Patent ID: 8136026

Claim:
A system for providing help within an interactive voice response application comprising: a processor; a non-transitory computer readable storage having stored thereon instructions for controlling the processor for: determining an interactive voice response event; classifying said event as a default help request if said event is one of a no-match event and a time-out event, wherein the no-match event occurs when said event does not correspond to a user option provided by the application, and wherein the time-out event occurs if a user fails to respond to an application prompt within a predetermined duration of time; classifying said event as a user initiated help request if said event is a user request for help and not a non-help request; setting a time for receiving user input to a default value if said event is classified as said default help request; setting said time for receiving user input to a value less than said default value if said event is classified as said user initiated help request, wherein said interactive voice response application takes one of a plurality of different programmatic actions upon expiration of said time for receiving user input repeating a previous presentment of a menu or other prompt if a first time-out event occurs subsequent to a no-match event; presenting a predetermined help message if a second time-out event occurs after repeating the previous presentment of the menu or other prompt; presenting the predetermined help message such that the previous presentment of the menu or other prompt is not repeated if the first time-out event occurs subsequent to a no-response event; determining whether the default help request is a no-match event or whether said default help request is a time-out event if said event is a default help request; performing one of the plurality of programmatic actions if the default help request is a no-match event; and performing a different one of the plurality of programmatic actions if the default help request is a time-out event.