Telecommunication call management and monitoring system with voiceprint verification

• US 8,948,350 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2008
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Tel-Link Corporation
• Original Assignee: Global Tel-Link Corporation
• Inventors: Hodge, Stephen L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): LYTLE, JEFFREY P
• Application Number:
  US12/218,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20090046841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,398 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 379/88.02
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/435 having six-membered rings with one nitrogen as the only ring hetero atom
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/44 Non condensed pyridines; Hydrogenated derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/505 Pyrimidines; Hydrogenated pyrimidines, e.g. trimethoprim
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5854 using shape and object relationship
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5866 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, manually generated location and time information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/587 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07762 the adhering arrangement making the record carrier wearable, e.g. having the form of a ring, watch, glove or bracelet record carriers for insertion in the human body for medical purposes A61B90/00; record carriers adapted for attachment to animals A01K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/10 at least one kind of marking being used for authentication, e.g. of credit or identity cards verification of coded identity or credit cards in mechanisms actuated by them G07F7/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10396 the interrogation device being wearable, e.g. as a glove, bracelet, or ring wearable aerials in general H01Q1/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/41 using speaker recognition speaker recognition per se G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 : Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/305 : Recording playback features, e.g. increased speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/558 : Databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6054 : Biometric subscriber identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/20 : with means for interrupting existing connections; with means for breaking-in on conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 : Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 : Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• 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: H04M 3/382 : using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/385 : using speech signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42025 : Calling or Called party identification service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 : Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 : Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

Disclosed is a secure telephone call management system for authenticating users of a telephone system in an institutional facility. Authentication of the users is accomplished by using a personal identification number, preferably in conjunction with speaker independent voice recognition and speaker dependent voice identification. When a user first enters the system, the user speaks his or her name which is used as a sample voice print. During each subsequent use of the system, the user is required to speak his or her name. Voice identification software is used to verify that the provided speech matches the sample voice print. The secure system includes accounting software to limit access based on funds in a user'"'"'s account or other related limitations. Management software implements widespread or local changes to the system and can modify or set any number of user account parameters.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for restricting access to a telephone call management system, said method comprising the steps of:

during a registration process by a user of said telephone call management system;

prompting the user to speak one or more predetermined keywords;

receiving a first speech sample from said user;

verifying said first speech sample is indicative of said one or more predetermined keywords using speaker independent voice recognition; and

associating said verified first speech sample with said user and storing said verified first speech sample in a database; and

during each subsequent access attempt by said user to said telephone call management system to place a telephone;

prompting said user for a second speech sample;

determining whether a voice characteristic of said second speech sample matches a voice characteristic of said verified first speech sample;

allowing said telephone call to be completed when the voice characteristic of said second speech sample matches the voice characteristic of said verified first speech sample; and

after the allowing said telephone call to be completed, sampling voice data from said telephone call to detect if an unauthorized person has spoken based on the voice characteristic of the verified first speech sample.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

during the registration process by said user of said telephone call management system;

assigning an identification to said user;

associating said identification with said first speech sample in said database;

during the each subsequent access attempt by said user to said telephone call management system to place said telephone call;

receiving said identification from said user; and

locating said first speech sample in said database using said identification.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said identification is a radio frequency identification (RFID) number.

4. A method according to claim 3, said method further comprising the steps of:

during each access attempt by said user to said telephone call management system;

reading an RFID number from an RFID transmitter provided to said user;

locating said first speech sample in said database using said RFID number.

5. A method according to claim 2, wherein allowing said telephone call to be completed further comprises:

querying said database with said identification to determining whether said user is authorized to place said call; and

allowing said telephone call to be completed when said user is authorized to place said telephone call and when a voice characteristic of a second speech sample matches a voice characteristic of said first speech sample.

6. A method according to claim 2, wherein said identification is a personal identification number.

7. A method according to claim 2 further comprising taking a control action when detecting that the unauthorized person has spoken.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said one or more predetermined keywords include said user'"'"'s name.

9. A method according to claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

monitoring said access to said telephone call management system by updating said database.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said prompting is implemented with an interactive voice response (IVR) system.

11. An apparatus for restricting access to a telephone call management system, said apparatus comprising:

a registration module configured to, during a registration process by a user of said telephone call management system, prompt said user to speak one or more predetermined keywords and receive a first speech sample from said user;

a database including said first speech sample associated with said user;

a prompting module configured to prompt said user to provide a second speech sample when said user subsequently attempts to access said telephone call management system;

a speaker independent voice recognition module configured to verify said first speech sample is indicative of said one or more predetermined keywords; and

a speaker dependent voice identification module configured to determine whether a voice characteristic of said second speech sample matches a voice characteristic of said first speech sample,

wherein said telephone call management system authorizes said user to complete a telephone call using said telephone call management system when a voice characteristic of said second speech sample matches a voice characteristic of said first speech sample, and

wherein said telephone call management system, after authorizing said user to use said telephone management system, samples voice data from said telephone call to detect if an unauthorized person has spoken based on the voice characteristic of the verified first speech sample.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said prompting module comprises an interactive voice response (IVR) system.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said identification is an RFID number.

14. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said database further includes an identification provided by said caller and wherein said identification is associated with said caller and said first speech sample in said database;

and

wherein said speaker dependent voice identification module locates said first speech sample using said identification.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said identification includes personal identification number.

16. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said identification includes an RFID number and said apparatus further comprises:

an RFID signal detect module configured to receive said RFID number from an RFID transmitter provide to said user.

17. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said telephone call management system takes a control action when detecting that the unauthorized person has spoken.