Systems and methods for providing network-based voice authentication

• US 20060029190A1
• Filed: 07/28/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Global LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Schultz, Paul T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,014,496 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/385 using speech signals

Abstract

A system enables voice authentication via a network. The system may include an intelligent voice response engine operatively coupled to the network for receiving transaction or access requests from a plurality of telecommunications devices over the network. A speech recognition and verification services engine may be operatively coupled to the network and a database may be operatively coupled to the speech recognition and verification services engine for storing user voice print profiles. The speech recognition and verification services engine may receive a speaker verification call from the intelligent voice response engine and perform speaker verification on the received speaker verification call based on the stored user voice print profiles. The speech recognition and verification services engine may generate a verification score based upon results of the speaker verification.

Claims

1. A system for providing voice authentication via a network, comprising:

an intelligent voice response engine operatively coupled to the network for receiving transaction or access requests from a plurality of telecommunications devices over the network;

a speech recognition and verification services engine operatively coupled to the network; and

a database operatively coupled to the speech recognition and verification services engine for storing user voice print profiles,

wherein the speech recognition and verification services engine receives a speaker verification call from the intelligent voice response engine, performs speaker verification on the received speaker verification call based on the stored user voice print profiles, and generates a verification score based upon results of the speaker verification.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the speech recognition and verification services engine passes the verification score to the intelligent voice response engine.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the intelligent voice response engine determines whether the transaction or access should be allowed based upon the received verification score.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the speech recognition and verification services engine passes the speaker verification call to the intelligent voice response engine following generating of the verification score.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the intelligent voice response engine remains in a call path following passing of the speaker verification call to the speech recognition and verification services engine.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the speech recognition and verification services engine passes the verification score to the intelligent voice response engine via discrete multitone frequency (DTMF) tones.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the speech recognition and verification services engine is associated with a party not affiliated with the intelligent voice response engine.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the intelligent voice response engine determines an authentication security level for each transaction or access request received.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the speech recognition and verification services engine is associated with at least one access number associated with a predetermined authentication security level.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the speech recognition and verification services engine is associated with three distinct access numbers associated with three authentication security levels.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein

the intelligent voice response engine calls the speech recognition and verification services engine at one of the at least one access numbers associated with the determined authentication security level;

and

the speech recognition and verification services engine performs speaker verification based upon the determined authentication security level.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the network is a packet switched network (PSN), and calls between the plurality of telecommunication devices and the intelligent voice response engine are voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein

the speech recognition and verification services engine receives the speaker verification call and the authentication security level from the intelligent voice response engine;

and

the speech recognition and verification services engine performs speaker verification based upon the determined authentication security level.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein

the speaker verification call is passed to the speech recognition and verification services engine using real time protocol (RTP);

and

the authentication security level is passed to the speech recognition and verification services engine via Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the verification score is passed from the speech recognition and verification services engine to the intelligent voice response engine via Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

17. A system for performing speaker verification, comprising:

a speech recognition and verification services engine operatively coupled to a first network; and

a database operatively coupled to the speech recognition and verification services engine for storing user voice print profiles, wherein

the speech recognition and verification services engine being configured to;

receive a speaker verification call from a voice response engine over the first network;

receive an authentication security level associated with the speaker verification call from the voice response engine;

perform speaker verification on the received speaker verification call based on the stored user voice print profiles and the authentication security level associated with the speaker verification call, and

generate a verification score based upon results of the speaker verification.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first network is the PSTN.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the speech recognition and verification services engine receives the authentication security level over a packet switched network.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the speech recognition and verification services engine passes the verification score to the voice response engine via a second network.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein

the voice response engine passes the authentication security level and a call indicator key associated with the speaker verification call to the speech recognition and verification services engine via a second network;

and

the speech recognition and verification services engine matches the received authentication security level with the speaker verification call using the call indicator key.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein

the speech recognition and verification services engine passes the verification score and the call indicator key to the voice response engine via the second network;

and wherein

the voice response engine matches the received verification score with the speaker verification call using the call indicator key.

23. A method for performing speaker recognition over a network, comprising:

receiving a call including a transaction or access request from one of a plurality of telecommunications devices over the network;

passing the call to a speech recognition and verification services engine over the network;

receiving the call by the speech recognition and verification services engine;

performing speaker verification on the received call based on user voice print profiles; and

generating a verification score based upon results of the speaker verification.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

passing the verification score to an entity that received the call; and

determining whether the transaction or access should be allowed based upon the received verification score.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the network is the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

passing the verification score from the speech recognition and verification services engine via discrete multitone frequency (DTMF) tones.

27. The method of claim 23, comprising:

determining, by an entity receiving the call, an authentication security level to be associated with the call.

28. The method of claim 27, comprising:

calling, by the entity receiving the call, the speech recognition and verification services engine at one of at least one access number associated with the determined authentication security level; and

performing speaker verification, by the speech recognition and verification services engine, based on the determined authentication security level.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the network is a packet switched network (PSN), and wherein the call between the one of the plurality of telecommunication devices and the entity receiving the call is a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call.

30. The method of claim 29, comprising:

receiving, by the speech recognition and verification services engine, the call and the authentication security level; and

performing speaker verification by the speech recognition and verification services engine based upon the determined authentication security level.

31. The method of claim 30, comprising:

passing the call to the speech recognition and verification services engine using real time protocol (RTP); and

passing the authentication security level to the speech recognition and verification services engine via Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

32. A method for performing speaker verification, comprising:

receiving a call from a voice response system over a first network;

receiving an authentication security level associated with the call from the voice response system;

performing speaker verification on the received call based on stored user voice print profiles and the authentication security level; and

generating a verification score based upon results of the speaker verification.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the first network is the PSTN and the authentication security level is received via a packet switched network.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

passing the verification score to the voice response system via a second network.

35. The method of claim 32, comprising:

receiving the authentication security level and a call indicator key associated with the call; and

matching the received authentication security level with the call using the call indicator key.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

passing the verification score and the call indicator key to the voice response system via a second network;

wherein

the voice response system matches the received verification score with the call using the call indicator key.

37. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling one or more processors to perform a method for performing speaker verification over a network, the method comprising:

receiving a call from a first system via the network;

performing speaker verification on the received call based on user voice print profiles;

generating a verification score based upon results of the speaker verification; and

passing the verification score to the first system for access determination.