Systems and related methods for visual indication of callee ID information for an incoming communication request in a hearing-impaired environment

• US 10,129,395 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2017
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sorenson Ip Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sorenson Ip Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Maxwell, Conrad Arlo, Nelson, Mark David, Thelin, Brett, Giles, Brent, Winsor, Eric Von
• Primary Examiner(s): Tieu, Binh Kien
• Application Number:
  US15/794,896
• Time in Patent Office: 383 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401, 348 1402, 348 1403, 348 1407, 348 1409, 379 52, 37914201, 37914206, 37914217, 37937301, 37937302, 37937303, 37937403, 37937602
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2475 for a hearing impaired user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72478 for hearing-impaired users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/048 Arrangements providing optical indication of the incoming call, e.g. flasher circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/50 Telephonic communication in combination with video communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/04 the calling signal being supplied from the final selector
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42391 where the subscribers are hearing-impaired persons, e.g. telephone devices for the deaf

Abstract

Systems and methods for visually indicating an occurrence of an incoming call for the hearing impaired are disclosed. A video communication device may be configured to receive an incoming communication to at least two unique identifiers assigned by a video relay service provider. The video communication device can display a unique visual indicator pattern, which may be user-created and user-assigned to the one of the at least two unique identifiers dialed by a caller. The visual indicator pattern may be indicative of the existence an incoming call, the origin of the call, the destination device for the call, the destination ID for the call, or combinations thereof. The video communication device, when receiving an incoming call, may send a wireless notification signal to other communication devices, thereby notifying other devices that a video communication device is receiving an incoming call.

Claims

1. A method of operating a video communication device configured to receive incoming communication to at least two unique identifiers, the method comprising:

assigning, via a video relay service provider for hearing-impaired users, at least two unique identifiers to a single video communication device associated with a hearing-impaired user;

receiving, via the video relay service, an incoming communication placed to one of the at least two unique identifiers assigned to the video communication device;

capturing current callee identification information from the incoming communication; and

displaying a visual indicator pattern assigned to the one of the at least two unique identifiers corresponding to the callee identification information for the incoming communication when the incoming communication was placed by a far-end device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the video communication device comprises a video phone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator pattern comprises a different color of light depending on which unique identifier was used when the incoming communication was placed.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the visual indicator pattern comprises a unique flash pattern of light combined with the selected color.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the unique flash pattern of light is indicative of origin of the incoming communication and the selected color of light is indicative of a destination of the incoming communication.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising vibrating the video communication device with a unique vibration pattern assigned to the one of the at least two unique identifiers used when the incoming communication was placed.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising vibrating the video communication device with a unique vibration pattern indicative of a source of the incoming communication.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the visual indicator pattern comprises a combination of a unique color of light, a unique flash pattern of light, and a unique vibration pattern of the video communication device indicating a combination of both a callee and a caller of the incoming communication.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two unique identifiers may comprise unique group identifiers.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining the visual indicator pattern by receiving inputs through the video communication device from the hearing-impaired user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the visual indicator pattern comprises displaying the visual indicator pattern through an electronic display of the video communication device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the visual indicator pattern comprises displaying the visual indicator pattern through at least one smart light bulb.

13. A video communication device specifically configured for use by a hearing-impaired user, the video communication device comprising:

a visual indicator device;

a memory device including a stored callee identification list including a plurality of entries of callee identification information linked to an assigned visual indicator pattern; and

a processor operably coupled with the memory device and the visual indicator device, and configured to;

receive an incoming communication request placed to one of at least two unique identifiers assigned to the video communication device by a single video relay service configured to provide translation services for hearing-impaired users;

capture current callee identification information from the incoming communication request; and

generate a visual effect with the visual indicator device according to the visual indicator pattern corresponding to callee identification information for the incoming communication.

14. The video communication device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the visual indicator patterns to be shared with other connected communication devices over a communication network.

15. The video communication device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a user interface configured to enable the user to create and link visual indicator patterns with callee information stored in the storage device.

16. A method of indicating the occurrence of an incoming communication, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming communication to a unique identifier assigned to a first video communication device;

displaying a first visual indicator corresponding indicative of the unique identifier used as a callee ID when placing the incoming communication;

transmitting a wireless notification signal from the first communication device to a second communication device associated with a second user in proximity of the first communication device; and

generating a second indicator by the second communication device, the second indicator indicative of the unique identifier for the first video communication device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the generating the second indicator includes displaying a text-based message on the second communication device indicating that the first video communication device is receiving an incoming communication.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein transmitting the wireless notification signal from the first communication device to a second communication device is responsive to determining whether the first video communication device and the second communication device are in proximity based on a local network connection.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein transmitting the wireless notification signal from the first communication device is responsive to determining whether the first video communication device and the second communication device are within a predetermined threshold for a specified geographic range.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the second indicator generated by the second communication device is identical as the first visual indicator displayed by the first video communication device.