SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUTHENTICATING BENEFIT RECIPIENTS

• US 20130159194A1
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: VoiceTrust GmbH (Ai Software LLC)
• Original Assignee: Voicetrust IP GmbH
• Inventors: Habib, Tariq
• Application Number:
  US13/714,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20130159194A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/66
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks

Abstract

Remote authentication that allows a previously enrolled individual to be remotely authenticated and provided with a benefit from a first party payor through a third-party agent. Remote authentication may include biometric authentication including voice biometric authentication. Use of an authorization token to prove current eligibility to receive a benefit transfer from a third-party agent that is not going to perform an independent biometric authentication. Processes for beneficiaries with a bank account and those without a bank account are disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for authenticating the identity of a recipient of a benefit from a payor, the system comprising:

a storage server for storing in a physical memory sets of baseline biometric files, each set of baseline biometric files being captured during an enrollment process and associated with a set of qualified recipients of a series of benefit transfers from a payor, the set including a primary benefit recipient, and the baseline biometric files including a voice print for use in voice authentication of the qualified recipients; and

a processor for executing stored computer-executable instructions that, when executed implement a voice authentication engine that;

(i) compares a current voice print obtained from a recipient requesting authorization and access to at least one of the series of benefit transfers with the biometric baseline file for requesting recipient, and (ii) upon determining the current voice print matches with the biometric baseline file associate with the requesting recipient within an acceptable threshold, creates an authorization token comprising an authorization code and communicate the authorization token to the requesting recipient.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising stored computer-executable instructions that, when executed on the processor implement a payment authorization module that (i) receives a request from a remote agent for approval for payment of at least one of the benefit transfers to the requesting recipient, the request including the authorization token, and (ii) authorize transfer of funds to the remote agent pursuant to the benefit transfer if the authorization token is confirmed as authentic.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the remote agent comprises an automated teller machine that receives the authentication code from the requesting recipient seeking payment of the funds that originate from the payor and the payment authorization module authorizes the transfers for the requesting recipient to an entity that operates the automated teller machine.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the remote agent comprises a third party account holder acting on behalf of the requesting recipient.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the payment authentication module reserves a portion of the benefit for payment to the third party account holder as compensation for facilitating the transfer of funds to the requesting recipient.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the request from the remote agent comprises a request for partial payment of the benefit transfer to the requesting recipient.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the biometric baseline file for the requesting recipient is associated with a parameter that uniquely identifies a mobile telephone used by the particular recipient for voice authentication.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the authorization token is communicated to the requesting recipient by sending the authentication token to a mobile telephone associated with the recipient.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the set of qualified recipients comprises one or more alternative recipients, and the requesting recipient is identified as an alternative recipient, thus facilitating payment of the benefit directly to the alternative recipient.

10. The system of claim 2 wherein the payment authorization module receives recipient information regarding the eligibility of the requesting recipient to receive the benefit, and upon receiving the request from the requesting recipient, determines whether the requesting recipient remains eligible to receive the benefit.

11. The system of claim 2 wherein the payment authorization module checks to ensure that the requesting recipient has not already obtained a benefit transfer which precludes obtaining the requested benefit transfer.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the authentication token authorization code expires after a specific time period such that the expired authentication code cannot be used to obtain a benefit transfer after expiration.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the voice authentication engine replaces the baseline biometric sample with the current voice print in the storage module, thereby updating the baseline biometric sample with a more recent voice print to be used as a subsequent baseline biometric sample.

14. A method for authenticating the identity of a recipient of a benefit from a payor, the method comprising:

providing a storage server for storing sets of baseline biometric files, each set of baseline biometric files being captured during an enrollment process and associated with a set of qualified recipients of a series of benefit transfers from a payor, the set including a primary benefit recipient, and the baseline biometric files including a voice print for use in voice authentication of the qualified recipients; and

providing a set of computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, (i) compares a current voice print obtained from a recipient requesting authorization and access to at least one of the series of benefit transfers with the biometric baseline file for the requesting recipient, and (ii) upon determining the current voice print matches with the biometric baseline file associate with the requesting recipient within an acceptable threshold, creates an authorization token comprising an authorization code and communicate the authorization token to the requesting recipient.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the stored computer-executable instructions, when executed on the processor, further (i) receives a request from a remote agent for approval for payment of at least one of the benefit transfers to the requesting recipient, the request including the authorization token, and (ii) authorize transfer of funds to the remote agent pursuant to the benefit transfer if the authorization token is confirmed as authentic.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the remote agent comprises an automated teller machine that receives the authentication code from the requesting recipient seeking payment of the funds that originate from the payor and authorizing the transfer for the requesting recipient to an entity that operates the automated teller machine.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the remote agent comprises a third party account holder acting on behalf of the requesting recipient.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the stored computer-executable instructions, when executed on the processor, further reserve a portion of the benefit for payment to the third party account holder as compensation for facilitating the transfer of funds to the requesting recipient.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the request from the remote agent comprises a request for partial payment of the benefit transfer to the requesting recipient.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the biometric baseline file for the requesting recipient is associated with a parameter that uniquely identifies a mobile telephone used by the particular recipient for voice authentication.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein the stored computer-executable instructions, when executed on the processor, further communicate the authorization token to the requesting recipient by sending the authentication token to a mobile telephone associated with the recipient.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein the set of qualified recipients comprises one or more alternative recipients, and the requesting recipient is identified as an alternative recipient, thus facilitating payment of the benefit directly to the alternative recipient.

23. The method of claim 14 wherein the stored computer-executable instructions, when executed on the processor, further receives recipient information regarding the eligibility of the requesting recipient to receive the benefit, and upon receiving the request from the requesting recipient, determines whether the requesting recipient remains eligible to receive the benefit.

24. The method of claim 14 wherein the stored computer-executable instructions, when executed on the processor, further checks to ensure that the requesting recipient has not already obtained a benefit transfer which precludes obtaining the requested benefit transfer.

25. The method of claim 14 wherein the authentication token authorization code expires after a specific time period such that the expired authentication code cannot be used to obtain a benefit transfer after expiration.

26. The method of claim 14 wherein upon determining the current voice print does not match the biometric baseline file associate with the requesting recipient within an acceptable threshold, facilitating a telephone connection between the requesting recipient and a call center.

27. The method of claim 14 wherein the baseline biometric files comprise a text-dependent phrase and the requesting recipient provides a voice sample including the text-dependent phrase and additional phrases intermixed within the text-dependent phrase, and wherein the stored computer-executable instructions, when executed on the processor, further extract the text-dependent phrase from the additional phrases and compares the extracted text-dependent phrase to the baseline biometric files.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the stored computer-executable instructions, when executed on the processor, further compares the additional phrases to the text-dependent phrases to confirm speaker consistency throughout the received voice sample.

29. A method for validating the identity of a recipient of a benefit payment from a payor, the method comprising:

receiving via a telephone network, a voice sample of the recipient and storing the received voice sample in a data storage server;

while in the presence of the recipient, an agent of the payor confirming the identity of the recipient and sending a message to the data storage server, the message including a mobile telephone number registered to the recipient;

automatically calling the mobile telephone number registered to the recipient and receiving a second voice sample of the recipient while the recipient is in the presence of the agent of the payor;

transmitting a unique identifier to the mobile telephone number registered to the recipient; and

receiving a message including the unique identifier from the agent of the payor.

30. A system for remotely enrolling a recipient of a benefit payment with a system for validating the recipient'"'"'s identity an authorizing payment to the recipient, the system comprising:

a processor for executing computer-executable instructions;

memory for storing computer readable instructions, that when executed by the processor implements an application operational on a mobile computing device whereby a user of the application (i) enters a unique identification number associated with an intended recipient of a benefit payment, (ii) records a voice sample of the intended recipient of the benefit payment, and (iii) transmits the unique identification number and voice sample from the mobile computing device to a central server, thus enrolling the intended recipient as an authorized recipient of benefit payments.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the unique identification number comprises a social security number.

32. The system of claim 30 wherein the voice sample comprises text-specific spoken phrases.

33. The system of claim 30 wherein the voice sample comprises random, text-independent spoken phrases.