Method and apparatus for dynamically adjusting biometric user authentication for accessing a communication device

Abstract

Improved user authentication of a communication device is provided by expanding voice biometric authentication with a dynamically updated user profile formed of non-voice usage parameters. The non-voice usage parameters are collected during successful voice authentications to establish non-voice compensation controls. When a failed voice biometric authentication attempt is followed by a valid PIN entry, then a false rejection is determined, and a voice biometric threshold is adjusted to reduce the individual user-based false rejection rate along with the enablement of the non-voice usage controls.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A communication device, comprising:
 an authentication engine receiving a user-originated voice biometric input and determining, based on a voice biometric matching threshold, one of:   a successful user authentication;   an unsuccessful user authentication;   a database generating non-voice usage compensation controls based on non-voice usage parameters collected during successful user authentications; and   the authentication engine, subsequent to an unsuccessful user authentication and in response to a valid PIN entry, lowering the voice biometric matching threshold and enabling the non-voice usage compensation controls to determine user authentication.   
     
     
         2 . A communication device, comprising:
 an authentication engine configured to:
 determine successful and unsuccessful authentications in response to a user-originated voice biometric input being compared to a voice biometric matching threshold; and 
 enable non-voice usage compensation controls that securely authenticate a user having passed voice-based authentication with a lowered voice biometric matching threshold. 
   
     
     
         3 . The communication device of  claim 2 , wherein the authentication engine is further operable to receive a valid user PIN entry, indicative of a valid user, and to determine false rejections and valid rejections. 
     
     
         4 . The communication device of  claim 2 , wherein the authentication engine lowers the voice biometric matching threshold to generate the lowered voice biometric matching threshold in response to a user rejection rate that is above a population norm, and the user rejection rate is determined based on a valid PIN entry subsequent to an unsuccessful authentication. 
     
     
         5 . The communication device of  claim 2 , wherein authentication engine is further configured to determine whether a valid rejection is user based or device based. 
     
     
         6 . The communication device of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the communication device sends a user alert to indicate a need for user training of the device in response to the valid rejection being user based; and   the communication device sends a user alert to indicate a need for device servicing in response to the valid rejection being device based.   
     
     
         7 . A method for user authentication of a communication device, comprising:
 determining, by an authentication engine of the communication device, successful and unsuccessful authentications in response to a user-originated voice biometric input being compared to a voice biometric matching threshold; and   enabling non-voice usage compensation controls to securely authenticate a user having passed voice-based authentication with a lowered voice biometric matching threshold.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the authentication engine is further operable to receive a valid user PIN entry, indicative of a valid user, and to determine false rejections and valid rejections. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the lowered voice biometric matching threshold is generated by the authentication engine in response to a user rejection rate that is above a population norm, and wherein the user rejection rate is determined based on valid PIN entry subsequent to an unsuccessful authentication. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 detecting a valid biometric rejection; and   determining whether the valid biometric rejection is user based or device based.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 sending a user alert to indicate a need for user training of the communication device in response to the valid biometric rejection being user based; and   sending a user alert to indicate a need for device servicing in response to the valid biometric rejection being device based.