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  Microphone apparatus for interactive learning systemUSPTO Application #: 20070011003Title: Microphone apparatus for interactive learning system Abstract: A microphone apparatus includes a code generator that produces a code output and communicates with a user computer over a channel via which the microphone apparatus provides an electrical signal to the user computer. The microphone apparatus is used by the user such that the user provides authentication information comprising a user code that is generated by the code generator of the microphone apparatus. (end of abstract) Agent: Townsend And Townsend And Crew, LLP - San Francisco, CA, US Inventors: Zeev Shpiro, Eric Cohen USPTO Applicaton #: 20070011003 - Class: 704229000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Data Processing: Speech Signal Processing, Linguistics, Language Translation, And Audio Compression/decompression, Speech Signal Processing, For Storage Or Transmission, Adaptive Bit Allocation The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070011003. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional application of co-pending application Ser. No. 10/023,923 filed Dec. 18, 2001 to Z. Shpiro, et al. which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/256,558 entitled "Access Control for Interactive Learning System" by Z. Shpiro et al., filed Dec. 18, 2000. Priority of the filing dates of these applications is hereby claimed, and the disclosures of these applications is hereby incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] This invention relates generally to access control for computer network resources and, more particularly, to controlling access to a network location that provides interactive learning processing. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] As commerce becomes more global, the need for understanding second languages and being able to communicate in them is growing. The Foreign Language/Second Language training industry therefore is a rapidly expanding industry, and is now investigating how to apply new technologies, such as the Internet, to such training. Current language training product elements include printed materials, audio cassettes, software applications, video cassettes, and Internet sites through which information and distance learning lessons are provided. Several attempts have been made to apply various Foreign Language/Second Language training processes to the Internet world, but most of them are simple conversions of printed, audio, and video material into a computer client-server application; i.e. the Internet applications are typically not offering new features beyond the current features offered by conventional media. [0006] The publishing industry involved with Foreign Language/Second Language training is vulnerable to lost revenue due to forgeries, lending, photocopying, and second-hand purchases of their printed training materials. A forgery occurs when someone makes an unauthorized copy of the original training materials, such as by illicit photocopying. The forgeries may be passed off as genuine, authorized materials. When a forgery is sold, the publisher receives no compensation and all revenue from the forgery is collected by the seller of the forged copy. Lending losses occur because copies of original materials are loaned to third parties, who then need not purchase the source materials. Similarly, unauthorized photocopying of original materials results in reduced demand for the materials. Second-hand purchases deprive publishers of revenue because the second-hand seller receives the revenue from such sales. All of these uses of original materials are either unauthorized or currently beyond the control of the publishers, and all reduce the publisher's revenue. It would be advantageous if producers of language training materials could capture some of the lost income from such uses of their printed materials. [0007] Modern computer technology can provide a network implementation of software applications to make on-line versions of the training materials available, thereby enabling access and approaching larger numbers of users. Computer technology can also be used to supplement and enhance the presentation of training materials. Network access to such training materials is conveniently implemented via the Internet. Because on-line access is so easily obtained, the easy access also means that the opportunity for unauthorized usage of the applications and materials in the new medium is greater. Speaker recognition technology is a potentially powerful means of increasing the efficiency, quality, and enjoyment of language instruction through on-line access. There are many applications, in different areas (such as credit card transaction authorizations, security access, password protection for access to computerized systems, etc.), where speaker recognition technology is being applied as a security measure to ensure proper identification of a user. [0008] A variety of speaker recognition products are currently offered by companies such as SpeechWorks International, Inc. of Boston, Mass., USA and Dialogic Corporation of Parsippany, N.J., USA, and the like. Speaker recognition technology also is currently being offered by companies such as ITT SpeakerKey, NetKey and WEBKey, Lucent Speaker Verification, and "SpeakEZ" from T-Netix, Inc. of Englewood, Colo., USA. An example of a commercial application is the integration of speaker verification into the "Mac OS 9" operating system by Apple Computer, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif., USA for voice verification of user access to the computer operating system. In such systems, access is denied until a speaker recognition process is completed. [0009] The phenomena of photocopying, second-hand purchase, lending, and forgery is a significant problem for the publishing industry. The publishing industry suffers significant losses of potential income due to the significant rise in second-hand sales of previously used materials, and due to purchases of books and the lending and photocopying of books, primarily in the educational sector. There are jurisdictions which advocate the enactment of lending and photocopying laws. Many of these laws might benefit the consumer, but will be highly detrimental to the publisher, because they will result in a decrease of purchases of original materials from the publisher. In addition, the forgery phenomenon prevalent in the designer clothing industry has infiltrated the publishing industry as well, resulting in serious profit losses to the publisher. [0010] Internet-based distance learning techniques are being used, where an instructional provider maintains an Internet location such as a Web site and users visit the teaching Web site to receive both instruction and assessment of skills. As noted above, however, the opportunity for fraudulent use of such learning sites is great. For example, an authorized user may gain access to the Web site for a computer learning session, but then may leave the computer and a different student may continue, taking the place of the authorized student. This is undesirable for at least two reasons: first, the performance that is viewed by the service provider is not the performance of the actual student to whom it is attributed; and secondly, at least two persons are utilizing the learning site, although only one is providing payment or being charged, resulting in revenue loss for the Web site provider. [0011] From the discussion above, it should be apparent that there is a need for a publishing product that incorporates both printed and Internet materials and that can be used only by authorized persons. Such access control would permit the publisher to benefit from licensing fees and thus earn income from users who acquired their products from sources other than the publisher. The present invention fulfills this need. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0012] The present invention provides a technique to control access to computer network resources at a computer facility by permitting a user to interact with the computer facility through a computer node of a network, wherein the user interaction comprises language learning responses submitted to the computer facility through the computer node, and by performing a user authentication process to determine if the permitted user interaction is authorized and determining whether the permitted user interaction should be continued, if the user is determined not to be authorized, wherein the user authentication process is performed with user authentication information that is obtained by the computer facility during the permitted user interaction and also with user authentication information extracted from the user's language learning responses. In this way, user authentication occurs without intruding into the utilization of the computer facility. [0013] The user authentication can occur as a result of speaker recognition processes that utilize speech information collected from the user who currently has access to the computer facility. The access control is especially suited to language training systems that collect speech information from users as part of their normal operation. In this way, the invention permits publishers of materials to incorporate both printed and Internet materials at a computer facility with confidence that the computer facility will be usable only by authorized persons. [0014] In another aspect of the invention, a user who is determined by the system to be an unauthorized user will be invited to become an authorized user, such as by paying an additional registration fee. In this way, users are unaware of any explicit user identification checking operations being carried out, and once unauthorized users are discovered, they are invited to become authorized users and continue with their learning process in exchange for paying a fee. Thus, unauthorized persons are not immediately halted from using the system, but instead are treated as an opportunity for additional selling. [0015] In yet another aspect of the invention, an input device such as a microphone apparatus can be offered for purchase wherein the microphone apparatus includes a code generator that produces a code output and communicates with the user computer over a channel via which the microphone apparatus provides an electrical signal to the user computer. In another aspect of the invention, the microphone apparatus is used by the user such that the user authentication information comprises a user code that is generated by the code generator of the microphone apparatus. [0016] Other features and advantages of the present invention should be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment, which illustrates, by way of example, the principles of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0017] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a network computer system constructed in accordance with the present invention. [0018] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram that illustrates the processing executed by the computers illustrated in FIG. 1 to provide access control in accordance with the invention. [0019] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram that illustrates the processing executed by the computers illustrated in FIG. 1 to perform the user identification processing shown in FIG. 2. [0020] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram that illustrates the processing executed by the computers illustrated in FIG. 1 to perform the user voice print processing. Continue reading... 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