IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,407,686
Granted Patent B2
US 12,407,686 · App. 18/116,605 · Granted Sep 2, 2025

Biometric access to service providers

Inventors: Jonathan Regalado (Lynnwood, WA); Kirk W. McGettigan (Bellevue, WA); Sheetal Guttigoli (Bellevue, WA); Dustin Martinka (Issaquah, WA)
Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.
H04L63/0861
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,407,686
App. No.
18/116,605
Granted
Sep 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A contact may select to use a biometric input to access help and services related to the contact. On a portable computing device, a user may contact a help service. The help service contact address may be known and an app may execute if the contact attempts to communicate with the contact address. The app may receive the biometric data, compare it to known biometric data for the user and determine if the received biometric data is sufficiently close to the stored biometric data, the communication may be forwarded to a help or service agent.

Claims (90)

1. A method of authenticating a user for services comprising:

receiving a service request for the services from the user at a service receiver;

determining if the service request is directed to a known help address;

determining if authorization is needed by matching the service request to a list of known service addresses;

receiving, via a display interface, an indication of an acceptance to use a biometric verification app to access the services;

providing, via the display interface, an option to select the biometric verification app as a default authentication app for future service requests to the known help address that require authentication;

receiving a selection from the user, via the display interface, to set the biometric verification app as the default authentication app for future service requests to the known help address that require authentication;

setting the biometric verification app as the default authentication app for future service requests to the known help address that require authentication;

in response to the service request being directed to the known help address,

receiving a biometric input from the user via the biometric verification app;

determining whether the biometric input is over a determined comparison threshold to a known biometric signature for the user;

connecting the service request to a service agent;

accessing data related to the service request for the user to present to the service agent; and

displaying the data related to the service request for the user to the service agent on a user interface.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining if the user agrees to use the biometric input to obtain the services;

in response to the user agreeing to use the biometric input:

accessing the biometric input of the user;

storing the biometric input in relation to the data related to the user; and

storing an indication to use the biometric verification app in response to the user making the service request for the services.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining if the user has indicated acceptance to use the biometric verification app to access the services.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biometric input is an electronic file.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biometric input is at least one of:

a facial recognition scan,

a fingerprint scan or

an iris scan.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the known help address is a phone address or an IP address.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining additional data about user services and user equipment;

determining most common problems for the user services and the user equipment; and

preparing to respond with predetermined response to the most common problems for the user services and the user equipment.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the predetermined response is determined using machine learning on past problems and past solutions for the user services and the user equipment.

9. A non-transitory computer storage medium comprising computer executable instructions to physically configure a processor to perform operations comprising authenticate a user for services comprising computer executable instructions for:

receiving a service request for services from a user at a service receiver;

determining if the service request is directed to a known help address;

determining if authorization is needed by matching the service request to a list of known service addresses;

receiving, via a display interface, an indication of an acceptance to use a biometric verification app to access the services;

providing, via the display interface, an option to select the biometric verification app as a default authentication app for future service requests to the known help address that require authentication;

receiving a selection from the user, via the display interface, to set the biometric verification app as the default authentication app for future service requests to the known help address that require authentication;

setting the biometric verification app as the default authentication app for future service requests to the known help address that require authentication;

in response to the service request being directed to the known help address,

receiving a biometric input from the user via the biometric verification app;

determining whether the biometric input is over a determined comparison threshold to a known biometric signature for the user;

connecting the service request to a service agent;

accessing data related to the service request for the user to present to the service agent; and

displaying the data related to the service request for the user to the service agent on a user interface.

10. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 9 , the operations further comprising computer executable instructions for:

determining if the user agrees to use the biometric input to obtain the services;

in response to the user agreeing to use the biometric input:

accessing the biometric input of the user;

storing the biometric input in relation to the data related to the user; and

storing an indication to use the biometric verification app in response to the user making the service request for the services.

11. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 9 , the operations further comprising computer executable instructions for determining if the user has indicated acceptance to use the biometric verification app to access the services.

12. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the biometric input is an electronic file.

13. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the biometric input is at least one of:

a facial recognition scan,

a fingerprint scan or

an iris scan.

14. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the known help address is a phone address or an IP address.

15. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 9 , the operations further comprising computer executable instructions for:

obtaining additional data about user equipment and user services;

determining most common problems for the user services and the user equipment; and

preparing to respond with predetermined response to the most common problems for the user services and the user equipment.

16. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the predetermined response is determined using machine learning on past problems and past solutions for the user services and the user equipment.

17. A computer system comprising a service server comprising:

a processor physically configured according to computer executable instructions,

a memory to store the computer executable instructions and

an input-output circuit,

the computer executable instructions which physically configure the processor to perform operations authenticate a user for services comprising computer executable instructions for:

receiving a service request for services from a user at a service receiver;

determining if the service request is directed to a known help address;

determining if authorization is needed by matching the service request to a list of known service addresses;

receiving, via a display interface, an indication of an acceptance to use a biometric verification app to access the services;

providing, via the display interface, an option to select the biometric verification app as a default authentication app for future service requests to the known help address that require authentication;

receiving a selection from the user, via the display interface, to set the biometric verification app as the default authentication app for future service requests to the known help address that require authentication;

setting the biometric verification app as the default authentication app for future service requests to the known help address that require authentication;

in response to the service request being directed to the known help address,

receiving a biometric input from the user;

determining whether the biometric input is over a determined comparison threshold to a known biometric signature for the user;

connecting the service request to a service agent;

accessing data related to the service request for the user to present to the service agent; and

displaying data related to the service request for the user to the service agent on a user interface.

18. The computer system of claim 17 , the operations further comprising computer executable instructions for:

determining if the user agrees to use the biometric input to obtain the services;

in response to the user agreeing to use the biometric input:

accessing the biometric input of the user;

storing the biometric input in relation to the data related to the user; and

storing an indication to use the biometric verification app in response to the user making the service request for the services.

19. The computer system of claim 17 , the operations further comprising computer executable instructions for determining if the user has indicated acceptance to use the biometric verification app to access the services.

20. The computer system of claim 17 , wherein the biometric input is an electronic file.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2023
From: MCGETTIGAN, KIRK W.; GUTTIGOLI, SHEETAL; MARTINKA, DUSTIN; REGALADO, JONATHAN
To: T-MOBILE USA, INC.
Reel/Frame 063852/0798 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17071471 · Oct 15, 2020
Related Publication 20230254307A1 · Aug 10, 2023
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