voiceprint of the one user received in the call.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
In communications systems where multiple users may be associated with the same account, the voiceprint of a user is used to identify a profile of the user, facilitating identification of the user'"'"'s preferences without requesting additional information from the user. The system may also monitor messages played to individual users, to control the playing of the messages to users. Calls made by users associated with the same account may be allocated to the caller initiating the call in bills, based on voiceprints. Voiceprints may be collected for use in deriving voiceprint samples during registration of a user with the system and during conversations between the user and the system. A voiceprint comparison threshold may be set based on the type of phone calling the system, to compensate for noise. Changes in phone numbers and/or addresses of users are monitored and the threshold is adjusted if changes are found.
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Citations
85 Claims
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1. A method of operating a communications system, wherein a plurality of users of the system may be associated with an account with the system and the account has a plurality of voiceprint samples corresponding to at least some of the plurality of users associated with the account, the method comprising:
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receiving a call from one of a plurality of users associated with an account; and
identifying a preference of the one of the plurality of users based, at least in part, on a voiceprint of the one user received in the call. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of operating a communications system, wherein a plurality of users of the system may be associated with an account with the system and the account has a plurality of voiceprint samples corresponding to at least some of the plurality of users associated with the account, the method comprising:
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receiving a call from one of a plurality of users associated with an account;
identifying a profile of one of the plurality of users based, at least in part, on a voiceprint of the one user received in the call;
monitoring a number of calls since a prior message was played by the system to the user; and
playing a message if the number of calls since the prior message is at a predetermined number. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A communications system, wherein a plurality of users of the system may be associated with an account with the system and the account has a plurality of voiceprint samples corresponding to at least some of the plurality of users, the system comprising:
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an interface to receive signals to establish a call connection with one of a plurality of users associated with an account; and
a processor coupled to the interface, the processor programmed to;
identify a profile of one of the plurality of users associated with the account based, at least in part, on a voiceprint of the user; and
identify a preference of the one of the plurality of users, the preference being associated with the profile. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of operating a communications system, wherein a plurality of users of the system may be associated with an account with the system and the account has a plurality of voiceprint samples corresponding to at least some of the plurality of users associated with the account, the method comprising:
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receiving a call from one of a plurality of users associated with an account;
inserting an identifier of the one of the plurality of users into an event record for the call, based, at least in part, on a voiceprint of the user. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A communications system, wherein a plurality of users of the system may be associated with an account with the system and the account has a plurality of voiceprint samples corresponding to at least some of the plurality of users associated with the account, the system comprising:
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an interface to receive signals to establish a call connection with a user; and
a processor coupled to the interface, the processor programmed to;
insert an identifier of the one of the plurality of users into an event record for the call, based, at least in part, on a voiceprint of the user received in the call. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of operating a communications system, comprising:
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identifying an account associated with a user of the system based, at least in part, on a voiceprint of the user and a first voiceprint sample of the user, stored by the system;
collecting a voiceprint of the user while the user is requesting a service from the system; and
processing the voiceprint for storage as a second voiceprint sample of the user. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A communications system, comprising:
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an interface to receive a call; and
a processor coupled to the interface, the processor programmed to;
identify an account associated with a user of the system based, at least in part, on a voiceprint of the user and a first voiceprint sample of the user, stored by the system;
collect a voiceprint of the user while the user is requesting a service from the system; and
process the voiceprint for storage as a second voiceprint sample of the user. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A method of operating a communications system, comprising:
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receiving a voiceprint from a user; and
setting a voiceprint comparison threshold to identify an account associated with the user, the setting being based, at least in part, on a phone type of a phone used to call the system. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A communications system, comprising:
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an interface to receive a call; and
a processor coupled to the interface, the processor being programmed to;
set a voiceprint comparison threshold to identify an account associated with the user based, at least in part, on a phone type of a phone used to call the system. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 69)
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62. A method of operating a communications system, comprising:
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monitoring changes in at least one of phone numbers and addresses of accounts of users of the system; and
flagging accounts wherein at least one of the phone number and the address has changed. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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70. A communications system, comprising:
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an interface to receive a call; and
a processor programmed to;
monitor changes in at least one of phone numbers and addresses of accounts of users of the system; and
flag accounts wherein at least one of the phone number and address has changed. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72, 73)
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74. A method of operating an information assistance service system, comprising:
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registering a party as a user of with the system by collecting text independent verbal information from the first party, via a communications device to set up an account with the system;
recording the text independent verbal information;
generating a voiceprint sample from the verbal information;
receiving a call from the user seeking information assistance;
identifying the account of the user based, at least in part, on signals received in establishing the call with the system;
receiving a voiceprint of the user;
verifying the identity of the user based, at least in part, on the voiceprint of the user; and
providing information assistance to the user. - View Dependent Claims (75, 76, 77)
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78. An information assistance service system, comprising:
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an interface to receive a call; and
a processor coupled to the interface, the processor being programmed to;
register a party as a user of the system by collecting text independent verbal information from the first party via a communications device, to establish an account with the system;
record the text independent verbal information;
generate a voiceprint sample from the verbal information;
identify the account of a user calling the system based, at least in part, on signals received in establishing the call;
receive a voiceprint of the user;
verify the identity of the user based, at least in part, on the voiceprint; and
provide information assistance to the user. - View Dependent Claims (79, 80)
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81. A method of operating a communications system, comprising:
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receiving a voiceprint of a user; and
setting a voiceprint comparison threshold to identify an account associated with the user, the setting being based, at least in part, on the type of service requested. - View Dependent Claims (82)
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83. A method of operating a communications system, comprising:
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monitoring confidence scores of voiceprints received from a phone; and
setting a voiceprint comparison threshold for a call received from the phone based, at least in part, on past confidence scores.
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84. A method of operating a communications system, comprising:
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collecting voiceprints of a user from a plurality of phones; and
deriving respective voiceprint samples from the voiceprints collected from each of the plurality of phones.
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85. The method of claim 85, further comprising:
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receiving a call from a user via one of the plurality of phones;
identifying the one of the plurality of phones;
collecting a voiceprint of the user; and
comparing the voiceprint of the user with a voiceprint sample of the user derived from the one of the plurality of phones.
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Specification