Customer identification through voice biometrics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9396730-B2
Application number	US-201314041012-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2013
Priority date	Sep 30, 2013
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining an identity of an individual are provided. Audio may be received that includes a key phrase spoken by the individual, and the key phrase may include an identifier spoken by the individual. A key phrase voice print and key phrase text corresponding to the audio may be obtained. The key phrase text may include text corresponding to the identifier spoken by the individual. Voice prints may be retrieved based on the text corresponding to the identifier, and the voice prints may be provided to a voice biometric engine for comparison to the key phrase voice print. The individual may be authenticated based on a comparison of the key phrase voice print to the voice prints. The identifier may include a first name and a last name of the individual.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for determining an identity of an individual comprising:
receiving audio that includes a key phrase spoken by the individual and the key phrase includes an identifier spoken by the individual;
obtaining a key phrase voice print corresponding to the audio;
obtaining key phrase text corresponding to the audio wherein the key phrase text includes text corresponding to the identifier spoken by the individual;
retrieving a set of voice prints based on the text corresponding to the identifier;
determining that a total number of voice prints in the set of voice prints exceeds a predetermined size threshold;
selecting at least one of the voice prints in the set of voice prints to exclude from comparison to the key phrase voice print; and
providing the key phrase voice print and one or more voice prints in the set of voice prints, other than the at least one voice print selected for exclusion, to a voice biometric engine for comparison.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the identifier comprises a first name and a last name of the individual; and
each of the one or more voice prints retrieved is respectively associated with a customer profile that includes a profile first name that matches the first name and a profile last name that matches the last name.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the key phrase voice print is obtained from a voice print engine that receives the audio;
the key phrase text is obtained from a speech-to-text engine that receives the audio; and
the one or more voice prints are retrieved from a voice print database that stores the one or more voice prints.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the audio is received via one of an interactive voice response portal, a mobile portal, and an online portal.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the audio is received in a current communication from the individual;
the at least one voice print selected for exclusion is associated with at least one previous communication; and
the at least one voice print selected for exclusion is selected responsive to a determination that a current characteristic of the current communication does not match a previous characteristic of the at least one previous communication.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the current characteristic and the previous characteristic are one of:
a current phone number associated with the current communication and a previous phone number associated with the at least one previous communication respectively;
a current network address associated with the current communication and a previous network address associated with the previous communication respectively; and
a current device identifier associated with the current communication and a previous device identifier associated with the previous communication respectively.

7. A system for determining an identity of an individual comprising:
at least one processor; and
memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to provide
a communication portal that is configured to receive a communication that includes audio, wherein the audio includes a key phrase spoken by the individual and the key phrase includes an identifier spoken by the individual,
a voice print engine that is configured to obtain a key phrase voice print corresponding to the audio,
a speech-to-text engine that is configured to obtain key phrase text corresponding to the audio wherein the key phrase text includes text corresponding to the identifier spoken by the individual,
a voice print database that is configured to provide a set of voice prints based on the text corresponding to the identifier, and
a filter engine that is configured to select at least one of the voice prints in the set of voice prints to exclude from comparison to the key phrase voice print responsive to determining that a total number of voice prints in the set of voice prints exceeds a predetermined size threshold;

wherein the key phrase voice print and the set of voice prints, other than the at least one voice print selected for exclusion, are made available to a voice biometric engine for comparison.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein:
the identifier comprises a first name and a last name of the individual; and
each voice print of the set of voice prints provided by the voice print database is respectively associated with a customer profile that includes a profile first name that matches the first name and a profile last name that matches the last name.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the memory stores additional computer readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the system to provide:
a voice biometric engine that is configured to compare the key phrase voice print to individual voice prints in the set of voice prints;
wherein the voice biometric engine provides a set of confidence scores and individual confidence scores in the set of confidence scores respectively indicate the extent to which the key phrase voice print matches individual voice prints in the set of voice prints.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the memory stores additional computer readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the system to provide:
a business rules engine that is configured to determine which confidence score in the set of confidence scores is the highest confidence score and is further configured to determine whether to authenticate the individual based, at least in part, on the highest confidence score;
wherein the business rules engine authenticates the individual when the highest confidence score is greater than an upper confidence threshold, and
wherein the business rules engine does not authenticate the individual when the highest confidence score is lower than a lower confidence threshold.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the memory stores additional computer readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the system to provide:
an authentication engine that is configured to prompt the individual to answer one or more security questions when the highest confidence score in the set of confidence scores is less than the upper confidence threshold and greater than the lower confidence threshold, and
wherein the business rules engine determines whether to authenticate the individual further based on a total number of security questions correctly answered by the individual.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein:
the communication is a current communication and the voice print selected for exclusion is associated with at least one previous communication, and
the filter engine selects the at least one voice print for removal responsive to a determination that a current characteristic of the current communication does not match a previous characteristic of the at least one previous communication.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the current characteristic and the previous characteristic are one of:
a current phone number associated with the current communication and a previous phone number associated with the at least one previous communication respectively;
a current network address associated with the current communication and a previous network address associated with the previous communication respectively; and
a current device identifier associated with the current communication and a previous device identifier associated with the previous communication respectively.

14. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions for identifying and authent

Assignees

• Bank Of America

Inventors

• Karpey David
• Pender Mark

Classifications

• G07C9/37

  using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition · CPC title

• G10L17/24 Primary

  the user being prompted to utter a password or a predefined phrase · CPC title

• G10L17/26 Primary

  Recognition of special voice characteristics, e.g. for use in lie detectors; Recognition of animal voices · CPC title

• H04M3/4936

  Speech interaction details (speech recognition per se G10L15/00) · CPC title

• G10L15/26

  Speech to text systems (G10L15/08 takes precedence) · CPC title