Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Fractals in biometrics

US 7,054,811 integrates fractal analysis into biometric identification.

The first claim states:

A system for verifying and enabling user access based on voice parameters, said system comprising: a voice registration unit for registering a user by finding the user's voice parameters in a voice registration sample containing raw data and storing same in a database to provide a substantially unique and initial identification of each of a plurality of users; and a voice authenticating unit for substantially accurate verification of an identity of one of said plurality of users, said voice authenticating unit comprising: a recognition unit for providing a voice authentication sample, and being operative with said database; and a decision unit operative with said recognition unit and said database to decide whether the user associated with said voice authentication sample is the same as the identity of the user registered with the system and associated with said voice registration sample, such that said identity of one of said plurality of users is substantially accurately verified for access purposes, wherein the user's voice parameters are determined in accordance with a method comprising: eliciting a voice registration sample of at least one utterance from the user, wherein the system asks the user to say some of his characteristics; fractally analyzing said sample of at least one utterance, wherein the raw data of the user's voice is investigated and each sample gives a set of non-dimensional numbers, which characterize said voice registration sample uniquely; spectrographically analyzing said sample of at least one utterance, wherein said raw data is investigated and generates a unique voiceprint for purposes of substantially unique identification, thereby allowing extraction of geometrical characteristics relative to the user's voice; and determining the Lyapunov exponents of said sample of at least one utterance, wherein a spectrum of said exponents are computed, which further characterize said voice registration sample uniquely, wherein the identification is done in stages, by eliciting a voice authentication sample of at least one utterance from the user, and repeating said fractal analysis, spectrographic analysis and Lyapunov exponent determination steps, while automatically adapting to a continuous change of the voice parameters to overcome inherent instability associated therewith, by adding to the voice registration sample with each instance of successful voice authentication, and wherein the identification process provides said substantially accurate verification by applying a branch and bound algorithm to the voice parameters of said voice registration sample to determine the closest fit with the voice parameters of said voice authentication sample, such that the system proceeds efficiently and within a practical time frame to shorten calculation periods and achieve a calculation result in a manageable fashion, in order to decide whether the user calling in for authentication is the same as the person of that identity registered in the system.

One notes that the inventor is not that optimistic about traditional biometric methods:

Various biometric authentication methods which have been used, such as fingerprinting and iris or retinal scans, are difficult to implement as they require special hardware, and they can make people feel uncomfortable, or can even transmit illness. But, most importantly these methods have not proven to be accurate enough for absolute identification.


The patent is also relevant to the approach for patent grant rate in the third paper of Quillen and Webster.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/288,579, entitled "System and a Method for Transacting E-Commerce Utilizing Voice Recognition and Analysis", filed 6 Nov. 2002, by the same assignee; and is a continuation-in-part of pending PCT patent application number PCT/ILO3/00388 designating the United States, entitled "A System and a Method for Conducting Secure, Voice-Based, E-Commerce Transactions Over a Telecommunications Device", filed 14 May 2003, and claims priority of Provisional Patent Application 60/598,543, entitled "Method and System for verifying and enabling user access based on voice parameters", filed Aug. 4, 2004, the contents of all of which are hereby incorporated by reference.


For example, to the extent the present issued patent is a continuation-in-part of pending PCT patent application number PCT/ILO3/00388, there is NO antecedent abandonment associated with the PCT. Yet, Quillen and Webster subtract this cip from a nonexistent abandonment to obtain a grant rate in excess of 100%.



[IPBiz post 1793]

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