Inventors:
Eugene L. Rissanen - Westerville OH
Assignee:
AT&T Corp. - Murray Hill NJ
International Classification:
G10L 900
Abstract:
Passwords are spoken by users and stored as speech models in a database. The database also contains a plurality of reference voice (RV) speech models based on speech inputs by various persons; each RV speech model includes characters, digits, or phrases comprising user assigned passwords. Preferably, a group of the RV speech models are selected based upon a predetermined level of difference between same and a speech model of the user's spoken password. In requesting access to the system, a user speaks the assigned password. The password entered by the user to obtain access is compared with user's own speech models and with the selected RV speech models to determine a measure of similarity. The validity of the password is determined based upon this measure of similarity.