VOICE COMMAND CONTROL AND VERIFICATION SYSTEM

A voice command control and verification system and method stores for each authorized user, one or a series of speech models of voice commands or phrases uttered by the authorized user. Each speech model has an associated action component which specifies the specific action that the authorized user desires in response to the issuance of the corresponding voice command. Each user has a means of asserting his or her claimed identity to the system, preferably without an overt action such as the entry of digits. When an identity is asserted, and a voice command is thereafter spoken by a person, the system first matches a model of the voice command against the stored models for the user having the claimed identity. If there is a match, so that the voice command can be uniquely interpreted as corresponding to its associated action component, the system then verifies the claimed identity of the user by comparing the vocal characteristics contained in the same command with the vocal characteristics of the stored model. Upon successful verification, the command is executed in accordance with the associated action component. The user of the system has thus issued only a single command to both operate the system and to verify his or her identity.