Automated third party verification system

• US 6,990,454 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2001
• Issued: 01/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: West Corporation
• Inventors: McIntosh, Jonathan P.
• Primary Examiner(s): MCFADDEN, SUSAN IRIS
• Application Number:
  US10/043,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20020111809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,545 Days
• Field of Search: 704/251, 704/270, 704/273, 704/275, 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/88.03, 379/93.03, 379/142.17, 713/200
• US Class Current: 704/273
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/305 using wired telephone networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/409 Device specific authentication in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/38 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/06 Decision making techniques; Pattern matching strategies
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00

Abstract

A verification system for obtaining, storing and providing access to information regarding a commitment or position of an individual or entity is provided. In one embodiment the verification system comprises an interactive voice response system or computer program interface capable of obtaining and recording information regarding any of a number of commitments from an individual or entity, such as a commitment to change long distance telephone service providers. The verification system comprises a voice response unit configured to query pertinent information from an individual and record the responses to the queries in a digital format. Upon completion of a successful session, the voice response unit forwards the recorded responses confirming consent, to a storage device, such as a computer server. As desired, the recorded responses can be retrieved from the server by telephone or computer for verification of the consent, commitment, or position of the individual or entity.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining and providing a third party verification service comprising:

recording and storing verification comprising

establishing a first communication link between an individual and a verification system;

receiving and recording data over said first communication link at said verification system;

storing said data on a verification system storage device;

retrieving said verification comprising;

establishing a second communication link between a client computer and said verification system;

logging said client computer onto said verification system;

receiving a request for said data from said client computer;

retrieving said data from said verification system storage device; and

uploading said data from said verification system to said client computer wherein said client computer may utilize said data for verification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said establishing a first communication link comprises establishing a communication link by telephone over the public switched telephone network.

3. The method of claim 1, further including the step of converting data to a personal computer compatible format after said retrieving said data from said verification system storage device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said second communication link utilizes an internet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said data is an audio file containing voice responses from said individual.

6. The method of claim 1, further including the step of playing said audio file over a telephone connection to a party requesting verification.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said method is intended to provide verification for a long distance telephone service provider.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said method is intended to provide verification for a utility service provider.

9. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

performing speech pattern analysis on said data received over said first communication link;

obtaining additional data after said receiving and recording data over said first communication link;

performing speech pattern analysis on said additional data; and

comparing results of said speech pattern analysis performed on said data received over said first communication link to results of said speech pattern analysis performed on said additional data.