WO2013186755A2 - Methods circuits systems software applications and associated computer executable code for checking an implied or declared age and or gender of a party attempting to access a digital resource such as online content or a digital communication session with another party through the use of a computing device - Google Patents

Description

Methods Circuits Systems Software Applications and Associated Computer Executable Code for Checking an Implied or Declared Age and or Gender of a Party Attempting to Access a Digital Resource Such as Online Content or a Digital Communication Session with Another Party Through the Use of a Computing

Device

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[001] The present invention generally relates to the fields of digital communication, computing and security. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods, systems, software applications and computer executable code for checking an implied or declared age and or implied gender of a party attempting to access a digital resource such as online content or a digital communication session with another party through the use of a computing device.

BACKGROUND

[002] An online predator is an adult Internet user who exploits vulnerable children or teens, usually for sexual or other abusive purposes. Online victimization of minors can include child grooming, requests to engage in sexual activities or discussions by an adult, unwanted exposure to sexual material (email with naked pictures, etc.), and online harassment, threats or other aggressive communications that are not sexual in nature but cause distress, fear or embarrassment.

[003] It is well known that kids are heavy users of Internet communication tools such as social networking, chat rooms, e-mail, and instant messaging (IM). These are all a major part of their social life. Most of the time these tools are harmless and kids will use them to communicate with people they know in the "real world", and to enhance their social lives. But you should also be aware of the fact that your children may be at potential risk of encountering online predators. This is especially true for those times when kids use these means in order to "meet new friends", and it's not always easy for them to tell when "new friends" have bad intentions.

[004] Chat rooms, instant messaging, Internet forums, social networking sites, and even video game consoles have all been accused of attracting online predators. Software that attempts to monitor computer activity has seen some popularity with parents concerned about Internet predators.

[005] There are organizations that fight against online predators. During 2006 and 2007, the American news-magazine Dateline came out with To Catch a Predator. What began as a single episode turned into a long running and explosively popular continuation of the concept that lasted for several months, and prompted a national dialogue on internet safety for preteens and adolescents. With the participation of vigilantes by the name of Perverted-Justice.com, would-be child abusers were lured to numerous residential homes throughout the US under the ruse of having sex with a young boy or girl.

[006] The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children funded a study by the Crimes Against Children Research Center in 2006 of youth Internet users over a five year period. They found: • An increase in encountering unwanted exposures to sexual material (from 25% to 34%).

• An increase in cases of online harassment (from 6% to 9%).

• A decrease in those receiving unwanted sexual solicitations (from 19% to 13%).

• 40% of all youth Internet users said online solicitors asked them for nude or sexually explicit photographs of themselves.

• Only a minority of youth who had unwanted sexual solicitations, unwanted exposures to sexual material, or harassment said they were distressed by the incidents.

• One-third of the solicitations (31 %) were aggressive, meaning the solicitors made, or attempted, offline contact with youth.

[007] Using online chat rooms, social networks, etc., anyone can very easily take on a false identity and pretend to be someone else. Just recently a group of Canadian university students set up a false profile on Facebook of an attractive young girl (for experimentation purposes) and within minutes received dozens of accepts for friendship requests from their classmates, all aged 20 and over. Within 24 hours the girl had 25 new friends, some of whom were asking her out on dates and revealing their inner thoughts in online chat sessions. The anonymity provided online can serve to hide the true identity of an online predator. Someone posing as a 15 year old teenager can in actuality be a 37 year old male. Online predators take advantage of this anonymity to build trust and intimacy and develop online relationships with innocent young boys and girls of all ages. In some cases, online predators pretending to be children or teens will arrange in person meetings with children they have met online.

[008] There is a need for methods and systems to check or validate the age and/or gender of parties to a digital communication session, impede predators' access to communicate with children and to restrict underage people's ability to enter age sensitive/restricted sites and content.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[009] The present invention includes methods, systems, applications and associated computer executable code or applications for checking a declared or implied age and/or gender of a declaring party attempting to access a digital resource such as online content or a digital communication session with another party through the use of a computing device and/or platform. The present invention includes methods, systems, applications and associated computer executable code for checking a declared age and/or declared gender of a party to a computer based/facilitated communication session, for example: (1 ) an instant text message session, (2) chat room conversation, (3) email exchange, and (4) etc. The declaration may be voluntary and/or requested from the party to be checked.

[0010] A system for checking a declared or implied age or gender of a declaring party attempting to access a digital resource such as online content or a digital communication session with another party, through the use of a computing device over communication platform, may include a server adapted to convey self- executing code (e.g. challenge generating software application (CGSA)) to the computing device, which self-executing code may be adapted to: (1 ) accesses one or more user input circuits and one or more user output circuits of the computing device; (2) render through one or more of the user output circuits a challenge message; (3) samples a response to the rendered challenge message through one or more of the device input circuits; and (4) convey data related to or derived from the samples to age or gender assessment logic or module. The rendered challenge may be selected from the group consisting of: (1 ) an audio rendered statement to be repeated verbally, (2) an audio rendered question to be answered verbally, (3) an audio rendered music segmented to sing along with, (4) a text based statement to be vocalized, (5) a text based question to be answered verbally, and (6) an image to be verbally described.

[001 1] According to further embodiments, the self-executing code may access a video camera of the computing device, and optionally the challenge to the declaring party may include presenting themselves to the camera, for example presenting themselves in one or more postures or with one or more facial expressions. The self-executing code may acquire and sample multiple images of the declaring party, optionally responding to the challenge. The code may crop any acquired image, for example centering on a face and optionally removing limbs or torso portions from the image.

[0012] The acquired/sampled image(s) may be computer analyzed to assess age and/or gender of the declaring party. According to further embodiment, the acquired/sampled image may be compared against a database of images, for example: (1 ) child images previously used, (2) images of known sex offenders, and (3) published child/adult images available on the internet. According to further embodiments, the system may prompt the declaring party for approval to acquire and analyze their image.

[0013] According to embodiments, the assessment logic may be adapted to analyze the samples and to estimate an age or gender of the declaring party. The assessment logic/module may be integral or otherwise functionally associated with a validation module. The validation module may be adapted to validate or reject the declared or implied age or gender. Some or all of said assessment logic may be operative on the computing device - as part of the self-executing code. Some or all of said validation module may be operative on the computing device as part of the self-executing code. Some or all of said assessment and/or validation modules may be operative on a remote server.

[0014] According to further embodiments, the system may include a gatekeeping module adapted to either enable or disable access to the digital resource based on an output of the validation module. The gatekeeping module may be integral or otherwise functionally associated with the digital resource being accesses, for example: (1 ) a server of a chat service provider/platform, (2) a third party security providing service used/linked by the chat service provider/platform, and/or a network appliance of an internet service provider hosting the digital resource. The gatekeeping module may be integral or otherwise functionally associated with a computing device of other communication session members, for example children accessing on online child's chat room. [0015] According to some embodiment, the system may include synthetic voice countermeasure logic or module(s). For example, a modulated channel sounding audio signal may be transmitted to and/or rendered through the user output circuits during a challenge response period and the channel sounding audio signal may be sampled through the user input circuits. The countermeasure logic may be integral or otherwise functionally associated with signal processing algorithms or modules adapted to detect within the sampled sounding audio signal indicia, such as frequency and/or time shifts between the rendered and sampled signals, of a synthetic voice source. According to further embodiments, the countermeasure logic may be adapted to issue challenge messages including content selected or configured to frustrate or cause malfunction in a synthetic voice source.

[0016] According to further embodiments, the challenge message may include content which is selected to frustrate an adult impersonating a child. Likewise, the challenge message may include content which is selected to frustrate a child impersonating an adult.

[0017] According to further embodiments, there is provided a system for monitoring and securing a communication session, wherein the system may include a monitoring application running on a computing device associated with a node of the communication session. The monitoring application may be adapted to sense a risk parameter or factor of a communication signal received by the node, wherein the risk factor is either a presence or an absence of a signal characteristic. The risk factor may be selected from the group consisting of: (1 ) absence of an expected audio watermark, (2) absence of authorized digital certificate or marker indicating a vetted or trusted source, (3) presence of an audio artifact, (4) undetermined communication signal source, (5) unauthorized communication signal source, (6) signal content includes disapproved content, (7) signal content indicates speaker deception, and (8) signal content indicates speaker is unknown or unauthorized.

[0018] The system may further include a notification module adapted to notify a user of the computing device of a detected risk factor. The system may further include a reporting module adapted to report the risk to a remote server or device (e.g. associated with a child's parents), optionally with a copy of some or all of the content of the communication stream assessed as risky. Optionally, the notification module may act as a gatekeeping module and may terminate or discontinue the communication session.

[0019] According to further embodiment, communication between various functional blocks and/or modules of the system may be secured using encryption and/or digital certificates. Additionally, the system may issue a declaring party a unique identifier and/or a unique digital certificate. Some identifiers/certificates may certify that the party has validated their declared age or gender.

[0020] According to further embodiments, a party being approached for a communication session over a digital communication platform may, manually or automatically, trigger the self-executing code/application to be sent to the approaching party, either as a signed file or as a link to the file. Once executed, results of the declaration validation processed may be transmitted by the system to the party which was approached.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with objects, features, and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0022] Fig. 1 is a concept level diagram showing a party attempting to access one or more digital resources, including age specific content and/or communication sessions with other parties, through an online platform associated with an exemplary system according to embodiments;

[0023] Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary system according to embodiments;

[0024] Fig. 3. is a flowchart including exemplary steps performed by a system according to embodiments; and

[0025] Fig. 4 is a chart including exemplary parameters used as part of age/gender assessment according to some embodiments.

[0026] It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The present invention includes methods, systems, applications and associated computer executable code for checking a declared or implied age and/or gender of a declaring party attempting to access a digital resource such as online content or a digital communication session with another party through the use of a computing device, The present invention includes methods, systems, applications and associated computer executable code for checking a declared age and/or declared gender of a party to a computer based/facilitated communication session, for example: (1 ) an instant text message session, (2) chat room conversation, (3) email exchange, and (4) etc. According to some embodiments, a challenge message may be generated by a computer application and transmitted to a party implying or declaring a specific age and/or gender (e.g. female child, male or female teen, etc.) in connection with participation in the computer based communication session. The terms "queried party", "party to be queried" and/or "to be queried party" may refer to a party or person who has implied or declared an age and/or gender and to whom a challenge message is sent. Upon receipt of the application generated challenge message, the queried party may be invited, requested or otherwise prompted to speak, sing or otherwise vocalize content within the application generated challenge message. A digitized sampling of the vocalized content may be computationally analyzed to assess or determine whether the queried party does in fact belong to their implied or declared age group and/or gender.

[0028] In the following description, various embodiments of the invention will be described. For purposes of explanation, specific examples are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of at least one embodiment of the invention. However, it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that other embodiments of the invention are not limited to the examples described herein. Furthermore, well-known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure embodiments of the invention described herein.

[0029] Unless specifically stated otherwise, as apparent from the following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the specification, discussions utilizing terms such as "selecting," "processing," "computing," "calculating," "determining," or the like, may refer to the actions and/or processes of a computer, computer processor or computing system, or similar electronic computing device, that may manipulate and/or transform data represented as physical, such as electronic quantities within the computing system's registers and/or memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computing system's memories, registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices. In some embodiments processing, computing, calculating, determining, selecting and other data manipulations may be performed by one or more processors that may in some embodiments be linked. [0030] The processes and functions presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer, handset, network or other apparatus. Embodiments of the invention described herein are not described with reference to any particular programming language, machine code, etc. It will be appreciated that a variety of programming languages, network systems, protocols or hardware configurations may be used to implement the teachings of the embodiments of the invention as described herein.

[0031] According to some embodiments, there may be provided a challenge generating software application (CGSA) integral or otherwise functionally associated with a communication application usable by two or more parties as part of a communication session (e.g. chat room, Instant Message, etc.) over a distributed data network (e.g. the Internet). A CGSA according to embodiments may, in response to a message generation trigger, generate a challenge message including content intended for viewing and vocalization by a party whose implied/declared age and/or gender is to be check, authenticated and/or validated. The challenge message may be dynamically generated or dynamically selected from a set of predefined messages, and a time window may be set for responding to the message with a vocalization of the content within the challenge message. Content within the challenge message may be in the format of a written text word or phrase, one or more graphical representation(s), one or more sounds, multimedia, and/or any other message conveying format known today or to be devised in the future. [0032] The challenge message may be transmitted to a computing device being used by to be queried party, optionally the same computing device being used to engage in a current communication session, and if to be queried party responds to the challenge message with a vocalization, a digital sampling of the vocalization may be transmitted from the computing device to an analysis module for age/gender authentication. The analysis module may also receive the digital sampling of the queried party's message content vocalization and may perform analysis on the digital sampling in order to assess or determine an age range and/or gender of the queried party.

[0033] According to further embodiments, the analysis module may also receive an indication, optionally in text format, of actual content within the challenge message sent to the queried party. According to such embodiments, the analysis module may perform speech recognition on the digital sampling of the vocalization received from the queried party in order to validate that the received sampled vocalization corresponds (e.g. same words) to the content of the challenge message sent to the queried party. According to such embodiments, the analysis unit may perform two comparisons: (1 ) comparing the recognized speech content to content from the challenge message, and (2) compare one or more vocal parameters extracted from the digital sample against reference ranges or reference sets of values for the extracted parameters, wherein a reference range of values or a reference set of values may be associated with one or more specific age ranges and/or a gender. Only if the recognized speech matched the content and the extracted vocal parameter values matched the declared age and/or gender would the analysis module indicate a validation of the declared age and/or gender.

[0034] According to yet further embodiments, the analysis module may further include Synthetic voice detection functionality, wherein the analysis module looks for factors, parameters or markers in the voice sample indicative a computer generated voice and/or splicing of pre-recorded word vocalizations.

[0035] According to some embodiments, the CGSA may be associated with an online age restricted content source (e.g. online casino or adult content website) or age restricted online communication venue (e.g. online social network such as Facebook, or online adult dating sites). According to such embodiments, challenge messaged may be generated and sent to parties attempting to access the content source or venue in order to validate the party attempting to access the site is of the required age.

[0036] The CGSA and/or analysis module may be implemented as a standalone application installed on a computing device, PDA or smartphone. Alternatively, both the CGSA and/or analysis module may be implemented on a server which provides authentication/validation services to client devices. The CGSA and/or analysis module may be implemented on a server associated with an age restricted content source or online venue. Given the distributed nature or network based communication, any permutation of the above listed options is also possible and falls within the spoke of the present invention. [0037] A system for checking a declared or implied age or gender of a declaring party attempting to access a digital resource such as online content or a digital communication session with another party, through the use of a computing device over a communication platform, may include a server adapted to convey self-executing code (e.g. challenge generating software application (CGSA)) to the computing device, which self-executing code may be adapted to: (1 ) accesses one or more user input circuits and one or more user output circuits of the computing device; (2) render through one or more of the user output circuits a challenge message; (3) samples a response to the rendered challenge message through one or more of the device input circuits; and (4) convey data related to or derived from the samples to age or gender assessment logic or module. The rendered challenge may be selected from the group consisting of: (1 ) an audio rendered statement to be repeated verbally, (2) an audio rendered question to be answered verbally, (3) an audio rendered music segmented to sing along with, (4) a text based statement to be vocalized, (5) a text based question to be answered verbally, and (6) an image to be verbally described.

[0038] According to further embodiments, the self-executing code may access a video camera of the computing device, and optionally the challenge to the declaring party may include presenting themselves to the camera, for example presenting themselves in one or more postures or with one or more facial expressions. The self-executing code may acquire and sample multiple images of the declaring party, optionally responding to the challenge. The code may crop any acquired image, for example centering on a face and optionally removing limbs or torso portions from the image. [0039] The acquired/sampled image(s) may be computer analyzed to assess age and/or gender of the declaring party. According to further embodiment, the acquired/sampled image may be compared against a database of images, for example: (1 ) child images previously used, (2) images of known sex offenders, and (3) published child/adult images available on the internet. According to further embodiments, the system may prompt the declaring party for approval to acquire and analyze their image.

[0040] According to embodiments, the assessment logic may be adapted to analyze the samples and to estimate an age or gender of the declaring party. The assessment logic/module may be integral or otherwise functionally associated with a validation module. The validation module may be adapted to validate or reject the declared or implied age or gender. Some or all of said assessment logic may be operative on the computing device - as part of the self-executing code. Some or all of said validation module may be operative on the computing device as part of the self-executing code. Some or all of said assessment and/or validation modules may be operative on a remote server.

[0041] According to further embodiments, the system may include a gatekeeping module adapted to either enable or disable access to the digital resource based on an output of the validation module. The gatekeeping module may be integral or otherwise functionally associated with the digital resource being accesses, for example: (1 ) a server of a chat service provider/platform, (2) a third party security providing service used/linked by the chat service provider/platform, and/or a network appliance of an internet service provider hosting the digital resource. The gatekeeping module may be integral or otherwise functionally associated with a computing device of other communication session members, for example children accessing on online child's chat room.

[0042] According to some embodiment, the system may include synthetic voice countermeasure logic or module(s). For example, a modulated channel sounding audio signal may be transmitted to and/or rendered through the user output circuits during a challenge response period and the channel sounding audio signal may be sampled through the user input circuits. The countermeasure logic may be integral or otherwise functionally associated with signal processing algorithms or modules adapted to detect within the sampled sounding audio signal indicia, such as frequency and/or time shifts between the rendered and sampled signals, of a synthetic voice source. According to further embodiments, the countermeasure logic may be adapted to issue challenge messages including content selected or configured to frustrate or cause malfunction in a synthetic voice source.

[0043] According to further embodiments, the challenge message may include content which is selected to frustrate an adult impersonating a child. Likewise, the challenge message may include content which is selected to frustrate a child impersonating an adult.

[0044] According to further embodiments, there is provided a system for monitoring and securing a communication session, wherein the system may include a monitoring application running on a computing device associated with a node of the communication session. The monitoring application may be adapted to sense a risk parameter or factor of a communication signal received by the node, wherein the risk factor is either a presence or an absence of a signal characteristic. The risk factor may be selected from the group consisting of: (1 ) absence of an expected audio watermark, (2) absence of authorized digital certificate or marker indicating a vetted or trusted source, (3) presence of an audio artifact, (4) undetermined communication signal source, (5) unauthorized communication signal source, (6) signal content includes disapproved content, (7) signal content indicates speaker deception, and (8) signal content indicates speaker is unknown or unauthorized.

[0045] The system may further include a notification module adapted to notify a user of the computing device of a detected risk factor. The system may further include a reporting module adapted to report the risk to a remote server or device (e.g. associated with a child's parents), optionally with a copy of some or all of the content of the communication stream assessed as risky. Optionally, the notification module may act as a gatekeeping module and may terminate or discontinue the communication session.

[0046] According to further embodiment, communication between various functional blocks and/or modules of the system may be secured using encryption and/or digital certificates. Additionally, the system may issue a declaring party a unique identifier and/or a unique digital certificate. Some identifiers/certificates may certify that the party has validated their declared age or gender. [0047] According to further embodiments, a party being approached for a communication session over a digital communication platform may, manually or automatically, trigger the self-executing code/application to be sent to the approaching party, either as a signed file or as a link to the file. Once executed, results of the declaration validation processed may be transmitted by the system to the party which was approached.

Challenge Message Delivery Mechanisms

[0048] According to some embodiments, a generated challenge message including dynamically generated content may be in the form of a web browser viewable code, which code may include a browser executable challenge applications. The challenge application may be a Java application, a Flash application or any other browser executable application known today or to be devised in the future. The web browser code, including code for the challenge application, may be dynamically generated and stored at a web server location. A link (e.g. URL) to the code may be transmitted to a communication application (e.g. email client, instant messenger, web browser logged into a chat room, etc.) being used by the queried party. Upon the queried party following the link in a web browser, the challenge application may be loaded and instanced in the browser. The challenge application may present the queried party with its payload content and may interact with a microphone functionally associated with the computer upon which the web browser is running in order to obtain a sampling of the queried party's vocalization of the presented content. The challenge application may notify/prompt the queried party to vocalize the content within some limited period of time after the content is presented. If the queried party does not vocalize the presented content within the allotted time period, the application may signal a functionally associated server application that the validation has timed out or failed. The challenge application may be adapted to locate and access microphone drivers, and thus a microphone, on the computing device used by the queried party.

[0049] According to further embodiments, the challenge application may be otherwise delivered to the queried party's computing device or platform. Some examples of delivery mechanisms include email, FTP links and any other digital content/application delivery mechanisms known today or to be devise in the future.

Challenge Message Content Selection and Querying Scenarios

[0050] The challenge message may be presented to the queried party with dynamically selected or generated content in a variety of formats including text, images, audio, etc. According to some embodiments, the dynamically generated or selected content imbedded within a challenge message may at least partially a function of the implied or declared age and/or gender of the to be queried party. Text, images and/or audio of the challenge message may be selected such that the content represented thereby is familiar to a person of the declared age group and/or gender. Additionally, the format in which content is imbedded into a challenge message may likewise be a function of the declared age and/or gender. According to further embodiments, a time period for vocalizing of the presented content may be a function of the declared age/gender. [0051] One example of the content which may be selected and embedded in a challenge message may be lyrics of a song currently popular with the declared age/gender. When presented to the queried party, the queried party may be asked to speak or to sing the lyrics. Other examples may include images of actors or actresses currently popular with the declared age/gender, and the queried party may be asked to vocalize either the name of the actor or the name of a character the actor played in a film or show.

[0052] According to some embodiments, challenge message content generation or selection may be a function of content of the communication session (e.g. chat). An application according to embodiments, may monitor text being exchanges during a communication session and may detect that an age or a gender was implied or declared by a party to the chat. The application may generate (e.g. instantly) and send to the implying/declaring party a challenge message in response said detection. Alternatively, a challenge generation application according to embodiments may be manually triggered by any party to a digital communication using a computing functionally associated with the challenge generation application.

[0053] Various other content selection and querying scenarios may be applicable to the present invention.

Analysis Techniques

[0054] Various speech sample analysis techniques may be used to estimate, assess or otherwise determine a queried party's age/gender. Many of the techniques include spectral decomposition of the sample, and some include matching to values associated spectral components present in the sample with reference values. According to some embodiments, there may be provided a query response analyzer module which may extract one or more vocal parameters and associated values in order to compare the values of the extracted vocal parameters to reference ranges or reference sets of values for the extracted parameters. Each reference ranges of values or reference set of values may be associated with one or more specific age groups and/or genders. If the extracted parameter values don't correspond to or fall within the value range associated with the declared age/gender, a false declaration alert may be generated.

[0055] An publication entitled: "Automatic Recognition of Speakers' Age and Gender on the Basis of Empirical Studies" by Christian Muller from German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence Germany, hereby incorporated by reference, is a description of one such technique. However, it should be understood that any technique for voice/speech based age/gender assessment, known today or to be devised in the future, is applicable to the present invention.

[0056] According to some embodiment, the analysis module may receive parameters for voice sample analysis from a bank of samples, which bank of samples may be generated and optionally updated using digital solicitations to known members of different age groups, genders and demographics. According to embodiments, there may be provided an automated voice sample solicitation system which transmits voice sample request to members of a group, which request may be digital and may include a voice sampling application and/or a link to a voice sampling application. As part of the request, a person providing a voice sample may be asked to confirm: (1 ) their age, (2) their gender, (3) their ethnic group, (4) their weight and height, and (5) smoking habits. Additionally, the request may include one or more written words or phrases which the sample provider is asked to vocalize while running the voice sample collection application. According to further embodiments, a homogenous age group (e.g. a class of kids) may be samples to generate bank samples associated with the age range of the homogenous age group. According to further embodiments, a homogenous gender group (e.g. a girl's school class) may be samples to generate bank samples associated with the gender of the homogenous gender group. Any combination of sampling techniques is applicable to the present invention.

Post Analysis Behavior

[0057] Authentication or validation of an implied and/or declared age and/or gender by the analysis module may result in an approval of access to a communication session and/or undisrupted continuation of an ongoing communication session in which the queried party was engaged. Alternatively, a failure to authentic or validate an implied/declared age/gender may result in disruption of the communication session. In the event validation failed due to a definitive result from the analysis, a second challenge message may be sent to the queried party in order to perform a second validation attempt. However, if the result of the analysis of the vocalization sample indicates a strong probability that the queried party falsely implied or declared their gender or age by a significant amount (e.g. 18+ year old male pretending to be a female teen or adolescent, or a 13 year old pretending to be an adult of age to gamble), alerts may be generated and/or issued to parties with whom the queried party was engaged in a communication session and possibly to law enforcement bodies.

[0058] According to further embodiments, including those related to either child protection and/or age restricted content access control, a challenge message may be intermittently generated and transmitted to a party already validated so as to revalidate that party. The interval between intermittently challenge requests may fixed, random or dynamically determined based on a variety of factors and possible triggers detected within the to be queried parties online behavior.

[0059] Turning now to Fig. 1 , there is shown a concept level diagram showing a party attempting to access one or more digital resources, including age specific content and/or communication sessions with other parties, through an online platform associated with an exemplary system according to embodiments. As a party attempts to access one or more digital resources through the provider's platform an age/gender validation server, which is at least partially integral with the platform, receives information relating to the attempt and sends validation code/application to the party. Turning now to Fig. 2, there is shown a functional block diagram of an exemplary system according to embodiments, including the various modules of the system which may be executed either on the server or on the computing device of the party. As evident from Fig. 3, which shows a flowchart including exemplary steps performed by the system according to embodiments, I/O circuits of the party's computing device are accessed, a challenged message is rendered, a response to the message is sampled, assessed/analyzed, and a validation determination is made. Positive validation will result in access being granted. Validation failure will result in a rejection of service and possible reporting of the attempt.

[0060] Turning now to Fig. 4, there are shown tables including exemplary parameters used as part of age/gender assessment according to some embodiments. Frequencies of speech, segmented by age, gender and vowels are listed. These tables are based on empirical data collected from studies and may be used as part of a age/gender assessment/validation process according to embodiments.

[0061] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that embodiments of the invention are not limited by what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of at least one embodiment of the invention is defined by the claims below.

Claims

CLAIMS I claim:

1 . A system for checking a declared or implied age or gender of a declaring party attempting to access a digital resource such as online content or a digital communication session with another party through the use of a computing device, said system comprising:

a server adapted to convey self-executing code to the computing device, which self-executing code is adapted to: (1 ) accesses one or more user input circuits and one or more user output circuits of the computing device; (2) render through one or more of the user output circuits a challenge message; (3) sample a response to the rendered challenge message through one or more of the device input circuits; and (4) convey data related to or derived from the samples to age or gender assessment logic.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the rendered challenge is selected from the group consisting of: (1 ) an audio rendered statement to be repeated verbally, (2) an audio rendered question to be answered verbally, (3) an audio rendered music segmented to sing along with, (4) a text based statement to be vocalized, (5) a text based question to be answered verbally, (6) an image to be verbally described, and (7) an instruction to present oneself to a camera of the computing device.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the assessment logic is adapted to analyze the samples and to estimate an age or gender of the declaring party.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said assessment logic is integral or otherwise functionally associated with a validation module.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein some or all of said assessment logic is operative on the computing device.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein some or all of said validation module is operative on the computing device.

7. The system according to claim 4, wherein said validation module is adapted to validate or reject the declared or implied age or gender.

8. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a gatekeeping module adapted to either enable or disable access to the digital resource based on an output of the validation module.

9. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising synthetic voice countermeasure logic.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein a modulated channel sounding audio signal is rendered through the user output circuits during a challenge response period and the channel sounding audio signal is sampled through the user input circuits.

1 1 . The system according to claim 10, wherein said countermeasure logic is integral or otherwise functionally associated with signal processing algorithms adapted to detect within the sampled sounding audio signal indicia of a synthetic voice source.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein said countermeasure logic is adapted to issue challenge messages including content selected or configured to frustrate or cause malfunction in a synthetic voice source.

13. The system according to claim 2, wherein said challenge message includes content which is selected to frustrate an adult impersonating a child.

14. The system according to claim 2, wherein said challenge message includes content which is selected to frustrate a child impersonating an adult.

15. A system for monitoring and securing a communication session, said system comprising:

a monitoring application running on a computing device associated with a node of the communication session, said monitoring application adapted to sense a risk factor of a communication signal received by the node, wherein the risk factor is either a presence or an absence of a signal characteristic.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the risk factor is selected from the group consisting of: (1 ) absence of an expected audio watermark, (2) presence of an audio artifact, (3) undetermined communication signal source, (4) unauthorized communication signal source, (5) signal content includes disapproved content, (6) signal content indicates speaker deception, and (7) signal content indicates speaker is unknown or unauthorized.

17. The system according to claim 15, further comprising a notification module adapted to notify a user of the computing device of the risk factor.

18. The system according to claim 15, further comprising a reporting module adapted to report the risk to a remote server or device.