Systems and methods for providing network-based voice authentication

• US 8,885,797 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2011
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Schultz, Paul T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahee, MD S
• Application Number:
  US13/213,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20110307256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142.05, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/142.06, 705/40, 235/379, 704/231, 704/246, 704/251
• US Class Current: 379/88.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/385 using speech signals

Abstract

A system enables voice authentication via a network. The system may include an intelligent voice response engine operatively coupled to the network for receiving transaction or access requests from a plurality of telecommunications devices over the network. A speech recognition and verification services engine may be operatively coupled to the network and a database may be operatively coupled to the speech recognition and verification services engine for storing user voice print profiles. The speech recognition and verification services engine may receive a speaker verification call from the intelligent voice response engine and perform speaker verification on the received speaker verification call based on the stored user voice print profiles. The speech recognition and verification services engine may generate a verification score based upon results of the speaker verification.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a network device, a request to perform a transaction,

the request being received from a device of a user,

the transaction corresponding to a particular type of transaction;

determining, by the network device, an authentication level, of a plurality of authentication levels, associated with the request,

the authentication level being determined based on the transaction corresponding to the particular type of transaction;

selecting, by the network device, an access telephone number,

the access telephone number being selected, from a plurality of access numbers, based on the authentication level,

each of the plurality of access numbers being associated with a different authentication level of the plurality of authentication levels;

transferring, by the network device, the request and information regarding the authentication level to a different network device to perform speaker verification of the user for the transaction,

the request being transferred using the selected access telephone number,

the information regarding the authentication level being transferred after determining the authentication level,

the different network device performing, based on the authentication level, the speaker verification of the user to generate a verification score associated with the transaction;

receiving, by the network device, the verification score from the different network device; and

performing, by the network device, the transaction based on the verification score.

2. The method of claim 1, where the network device remains in a call path associated with the request after transferring the request to the different network device, and

where the verification score is received via the call path.

3. The method of claim 1, where receiving the verification score includes:

receiving one or more dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) tones from the different network device,

the one or more DTMF tones corresponding to the verification score.

4. The method of claim 1, where receiving the request to perform the transaction includes:

receiving one or more dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) tones,

the one or more DTMF tones corresponding to the transaction, and

where determining the authentication level comprises;

determining the authentication level based on the one or more DTMF tones.

5. The method of claim 1, where performing the transaction includes:

performing the transaction when the verification score exceeds a threshold value associated with at least one of the transaction or the authentication level.

6. The method of claim 1, where transferring the request to the different network device includes:

transferring control of a call associated with the request to the different network device, and

the method further comprising;

resuming, based on receiving the verification score, control of the call.

7. The method of claim 1, where transferring the request to the different network device includes:

transmitting, prior to transferring the request, a security sequence to the different network device; and

receiving, based on transmitting the security sequence, the security sequence in reverse from the different network device,

the request being transferred based on receiving the security sequence in reverse.

8. A system comprising:

a network device to;

receive a request to perform a transaction,

the request being received from a device of a user,

determine, based on the request, a security level of a plurality of security levels for the request,

select an access telephone number,

the access telephone number being selected, from a plurality of access numbers, based on the security level,

transmit, after determining the security level, to a different network device;

a key,

the request, and

information identifying the security level,

the key, the request, and the information identifying the security level being transmitted to the different network device to perform speaker verification of the user for the transaction,

the request being transmitted to the different network device using the access telephone number,

the different network device performing, based on the security level, the speaker verification of the user to generate a score associated with the transaction,

receive the score and the key from the different network device based on transmitting the key, the request, and the information identifying the security level,

identify, based on the key, the request after receiving the score and the key, and

perform, based on the score, the transaction.

9. The system of claim 8, where, when transmitting the key, the request, and the information identifying the security level, the network device is to:

transfer the key and the information identifying the security level to the different network device via a first network, and

transfer the request to the different network device via a second network,

the second network being different from the first network.

10. The system of claim 9, where the network device is further to:

receive the request from the different network device via the second network.

11. The system of claim 8, where, when performing the transaction, the network device is to:

perform the transaction when the score exceeds a particular score,

the particular score being associated with a type of the transaction and the security level.

12. The system of claim 8, where, when transmitting the key, the request, and the information identifying the security level, the network device is to:

transmit the request using real time protocol (RTP), and

transmit the information identifying the security level as data via session initiation protocol (SIP).

13. The system of claim 8, where, when receiving the score and the key, the network device is to receive the score as data via session initiation protocol (SIP).

14. The system of claim 8, where the key, the request, and the information identifying the security level are transmitted to the different network device via a packet switched network.

15. A network device comprising:

a memory to store one or more instructions; and

a processor to execute the one or more instructions to;

receive, via a first network connection, a key and information identifying a security level, of a plurality of security levels, from a different network device,

the security level and the key being associated with a call transferred to the network device, by the different network device, via a second network connection that is different than the first network connection,

the call being transferred using an access telephone number selected, from a plurality of access numbers, based on the security level,

the security level being determined by the other network device prior to the security level being received by the network device,

the security level and the key being received to perform speaker verification of a user associated with the call,

associate the security level with the transferred call based on the key,

perform, at a level corresponding to the security level and using a user profile that is associated with the user, the speaker verification of the user to generate a result,

transfer, based on performing the speaker verification and via the second network connection, the call back to the different network device, and

transmit, via the first network connection, the result and the key to the different network device,

the different network device performing a transaction associated with the call based on the result.

16. The network device of claim 15, where the call comprises a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) call that is transferred to the network device using real time protocol, and

where, when receiving the information identifying the security level and the key, the processor is to receive the information identifying the security level and the key from the other different network device as data via session initiation protocol.

17. The network device of claim 15, where the processor is to execute the one or more instructions further to:

obtain a plurality of voice samples from the user,

store the plurality of voice samples to create the user profile, and

where, when performing the speaker verification of the user, the processor is to execute the one or more instructions to;

identify, based on the key, the user profile, and

perform the speaker verification using at least one voice sample of the plurality of voice samples.

18. The network device of claim 15, where the key and the information identifying the security level are received while the call is being transferred to the network device by the different network device.

19. The network device of claim 15, where the key and the information identifying the security level are received via a packet switched network and the second network comprises a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

20. The network device of claim 15, where, when receiving the key and the information identifying the security level, the processor executes the one or more instructions to:

receive a particular number of digits of an automatic number identification (ANI) associated with the call,

the key including the particular number of the digits of the ANI.