Patent ID: 8260267

Claim:
A system operable to permit a user to initiate a service invocation with a communication device coupled to a communication network, comprising: a function identifier that includes a non-numeric code prefix provided to the communication device for identifying a service invocation; an interface in the communication device configured to receive an input sequence that includes an input function code that identifies a service invocation; a processing engine in the communication device being communicatively coupled to the interface and being operative to determine if the input function code identifies the service invocation in accordance with the function identifier; one or more of a communication channel or a messaging protocol available to the communication device to permit transmission of information related to the service invocation via the communication network; a selection criterion provided to the communication device to permit selection of one or more of the communication channel or the messaging protocol for the information transmission; and the processing engine being operable, in response to determining that the input function code identifies the service invocation, to evaluate the selection criterion to permit selection of one or more of the communication channel or the messaging protocol for the information transmission.