Verification of user presence during an interactive voice response system session

In those transactions requiring the approval of two or more users, users can perform verification of identity and then completion of desired transaction using an IVR system. The combination of two or more user voice prints previously collected during an enrollment phase can be used for verification of parties to the transaction. During a subsequent verification phase of the IVR system, the users can speak their own password phase when prompted to do so during a defined period of time and the IVR system captures them in a captured mixed voice print. Verification can then be provided by comparing the captured mixed voice print with a joined voice reference model built from stored voice reference models.

BACKGROUND

With the advance of speaker verification technology, some transactions can be automated through interactive voice response (IVR) systems rather than in person. Currently, transactions through IVR systems can accommodate a single user having a single IVR profile for which approval of only the one user is required, or, in the case of a transaction for an account having two or more users, the transaction will only proceed if the approval of only one user is required. For transactions on accounts requiring approval of two or more users, both users must be present in person to verify the desired transaction, and thus an IVR system may not be used.

Consider the example of two users, such as a husband and a wife, who have a shared joint bank account. If only one of them is needed to authorize a transaction, either one of their voice print will be sufficient to authorize the transaction using an IVR system. This, however, may not provide enough security where the desired transaction is of a sensitive nature, such as if the desired transaction amount is significant. If, however, both need to approve the transaction, such as for a more sensitive transaction, both must be present to complete the transaction and an IVR system may not be used for authentication, verification and completion of the transaction. Moreover, the requirement that both parties need to be present to complete the transaction is not convenient for users, particularly where they may be far apart physically.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In accordance with embodiments consistent with the present invention, a method and system provides verification of user presence during an interactive voice response (IVR) system session. During an enrollment phase of an interactive voice response (IVR) system first and second users provides first and second voice prints, respectively, to the IVR system. The first user and a second user are authorized users of a joint account of the IVR system. The first and second voice prints are captured and first and second first voice reference models, respectively, are created. These first and second voice reference models are stored. In response to the multiple users requesting to conduct a transaction of the joint account that requires presence of both the first and second users during the transaction to complete the transaction, in a verification phase of the IVR system: the IVR system requests that the first and second users speak their passwords during a defined period of time; the IVR system determines which of the first and second users spoke first at a first time stamp during the mixed voice print and when the other user of the first and second users spoke second at a second time stamp during the mixed voice print; the IVR system creating a joined voice reference model of the first and second users from the first and second voice reference models, with the joined voice reference model having at a first time stamp the voice reference model of the user determined to have spoken first and at a second time stamp the user determined to have spoken second, wherein the first and second time stamps of the joined voice reference model correspond in time of the joined voice reference model to the first and second time stamps of the mixed voice print. The IVR system compares the mixed voice print to the joined voice reference model. When the mixed voice print matches the joined voice reference model, the IVR system verifies presence of the first and second users and permits the transaction to proceed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Consistent with various embodiments presented herein, an improved system and method for verification of user presence during an IVR system session are provided. In those transactions requiring the approval of two or more users, such as secured, sensitive banking transactions, the embodiments presented herein allow such users to still perform verification of identity and then completion of a desired transaction using an IVR system. The combination of two or more user voice prints previously collected during an enrollment phase can be used for verification of parties to the transaction. During a subsequent verification phase of the IVR system, the users can speak their own password phase when prompted to do so during a defined period of time and the IVR system captures them in a captured mixed voice print. Verification can then be provided by comparing the captured mixed voice print with a joined voice reference model built from stored voice reference models. If there is a sufficient match, then the presence of the two or more users in the transaction is verified and the transaction may proceed via the IVR system. This allows transactions requiring the presence of two or more parties, such as extremely sensitive transaction, to be performed in the IVR system and it also ensures that the parties are aware of the transaction since they needed to be present via IVR to provide speech samples to authenticate the transaction. Even if the parties are far apart, physically, this can still be achieved by conference calls, for example, with the IVR system.

Therefore, in accordance with various embodiments, an IVR system100, having an enrollment phase110and a verification phase160is presented inFIG. 1. In this system, two users are shown, user1120and user2125. In the enrollment phase, the IVR system records all parties' voice prints for a joint profile. These can be collected by an IVR that authenticates a caller, such as caller120or caller125, through credentials that only the caller can provide. A voice reference model for each user can be created independently from individual voice prints. Thus, each user can complete the enrollment process independently. When voice reference models for both parties have been created, they are ready to be used in the verification phase when needed.

Consider, for example, the following. The users120and125open a joint account that requires that certain transactions be performed with both parties present. During an enrollment phase of the IVR system100, user1120calls into a dedicated IVR system to create a voice reference model for her voice. She may, for example, use the account identifier to identify the joint account and perhaps social security number or answers to security questions to authenticate her identity as an authorized user before providing her voice print to the IVR system. The IVR system captures user1120's voice print at feature extraction block130and creates a voice reference model of user1120from this first voice print at model building block140; the IVR system may then store user1120's voice reference model in storage element145.

Similarly, the second user, user2125goes through the enrollment phase110of the IVR system. User2speaks to provide the needed voice print to feature extraction block130and model building block140uses this to create his unique voice reference model from his voice print; User2's voice reference model is stored in storage element150as shown.

As indicated, the users can provide their respective voice prints by speaking a password, answer to a security question or as otherwise prompted by the IVR system. It is noted that there may be more than two users of a joint account and the number of users required to be present to verify a desired transaction can vary. For very sensitive transactions, an account with three users, for example, may require verification by the verification phase of the IVR system by all three of the users.

Once the enrollment phase is complete for the required number of users of an account, the IVR system can accept users' request for any special transactions.

The IVR system can thus receive a request to conduct a transaction of the joint account that requires presence of the required number of users after enrollment has taken place. The users can call into the IVR system on the phone or via a conference call to the IVR system. The request to conduct a transaction of the joint account is initiated by the required number of users calling to the IVR system and referencing the joint account. The calls received by the IVR system from the users overlap in time and each user identifies the joint account.

During a defined period of time, the IVR system requests that each user provide a password or other security phrase by prompting each user at the same time with a prompt indicator. The prompt indicator may be a beep, for example, such as the IVR system prompting each user to speak their own password after the beep. The defined period of time is long enough for users to speak their password or other security information as needed for verification; for example, six to nine seconds may be the length of time of the defined period.

A mixed voice print is captured from this near-in-time or overlapping speaking by the users of their respective passwords during the defined period of time. Since for humans it is very difficult to have two or more persons speak at exactly the same time, one of the users will speak first during the defined period of time, while another will speak second. This joint speech165is received by the IVR system by feature extraction block170.

Using the voice reference models created during the enrollment phase110, it can be determined who speaks first and when the other user joined in during the defined period of time. Thus, at Block170the IVR system determines which of the first and second users spoke first at a first time stamp during the mixed voice print and when the other user of the first and second users spoke second at a second time stamp during the mixed voice print. The previously recorded and stored voice reference models created during the enrollment phase and stored in storage elements145and150, for example, are used to determine this. It is noted that the feature extraction blocks130and170may or may not be the same actual block in the system. In other words, feature extraction block130, which captures enrollment speech from the users may be the same, or different, from the feature extraction block170that captures the mixed voice print165from the users.

At Block175, the IVR system creates a joined voice reference model of the first and second users from the first and second voice reference models created during the enrollment phase. A first time stamp of the joined voice reference model coincides with the first time stamp of the mixed voice print, i.e. when the first user spoke his password, while the second time stamp of the joined voice reference model corresponds with the second time stamp of the mixed voice print, i.e. when the second user joined in. It is noted that the joined voice reference model is a dynamic model specific to the first and second time stamps of the spoken first and second passwords supplied by the first and second users, respectively, during the defined period of time of the mixed voice print. In other words, the model is dynamic in that it is different each time the users of particular account call in jointly for verification of a desired transaction, given that humans will not have exact timing during each call.

At Block180, the IVR system compares the mixed voice print to the newly created joined voice reference model. If the IVR system determines that these two match, as indicated at Block190, the callers identifies are verified and the users are confirmed to be present. The IVR system will thus permit the transaction to proceed when the mixed voice print matches the joined voice reference model.

In accordance with various embodiments, a method of verification of user presence during an IVR system session is provided. Referring now to flow chart200ofFIG. 2, at Block210, users open a joint account in which they are both authorized users and that requires both users to be present to agree to a transaction. At Block220, during an enrollment phase of an interactive voice response (IVR) system, the first and second users provide first and second voice prints of the first user to the IVR system, the IVR system captures the first voice print and second voice prints and creates a first voice reference model of the first user from the first voice print and a second voice reference model of the second user from the second voice print; and the IVR system stores the first and second voice reference models.

At Decision Block230, the inquiry is whether the IVR system has received a request to conduct a transaction of the joint account. If no, then the flow ends. If yes, then the flow continues. At Block240, during a verification phase the IVR system receives a call, such as a first call from the first user during which the first user identifies the joint account, a second call from the second user during which the second user identifies the joint account, or a conference call during which both callers participate. The IVR system determines which of the first and second users spoke first at a first time stamp during the mixed voice print and when the other user of the first and second users spoke second at a second time stamp during the mixed voice print at Block250. At Block260, the IVR system creates a joined voice reference model of the first and second users from the first and second voice reference models created during the enrollment phase, with the joined voice reference model having at a first time stamp the user determined to have spoken first and at a second time stamp the user determined to have spoken second.

At Decision Block270, the inquiry is whether the mixed voice print matches the joined voice reference model. If yes, then at Block280, the IVR system verifies the presence of the first and second users and permits the transaction to proceed when the mixed voice print matches the joined voice reference model.