Caller authentication

• US 9,621,722 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2014
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Krack, Michael, Wong, Jeffrey, Wong, Wayne, Pugalia, Jai
• Primary Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US14/516,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20160112562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 37920713, 37920714, 37914201, 379189, 37920711, 37920101, 379188
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6045 Identity confirmation
• 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 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4365 based on information specified by the calling party, e.g. priority or subject
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing

Abstract

In order to authenticate a caller, a callee generates a code, such as, an alphanumeric code that is sent to a code manager via an electronic communication channel. The generated code is for authenticating a caller in a communication session to be made by the caller to the callee. The code manager stores the code in a memory. After the communication session has been initiated from the caller to the callee and then established, the code is sent to the callee so the callee can verify the caller is authentic.

Claims

1. A communication system for authenticating a caller to a callee, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, coupled to the processor, that stores a callee generated code and a code manager that causes the processor to receive the callee generated code via an electronic communication channel, wherein the callee generated code authenticates the caller in a first communication session to be made from the caller to the callee, and to send, during the first communication session, the callee generated code to a communication device of the callee to authenticate the caller to the callee and wherein the electronic communication channel is a different type of communication session than the first communication session or the electronic communication channel and first communication session are associated with different telephone calls.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the caller is an agent of a contact center and further comprising a communication module that causes the processor to initiate and establish the first communication session from a communication device of the agent of the contact center to the communication device of the callee, wherein the electronic communication channel is a voice communication channel, a video communication channel, an Instant Messaging communication channel, an email communication channel, or a text messaging communication channel, and wherein a source communication device providing the callee generated code to the processor is different from the callee communication device participating in the first communication session.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the callee generated code is an alphanumeric code, a numeric code, a recorded sound sequence, a recorded word spoken by the callee, a recorded movement, a recorded video conversation with the callee, or a drawing, wherein the callee generated code is received during an initial communication session between the callee communication device and an agent communication device in a call center, and wherein the first communication session is related to the initial communication session.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication system is a contact center, wherein the callee generated code is one or more of an alphanumeric code, a numeric code, a recorded sound sequence, a recorded word or phrase spoken by the callee, a recorded gesture or movement, a recorded video conversation with the callee, or a drawing, and wherein the processor receives the callee generated code from a web server of the contact center.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first communication session is a telephone call and wherein the processor sends, in the first communication session, the callee generated code to the callee communication device via a whisper mode that the callee, and not the caller, can hear the callee generated code.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor sends the callee generated code, in the first communication session, to the callee communication device via the whisper mode based on an input from an agent automatically at the beginning of the first communication session or automatically during the first communication session.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication system is a contact center and wherein the processor receives the callee generated code from an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system that receives the callee generated code from the callee communication device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor receives, from a source communication device of the callee, a plurality of callee generated codes at a same time, and wherein the plurality of callee generated codes are one-time use codes that can be each used for an individual communication session from the caller communication device to the callee communication device.

9. A method for authenticating an agent of a contact center to a callee, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a callee generated code via an electronic communication channel during a first communication session between a communication device of the callee and the contact center;

in response to receiving the callee generated code, storing, by the processor, the callee generated code in a memory in association with the callee or the callee communication device;

initiating, by the processor, a later second communication session between a communication device of an agent of the contact center and the callee communication device, wherein the first and second communication sessions are different types of communication sessions or the first and second communication sessions are associated with different telephone calls; and

sending, by the processor during the second communication session, the callee generated code to the callee communication device to authenticate the contact center agent to the callee.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the callee generated code is an alphanumeric code, a numeric code, a recorded sound sequence, a recorded word spoken by the callee, a recorded movement, a recorded video conversation with the callee, or a drawing and wherein the callee communication device in the first communication session is different from the callee communication device involved in the second communication session.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the callee generated code is one or more of an alphanumeric code, a numeric code, a recorded sound sequence, a recorded word or phrase spoken by the callee, a recorded gesture or movement, a recorded video conversation with the callee, or a drawing and wherein the processor receives the callee generated code from a web server of the contact center.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the callee generated code is one or more of an alphanumeric code, a numeric code, a recorded sound sequence, a recorded word or phrase spoken by the callee, a recorded gesture or movement, a recorded video conversation with the callee, and a drawing, wherein the callee generated code is a one-time use code, a time-period use code, a multiple communication session use code, a communication session type use code, or a permanent use code, and wherein the sending comprises:

sending, by the processor, the callee generated code to the callee communication device by a mode that provides the callee generated code to the callee and not the agent.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the mode is a whisper mode and wherein the sending is based on an input from an agent automatically at the beginning of the second communication session or automatically during the second communication session.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the callee generated code is one or more of an alphanumeric code, a numeric code, a recorded sound sequence, a recorded word or phrase spoken by the callee, a recorded gesture or movement, a recorded video conversation with the callee, or a drawing and wherein the receiving comprises receiving, by the processor and from the communication device of the callee, the callee generated code by an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system of the contact center.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the receiving comprises receiving, by the processor, a plurality of callee generated codes at a same time, wherein the plurality of callee generated codes are one-time use codes that can be each used for an individual communication session from the agent communication device to the callee communication device.

16. A contact center comprising:

a processor;

a communication module, coupled with the processor, to manage a communication session between an agent communication device and a called communication device; and

a memory, coupled with the processor, to store a callee generated code in association with a callee, wherein the processor receives the callee generated code via an electronic communication channel during a first communication session between a communication device of the callee and the contact center;

initiates, by the communication module, a later second communication session between a communication device of an agent of the contact center and the callee communication device; and

sends, by the communication module during the second communication session, the callee generated code to the callee communication device to authenticate the contact center agent to the callee, wherein the first and second communication sessions are different types of communication sessions or the first and second communication sessions are associated with different telephone calls.

17. The contact center of claim 16, wherein the callee generated code is an alphanumeric code, a numeric code, a recorded sound sequence, a recorded word spoken by the callee, a recorded movement, a recorded video conversation with the callee, or a drawing and wherein the callee communication device in the first communication session is different from the callee communication device involved in the second communication session.

18. The contact center of claim 16, wherein the callee generated code is one or more of an alphanumeric code, a numeric code, a recorded sound sequence, a recorded word or phrase spoken by the callee, a recorded gesture or movement, a recorded video conversation with the callee, or a drawing and wherein the processor receives the callee generated code from a web server of the contact center.

19. The contact center of claim 16, wherein the callee generated code is one or more of an alphanumeric code, a numeric code, a recorded sound sequence, a recorded word or phrase spoken by the callee, a recorded gesture or movement, a recorded video conversation with the callee, or a drawing, wherein the callee generated code is a one-time use code, a time-period use code, a multiple communication session use code, a communication session type use code, or a permanent use code, and wherein the processor sends the callee generated code to the callee by a mode that provides the callee generated code to the callee and not the agent.

20. The contact center of claim 16, wherein the callee generated code is one or more of an alphanumeric code, a numeric code, a recorded sound sequence, a recorded word or phrase spoken by the callee, a recorded gesture or movement, a recorded video conversation with the callee, or a drawing and wherein an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system of the contact center receives the callee generated code from the communication device of the callee.

21. The contact center of claim 16, wherein the processor receives a plurality of callee generated codes from the callee communication device at a same time and wherein the plurality of callee generated codes are one-time use codes that can be each used for an individual communication session from the agent communication device and the callee communication device.