Abstract:
A method and system for indicating authentication of the identity of a calling party based on an intrinsic property of the calling party is disclosed. Representations of intrinsic properties of potential calling parties are gathered and stored as reference representations for use in comparisons with later acquired representations. When a later acquired representation matches an earlier acquired representation, authentication of the calling party is deemed to have occurred. Speedier authentication may be provided by using calling line identification information in conjunction with representation matches. When authentication occurs, a signal is produced to indicate same and such signal may be used in uniquely identifying the calling party or in routing the call, for example.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a method and system for indicating authentication of the identity of a calling party based on an intrinsic property of the calling party. More particularly, it relates to providing calling party identification in addition to, or instead of, calling line identification, and routing calls based on such information and/or accessing caller information for display or other purposes. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     The use of calling line identification information to identify a calling party has found wide use in public switched telephony. However, calling line identification only provides a called party with the identity of the telephone line on which the call is initiated and the name of the registered subscriber of such line. As a household or business will often have only a single telephone line, or fewer telephone lines than people, multiple users of the same telephone line are not uniquely identified to the parties they call. Hence, calling line identification information is incomplete and unreliable with respect to identification of a specific calling party. 
     Identifying a specific calling party is commonly done after a telephone call is established. The called party or automated equipment on the called party&#39;s line, as in the case of a bank, may request the calling party to identify himself through the use of a personal identification number or functionally equivalent construct. The called party may then respond appropriately based on the identity indicated by the calling party. This however, requires that the calling party remember a unique identification number. Experience has shown that such numbers are easily forgotten or may be shared with other parties, such as spouses, for example. Consequently, the use of passwords to uniquely identify a calling party is not completely reliable and is vulnerable to misuse. 
     What would be desirable therefore is an efficient, conclusive and economical way of providing a called party with calling party information, such as calling party identity, unique to the person actually making the call and based upon nontransferable characteristics of the calling party. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention addresses the above need by providing a method and system for indicating authentication of the identity of a calling party based on an intrinsic property of the calling party. Representations of intrinsic properties of potential calling parties are gathered and stored as reference representations for use in comparisons with later acquired representations. When a later acquired representation matches an earlier acquired representation, authentication of the calling party is deemed to have occurred. Speedier authentication may be provided by using calling line identification information in conjunction with representation matches. When authentication occurs, a signal is produced to indicate same and such signal may be used in uniquely identifying the calling party or in routing the call, for example. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of indicating authentication of the identity of a calling party. The method involves detecting an intrinsic property of the calling party, authenticating the identity of the calling party based on the intrinsic property and providing a signal to the called party in response to authentication of the calling party&#39;s identity. Such intrinsic properties may include but are not limited to voice profile, image, fingerprints, and DNA. 
     The system and method of calling party authentication can be performed at a central location such as a telephone company central office. In this way, a telephone service provider can maintain one large database of intrinsic properties to which service subscribers have access. Such a database is more comprehensive and therefore more effective than a database any single subscriber could practically create by itself. Furthermore, by providing a common speaker recognition service, common to a plurality of subscribers, the high cost of providing such services can be distributed among a plurality of users. Effectively, the central office acts as an intermediary placed between the calling party and the called party. In this way, the intermediary performs the authentication and sends an authentication signal to the called party before a communication link between the calling party and the called party is established. 
     Preferably, the authentication signal includes calling party information. This information may be used by the called party to automatically route the call within the called party&#39;s system or to provide improved customer service. Such improved customer service may include automatically generating and filling in a customer database record. 
     The authentication signal may also be used to implement a password-free security system. In the absence of an authenticated identity, the intermediary may refuse to complete the call or the called party could refuse to accept the call. Additionally, in the event of a valid authentication signal and unique calling party identity, the called party&#39;s equipment might permit access but only to the extent permitted for that particular person. 
     The apparatus may include an automatic call direction system located inside a central office or in a PBX system, for example, for directing a call in response to authentication of the calling party or in response to the authentication signal. 
     The apparatus may also include an automatic system for retrieving a customer database file and for displaying the contents of such file for the called party to view. 
     Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention, 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for providing calling party identification according to a first embodiment of the invention; 
     FIGS. 2A and 2B are first and second parts respectively, of a flowchart of a calling party identification routine run on an authenticating processor of the system shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a representative subscriber database record accessible by the authenticating processor; and 
     FIG. 4 is a representative calling party database record accessible by the authenticating processor. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a system for indicating authentication of the identity of a calling party based on an intrinsic property of the calling party is shown generally at  10 . 
     In this embodiment the system includes a central office  12 , calling party customer premises equipment  14  and called party customer premises equipment  16 . The calling party customer premises equipment  14  is operated by a first calling party  18 . It will be appreciated however that a plurality of calling parties shown generally at  20 , including the first calling party  18 , may use the same customer premises equipment  14 . Effectively, the invention provides a way of identifying to the called party customer premises equipment  16 , which of the calling parties from the plurality of calling parties  20  is making a call to the called party customer premises equipment  16 , using the calling party equipment  14 . In other words, authentication of the calling party is provided. 
     To this end, the first calling party  18 , for example, dials on the calling party customer premises equipment  14 , the telephone number of the called party customer premises equipment  16 . 
     The calling party customer premises equipment  14  is connected to the central office  12  through a telephone line  22  which is terminated at a line controller  24 . The line controller  24  detects the calling party customer premises equipment  14  going off hook and stores an equipment number of the telephone line  22  of the calling party customer premises equipment in a service request buffer (not shown). The contents of this service request buffer are passed through a switch matrix  26  in the central office  12  to a call processor  28  which uses the contents of the service request buffer to search an office database  27  to identify the characteristics of the calling party customer premises equipment including directory number, dial pulse or touch tone signalling, etc. The call processor  28  then creates a call record in temporary storage (not shown), locates an idle digit receiver (not shown) that matches the signalling characteristics of the calling party customer premises equipment  14  and finds a path through the switch matrix  26  between the telephone line  22  of the calling party and the digit receiver and connects them. This sequence is followed by return of dial tone to the calling party customer premises equipment  14  and initiation of a digit scan program that scans the digit receiver for dialled digits and collects them in a digit buffer (not shown) . A digit analysis program is then run on the contents of the digit buffer to identify and validate the called numbers. When satisfied that the number has been received correctly and that it is a valid directory number, a caller ID command message is sent from the call processor  28 , on a common messaging bus  30  to a calling line identification processor  32 . The calling line identification processor  32  returns a calling line identification information message  34  on the common messaging bus  30  which is received at an authenticating processor  36 . This calling line identification information is held in a caller ID buffer  37 . Thus the calling line identification processor acts as a calling line information detector for detecting calling line identification information of the calling party. 
     At the same time, the valid directory number dialled at the calling party customer premises equipment  14  is included in a message sent from the call processor  28  to the authenticating processor  36  as a call request message including a target directory number. The authenticating processor  36  receives the call request message and runs a caller identification (ID) routine shown generally at  38  in FIG.  2 A. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2A, the caller ID routine  38  begins with a first block  40  which directs the authenticating processor  36  to locate a subscriber record in a subscriber database shown generally at  42 . The subscriber database holds subscriber records corresponding to called parties who subscribe to the calling party identification service. Referring to FIG. 3, a representative subscriber database record is shown generally at  44  and includes a called number field  46 , a subscriber message field  48  including a pre-recorded message associated with the subscriber, and an index field  50  for storing an index to a calling party database. The subscriber database  42  could be organized and searched using the called number field  46  as an index, for example. 
     Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2A, if no corresponding subscriber database record  44  is found, the called party is not a calling party identification service subscriber and the caller ID routine is terminated. The authenticating processor  36  is directed, at block  52  in FIGS. 1 and 2B, to send a message to the call processor  28  indicating that it may complete the call with no authentication signal being provided although calling line identification information may be provided. 
     Referring back to FIGS. 2A and 3, if a subscriber database record  44  is found in the subscriber database  42 , the authenticating processor  36  functions as an interceptor to intercept the establishment of a communications link between the calling party and the called party and instead establishes communications between the calling party and itself. Thus, communications are established between the first calling party  18  and an intermediary between the first calling party  18  and the called party, the intermediary being the authenticating processor  36 . At this point, block  54  directs the authenticating processor  36  to function as a prompter by retrieving the contents of the subscriber message field  48  and sending a subscriber message  58  on the common messaging bus  30 , through the switch matrix  26  and to a line controller  24  such that the message is annunciated at the calling party customer premises equipment  14 . The subscriber message  58  prompts the first calling party  18  to provide an intrinsic property of itself. The subscriber message  58  may be audible or visual or any other form which elicits a response from the first calling party  18 . In this embodiment for example, the subscriber message  58  is audible and thus the subscriber message  58  is converted into an audible signal audible to the first calling party  18 . 
     In response to hearing the subscriber message  58 , the first calling party  18 , responds with a submission of something containing an intrinsic property of the calling party, in this embodiment an audible utterance which may be the first calling party&#39;s name or other word or phrase for example. Such response is preferably audible but could alternatively be a fingerprint imprint, facial image, or any other submission which includes an intrinsic property of the first calling party  18 . In this embodiment, where an audible response is obtained from the first calling party  18 , the intrinsic feature of the audible response is a voice profile of the utterance, more particularly the frequency spectrum and smoothness characteristics of the calling party&#39;s voice utterance. 
     The calling party&#39;s utterance is received by the line controller  24  which provides a reply message  60 , representing the calling party&#39;s utterance, to the authenticating processor  36 . In this embodiment therefore, the line controller acts as a receiver for detecting a voice utterance of the calling party. Referring back to FIG. 2A, the authenticating processor functions as a recorder by recording the calling party&#39;s reply message  60  into temporary storage under the direction of block  66 . 
     Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2A, during the period between the time the subscriber message  58  is transmitted to the first calling party  18  and the calling party&#39;s reply message  60  is received, block  62  directs the authenticating processor  36  to wait for the calling party&#39;s reply and block  64  directs the authenticating processor  36  to wait no longer than a predetermined period. Such period may be ten seconds, for example. If the first calling party  18  does not reply within ten seconds, the authenticating processor  36  is directed to issue a complete call message by block  52  and the call processor  28  completes the call. In this circumstance, no authentication signal will be transmitted, only calling line identification information. 
     Block  68  then directs the authenticating processor  36  to locate a calling party database record by searching in a second, calling party information database  70  of calling party information. Referring to FIG. 4, a representative calling party database record is shown generally at  72  and includes index fields  74  associated with respective subscribers of the service, a calling line identification field  76 , a voice print field  78 , a customer public information field  80  and a plurality of subscriber-specific customer information fields  81  related to corresponding index fields  74 . The voice print field  78  holds a representative previously acquired voice print of the calling party and thus, the information database includes a database of intrinsic property profiles, including voice profiles, associated with respective calling party information. 
     Generally, the search of the calling party database could be performed by using any of the search algorithms known in the art. Without limiting the generality of the search, the database could be searched linearly i.e. comparing each record consecutively or searched by using the calling line identification number as an index, or by having the calling party enter a unique code number as an index before making the identifying utterance, or by speech recognition, for example. Or any combination of these search methods or others could be employed. 
     Preferably, however, as in this embodiment the authenticating processor  36  is programmed to act as a speech recognizer for recognizing speech provided by the calling party to attempt to locate possible records. In addition, calling line identification information is used on a pass through the information database to narrow the search to the most likely records. As a result of these searches, a few possible records may be located, or more generally, information relating to the calling party is located in response to speech recognized by the speech recognizer and calling line identification information. If further narrowing is desired, the authenticating processor may search the records for a match with a password provided by the calling party. 
     Referring back to FIG. 2A, if no calling party record is located in the search, block  82  directs the authenticating processor  36  to create a new calling party record wherein the index field is copied from the index field  50  of the subscriber database record  44  shown in FIG. 3, the calling line identification field  76  is copied from the caller ID buffer  37  and the voice print field  78  is copied from the reply message  60 . The office database  27  provides the contents of the customer public information field  80  and the subscriber-specific customer information field  81  associated with the subscriber indicated by the index field  50  is filled at a later time by the called party/subscriber. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2B, after generating a new calling party record, the authenticating processor  36  is directed to block  52  which issues a message to the call processor  28  to complete the call without providing an authentication signal, instead, only calling line identification information is provided in the usual manner by transmitting FSK encoded signals to the called party. Thus, at least some identifying information about the calling party is provided to the called party. 
     Referring back to FIGS. 1,  2 A and  2 B, if at block  68 , a calling party database record  72  is located, block  86  directs the authenticating processor  36  to function as a voice recognizer, or more specifically as a speaker recognizer, and to perform speaker recognition analysis by producing a voice profile for the utterance made by the calling party and comparing the voice profile of such utterance with the voice profile of the contents of the voice print field  78  of the calling party database record  72 . The authenticating processor thus acts as a detector for detecting an intrinsic property, in this embodiment a voice profile, of the calling party. 
     The authenticating processor acts as a speaker recognizer for recognizing the calling party as a particular speaker by comparing the voice utterance to the voice profiles and the authenticating processor is programmed to provide authentication of the calling party in response to recognizing the calling party. If the voice profile of the utterance matches the voice profile of a calling party database record, in other words, if the spectral content and smoothness characteristics are a sufficiently close match, the speaker is recognized and authentication is deemed to have occurred. The authenticating processor thus acts to authenticate the identity of the calling party, based on the intrinsic property detected in the calling party&#39;s utterance. 
     Alternatively, the authenticating processor may require a confirmed match of both the intrinsic property and the calling line identification information to authenticate the identity of the calling party. 
     Block  88  then directs the authenticating processor  36  to produce a caller ID information message  61 . The caller ID information message includes the contents of the calling line identification field  76 , the contents of the customer public information field  80  and the contents of the subscriber-specific customer information field  81 . The contents of the subscriber specific customer information field may be rather large, including for example customer information specifically of interest to the subscriber such as social insurance number, make of car, etc., for example. The caller ID information message  61  so produced is sent to the call processor  28  on the common messaging bus  30 . The authenticating processor  36  is then directed to block  52 , which directs the call processor  28  to complete the call. 
     The call processor  28  completes the call in the normal manner by activating the appropriate line controller to establish a connection to a called party customer premises equipment  16  to establish communications between the called party and the calling party. Before, during or after the ringing phase of the call, the call processor  28  transmits codes to the line controller associated with the called party customer premises equipment  16  to produce a frequency shift keyed (FSK) modulated signal which is receivable by the called party customer premises equipment  16 . Thus, the line controller acts as a transmitter for transmitting the authentication signal to the called party as an encoded signal representing information associated with the calling party. The FSK signal acts as an authentication signal indicating authentication of the calling party and may be formatted in the multi-data messaging format (MDMF) or the ADSI data messaging format, for example, for transmission to the called party customer premises equipment  16 . This authentication signal is only produced in response to the authentication of the calling party identity. The authenticating signal may simply indicate authentication or not by simple transmission of a “YES” or “NO” indication, but preferably it includes at least some calling party information obtained from the located record in the information database. The information contained within the FSK signal may then be displayed on a display at the called party customer premises equipment  16  or may be transferred to a computer connected to the called party customer premises equipment  16  for display, for example. 
     Referring back to FIG. 2B, if at block  86 , the voice print of the caller reply message  60  and the contents of the voice print field  78  do not match, block  90  directs the authenticating processor  36  to produce a partial caller ID information message indicating that there was no voice profile match and that the calling party&#39;s identity could not be authenticated. The authenticating processor  36  then sends this message to the call processor  28  on the common messaging bus  30 . 
     Block  52  then directs the authenticating processor  36  to send a complete call message to the call processor  28  which sends an FSK message to the called party as described above, with calling line identification information but no authentication signal, as no voice profile match was obtained. 
     If an FSK message including calling party identification information, such as calling party identity, is received at the called party customer premises equipment  16 , such information may be used for display on a computer or may be used to route a call by a private branch exchange (PBX) of the called party or by a central office to which the called party is connected, for example. 
     To achieve call routing at a central office, the central office is provided with an Automatic Call Direction (ACD) system  92 . Such systems conventionally respond to caller-supplied DTMF signals however, in this embodiment, the ACD system is reconfigured to respond to the contents of the caller id message  61  in place of or in addition to user-supplied DTMF signals to route calls. Consequently, calls are routed in response to the customer information obtained in response to authentication. 
     Alternatively, the ACD system  92  may be external to the central office, located at a customer PBX, for example. In this case, the ACD system is reconfigured to receive the authentication signal sent by the central office, to extract the customer information therefrom and to respond to the contents of the caller id message  61  in place of or in addition to user-supplied DTMF signals to route calls. Consequently, calls are routed in response to the authentication signal. 
     The foregoing description has assumed that the calling party customer premises equipment  14  and called party customer premises equipment  16  are connected to a common central office  12 . The system and method herein will also work where the calling party customer premises equipment  17  and the called party customer premises equipment  16  do not share a central office. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, where a second calling party  21  and the called party  19  are served by different central offices, the subscriber database  42  and the calling party information database  70  are located at the central office  12  which serves the called party. In operation, the called party&#39;s central office  12  may receive the calling party&#39;s calling line identification information and the dialled telephone number from the calling party&#39;s central office  13  via an SS 7  data-link (not shown) and the calling party&#39;s utterance along the trunk line  23 . The called party&#39;s central office  12  uses this information to perform the calling party identification method described above. 
     While specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, such embodiments should be considered illustrative of the invention only and not as limiting the invention as construed in accordance with the accompanying claims.