Automated passcode recovery in an interactive voice response system

• US 7,292,680 B1
• Filed: 03/21/2002
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Simpson, Anita Hogans
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier; Gerald
• Application Number:
  US10/102,986
• Time in Patent Office: 2,056 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.01, 379/88.17, 379/88.03, 379/88.18, 379/88.02, 379/67.1, 370/352, 713/201, 713/200, 713/176, 713/186, 713/202, 704/206
• US Class Current: 379/88.18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2131 Lost password, e.g. recovery of lost or forgotten passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• 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

Abstract

The preferred embodiments of the present invention include providing automated passcode recovery in an interactive voice response system by providing to a caller an automated passcode recovery question and processing a caller answer to the automated passcode recovery question to authenticate the caller.

Claims

1. A method for providing automated passcode recovery in an interactive voice response system, the method comprising:

providing to a caller an automated passcode recovery question in the caller'"'"'s recorded voice;

receiving a caller answer to the automated passcode recovery question from the caller; and

responsive to the caller answer matching the stored automated passcode recovery answer corresponding to the automated passcode recovery question, authenticating the caller.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting the caller to enter a selection for an authentication passcode corresponding to the caller; and

receiving the entered authentication passcode;

wherein providing the automated passcode recovery question to the caller is performed if the entered authentication passcode does not match the authentication passcode corresponding to the caller.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the automated passcode recovery question corresponds to the caller.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the caller answer to a stored automated passcode recovery question corresponding to the automated passcode recovery question.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating the caller includes providing the authentication passcode to the caller.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the automated passcode recovery question comprises audio.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the automated passcode recovery answer comprises audio.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the automated passcode recovery answer comprises dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) tones.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the caller access to services offered by the interactive voice response system after authenticating the caller.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising voice mail services to the authenticated caller.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing automated banking services to the caller.

12. An interactive voice response system comprising:

memory comprising at least one caller profile, each caller profile comprising an authentication passcode, an automated passcode recovery question in the caller'"'"'s recorded voice, and an automated passcode recovery answer corresponding to a caller; and

logic associated with the voice response system and configured to enable the caller to recover the authentication passcode from the corresponding caller profile by providing the corresponding automated passcode recovery answer in response to the corresponding automated passcode recovery question.

13. The interactive voice response system of claim 12, further comprising:

a network interface device configured for communication with a communication network and configured to communicate with a caller via the communication network; and

a voice response system configured to provide voice prompts to the caller and receive caller responses to the voice prompts via the communication network.

14. The interactive voice response system of claim 12, wherein the logic configured to enable the customer to recover the authentication passcode further comprises:

logic configured to prompt the caller to enter an authentication passcode corresponding to the caller;

logic configured to provide the automated passcode recovery question, if the entered authentication passcode does not match the authentication passcode corresponding to the caller;

logic configured to receive a caller answer to the automated passcode recovery question; and

logic configured to authenticate the caller, if the caller answer matches the automated passcode recovery answer corresponding to the automated passcode recovery question.

15. The interactive voice response system of claim 12, wherein the automated passcode recovery question comprises audio.

16. The interactive voice response system of claim 12, wherein the automated passcode recovery answer comprises audio.

17. The interactive voice response system of claim 12, wherein the automated passcode recovery answer comprises dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) tones.

18. The interactive voice response system of claim 12, further comprising logic configured to provide the caller voice mail services.

19. The interactive voice response system of claim 12, further comprising logic configured to provide the caller automated banking services.

20. The interactive voice response system of claim 12, wherein the logic comprises software and further comprising a processing device configured to implement the logic.

21. The interactive voice response system of claim 12, further comprising logic configured to provide voice mail services.

22. The interactive voice response system of claim 13, wherein the communication network comprises the public switched telephone network.

23. The interactive voice response system of claim 13, wherein the communication network comprises a wireless communication network.

24. A computer readable storage medium comprising a computer program for providing automated passcode recovery in an interactive voice response system, the computer program comprising:

logic configured to provide an automated passcode recovery question in the caller'"'"'s recorded voice if the entered authentication passcode does not match the authentication passcode corresponding to the caller;

logic configured to receive a caller answer to the automated passcode recovery question; and

logic configured to authenticate the caller if the caller answer matches an automated passcode recovery answer corresponding to the automated passcode recovery question.

25. The computer readable storage medium of claim 24, further comprising:

logic configured to prompt a caller to enter an authentication passcode corresponding to the caller; and

logic configured to receive the entered authentication passcode.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the logic configured to authenticate the caller comprises logic configured to provide the authentication passcode to the caller.

27. The computer readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the automated passcode recovery question comprises audio.

28. The computer readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the automated passcode recovery answer comprises audio.

29. The computer readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the automated passcode recovery answer comprises dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) tones.

30. The computer readable storage medium of claim 24, further comprising logic configured to provide the caller access to services offered by the interactive voice response system after the caller is authenticated.

31. The computer readable storage medium of claim 24, further comprising logic configured to provide voice mail services to the authenticated caller.

32. The computer readable storage medium of claim 24, further comprising logic configured to provide automated banking services to the caller.

33. A computer readable storage medium embodied in a computer readable medium for providing automated passcode recovery services in an interactive voice response system, the computer program comprising logic associated with a voice response system and configured to enable a caller to recover an authentication passcode by providing a corresponding automated passcode recovery answer in response to a corresponding automated passcode recovery question, the recovery question presented in the caller'"'"'s recorded voice.

34. The computer readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the logic is further configured to provide the automated passcode recovery question to the caller and receive the corresponding automated passcode recovery answer via the public switched telephone network.

35. The computer readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the logic is further configured to provide the automated passcode recovery question to the caller and receive the corresponding automated passcode recovery answer from the caller via a wireless telephone network.

36. An interactive voice response system comprising:

memory means for storing one or more caller profiles, each caller profile comprising an authentication passcode, an automated passcode recovery question in the caller'"'"'s recorded voice, and an automated passcode recovery answer corresponding to one of the callers; and

a means for enabling the caller to recover the authentication passcode from the corresponding caller profile by providing the corresponding automated passcode recovery answer in response to the corresponding automated passcode recovery question.

37. The interactive voice response system of claim 36, further comprising:

a communication means for communicating with a caller via a communication network; and

a voice response means for interfacing with the caller via the communication network by providing voice prompts and receiving responses to the voice prompts.

38. The interactive voice response system of claim 36, further comprising a means for providing voice mail services to the caller.

39. The interactive voice response system of claim 36, further comprising a means for providing automated banking services to the caller.