Method and system for generation of tone signals over a transmission channel

• US 6,014,441 A
• Filed: 11/25/1997
• Issued: 01/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Smart Tone Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Smart Tone Authentication, Inc.
• Inventors: Mark, Andrew R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/978,238
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 379/361, 379/386, 379/282, 379/283, 379/350, 379/351, 379/352, 379/353, 379/354, 379/355, 379/356, 379/257, 379/347, 379/390, 379/418, 327/100
• US Class Current: 379/361
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/346 Cards serving only as information carrier of service
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0886 the card reader being portable for interacting with a POS or ECR in realizing a payment transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/275 implemented by means of portable electronic directories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/50 by generating or selecting currents of predetermined frequencies or combinations of frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/02 Coin-freed or check-freed systems , e.g. mobile- or card-operated phones, public telephones or booths
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/16 with lock-out or secrecy provision in party-line systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/44 Additional connecting arrangements for providing access to frequently-wanted subscribers, e.g. abbreviated dialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27; automatic redialling H04M3/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/453 in which m-out-of-n signalling frequencies are transmitted

Abstract

A user-authentication system includes an authorized user device (AUD) for transmission of dtmf tones to a user-verification system (UVS) over a telephone network, where user-verification is performed and authorized users are granted access to a desired service. In a memory module of the AUD, a plurality of passphrases and identifying data are stored for subsequent transmission to the UVS. The compensating system comprises a pair of tone devices that generate low frequency tones and high frequency tones, respective that are amplified to different amplification levels. The amplification levels compensate for the low and high frequency tone transmission characteristics associated with different microphones in use in a public telephone system. The systems further performs channel normalization with the user-activated AUD and the UVS. Tone signals representative of the access telephone number transmitted by the AUD to reach the UVS, have a reference amplitude of zero. The UVS receives the tones and a variable amplifier generates gain factors that compensate for deviations in the expected signal strength of each of the tone, caused by deficiencies in the telephone system. In another embodiment, the AUD generates a first plurality of standard tones that are representative of the portion of the frequency spectrum in which an authorized user'"'"'s voice typically lies. This compensation permits the UVS to have an accurate representation of transmitted signals such as the user'"'"'s voice, prior to performing user-verification.

Claims

1. A device for generating a series of tone signal pairs, each tone signal pair including simultaneously asserted first and second tones, said device comprising:

a first tone generator device generating a plurality of first frequency tones;

a second tone generator device generating a plurality of second frequency tones;

a first amplifier electrically coupled to said first tone generator device, said first amplifier amplifying a first frequency tone to a first signal level and a first frequency tone to a second signal level;

a second amplifier electrically coupled to said second tone generator device, said second amplifier amplifying a second frequency tone to a third signal level and a second frequency tone to a fourth signal level; and

a control device in electrical communication with said first and second tone generator devices and in electrical communication with said first and second amplifiers, said control device controlling said first and second tone generator devices and said first and second amplifiers to generate a tone group comprising at least two tone pairs;

a first tone pair of said at least two tone pairs comprising said first frequency tone amplified to said first signal level and said second frequency tone amplified to said third signal level; and

a second tone pair of said at least two tone pairs comprising said first frequency tone amplified to said second signal level and said second frequency tone amplified to said fourth signal level, said first signal level differing from said third signal level and said second signal level differing from said fourth signal level,

wherein said first tone pair is related to the transmission characteristics of a first type of microphone, and said second tone pair is related to the transmission characteristics of a second type of microphone.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said first type of microphone is a carbon microphone and said second type of microphone is an electret microphone.

3. A method of generating a dual tone multi-frequency ("DTMF") signal, comprising the steps of:

generating a plurality of first frequency tones;

amplifying said first frequency tones to generate a first frequency tone signal having a first signal level, and a first frequency tone signal having a second signal level;

generating a plurality of second frequency tones;

amplifying said second frequency tones to generate a second frequency tone signal having a third signal level and a second frequency tone signal having a fourth signal level;

combining said first frequency tone signal having said first signal level with said second frequency tone signal having said third signal level to form a first tone pair, wherein said first signal level differs from said third signal level;

combining said first frequency tone signal having said second signal level with said second frequency tone signal having said fourth signal level to form a second tone pair, wherein said second signal level differs from said fourth signal level;

relating said first and third signal levels to transmission characteristics of a carbon microphone;

relating said second and fourth signal levels to transmission characteristics of an electret microphone; and

outputting a tone group comprising said first and second tone pairs.

4. A system for using a series of tone signal pairs to compensate for impairments associated with a telephone microphone, comprising:

a tone generator adapted to interface with a telephone handset, for generating and transmitting to the handset, a first tone pair and a second tone pair, said first tone pair comprising a low frequency tone having a first amplification level and a high frequency tone having a second amplification level; and

said second tone pair comprising a low frequency tone having a third amplification level and a high frequency tone having a fourth amplification level;

wherein said first and second amplification levels compensate for impairments associated with a carbon microphone, and said third and fourth amplification levels compensate for impairments associated with an electret microphone; and

a compensating module disposed on a network in communication with said tone generator for receiving said first and second tone pairs, and compensating for impairments associated with a microphone disposed within the telephone handset.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a first memory module in communication with said tone generator and said compensating module, for storing said first, second, third and fourth amplification levels.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

a module for retrieving said first, second, third and fourth amplification levels from said first memory module, and transmitting said first, second, third and fourth amplification levels to said tone generator.

7. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

an authentication device coupled with said tone generator for storing data relating to a user assigned to said authentication device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said data includes the user'"'"'s telephone number.

9. The system of claim 4, said compensating module receiving data relating to a user of the telephone, said data including the user'"'"'s telephone number.

10. A system for using a series of tone pairs to compensate for impairments associated with a telephone or computer console microphone, comprising:

a tone generator for generating a plurality of tone pairs, each of said tone pairs comprising a high frequency tone and a low frequency tone, each amplified to differing amplification levels; and

storage for storing said amplification levels and data, said data including telephone numbers,

wherein said differing amplification levels compensate for impairments in a microphone.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said amplification levels compensate for impairments in a carbon microphone.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said amplification levels compensate for impairments in an electret microphone.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said plurality of tone pairs comprises a first tone pair and a second tone pair.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said first tone pair comprises a low frequency tone having a first amplification level and a high frequency tone having a second amplification level;

and

said second tone pair comprises a low frequency tone having a third amplification level and a high frequency tone having a fourth amplification level.