Randomized digit prompting for an interactive voice response system

• US 20070280456A1
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sarkar, Shantanu, Asthana, Aseem, Chotai, Ashish, Vadlakonda, Sravan
• Granted Patent: US 8,345,851 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/201.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals

Abstract

A system and method that provides a user with the ability to transmit confidential information to an IVR system in a secure manner includes invoking an interactive voice response (IVR) routine, the IVR routine determining each of the digits in the sequence by making successive queries and/or digit guesses. A user of the voice communication device need only make an affirmative response or a negative response to each query or digit quess. Once determined, each of the digits in the sequence is sent to the destination system. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. Logic for securely transmitting a sequence of digits across a network from a voice communication device to a destination system, the logic being encoded in one or more media for execution and when executed is operable to:

during a communication session, invoke an interactive voice response (IVR) routine for sequentially determining the digits in the sequence, for each digit the IVR routine making at least one digit guess and/or query, a response by a user of the voice communication device to the at least one digit guess or query indicating either a correct digit, an incorrect digit, or information to a digit guess or inquiry that narrows a range of possible remaining choices, the information being used by the IVR system as a basis for making at least one successive digit guess and/or query until the correct digit has been determined; and

once determined, send the sequence of digits to the destination system.

2. The logic of claim 1 wherein the digits are sent to the destination system one at a time, each digit being sent once it has been determined by the IVR routine.

3. The logic of claim 1 wherein the information comprises a spoken construct.

4. The logic of claim 1 wherein the response by the user a verbal response.

5. The logic of claim 4 wherein the verbal response is either affirmative or negative.

6. The logic of claim 1 wherein the response by the user a non-digit keypad button response.

7. The logic of claim 1 wherein the at least one digit guess and/or query is randomly generated.

8. Logic for securely transmitting a sequence of digits across a network from a voice communication device to a destination system, the logic being encoded in one or more media for execution and when executed is operable to:

during a communication session, invoke an interactive voice response (IVR) routine that includes successive queries and/or digit guesses for determining each of the digits in the sequence, the IVR routine being constructed such that a user of the voice communication device need only make an affirmative response or a negative response to each query and/or digit quess; and

once determined, send one or more of the digits to the destination system.

9. The logic of claim 8 wherein the digits are sent to the destination system one at a time, each digit being sent once it has been determined by the IVR routine.

10. The logic of claim 8 wherein the logic is further operable to respond to a spoken construct of the user.

11. The logic of claim 8 wherein the affirmative response and the negative response are both verbal responses.

12. The logic of claim 8 wherein the affirmative response comprises a first non-digit keypad button response and the negative response comprises a second non-digit keypad button response.

13. A processor-implemented method of securely transmitting a sequence of digits across a network from a voice communication device to a destination system, the method comprising:

invoking an interactive voice response (IVR) routine, the IVR routine;

determining each of the digits in the sequence by making successive queries and/or digit guesses, wherein a user of the voice communication device need only make an affirmative response or a negative response to each query or digit quess; and

once determined, sending each of the digits in the sequence to the destination system.

14. The processor-implemented method of claim 13 wherein the method further comprises responding, by the IVR routine, to a spoken construct of the user, the IVR routine making a new query or digit quess based on the spoken construct.

15. The processor-implemented method of claim 13 wherein invoking the IVR routine comprises:

speaking a trigger word into the voice communication device.

16. The processor-implemented method of claim 13 wherein the method further comprises randomly requesting that the user speak certain dummy digits.

17. The processor-implemented method of claim 13 wherein the affirmative and the negative responses both comprise verbal responses.

18. The processor-implemented method of claim 13 wherein the affirmative response comprises a first non-digit keypad button response and the negative response comprises a second non-digit keypad button response.

19. A processor-implemented method of securely transmitting a sequence of digits across a network, comprising:

communicating, by a user, with an interactive voice response (IVR) system in a first language;

requesting that the IVR system switch from the first language to a second language; and

verbally speaking in the second language, by the user, either the sequence of digits or a set of constructs that identify the sequence of digits to the IVR system.

20. The processor-implemented method of claim 19 wherein the second language is a language other than a predominant language of a geographic region where the user is currently located such that the second language is not recognizable by a general population in the geographic region.

21. The processor-implemented method of claim 19 further comprising:

converting the verbally spoken sequence of digits into a corresponding sequence of Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) communication signals;

transmitting the DTMF communication signals over the network.