Methods and Systems For Secure Voice-Authenticated Electronic Payment

• US 20090006264A1
• Filed: 06/27/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Schultz, Paul T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,092,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/67
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques

Abstract

This application discloses systems, methods, and processes for providing a secure, voice-authenticated form of electronic payment from a device. The described exemplary system provides an infrastructure for receiving an electronic payment request, verifying the request using voice authentication, and allowing or denying the request based on the authentication or non-authentication of the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request for an electronic payment transaction;

establishing a communications link with a user device;

receiving an identity claim utterance from a user via the communications link;

determining if the identity claim utterance is authentic;

in response to an authentication of the user'"'"'s identity claim utterance, authorizing the electronic payment transaction; and

in response to a non-authentication of the user'"'"'s identity claim utterance, denying the electronic payment transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an identity claim utterance from a user via the communications link comprises requesting the user to repeat a predefined expression and receiving the user'"'"'s identity claim utterance of the predefined expression.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

indicating that the communications link is for an electronic payment authentication prior to requesting the user to repeat the predefined expression and further indicating if the user'"'"'s identity claim utterance was or was not authenticated.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the identity claim utterance is authentic comprises comparing the user'"'"'s identity claim utterance to a voice print.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an identity token from the user device prior to establishing the communications link with the user device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

billing the user for the electronic payment transaction if the electronic payment transaction is authorized following a comparison of the identity claim utterance to a voice print.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the communications link comprises establishing a voice call with the user device.

8. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion configured to receive a request for an electronic payment transaction;

a second executable portion configured to establish a communications link with a user device;

a third executable portion configured to receive an identity claim utterance from a user via the communications link;

a fourth executable portion configured to determine if the identity claim utterance is authentic;

a fifth executable portion configured, in response to an authentication of the user'"'"'s identity claim utterance, to authorize the electronic payment transaction; and

a sixth executable portion configured, in response to a non-authentication of the user'"'"'s identity claim utterance, to deny the electronic payment transaction.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the third executable portion is further configured to request the user to repeat a predefined expression and to receive the user'"'"'s identity claim utterance of the predefined expression.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable program code portions further comprise:

a seventh executable portion configured to indicate that the communications link is for an electronic payment authentication prior to requesting the user to repeat the predefined expression and further indicate if the user'"'"'s identity claim utterance was or was not authenticated.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the fourth executable portion is further configured to compare the user'"'"'s identity claim utterance to a voice print.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer-readable program code portions further comprise:

a seventh executable portion configured to receive an identity token from the user device prior to establishing the communications link with the user device.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer-readable program code portions further comprise:

a seventh executable portion configured to bill the user for the electronic payment transaction if the electronic payment transaction is authorized following a comparison of the identity claim utterance to a voice print.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the second executable portion is further configured to establish a voice call with the user device.

15. A system comprising:

a payment validator comprising a processor configured for;

receiving a request for an electronic payment transaction;

establishing a communications link with a user device;

receiving an identity claim utterance from a user via the communications link;

determining if the identity claim utterance is authentic;

authorizing the electronic payment transaction in response to an authentication of the user'"'"'s identity claim utterance; and

denying the electronic payment transaction in response to a non-authentication of the user'"'"'s identity claim utterance.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein receiving an identity claim utterance from a user via the communications link comprises requesting the user to repeat a predefined expression and receiving the user'"'"'s identity claim utterance of the predefined expression.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured for:

indicating that the communications link is for an electronic payment authentication prior to requesting the user to repeat the predefined expression and further indicating if the user'"'"'s identity claim utterance was or was not authenticated.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein determining if the identity claim utterance is authentic comprises comparing the user'"'"'s identity claim utterance to a voice print.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured for:

receiving an identity token from the user device prior to establishing the communications link with the user device.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured for:

billing the user for the electronic payment transaction if the electronic payment transaction is authorized following a comparison of the identity claim utterance to a voice print.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein establishing a communications link with a user device comprises establishing a voice call with the user device.