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US 5,825,856 AGranted
Interactive voice response system for banking by telephone
AssigneeCitibank, N.A.
InventorsDonna Porter, Lawrence D. Weiss
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An interactive voice response system provides voice prompts that supply information to a user, request data from the user, and present the user with a plurality of selectable options. The user can first select one or more options by providing one or more letters of the alphabet corresponding to one or more of the selectable options. If the letter or letters that are provided correspond to more than one selectable option, the user further selects one of the options from among the selectable options corresponding to the one or more letters.
Claims57
An interactive voice response system that allows a user to conduct financial transactions, including bill payment, by telephone, comprising:
- a first host network connected to at least one financial institution, said financial institution maintaining an account for the user;
- means for determining whether the user should be transferred to a second host network comprising:
- means for prompting the user to enter a user identifier;
- means for collecting the user identifier;
- means for identifying the user based on the user identifier and means for prompting the user to enter a personal identification code, means for collecting the personal identification code, and means for verifying the personal identification code is correct for the user;
- and means for transferring the user to the second host network when the determination is that the user should be transferred;
- means for allowing the user to exchange information concerning the account, including account balance information and fund transfer information, with the first host network by telephone;
- means for providing voice prompts that supply information to the user, and request data from the user;
- said means for providing voice prompts including means for providing voice prompts that present the user with a sequential listing of available transaction options;
- means for allowing the user to select any of the plurality of available transaction options by providing an input into the system in response to one of said voice prompts;
- wherein one of the available transaction options is bill payment and the system further includes means for allowing the user to select a payee, the means for allowing the user to select a payee including means for providing voice prompts that present the user with a sequential listing of one or more payees from a list of potential payees;
- and
- means for allowing the user to select any payee from the sequential listing of one or more payees by providing an input into the system in response to one of said voice prompts that present the user with a sequential listing of one or more payees from the list of potential payees.
10 more elements
An interactive voice response system for allowing a user to perform transactions with a first remote host network, comprising:
- means for determining whether the user should be transferred to a second host network comprising:
- means for prompting the user to enter a user identifier;
- means for collecting the user identifier;
- means for identifying the user based on the user identifier and means for prompting the user to enter a personal identification code;
- means for collecting the personal identification code;
- and means for verifying the personal identification code is correct for the user;
- and means for transferring the user to the second host network when the determination is that the user should be transferred;
- means for allowing the user to exchange information with the first host network by telephone;
- means for providing voice prompts that supply information to the user and request data from the user;
- voice menu means, responsive to user inputs, for providing the user a voice menu of a plurality of available transaction options;
- menu selection means for allowing the user to select a menu of one or more of said available transaction options by entering letters of the alphabet corresponding to one or more of said available transaction options;
- and
- means for allowing the user to select any of one or more said available transaction options presented in the voice menu by providing an input into the system;
- wherein the user can select any of one or more said available transaction options presented in the voice menu by providing an affirmative input and wherein the voice menu means continues to list the one or more of said available transaction options until all of the one or more of said available transaction options have been listed or the user makes some input.
11 more elements
A method of operating an interactive voice response system that allows a user to conduct financial transactions by telephone, comprising the steps of:
- providing a first host network connected to at least one financial institution, said financial institution maintaining an account for the user;
- determining whether the user should be transferred to a second host network by promoting the user to enter a user identifier;
- collecting the user identifier;
- identifying the user based on the user identifier and prompting the user to enter a personal identification code;
- collecting the personal identification code;
- and verifying the personal identification code is correct for the user;
- and, when a determination is made that the user should be transferred to the second host network, transferring the user to the second host network;
- if the determination is that the user should not been transferred, then allowing the user to exchange information concerning the account, including account balance information and fund transfer information, with the first host network by telephone;
- providing voice prompts that supply information to the user and request data from the user;
- providing voice prompts that present the user with a sequential listing of available transaction options, wherein one of the available transaction options is bill payment;
- allowing the user to select any of the available transaction options solely by providing an input into the system in response to one of said voice prompts wherein said affirmative input is constant for any of one or more said available transaction options;
- and
- providing means for selecting a payee, the step of providing means for selecting a payee including providing voice prompts that present the user with a sequential listing of one or more payees from a list of potential payees and allowing the user to select any payee from the sequential listing of one or more payees solely by providing an affirmative input into the system in response to one of said voice prompts that present the user with a sequential listing of one or more payees from a list of potential payees.
10 more elements
A method of operating an interactive voice response system for allowing a user to perform transactions with a first remote host network, comprising the steps of:
- determining whether the user should be transferred to a second host network by prompting the user to enter a user identifier;
- collecting the user identifier;
- identifying the user based on the user identifier and prompting the user to enter a personal identification code;
- collecting the personal identification code;
- and verifying the personal identification code is correct for the user;
- and, when a determination is made that the user should be transferred to the second host network, transferring the user to the second host network;
- if the determination is that the user should be transferred, then allowing the user to exchange information with the first host network by telephone;
- providing voice prompts that supply information to the user and request data from the user;
- providing a voice menu of a plurality of available transactions to the user;
- providing menu selection means for allowing the user to select a menu of one or more available transaction options by entering letters of the alphabet corresponding to one or more of said available transaction options;
- allowing the user to select any available transaction option by providing an input into the system;
- and
- continuing to list all available transaction options until all available transaction options have been listed or the user makes some input.
10 more elements
An interactive voice response system for conducting financial transactions, including bill payment transactions, using a network connected to at least one financial institution, said financial institution maintaining an account for a specific user, said system comprising:
- a first host computer system that is capable of generating voice message signals;
- means for determining whether the user should be transferred to a second host computer comprising:
- means for prompting the user to enter a user identifier;
- means for collecting the user identifier;
- means for identifying the user based on the user identifier and means for prompting the user to enter a personal identification code;
- means for collecting the personal identification code;
- and means for verifying the personal identification code is correct for the user;
- and means for transferring the user to the second host computer when the determination is that the user should be transferred;
- at least one remote communication terminal comprising user input means and audio output means for producing audible messages in response to the voice message signals, said remote communication terminal coupled to a dial-up telephone line, said remote communication terminal including means for allowing the user to generate first data representing a payee, second data representing an amount, and third data representing a network compatible personal identification number;
- telecommunication means for communicating said first, second and third data from said remote communication terminal to said first host computer via said dial-up telephone line;
- said first host computer further including means for generating a digital message responsive to said communicated first, second and third data for applying said digital message including said network compatible personal identification number to said network so as to selectively perform transactions, including bill payment transactions, within said user account so as to selectively effect debiting of said user account substantially in real-time in response to user input;
- and
- further comprising:
- means for connecting the user to a customer service representative in response to a predetermined user input.
11 more elements
A method of operating an automated voice response system that allows a user to conduct financial transactions by telephone, comprising the steps of:
- providing a first host network connected to at least one financial institution maintaining an account for a specific user;
- prompting the user to enter a user identifier;
- collecting the user identifier;
- identifying the user based on the user identifier;
- prompting the user to enter a personal identification code;
- collecting the personal identification code;
- verifying the personal identification code is correct for the user;
- determining whether the user identifier corresponds to a local account or a second host network;
- transferring the user to a second host network when a determination is made that the user belongs to the second host network and notifying the user of a transfer to the second host network;
- if the determination is that the user should not been transferred, then allowing the user to exchange information concerning the account, including balance information and fund transfer information, with the first host network by telephone;
- providing voice prompts that supply information to the user, request data from the user and present the user with a sequential listing of available transaction options;
- and
- allowing the user to select any of said available transaction options solely by providing an affirmative input into the system in response to one of said voice prompts, wherein said affirmative input is constant for all of said available transaction options.
10 more elements
An automated voice response system that allows a user to conduct financial transactions by telephone, comprising:
- a first host network connected to at least one financial institution, said financial institution maintaining an account for the user;
- means for determining whether the user should be transferred to a second host network comprising:
- means for prompting the user to enter a user identifier;
- means for collecting the user identifier;
- means for identifying the user based on the user identifier and means for prompting the user to enter a personal identification code;
- means for collecting the personal identification code;
- means for verifying the personal identification code is correct for the user;
- and means for transferring the user to the second host network when the means for determining determines that the user should be transferred;
- means for allowing the user to exchange information concerning the account, including account balance information and fund transfer information, with the first host network by telephone;
- means for providing voice prompts that supply information to the user, request data from the user and present the user with a sequential listing of available transaction options;
- means for allowing the user to select any available transaction option solely by providing an affirmative input into the system in response to one of said voice prompts, wherein said affirmative input is constant for all of said available transaction options.
8 more elements
An automated voice response system for conducting financial transactions using a first network connected to at least one financial institution, said financial institution maintaining an account for a user, said system comprising:
- a first host computer system that is capable of generating voice message signals;
- means for determining whether the user should be transferred to a second host computer comprising:
- means for prompting the user to enter a user identifier;
- means for collecting the user identifier;
- means for identifying the user based on the user identifier and means for prompting the user to enter a personal identification code, means for collecting the personal identification code and means for verifying the personal identification code is correct for the user;
- and means for transferring the user to the second host computer when the means for determining determines that the user should be transferred;
- at least one remote communication terminal comprising user input means and audio output means for producing audible messages in response to the voice message signals, said remote communication terminal coupled to a dial-up telephone line, said remote communication terminal including means for generating first data representing a transaction, second data representing an amount, and third data representing a network compatible personal identification number;
- telecommunications means for communicating said first, second and third data from said remote communication terminal to said first host computer via said dial-up telephone line;
- said first host computer further including means for generating a digital message responsive to said communicated first, second and third data and for applying said digital message including said network compatible personal identification number to said first network so as to selectively perform transactions within said user account;
- and
- means for connecting the user to a customer service representative in response to a predetermined user input.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.