Mobile voice verification system

• US 6,314,401 B1
• Filed: 05/28/1999
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SRC Incorporated
• Original Assignee: New York State Technology Enterprise Corporation
• Inventors: Leonard, Scott, Schlereth, Fritz, Keiser, William, Schlereth, Barry, Abbe, Stephen T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorvil, Richemond
• Application Number:
  US09/322,626
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 704/275, 704/270, 704/272, 704/273, 704/274, 704/201, 704/200.1, 704/200, 704/251
• US Class Current: 704/273
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques

Abstract

The present invention generally includes three principal components; namely, (1) a hand held transceiver for transmitting a voice pattern while moving (e.g., driving) past an (2) infra-red receiver array which receives the transmitted voice pattern, and a (3) speech enhancement and voice verification algorithm for conducting a comparison between the transmitted voice pattern and the registered voice patterns stored in the computer'"'"'s memory. The hand held transceiver includes a conventional telephone handset in which a microphone subassembly, a transceiver circuit card, and LED indicators are housed. The transceiver element, also housed in the handset, includes a 16-bit analog to digital converter for converting the analog voice pattern to a corresponding digital signal, a microprocessor, a memory unit for storing the digitized voice sample for a predetermined period of time, and an IR transceiver for transmitting the digitized voice sample. Once a voice sample is digitized in the hand held transceiver, the individual may point the transceiver at a receiver array station which is housed in a cabinet, and after receiving a prompt from the receiver array, the voice signal, among other things, will be automatically, wirelessly transmitted. The processing computer will first recognize the spoken phrase, and then perform speaker verification using speech processing and comparing algorithms consisting of a speech recognizer and a vector quantification software classifier, ultimately sending a “pass” or “fail” signal to a control center computer based upon whether the speaker'"'"'s voice pattern matches one of the voice samples stored in the computer'"'"'s memory, respectively.

Claims

1. A system for verifying the identity of one or more passengers in a vehicle moving past a predetermined location, said system comprising:

a) first transceiver means within said vehicle for wirelessly transmitting and receiving sequences of coded signals;

b) second transceiver means positioned at said predetermined location for wirelessly transmitting and receiving sequences of coded signals to and from said first transceiver means;

c) memory means containing a plurality of digitally stored signal groups each uniquely associated with the speech parameters in a predetermined message spoken by one of the individuals whose identity may be verified by said system;

d) signal processing means within said first transceiver means for generating a sequence of digitized signals commensurate with the speech parameters in said message spoken by an occupant of said vehicle and for transmitting said sequence of digitized signals as one of said sequences of coded signals to said second transceiver means;

e) comparator means for comparing said one of said sequences of coded signals received by said second transceiver means with each of said stored plurality of signal groups; and

f) means for generating a pass signal in response to a predetermined degree of correspondence of said one of said sequence of coded signals with one of said stored plurality of signal groups.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said first transceiver means comprises a hand held transceiver and said second transceiver means comprises a fixedly positioned array of infrared transceivers for receiving sequences of coded signals transmitted from said first transceiver means in a line-of-sight path to said infrared transceivers.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said signal processing means include storage means for storing said sequence of digitized signals prior to transmission thereof in the form of said sequence of coded signals by said first transceiver means for reception by said second transceiver means.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said storage means comprises a static random access memory.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said first transceiver means includes a microphone and said storage means includes means for storing a plurality of groups of digitized signals corresponding respectively to speech parameters of said message when spoken a plurality of times into said microphone.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein said first transceiver means includes means for converting said sequence of digitized signals into a parallel word of predetermined length, said parallel word being transmitted by said first transceiver means as said sequence of coded signals.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said second transceiver means continuously transmits a sequence of coded signals representing a request signal and said first transceiver means includes enabling means causing said first transceiver means to transmit a sequence of coded signals in response to receipt of said request signal.

8. The system of claim 7 and further including a clock connected to said second transceiver means to control the rate of transmissions of said request signal.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein said second transceiver means transmits a first sequence of said coded signals representing a first request signal and said first transceiver means includes first enabling means causing said first transceiver means to transmit a second sequence of said coded signals representing a header message containing predetermined data, said second transceiver means includes second enabling means causing said second transceiver means to transmit a third sequence of said coded signals representing a second request signal and said first transceiver means includes third enabling means causing said first transceiver means to transmit a fourth sequence of said coded signals corresponding to a sequence of said digitized signals commensurate with speech parameters.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said comparator means includes a computer with voice verification software containing voice enhancement algorithms.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said computer controls said array of infrared transceivers.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said array of infrared transceivers comprises a plurality of individual devices having predetermined individual fields of view arranged in at least one horizontal row and spaced from one another by predetermined distances to provide a desired horizontal field of view for said array.

13. The system of claim 12 and further including mounting means for said array for selective adjustment of the vertical angle of view of said devices.

14. The method of verifying the identity of at least one individual in a moving vehicle who has authorization to pass a predetermined location without stopping the vehicle, said method comprising:

a) storing in first memory means outside said vehicle a first sequence of digitized signals commensurate with speech parameters of said individual in a first recitation of a predetermined message;

b) providing within said vehicle for use by said individual first transceiver means for wirelessly transmitting and receiving sequences of coded signals;

c) positioning substantially at said predetermined location second transceiver means for wirelessly transmitting and receiving sequences of coded signals;

d) storing in second memory means within said vehicle a second sequence of digitized signals commensurate with speech parameters of said individual in a second recitation of said message made while in said vehicle prior to arrival thereof at said predetermined location;

e) transmitting said second sequence of digitized signals by said first transceiver means from within said vehicle as the latter passes said second transceiver means;

f) receiving said second sequence of digitized signals by said second transceiver means;

g) comparing said second sequence of digitized signals with said first sequence of digitized signals; and

h) generating a pass signal in response to a predetermined degree of correspondence of said first and second sequences of digitized signals.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said second transceiver means comprises a plurality of infrared transceiver devices and comprising the additional step of mounting said devices in spaced relation to form an array of predetermined configuration.

16. The method of claim 15 and further including transmitting by said second transceiver means one of said sequences of coded signals and transmitting said second sequence of digitized signals by said first transceiver means in response to receipt thereof of said one of said sequence of coded signals.

17. The method of claim 16 and further including storing in said first memory means a plurality of first sequences of digitized signals each commensurate with speech parameters of a predetermined message in a first recitation thereof by a respective plurality of individuals each of whom has authorization to pass said location, storing in said second memory means second sequences of digitized signals commensurate with speech parameters of said message in a second recitation thereof by said plurality of individuals, each of whom is an occupant of said vehicle, and sequentially transmitting and receiving said second sequences of digitized signals by said first and second transceiver means, respectively, and comparing the respective sets of first and second digitized signals to determine correspondence thereof, thereby verifying identity of the occupants of said vehicle.