Inbound caller authentication for telephony applications

• US 8,483,365 B1
• Filed: 01/15/2010
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Baxter, John Francis Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US12/688,269
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/88.16, 379/88.17, 379/201.01, 379/207.14, 379/210.02, 379/88.22, 455/410, 455/417, 455/556.1, 704/270.1, 704/275, 709/206, 726/19, 726/5, 726/27, 705/26.1, 705/39
• US Class Current: 379/88.01
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/667 Preventing unauthorised calls from a telephone set H04M1/677 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/405 involving speaker-dependent recognition adaptation to speaker for speech recognition G10L15/07
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27

Abstract

A method of authenticating an inbound caller in telephony applications. The method establishes a predetermined caller identification telephone number associated with a predetermined inbound caller identity from which inbound calls are permitted, retrieves a caller identification telephone number from an inbound caller, and then authenticates the inbound caller responsive to the caller identification telephone number matching the predetermined caller identification telephone number. A corresponding computer system and computer program product are also provided.

Claims

1. A method of authenticating an inbound caller in telephony applications, the method being implemented by a server, the method comprising:

establishing a predetermined caller identification telephone number associated with a predetermined inbound caller identity from which inbound calls are permitted;

retrieving a caller identification telephone number from an inbound caller;

authenticating the inbound caller responsive to the caller identification telephone number matching the predetermined caller identification telephone number; and

authenticating the inbound caller using a voice print that is based on multiple repetitions of a voiced phrase.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing permissible time slots for inbound calls whereby authentication is achieved only during permitted time slots.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein permissible time slots are selected from a group consisting of minutes, hours, days of a week, days of a month, months, and years.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating the inbound caller by dual-tone multi-frequency code.

5. A computer system adapted to authenticate an inbound caller in telephony applications comprising:

a processor; and

a tangible memory storage including software instructions that cause the computer to perform;

establishing a predetermined caller identification telephone number associated with a predetermined inbound caller identity from which inbound calls are permitted,

retrieving a caller identification telephone number from an inbound caller, and

authenticating the inbound caller responsive to the caller identification telephone number matching the predetermined caller identification telephone number,

whereby the computer authenticates the inbound caller in telephony applications using a voice print that is based on multiple repetitions of a voiced phrase.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the tangible memory storage further includes software instructions that cause the computer system to perform:

establishing permissible time slots for inbound calls whereby authentication is achieved only during permitted time slots.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein permissible time slots are selected from a group consisting of minutes, hours, days of a week, days of a month, months, and years.

8. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the tangible memory storage further includes software instructions that cause the computer system to perform:

authenticating the inbound caller by dual-tone multi-frequency code.

9. A computer program product for enabling a computer to authenticate an inbound caller in telephony applications comprising:

software instructions for enabling the computer to perform predetermined operations; and

a tangible computer readable storage medium bearing software instructions;

the predetermined operations including;

establishing a predetermined caller identification telephone number associated with a predetermined inbound caller identity from which inbound calls are permitted,

retrieving a caller identification telephone number from an inbound caller, and

authenticating the inbound caller responsive to the caller identification telephone number matching the predetermined caller identification telephone number,

wherein the computer authenticates an inbound caller in telephony applications using a voice print that is based on multiple repetitions of a voiced phrase.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the predetermined operations further comprise:

establishing permissible time slots for inbound calls whereby authentication is achieved only during permitted time slots.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein permissible time slots are selected from a group consisting of minutes, hours, days of a week, days of a month, months, and years.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the predetermined operations further comprise:

authenticating the inbound caller by dual-tone multi-frequency code.

13. An apparatus for authenticating an inbound caller in telephony applications comprising:

means for establishing a predetermined caller identification telephone number associated with a predetermined inbound caller identity from which inbound calls are permitted;

means for retrieving a caller identification telephone number from an inbound caller;

means for authenticating the inbound caller responsive to the caller identification telephone number matching the predetermined caller identification telephone number; and

means for authenticating the inbound caller using a voice print that is based on multiple repetitions of a voiced phrase.