Virtual entry assistant using automated greeter

1. A method, comprising:

using an automated machine to prompt a user to identify themselves by indicating a specified telephone number to dial using the user's portable telephone;

first using said automated machine for verifying a caller ID of the user calling said specified telephone number to determine first user information;

obtaining a biometric feature of said user as second user information in said automated machine, and second verifying said biometric feature;

only if verifying both said first user information and said second user information as belonging to a same user, said automated machine comparing information about said same user, to a list of approved users; and

only if said comparing has said same user on said list of approved users, said automated machine electronically operating an entry door latch to allow user entry to a facility;

wherein said obtaining said biometric feature comprises receiving information indicative of the biometric feature from the user's portable telephone that provides said caller ID.

2. A method as in claim 1 , wherein said biometric feature is a fingerprint obtained from a fingerprint reader.

3. A method as in claim 1 , wherein said biometric feature is via speaker recognition.

4. A method as in claim 1 , wherein said using comprises providing a display to a user and providing said prompt to the user, wherein said prompt includes a telephone number to dial.

5. A method as in claim 4 , wherein said display includes a face of a simulated receptionist.

6. A method as in claim 5 , further comprising a media server storing information indicative of a plurality of faces and a plurality of voices of plural different virtual receptionists.

7. A method as in claim 1 , comprising controlling a user to enroll on said list of approved users at a time of making an appointment, and wherein said comparing and verifying comprise comparing a user's name to a name enrolled at said time of making the appointment and said operating is only carried out if said verifying determines said user's name is on said list of approved users.

8. A method as in claim 1 , further comprising controlling a user to select one of a plurality of languages with which to communicate with the automated machine and said using comprises communicating in said selected language.

9. A system, comprising:

an operating computer, which includes information indicative of plural different faces and voices and also includes structure which controls said faces and voices to provide information to a user indicative of entry to a facility, wherein said information provided to the user includes at least a request for first information that includes identifying information from the user, including at least a telephone number which the user should call, and a biometric information piece from the user, and wherein said computer also has a capability of receiving information from the user, and receives a caller ID from the user and verifies said caller ID against a list of authorized caller IDs, receives information indicative of a biometric feature of the user and compares the biometric feature against a list of authorized biometric features, and only if verifying both said authorized caller ID and said biometric feature, then taking an action to allow entry of a user to a stored facility based on said comparing, wherein said operating computer receives both said caller ID and said biometric information from a same portable device whose caller ID is received.

10. A system as in claim 9 , wherein said taking an action comprises automatically opening an electrically-operable lock.

11. A system as in claim 9 , wherein said operating computer changes said faces and voices at specified times while communicating with a user.

12. A method, comprising:

using an automated computer to communicate with a visitor by receiving language information from the visitor and setting a language of communication based on said language information that is received from the visitor, and allowing the visitor to communicate with the computer in any of a plurality of different languages;

receiving information indicative of the visitor's name and at least one verifying information about the visitor;

using said automated computer for comparing the name with a prestored list of names on an entry device that has a list of authorized entrants;

responsive to said comparing indicating that the name exists on said list, and also that said verifying information verifies that the visitor is the person on said list, and also responsive to obtaining a caller ID from a user's portable device, and obtaining a biometric feature from the same user's portable device that provides said caller ID, using said automated computer for automatically opening an entry device to allow the visitor access to a secured area.

13. A method as in claim 12 , wherein said verifying information includes voiceprint recognition.

14. A method as in claim 12 , wherein said using comprises providing a face of a simulated receptionist, during a time of speaking from the computer to the person.

15. A method as in claim 14 , further comprising providing faces of different simulated receptionists, and changing said faces.

16. A method as in claim 15 , wherein said faces are changed during a time of talking to the visitor.