Systems and methods for detecting call provenance from call audio

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11849065-B2
Application number	US-202117338523-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2021
Priority date	Jun 29, 2010
Publication date	Dec 19, 2023
Grant date	Dec 19, 2023

Abstract

Various embodiments of the invention are detection systems and methods for detecting call provenance based on call audio. An exemplary embodiment of the detection system can comprise a characterization unit, a labeling unit, and an identification unit. The characterization unit can extract various characteristics of networks through which a call traversed, based on call audio. The labeling unit can be trained on prior call data and can identify one or more codecs used to encode the call, based on the call audio. The identification unit can utilize the characteristics of traversed networks and the identified codecs, and based on this information, the identification unit can provide a provenance fingerprint for the call. Based on the call provenance fingerprint, the detection system can identify, verify, or provide forensic information about a call audio source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, by a computing-device, call audio of a first call between a first device and a second device;
extracting, by the computing-device, one or more characteristics from the call audio of the first call, wherein the one or more characteristics exclude metadata of the first call, wherein the metadata is separate from the call audio; and
identifying, by the computing-device, one or more codecs used to encode the first call based on the one or more characteristics extracted from the call audio of the first call.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising identifying, by the computing-device, a unique telecommunications device involved in the first call based on the one or more characteristics, wherein the unique telecommunications device is one of the first device or the second device.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising identifying, by the computing-device, at least a portion of one or more networks of a transmission path of the first call based on the one or more characteristics extracted from the call audio of the first call.

4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising identifying, by the computing-device, a network of the one or more networks of the transmission path based on a codec of the one or more codecs.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the computing-device, a first provenance fingerprint for the first call based on the one or more characteristics.

6. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising comparing, by the computing-device, the first provenance fingerprint against one or more provenance fingerprints stored in a database configured to store a plurality of provenance fingerprints for a plurality of calls.

7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising determining, by the computing-device, that the first provenance fingerprint satisfies a matching threshold to a second provenance fingerprint of a second call based on comparing the first provenance fingerprint against at least one provenance fingerprint stored in the database.

8. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising identifying, by the computing-device, a common codec associated with the first call and associated with a second call based on the computing-device comparing the first provenance fingerprint for the first call against a second provenance fingerprint for the second call stored in the database.

9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the computing-device is configured to receive the respective call audio of the plurality of calls, and wherein the method further comprises:
for each respective call audio received by the computing-device:
determining, by the computing-device, a provenance fingerprint of a call based on the one or more characteristics extracted from the call audio of the call; and
storing, by the computing-device, the provenance fingerprint of the call into the database.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising identifying, by the computing-device, a geography associated with the first call based on the one or more characteristics extracted from the call audio of the first call.

11. A system comprising:
one or more computing-devices having one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
receive call audio of a first call between a first device and a second device;
extract one or more characteristics from the call audio of the first call, wherein the one or more characteristics exclude metadata of the first call, wherein the metadata is separate from the call audio; and
identify one or more codecs used to encode the first call based on the one or more characteristics extracted from the call audio of the first call.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the computing-device is further configured to:
identify a unique telecommunications device involved in the first call based on the one or more characteristics, wherein the unique telecommunications device is one of the first device or the second device.

13. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the computing-device is further configured to:
identify at least a portion of one or more networks of a transmission path of the first call based on the one or more characteristics extracted from the call audio of the first call.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the computing-device is further configured to:
identify a network of the one or more networks of the transmission path based on a codec of the one or more codecs.

15. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the computing-device is further configured to:
determine a first provenance fingerprint for the first call based on the one or more characteristics.

16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the computing-device is further configured to:
compare the first provenance fingerprint against one or more provenance fingerprints stored in a database configured to store a plurality of provenance fingerprints for a plurality of calls.

17. The system according to claim 16 , wherein the computing-device is further configured to:
determine that the first provenance fingerprint satisfies a matching threshold to a second provenance fingerprint of a second call based on comparing the first provenance fingerprint against at least one provenance fingerprint stored in the database.

18. The system according to claim 16 , wherein the computing-device is further configured to:
identify a common codec associated with the first call and associated with a second call based on comparing the first provenance fingerprint for the first call against a second provenance fingerprint for the second call stored in the database.

19. The system according to claim 16 , wherein the computing-device is configured to:
receive the respective call audio of the plurality of calls; and
for each respective call audio:
determine a provenance fingerprint of a call based on the one or more characteristics extracted from the call audio of the call; and
store the provenance fingerprint of the call into the database.

20. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the computing-device is further configured to:
identify a geography associated with the first call based on the one or more characteristics extracted from the call audio of the first call.

Assignees

• Georgia Tech Res Inst

Inventors

• Balasubramaniyan Vijay
• Ahamad Mustaque
• Traynor Patrick Gerard
• Hunter Michael Thomas
• Poonawalla Aamir

Classifications

• H04M3/2281 Primary

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

• H04L43/0829

  Packet loss · CPC title

• H04L65/1076 Primary

  Screening of IP real time communications, e.g. spam over Internet telephony [SPIT] · CPC title

• H04M1/68

  Circuit arrangements for preventing eavesdropping · CPC title

• H04W12/02

  Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII] · CPC title