Importance

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Abstract

There is disclosed a system and method in an automated telephone system for obtaining data from sources other than the caller's answer to menu queries and directing incoming calls directly to preferred applications instead of to an introductory menu. In one embodiment, a statistical engine measures individual customer usage and stores the results in a usage history database. An inference engine then prioritizes the available applications based on past usage. When an individual customer next calls, the server can either request account and PIN numbers or trap ANI/DNIS data from the public telephone system in order to identify the individual customer. Once the customer is identified, the server branches directly to that individual customer's preferred applications. The log-in history includes time and place of call-in so that an aberrant usage alarm may be triggered by the automated telephone system that alerts customers to any unusual accesses to their personal accounts.

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First Claim