System and method for voice recognition password reset

• US 6,973,575 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2001
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Arnold, Gordon K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smithers, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): FIELDS, COURTNEY D
• Application Number:
  US09/827,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20020147914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,706 Days
• Field of Search: 713/186, 713/184, 713/183, 713/182, 713/202, 713/168, 713/175
• US Class Current: 713/186
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints

Abstract

A system and method for providing a password to a user using voice recognition technology. The user'"'"'s voice signature is captured and stored in order to identify the user. When the user forgets or otherwise loses a password needed to log into a computer system, he telephones a password reset system. An identifier corresponding to the user is provided by the user by using the telephone keypad or voice commands. One or more random words are requested by the password reset system. The user responds by repeating the words into the telephone receiver. The received words are matched against the user'"'"'s stored voice signature to authenticate the user. If the user is authenticated, one or more desired passwords are provided to the user using a number of delivery mechanisms. If the user is not authenticated, the intrusion is logged to further maintain system security.

Claims

1. A method of providing a user with a password, said method comprising:

receiving a call from the user;

receiving one or more spoken words from the user;

authenticating the received words using a voice signature corresponding to the user;

resetting the password in response to authenticating the received words; and

delivering the password to the user in response to resetting the password.

2. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an identifier corresponding to the user; and

validating the user based upon the identifier.

3. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving one or more system names in response to authenticating the user;

receiving one or more selections from the user, wherein each selection corresponds with one of the system names; and

delivering the passwords corresponding to the one or more selected systems to the user.

4. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the delivering is selected from the group consisting of recording the password on a voice mail account corresponding to the user, sending the password to an email account, telephoning a predetermined telephone number and audibly providing the password, providing the password to a wireless device, mailing the password to a predetermined postal address, and providing the password to the user during the call.

5. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

prompting the user for one or more random words, wherein the received spoken words are in response to the prompting.

6. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

logging data corresponding to the call in response to not authenticating the user.

7. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an identifier corresponding to the user; and

retrieving the voice signature from a data store including one or more voice signatures based on the received identifier.

8. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a voice input from the user prior to receiving the call;

determining the voice signature based upon the voice input; and

storing the voice signature.

9. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

logging information corresponding to the call in an audit data store.

10. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

a telephone interface accessible by the processors;

a nonvolatile storage device accessible by the processors; and

a password reset tool for providing a user with a password,

the password reset tool including;

means for receiving a call from the user to the telephone interface;

means for receiving an identifier corresponding to the user;

means for receiving one or more spoken words from the user;

means for retrieving a voice signature corresponding to the user from the nonvolatile storage device;

means for authenticating the received words using a voice signature corresponding to the user; and

means for delivering the password to the user in response to authenticating the user.

11. The information handling system as described in claim 10 further comprising:

means for retrieving one or more system names in response to authenticating the user;

means for receiving one or more selections from the user, wherein each selection corresponds with one of the system names; and

means for delivering the passwords corresponding to the one or more selected systems to the user.

12. The information handling system described in claim 10 further comprising:

means for prompting the user for one or more random words, wherein the received spoken words are in response to the prompting.

13. The information handling system as described in claim 10 further comprising:

means for logging data corresponding to the call in response to not authenticating the user.

14. The information handling system described in claim 10 further comprising:

means for receiving a voice input from the user prior to receiving the call;

means for determining the voice signature based upon the voice input; and

means for storing the voice signature.

15. A computer program product for providing a user with a password, said me hod comprising:

means for receiving a call from the user;

means for receiving one or more spoken words from the user;

means for authenticating the received words using a voice signature corresponding to the user;

means for resetting the password in response to authenticating the received words; and

means for delivering the password to the user in response to resetting the password.

16. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for receiving an identifier corresponding to the user; and

means for validating the user based upon the identifier.

17. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for retrieving one or more system names in response to authenticating the user;

means for receiving one or more selections from the user, wherein each selection corresponds with one of the system names; and

means for delivering the passwords corresponding to the one or more selected systems to the user.

18. The computer program product as described in claim 15 wherein the means for delivering is selected from the group consisting of means for recording the password on a voice mail account corresponding to the user, means for sending the password to an email account, means for telephoning a predetermined telephone number and audibly providing the password, means for providing the password to a wireless device, means for mailing the password to a predetermined postal address, and means for providing the password to the user during the call.

19. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

prompting the user for one or more random words, wherein the received spoken words are in response to the prompting.

20. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for logging data corresponding to the call in response to not authenticating the user.

21. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for receiving an identifier corresponding to the user; and

means for retrieving the voice signature from a data store including one or more voice signatures based on the received identifier.

22. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for receiving a voice input from the user prior to receiving the call;

means for determining the voice signature based upon the voice input; and

means for storing the voice signature.

23. The computer program product as described in claim 15

means for logging information corresponding to the call in an audit data store.

24. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for receiving an identifier corresponding to the user; and

means for identifying the password based upon the identifier.