Audio Authentication Using Gap-Embedded Hash Keys

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

There is an increase in voice-based authentication fraud due to the copying and cropping of audio clips for unauthorized transactions, necessitating effective protection and authentication of published audio files.

Innovation Solution

An audio file authentication system that extracts audio features, generates hash keys, and embeds them into audio gaps to create a processed audio file, using AI models to ensure authenticity and prevent manipulation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If audio files are published on social media platforms, then visibility and communication effectiveness are improved, but vulnerability to voice-based authentication fraud increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication effectivenessVSAvoidvoice-based authentication fraud
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary authentication by embedding hash keys into the audio file before publication. This preventive measure ensures that the audio file is protected against unauthorized copying and cropping before it becomes vulnerable to fraud on social media platforms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces hash keys as an intermediary element that mediates between the audio content and authentication verification. These hash keys serve as a digital signature that enables verification of the audio file's authenticity without interfering with the audio's communication function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If hash keys are embedded into audio gaps, then authentication accuracy is improved, but audio file complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication accuracyVSAvoidaudio file structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies local quality by embedding hash keys specifically in the audio gaps rather than throughout the entire audio file. This targeted approach maintains high authentication accuracy while minimizing the impact on the overall audio file structure and usability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the audio file into speech segments and audio gaps, then selectively embeds hash keys only in the gaps. This segmentation strategy improves authentication precision without significantly complicating the audio file's practical structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If AI models are trained to adapt to age-related changes and noise, then authentication reliability is improved, but processing time and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication reliabilityVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The AI models are trained in advance on diverse datasets that include age-related voice changes and background noise. This preliminary training enables the models to quickly authenticate audio files in real-time without requiring extensive processing during actual authentication operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system adapts authentication parameters based on detected voice characteristics, including age-related changes. By dynamically adjusting parameters rather than using fixed thresholds, the system maintains high reliability across different demographics while optimizing processing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS12499897B2System and method for authentication of processed audio files
Publication Date: 2025.12.16 MASTERCARD INT INC
  • US12499897B2 patent drawing
  • US12499897B2 patent drawing
  • US12499897B2 patent drawing

AI summary

An audio file authentication system configured to extract a plurality of audio features for a plurality of raw audio files containing a digital recording of a specific user's voice, provide an authenticated audio file that includes a digital recording the specific user's voice based on the authentication information for the specific user, generate a parent hash key and sequential child hash keys that are unique to the authenticated audio file, and generate a processed audio file in which the parent hash key and each of the sequential child hash keys is inserted sequentially as data within the audio gaps of the audio file.