FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to network communication and, more specifically, providing for identity verification of parties participating in distributed network communications, such as, but not limited to, telephone calls, electronic mail, text/Short Message Service (SMS) messages and the like.

BACKGROUND

In today's communication environment parties to a communication, such as telephone callers and recipients, electronic mail (email) senders and recipients and the like have no foolproof and/or dynamic means to determine if the communication identifier (ID), e.g., telephone number, email address or the like is, in fact, associated with party that the communication ID purports to be associated with. For example, a telephone call recipient may receive a call from a caller that purports to be a trusted entity, such as a financial entity, a charity or the like. If the telephone call recipient questions the veracity of the identity of the caller, the only option that the recipient may have is to disengage from the current call (i.e., hang up) and call back at a telephone number they believe to be associated with the trusted entity (i.e., a number provided in a trusted listing, such as a website, mailing, card face or the like). Furthermore, when a calling party locates a telephone number of a desired call recipient through an unverified or otherwise questionable source, the calling party may not be without doubt that the telephone number is, in fact, associated with the desired call recipient.

The inability to verify the identity of telephone callers/recipient, email senders/recipients and the like is especially problematic with the proliferation of nefarious entities masquerading as actual communication parties, such as financial institutions, charities and the like, in attempt to gain access to a parties confidential information and/or resources. In this regard, a nefarious entity may use a communication ID that is highly similar or otherwise appears to be an actual communication ID of the alleged communication party, when, in fact, the communication ID is associated with the nefarious entity.

Therefore, a need exists to develop systems, methods, computer program products and the like that provide dynamic verification that communication IDs are, in fact, associated with the communication party that they purport to be associated with. In this regard, the desired systems and the like should provide a communication receiver, such as a telephone call recipient or email recipient with instantaneous/dynamic recognition that that the communication ID (i.e., telephone number, email address or the like) is verifiably associated with the communication party that it purports to associated with. Further, the desired systems and the like should provide a communication sender, such as a telephone caller or email sender verified assurance that a communication ID that they select for making a call or sending an email is, in fact, associated with the communication party that it purports to be associated with.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following presents a simplified summary of one or more embodiments in order to provide a basic understanding of such embodiments. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated embodiments and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of all embodiments, nor delineate the scope of any or all embodiments. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more embodiments in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

Embodiments of the present invention address the above needs and/or achieve other advantages by providing systems, computer-implemented methods, computer program products and the like that provide verification of the identities of parties participating in network-based communication, such as telephone communication, including SMS/text communication, email communication and the like. In this regard, the present invention verifies that communication identifiers (IDs) (e.g., telephone numbers, email addresses or the like) are associated with one or more communication parties and, in response to verification, establishes a verified communication (ID) database that stores records that serve to verifiably associate the communication IDs with the communication parties. In response to a first communication party selecting or inputting a communication ID for purposes of addressing a network-based communication or identifying a communication ID from a received network-based communication, the database is used to determine whether the communication ID is verifiably associated with the communication party (i.e., intended recipient or the sender). If the determination is made that the communication ID is verifiably associated with the communication, a visual or audible output (e.g., a flag, check mark or predetermined sound) is provided at the user device that indicates that the communication ID is verifiably associated with the communication party.

In specific embodiments of the invention, the primary communication application being implemented on a user device, such as telephone call application, an email application and Short Message Service (SMS)/text application, is monitored for identifying communication IDs from inbound and outbound call, emails, texts or the like. Once a communication ID has been identified, the verified communication ID database is accessed to determine whether the communication ID is verifiably associated with a communication party. If the communication ID is determined to be verifiably associated with the communication party, a visual or audible output is provided to the call/text/email recipient or call/text/email sender that the communication ID of the call/email/text being sent or received is, in fact, verifiably associated with the communication party (i.e., the party to whom the call/text/email is being sent or the party from whom the call/text/email is being received).

In other specific embodiments of the invention of the invention, a user (e.g., telephone caller or email sender) is provided a verified communication ID application, which provides the user access to at least a portion of the verified communication ID database. In this regard, a user can select a communication ID (or a communication party) from the database and have verified knowledge, through visual or audible output of an indicator, that the communication ID they are selecting for making a call or sending an email is, in fact, a communication ID associated with the intended communication party/receipt.

A system for verifying identities of parties participating in network communications defines first embodiments of the invention. The system includes a first computing platform having a first memory and at least one first processing device in communication with the first memory. The first memory stores first instructions that are executable by the first processing device and configured to verify that communication identifiers (e.g., telephone numbers, email addresses, tokens associated with either telephone numbers or email addresses and the like) are, in fact, associated with at least one of a plurality of communication parties. The system additionally includes a communication identifier database configured to receive the verified communication identifiers and associated communication parties and store records that serve to associate each of the communication identifiers with one or more of the communication parties.

The system additionally includes a second communication platform having a second memory and at least one second processing device in communication with the second memory. The second memory stores second instructions that are executable by the second processing device. The second instructions are configured to, in response to a first party selecting or inputting, at a first device, a first communication identifier for purposes of addressing a first network-based communication that is being sent to a second party, determine, from the communication identifier database, whether the first communication identifier is verifiably associated with the second party. In addition, the second instructions are configured to, in response to determining that the first communication identifier is verifiably associated with the second party, provide a visual or audible output at the first device that indicates that the second party is verified as being associated with first communication identifier.

In specific embodiments of the system, the second instructions are further configured to, in response to determining that the first communication identifier is verifiably associated with the second party, initiate the first network-based communication to the second party.

In further specific embodiments of the invention, the second instructions are further configured to, in response to the first device receiving a second network-based communication, identify a second communication identifier included within the second network-based communication. In addition, the second instructions are configured to, in response to identifying the second communication identifier, determine, from the communication identifier database, whether the second communication identifier is verifiably associated with a communication party. Further, the second instructions are configured to, in response to determining that the second communication identifier is verifiably associated with a communication party, provide, as part of the second communication, a visual or audible output at a first device that is configured for at least one (i) identifying the communication party as the sender of the second network-based communication and (ii) indicating that the communication party is verifiably associated with second communication identifier.

In additional specific embodiments of the system, the second instructions are further configured to act as proxy for a communication application that is executable on the first device. In this regard, the second instructions are further configured to monitor the communication application to identify first communication identifiers being selected by the first party for purposes of addressing communications being communicated through the communication application to second parties. In addition, in such embodiments of the system, the second instructions are configured to, in response to identifying a first communication identifier, access the communication identifier database to determine whether the first communication identifier is verifiably associated with a second party. Moreover, in such embodiments of the system, the second instructions are further configured to, in response to determining that the first communication identifier is verifiably associated with the second party, provide a visual or audible output at the first device that indicates that the second party is verified as being associated with first communication identifier and, in some specific embodiments, initiate the first network-based communication to the second party.

In related embodiments of the system, in which the second instructions are further configured to act as proxy for a communication application that is executable on the first device, the second instructions are further configured to monitor the communication application for receipt of second network-based communications and identify, from the communications, second communication identifiers included within the second network-based communications. Additionally, in such embodiments, the second instructions are further configured to, in response to identifying a second communication identifier, access the communication identifier database to determine whether the second communication identifier is verifiably associated with a communication party. Further, in such embodiments of the system, the second instructions are further configured to, in response to determining that the second communication identifier is verifiably associated with a communication party, provide, as part of the second communication, a visual or audible output at a first device that is configured for at least one of (i) identifying the communication party as the sender of the second network-based communication and (ii) indicating that the communication party is verifiably associated with second communication identifier.

Additionally, in other specific embodiments of the system, the second instructions are configured to provide the first device with a visual or audible listing, compiled from the communication identifier database, of a plurality of verified communication identifiers and corresponding parties associated with each of the verified communication identifiers. Additionally, in such embodiments of the system the second instructions are further configured to, in response to the first party selecting one of (i) a first verified communication identifier from the listing or (ii) a second party associated with the first verified communication identifier, address the first network-based communication with the first verified communication identifier, and provide the visual or the audible output at the first device that indicates that the second party to is verified as being associated with first communication identifier.

Moreover, in additional specific embodiments of the system, the first instructions are further configured to implement a trusted distributed communication network including a plurality of decentralized nodes to validate, based on a convergence by at least two of the decentralized nodes, that the communication identifiers are verifiably associated with at least one of the plurality of communication parties. In related embodiments of the system, the first instructions are configured to store the database as part of a distributed ledger that is in communication with or stored within the trusted distributed communication network.

A computer-implemented method for verifying identities of parties participating in network communications defines second embodiments of the invention. The computer-implemented method is executable by one more processing devices. The method includes verifying that each of a plurality of communication identifiers are associated with at least one of a plurality of communication parties. The method further includes storing, within a database, a plurality of records, each record serving to verify an association of one of the plurality of communication identifiers with at least one of the communication parties. In addition, the method includes, in response to a first party selecting or inputting, at a first device, a first communication identifier for purposes of addressing a first network-based communication that is being sent to a second party, determining, from the database, whether the first communication identifier is verifiably associated with the second party. Moreover, the method includes, in response to determining that the first communication identifier is verifiably associated with the second party, providing a visual or audible output at the first device that indicates that the second party is verified as being associated with first communication identifier.

In specific embodiments the computer-implemented method further includes, in response to determining that the first communication identifier is verifiably associated with the second party, initiating the first network-based communication to the second party.

In other specific embodiments the computer-implemented method further includes, in response to the first device receiving a second network-based communication, identifying a second communication identifier included within the second network-based communication. Additionally, in such embodiments, the method additionally includes, in response to identifying the second communication identifier, determining, from the database, whether the second communication identifier is verifiably associated with a communication party. Further, in such embodiments, the method includes, in response to determining that the second communication identifier is verifiably associated with a communication party, providing, as part of the second communication, a visual or audible output at a first device that is configured for at least one (i) identifying the communication party as the sender of the second network-based communication, and (ii) indicating that the communication party is verifiably associated with second communication identifier.

In still further specific embodiments of the computer-implemented method includes monitoring a communication application to identify first communication identifiers being selected by the first party for purposes of addressing communications being communicated through the communication application to second parties. In such embodiments of the computer-implemented method, determining further includes, in response to identifying a first communication identifier, accessing the database to determine whether the first communication identifier is verifiably associated with the second party. In related embodiments, the computer-implemented method further includes monitoring the communication application for receipt of second network-based communications and identify, from the communications, second communication identifiers included within the second network-based communications. In such embodiments, the computer-implemented method further includes, in response to identifying a second communication identifier, accessing the database to determine whether the second communication identifier is verifiably associated with a communication party. Additionally, in such embodiments the computer-implemented method further includes, in response to determining that the second communication identifier is verifiably associated with a communication party, providing, as part of the second communication, a visual or audible output at a first device that is configured for at least one of (i) identifying the communication party as the sender of the second network-based communication and (ii) indicating that the communication party is verifiably associated with second communication identifier.

Moreover, in further specific embodiments the computer-implemented method includes providing the first device with a visual or audible listing, compiled from the database, of a plurality of verified communication identifiers and corresponding parties associated with each of the verified communication identifiers. Additionally, in such embodiments of the computer-implemented method, determining and providing the visual or audible output further include, in response to the first party selecting one of (i) a first verified communication identifier from the listing or (ii) a second party associated with the first verified communication identifier, addressing the first network-based communication with the first verified communication identifier, and providing the visual or the audible output at the first device that indicates that the second party to is verified as being associated with first communication identifier.

A computer program product comprising non-transitory computer-readable code defines third embodiments of the invention. The computer-readable code includes a first set of codes for causing a computer processing device to verify that each of a plurality of communication identifiers are associated with at least one of a plurality of communication parties. In addition, the computer-readable code includes a second set of codes for causing a computer processing device to store, within a database, a plurality of records, each record serving to verify an association of one of the plurality of communication identifiers with at least one of the communication parties. Further, the computer-readable code includes a third set of codes for causing a computer processing device to, in response to a first party selecting or inputting, at a first device, a first communication identifier for purposes of addressing a first network-based communication that is being sent to a second party, determine, from the database, whether the first communication identifier is verifiably associated with the second party. In addition, the computer-readable code includes a fourth set of codes for causing a computer processing device to, in response to determining that the first communication identifier is verifiably associated with the second party, provide a visual or audible output at the first device that indicates that the second party is verified as being associated with first communication identifier and, in some specific embodiments, initiate the first network-based communication to the second party.

In specific embodiments of the computer program product, the computer-readable medium further includes a fifth set of codes for causing a computer processing device to, in response to the first device receiving a second network-based communication, identifying a second communication identifier included within the second network-based communication. In addition, the computer-readable medium includes a sixth set of codes for causing a computer processing device to, in response to identifying the second communication identifier, determine, from the database, whether the second communication identifier is verifiably associated with a communication party. Further, the computer-readable code includes a seventh set of codes for causing a computer processing device to, in response to determining that the second communication identifier is verifiably associated with a communication party, provide, as part of the second communication, a visual or audible output at a first device that is configured for at least one (i) identifying the communication party as the sender of the second network-based communication, and (ii) indicating that the communication party is verifiably associated with second communication identifier.

According to further specific embodiments of the computer program product, the computer-readable medium additionally includes a fifth set of codes for causing a computer monitoring a communication application to identify (i) first communication identifiers being selected by the first party for purposes of addressing communications being communicated through the communication application to second parties, and (ii) from the second network-communications received at the communication application, second communication identifiers included within the second network-based communications. In such embodiments of the computer program product, the third set of codes are further configured to cause the computer processing device to, in response to identifying a first and second communication identifiers, accessing the database to determine (i) whether the first communication identifier is verifiably associated with the second party and (ii) whether the second communication identifier is verifiably associated with a communication party. Additionally, in such embodiments of the computer program product, the fourth set of codes are further configured to cause the computer processor device to, in response to determining that the second communication identifier is verifiably associated with a communication party, provide one of (i) a visual or audible output at the first device that indicates that the second party is verified as being associated with first communication identifier, and (ii) as part of the second communication, a visual or audible output at a first device that is configured for at least one of (a) identifying the communication party as the sender of the second network-based communication and (b) indicating that the communication party is verifiably associated with second communication identifier.

Thus, systems, apparatus, methods, and computer program products herein described in detail below provide for provide verification of the identities of parties participating in network-based communication, such as telephone communication, including SMS/text communication, email communication and the like. In this regard, the present invention verifies that communication identifiers (IDs) (e.g., telephone numbers, email addresses or the like) are associated with one or more communication parties and, in response to verification, establishes a verified communication (ID) database that stores records that serve to verifiably associate the communication IDs with the communication parties. The database is subsequently used as the basis for determining whether a selected communication ID for communication being sent or a communication ID in a communication received is verifiably associated with communication party (i.e., the intended recipient of the communication or the alleged sender of the communication).

The features, functions, and advantages that have been discussed may be achieved independently in various embodiments of the present invention or may be combined with yet other embodiments, further details of which can be seen with reference to the following description and drawings.

