Telecommunication Call Management and Monitoring System With Voiceprint Verification

Abstract

Disclosed is a secure telephone call management system for authenticating users of a telephone system in an institutional facility. Authentication of the users is accomplished by using a personal identification number, preferably in conjunction with speaker independent voice recognition and speaker dependent voice identification. When a user first enters the system, the user speaks his or her name which is used as a sample voice print. During each subsequent use of the system, the user is required to speak his or her name. Voice identification software is used to verify that the provided speech matches the sample voice print. The secure system includes accounting software to limit access based on funds in a user's account or other related limitations. Management software implements widespread or local changes to the system and can modify or set any number of user account parameters.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a database configured to:
 store biometric data of a plurality of users; 
 store first identifying information associated with the plurality of users in correspondence with the biometric data; and 
   a control platform coupled to the database, the control platform configured to:
 prior to a call:
 receive second biometric data associated with a calling party; 
 receive second identifying information related to the calling party; 
 find in the database third identifying information from among the first identifying information that matches the second identifying information received from the calling party; 
 retrieve from the database third biometric data associated with the third identifying information; 
 compare the second biometric data received from the calling party with the third biometric data retrieved from the database; and 
 authenticate the calling party based on the comparison; and 
 
 during the call:
 acquire and store biometric information of the called party; 
 acquire, at regular intervals, biometric information of a person speaking; 
 compare the acquired biometric information of the person speaking to at least one of the stored third biometric information and the stored biometric information of the called party; and 
 detect the presence of an unauthorized call participant based on the comparison. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control platform is further configured to:
 receive further information related to the calling party;   store the further information in the database in correspondence with the biometric data of the calling party.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the further information includes at least one of an identification number, a name of the user, a phone number, a phone number of a called party, and a language preference. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the biometric data calling party includes at least one of a voiceprint, a face architecture, a signature architecture, a fingerprint, a retinal print, a hand geometry, and an infrared pattern of the face. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the identifying information includes a personal identification number. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the identifying information includes a name of the user. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the further information includes at least one of an identification number, a name of the user, a phone number, a phone number of a called party, and a language preference. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the acquired biometric data of the called party includes at least one of a voiceprint, a face architecture, a signature architecture, a fingerprint, a retinal print, a hand geometry, and an infrared pattern of the face. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first biometric data of the calling party is received during a call, and the second biometric data is received during the same call. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the biometric data calling party is received during a registration process that is not a part of a call, and the second biometric data is received during an authentication step of a call. 
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 receiving biometric data of a plurality of users;   storing the biometric data in a database;   receiving first identifying information of the plurality of users;   storing the first identifying information in the database in correspondence with the biometric data of the plurality of users;   prior to a call:
 receiving second biometric data related to a calling party; 
 receiving second identifying information related to the calling party; 
 finding in the database third identifying information from among the first identifying information that substantially matches the second identifying information received from the calling party; 
 retrieving from the database third biometric data associated with the third identifying information; 
 comparing the second biometric data received from the calling party with the third biometric data retrieved from the database; and 
 authenticating the calling party based on the comparing; and 
 during the call:
 acquiring and storing biometric information of the called party; 
 acquiring, at regular intervals, biometric information of a person speaking; 
 comparing the acquired biometric information of the person speaking to at least one of the stored third biometric information and the stored biometric information of the called party; and 
 detecting the presence of an unauthorized call participant based on the comparison. 
 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving further information related to the calling party;   storing the further information in the database in correspondence with the biometric data of the calling party.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the further information includes at least one of an identification number, a name of the user, a phone number, a phone number of a called party, and a language preference. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the stored biometric data of the calling party includes at least one of a voiceprint, a face architecture, a signature architecture, a fingerprint, a retinal print, a hand geometry, and an infrared pattern of the face. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the identifying information includes a personal identification number. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the identifying information includes a name of the calling party. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the further information includes at least one of an identification number, a name of the user, a phone number, a phone number of a called party, and a language preference. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the acquired biometric data of the called party includes at least one of a voiceprint, a face architecture, a signature architecture, a fingerprint, a retinal print, a hand geometry, and an infrared pattern of the face. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first biometric data of the calling party is received during a call, and the second biometric data is received during the same call. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the biometric data of the calling party is received during a registration process that is not a part of a call, and the second biometric data is received during an authentication step of a call.