Authenticating a caller before providing the caller with access to one or more secured resources

• US 7,006,605 B1
• Filed: 01/27/2003
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zarbana Digital Fund LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ochopee Big Cypress LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Morganstein, Sanford J., Zaks, Sergey
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US10/352,848
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.02, 379/88.03, 379/88.04, 379/93.03, 379/127.02, 379/142.05, 379/201.11, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/88.21, 379/67.1
• US Class Current: 379/88.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/41 using speaker recognition speaker recognition per se G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/229 Wire identification arrangements; Number assignment determination
• 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 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/385 using speech signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/387 using subscriber identification cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• 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 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13003 Constructional details of switching devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1305 Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 : Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 : Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 : Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13271 : Forced release
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13282 : Call forward, follow-me, call diversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13353 : Routing table, map memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 : Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

In one embodiment, a system authenticates a caller before providing the caller with access to one or more secured resources. Identification and verification data is stored during system enrollment of known persons. A processing system, in a current call initiated by a caller and prior to identification of the caller, receives voice-based information for the caller including a digital representation of a telephone number spoken by the caller in the current call, the received information including voice-based identification information and voice-based verification information for the caller. The processing system automatically compares the received identification information and the received verification information for the caller with the stored identification and verification data for known persons, respectively, to uniquely identify and verify the identity of the caller as a particular known person. The processing system authenticates the caller for access to the one or more secured resources in response.

Claims

1. A system for authenticating a caller before providing the caller with access to one or more secured resources, comprising:

stored voiceprint identification data that was stored during system enrollment of a plurality of known persons;

stored verification data that was stored during the system enrollment of the plurality of known persons; and

a processing system configured to

receive spoken identification information spoken in a current call initiated by a currently unidentified caller,

receive verification information from the current call that is independent of the spoken identification information,

generate a voiceprint associated with the currently unidentified caller from the spoken identification information,

automatically compare the voiceprint associated with the currently unidentified caller with the stored voiceprint identification data to identify the currently unidentified caller as at least one of the plurality of known persons, the currently unidentified caller a now identified caller,

automatically compare the verification information with the stored verification data for the at least one of the plurality of known persons to verify the identity of the now identified caller as a particular one of the plurality of known persons, the now identified caller a now identified and verified caller, and

authenticate the now identified and verified caller for access to the one or more secured resources in response to identifying and verifying the identity of the now identified and verified caller.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system configured to automatically compare the verification information includes the processing system being configured to verify the identity of the now identified caller when the currently unidentified caller is identified as a specific one of the plurality of known persons.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system configured to automatically compare the verification information includes the processing system being configured to narrow the identity of the now identified caller to the particular one of the plurality of known persons when the currently unidentified caller is identified as more than one of the plurality of known persons.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the verification information received by the processing system is spoken by the currently unidentified caller.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the verification information comprises a telephone number.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to determine the verification information according to a telephone number from which the currently unidentified caller is calling.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the verification information comprises at least a portion of a network address.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the verification information comprises a store identifier.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the verification information comprises historical purchasing information.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to automatically retrieve stored account or order information for the now identified and verified caller in response to authenticating the now identified and verified caller.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to route the current call to a destination in response to authenticating the now identified and verified caller.

12. A method for authenticating a caller before providing the caller with access to one or more secured resources, comprising:

receiving spoken identification information spoken in a current call initiated by a currently unidentified caller;

receiving verification information from the current call that is independent of the spoken identification information;

generating a voiceprint associated with the currently unidentified caller from the spoken identification information;

receiving stored voiceprint identification data that was stored during system enrollment of a plurality of known persons;

automatically comparing the voiceprint associated with the currently unidentified caller with the stored voiceprint identification data to identify the currently unidentified caller as at least one of the plurality of known persons, the currently unidentified caller a now identified caller;

receiving stored verification data that was stored during the system enrollment of the plurality of known persons;

automatically comparing the verification information with the stored verification data for the at least one of the plurality of known persons to verify the identity of the now identified caller as a particular one of the plurality of known persons, the now identified caller a now identified and verified caller; and

authenticating the now identified and verified caller for access to the one or more secured resources in response to identifying and verifying the identity of the now identified and verified caller.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein automatically comparing the verification information includes verifying the identity of the now identified caller when the currently unidentified caller is identified as a specific one of the plurality of known persons.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein automatically comparing the verification information includes narrowing the identity of the now identified caller to the particular one of the plurality of known persons when the currently unidentified caller is identified as more than one of the plurality of known persons.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising automatically retrieving stored account or order information for the now identified and verified caller in response to authenticating the now identified and verified caller.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising routing the current call to a destination in response to authenticating the now identified and verified caller.

17. Software for authenticating a caller before providing the caller with access to one or more secured resources, the software being embodied in computer-readable media and operable to:

receive spoken identification information spoken by a currently unidentified caller;

receive verification information that is independent of the spoken identification information;

generate a voiceprint associated with the currently unidentified caller from the spoken identification information;

receive stored voiceprint identification data that was stored during system enrollment of a plurality of known persons;

automatically compare the voiceprint associated with the currently unidentified caller with the stored voiceprint identification data to identify the currently unidentified caller as at least one of the plurality of known persons, the currently unidentified caller a now identified caller;

receive stored verification data that was stored during the system enrollment of the plurality of known persons;

automatically compare the verification information with the stored verification data for the at least one of the plurality of known persons to verify the identity of the now identified caller as a particular one of the plurality of known persons, the now identified caller a now identified and verified caller; and

authenticate the now identified and verified caller for access to the one or more secured resources in response to identifying and verifying the identity of the now identified and verified caller.

18. The software of claim 17, wherein the software operable to automatically compare the verification information includes the software being operable to verify the identity of the now identified caller when the currently unidentified caller is identified as a specific one of the plurality of known persons.

19. The software of claim 17, wherein the software operable to automatically compare the verification information includes the software being operable to narrow the identity of the now identified caller to the particular one of the plurality of known persons when the currently unidentified caller is identified as more than one of the plurality of known persons.

20. The software of claim 17, further operable to automatically retrieve stored account or order information for the now identified and verified caller in response to authenticating the now identified and verified caller.

21. The software of claim 17, further operable to route the current call to a destination in response to authenticating the now identified and verified caller.

22. A system for authenticating a caller before providing the caller with access to one or more secured resources, the system comprising a processor configured to:

receive spoken identification information spoken in a current call initiated by a currently unidentified caller;

receive verification information from the current call that is independent of the spoken identification information;

generate a voiceprint associated with the currently unidentified caller from the spoken identification information;

automatically compare the voiceprint associated with the currently unidentified caller with stored voiceprint identification data for a plurality of known persons to identify the currently unidentified caller as at least one of the plurality of known persons, the currently unidentified caller a now identified caller;

automatically compare the verification information with stored verification data for the at least one of the plurality of known persons to verify the identity of the now identified caller as a particular one of the plurality of known persons, the now identified caller a now identified and verified caller; and

authenticate the now identified and verified caller for access to the one or more secured resources in response to identifying and verifying the identity of the now identified and verified caller.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the processor configured to automatically compare the verification information includes the processor being configured to verify the identity of the now identified caller when the currently unidentified caller is identified as a specific one of the plurality of known persons.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the processor configured to automatically compare the verification information includes the processor being configured to narrow the identity of the now identified caller to the particular one of the plurality of known persons when the currently unidentified caller is identified as more than one of the plurality of known persons.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the verification information received by the processor is spoken by the currently unidentified caller.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the verification information comprises a telephone number.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the verification information according to a telephone number from which the currently unidentified caller is calling.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the verification information comprises at least a portion of a network address.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein the verification information comprises a store identifier.

30. The system of claim 22, wherein the verification information comprises historical purchasing information.

31. The system of claim 22, wherein the processor is further configured to automatically retrieve stored account or order information for the now identified and verified caller in response to authenticating the now identified and verified caller.

32. The system of claim 22, wherein the processor is further configured to route the current call to a destination in response to authenticating the now identified and verified caller.