Authenticating and authorizing users regarding physical goods

Abstract

Briefly, a portable intelligent device is provided that has an audio input for receiving a voice input from a user and an event manager for detecting that an event has occurred. The intelligent device also stores a passcode and a voice-code indicative of the passcode that is unique to a particular user. The intelligent device presents the passcode to a user, for example, from a display on the device, or from smart phone or tablet wirelessly connected to the intelligent device. The user speaks the passcode into an input transducer (microphone) on the intelligent device, and a processor generates a voiceprint that reflects the spoken passcode. The processor then can use the stored voice-code and the generated voiceprint to determine if a specific user was speaking, and if the user spoke the correct passcode. In this way the intelligent device is able to authenticate or authorize a remote user simply by having the user anonymously speak a passcode into the intelligent device.

What is claimed, is: 
     
         1 . A user communication device, comprising:
 a processor and a memory;   a user message medium;   an audio input transducer;   voiceprint circuitry;   
       evaluation circuitry;
 communication circuitry; 
 
       wherein the user communication device performs the steps of:
 a) storing an identifier for an intelligent device, and a passcode and a voice-code, the voice-code indicative of the passcode vocalized by a user to be authenticated or authorized; 
 (b) presenting the passcode to the user using the user message medium; 
 (c) capturing, using the audio input transducer, the passcode as vocalized by the user; 
 (d) generating, using the voiceprint circuitry, a voiceprint of the captured vocalized passcode, 
 (e) evaluating, using the evaluation circuitry and the voice-code, the voiceprint; and 
 (f) authenticating or authorizing the user. 
 
     
     
         2 . The user communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the passcode or the voice-code are received from the intelligent device. 
     
     
         3 . The user communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the passcode or voice-code are received from a remote system in response to the user communication device communicating the identifier to the remote system. 
     
     
         4 . The user communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the remote authority receives the passcode or voice-code from a certificate authority by providing the identifier of the user communication device. 
     
     
         5 . The user communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the voice-code is either a native voice-code or a synthetic voice-code. 
     
     
         6 . The user communication device of according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor performs an action in response to the evaluation step. 
     
     
         7 . The user communication device according to  claim 6 , where the action includes storing, presenting, or transmitting the results of the evaluation or its determinants. 
     
     
         8 . The user communication device according to  claim 6 , wherein the actions include generating an alarm or alert signal, presenting or transmitting a message, or modifying a message presented by a user message medium of the use communication device. 
     
     
         9 . The user communication device according to  claim 6 , where the action includes generating or erasing a passcode or voice-code. 
     
     
         10 . The user communication device according to  claim 6 , where the action includes granting, terminating, or modifying a permission. 
     
     
         11 . The user communication device according to  claim 6 , where the action includes transmitting the voiceprint or information associated with the voiceprint to an intelligent device, a remote system, or a certificate authority. 
     
     
         12 . The user communication device of  claim 11 , where the information with the voiceprint includes an identifier, a passcode or a voice-code, event information input by the user or generated by the user communication device or received from an intelligent device or remote system, or the results of the evaluation. 
     
     
         13 . The user communication device of  claim 2 , wherein the passcode was generated by the intelligent device responsive to a monitored event. 
     
     
         14 . The user communication device of  claim 13 , wherein the events monitored by the intelligent device include (1) local communications and interactions, (2) actuation, (3) elapsed time, (4) changes in environmental or internal conditions. 
     
     
         15 . The user communication device of  claim 13 , further receiving event information provided by the intelligent device. 
     
     
         16 . The user communication device or the intelligent device according to  claim 1 , further being a hardware agent. 
     
     
         17 . A user communication device, comprising:
 a processor and a memory;
 a user message medium; 
 an audio input transducer; 
 voiceprint circuitry; 
 communication circuitry; 
   wherein the user communication device performs the steps of:
 (a) storing an identifier received from an intelligent device, and a passcode; 
 (b) presenting the passcode using the user message medium; 
 (c) capturing, using the audio input transducer, the presented passcode as vocalized by the user; 
 (d) generating, using the voiceprint circuitry, a voiceprint of the captured vocalized passcode, 
 (e) communicating, using the communication circuitry, the identifier or the passcode, and the voiceprint to a remote evaluation system, and 
 (f) receiving from the remote evaluation system information as to whether the user is authenticated or authorized. 
   
     
     
         18 . The user communication device of  claim 17 , wherein the passcode is received from the intelligent device or from the remote evaluation system. 
     
     
         19 . The user communication device of  claim 18 , wherein the passcode was retrieved by the remote evaluation system using the identifier. 
     
     
         20 . The user communication device of  claim 19 , wherein the passcode received from the remote evaluation system, was retrieved by the remote evaluation system from a certificate authority. 
     
     
         21 . The user communication device of  claim 17 , further storing a voice-code received from the intelligent device, the voice-code indicative of the passcode vocalized by a user to be authenticated or authorized. 
     
     
         22 . The user communication device of  claim 21 , wherein the voice-code is communicated to the remote evaluation system, and the remote evaluation system uses the voice-code to evaluate the voiceprint and authenticate or authorize the user. 
     
     
         23 . The user communication device of  claim 17 , wherein the voice-code is either a native voice-code or a synthetic voice-code.