BIOMETRIC IDENTIFICATION IN COMMUNICATION

• US 20110176667A1
• Filed: 11/18/2008
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kumar, Saurabh
• Granted Patent: US 8,358,759 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/142.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/41 using speaker recognition speaker recognition per se G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6054 Biometric subscriber identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72

Abstract

A method is provided for identifying a calling party to a called party utilizing biometric information. Biometric information of first calling party is received. If stored, a calling party profile is retrieved based on first calling party biometric information. A call is placed to a called party. The first calling party profile is provided to called party. A biometric information change from first calling party biometric information to a second calling party biometric information is automatically detected, and it is determined whether the second party biometric information is stored. If stored, a second calling party profile of second calling party is retrieved and is provided to called party. Responsive to determining that the biometric information for second calling party is not stored, the called party is notified that the second calling party is communicating and the second calling party profile is automatically created based on second calling party biometric information.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a calling party to a called party utilizing biometric information, comprising:

receiving an input of biometric information of a first calling party for communications;

in response to determining that the biometric information of the first calling party is stored, retrieving a calling party profile of the first calling party based on the first calling party biometric information;

placing a call to a called party;

providing the first calling party profile to the called party, wherein the first calling party profile identifies the first calling party;

automatically detecting a biometric information change from the first calling party biometric information to a second calling party biometric information during the call currently existing with the called party;

in response to detecting the biometric information change from the first calling party to the second calling party, determining whether the biometric information of the second calling party is stored;

retrieving a second calling party profile of the second calling party based on the second calling party biometric information, in response to the second calling party biometric information being stored;

providing the second calling party profile to the called party during the existing call with the called party, wherein the second calling party profile identifies the second calling party;

in response to determining that the biometric information for the second calling party is not stored, notifying the called party that the second calling party is communicating during the existing call; and

in response to determining that the biometric information for the second calling party is not stored, automatically creating the second calling party profile during the existing call based on the second calling party biometric information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein notifying the called party that the second calling party is communicating during the existing call comprises notifying the called party that the second calling party is currently speaking during the existing call.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically detecting the biometric information change is triggered during the existing call with the called party.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the triggering of automatically detecting the biometric information change is caused by a change in biometric information comprising at least one of:

facial recognition data;

voice data;

fingerprint data; and

retinal data.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising requiring the first calling party to re-input biometric information at predetermined times throughout the existing call with the called party.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the re-input biometric information of the first calling party is validated by determining that the first calling party user profile corresponding to the re-input biometric information is stored.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

continually monitoring the existing call to detect changes in biometric information; and

in response to detecting the change in biometric information, providing a corresponding user profile to the called party.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the existing call for silence for a predetermined time; and

in response to detecting silence for the predetermined time, checking for a change in biometric information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to determining that the biometric information for the second calling party is not stored, notifying the called party that the second calling party is a new user without identity data stored;

and

wherein, anytime the second calling party biometric information is detected during the existing call with the called party, the second calling party is identified as the new user to the called party.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input of biometric information of the called party;

in response to determining that the biometric information of the called party is stored, retrieving a called party profile of the called party based on the called party biometric information; and

providing the called party profile to the first calling party, wherein the called party profile identifies the called party.

11. An apparatus for identifying a calling party to a called party utilizing biometric information, comprising:

memory for storing programs for providing identification information to a called party based on biometric information; and

a processor, functionally coupled to the memory, the processor being responsive to computer-executable instructions contained in the program and operative to;

receive an input of biometric information of a first calling party for communications;

in response to determining that the biometric information of the first calling party is stored, retrieve a calling party profile of the first calling party based on the first calling party biometric information;

place a call to the called party;

provide the first calling party profile to the called party, wherein the first calling party profile identifies the first calling party;

automatically detect a biometric information change from the first calling party biometric information to a second calling party biometric information during the call currently existing with the called party;

in response to detecting the biometric information change from the first calling party to the second calling party, determine whether the biometric information of the second calling party is stored;

retrieve a second calling party profile of the second calling party based on the second calling party biometric information, in response to determining that the second calling party biometric information is stored;

provide the second calling party profile to the called party during the existing call with the called party, wherein the second calling party profile identifies the second calling party;

in response to determining that the biometric information for the second calling party is not stored, notify the called party that the second calling party is communicating during the existing call; and

in response to determining that the biometric information for the second calling party is not stored, automatically create the second calling party profile during the existing call based on the second calling party biometric information.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein notifying the called party that the second calling party is communicating during the existing call comprises notifying the called party that the second calling party is currently speaking during the existing call.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein automatically detecting the biometric information change is triggered during the existing call with the called party.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the triggering of automatically detecting the biometric information change is caused by a change in biometric information comprising at least one of:

facial recognition data;

voice data;

fingerprint data; and

retinal data.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising requiring the first calling party to re-input biometric information at predetermined times throughout the existing call with the called party.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

continually monitoring the existing call to detect changes in biometric information; and

in response to detecting the change in biometric information, providing a corresponding user profile to the called party.

17. A computer program product, tangibly embodied on a computer readable medium, for providing identification information to a called party, the computer program product including instructions for causing a computer to execute a method, comprising:

receiving an input of biometric information of a first calling party for communications;

in response to determining that the biometric information of the first calling party is stored, retrieving a calling party profile of the first calling party based on the first calling party biometric information;

placing a call to a called party;

providing the first calling party profile to the called party, wherein the first calling party profile identifies the first calling party;

automatically detecting a biometric information change from the first calling party biometric information to a second calling party biometric information during the call currently existing with the called party;

in response to detecting the biometric information change from the first calling party to the second calling party, determining whether the biometric information of the second calling party is stored;

retrieving a second calling party profile of the second calling party based on the second calling party biometric information, in response to the second calling party biometric information being stored;

providing the second calling party profile to the called party during the existing call with the called party, wherein the second calling party profile identifies the second calling party;

in response to determining that the biometric information for the second calling party is not stored, notifying the called party that the second calling party is communicating during the existing call; and

in response to determining that the biometric information for the second calling party is not stored, automatically creating the second calling party profile during the existing call based on the second calling party biometric information.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein notifying the called party that the second calling party is communicating during the existing call comprises notifying the called party that the second calling party is currently speaking during the existing call.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein automatically detecting the biometric information change is triggered during the existing call with the called party.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the triggering of automatically detecting the biometric information change is caused by a change in biometric information comprising at least one of:

facial recognition data;

voice data;

fingerprint data; and

retinal data.