System and method for telephonic voice authentication

• US 7,212,613 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2003
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kim, Moon J., Segre, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang; Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): SING, SIMON P
• Application Number:
  US10/666,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20050063522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,321 Days
• Field of Search: 379 8801- 8804
• US Class Current: 379/88.02
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• 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 2203/6054 Biometric subscriber identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64

Abstract

A voice biometric authentication system and method. An authentication system is provided for authenticating a user of a telephonic device, comprising: a setup system for capturing and storing an authentic user voice sample; a comparison system that compares the authentic user voice sample with an inputted voice sample and generates a comparison result; and a control system for controlling access to the telephonic device, wherein the control system: analyzes the comparison result for an initial inputted voice sample received when a telephone call is initiated; and periodically analyzes comparison results for ongoing inputted voice samples received during the telephone call.

Claims

1. An authentication system for authenticating a user of a telephonic device, comprising:

a setup system for capturing and storing an authentic user voice sample;

a comparison system that compares the authentic user voice sample with an inputted voice sample and generates a comparison result in the form of a probability score; and

a control system for controlling access to the telephonic device, wherein the control system;

analyzes the probability score for an initial inputted voice sample received when a telephone call is initiated;

periodically analyzes a plurality of probability scores for ongoing inputted voice samples received during the telephone call; and

terminates the telephone call if an average of the plurality of probability scores is less than a predetermined threshold for ongoing inputted voice samples.

2. The authentication system of claim 1, wherein the control system analyzes comparison results for a plurality of ongoing inputted voice samples in order to determine if the telephone call should be terminated.

3. The authentication system of claim 1, wherein the telephonic device is a portable phone.

4. The authentication system of claim 1, wherein the telephonic device comprises a system that provides access to a conference call.

5. A method for authenticating a user of a telephonic device, comprising:

capturing and storing an authentic voice sample for the user;

initiating a telephone call on the telephonic device;

comparing an initial inputted voice sample with the authentic voice sample;

deciding whether to terminate the telephone based on the compare step for the initial inputted voice sample;

periodically comparing ongoing inputted voice samples obtained during the telephone call with the authentic voice sample and generating a probability score for each compare step; and

terminating the telephone call if an average of the probability scores is less than a predetermined threshold.

6. A method for authenticating a plurality of users accessing a conference call, comprising:

capturing and storing an authentic voice sample for each user at a centralized location;

initiating access of a joining user to the conference call;

comparing an initial inputted voice sample of the joining user collected at the centralized location by a sampling system with the authentic voice samples;

deciding whether to allow access to the conference call based on the compare step for the joining user;

periodically comparing ongoing inputted voice samples for all joined users obtained during the conference call by the sampling system with the authentic voice samples, and generating a probability score for each periodic compare; and

terminating access to the conference call for the joining user if an average of the probability scores associated with the joining user is less than a predetermined threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of deciding whether to allow access to the conference call based on the compare step for the initial inputted voice sample includes the step of:

denying access to the conference call if the initial inputted voice sample does not match one of the authentic voice samples.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

terminating the conference call for a joined used if one of the ongoing inputted voice samples of the joined user does not match one of the authentic voice samples.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

analyzing comparison results for a plurality of ongoing inputted voice samples for a joined user; and

terminating access to the conference call for the joined user if multiple ongoing inputted voice samples do not match one of the authentic voice samples.

10. An authentication system for authenticating a user of a voice processing system, comprising:

a setup system for capturing and storing an authentic user voice sample;

a system for obtaining inputted voice samples;

a comparison system that compares the authentic user voice sample with an inputted voice sample and generates a probability score; and

a control system for controlling access to a device associated with the voice processing system, wherein the control system periodically analyzes probability scores generated for ongoing inputted voice samples during a call in order to continuously control access to the device and terminates access to the device if an average of the probability scores is less than a predetermined threshold.

11. The authentication system of claim 10, wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of:

a smart card, a wireless phone, and a phone system.

12. The authentication system of claim 10, wherein the control system collects and analyzes a series of probability scores for a plurality of periodically inputted voice samples in order to control access to the device.