Dynamically changeable menus based on externally available data

Claim 2

An automated telephone system for receiving calls from a plurality of telephone lines coupled to said telephone system, presenting at least one menu message to callers, prompting said callers to select at least one desired application from a plurality of applications accessible by said telephone system, receiving selections from said callers, and connecting said callers to a selected application, said telephone system comprising: means for identifying said callers; a statistical engine coupled to said telephone system for monitoring said received selections of said identified callers; means controlled from data gathered by said statistical engine for determining at least one preferred application of a first caller; and means for connecting an identified first caller directly to said at least one preferred application during a next call received from said first caller without presenting said at least one menu message.

Claim 3

The telephone system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for identifying comprises circuitry for decoding DTMF inputs received from said callers in response to a voice prompt message from said telephone system.

Claim 4

The telephone system as set forth in claim 2 wherein said DTMF inputs correspond to account numbers of said callers.

Claim 5

The telephone system as set forth in claim 2 wherein said DTMF inputs correspond to PIN numbers of said callers.

Claim 6

The telephone system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for identifying comprises circuitry for decoding ANI/DNIS data received from a telephone network.

Claim 7

The telephone system as set forth in claim 5 further comprising means for comparing a first ANI/DNIS data of a selected incoming call received from an unidentified caller with a second ANI/DNIS data stored in a selected call record associated with an account number received from said unidentified caller and generating a signal if said first ANI/DNIS data and said second ANI/DNIS data do not match.

Claim 8

The telephone system as set forth in claim 5 further comprising means for comparing a first ANI/DNIS data of a selected incoming call received from an unidentified caller with a second ANI/DNIS data stored in a selected call record associated with an account number received from said unidentified caller and generating a signal if a first geographical area associated with said first ANI/DNIS data is more than a maximum threshold distance away from a second geographical area associated with said second ANI/DNIS data.

Claim 9

The telephone system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for determining determines said at least one preferred application from a last N calls received from said first caller.

Claim 10

The telephone system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said at least one preferred application is determined by data showing said application is repeatedly accessed by said first caller on a first selected day of each month.

Claim 11

The telephone system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said at least one preferred application is determined by data showing said application is repeatedly accessed by said first caller on a first selected day of each week.

Claim 12

The telephone system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said at least one preferred application is determined by data showing application is repeatedly accessed by said first caller at a first selected time interval.

Claim 13

The telephone system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said at least one preferred application is determined by data showing a particular relationship between an identity of said first caller and a specific system application.

Claim 14

The telephone systems as set forth in claim 1 further comprising: means for selecting one or more predetermined options before said first caller calls said system, wherein said means for determining uses said predetermined options to determine said at least one preferred application.

Claim 15

The telephone system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said at least one preferred application is a non-voice application.

Claim 16

An automated telephone system for receiving calls from a plurality of telephone lines coupled to said telephone system and connecting callers to a plurality of interactive voice response (IVR) applications, said telephone system comprising: means for identifying said callers; means for generating at least one voice menu message, said at least one voice menu message comprising a plurality of selectable menu options and a prompt message prompting said callers to select one of said menu options by entering DTMF inputs on a push button telephone; means for receiving and decoding said DTMF inputs from said callers; a statistical engine coupled to said telephone system for monitoring said menu options selected by said callers, determining which of said plurality of IVR applications correspond to said menu options and updating a plurality of call records on a storage device coupled to said statistical engine, wherein each of said call records is associated with an individual caller and comprises IVR applications previously selected by said individual caller; means for determining at least one preferred application of a first caller from a first call record associated with said first caller; and means for connecting said first caller directly to said at least one preferred application during a next call received from said first caller without prompting said first caller to select said preferred application.

Claim 17

An automated telephone system for receiving calls from a plurality of telephone lines coupled to said telephone system and connecting callers to a plurality of interactive voice response (IVR) applications, said telephone system comprising: means for identifying said callers; means for generating at least one voice menu message, said at least one voice menu message comprising a plurality of selectable menu options and a prompt message prompting said callers to select one of said menu options by entering DTMF inputs on a push button telephone; means for receiving and decoding said DTMF inputs from said callers; a statistical engine coupled to said telephone system for monitoring said menu options selected by said callers, determining which of said plurality of IVR applications correspond to said menu options and updating a plurality of call records on a storage device coupled to said statistical engine, wherein each of said call records is associated with an individual caller and comprises IVR applications previously selected by said individual caller; means for determining at least one preferred application of a first caller from a first call record associated with said first caller; and means for connecting said first caller directly to said at least one preferred application during a next call received from said first caller without prompting said first caller to select said preferred application.

Claim 18

The telephone system as set forth in claim 15 where said means for identifying comprises circuitry for decoding for decoding DTMF inputs received from said callers in response to a voice prompt message from said telephone system.

Claim 19

The telephone system as set forth in claim 16 wherein said DTMF inputs correspond to account numbers of said callers.

Claim 20

The telephone system as set forth in claim 16 wherein said DTMF inputs correspond to PIN numbers of said callers.

Claim 21

The telephone system as set forth in claim 16 wherein said means for identifying comprises circuitry for decoding ANI/DNIS data received from a telephone network.

Claim 22

The telephone system as set forth in claim 19 further comprising means for comparing a first ANI/DNIS data of a selected incoming call received from an unidentified caller with a second ANI/DNIS data stored in a selected call record associated with an account number received from said unidentified caller and generating a signal if said first ANI/DNIS data and said second ANI/DNIS data do not match.

Claim 23

The telephone system as set forth in claim 20 further comprising means for comparing a first ANI/DNIS data of a selected incoming call received from an unidentified caller with a second ANI/DNIS data stored in a selected call record associated with an account number received from said unidentified caller and generating a signal if a first geographical area associated with said first ANI/DNIS data is more than a maximum threshold distance away from a second geographical area associated with said second ANI/DNIS data.

Claim 24

The telephone system as set forth in claim 15 wherein said means for determining determines said at least one preferred application from a last N calls received from said first caller.