Patent Issued for Verification of caller identification using application (USPTO 11968325): United Services Automobile Association

2024 MAY 09 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- According to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx journalists, a patent by the inventors Howell, Michael W. (San Antonio, TX, US), filed on January 13, 2023, was published online on April 23, 2024.

The assignee for this patent, patent number 11968325, is United Services Automobile Association (San Antonio, Texas, United States).

Reporters obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Phone companies can detect a phone number, if it is identified, of an incoming call and display the phone number to the user. Some users will store phone numbers in a list of contacts on their device, and their device can then display a business or other name associated with the phone number. Unfortunately, scammers and spoofers can send phone numbers, names, and/or location information through the phone system that can identify the call as originating from a different business and/or location. Therefore, users may answer the phone because they believe that they are receiving a legitimate call from a known business. Users may provide private and/or personal information to the caller that can result in fraud or identify theft.

“The techniques introduced here may be better understood by referring to the following Detailed Description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate identical or functionally similar elements. Moreover, while the technology is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are described in detail below. The intention, however, is not to limit the technology to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the technology is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the technology as defined by the appended claims.”

In addition to obtaining background information on this patent, NewsRx editors also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “Many enterprises and institutions call a user for legitimate purposes. However, users often do not answer the call because they are unsure about the identity of the caller. Even when the user recognizes the name and/or number, he or she is aware that the name and/or number can be spoofed. Many fraudsters and spoofers will manipulate the information sent with the phone call to appear to be a legitimate business, such as the Social Security Administration or a bank. The caller identification system can then present the information to the user, who may believe the call is legitimate. If the user answers the phone, he or she may provide personal and/or sensitive information that can result in identify theft or loss of money.

“Methods, systems, and apparatus disclosed herein can provide technical advantages over conventional caller identification systems by verifying the identify of a caller based on information sent in a data packet from a verified enterprise or business. Such a technique can improve a user’s interaction with verified enterprises as a visual confirmation can be presented on the display of the user’s phone or other device to identify verified calls, thus providing a technical solution for identifying verified enterprises. Additionally, the disclosed system can allow the user to better interact with the verified enterprises, such as by not missing returned or important calls (e.g., from a bank, doctor’s office, etc.). Furthermore, a technical solution is provided for reducing and/or eliminating fraud as a user can avoid answering a call that is not verified, even if the caller identification has identified the call as originating from a known caller, such as their bank. Such a technique can, for example, reduce fraud caused by spoofers who are pretending to be someone else. The example headings for the various sections below are used to facilitate the understanding of the disclosed subject matter and do not limit the scope of the claimed subject matter in any way. Accordingly, one or more features of one section can be combined with one or more features of another section.

“I. Identify a Verified Caller”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A method for verifying a communication, the method comprising: generating, by at least one enterprise device, a token that identifies at least one enterprise associated with the at least one enterprise device; embedding, by the at least one enterprise device, the token in a data packet; and sending, by the at least one enterprise device, a communication that includes the data packet with the token to a device associated with a user, wherein the device associated with the user includes an application configured to verify communications from the at least one enterprise, wherein the token corresponds to at least one token identifier that identifies the communication is from the at least one enterprise, and wherein in response to the communication being token-verified by the device, the device plays an audible token-based verification notification that identifies the at least one enterprise.

“2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: periodically generating, by the at least one enterprise device, a second token to replace the token; and embedding, by the at least one enterprise device, the second token in a second data packet.

“3. The method of claim 1, wherein the token is stored, via the application, on the device; and wherein the method further comprises pushing a token update to the device associated with the user, wherein the token update updates the token stored by the application on the device.

“4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: detecting, at the at least one enterprise, a security breach; in response to detecting the security breach, generating, by the at least one enterprise device, a second token to replace the token; and embedding, by the at least one enterprise device, the second token in a second data packet sent to the device of the user.

“5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one token identifier identifies a location of the at least one enterprise from a plurality of locations associated with the at least one enterprise.

“6. The method of claim 1, wherein the token is a series of bits, a code, or a unique identification of the at least one enterprise, and wherein the token includes ASCII characters.

“7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication is a phone call, a voicemail, or a text message.

“8. A system comprising: one or more processors; and one or more memories storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform a process for verifying a communication, the process comprising: generating, by at least one enterprise device, a token that identifies at least one enterprise associated with the at least one enterprise device; embedding, by the at least one enterprise device, the token in a data packet; and sending, by the at least one enterprise device, a communication that includes the data packet with the token to a device associated with a user, wherein the device associated with the user includes an application configured to verify communications from the at least one enterprise, wherein the token corresponds to at least one token identifier that identifies the communication is from the at least one enterprise, and wherein in response to the communication being token-verified by the device, the device plays an audible token-based verification notification that identifies the at least one enterprise.

“9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the process further comprises: periodically generating, by the at least one enterprise device, a second token to replace the token; and embedding, by the at least one enterprise device, the second token in a second data packet.

“10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the token is stored, via the application, on the device; and wherein the process further comprises pushing a token update to the device associated with the user, wherein the token update updates the token stored by the application on the device.

“11. The system according to claim 8, wherein the process further comprises: detecting, at the at least one enterprise, a security breach; in response to detecting the security breach, generating, by the at least one enterprise device, a second token to replace the token; and embedding, by the at least one enterprise device, the second token in a second data packet sent to the device of the user.

“12. The system according to claim 8, wherein the at least one token identifier identifies a location of the at least one enterprise from a plurality of locations associated with the at least one enterprise.

“13. The system according to claim 8, wherein the token is a series of bits, a code, or a unique identification of the at least one enterprise, and wherein the token includes ASCII characters.

“14. The system according to claim 8, wherein the communication is a phone call, a voicemail, or a text message.

“15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations for verifying a communication, the operations comprising: generating, by at least one enterprise device, a token that identifies at least one enterprise associated with the at least one enterprise device; embedding, by the at least one enterprise device, the token in a data packet; and sending, by the at least one enterprise device, a communication that includes the data packet with the token to a device associated with a user, wherein the device associated with the user includes an application configured to verify communications from the at least one enterprise, wherein the token corresponds to at least one token identifier that identifies the communication is from the at least one enterprise, and wherein in response to the communication being token-verified by the device, the device plays an audible token-based verification notification that identifies the at least one enterprise.

“16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise: periodically generating, by the at least one enterprise device, a second token to replace the token; and embedding, by the at least one enterprise device, the second token in a second data packet.

“17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the token is stored, via the application, on the device; and wherein the operations further comprise pushing a token update to the device associated with the user, wherein the token update updates the token stored by the application on the device.

“18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise: detecting, at the at least one enterprise, a security breach; in response to detecting the security breach, generating, by the at least one enterprise device, a second token to replace the token; and embedding, by the at least one enterprise device, the second token in a second data packet sent to the device of the user.

“19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one token identifier identifies a location of the at least one enterprise from a plurality of locations associated with the at least one enterprise.

“20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the token is a series of bits, a code, or a unique identification of the at least one enterprise, and wherein the token includes ASCII characters.”

For more information, see this patent: Howell, Michael W. Verification of caller identification using application. U.S. Patent Number 11968325, filed January 13, 2023, and published online on April 23, 2024. Patent URL (for desktop use only): https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/external.html?q=(11968325)&db=USPAT&type=ids

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