Methods of using biometric data in a phone system and apparatuses to perform the methods

• US 20060285659A1
• Filed: 06/02/2005
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Vishik, Claire Svetana, Suryanarayana, Lalitha, Grannan, Michael F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,374,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.20
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• 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 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/247 Telephone sets including user guidance or feature selection means facilitating their use user interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones H04M1/724
• 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 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6045 Identity confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6054 Biometric subscriber identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• 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 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A phone system can include a phone terminal that includes a biometric data input device. Methods of using the phone terminal can include receiving biometric data of a user at the phone terminal and comparing the biometric data to saved biometric data. A comparison of the received and saved biometric data can be performed to locate one or more configuration files for a user, to authenticate or otherwise confirm the identity of a party, perform another activity, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the biometric data, other data, or a combination thereof can be used to access one or more configuration files that can be used to configure a phone terminal or a data processing system outside of the phone terminal. In another embodiment, the identity of a calling party, a called party, one or more other parties, or any combination thereof can be authenticated or otherwise confirmed.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a phone system including a phone terminal, the method comprising:

receiving first biometric data at the phone terminal from a first user at the phone terminal;

using the first biometric data to locate a first configuration file associated with the first user; and

configuring the phone terminal or another part of the phone system consistent with the first configuration file.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising saving the first configuration file and second biometric data associated with the first user before receiving the first biometric data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the first biometric data is sufficiently close to the second biometric data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring comprises activating or making available a service to the phone terminal in a manner consistent with the first configuration file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring comprises displaying or making available information at the phone terminal in a manner consistent with the first configuration file.

6. A data processing system within to a phone system, the data processing system comprising:

an input port to receive first biometric data associated with a first user of a phone terminal, wherein the phone terminal does not include the data processing system;

a configuration retrieval module to retrieve a first configuration file based at least in part on the first biometric data associated with the first user; and

a configuration module to configure the phone terminal or another part of the phone system consistent with the first configuration file.

7. The data processing system of claim 6, wherein the phone terminal is a public phone terminal.

8. The data processing system of claim 6, wherein the input port allows an Internet protocol connection of the phone terminal.

9. The data processing system of claim 6, further comprising a storage module to store configuration file, including the first configuration file, and second biometric data associated with a plurality of users, wherein a portion of the second biometric data is associated with the first user.

10. The data processing system of claim 9, further comprising a comparison module to compare the first biometric data to the second biometric data.

11. The data processing system of claim 6, wherein the configuration module is capable of activating or making available a service to the phone terminal in a manner consistent with the first configuration file.

12. The data processing system of claim 6, wherein the configuration module is capable of transmitting or making available information at the phone terminal in a manner consistent with the first configuration file.

13. The data processing system of claim 6, wherein the first biometric data comprise a voice pattern associated with the first user.

14. The data processing system of claim 6, wherein the first biometric data comprise an image of a physical feature associated with the first user.

15. A phone terminal that is part of a phone system, the phone terminal comprising:

a biometric data input device; and

a configuration module to configure the phone terminal or another part of a phone system in accordance to a first configuration file associated with a first user, wherein the first configuration file is selected based at least in part on first biometric data from the biometric data input device.

16. The phone terminal of claim 15, wherein the configuration module is capable of activating or making available a service to the phone terminal in a manner consistent with the first configuration file.

17. The phone terminal of claim 15, wherein the configuration module is capable of accessing or making available information at the phone terminal in a manner consistent with the first configuration file.

18. The phone terminal of claim 15, further comprising a storage device, wherein the storage device comprises:

configuration files, including the first configuration file; and

second biometric data of users, including the first user.

19. A method of confirming that a called party receives a phone call, the method comprising:

receiving a call signal from a calling party;

receiving first biometric data associated with the called party;

comparing the first biometric data to second biometric data associated with the called party to substantially confirm an identity of the called party; and

notifying the calling party that an identity of the called party has been confirmed.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving third biometric data from the calling party; and

comparing the third biometric data to fourth biometric data associated with the calling party to substantially confirm an identity of the calling party.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising notifying the called party that an identity of the calling party has been confirmed.

22. A data processing system capable of being used in a phone network, the data processing system comprising:

a first input/output port to receive a call signal from a calling party;

a second input/output port to receive first biometric data in response to an input from the called party;

a comparison module to compare the first biometric data to second biometric data to substantially confirm an identity of the called party; and

a notification module to notify the calling party that an identity of the called party has been substantially confirmed.

23. The data processing system of claim 22, wherein:

the first input/output port is configured to receive third biometric data in response to an input from the calling party; and

the comparison module is configured to compare the third biometric data to fourth biometric data to substantially confirm an identity of the calling party.

24. The data processing system of claim 22, wherein each of the first biometric data and the second biometric data comprise a voice pattern associated with the called party.

25. The data processing system of claim 22, wherein each of the first biometric data and the second biometric data comprise an image of a physical feature associated with the called party.