Captioned telephone service

• US 8,515,024 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2010
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ultratech Incorporated (Veeco Instruments Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ultratech Incorporated (Veeco Instruments Incorporated)
• Inventors: Engelke, Robert M., Colwell, Kevin R., Vitek, Troy D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Assistant Examiner(s): King, Simon
• Application Number:
  US12/686,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20110170672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 379/52, 379/88.14, 379/93.15, 370/52, 370/88.14, 370/93.15
• US Class Current: 379/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision
• 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

Abstract

A method of operating a captioned telephone call in which an assisted user is connected by a captioned telephone device which is connected both by one line to a remote user and a second line to a relay providing captioning for a conversation, the method comprising the steps of, when a call is received at the captioned telephone device on the first line, the captioned telephone device calling the relay on the second line to initiate captioning service set up prior to the call being answered, after the call is answered, the captioned telephone device passing spoken words received on the first telephone line to the second telephone line and the captioning service then providing captioning to the captioned telephone device of the spoken words transmitted on the second telephone line.

Claims

1. A method of operating a captioned telephone call in which an assisted user is connected by a captioned telephone device which is connected both by a first line to a remote user and a second line to a relay providing captioning for a conversation, the method comprising the steps of:

when a call is received at the captioned telephone device on the first line, the captioned telephone device calling the relay on the second line to initiate captioning service set up prior to the call being answered;

after the call is answered, the captioned telephone device passing spoken words received on the first line to the second line; and

the captioning service then providing text captions of the spoken words back to the captioned telephone device on the second line.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the lines are telephone lines.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the lines are network lines and communication there over is via IP protocol.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the lines are internet connections and communication there over is via IP protocol.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of calling the relay includes establishing an interconnection to the relay and waiting until after the call is answered to link the call to an assigned call assistant.