Biometric security firm Nxt-ID, which develops the Wocket digital wallet, has filed a patent for a voice directed payment solution that the firm says will offer a convenient and secure biometric option for making purchases.Under NXT-ID's new system, payment accounts stored on a mobile wallet or device can be selected via voice recognition and the payment account only be accessed if both the speech (the word associated with the payment account) and the speaker (a biometric) are both recognized.Payment is then directed to an appropriate interface, such as Magnetic Stripe Emulation (MSE), Near Field Communication (NFC), or other interface to perform the payment with the selected account.”We are very excited to offer this new convenient and secure method to make payments”, says David Tunnell, Chief Technology Officer of NXT-ID. “We've all been there – Waiting in line as we fumble through our wallets to fine the right card or information. With this invention, we not only secure your data by recognizing you are who you say you are from your voice, but we also provide an extremely convenient way for you to select how you wish to pay.”The patent also introduces the concept of “voice cards”, which are alias names given by a user to describe specific private information such as credit and debit cards, and the authentication can be shared securely by two devices.”To make it even more convenient, the voice may be recognized and emulated on the same device, such as a cell phone or our Wocket smart wallet, or recognized on one device and directed to another device such as a watch or a reprogrammable smart card like our WocketCard to then make the payment,” said Tunnell.Earlier this month, the firm patented a solution that created the ability for multiple devices to collaborate with one another to improve various services such as personal authentication. He added that the ability to name your account further protects your information since no one knows which card you are choosing. For instance, no private information is revealed if you say “grocery card” or “gas card number 3”. NXT-ID's Wocket works on existing payment terminals. The device is the size of a small calculator and can store data on up to 10,000 debit, credit and loyalty cards. Wocket can also communicate with phones or tablets using an app.
NXT-ID patents voice-driven payments solution
