Voice recognition system and methods

Abstract

A secure service provider system implementing a secure service application comprises a transmitter arranged to issue a device to a user computing system responsive to the user computing system accessing a secure service application. The device is arranged to cause the computing system to record a voice data to a verification system separate of the secure service provider system over a packet-switched network for verifying the user's identity.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer implemented method of verifying the identity of a person attempting to access a secure website implemented by a secure service provider system, the method comprising:
 automatically communicating computer program code to a user computing device operated by the person in response to the user computing device accessing the secure website, the computer program code arranged to cause the user computing device to operate voice recording hardware implemented by the user computing device for recording voice data of the person and to send the recorded voice data to an independent verification system separate of the secure service provider system, over a data communications network for verifying the person's identity, wherein the computer program code is automatically issued to the user computing device and wherein the independent verification system subsequently communicates data indicative of the result of the verification to the secure service provider system for determining whether to grant the person access to the secure service website.   
     
     
         2 . The computer implemented method of verifying the identity of a person in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 the verification system waits for sufficient voice data to be received to make a verifiable comparison before making the verification.   
     
     
         3 . The computer implemented method of verifying the identity of a person in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein:
 all the voice data is received before making the verification.   
     
     
         4 . The computer implemented method of verifying the identity of the person in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 the verification system compares the voice data with a stored voice data of an identified user and, based on the comparison, provides an indication of the likelihood that the person to be identified is the identified user.   
     
     
         5 . The computer implemented method of verifying the identity of a person in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein:
 the indication is communicated to the secure service provider to determine whether to allow access to the person.   
     
     
         6 . The computer implemented method of verifying the identity of a person in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein:
 the secure service provider utilizes one or more business rules to make the determination.   
     
     
         7 . The computer implemented method of verifying the identity of a person in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein:
 the voice data is contained in an electronic file.   
     
     
         8 . The computer implemented method of verifying the identity of a person in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein:
 at least one of a time stamp and session identifier is associated with the voice data and wherein the time stamp/identifier is processed to determine if the voice data is valid.   
     
     
         9 . The computer implemented method of verifying the identity of a person in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein:
 the data communications network is the Internet.   
     
     
         10 . A secure service provider computer system, the computer system comprising:
 a control software application operable to electronically communicate control software to a user computing device responsive to the user computing device accessing a secure website implemented by the secure service provider computer system, the control software arranged to cause the user computing device to initiate voice recording hardware for recording voice data of a user and to send the recorded voice data to an independent verification computer system separate of the secure service provider computer system over a data communications network for verification and wherein the independent verification system subsequently communicates data indicative of a verification result to the secure service provider system for determining whether to grant the user access to the secure website.   
     
     
         11 . The secure service provider system in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein:
 the verification system waits for sufficient voice data to be received to make a verifiable comparison before making the verification.   
     
     
         12 . The secure service provider system in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein:
 the step of making the verification comprises comparing the voice data with a stored voice data of an identified user and, based on the comparison, providing an indication of the likelihood that the user of the computing system is the identified user.   
     
     
         13 . The secure service provider system in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein:
 the indication is communicated to the secure service provider system to determine whether to allow access to the user of the user computing system.   
     
     
         14 . The secure service provider system in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein:
 the voice data is contained in an electronic file.   
     
     
         15 . The secure service provider system in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein:
 at least one of a time stamp and session identifier is associated with the voice data and wherein the stamp/identifier is processed to determine if the voice data is valid.   
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing control software which when implemented by a user computing system is operable to record voice data of a user of the user computing system and communicate the voice data to an independent verification computer system over a data communications network for verifying the user's identity, the control software being communicated to the user computing system responsive to the user computing system accessing a secure service application implemented by a secure service provider computer system.