Automated interactive telephone communication system for TDD users
First Claim
1. An automated interactive telephone communication system for connection to a two-way telephone subscriber network for automated processing of communication signals from an individual caller communicating therewith over a telephone subscriber network with a TDD ( telecommunications device for the deaf) device coupled to said network, said system comprising:
- means for receiving communication signals from said caller'"'"'s TDD;
a computer database containing a plurality of separately addressed, digitally encoded TDD displayable messages, at least one of said messages having an associated TDD mode character;
means for processing a received communication signal according to a predefined control matrix, said processing means including means for retrieving one of said separately addressed TDD displayable messages for transmission to said caller'"'"'s TDD; and
means for transmitting said retrieved TDD displayable message to said caller'"'"'s TDD for display, wherein when said retrieved TDD displayable message comprises said at least one message having said associated TDD mode character, said associated TDD mode character precedes said at least one message and places said caller'"'"'s TDD in a proper receiving mode for said at least one message to be displayed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A novel automated interactive telephone communication system and method are provided which allow a deaf or hard-of-hearing person, using a TDD device, to send and receive information over a conventional two-way telephone subscriber network. The automated processing system includes a receiving circuit coupled to the network to receive communication signals from the TDD caller and processing circuit for processing a received communication signal according to a predefined control matrix. The processing circuit includes a retrieval mechanism for selectively retrieving one of a plurality of separately addressed TDD displayable messages stored in an associated computer database. Also stored in the computer database are TDD mode characters for associated ones of the stored messages. Transmitting circuit is also provided for sending a retrieved TDD displayable message to the callers TDD for display.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An automated interactive telephone communication system for connection to a two-way telephone subscriber network for automated processing of communication signals from an individual caller communicating therewith over a telephone subscriber network with a TDD ( telecommunications device for the deaf) device coupled to said network, said system comprising:
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means for receiving communication signals from said caller'"'"'s TDD; a computer database containing a plurality of separately addressed, digitally encoded TDD displayable messages, at least one of said messages having an associated TDD mode character; means for processing a received communication signal according to a predefined control matrix, said processing means including means for retrieving one of said separately addressed TDD displayable messages for transmission to said caller'"'"'s TDD; and means for transmitting said retrieved TDD displayable message to said caller'"'"'s TDD for display, wherein when said retrieved TDD displayable message comprises said at least one message having said associated TDD mode character, said associated TDD mode character precedes said at least one message and places said caller'"'"'s TDD in a proper receiving mode for said at least one message to be displayed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An automated method at a station connected to a two-way telephone subscriber network for interactively responding to a telephone call from an individual communicating therewith over said telephone subscriber network using a TDD (telecommunications device for the deaf) device coupled to said network, said TDD device having at least two character modes, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving at said station a communication signal from said individual caller; transmitting over said network a first machine displayable control option to said individual caller'"'"'s TDD device, said first transmitted displayable control option being preceded by an associated mode character for ensuring that said individual call'"'"'s TDD is in proper character mode for display of said first displayable control option, said individual caller selecting a desired control option by generating a predefined communication signal for transmission over said network to said station; automatically processing a received communication signal representative of a selected control option according to a predefined control matrix, said processing of said selected option including retrieving from an associated database one of a plurality of separately addressed digitally encoded TDD displayable message for transmission to said individual caller'"'"'s TDD device over said network; and transmitting said retrieved TDD displayable message over said network to said individual caller'"'"'s TDD device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification