Patent ID: 7945252

Claim:
A system for providing help to users of mobile phones within a wireless network, the system comprising: at least one mobile phone associated with a user, wherein the mobile phone includes: user input buttons, a display device, and a middleware application for providing messaging capabilities, wherein the mobile phone is configured to display on the display device at least two messaging help addresses associated with help services for providing help to the user by way of messaging transactions, and wherein at least one of the messaging help addresses is automatically or initially added to a list of messaging addresses displayed by the mobile phone and which substantially can not be removed by the user; at least one help facility mapped to the at least two messaging help addresses, wherein the help facility comprises an automated help facility and a live operator-assisted help facility, and wherein the help facility is configured to: receive a first user-initiated help request message from the mobile phone based on user actuation of the input buttons and selection of one of the displayed messaging help addresses, determine an appropriate response based on the received first user-initiated message help request, provide at least one help response message for display on the mobile phone to assist the user, receive a second user-initiated help request message from the mobile phone based on user actuation of the input buttons, determine, based on the second user-initiated help request message, whether to route the first user-initiated help request message to a live operator-assisted help facility, and route the first user-initiated help request message to a live operator-assisted help facility; and at least one telecommunications server coupled to the mobile phone and the help facility by way of the wireless network, wherein the telecommunications server includes a messaging facility for facilitating communication between the mobile phone and the help facility.