CAPTIONED TELEPHONE SERVICE

• US 20160105554A1
• Filed: 12/15/2015
• Published: 04/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2004
• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 10,491,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 that 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 start of an incoming call is detected by the captioned telephone device on the first line, the captioned telephone device automatically calling the relay on the second line to initiate captioning service set up; the captioned telephone device passing spoken words received on the first line to the second line; and the relay then providing text captions of the spoken words back to the captioned telephone device on the second line.

Claims

1. A method of operating a captioned telephone call in which an assisted user is connected by a captioned telephone device that 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 start of an incoming call is detected by the captioned telephone device on the first line, the captioned telephone device automatically calling the relay on the second line to initiate captioning service set up;

the captioned telephone device passing spoken words received on the first line to the second line; and

the relay then providing text captions of the spoken words back to the captioned telephone device on the second line,

wherein words received on the first line include words spoken by the assisted user and words spoken by the remote user, the step of passing spoken words on the first line to the second line including cancelling the words spoken by the assisted user and only passing words spoken by the remote user to the second line.

2. A method of operating a captioned telephone call in which an assisted user is connected by a captioned telephone device that 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 automatically calling the relay on the second line to establish an interconnection to the relay;

linking the call to an assigned call assistant after a predetermined condition is satisfied;

the captioned telephone device passing spoken words received on the first line to the second line; and

the relay then providing text captions of the spoken words back to the captioned telephone device on the second line,

wherein words received on the first line include words spoken by the assisted user and words spoken by the remote user, the step of passing spoken words on the first line to the second line including cancelling the words spoken by the assisted user and only passing words spoken by the remote user to the second line.

3. A method of facilitating a captioned telephone call using a captioned telephone device used by an assisted user, the captioned telephone device connectable by a first line to a remote user and a second line to a relay providing captioning for a conversation, wherein the captioned telephone device includes at least one caption control feature for selecting automated captioning upon reception of an incoming call, the method comprising the steps of:

upon detecting an incoming call on the first line, the captioned telephone device checking a status of the caption control feature and, when a captioning default is selected, automatically calling the relay on the second line to initiate captioning service set up;

at the relay, a call assistant assigned to the call to generate text captions corresponding to words spoken by the remote user;

the captioned telephone device passing spoken words received from the remote user on the first line to the second line; and

the relay providing text captions of the spoken words back to the captioned telephone device on the second line,

wherein words received on the first line include words spoken by the assisted user and words spoken by the remote user, the step of passing spoken words on the first line to the second line including cancelling the words spoken by the assisted user and only passing words spoken by the remote user to the second line.

4. A method to facilitate a captioned call between an assisted user using a captioned telephone device and a remote user, the captioned telephone device including a caption control feature selectable to set a caption default status for the device, the method comprising the steps of:

upon detection of a start of an incoming call checking the status of the caption control feature;

upon detection of a start of an outgoing call, checking the status of the caption control feature; and

when the caption control feature is set to a default caption status, automatically establishing a link to a relay to initiate a captioning service.

5. The method of claim 4 further including the step of assigning a call assistant to the call after the link to the relay is established.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of assigning a call assistant to the call includes detecting that one of the incoming call is answered by the assisted user and the outgoing call is answered by the remote user and assigning a call assistant after the call is answered.