Communication device and related methods for automatically connecting to a captioning communication service to receive text captions following an interruption during a call

• US 9,197,745 B1
• Filed: 03/25/2015
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sorenson Ip Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Captioncall LLC
• Inventors: Chevrier, Brian, Stimpson, Michael S
• Primary Examiner(s): El-Zoobi, Maria
• Application Number:
  US14/668,868
• Time in Patent Office: 244 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2475 for a hearing impaired user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72478 for hearing-impaired users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/10 with dictation recording and playback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42391 where the subscribers are hearing-impaired persons, e.g. telephone devices for the deaf
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0042 where the data service is a text-based messaging service H04M7/0054 takes precedence

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods are disclosed for automatically connecting to a relay service and establish a captioning communication session during a call between a hearing-impaired user and a far-end user. The apparatus includes communication elements configured to receive captions from a relay service, and a processor configured to automatically connect to the relay service and establish a captioning communication session during a call responsive to a determination that a connection to the relay service failed during a time in which the hearing-impaired user desired captions to be enabled. A method includes determining captions are desired by the hearing-impaired user at a first time to be enabled for display to the communication device during a call, detecting a failed connection to the relay service at a second time, and automatically connecting with the relay service and establishing a new captioning communication session at a third time during the call.

Claims

1. An apparatus associated with a hearing-impaired user, the apparatus comprising:

communication elements configured to receive audio signals from a far end communication device, and receive captions corresponding to the audio signals from a captioning communication service that provides captioning assistance for hearing-impaired users; and

a processor operably coupled with the communication elements, the processor configured to;

connect with the far-end communication device through a first connection to establish a voice communication session between the apparatus and the far end communication device; and

automatically connect with the captioning communication service through a second connection to establish a captioning communication session during the voice communication session responsive to a determination that an attempted connection to the captioning communication service failed during a time in which a caption select option has been enabled by the hearing-impaired user, wherein the attempted automatic connection through the second connection is not made during a time in which the caption select option has been disabled by the hearing-impaired user, and wherein the first connection with the far-end communication device is maintained until being disconnected by the hearing-impaired user in both situations in which the caption select option is either enabled or disabled.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to automatically connect with the captioning communication service through the second connection responsive to an error message from a captioning communication service session module executed by the processor of the apparatus that is configured to establish communication sessions between the apparatus and the captioning communication service.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the captioning communication service session module includes a session initiated protocol (SIP) stack.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the error message includes an error message generated by the captioning communication service session module after expiration of a time out period following a ping to the captioning communication service during the voice communication session.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to automatically connect with the captioning communication service through the second connection responsive to a message from a captioning communication service communication module executed by the processor of the apparatus that is configured to receive the text captions from the captioning communication service.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the message includes an error message generated by the captioning communication service communication module responsive to detecting a failure of transmission of audio signals from the apparatus to the captioning communication service.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the message includes a termination message generated by the captioning communication service and received by the processor of the apparatus.

8. An apparatus associated with a hearing-impaired user, the apparatus comprising:

communication elements configured to receive audio signals from a far end communication device, and receive captions corresponding to the audio signals from a captioning communication service that provides captioning assistance for hearing-impaired users; and

a processor operably coupled with the communication elements, the processor configured to;

connect with the far-end communication device through a first connection to establish a voice communication session between the apparatus and the far end communication device; and

automatically connect with the captioning communication service through a second connection to establish a captioning communication session during the voice communication session responsive to a determination that an attempted connection to the captioning communication service failed during a time in which a caption select option has been enabled by the hearing-impaired user, wherein the attempted automatic connection through the second connection is not made during a time in which the caption select option has been disabled by the hearing-impaired user, wherein the first connection with the far-end communication device is maintained until being disconnected by the hearing-impaired user in both situations in which the caption select option is either enabled or disabled, and wherein the processor is configured to automatically connect with the captioning communication service through the second connection responsive to a termination message being received by a module other than a user interface module, while a main module executed by the processor is in a state of the main module that is different than a session closing state of the main module.

9. A method of establishing a captioning communication session with a captioning communication service for assisting a hearing-impaired user of a communication device, the method comprising:

establishing a voice communication session between a captioning communication device and a far end communication device through a first connection;

determining that captions are desired by the hearing-impaired user at a first time to be enabled for display to the communication device during the voice communication session responsive to a caption select option being enabled;

detecting a failed connection between the captioning communication device and the captioning communication service through a second connection at a second time during the voice communication session while the caption select option is still enabled; and

automatically attempting to connect the captioning communication device and the captioning communication service until at intervals during the voice communication session without user input until a new captioning communication session is established between the captioning communication service and the communication device, the caption select option is disabled, or until the voice communication session is terminated, wherein the first connection is maintained until the voice communication session is terminated; and

establishing the new captioning communication session between captioning communication service and the communication device at a third time during the voice communication session if the automatic attempt to connect through the second connection is successful.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining captions are desired by the hearing-impaired user at the first time to be enabled responsive to the caption select option being enabled includes receiving an input selection at the communication device by the hearing-impaired user.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein determining captions are desired by the hearing-impaired user at the first time to be enabled responsive to the caption select option being enabled includes the communication device determining captions to be enabled by default.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting the failed connection between the captioning communication device and the captioning communication service through the second connection at the second time includes receiving an error message generated internally within the caption communication device without a selection of the hearing-impaired user being received through a user interface of the communication device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting the failed connection between the captioning communication device and the captioning communication service through the second connection at the second time occurs after the caption select option has already been enabled for the captioning communication device during a prior captioning communication session during the same voice communication session.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein automatically attempting to connect the captioning communication device and the captioning communication service through the second connection includes sending a new session request from the captioning communication device to the captioning communication service at each interval.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the intervals are regular intervals.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the intervals are staggered intervals.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein establishing the new captioning communication session includes the new captioning communication session being assigned to a different communication assistant at the captioning communication service than with the prior captioning communication during the same voice communication session.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein establishing the new captioning communication session includes the new captioning communication session being assigned to a same communication assistant at the captioning communication service as with the prior captioning communication during the same voice communication session.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting a failed connection between the captioning communication device and the captioning communication service through the second connection at the second time includes the captioning communication device receiving a termination request from a communication assistant assigned to a current captioning communication session at the captioning communication service while the voice communication session is still ongoing through the first connection.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein the first time and the second time occur at least substantially simultaneously.

22. The method of claim 9, wherein automatically connecting the captioning communication device and the captioning communication service through the second connection and establishing the new captioning communication session includes reconnecting the captioning communication device and the captioning communication service through the second connection after the communication device and the captioning communication service had already been connected for a previous captioning communication session during the same voice communication session between the communication device and a far end communication device.

21. An apparatus associated with a hearing-impaired user, the apparatus comprising:

an electronic display;

communication elements configured to receive audio signals from a far end communication device, and receive captions corresponding to the audio signals from a captioning communication service; and

a processor operably coupled with the electronic display and the communication elements, the processor configured to;

establish a voice communication session through a first connection with the far end communication device;

establish a captioning communication session through a second connection with the captioning communication service during the voice communication session with the far end communication device;

transmit the audio signals received from the far end communication device during the voice communication session to the captioning communication service over the second connection;

receive text captions from the captioning communication service through the second connection, the text captions corresponding to the audio signals received from the far end communication device during the voice communication session;

display the text captions on the electronic display;

enable the captioning communication session responsive to a caption select option being enabled based on either a user input through a user interface of the apparatus or through a caption default on setting for the apparatus;

disable the captioning communication session responsive to the caption select option being disabled based on either a user input through a user interface of the apparatus or through a caption default on setting for the apparatus; and

automatically connect to the captioning communication service through the second connection and establish a new captioning communication session during the voice communication session after the captioning communication session has been enabled and responsive to a determination that the captioning communication session is terminated in a manner that is different than a user input being received through the user interface, wherein the first connection is maintained while automatic reconnection occurs unless the caption select option is disabled or until the voice communication session is terminated.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the processor configured to automatically connect to the captioning communication service through the second connection by sending a plurality of session requests from the captioning communication device to the captioning communication service at continuing intervals without user input while the voice communication session between the communication device and the far end communication device is connected or until the new captioning communication session is established.