Biometric authentication of a wireless device user

• US 7,263,347 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2002
• Issued: 08/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Engelhart, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; David Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/155,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20030220095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,922 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/456.3, 455/563, 205/25, 205/1, 205/26, 205/42, 202/203, 213/185, 213/161, 213/186, 213/200, 554/11
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• 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 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6054 Biometric subscriber identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A network storage location stores voice prints from a user of a wireless telephone. The voice prints are context-specific to likely responses to voice prompts from an interactive voice response (IVR) system. The voice prompts are communicated from the IVR to the wireless telephone. A voice selection is received from the wireless telephone. The voice selection is analyzed to determine a corresponding selection ID, and a voice print is retrieved from the storage location corresponding to the selection ID and to an ID of the wireless telephone.

Claims

1. A method for authenticating a user of a wireless telephone on a wireless network, the method comprising:

storing at a network storage location voice prints from the user of the wireless telephone, the voice prints context-specific to responses to voice prompts from an interactive voice response (IVR) system of the wireless network;

receiving an ID of the wireless telephone;

communicating one or more of the voice prompts from the IVR system to the wireless telephone;

receiving a voice selection from the wireless telephone;

with the IVR system of the wireless network, analyzing the voice selection received from the wireless telephone to determine a corresponding selection ID;

retrieving from the network storage location a voice print from among the stored voice prints, the retrieved voice print corresponding to the selection ID and to the ID of the wireless telephone; and

generating authentication credentials when the retrieved voice print matches at least a portion of the voice selection.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

authenticating the user to access a network feature when the retrieved voice print matches the voice selection.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the voice selection is encrypted when received from the wireless telephone.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the voice prompts include plural selection choices communicated from the IVR system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the voice prompts include a question communicated from the IVR system, and wherein the voice selection includes an answer to the question.

6. A wireless network system comprising:

an interactive voice response (IVR) system of the wireless network to generate a selection ID corresponding to a voice selection received from a wireless device;

a storage device to store voice prints of at least one user of at least one wireless device, the stored voice prints context-specific to responses to voice prompts provided by the IVR system; and

an authenticator to receive the selection ID from the IVR system and a wireless device ID and to locate a voice print among the stored voice prints according to the selection ID and the wireless device ID, the authenticator comprising logic to compare the voice selection and the located voice print and to produce authentication credentials when the comparison produces a match.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising:

logic to employ the authentication credentials to provide access to a network feature to the wireless device.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the voice prompts include plural selection choices communicated from the IVR system.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the voice prompts include a question communicated from the IVR system, and wherein the voice selection includes an answer to the question.

10. A method for authenticating a wireless phone user on a wireless network comprising:

store at a network storage device plural biometric prints;

receiving an ID of a wireless phone;

receiving biometric information from the wireless phone;

with a network component of the wireless network, determining a selection ID from the biometric information received from the wireless phone;

retrieving from the network storage device a biometric print from among the plural stored biometric prints, the retrieved biometric print corresponding to the selection ID and the ID of the wireless phone;

comparing the retrieved biometric print with at least a portion of the biometric information; and

enabling the wireless phone to access a network feature when the retrieved biometric print matches the at least a portion of the biometric information.

11. A method for authenticating a wireless device user on a wireless network, the method comprising:

upon access to the wireless network by a wireless device, receiving an ID of the wireless device;

receiving a voice selection from the wireless device;

with a network component of the wireless network, determining a selection ID corresponding to the voice selection received from the wireless device;

retrieving from storage at a network storage location a voice print corresponding to the selection ID and to the ID of the wireless device;

comparing the voice print with at least a portion of the voice selection; and

generating authentication credentials when the voice print matches the at least a portion of the voice selection.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

providing a voice prompt to the wireless device; and

the voice print context-specific to a response to the voice prompt.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the network component is an interactive voice response (IVR) system, the method further comprising:

the IVR system providing a voice prompt to the wireless device;

the IVR system receiving the voice selection from the wireless device; and

the IVR system processing the voice selection to determine the selection ID.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

providing the wireless device with access to a network feature as a result of the match between the voice print and the at least a portion of the voice selection.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the wireless device is a wireless telephone.

16. A method for authenticating a wireless device user on a wireless network, the method comprising:

recording at a network storage location at least one voice print that is context specific to at least one voice selection;

upon access to the wireless network by a wireless device, receiving an ID of the wireless device;

receiving a voice selection from the wireless device;

analyzing the voice selection received from the wireless device with a network component of the wireless network to generate a selection ID;

selecting from the at least one recorded voice print a voice print corresponding to the selection ID and to the ID of the wireless device;

comparing the selected voice print with at least a portion of the received voice selection; and

generating authentication credentials when the selected voice print matches the at least a portion of the received voice selection.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

the wireless device receiving a voice prompt; and

the selected voice print context-specific to a response to the voice prompt.