Automated verification of a telephone number

• US 9,338,287 B1
• Filed: 10/09/2012
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WhatsApp LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: WhatsApp LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Inventors: Russo, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Mehmood B
• Application Number:
  US13/647,942
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/39 using speech synthesis speech synthesis per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1008 Calls without connection establishment for implicit information transfer or as a service trigger
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6045 Identity confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6072 Authentication using challenger response
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A system and method for automatically verifying a telephone number proffered by a user of an application. During registration or installation of the application, client software is installed on the user'"'"'s mobile device (e.g., a smart phone, a tablet computer). One of a pool of telephone numbers for outgoing calls is selected, and a call is initiated to the proffered number by the system. The software executing on the user'"'"'s device detects the incoming call, extracts caller identification data (i.e., the originating telephone number), formats a data communication (e.g., an http request) to include the data, and sends it to the system. The system receives the data communication and compares the data with the originating number. If they match, the user'"'"'s telephone number is verified. The outgoing call from the system may be canceled before it rings at the device if the data communication is received in time.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method of automated verification of a telephone number, the method comprising:

identifying a destination telephone number;

selecting one of multiple origination telephone numbers;

initiating a call to the destination telephone number assigned to a device from the selected origination telephone number, the called device configured to listen for incoming calls and receive signaling data before an incoming call rings at the called device;

receiving, from the called device, a data communication comprising a telephone number extracted from the signaling data of the call before the call rings at the called device;

comparing the telephone number of the data communication to the selected origination telephone number before the call rings at the called device;

allowing access by a client software application on the called device to a service, when the telephone number of the data communication matches the selected origination telephone number; and

canceling the call before the call rings at the called device when the telephone number of the data communication matches the selected origination telephone number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data communication further comprises an identifier of one or more of:

the called device; and

a user of the called device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data communication further comprises an identifier of a software instance installed on the called device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting an authorization code; and

if the call is answered;

playing the authorization code; and

requesting the authorization code be reported.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the call is answered, requesting the telephone number from which the call was received be reported.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said initiating the call comprises dialing the destination telephone number.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said initiating the call comprises signaling the destination telephone number.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform an automated method of verification of a telephone number, the method comprising:

identifying a destination telephone number;

selecting one of multiple origination telephone numbers;

initiating a call to the destination telephone number assigned to a device from the selected origination telephone number, the called device configured to listen for incoming calls and receive signaling data before an incoming call rings at the called device;

receiving, from the called device, a data communication comprising a telephone number extracted from the signaling data of the call before the call rings at the called device;

comparing the telephone number of the data communication to the selected origination telephone number before the call rings at the called device;

allowing access by a client software application on the called device to a service, when the telephone number of the data communication matches the selected origination telephone number; and

canceling the call before the call rings at the called device when the telephone number of the data communication matches the selected origination telephone number.

9. An apparatus for automatically verifying a telephone number, comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

authentication logic executable by the processor of the apparatus to identify one of a pool of origination telephone numbers from which to place a call to a device having a first telephone number, the called device configured to listen for incoming calls and receive signaling data before the call rings at the called device;

call logic executable by the processor of the apparatus to initiate the call to the called device from the identified origination telephone number, and cancel the call before the call rings at the called device; and

data communication logic executable by the processor of the apparatus to receive a data communication from the called device before the call rings at the called device, compare a telephone number reported in the data communication to the identified origination telephone number, allow access by a client software application on the called device to a service, when the telephone number of the data communication matches the identified origination telephone number, and cause the call to be canceled before the call rings at the called device when the telephone number of the data communication matches the identified origination telephone number.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the authentication logic is further executable by the processor to select an authentication code for the call.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

voice communication logic executable by the processor to play the authentication code during the call if the call is answered.

12. A system for verifying a telephone number, comprising:

an application server hosting an application accessed by devices having associated telephone numbers; and

a registration server for verifying a proffered telephone number of a first device, the first device configured to listen for incoming calls and receive signaling data before an incoming call rings at the first device, the registration server comprising;

a call server for initiating a call to the proffered telephone number from a selected origination number, and canceling the call before the call rings at the proffered telephone number; and

a communication module for receiving a data communication from the first device before the call rings at the proffered telephone number;

wherein the data communication reports a telephone number from which a call was received at the first device;

the registration server further to allow access by a client software application on the first device to the hosted application, when the telephone number of the data communication matches the identified origination telephone number, and to cause the call to be canceled before the call rings at the first device when the telephone number of the data communication matches the identified origination telephone number.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the registration server is configured to:

download client software to the first device; and

obtain unique identifiers of one or more of;

the first device; and

a user of the first device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the data communication further comprises the unique identifiers.