Apple patents voice biometrics-based device access system

Apple has patented a system for electronic “(d)evice access using voice authentication,” which would allow users to unlock a device or use a feature such as Siri with voice biometrics. The patent filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office describes the use of a text-independent voiceprint to authenticate the proper user and grant access to a restricted feature in a single step.

Voice data can be collected to train the system during normal voice interactions, to generate a voiceprint and authenticate it either locally or on a network server. The system could also be used to access Siri or another feature without fully unlocking the device.

“A device can include a more user-friendly authentication process for accessing a locked device,” according to the patent summary. “A user’s voice can be authenticated at the same time that a voice command is processed; no separate authentication step is required. The device can generate a voiceprint while the user speaks voice commands into the device; no separate speaker recognition training step is required. The voice authentication features disclosed below can provide fast and secure voice control access to any/all features of the device.”

Apple was reported in August to be considering voice recognition as a means of distinguishing between multiple users of a device, according to Apple Insider.

Among Apple’s many patents filed, published, or granted this year, the company recently had an optical 3D fingerprint system filing published by the USPTO.

Article Topics

access control  |  Apple  |  authentication  |  patents  |  voice biometrics  |  voiceprints