Apparatus and methods for telecommunication authentication

• US 8,213,581 B1
• Filed: 11/20/2008
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: FuzeBox, Inc.
• Inventors: Brahm, David, Trandal, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Sing, Simon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mohammed, Assad
• Application Number:
  US12/275,138
• Time in Patent Office: 1,321 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142.05, 379/88.19
• US Class Current: 379/88.19
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/48 Secure or trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements or encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/105 Financial transactions and auctions, e.g. bidding auctioneering devices in packet switching networks H04L12/1804
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1058 Shopping and product ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0156 Secure and trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements, encryption, digital signature, codes or double check mechanisms to secure billing calculation and information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal

Abstract

The present invention is related to telecommunications, and in particular to systems and methods of using telecommunication services for user authentication. Account information is stored for a user, the account information including at least a first phone number associated with the user. A user order is received. A verification phone call is received from the user, the call including charge phone number information. The charge number information is compared to the first phone number to authenticate that the user is associated with the first phone number. Based at least in part on the comparison, the user order is selectively caused to be fulfilled.

Claims

1. A method of authenticating a user identity using telephony signaling, comprising:

storing in memory account information for a user, the account information including at least a first phone number associated with the user;

receiving over a network at a processing system an indication that a user order has been placed by the user;

receiving at a call processing system a call from the user, the call associated with call signaling information, including a caller identification (CID) field and a charge phone number field, wherein the charge phone number field includes charge phone number information;

facilitating, via the call processing system, comparison of the charge number information with the first phone number to authenticate that the user is associated with the first phone number; and

when the charge number information obtained from the charge number field corresponds to the first phone number, facilitating fulfillment of the user order.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the CID field is not populated.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising electronically comparing Caller-ID information included in the CID field with the first phone number, wherein both the charge number information and the Caller-ID information need to match the first phone number in order to provide verification that the first user is associated with the first phone number.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising causing a computer terminal associated with the user to automatically place the call via an instruction transmitted over a data network to the user computer terminal.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the call is placed by the user.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the order is related to a phone service.

7. An apparatus for authenticating a user identity using telephony signaling, comprising:

a first computer readable memory that stores account information for a user, the account information including at least a first phone number associated with the user;

program instructions stored in computer readable memory, which when executed by a processor are configured to;

receive an indication that a user order has been initiated by the user;

receive call signaling information associated with a call from the user, the call signaling information including a charge number field populated with charge phone number information and a caller identification (CID) field; and

compare the charge number information from the charge number field to the first phone number to authenticate that the user is associated with the first phone number, and based at least in part on the comparison, selectively facilitating fulfillment of the user order.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the program instructions are configured to compare both the charge number information from the charge number field and Caller-ID information obtained from the CID field with the first phone number in order to authenticate that the first user is associated with the first phone number.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 7, the program instructions further configured to command a computer terminal associated with the user to automatically place the call.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the call is placed by the user.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the order is related to a telecommunications service.