Protecting user data during audio interactions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11349983-B2
Application number	US-202016921854-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2020
Priority date	Jul 6, 2020
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

A method for protecting user data during an audio interaction includes various operations performed by a processing system including at least one processor. In one example, the operations include detecting an audio signal that is part of an interaction between a user and another party, converting the audio signal into a string of text, detecting that the interaction is likely to put sensitive data of the user at risk, based on a comparison of the string of text to a library of interactions that are known to put sensitive data at risk, and sending an alert to notify the user that the interaction is likely to put the sensitive data of the user at risk, wherein the alert is sent to prevent the user from providing the sensitive data to the another party, and wherein the method is performed contemporaneously with an occurrence of the interaction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
detecting, by a processing system including at least one processor, an audio signal that is part of an interaction between a user and another party, wherein the interaction is unsolicited by the user, and wherein the interaction between the user and the another party is a phone conversation via a call;
converting, by the processing system, the audio signal into a string of text;
detecting, by the processing system, that the interaction is likely to put sensitive data of the user at risk, based on a comparison of the string of text to a library of known interactions that are known to put sensitive data at risk; and
sending, by the processing system in response to the detecting that the interaction is likely to put the sensitive data of the user at risk, an alert to notify the user that the interaction is likely to put the sensitive data of the user at risk, wherein the alert is timed to be sent before the user provides the sensitive data to the another party, and wherein the alert comprises a suggestion to conference into the interaction another individual who is known to the user whose sensitive data is likely to be put at risk before continuing the interaction,
wherein the method is performed contemporaneously with an occurrence of the interaction.

2. The method of claim 1 , where the processing system listens continuously for audio signals including the audio signal.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting that the interaction is likely to put the sensitive data of the user at risk comprises:
matching, by the processing system, a word in the string of text to a keyword that is associated with an interaction in the library of known interactions.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting that the interaction is likely to put the sensitive data of the user at risk comprises:
matching, by the processing system, a pattern of the interaction between the user and the another party to a pattern of an interaction in the library of known interactions.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting is further based on a characteristic of the interaction that occurs outside of the audio signal, and wherein the characteristic comprises a characteristic that is known to be associated with interactions that are known to put sensitive data at risk.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the characteristic is a phone number from which the another party is calling being associated with a phone number that is known to be associated with interactions that are known to put sensitive data at risk.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the characteristic is a phone number from which the another party is calling being hidden from the user.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the characteristic is a phone number from which the another party is calling failing to match a known phone number associated with an entity which the another party is alleged to represent.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
placing, by the processing system, the call on hold prior to the sending.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
issuing, by the processing system, a challenge to the another party, wherein the challenge is designed to verify an identity of the another party, and wherein the challenge comprises comparing information provided by the another party to information retrieved by the processing system from the Internet.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating comprises:
requesting, by the processing system, a permission from the user to conduct the interaction on behalf of the user; and
interacting, by the processing system, with the another party directly in response to receiving the permission from the user to conduct the interaction on behalf of the user.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alert comprises at least one of: a visible alert, an audible alert, or a tactile alert.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is part of a mobile phone of the user.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
muting, by the processing system, the user during the interaction until the another individual is conferenced into the call.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the another individual is a family member or a caregiver of the user whose sensitive data is likely to be put at risk.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processing system including at least one processor, cause the processing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
detecting an audio signal that is part of an interaction between a user and another party, wherein the interaction is unsolicited by the user, and wherein the interaction between the user and the another party is a phone conversation via a call;
converting the audio signal into a string of text;
detecting that the interaction is likely to put sensitive data of the user at risk, based on a comparison of the string of text to a library of interactions that are known to put sensitive data at risk; and
sending, in response to the detecting that the interaction is likely to put the sensitive data of the user at risk, an alert to notify the user that the interaction is likely to put the sensitive data of the user at risk, wherein the alert is timed to be sent before the user provides the sensitive data to the another party, and wherein the alert comprises a suggestion to conference into the interaction another individual who is known to the user whose sensitive data is likely to be put at risk before continuing the interaction,
wherein the method is performed contemporaneously with an occurrence of the interaction.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , the operations further comprising:
muting the user during the interaction until the another individual is conferenced into the call.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the another individual is a family member or a caregiver of the user whose sensitive data is likely to be put at risk.

19. A device comprising:
a processing system including at least one processor; and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
detecting an audio signal that is part of an interaction between a user and another party, wherein the interaction is unsolicited by the user, and wherein the interaction between the user and the another party is a phone conversation via a call;
converting the audio signal into a string of text;
detecting that the interaction is likely to put sensitive data of the user at risk, based on a comparison of the string of text to a library of interactions that are known to put sensitive data at risk; and
sending, in response to the detecting that the interaction is likely to put the sensitive data of the user at risk, an alert to notify the user that the interaction is likely to put the sensitive data of the user at risk, wherein the alert is timed to be sent before the user provides the sensitive data to the another party, and wherein the alert comprises a suggestion to conference into the interaction another individual who is known to the user whose sensitive data is likely to be put at risk before continuing the interaction,
wherein the method is performed contemporaneously with an occurrence of the interaction.

20. The device of claim 19 , wherein the another individual is a fam

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Soryal Joseph
• Jaoude Naila
• Zellner Samuel N

Classifications

• H04M2201/41

  using speaker recognition · CPC title

• H04M1/575

  Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party · CPC title

• H04M2203/6009

  Personal information, e.g. profiles or personal directories being only provided to authorised persons · CPC title

• H04M3/2281 Primary

  Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls · CPC title

• H04M1/66

  with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling (verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32) · CPC title