Electronic device and call service providing method thereof

• US 9,843,667 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2016
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Jinkyu, Shin, Sangwook, Youn, Sungwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V
• Application Number:
  US15/352,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20170149961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 455567
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72484 wherein functions are triggered by incoming communication events
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/39 using speech synthesis speech synthesis per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5018 Initiating a conference during a two-party conversation, i.e. three-party-service or three-way-call computer conference organisation arrangements H04L12/1818
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/62 user interface aspects of conference calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4288 Notifying a called subscriber of an incoming call during an ongoing call, e.g. Call Waiting
• 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 call service providing method and an electronic device thereof are provided. The electronic device includes: at least one communication circuit supporting at least one communication protocol; a display; a microphone; a speaker; an input device which is configured with or separated from the display; a control circuit electrically coupled to the communication circuit, the display, the microphone, the speaker, and the input device; and a memory electrically coupled to the control circuit. The memory stores instructions executable by the control circuit to: receive a first call from a first external electronic device via the at least one communication circuit; during the first call, receive a request for a second call from a second external electronic device via the at least one communication circuit; receive the second call based on input via the input device; convert a first voice data from the second external electronic device to a first text data and display the first text data on the display; and convert a second text data inputted via the input device to a second voice data and transmit the second voice data to the second external electronic device. Various other embodiments are provided.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

at least one communication module;

a display; and

a control circuit,

wherein the control circuit is configured to;

receive a request for a second call from a second party while the electronic device is connected with a first party in a first call; and

control the at least one communication module to connect the second call with the second party while maintaining the first call, in response to an input from a user of the electronic device, wherein the first call is a voice communication mode and the second call is a hybrid communication mode in which a first voice data from the second party is converted to a first text data to be displayed on the display, and a second text data inputted by the user of the electronic device is converted to a second voice data to be transmitted to the second party.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein in the hybrid communication mode, the user of the electronic device performs the second call with the second party in a form of text conversation and the second party performs the second call with the user in a form of voice conversation.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

after receiving the request for the second call from the second party during the first call, receive user input to accept the second call in the hybrid communication mode; and

connect the second call in the hybrid communication mode based on the received user input.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the control circuit comprises:

a speech-to-text (STT) module adapted to convert the first voice data from the second party to the first text data; and

a text-to-speech (TTS) module adapted to convert the second text data inputted by the user of the electronic device to the second voice data.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the STT module and/or TTS module communicates with a server to perform the conversions.

6. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

request a third call to a third party according to input by the user;

receive, from the third party, a request to connect the third call in a third communication mode;

request confirmation from the user to connect the third call in the third communication mode; and

when confirmation from the user is received, connect the third call in the third communication mode.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the third communication mode is a hybrid communication mode in which a third voice data from the user of the electronic device is converted to a third text data to be transmitted to the third party, and a fourth text data from the third party is converted to a fourth voice data outputted by the electronic device.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein in the third communication mode, the user of the electronic device performs the third call with the third party in a form of voice conversation and the third party performs the third call with the user in a form of text conversation.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein:

the STT module converts the third voice data from the user of the electronic device to the third text data and transmits the third text data to the third party during the third call; and

the TTS module converts the fourth text data from the third party to the fourth voice data and outputs the fourth voice data to the user during the third call.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein before connecting the second or third call, the control circuit controls the at least one communication module to register contacts of the user in a first server, receive a token from the first server, and transmit the token to a second server.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

create a group of contacts when the user accepts the second call, the group of contacts including the first party and the second party;

create a group identification (ID) corresponding to the created group;

transmit the group ID to the second server; and

connect the second call and merge the first call and the second call when the first party and the second party accept participation in the group.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

receive a group ID corresponding to a group of contacts created by the third party from the first server when the user accepts the third call;

transmit a request to participate in the group to the second server; and

connect the third call.

13. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the first call is connected via a first communication network and the second call is connected via a second communication network, the first communication network being a circuit switching (CS) network providing a voice call service, and the second communication network being a packet switching (PS) network providing a data transmission/reception service.

14. A call service providing method of an electronic device comprising:

controlling at least one communication module to connect a first call with a first party;

receiving a request for a second call from a second party while maintaining the first call; and

controlling the at least one communication module to connect the second call with the second party while maintaining the first call, in response to an input from a user of the electronic device, wherein the first call is a voice communication mode and the second call is a hybrid communication mode in which a first voice data from the second party is converted to a first text data to be displayed on a display of the electronic device, and a second text data inputted by the user of the electronic device is converted to a second voice data to be transmitted to the second party.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein in the hybrid communication mode, the user of the electronic device performs the second call with the second party in a form of text conversation and the second party performs the second call with the user in a form of voice conversation.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

requesting a third call to a third party according to input by the user;

receiving, from the third party, a request to connect the third call in a third communication mode;

requesting confirmation from the user to connect the third call in the third communication mode; and

when confirmation from the user is received, connecting the third call in the third communication mode,

wherein the third communication mode is a hybrid communication mode in which a third voice data from the user of the electronic device is converted to a third text data to be transmitted to the third party, and a fourth text data from the third party is converted to a fourth voice data outputted by the electronic device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein in the third communication mode, the user of the electronic device performs the third call with the third party in a form of voice conversation and the third party performs the third call with the user in a form of text conversation.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

registering, before connecting the second or third call, contacts of the user in a first server via the at least one communication module;

receiving a token from the first server; and

transmitting the token to a second server.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

creating a group of contacts when the user accepts the second call, the group of contacts include the first party and the second party;

creating a group identification (ID) corresponding to the created group;

transmitting the group ID to the second server; and

connecting the second call and merging the first call and the second call when the first party and the second party accepts participation in the group.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a group ID corresponding to a group of contacts created by the third party from the first server when the user accepts the third call;

transmitting a request to participate in the group to the second server; and

connecting the third call.

21. A computer-readable recording medium interfacing with an external system, storing a software program for executing processes of:

controlling at least one communication module to connect a first call with a first party;

receiving a request for a second call from a second party while maintaining the first call; and

controlling the at least one communication module to connect the second call with the second party while maintaining the first call, in response to an input from a user of an electronic device, wherein the first call is a voice communication mode and the second call is a hybrid communication mode in which a first voice data from the second party is converted to a first text data to be displayed on a display of the electronic device, and a second text data inputted by the user of the electronic device is converted to a second voice data to be transmitted to the second party.