# US 11,113,691 B2 · Voice interface transaction system using audio signals > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,113,691 B2 - Document ID: US11113691B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/141,711 - Filed: 2018-09-25 - Published: 2020-03-26 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2018-09-25 - Assignees: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. - Applicants: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. - Inventors: Matthew Joseph Castoro; Andrew Lei - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11113691B2 ## CPC - G06Q 20/32: using wireless devices - G06Q 20/38: Payment protocols; Details thereof - G06Q 20/209: {Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output} - G06Q 20/425: {using two different networks, one for transaction and one for security confirmation} - G10L 15/22: Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue - G10L 2015/225: {Feedback of the input speech} - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING ## Abstract Systems and methods for voice-enabled transactions are disclosed. A merchant system may generate a transaction request comprising a transaction amount and a merchant identifier. The merchant system may invoke an audio signal generator to generate an audio transaction signal comprising the transaction request data. A voice assistant may play the audio transaction signal. The user initiating the transaction may use a mobile device to detect and ingest the audio transaction signal. In response to detecting and ingesting the audio transaction signal, the mobile device may interact with a payment network to authorize, process, and complete the transaction request. The payment network may transmit a transaction approval to the merchant system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: generating, by a merchant computing device, a transaction request comprising a transaction amount and a merchant identifier; generating, by the merchant computing device, an audio signal comprising a header soundwave configured to indicate to a transaction account holder device that the audio signal comprises an audio transaction signal, the header soundwave including a voice assistant awake word, and wherein the audio transaction signal comprises the transaction request; playing, by the merchant computing device via a first voice assistant, the audio signal, wherein the transaction account holder device is configured to: detect the header soundwave comprised in the audio signal, and ingest the audio transaction signal by a second voice assistant in response to a passive listening detection of the voice assistant awake word in the header soundwave; receiving, by the merchant computing device, a transaction authorization for the transaction request from a payment network associated with the transaction account holder device; and completing, by the merchant computing device, the transaction request in response to receiving the transaction authorization from the payment network. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the audio transaction signal is generated by invoking an audio signal generator by transmitting the transaction request to the audio signal generator, wherein in response to receiving the transaction request, the audio signal generator is configured to generate the audio transaction signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the audio signal generator is configured to encrypt the audio transaction signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the audio transaction signal is played by invoking the first voice assistant by transmitting the audio transaction signal to the first voice assistant. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second voice assistant comprises a component of the transaction account holder device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein in response to detecting the header soundwave and ingesting the audio transaction signal, the transaction account holder device is configured to interact with the payment network to authorize the transaction request. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein in response to authorizing the transaction request, the payment network is configured to transmit the transaction authorization to the merchant computing device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the audio transaction signal comprises a frequency of about 20 Hz to about 20,000 Hz. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the audio transaction signal comprises a frequency inaudible to humans. ### Claim 10 A system comprising: a processor, a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with the processor, the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: generating, by the processor, a transaction request comprising a transaction amount and a merchant identifier; invoking, by the processor, an audio signal generator by transmitting the transaction request to the audio signal generator, wherein in response to receiving the transaction request, the audio signal generator is configured to generate an audio signal comprising a header soundwave configured to indicate to a transaction account holder device that the audio signal comprises an audio transaction signal, the header soundwave including a voice assistant awake word, and wherein the audio transaction signal comprises the transaction request; invoking, by the processor, a first voice assistant to play the audio signal, wherein the transaction account holder device is configured to: detect the header soundwave comprised in the audio signal, ingest the audio transaction signal by a second voice assistant in response to a passive listening detection of the voice assistant awake word in the header soundwave, wherein in response to detecting the header soundwave and ingesting the audio transaction signal, the transaction account holder device is configured to interact with a payment network to authorize the transaction request, and wherein in response to authorizing the transaction request, the payment network is configured to transmit a transaction authorization to the processor; and completing, by the processor, the transaction request, in response to receiving the transaction authorization from the payment network. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the audio transaction signal comprises a frequency of about 20 Hz to about 20,000 Hz. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the audio transaction signal comprises a frequency inaudible to humans. ### Claim 13 An article of manufacture including a non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computer based system, cause the computer based system to perform operations comprising: generating, by the computer based system, a transaction request comprising a transaction amount and a merchant identifier; invoking, by the computer based system, an audio signal generator by transmitting the transaction request to the audio signal generator, wherein in response to receiving the transaction request, the audio signal generator is configured to generate an audio signal comprising a header soundwave configured to indicate to a transaction account holder device that the audio signal comprises an audio transaction signal, the header soundwave including a voice assistant awake word, and wherein the audio transaction signal comprises the transaction request; invoking, by the computer based system, a first voice assistant to play the audio signal, wherein a transaction account holder device is configured to: detect the header soundwave comprised in the audio signal, ingest the audio transaction signal by a second voice assistant in response to a passive listening detection of the voice assistant awake word in the header soundwave, wherein in response to detecting the header soundwave and ingesting the audio transaction signal, the transaction account holder device is configured to interact with a payment network to authorize the transaction request, and wherein in response to authorizing the transaction request, the payment network is configured to transmit a transaction authorization to the computer based system; and completing, by the computer based system, the transaction request, in response to receiving the transaction authorization from the payment network. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the second voice assistant comprises a component of the transaction account holder device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the audio signal generator is configured to encrypt the audio transaction signal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the audio transaction signal is played by invoking the first voice assistant by transmitting the audio transaction signal to the first voice assistant. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the second voice assistant comprises a component of the transaction account holder device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the first voice assistant is configured to play the audio transaction signal at a decibel (dB) level based at least in part on a proximity of the transaction account holder device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the audio signal generator is configured to encrypt the audio transaction signal. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the first voice assistant is configured to play the audio transaction signal at a decibel (dB) level based at least in part on a proximity of the transaction account holder device.