Device Independent Text Captioned Telephone Service

• US 20170187874A1
• Filed: 01/29/2016
• Published: 06/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ultratech Incorporated (Veeco Instruments Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ultratech Incorporated (Veeco Instruments Incorporated)
• Inventors: Engelke, Robert M., Colwell, Kevin R., Vitek, Troy D.
• Application Number:
  US15/010,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20170187874A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2475 for a hearing impaired user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• 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 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed 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 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

A system and method for facilitating communicating between a hearing user and a hard of hearing user that incorporates a device including at least one communication component configured to enable the appliance to communicate with a relay, a display, and a processor. The processor is configured to enable the hard of hearing user to establish an association between an appliance and a mobile device used by the hard of hearing user. The mobile device is configured to communicate with the hearing user'"'"'s device, receive text originating at the relay, the text corresponding to a transcript of the hearing user'"'"'s voice signal originating at the hearing user'"'"'s device, and cause text captions corresponding to the received text to be displayed on the display.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

an appliance including a display configured to display text captions corresponding to voice communications between a mobile wireless device and a hearing user'"'"'s device that is located remotely from the appliance to enable a hard of hearing user using the mobile wireless device to participate in communication sessions with a hearing user using the hearing user'"'"'s device, wherein the appliance has a specific appliance network address and the mobile wireless device is associated with a specific device address that is different than the appliance network address and wherein the appliance is independent of the mobile wireless device, the appliance comprising;

at least one communication component configured to enable the appliance to communicate with a relay;

a display; and

a processor operably coupled to the at least one communication component and the display, the processor configured to;

enable the hard of hearing user to establish an association between the appliance and the mobile device;

while the mobile device is used by the hard of hearing user to communicate with the hearing user'"'"'s device, receive text originating at the relay, the text corresponding to a transcript of the hearing user'"'"'s voice signal originating at the hearing user'"'"'s device, wherein the text signal is received from the relay; and

cause text captions corresponding to the received text to be displayed on the display.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the processor of the appliance is configured to establish an association with the mobile device responsive to a user input to the appliance.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the appliance further comprises a sync button, and wherein the processor of the appliance is further configured to establish communication with the mobile device responsive to a detection of a user selecting the sync button.

4. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one communication component comprises a wireless transceiver.

5. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the device address is a telephone number.

6. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the appliance further comprises an input device configured to detect a selection of a button, wherein the processor of the appliance is configured to establish communication with the mobile device responsive to the selection of the button.

7. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising the relay, wherein the relay is configured to:

receive the hearing user'"'"'s voice signal; and

transmit the text comprising the text transcript corresponding to the hearing user'"'"'s voice signal directly to the appliance.

8. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to:

receive the hearing user'"'"'s voice signal from the hearing user'"'"'s device.

9. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the mobile device is a cellular device.

10. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to disable captioning without disconnecting a call between the mobile device and the hearing user'"'"'s device.

11. The communication system of claim 7 wherein the association between the appliance and the mobile device is established at the relay.

12. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the appliance processor is configured to establish an association with the mobile device responsive to the hard of hearing user providing an indication via at least one of the mobile device and the appliance.

13. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the mobile device is usable to facilitate a phone call independent of the appliance.

14. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the appliance receives the text signal directly from the relay.

15. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the association is a temporary association and wherein the mobile device can be associated with any of several different appliances to facilitate communication.

16. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the association is a temporary association and wherein the appliance can be associated with any of a plurality of wireless mobile devices to facilitate communication.

17. The communication system of claim 1 further including the relay and wherein the hearing user'"'"'s voice signal is received at the relay directly from the hearing user'"'"'s device.

31. The system of claim 1, further comprising the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to:

receive the hearing user'"'"'s voice signal from the hearing user'"'"'s device; and

broadcast the hearing user'"'"'s voice signal to the assisted user.

32. The communication system of claim 5 wherein the step of establishing an association includes presenting a virtual button on the appliance display selectable to initiate captioning and sensing selection of the button.

33. The communication system of claim 32 wherein the step of establishing an association further includes presenting a data entry field on the appliance display and receiving data identifying a specific phone call to be associated with.

34. The communication system of claim 33 wherein the data entry field is a PIN number field and wherein the data identifying a specific phone call includes a PIN number associated with the phone call.

35. The communication system of claim 32 wherein the virtual button is presented via a graphical user interface displayed on the appliance display.

18. A method to facilitate communication between a hard of hearing user using both a computer device and a wireless mobile phone device that is independent of the computer device and a hearing user using a hearing user'"'"'s device, the computer device including a display, the method comprising the steps of:

without physically connecting the wireless mobile phone device to the computer device, associating the mobile device and the computer device;

establishing a communication link between the wireless mobile phone device and the hearing user'"'"'s device for voice communications;

receiving text communications corresponding to the hearing user'"'"'s voice signal from a relay at the computer device; and

presenting text captions corresponding to the text communications via the display.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the hearing user'"'"'s voice signal is transmitted to the relay without passing through the computer device.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the hearing user'"'"'s device provides the hearing use'"'"'s voice signal directly to the relay.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the text communications are transmitted directly to the computer device.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein each of the wireless mobile phone device and the computing device is associated with a different address on at least one network.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the wireless mobile phone device is associated with a phone number and the computer device is associated with an IP address.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of associating includes using at least one of the wireless mobile phone device and the computer device to link to the relay and to provide information identifying the other of the computing device and the mobile device.

25. A method to facilitate communication between a hard of hearing user using a computer device and a wireless mobile phone device that is independent of the computer device and a hearing user using a hearing user'"'"'s device, the computer device including a display, the method comprising the steps of:

without physically connecting the wireless mobile phone device to the computer device, associating the wireless mobile phone device and the computer device;

establishing a communication link between the wireless mobile phone device and the hearing user'"'"'s device for voice communications in which hearing user'"'"'s voice signals are received at the wireless mobile phone device and hard of hearing user'"'"'s voice signals are received at the hearing user'"'"'s device;

receiving the hearing user'"'"'s voice signal at a relay;

receiving text communications at the computer device that are generated by the relay where the text communications comprise transcription of the hearing user'"'"'s voice signal initially transmitted by the hearing user'"'"'s device; and

presenting the text communications as captions on the display for viewing by the hard of hearing user.

26. A communication system to facilitate communication between a hearing user using a hearing user'"'"'s device and a hard of hearing user using both a mobile device and an appliance wherein each of the mobile device and the appliance are addressable via different addresses, the system comprising:

a relay including a processor configured to perform the steps of;

(i) receiving an indication from the hard of hearing user that the appliance should be associated with the mobile device;

(ii) upon receiving the indication, associating the mobile device and the appliance;

(iii) while a voice communication including voice signals is progressing between the hard of hearing user using the mobile device and a hearing user using the hearing user'"'"'s device, receiving at least the hearing user'"'"'s voice signal at the relay;

(iv) converting the hearing user'"'"'s voice signal to text; and

(v) transmitting the text to the appliance that is associated with the mobile device.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the step of transmitting the text to the appliance includes transmitting the text directly to the appliance.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein the hearing user'"'"'s voice signal is received at the relay from a device other than the appliance.

29. The system of claim 26 wherein the mobile device is a cellular communication device.

30. The system of claim 26 wherein the relay is further configured to perform the steps of, while a voice communication is ongoing between the hard of hearing user and the hearing user, receiving an indication that captioning should cease and ceasing transmission of the text to the appliance while the voice communication continues.