Systems and methods for facitating communications involving hearing-impaired parties

• US 20050094777A1
• Filed: 11/02/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: McClelland, William A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,315,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42391 where the subscribers are hearing-impaired persons, e.g. telephone devices for the deaf
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal

Abstract

A method for providing communication services for communications between a hearing-impaired party and a hearing party includes establishing a voice link with the hearing party. The method also includes receiving a voice message from the hearing party via the voice link and generating a text message corresponding to the voice message using voice recognition. The method may also include transmitting the text message to the hearing-impaired party. Optionally, a high speed text input device may also be used with, or instead of, the voice recognition to generate the text message.

Claims

1. A method for providing communication services for communications between a hearing-impaired party and a hearing party, comprising:

establishing a voice link with the hearing party;

receiving a first voice message from the hearing party via the voice link;

generating a first text message corresponding to the first voice message using voice recognition; and

transmitting the first text message to the hearing-impaired party.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second text message from the hearing-impaired party;

generating a second voice message corresponding to the second text message using text-to-voice software; and

transmitting the second voice message to the hearing party.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reading, by a communication assistant, the first text message; and

modifying, by the communication assistant, the first text message based on the received first voice message before transmitting the first text message to the hearing-impaired party.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating a first text message includes:

accessing at least one stored voice file to generate the first text message.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

identifying the hearing party based on a telephone number associated with the hearing party; and

identifying the at least one stored file based on the identified hearing party.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the hearing party based on at least one of automatic number identification or a telephone number provided by the hearing-impaired party; and

accessing at least one stored voice file associated with the identified hearing party to generate the first text message.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the identifying the hearing party comprises identifying the hearing party based on automatic number identification.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

simultaneously transmitting the first text message and the first voice message to the hearing-impaired party.

9. A system, comprising:

a server configured to;

receive a call from a hearing-impaired party for establishing a communication link to a hearing party,

identify a communication assistant, and

forward the call to the identified communication assistant; and

a first device associated with the identified communication assistant, the first device being configured to;

receive the forwarded call from the server,

establish a voice link with the hearing party,

receive a voice message from the hearing party, and

generate a text message corresponding to the voice message using voice recognition.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first device is further configured to:

transmit the text message to the hearing-impaired party.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first device comprises a workstation associated with the identified communication assistant.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first device is further configured to:

receive text messages from the hearing-impaired party, and

generate voice messages corresponding to the text messages using text-to-voice software.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein when generating the text message, the first device is configured to:

identify at least one stored voice file associated with the hearing party, and

use the at least one stored voice file to aid in generating the text message.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein when identifying the at least one stored voice file, the first device is configured to:

identify the hearing party using automatic number identification or identify the hearing party based on a telephone number provided by the hearing-impaired party.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein when identifying the at least one stored voice file, the first device is further configured to:

identify the at least one stored voice file based on the identified hearing party.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the first device comprises:

at least one processor configured to execute voice recognition software to generate the text message, and

a memory configured to store voice files associated with a plurality of parties, wherein when generating the text message, the at least one processor is configured to;

identify the hearing party based on a telephone number associated with the hearing party, and

access at least one stored voice file associated with the identified hearing party.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein when identifying the hearing party, the at least one processor is configured to identify the hearing party using automatic number identification.

18. A method for providing communications services, comprising:

receiving a call from a hearing-impaired party for establishing a communication link to a hearing party;

identifying a communication assistant;

forwarding the call to the identified communication assistant;

establishing, by the communication assistant, a voice link with the hearing party;

receiving, by the communication assistant, a voice message from the hearing party via the voice link;

generating, by the communication assistant, a text message corresponding to the voice message using a high speed text input device; and

transmitting the text message to the hearing-impaired party.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the high speed text input device comprises a communication access real-time translation device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the high speed text input device comprises a stenographic input device and the generating a text message includes automatically converting output of the stenographic input into readable text representing the voice message.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

transmitting the voice message to the hearing-impaired party simultaneously with the text message.

22. A system, comprising:

means for establishing a voice link with a first party;

means for receiving a voice message from the first party via the voice link;

means for automatically generating a text message corresponding to the voice message; and

means for transmitting the text message to a second party.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the second party represents a hearing-impaired party and the means for automatically generating a text message comprises voice recognition software.

24. A system, comprising:

processing logic configured to;

receive a voice message from a first party, and

generate a text message corresponding to the voice message using voice recognition; and

a transmit element configured to transmit the text message to a hearing-impaired party.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

an output device for displaying the text message prior to transmitting the text message.

26. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

a telephone device configured to receive a telephone call from the hearing-impaired party and establish a bridge connection with the first party.

27. A method, comprising:

receiving a first voice message from a hearing party via a voice link;

generating at least one of a second voice message or a first text message corresponding to the first voice message using voice recognition; and

transmitting the at least one of the second voice message or first text message to the hearing party for verification.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

transmitting a prompt to the hearing party providing instructions for verifying that the at least one of the second voice message or first text message is correct.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

receiving an indication from the hearing party that the at least one of the second voice message or first text message is correct; and

transmitting the first text message to a hearing-impaired party.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

receiving an indication from the hearing party that the at least one of the second voice message or first text message is not correct;

generating at least one of a third voice message or a second text message corresponding to the first voice message; and

transmitting the at least one of the third voice message or second text message to the hearing party for verification.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

receiving an indication from the hearing party that the at least one of the third voice message or the second text message is not correct; and

requesting that the hearing party repeat the first voice message.

32. A system, comprising:

processing logic configured to;

receive a first voice message from a hearing party via a voice link,

generate at least one of a second voice message or a first text message corresponding to the first voice message using voice recognition, and

transmit the at least one of the second voice message or first text message to the hearing party for verification.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the processing logic is further configured to:

transmit instructions for verifying that the at least one of the second voice message or first text message is correct.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the processing logic is further configured to:

receive an indication from the hearing party that the at least one of the second voice message or first text message is correct, and

transmit the first text message to a hearing-impaired party.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the processing logic is further configured to:

receive an indication from the hearing party that the at least one of the second voice message or first text message is not correct,

generate at least one of a third voice message or a second text message corresponding to the first voice message, and

transmit the at least one of the third voice message or second text message to the hearing party for verification.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the processing logic is further configured to:

receive an indication from the hearing party that the at least one of the third voice message or the second text message is not correct, and

transmit a request that the hearing party repeat the first voice message.