Relay for personal interpreter

• US 6,748,053 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2003
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kevin Colwell, Robert M. Engelke
• Original Assignee: Kevin Colwell, Robert M. Engelke
• Inventors: Engelke, Robert M., Colwell, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US10/348,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20030108165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 379/52, 379/88.01, 379/88.04, 379/88.02, 379/88.14, 379/88.16, 379/93.05, 379/93.09, 379/100.09, 704/235, 704/246, 704/260
• US Class Current: 379/88.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2475 for a hearing impaired user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72478 for hearing-impaired users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5018 Initiating a conference during a two-party conversation, i.e. three-party service or three-way call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42391 where the subscribers are hearing-impaired persons, e.g. telephone devices for the deaf
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A relay is described to facilitate communication through the telephone system between deaf people and hearing people. To overcome the speed limitations inherent in typing, the call assistant at the relay does not type most words but, instead, re-voices the words spoken by the hearing person into a computer operating a voice recognition software package trained to the voice of that call assistant. The conversation-type flow of communications achieved by this type of relay enables the design of a new class of interpreters for the deaf.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communication system through a relay using a call assistant in order to facilitate communication between an assisted user and a hearing person comprising the steps of

transmitting the voice of the hearing person when speaking to a microphone connected to a digital computer;

the digital computer using voice recognition computer software to translate the words of the voice spoken by the hearing person into a digital text message stream containing the words spoken by the hearing person;

transmitting the digital text message stream created to a telecommunication device within sight of the assisted user;

the telecommunication device in the sight of the assisted user displaying in visually readable text the words in the digital text message stream,

the assisted user having access to a signal to indicate to a call assistant difficulty in the communication session so that the call assistant will intervene in the communication session to assist the assisted user.