Apparatus and accompanying methods for preventing toll fraud through use of centralized caller voice verification

Claim 1

In a public switched telephone network, apparatus for selectively extending a call through the network from a caller placing the call via an access facility connected to the network, to a destination number, said apparatus comprising: a switching network connected to the caller and the destination number by the public switched telephone network, responsive to an instruction, for selectively routing a call therethrough so as to connect a caller to a destination number; an indicia validator, connected to said switching network, for determining, in response to a first message containing a query to a line information database (LIDB), whether a pre-defined indicia for said caller signifies that said call should be routed through said switching network means and, in response thereto, generating a second message responsive to said query, said indicia validator having a common channel signaling network and a service control point, said common channel signaling network being connected to said service control point and to both said switching network and a voice processor, said service control point including: a database; means for storing said database; and a database processor, connected to said storing means and to said common channel signaling network, for interrogating said database in response to said first message and, in response to a result of said interrogation, generating said second message, the contents of said second message being determined by an indication stored within said database and associated with an indicia contained within said first message; and said voice processor, connected to said switching network and to said indicia validator, for obtaining said indicia from said caller and, in response thereto, producing said first message containing the indicia and, in response to said second message, generating said instruction to said switching network; said voice processor comprising: a tandem switch connected to said switching network and to said common channel signaling network; a voice service node for verbally communicating with a caller and obtaining voice responses therefrom so as to extract said indicia from said caller; a voice verifier, connected in series, both in a voice path and a data path, between said tandem switch and said voice service node, for verifying the voice of said caller before the call is completed; and wherein in said voice processor: said voice service node generates, in response to said indicia, said first message and passes said first message through said voice verifier to said tandem switch for subsequent application to said common channel signaling network; said tandem switch receives said second message from said common channel signaling network; said voice verifier intercepts all call processing messages flowing between said tandem switch and said voice service node and holds said second message from the tandem switch until said voice verifier has completed a successful voice verification of the caller; and said voice verifier passes said second message onward to said voice service node to generate said instruction, said instruction subsequently being passed through said voice verifier to said tandem switch and onward thereby to said switching network.