Data processing: speech signal processing – linguistics – language – Speech signal processing – Application
Reexamination Certificate
1998-02-10
2001-06-12
Tsang, Fan (Department: 2645)
Data processing: speech signal processing, linguistics, language
Speech signal processing
Application
C704S270000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06246988
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to controlling access to computer systems and data bases. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for using voice print matching to identify users who are authorized to gain remote access to a data base or computer system.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The global nature of today's economy often requires employees to travel away from their home office to serve existing clients or to generate new business. The impracticality of transporting volumes of data or massive amounts of computer equipment from the home office to the traveling employee's destination has given rise to technology which permits the traveling employee to remotely access these resources while physically located away from the permanent location of these resources. An example of this remote access technology includes accessing data bases or computer systems with a laptop computer connected to a standard telephone line via a modem. While remote access is a convenient solution which permits traveling employees to have easy access to immobile resources, this convenience also opens the systems containing these resources to the possibility that non-authorized persons may obtain access to the sensitive and confidential information these resources may contain.
Remote access often by-passes the security measures implemented in the area immediately surrounding the main system. It is known in the art to use account numbers, passwords and/or personal identification numbers (PINs) to identify authorized users and control access to the computer systems. Unfortunately, the methods for controlling access to data bases or computer systems can be easily compromised. Account numbers, passwords and PINs can be discovered by non-authorized persons or this information can be willingly disclosed by authorized users to non-authorized persons. Once these security measures are compromised, non-authorized persons may obtain access to sensitive data bases or computer systems.
There are known methods for identifying a person based upon the unique characteristics of that person's voice. Existing computer models are capable of a near real time comparison between a spoken voice sample and a previously recorded voice print. Upon receiving a real time voice sample, a computer scores the comparison of the real time voice sample and the previously recorded voice print. If the score meets a previously established criteria, then the identity of the person who input the real time voice sample is determined to be the same as the identity of the person who submitted the recorded voice print. The unique nature of a person's voice generally cannot be sufficiently imitated by another person. Thus, it is unlikely a voice print match can be achieved by anyone other than the person who submitted the recorded voice print.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
There is a need to develop security measures which ensure only authorized users obtain remote access to data bases and/or computer systems and which limit the chances that an unauthorized user will circumvent the security procedures. The present invention is an adaptation of known telephone access systems, e.g., the Sprint Voice FONCard system, modified using known voice verification techniques to make a highly robust overall security system. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a person is identified as an authorized user of a data base or computer system when the person's real time voice input matches a previously recorded voice print of the same person. This voice print verification may be augmented by the use of passwords, PINs, passphrases or digits to further enhance system security. Unlike U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,282, the present invention transmits both the users's analog and digital information along a single line to a publicly switched telephone network (PSTN), and therefore is capable of use in currently existing and common telephone lines. The present invention is also advantageous in that all callers must call into the security system to access the database, and the database may not be accessed directly from a remote location. The security system has the only connection to the remote access line or lines to the database, and the security system dials into, or otherwise connects, to the database remote access line, thus reducing the risk of circumvention of the security system.
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DSC Telecom L.P.
Jackson & Walker, LLP
Opsasnick Michael N.
Tsang Fan
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