Pre-authentication system and method for outgoing communication

• US 9,756,182 B1
• Filed: 03/03/2017
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Original Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Inventors: Simon, Charlie Aziz, Mou, Jacob Mine
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Van D
• Application Number:
  US15/449,626
• Time in Patent Office: 186 Days
• Field of Search: 379 8801- 8802 I, 379 8804, 37926502, 704270, 705 44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/105 Financial transactions and auctions, e.g. bidding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2027 Live party detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6072 Authentication using challenger response
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/18 Automated outdialling systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/385 using speech signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends

Abstract

An automated calling system authenticates and subsequently communicates via a telephone network with a person such as a current or prospective customer. The communication may be in regards to an account having an adverse account status (e.g. a payment delinquency, an overdrawn checking account, being over the credit limit on a credit card, excessive transactions on one account, suspicious or fraudulent transactions on an account, and so on).

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having machine instructions stored therein, the instructions being executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform operations for communicating with a customer via a telephone network, the operations comprising:

transmitting a message over the telephone network to the customer concerning remediating an adverse account condition of a first account held by the customer;

determining an amount of funds in a second account held by the customer;

generating a settlement option to transfer funds from the second account, based on the determining that the second account has sufficient funds, to remediate the adverse account condition of the first account;

receiving a request from the customer to perform the settlement option; and

performing the settlement option responsive to receiving the request.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the telephone network comprises at least one of:

a telephone utility connection, a cellular network connection, and a voice-over-internet protocol connection.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein transmitting the message over the telephone network comprises making a telephone call.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the message is a voice message.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise generating the message based on text stored in the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising authenticating a person who responds to the telephone message as the customer.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the authenticating comprises at least one prompting, wherein the prompting comprises prompting a person to indicate whether the person is the customer by prompting the person to provide a correct answer to a security question, and prompting the person to provide a keypad input response.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving an input from the person responsive to the at least one prompting;

determining, based on the input, that the person is the customer; and

presenting, responsive to the determination that the person is the customer, the settlement option to the person.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the telephone message comprises a prompt to identify a future date on which to make the funds transfer.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising selecting the customer to be contacted prior to transmitting the telephone message, wherein the customer is selected for message transmission based on the customer having the first account with the adverse account condition.

11. A method for processing a message transmitted over a telephone network, comprising:

transmitting, using an automated communication system comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having machine instructions stored therein, the instructions being executable by a processor, the message over the telephone network to an account holder of a banking institution in response to the account holder having at least a first account with an adverse account status, the message comprising a prompt asking if the account holder would like to resolve the adverse account status;

authenticating a person who responds to the message as the account holder;

determining an amount of funds in a second account held by the account holder;

generating a settlement option to transfer funds from the second account, based on the determining that the second account has sufficient funds, to remediate the adverse account condition of the first account;

receiving a request from the account holder to perform the funds transfer; and

performing the funds transfer responsive to receiving the request.

12. The method for processing a message transmitted over a telephone network of claim 11, wherein the telephone network comprises at least one of:

a telephone utility connection, a cellular network connection, and a voice-over-internet protocol connection.

13. The method for processing a message transmitted over a telephone network of claim 11, wherein transmitting the message over the telephone network comprises making a telephone call.

14. The method for processing a message transmitted over a telephone network of claim 11, further comprising generating, using a voice signal generator of the automated communication system, a voice signal, wherein the message comprises the voice signal.

15. The method for processing a message transmitted over a telephone network of claim 11, further comprising generating the message based on text stored on the automated communication system.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising selecting the account holder to be communicated to prior to transmitting the message, wherein the first account is a checking account, wherein the adverse account status comprises the checking account being overdrawn, and wherein the checking account and the second account are managed by a same financial institution.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the message further comprises a set of menu options for selecting an account from which to make the funds transfer.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein authenticating a person who responds to the message as the account holder comprises:

requesting, by the automated communication system, customer identifying information by asking a security question to the account holder; and

receiving a key pad input that correctly answers a security question from the account holder.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising, subsequent to the successful authentication:

offering the account holder a settlement amount less than a full balance of the account with the adverse account status, and offering to transfer funds from one or more other accounts owned by the account holder to the account with the adverse account status equal to the settlement amount.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the message further comprises a prompt to identify a future date on which to make the funds transfer.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein the prompt to identify a future date on which to make the funds transfer comprises a set of menu selections from which to select the future date.

22. A computer-implemented system for communicating with a banking institution customer comprising:

a processor;

a memory device coupled to the processor, the memory device storing instructions executable by the processor, the instructions comprising;

automated communication logic adapted to transmit a message over a telephone network to a customer of the banking institution, the automated communication logic configured to select the customer for communication based on the customer having an adverse account condition of a first account; and

account management logic configured to;

determine an amount of funds in a second account held by the customer;

generate a settlement option to transfer funds from the second account based on the determining that the second account has sufficient funds to remediate the adverse account condition of the first account;

receive a request from the customer to perform the settlement option; and

perform the settlement option responsive to receiving the request.

23. The computer-implemented system for communicating with a banking institution customer of claim 22, wherein the telephone network comprises at least one of:

a telephone utility connection, a cellular network connection, and a voice-over-internet protocol connection.

24. The computer-implemented system for communicating with a banking institution customer of claim 22, wherein transmitting the message over the telephone network comprises making a telephone call.

25. The computer-implemented system for communicating with a banking institution customer of claim 22, wherein the instructions further comprise a voice signal generator adapted to generate a voice signal, and wherein the message comprises the voice signal.

26. The computer-implemented system for communicating with a banking institution customer of claim 22, wherein the automated communication logic is further adapted to generate the message based on text stored on the computer-implemented system for communicating with the banking institution customer.

27. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

an authentication logic adapted to authenticate the customer based on receiving a correct input responsive to a prompt.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the correct input comprises at least one of a customer phone number, a customer name, a customer address, a customer zip code, a customer personal identification number, a correct answer to a secret question, an account number corresponding to the first account, an account number corresponding to the second account, and a dollar amount in at least one of the first and second accounts.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the adverse account status comprises at least one of a checking account being overdrawn, and wherein the checking account and the second account are managed by a same financial institution.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the message comprises a telephone number at which the customer can reach a live agent.

31. The system of claim 22, wherein the message comprises a prompt to identify a future date on which to make the funds transfer.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the prompt to identify a future date on which to make the funds transfer comprises a set of menu selections from which to select the future date.