Systems and methods for providing instant messaging to TDD/TTY users

• US 8,787,531 B1
• Filed: 12/10/2012
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Smith, Dena L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US13/709,550
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 379/52, 379/88.13, 379/88.18, 379/142.08, 455/466, 455/41.2, 455/404.1, 455/517, 455/552.1, 455/557, 704/271, 370/338, 370/352, 725/106
• US Class Current: 379/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72478 for hearing-impaired users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/39 using speech synthesis
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42391 where the subscribers are hearing-impaired persons, e.g. telephone devices for the deaf
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0045 where the text-based messaging service is an instant messaging service

Abstract

Instant messaging (IM) is provided between a TDD/TTY user and an entity. The user may use a TDD device to initiate a call with the entity. One or more converters may convert a TDD message from the user'"'"'s device to IM, which is then provided to a recipient of the call, such as a representative of a company. The converter(s) may also convert IM from the representative into a TDD message that may then be provided to the user on the TDD device.

Claims

1. A method for providing communication, comprising:

establishing a connection between a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) device and an entity;

receiving a TDD message from the TDD device via the connection;

converting the TDD message to a first instant messaging (IM) message;

generating a second IM message; and

converting the second IM message to a second TDD message.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising providing the second TDD message to the TDD device.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising establishing the connection between the TDD device and the entity by:

receiving a phone call initiated by the TDD device;

providing an indication to the entity that the phone call is from a TDD device; and

responding to the indication.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein responding to the indication comprises selecting a button, an icon, or a link displayed on a display device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the selection causes a generation of the second IM message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection comprises at least one of a telephone connection or a network connection.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions executable by a processor to:

receive a first telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) message from a TDD device;

generate an instant messaging (IM) message based on the TDD message;

convert the IM message to speech; and

authenticate a user of the TDD device via a combination of the speech, the IM message, and the first TDD message.

8. The medium of claim 7, comprising instructions executable by a processor to generate a second TDD message.

9. The medium of claim 7, comprising instructions executable by a processor to provide the second TDD message to the TDD device.

10. The medium of claim 7, comprising instructions executable by a processor to provide the speech to a computing device.

11. The medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions executable to generate the IM message comprise instructions executable to convert the first TDD message to the IM message.

12. The medium of claim 7, further comprising instructions executable to:

establish a connection between the TDD device and a computing device associated with an entity;

receive a phone call initiated by the TDD device;

provide an indication to the computing device that the phone call is from the TDD device; and

answer the phone call in response to the indication.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions executable to answer the phone call comprise instructions executable to:

receive speech from a user associated with the computing device;

convert the speech to an answer IM message;

convert the answer IM message to the second TDD message; and

provide the second TDD message to the TDD device.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions executable by a processor to:

receive a first text message from a first computing device in a first protocol at a second computing device, at least one of the first computing device and the second computing device comprising a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) device;

generate a second text message in a second protocol based on the first text message;

authenticate a user of the first computing device or the second computing device;

generate a third text message in the second protocol to respond to the first text message; and

convert the third text message to a fourth text message in the first protocol.

15. The medium of claim 14, wherein the first protocol is an instant messaging (IM) protocol and the second protocol is a TDD protocol.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions executable to generate the text message in the TDD protocol comprise instructions executable to:

remove text and other information from the first text message in the IM protocol;

put the text into TDD format; and

add header and identifier information in TDD format based on the removed other information.

17. The medium of claim 14, wherein the first protocol is a TDD protocol and the second protocol is an instant messaging (IM) protocol.

18. The medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions executable to generate the text message in the IM protocol comprise instructions executable to:

remove text and other information from the first text message in the TDD protocol;

put the text into IM format; and

create a channel for the second text message in the IM protocol based on the removed other information.

19. The medium of claim 14, comprising instructions executable by a processor to send the fourth text message in the first protocol to the first computing device.

20. The medium of claim 14, wherein the first computing device comprises the TDD device, and further comprising instructions executable by a processor to provide the second text message in the second protocol to an entity.