Electronic audio communications system with voice authentication features

• US 4,761,807 A
• Filed: 02/12/1985
• Issued: 08/02/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: VMX, Inc. (Innospec Incorporated)
• Inventors: Matthews, Gordon H., Fannin, Michael L., Tansil, Thomas B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Thomas W.
• Application Number:
  US06/700,946
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 179/18 B, 179/6.14, 179/6.17, 381/42, 381/43, 379/69, 379/80, 379/84, 379/88, 379/89, 379/198, 379/197, 379/196, 364/513.5
• US Class Current: 379/88.26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2083 Confirmation by serviced party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53316 Messaging centre selected by message originator
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53325 Interconnection arrangements between voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53341 Message reply
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5335 Message type or catagory, e.g. priority, indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53375 Message broadcasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/009 in systems involving PBX or KTS networks

Abstract

An advanced electronic telecommunication system is provided for the deposit, storage and delivery of audio messages. A Voice Message System (10) interconnects multiple private branch exchanges (12) of a subscriber with a central telephone office (22). Individual subscriber users may access the Voice Message System (10) through ON NET telephones (18) or OFF NET telephones (24). The Voice Message System (10) includes an administrative subsystem (60), call processor subsystem (62) and a data storage subsystem (64). The Voice Message System (10) enables the user to deposit a message in data storage subsystem (64) for automatic delivery to other addressees connected to the system. The Voice Message System (10) also enables a user to access the system to determine if any messages have been stored in the data storage subsystem (64) for the user by first entering an identification code and then speaking a password. The password is compared to a speaker dependent template stored in the system. Pre-recorded instructional messages are deposited in the data storage subsystem (64) for instructing a user on the user'"'"'s progress in using the system. A Universal Control Board is a programmable electronic digital signal processing means for controlling certain functions of the administrative subsystem (60), call processor subsystem (62) and data storage subsystem (64).

Claims

1. An electronic communications message system for storing and forwarding audio messages from a user'"'"'s telephone facility, comprising:

electronic digital signal processing means for controlling the operation of the message system;

digital memory means controlled by said electronic digital signal processing means for storing digital representations of the audio messages;

means for enabling an originator to access the message system through signals transmitted from a telephone station;

means for storing in said memory means digital representations of an audio message from the telephone station of the originator;

means for storing selected recipient telephone station addresses for digital representations of audio messages stored in said memory means;

means for accessing said stored digital representations associated with particular telephone station addresses;

means for reproducing audio messages from the stored digital representations;

transmitting means for sequentially transmitting the reproduced audio messages from said means for reproducing to said selected recipient telephone stations; and

means for controlling unauthorized user access to the message system which includes;

user storage means for storing in said memory means a digital representation of characteristic features of the voice of each authorized user;

means for reproducing an accessed audio message to the telephone station of each user who attempts to access the message system, said accessed message instructing that a password be spoken;

comparing means for comparing the characteristic features of the speaking voice of the user attempting access to the message system with the stored characteristic features;

mens for denying the attempting user access to the message system unless the output of said comparing means indicates a match between the spoken and the stored characteristic features within a preselected deviation;

means for storing in said memory means a numerical identification code associated with each authorized user;

means for associating in said memory means the numerical identification code and the digital representation of the characteristic features of the voice of each authorized user;

means responsive to the entry of the numerical identification code associated with an authorized user for enabling the operation of said accessed audio message reproducing means and said comparing means;

means for reproducing an audio message to the telephone station of a newly authorized user instructing the user to speak a selected password into the telephone a predetermined number of times;

means for producing an audio signal each time the selected password is spoken;

means responsive to the audio signal produced each time the selected password is spoken for analyzing each audio signal and producing for each audio signal a template in digital format which is representative of the distinctive features of the analyzed audio signal;

means for storing the digital format template for each audio signal in association with the identification code assigned to the newly authorized user; and

means for generating and storing with each template a set of signal values indicative of the variations in the templates produced each time the selected password is spoken from the previous time it was spoken.

2. The communications message system of claim 1 wherein said unauthorized user access controlling means also includes:

means responsive to entry of a numerical identification code associated with an authorized user and a spoken password matching the stored characteristic voice features of the selected password associated with the same authorized user for allowing said user to alter his or her associated numerical identification code to a different code and his or her stored characteristic voicd features of the selected password to those produced when speaking a different password.

3. The communications message system of claim 6 wherein said unauthorized user access controlling means also includes:

measn responsive to entry of a numerical identification code associated with an authorized user and a spoken password matching the stored characteristic voice features of the selected password associated with the same authorized user for storing in said memory means a digital representation of characteristic features of the voice of said user speaking a spoken special password;

means responsive to the presence of a stored selected special password for requiring a user seeking access to the system to speak the spoken special password following a match between the spoken password and the stored characteristic features of the selected password; and

means for denying a user attempting access to the message system access thereto unless the characteristic features of the user'"'"'s voice speaking the spoken special password match the stored features of the selected special password.

4. The communications message system of claim 1 wherein said unauthorized user access controlling means also includes:

means for storing in said memory means a digital representation of characteristic features of the voice of each authorized message recipient;

means for reproducing a recipient access audio message to the telephone station of each intended message recipient instructing him or her to speak his or her password;

second comparing means for comparing the characteristic features of the speaking voice of the intended message recipient with the stored characteristic features; and

means for disabling said transmitting means from delivering the message to a selected telephone station unless said second comparing means indicates a match between the spoken and stored characteristic features within a preselected deviation.

5. The communication message system of claim 4 wherein said unauthorized user access controlling means also includes:

recipient storage means for storing in said memory means a multi-digit numerical identification code associated with each authorized message recipient located at a selected recipient telephone station;

means for associating in said memory means the numerical identification code and the digital representation of the characteristic features of the voice of each authorized message recipient; and

means responsive to the entry of the numerical identification code associated with an authorized message recipient for enabling the operation of said recipient access audio message reproducing means and said second comparing means.

6. The communications message system of claim 5 wherein said recipient storage means included within said unauthorized user access controlling means also includes:

means for reproducing an audio message to the telephone stastion of a newly authorized message recipient instructing the recipient to speak a selected recipient password into the telephone a predetermined number of times;

means for producing a recipient audio signal each time the selected recipient password is spoken;

means responsive to the recipient audio signal produced each time the recipient password is spoken for analyzing each recipient audio signal and producing for each recipient audio signal a recipient template in digital format which is representative of distinctive features of the analyzed recipient audio signal; and

means for storing the digital format recipient template for each recipient audio signal in association with the identification code assigned to the newly authorized message recipient.

7. An electronic communications message system for storing and forwarding audio messages from a user'"'"'s telephone facility, comprising:

electronic digital signal processing means for controlling the operation of the mesasge system;

digital memory means controlled by said electronic digital signal processing means for storing digital representations of the audio messages;

means for enabling an originator to access the message system through signals transmitted from a telephone station;

means for storing in said memory means digital representations of an audio message from the telephone station of the originator;

means for storing selected recipient telephone station addresses for digital representations of audio messages stored in said memory means;

means for accessing said stored digital representations associated with particular telephone station addresses;

means for reproducing audio messages from the stored digital representations;

transmitting means for sequentially transmitting the reproduced audio messages from said means for reproducing to said selected recipient telephone stations; and

measn for controlling unauthorized user access to the message system which includes;

user storage means for storing in said memory means a digital representation of

characteristic features of the voice of each authorized user;

means for reproducing an accessed audio message to the telephone station of each user who attempts to access the message system, said accessed message instructing that a password be spoken;

comparing means for comparing the characteristic features of the speaking voice of the user attempting access to the message system with the stored characteristic features;

means for denying the attempting user access to the message system unless the output of said comparing means indicates a match between the spoken and the stored characteristic features within a preselected deviation;

means for reproducing an audio message to the telephone station of a newly authorized message recipient instructing the recipient to speak a selected password into the telephone a predetermined number of times;

means for producing an audio signal each time the selected password is spoken;

means responsive to the audio signal produced each time the selected password is spoken for analyzing each audio signal and producing for each audio signal a template in digital format which is representative of distinctive features of the analyzed audio signal;

means for storing the digital format template for each audio siganl in association with the identification code assigned to the newly authorized message recipient; and

means for generating and storing with each template a set of signal values indicative of the variations in the templates produced each time the selected password is spoken from the previous time it was spoken.

8. An electronic communications message system for storing and forwarding audio messages from a user'"'"'s telephone facility, comprising:

electronic digital siganl processing means for controlling the operation of the message system;

digital memory means controlled by said electronic digital signal processing means for storing digital representations of the audio messages;

means for enabling an originator to access the message system through signals transmitted from a telephone station;

means for storing in said memory means digital representations of an audio message from the telephone station of the originator;

means for storing selected recipient telephone station addresses for digital representations of audio messages stored in said memory means;

means for accessing said stored digital representations associated with particular telephone station addresses;

means for reproducing audio messages from the stored digital representations;

transmitting means for sequentially transmitting the reproduced audio messages from said means for reproducing to said selected recipient telephone stations; and

means for controlling unauthorized user access to the message system which includes;

user storage means for storing in said memory means a digital representation of

characteristic features of the voice of each authorized user;

means for reproducing an accessed audio message to the telephone station of each user who attempts to access the message system, said accessed message instructing that a password be spoken;

comparing means for comparing the characteristic features of the speaking voice of the user attempting access to the message system with the stored characteristic features;

means for denying the attempting user access to the message system unless the output of said comparing means indicates a match between the spoken and the stored characteristic features within a preselected deviation;

measn for storing in said memory means a numerical identification code associated with each authorized user;

means for associating in said memory means the numerical identification code and the digital representation of the characteristic features of the voice of each authorized user speaking a selected password;

means responsive to the entry of the numerical identification code associated with an authorized user for enabling the operation of said accessed audio message reproducing means and said comparing means;

means responsive to entry of a numerical identification code associated with an authorized user and a spoken password matching the stored characteristic voice features of the selected password associated with the same authorized user for storing in said memory means a digital representation of characteristic features of the voice of said user speaking a spoken special password;

means responsive to the presence of a stored selected special password for requiring a user seeking access to the system to speak the spoken special password following a match between the spoken password and the stored characteristic features of the selected password;

means for denying a user attempting access to the message system access thereto unless the characteristic features of the user'"'"'s voice speaking the spoken special password match the stored features of the selected special password;

means for reproducing an audio message to the telephone station of a newly authorized user instructing the user to speak the selected password into the telephone a predetermined number of times;

means for producing an audio signal each time the selected password is spoken;

means responsive to the audio signal produced each time the selected password is spoken for analyzing each audio signal and producing for each audio signal a template in digital format which is representative of distinctive features of the analyzed audio signal;

means for storing the digital format template for each audio siganl in association with the identification code assigned to the newly authorized user; and

means for generating and storing with each template a set of signal values indicative of the variations in the templates produced each time the selected password is spoken from the previous time it was spoken.

9. An electronic communications message system for storing and forwarding audio messages from a user'"'"'s telephone facility, comprising:

electronic digital signal processing means for controlling the operation of the message system;

digital memory means controlled by said electronic digital signal processing means for storing digital representations of the audio messages;

means for enabling an originator to access the message system through signals transmitted from a telephone station;

means for storing in said memory means digital representations of an audio message from the telephone station of the originator;

means for storing selected recipient telephone station addresses for digital representations of audio messages stored in said memory means;

means for accessing said stored digital representations associated with particular telephone station addresses;

means for reproducing audio messages from the stored digital representations;

transmitting means for sequentially transmitting the reproduced audio messages from said reproducing means to said selected recipient telephone stations; and

means for controlling unauthorized user access to the message system which includes;

means for storing in said memory means a digital representation of characteristic features of the voice of each authorized message recipient;

means for reproducing a recipient access audio message to the telephone station of each intended message recipient instructing him or her to speak his or her password;

comparing means for comparing the characteristic features of the speaking voice of the intended message recipient with the stored characteristic features;

means for disabling said transmitting means from delivering the message to a selected telephone station unless said comparing means indicates a match between the spoken and stored characteristic features within a preselected deviation;

recipient storage means for storing in said memory means a multi-digit numerical identification code associated with each authorized message recipient located at a selected recipient telephone station;

means for associating in said memory means the numerical identification code and the digital representation of the characteristic features of the voice of each authorized message recipient speaking a selected password;

means responsive to the entry of the numerical identification code associated with an authorized message recipient for enabling the operation of said recipient access audio message reproducing means and said comparing means;

means for reproducing an audio message to the telephone station of a newly authorized message recipient instructing the recipient to speak the selected password into the telephone a predetermined number of times;

means for producing an audio signal each time the selected password is spoken;

means responsive to the audio signal produced each time the selected password is spoken for analyzing each audio signal and producing for each audio signal a template in digital format which is representative of distinctive features of the analyzed audio signal;

means for storing the digital format template for each audio signal in association with the identification code assigned to the newly authorized message recipient; and

means for generating and storing with each template a set of signal values indicative of the variations in the templates produced each time the selected password is spoken from the previous time it was spoken.