Leveraging multiple audio channels for authentication

• US 10,623,403 B1
• Filed: 01/04/2019
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pindrop Security, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pindrop Security, Inc.
• Inventors: Gupta, Payas, Nelms, II, Terry
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Baotran N
• Application Number:
  US16/240,481
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• 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: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0884 by delegation of authentication, e.g. a proxy authenticates an entity to be authenticated on behalf of this entity vis-à-vis an authentication entity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1491 using deception as countermeasure, e.g. honeypots, honeynets, decoys or entrapment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6054 Biometric subscriber identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6081 Service authorization mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data

Abstract

Disclosed herein are embodiments of systems, methods, and products comprises an authentication server for authentication leveraging multiple audio channels. The server receives an authentication request regarding a user upon the user interacting with a first electronic device. The server requests the first device to transmit a first audio file of an audio sample to the server. The audio sample may be the user'"'"'s audio command or a machine-generated audio signal. The server requests a second electronic device to transmit a second audio file that is the recording of the same audio sample to the server. The second electronic device is a trusted device in proximity of the first device and executes an authentication function to enable the recording and transmitting of the audio sample. The server determines a similarity score between the first audio file and the second audio file and authenticates the user based on the similarity score.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a server, a first request to authenticate a user from a second server, the first request being generated by the second server in response to receiving a voice command at a second electronic device;

generating and transmitting, by the server, a second request to a first electronic device in proximity to the second electronic device causing the first electronic device to execute an authentication function;

transmitting, by the server, a third request to the second server to cause the second electronic device to play an acoustic signal;

receiving, by the server, an audio file from the first electronic device in proximity to the second electronic device, wherein the audio file contains the acoustic signal played by the second electronic device and captured by the authentication function in the first electronic device;

comparing, by the server, the acoustic signal and the audio file to generate a similarity score; and

authenticating, by the server, the user in response to the server determining that the similarity score is above a threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the acoustic signal is at least one of infrasonic, ultrasonic, and audible signal.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the server, the acoustic signal in an encrypted form from the second server;

receiving, by the server, the audio file in an encrypted form from the first electronic device; and

comparing, by the server, the acoustic signal and the audio file in an encrypted domain to generate the similarity score.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the server, the second request to the first electronic device through a representational state transfer application programming interface.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the server, the second request to the first electronic device through at least one of Internet Protocol channel or a mobile message channel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the acoustic signal and the audio file comprises:

extracting, by the server, a transcription from the audio file; and

comparing, by the server, the transcription from the audio file with a corresponding transcription of the acoustic signal to generate the similarity score.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the acoustic signal and the audio file comprises:

extracting, by the server, a set of keywords from the audio file; and

comparing, by the server, the set of keywords from the audio file with a corresponding set of keywords in the acoustic signal to generate the similarity score.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first electronic device is used for a second factor authentication.

9. A system comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium storing a plurality of computer program instructions; and

a processor electrically coupled to the non-transitory storage medium and configured to execute the plurality of computer program instructions to;

receive a first request to authenticate a user from a server associated with a second electronic device, the first request to authenticate the user being generated by the server in response to the second electronic device receiving a voice command from the user;

transmit a second request to a first electronic device in proximity to the second electronic device causing the first electronic device to execute an authentication function;

transmit a third request to the server to cause the second electronic device to play an acoustic signal;

receive an audio file from the first electronic device in proximity to the second electronic device, wherein the audio file contains the acoustic signal played by the second electronic device and captured by the authentication function in the first electronic device;

compare the acoustic signal and the audio file to generate a similarity score; and

authenticate the user in response to the processor determining that the similarity score is above a threshold.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the acoustic signal is at least one of infrasonic, ultrasonic, and audible signal.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured execute the plurality of computer program instructions to:

receive the acoustic signal in an encrypted form from the server;

receive the audio file in an encrypted form from the first electronic device; and

compare the acoustic signal and the audio file in an encrypted domain to generate the similarity score.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured execute the plurality of computer program instructions to:

transmit the second request to the first electronic device through a representational state transfer application programming interface.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured execute the plurality of computer program instructions to:

transmit the second request to the first electronic device through at least one of Internet Protocol channel and mobile message channel.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein to compare the acoustic signal and the audio file, the processor is further configured execute the plurality of computer program instructions to:

extract a transcription from the audio file; and

compare the transcription from the audio file with a corresponding transcription of the acoustic signal to generate the similarity score.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein to compare the acoustic signal and the audio file, the processor is further configured execute the plurality of computer program instructions to:

extract a set of keywords from the audio file; and

compare the set of keywords from the audio file with a corresponding set of key words in the acoustic signal to generate the similarity score.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the first electronic device is used for a second factor authentication.

17. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a server, a first request to enroll a user to a service from a second server, the ft request being generated by the second server in response to receiving a voice command at a second electronic device;

transmitting, by the server, a second request to a first electronic device in proximity to the second electronic device causing the first electronic device to execute an enrollment function;

transmitting, by the server, a third request to the second server to cause the second electronic device to play an acoustic signal;

receiving, by the server, an audio file from the first electronic device in proximity to the second electronic device, wherein the audio file contains the acoustic signal played by the second electronic device and captured by the enrollment function in the first electronic device;

comparing, by the server, the acoustic signal and the audio file to generate a similarity score; and

enrolling, by the server, the user to the service in response to the server determining that the similarity score is above a threshold.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the acoustic signal is at least one of infrasonic, ultrasonic, and audible signal.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, by the server, the acoustic signal in an encrypted form from the second server;

receiving, by the server, the audio file in an encrypted form from the first electronic device; and

comparing, by the server, the acoustic signal and the audio file in an encrypted domain to generate the similarity score.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

transmitting, by the server, the second request to the first electronic device through a representational state transfer application programming interface.