Method and system for non-intrusive speaker verification using behavior models

• US 6,490,560 B1
• Filed: 03/01/2000
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ramaswamy, Ganesh N., Chaudhari, Upendra V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorvil, Richemond
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nolan, Daniel A.
• Application Number:
  US09/516,057
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 704/243, 704/236, 704/273, 704/244, 704/250, 704/231, 704/246
• US Class Current: 704/250
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/10 Multimodal systems, i.e. based on the integration of multiple recognition engines or fusion of expert systems

Abstract

A system and method for verifying user identity, in accordance with the present invention, includes a conversational system for receiving inputs from a user and transforming the inputs into formal commands. A behavior verifier is coupled to the conversational system for extracting features from the inputs. The features include behavior patterns of the user. The behavior verifier is adapted to compare the input behavior to a behavior model to determine if the user is authorized to interact with the system.

Claims

1. A system for verifying user identity comprising:

a conversational system for receiving inputs from a user and transforming the inputs into formal commands;

a behavior verifier coupled to the conversational system for extracting features from the inputs, the features including behavior patterns of the user, the behavior verifier including a probability calculator, the probability calculator being adapted to calculate a first probability that the user is authorized to interact with the system based on the user'"'"'s behavior;

an acoustic and biometric verifier for determining acoustic and biometric information from the user and determining a second probability that the user is authorized to interact with the system based on the user'"'"'s acoustic or biometric information; and

the behavior verifier including a probability mixer adapted for integrating the first probability with the second probability to verify that the user is authorized to interact with the system.

2. A method for verifying a user based on behavior comprising the steps of:

providing inputs to a conversational system for receiving the inputs from a user and transforming the inputs into formal commands;

extracting features vectors from the inputs by a behavior verifier including a feature extractor, the feature vectors including behavior patterns of the user and information about system responses to the user; and

comparing the feature vectors to a behavior model to determine if the user is authorized to interact with the system.

3. A method for verifying a user based on behavior comprising the steps of:

providing inputs to a conversational system for receiving the inputs from a user and transforming the inputs into formal commands;

extracting features from the inputs by a behavior verifier, the features including behavior patterns of the user;

calculating a first probability on a probability calculator, the first probability for indicating whether the user is authorized to interact with the system based on the user'"'"'s behavior;

determining acoustic and biometric information from the user by an acoustic and biometric verifier;

determining a second probability for indicating whether the user is authorized to interact with the system based on the user'"'"'s acoustic or biometric information; and

integrating the first probability with the second probability, by employing a probability mixer, to verify that the user is authorized to interact with the system.

4. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for verifying a user based on behavior, the method steps comprising:

providing inputs to a conversational system for receiving the inputs from a user and transforming the inputs into formal commands;

extracting features vectors from the inputs by a behavior verifier including a feature extractor, the feature vectors including behavior patterns of the user and information about system responses to the user; and

comparing the feature vectors to a behavior model to determine if the user is authorized to interact with the system.

5. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for verifying a user based on behavior, the method steps comprising:

providing inputs to a conversational system for receiving the inputs from a user and transforming the inputs into formal commands;

extracting features from the inputs by a behavior verifier, the features including behavior patterns of the user;

calculating a first probability on a probability calculator, the first probability for indicating whether the user is authorized to interact with the system based on the users behavior;

determining acoustic and biometric information from the user by an acoustic and biometric verifier;

determining a second probability for indicating whether the user is authorized to interact with the system based on the user'"'"'s acoustic or biometric information; and

integrating the first probability with the second probability, by employing a probability mixer, to verify that the user is authorized to interact with the system.

6. A system for verifying user identity comprising:

a conversational system for receiving inputs from a user and transforming the inputs into formal commands; and

a behavior verifier including a feature extractor coupled to the conversational system for extracting feature vectors from the inputs, the feature vectors including behavior patterns of the user and information about system responses to the user, the behavior verifier being adapted to compare the feature vectors to a behavior model to determine if the user is authorized to interact with the system.