Voice recognition bill payment system with speaker verification and confirmation

• US 5,893,902 A
• Filed: 02/15/1996
• Issued: 04/13/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Knowledge Kids Enterprises, Inc.
• Original Assignee: InteliData Technologies Corp. (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Transue, Patrick A., Jonaitis, Ronald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZINTEL, HAROLD ALBERT
• Application Number:
  US08/599,557
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 395/2.1, 395/2.79, 395/2.81, 395/2.84, 379/55, 704/201, 704/270, 704/272, 704/275, 704/231, 704/273, 704/250
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques

Abstract

A flexible, easily used bill payment system which utilizes voice recognition and playback technology to allow each user to establish and maintain an audible list of biller names. Each user is able to create a personalized list of billers by merely speaking and recording the name of the biller. Each spoken biller name for each user is recorded within the system. Each spoken biller name for each user is recorded by the system and used as confirmation prompts in a bill paying session by that particular user. In this way, the system of the present invention allows each user to dynamically maintain a customized list of biller names recorded in the user'"'"'s own voice. The recording of biller names is carried out as part of a initialization or setup procedure. To use the system, the user or billee dials the bill payment systems and selects bill payment mode. With the system in bill payment mode, the user selects whether a one-time or recurring bill is to be paid. For either type of bill, the user indicates both the merchant and the amount of the bill to be paid. In the case of a one-time bill, the user specifies the date on which the bill is to be paid. Conversely, in the case of a recurring bill, the user specifies a start date and an end date, specifying the period in which multiple bills are to be paid to the particular merchant. The bill payment system of the present invention also includes capabilities for reviewing, changing or cancelling payments, as well as modifying and updating the user'"'"'s custom list of merchants.

Claims

1. A bill payment system for allowing a user to select a particular bill to be paid, said system comprising:

a user interface for receiving user inputs including voice patterns from said user and providing bill payment information to said user;

a voice recording circuit for storing voice patterns previously input by said user in a manner suitable for playback;

a voice recognition circuit for performing voice recognition on said user'"'"'s previously stored voice patterns and current voice patterns input by said user;

a selection circuit which receives current voice patterns from said user interface and using said voice recognition circuit selects said previously stored voice pattern matching said current voice pattern; and

a playback circuit for playing back to said user bill payment information including said selected previously stored voice pattern to thereby provide audible confirmation of said user'"'"'s selections, playback of said user'"'"'s previously stored voice pattern being in the user'"'"'s voice.

2. A bill payment system according to claim 1, wherein said previously stored voice pattern includes a merchant'"'"'s name.

3. A bill payment method for allowing a user to select a particular bill to be paid, said method comprising the following steps:

receiving user input including voice patterns from a user;

providing bill payment information to said user;

using a voice recording circuit to store voice patterns previously input by said user in a manner suitable for playback;

using a voice recognition circuit to perform voice recognition on said user'"'"'s previously stored voice patterns and current voice patterns input by said user;

using a selection circuit to receive current voice patterns from said user and using said voice recognition circuit to select said previously stored voice pattern matching said current voice pattern; and

using a playback circuit to play back to said user bill payment information including said selected previously stored voice pattern to thereby provide audible confirmation of said user'"'"'s selections, playback of said user'"'"'s previously stored voice pattern being in the user'"'"'s voice.

4. A bill payment method according to claim 3, wherein said previously stored voice pattern includes a merchant'"'"'s name.