Method and apparatus for relaying communication

• US 6,389,114 B1
• Filed: 08/06/1998
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wattenbarger, Blake Lane, Rupert, Amy J., Dowens, Jac P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US09/129,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20020037074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 379/34, 379/52, 379/67.1, 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 379/88.21, 379/93.17, 379/93.21, 379/93.23, 379/100.09, 379/112, 379/114, 379/158, 379/201, 379/32.01, 379/38, 379/51, 379/93.15, 379/201.01, 379/205.01, 379/88.14, 455/417, 455/445, 455/461, 348/14-17
• US Class Current: 379/52
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42391 where the subscribers are hearing-impaired persons, e.g. telephone devices for the deaf
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53 Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages , i.e. mailbox systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0045 where the text-based messaging service is an instant messaging service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0054 where the data service is an electronic mail service

Abstract

The invention provides a telecommunication relay device that relays communication from a first party to at least one second party. The first party and the second party may use terminals of different types such as telephone stations, text telephones, two-way pagers, personal digital assistants with communication capabilities, data network terminals, etc. The telecommunication relay device converts text received from text terminals into voice for voice terminals and converts voice to text and vice versa. The telecommunication relay device also permits the first party to leave messages for other parties. For example, the first party may send an e-mail message using a telephone station or receive an e-mail using a telephone station. In addition, the telecommunication relay device may open a private chat room to allow communication between data network terminals and telephone stations, for example. The telecommunication relay device may also provide conferencing capability where the conferees may use different type terminals.

Claims

1. A method for relaying communication between a first party using a first terminal of a first type and at least a second party using a second terminal of a second type, the first type being different than the second type, the method comprising:

receiving a first contact from the first party;

at least one of leaving a first message for the second party, outputting a second message received from the second party, or initiating a second contact to the second party; and

leaving a third message for the second party if the second party does not answer the second contact, wherein the first message is saved without conversion, wherein if the second party answers the second contact, the method further comprising;

converting first information received from the first terminal into second information;

outputting the second information to the second terminal;

converting third information received from the second terminal into fourth information; and

outputting the fourth information to the first terminal, wherein all conversions are performed automatically by a conversion device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second terminals includes one of a telephone station, a cell phone, a text telephone, a two-way pager, a personal digital assistant, and a data network terminal coupled to the telecommunication relay device via a data network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein if one of the first and the second terminals is the telephone station and the other one of the first and second terminals is the text telephone, the two-way pager or the personal digital assistant, the method comprising:

converting first voice signals from the telephone station into first text;

outputting the first text to the text telephone, the two-way pager or the personal digital assistant;

converting second text from the text telephone, the two-way pager or the personal digital assistant into second voice signals; and

outputting the second voice signals to the telephone station.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein if one of the first and the second terminals is the telephone station and the other one of the first and second terminals is the data network terminal, the method further comprising:

opening a private chat room;

converting first voice signals from the telephone station into first text;

outputting the first text to the data network terminal through the private chat room;

converting second text from the data network terminal into second voice signals; and

outputting the second voice signals to the telephone station.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein if one of the first and the second terminals is the text telephone, the two-way pager or the personal digital assistant, and the other one of the first and second terminals is the data network terminal, the method further comprising:

opening a private chat room;

converting first text from the text telephone, the two-way pager or the personal digital assistant into second text;

outputting the second text to the data network terminal through the private chat room;

converting third text from the data network terminal into fourth text; and

outputting the fourth text to the text telephone, the two-way pager or the personal digital assistant.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising formatting the first and third messages with information received from the first party, the information including at least first party identification.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third messages may each be one of a text message, a voice message, and an e-mail message, the method further comprising:

converting the first or third messages to be compatible with the second terminal or the second message to be compatible with the first terminal if the second terminal cannot receive the first or third messages left by the first party or the first terminal cannot receive the second message left by the second party; and

outputting the converted first or third messages to the second terminal or the converted second message to the first terminal.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a conference based on a conferee list received from the first party;

contacting at least one other conferee in addition to the second party, the conferee using a third terminal of a third type; and

converting information among terminals of each of conferees so that a terminal of each conferee receives the information in a form compatible with the terminal of each conferee.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the fourth message may be one of a text message, a voice message, and an e-mail message.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the first, second, and third terminals includes one of a telephone station, a text telephone, a two-way pager, a personal digital assistant, and a data network terminal coupled to the telecommunication relay device via a data network.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising leaving a fourth message to a conferee if the conferee does not respond when contacted.

12. A telecommunication relay device that relays communication between a first party using a first terminal of a first type and at least a second party using a second terminal of a second type, the first type being different than the second type, the device comprising:

a memory; and

a controller coupled to the memory receiving a first contact from the first party, the controller at least one of leaving a first message for the second party, outputting a second message from the memory received from the second party, or initiating a second contact to the second party, and leaving a third message for the second party if the second party does not answer the second contact, saving the first message without conversion, wherein if the second party answers the second contact, the controller converting first information received from the first terminal into second information, outputting the second information to the second terminal, converting third information received from the second terminal into a fourth information, and outputting the fourth information to the first terminal, wherein all conversions are performed automatically by a conversion device.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein each of the first and second terminals includes one of a telephone station, a cell phone, a text telephone, a two-way pager, a personal digital assistant, and a data network terminal coupled to the telecommunication relay device via a data network.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein if one of the first and the second terminals is the telephone station and the other one of the first and second terminals is the text telephone, the two-way pager or the personal digital assistant, the controller converts first voice signals from the telephone station into first text, outputs the first text to the text telephone, the two-way pager or the personal digital assistant, converts second text from the text telephone, the two-way pager or the personal digital assistant into second voice signals, and outputs the second voice signals to the telephone station.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein if one of the first and the second terminals is the telephone station and the other one of the first and second terminals is the data network terminal, the controller opens a private chat room, converts first voice signals from the telephone station into first text, outputs the first text to the data network terminal through the private chat room, converts second text from the data network terminal into second voice signals, and outputs the second voice signals to the telephone station.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein if one of the first and the second terminals is the text telephone, the two-way pager or the personal digital assistant, and the other one of the first and second terminals is the data network terminal, the controller opens a private chat room, converts first text from the text telephone, the two-way pager or the personal digital assistant into second text, outputs the second text to the data network terminal through the private chat room, converts third text from the data network terminal into fourth text, and outputs the fourth text to the text telephone, the two-way pager or the personal digital assistant.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein the controller formats the first and third messages with information received from the first party, the information including at least first party identification.

18. The device of claim 12, wherein the first, second and third messages may each be one of a text message, a voice message, and an e-mail message, the controller converting the first or third messages to be compatible with the second terminal or the second message to be compatible with the first terminal if the second terminal cannot receive the first or third messages left by the first party or the first terminal cannot receive the second message left by the second party, and outputting the converted first or third messages to the second terminal or the converted second message to the first terminal.

19. The device of claim 12, wherein the controller initiates a conference based on a conferee list received from the first party, contacts at least one other conferee in addition to the second party, the conferee using a third terminal of a third type, and converts information among terminals of each of conferees so that a terminal of each conferee receives the information in a form compatible with the terminal of each conferee.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the controller leaves a fourth message to a conferee if the conferee does not respond to the controller when contacted.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the fourth message may be one of a text message, a voice message, and an e-mail message.

22. The device of claim 19, wherein each of the first, second, and third terminals includes one of a telephone station, a text telephone, a two-way pager, a personal digital assistant, and a data network terminal coupled to the telecommunication relay device via a data network.