Digital communication biometric authentication

• US 9,438,578 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2013
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bansal, Pradeep K., Begeja, Lee, Creswell, Carroll W., Farah, Jeffrey, Stern, Benjamin J., Wilpon, Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoffman, Brandon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Salehi, Helai
• Application Number:
  US13/969,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20130340041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,116 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/316 by observing the pattern of computer usage, e.g. typical user behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2139 Recurrent verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/386 using messaging services or messaging apps using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS G06Q20/3255
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231

Abstract

A biometric authentication system is disclosed that provides authentication capability using biometric data in connection with a challenge for parties engaging in digital communications such as digital text-oriented, interactive digital communications. End-user systems may be coupled to devices that include biometric data capture devices such as retina scanners, fingerprint recorders, cameras, microphones, ear scanners, DNA profilers, etc., so that biometric data of a communicating party may be captured and used for authentication purposes.

Claims

1. A method of authentication, comprising:

receiving, at an authentication server, a spoken response to a challenge issued between parties of an email communication;

retrieving, by the authentication server, a textual representation of N integer words contained within the spoken response;

querying, by the authentication server, an electronic database for the textual representation of the N integer words contained within the spoken response, the electronic database storing different electronic email messages previously exchanged between both of the parties;

receiving, by the authentication server, a confirmation that the textual representation of the N integer words matches at least a portion of one of the different electronic email messages previously exchanged between the parties; and

sending, from the authentication server, an authentication message to the parties of the email communication, the authentication message confirming identities associated with the parties of the email communication.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the textual representation of the N integer words in the electronic database.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising querying the electronic database for one of the parties of the email communication.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising querying the electronic database for the both of the parties of the email communication.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving the N integer words from an audio signal.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving the textual representation of the N integer words.

7. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device, the memory device storing instructions, the instructions when executed causing the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving a spoken response to a challenge issued between a sender and a recipient associated with an electronic email message;

determining, from the spoken response, a textual representation of N integer text words contained within the spoken response;

querying an electronic database for the textual representation of the N integer text words, the electronic database storing text contained within different electronic email messages previously exchanged between the sender and the recipient;

receiving a confirmation that the textual representation of the N integer text words matches at least a portion of one of the different electronic email messages previously exchanged between the sender and the recipient; and

sending an authentication message to the sender and to the recipient, the authentication message confirming identities associated with the sender and the recipient.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise storing the textual representation of the N integer text words in the electronic database.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise querying the electronic database for one of the sender and the recipient.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise querying the electronic database for both of the sender and the recipient.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving the textual representation of the N integer text words.

12. A memory device storing instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a spoken response to a challenge issued between parties of an email communication;

determining, from the spoken response, a textual representation of N integer words;

querying an electronic database for the textual representation of the N integer words, the electronic database storing different email messages previously exchanged between the parties;

receiving a confirmation that the textual representation of the N integer words matches at least a portion of one of the different electronic email messages previously exchanged between both the parties; and

sending an authentication message to the parties to the email communication, the authentication message confirming identities associated with the parties of the email communication.

13. The memory device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise storing the textual representation of the N integer words in the electronic database.

14. The memory device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise querying the electronic database for one of the parties of the email communication.

15. The memory device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise querying the electronic database for the both of the parties of the email communication.

16. The memory device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving the textual representation of the N integer words.