Automated communications assistant for the sound-impaired

• US 6,421,425 B1
• Filed: 08/17/1998
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Claus, David Michael, Bossi, Burt Joseph, White, Douglas R.
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US09/135,235
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• Field of Search: 379/52, 379/93.15, 379/93.35, 379/93.09, 379/93.17, 379/93.21, 379/93.23, 379/93.24, 379/90.01, 370/352
• US Class Current: 379/52
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/00 Teaching, or communicating with, the blind, deaf or mute audible presentation of material to be studied G09B5/04; devices or methods for replacing direct visual or auditory perception by another kind of perception A61F9/08, A61F11/04; audible indication of meter readings or of colour G01D7/12; watches for blind persons G04B25/02; speech analysis, speech recognition G10L; sound-recording or reproducing, per se G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/009 Teaching or communicating with deaf persons G09B21/04 takes precedence; deaf and dumb persons G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A communications system is designed to allow sound-impaired persons to communicate with sound-unimpaired individuals via the Internet. When a sound-impaired person at a Text Teletypewriter (TTY) terminal initiates a call that is destined for a sound-unimpaired person, the communications system ascertains whether the sound unimpaired person is currently using the Internet and, if so, automatically completes the call over the Internet and the communications system without the help of any communications assistant.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a communications services provider for completing a call from a sound-impaired person to a sound-unimpaired person, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving at a communications services provider'"'"'s network call setup information for an incoming call that a) is initiated by a sound-impaired person from a TTY device, and b) is destined for a called party who is a sound-unimpaired person;

ascertaining via the Internet whether said called party is currently using the Internet; and

in response to receiving a signal indicative of said user currently using the Internet, completing said call to said called party via a communications path which includes an Internet connection.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said completing step further comprises the steps of:

converting data received from said caller from Baudot-format to ASCII format; and

converting data received from said called party from ASCII format to Baudot-format.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said communications path includes a circuit-switched connection that extends from said TTY device to a gateway of said communications service provider network.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

alerting said called party of the call from the sound-impaired person via an electronic message that is delivered substantially immediately to the called party via the Internet.

5. A method implemented by a communications services provider for completing a call from a caller who is a sound-unimpaired individual to a called party who is a sound-impaired person, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving at a processor of said communications services provider call setup information for said call, said call setup information a) being received via a packet-switched connection from a device being used by said caller to said processor and b) being comprised of a telephone number of said called party;

establishing a circuit-switched connection from said processor to a TTY of said called party; and

transmitting a) IP data received from said caller to said called party via said circuit-switched connection and b) TTY data received from said called party to said caller.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said transmitting step includes the step of:

converting said IP data into Baudot-formatted data before said transmission.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said TTY data is in Baudot format.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of

converting said TTY data from Baudot-formatted data to IP data before said transmission.

9. A method implemented by a communications services provider for completing a call from a sound-impaired person to a sound-unimpaired person, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving at a communications services provider'"'"'s network call setup information for an incoming call that is a) initiated by a sound-impaired person from a TTY device, and b) destined for a called party who is a sound-unimpaired person;

ascertaining via the Internet whether said called party subscribes to Internet service;

in response to receiving indication that said called party is an Internet subscriber who is not currently logged on the Internet, alerting said called party to the existence of said call.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said alerting step includes the step of:

delivering an announcement to said called party via said communications services provider network, said announcement giving said called party at least two options, said options comprising a) communicating with said caller solely via said communications services provider'"'"'s network, and b) communicating with said caller via the Internet and said communications services provider'"'"'s network.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of

completing said call via the Internet and said communications service provider'"'"'s network in response to receiving a request from said called party exercising one of said options to communicate with said caller via the Internet.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said completing step includes the step of converting data received from said caller from Baudot-format to ASCII format.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said completing step includes the step of converting data received from said called party from ASCII format to Baudot-format.

14. A communication system for connecting a workstation with a user at a communication device suitable for use by a sound-impaired person, said system comprising:

a protocol conversion server for converting between data coded in Baudot format and data coded in IP format;

said protocol conversion server being connected to a communications channel for connecting the workstation and said protocol conversion server; and

said protocol conversion server being connected to a communications carrier network for connecting the communication device and said protocol conversion server, said communications carrier network including a telecommunications relay service platform with a communications assistant position.

15. The communication system of claim 14 wherein the communication device comprises a text teletypewriter (TTY).

16. The communication system of claim 14 wherein said communications device produces text data formatted in Baudot code.

17. The communication system of claim 14 wherein said communications channel comprises an internet network.

18. The communication system of claim 17 wherein said protocol conversion server comprises a gateway between said internet network and said communications carrier network.

19. The communication system of claim 14 wherein said telecommunications relay service platform comprises a processor for establishing an internet connection from a personal computer to a TTY device.

20. The communication system of claim 14 wherein said telecommunications relay service platform comprises a voice response unit for answering incoming calls.

21. A method implemented by a communications services provider for completing a call from a sound-impaired person to a sound-unimpaired person, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving call setup information for an incoming call at a communications services provider'"'"'s telecommunications relay service (TRS) platform, said TRS platform including a communications assistant position, said incoming call a) initiated by the sound-impaired person from a TTY device, and b) destined for a called party who is the sound-unimpaired person;

using the internet to ascertain, via said communications assistant position, whether said called party is currently using the internet; and

in response to said communications assistant position receiving a signal indicative of said user currently using the internet, completing said call to said called party via a communications path which includes an internet connection.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said step of completing said call comprises the steps of:

converting data received from said caller from Baudot format to IP format; and

converting data received from said called party from IP format to Baudot format.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein said communications path includes a circuit-switched connection that extends from said TTY device to a gateway of said communications service provider network.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of alerting said called party of the call via an electronic message, said electronic message being sent from said communications assistant position to said called party via the internet.

25. A method implemented by a communications services provider for completing a call from a sound-unimpaired person to a called party, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving call setup information for an incoming call at a communications services provider'"'"'s telecommunications relay service (TRS) platform, said TRS platform including a communications assistant position, said incoming call a) received via a packet-switched connection, said packet-switched connection between a device being used by the sound-unimpaired person and said communications assistant position, and b) including a telephone number of the called party;

said TRS platform establishing a circuit-switched connection, said circuit-switched connection from said TRS platform to a TTY of the called party; and

transmitting a) IP data received from the sound-unimpaired person to the called party via said circuit-switched connection and b) TTY data received from the called party to the sound-unimpaired person.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said step of transmitting comprises the step of converting said IP data into Baudot-formatted data prior to transmission to the called party.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein said TTY data is in Baudot format.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising the step of converting said TTY data to IP data prior to transmission to the sound-unimpaired person.

29. A method of connecting a user at a workstation with a user at a Baudot-format communication device associated with a telephone number, said method comprising the steps of:

using a telecommunications relay service platform to establish an internet connection from the workstation to a protocol conversion server;

prompting the workstation to provide the telephone number associated with the communication device; and

establishing a serial port connection from said protocol conversion server to the communication device in response to receipt of the telephone number.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said protocol conversion server comprises means for converting data between Baudot format and IP format.

31. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step of converting data in Baudot format to data in IP format.

32. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step of converting data in IP format to data in Baudot format.