Trust enabled communication system

• US 9,544,424 B1
• Filed: 12/28/2015
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cain, Harel, Sella, Yaron, Devir, Michal, Wende, David
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DINH
• Application Number:
  US14/979,712
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3231 Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3268 using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6045 Identity confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6072 Authentication using challenger response
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64

Abstract

In one embodiment, a system to provide trust during an audio call between a first and second party includes a communication interface to receive a voice certificate including a voice pattern, a first certificate ID and a first digital signature, an attribute certificate including an attribute, a second certificate ID and a second digital signature, and processing hardware to compare a voice sample of the second party to the voice pattern, verify the voice certificate, verify the attribute certificate, verify at least one attribute signing organization certificate, compare the first certificate ID to the second certificate ID, and provide an indication that the second party in the audio call has the attribute based on a positive result to the above processing.

Claims

1. A system to provide trust during an audio call between a first party and a second party, the system comprising:

a communication interface to receive a voice certificate, an attribute certificate and at least one attribute signing organization certificate, the voice certificate including a voice pattern, a first certificate ID and a first digital signature of the voice pattern and the first certificate ID signed by a certificate authority, the attribute certificate including an attribute, a second certificate ID and a second digital signature of the attribute and the second certificate ID signed by an attribute signing organization, the at least one attribute signing organization certificate being signed by at least one third digital signature providing authentication that the attribute signing organization is authorized by a certificate authority, to sign certificates about the attribute; and

processing hardware to;

(a) compare a voice sample of the second party to the voice pattern of the voice certificate, the voice sample being obtained from a currently occurring audio call between the second party and the first party;

(b) verify the voice certificate;

(c) verify the attribute certificate;

(d) verify the at least one attribute signing organization certificate;

(e) compare the first certificate ID to the second certificate ID; and

(f) provide an indication that the second party in the audio call has the attribute based on a positive result to the comparison and verification processing of items (a) to (e).

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the communication interface is operative to transfer audio data between a first communication device of the first party and a second communication device of the second party during the audio call.

3. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a display element to display an indication to the first party that the attribute of the second party has been verified.

4. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a user interface including a user selection element for the first party to request verification details for the attribute of the second party, wherein the communication interface is operative, based on the selection of the user selection element, to send a request for the verification details to the second communication device of the second party.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein the communication interface is operative to receive the voice certificate and the attribute certificate from the second communication device of the second party.

6. The system according to claim 2, wherein the communication interface is operative to:

receive information about the voice certificate and the attribute certificate from the second communication device of the second party; and

based on the received information, to send a request to a server to receive the voice certificate and the attribute certificate.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing hardware is operative to compare the voice pattern to different voice samples of the second party taken at different intervals during the audio call.

8. A first communication device comprising:

a communication interface to;

transfer audio data between the first communication device and a second communication device during an audio call between a first party and a second party;

receive information about a voice certificate and an attribute certificate from the second communication device, the voice certificate including a voice pattern, a first certificate ID and a first digital signature of the voice pattern and the first certificate ID signed by a certificate authority, the attribute certificate including an attribute, a second certificate ID and a second digital signature of the attribute and the second certificate ID signed by an attribute signing organization; and

a processor to prepare data for sending to a processing service to perform one or more of the following items (a) to (f), wherein any of the items (a) to (f) not performed by the processing service are performed by the processor;

(a) compare a voice sample of the second party to the voice pattern of the voice certificate, the voice sample being obtained from a currently occurring audio call between the second party and the first party;

(b) verify the voice certificate;

(c) verify the attribute certificate;

(d) verify the at least one attribute signing organization certificate;

(e) compare the first certificate ID to the second certificate ID; and

(f) based on a positive result to the comparison and verification processing of items (a) to (e) provide an indication that the attribute of the second party has been verified.

9. The device according to claim 8, further comprising a display element to display an indication to the first party that the attribute of the second party has been verified.

10. The device according to claim 8, further comprising a user interface including a user selection element for the first party to request verification details for the attribute of the second party, wherein the communication interface is operative, based on the selection of the user selection element, to send a request for the verification details to the second communication device.

11. The device according to claim 8, wherein the communication interface is operative to receive the voice certificate and the attribute certificate from the second communication device.

12. The device according to claim 8, wherein the communication interface is operative to:

receive the information about the voice certificate and the attribute certificate from the second communication device of the second party; and

based on the received information, to send a request to a server to receive the voice certificate and the attribute certificate.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein the processor is operative to perform the following or send data to the processing service to perform the following:

compare the voice pattern to different voice samples of the second party taken at different intervals during the audio call.

14. A method providing trust during an audio call between a first party and a second party, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a voice certificate, an attribute certificate and at least one attribute signing organization certificate, the voice certificate including a voice pattern, a first certificate ID and a first digital signature of the voice pattern and the first certificate ID signed by a certificate authority, the attribute certificate including an attribute, a second certificate ID and a second digital signature of the attribute and the second certificate ID signed by an attribute signing organization, the at least one attribute signing organization certificate being signed by at least one third digital signature providing authentication that the attribute signing organization is authorized by a certificate authority, to sign certificates about the attribute;

(b) comparing a voice sample of the second party to the voice pattern of the voice certificate, the voice sample being obtained from a currently occurring audio call between the second party and the first party;

(c) verifying the voice certificate;

(d) verifying the attribute certificate;

(e) verifying the at least one attribute signing organization certificate;

(f) comparing the first certificate ID to the second certificate ID; and

(g) providing an indication that the second party in the audio call has the attribute based on a positive result to steps (b)-(f).

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising transferring audio data between a first communication device of the first party and a second communication device of the second party during the audio call.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising displaying an indication to the first party that the attribute of the second party has been verified.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

providing a user interface including a user selection element for the first party to request verification details for the attribute of the second party; and

based on the selection of the user selection element, sending a request for the verification details to the second communication device of the second party.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising receiving the voice certificate and the attribute certificate from the second communication device of the second party.

19. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

receiving information about the voice certificate and the attribute certificate from the second communication device of the second party; and

based on the received information, sending a request to a server to receive the voice certificate and the attribute certificate.

20. The method according to claim 14, further comprising comparing the voice pattern to different voice samples of the second party taken at different intervals during the audio call.