Device Access Using Voice Authentication

• US 20120245941A1
• Filed: 03/21/2011
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Cheyer, Adam J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,262,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/24 the user being prompted to utter a password or a predefined phrase
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

A device can be configured to receive speech input from a user. The speech input can include a command for accessing a restricted feature of the device. The speech input can be compared to a voiceprint (e.g., text-independent voiceprint) of the user'"'"'s voice to authenticate the user to the device. Responsive to successful authentication of the user to the device, the user is allowed access to the restricted feature without the user having to perform additional authentication steps or speaking the command again. If the user is not successfully authenticated to the device, additional authentication steps can be request by the device (e.g., request a password).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving speech input at a device, the speech input including a command associated with a restricted feature of the device;

comparing the speech input and a voiceprint of an authorized user of the device;

based on results of the comparing, determining that the speech input was spoken by the authorized user; and

providing access to the restricted feature of the device according to the command,

where the method is performed by one or more processors of the device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on the results of the comparing, determining that the speech input was not spoken by the authorized user; and

denying access to the restricted feature of the device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing the speech input to determine the command while comparing the speech input and the voiceprint of the authorized user of the device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the voiceprint from a voiceprint service through a network interface of the device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the mobile device is a handheld device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the voiceprint is a text-independent voiceprint.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a speech input at a device, the speech input including a command associated with a feature of the device;

generating a text-independent voiceprint based on the speech input; and

providing access to the feature of the device according to the command,

where the method is performed by one or more processors of the device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

processing the speech input to determine the command while generating the text-independent voiceprint based on the voice of the speech input.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating voice samples based on the speech input;

storing the voice samples on the device; and

generating the text-independent voiceprint based on the voice samples.

11. A method comprising:

receiving speech input at a device, the speech input including a command associated with a feature of the device;

generating a voice sample based on the speech input;

transmitting the voice sample to a voiceprint service for generating a voiceprint based on the voice sample; and

providing access to the feature of the device according to the command,

where the method is performed by one or more processors of the device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating voice samples based on the speech input;

storing the voice samples on the device; and

transmitting the stored voice samples to a voiceprint service for generating a voiceprint based on the voice sample.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a text-independent voiceprint from a voiceprint service through a network interface of the device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the generating the voice sample is performed while determining a command based on the speech input.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes:

receiving speech input at a device, the speech input including a command associated with a restricted feature of the device;

comparing the speech input and a voiceprint of an authorized user of the device;

based on results of the comparing, determining that the speech input was spoken by the authorized user; and

providing access to the restricted feature of the device according to the command.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the voiceprint is a text-independent voiceprint.

17. A system comprising:

at least one processor;

memory storing a voiceprint; and

a computer-readable medium including instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes;

receiving speech input at a device, the speech input including a command associated with a restricted feature of the device;

comparing the speech input and a voiceprint of an authorized user of the device;

based on results of the comparing, determining that the speech input was spoken by the authorized user; and

providing access to the restricted feature of the device according to the command.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the voiceprint is a text-independent voiceprint.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes:

receiving a speech input at a device, the speech input including a command associated with a feature of the device;

generating a text-independent voiceprint based on the speech input; and

providing access to the feature of the device according to the command.