Communications involving devices having different communication modes

• US 7,792,253 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2005
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Michelini, Vanessa V., Sadowski, Wallace J., Agapi, Ciprian
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Harry S
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAH, ANTIM G
• Application Number:
  US11/260,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20070116194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,776 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/400, 370/401, 370/465, 370/466, 370/352, 455/418, 455/420, 455/414.4, 379/88.14, 379/88.01, 379/67.1
• US Class Current: 379/88.14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0045 where the text-based messaging service is an instant messaging service

Abstract

The present invention includes a telecommunication method. The method can include the step of a sending device operating in a first communication mode initializing a communication to a receiving device operating in a second communication mode. The receiving device can be queried to automatically determine that the receiving device is operating in the second communication mode. In one embodiment, the first and second communication modes can include a speech mode and a text mode. The communication can be established between the sending and receiving devices, where the sending device communicates in the first communication mode, and where the receiving device communicates in the second communication mode. During the communication, a format of messages conveyed between the sending device and the receiving device can be automatically changed in accordance with the first communication mode and the second communication mode.

Claims

1. A telecommunication method comprising:

a sending device operating in a first communication mode initializing a communication to a receiving device, wherein said first communication mode is a speech mode communication;

querying the receiving device from a network node functioning as a communication intermediary between the sending device and the receiving device, where the network node is a node remotely located from the sending device and the receiving device that is connected to each via a network, wherein the querying is via a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) based message to determine a communication mode of the receiving device;

receiving a response at the network node to the querying via another SIP based message from the receiving device, wherein the another SIP based message comprises semantic content provided by the receiving device, said semantic content defining a communication mode to be used for the receiving device;

determining from the semantic content of the another SIP based message that the receiving device is operating in the second communication mode, and wherein said second communication mode is a text mode;

responsive to said querying step, establishing said communication, wherein said sending device communicates in said first communication mode by conveying messages to a network in the first communication mode, and wherein said receiving device communicates in said second communication mode by conveying messages to the network in the second communication mode;

activating, via the network node, a speech-to-text conversion processor and a text-to-speech conversion processor of a conversion element, where the conversion element is remotely located from the sending device and the receiving device and is connected to each via the network;

during said communication, automatically changing a format of messages conveyed between the sending device and the receiving device in accordance with the first communication mode and the second communication mode, wherein automatically changing the format is performed by the conversion element, wherein the changing of the format of messages includes speech-to-text converting a portion of the messages and text-to-speech converting a portion of the messages;

during said communication, the receiving device sending a different SIP based message to the network node, wherein the SIP based message includes semantic content indicating that the second communication mode is to be changed to a voice mode; and

responsive to receiving the different SIP based message, the network node deactivating the conversion element for the communication so that it no longer performs speech-to-text and text-to-speech conversions of messages conveyed between the sending device and the receiving device during the communication, altering said communication so that the receiving device communicates in speech mode, wherein the altering of the second communication mode occurs without terminating said communication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the another SIP based message and the different SIP based message use an extended version of the SIP protocol that is in accordance with an extension of a SIP for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions (SIMPLE) based protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a configurable setting of the receiving device so that application events are detected and used to automatically and dynamically adjust a setting of the second communication mode to change the second communication mode between the text mode and the voice mode.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the application that produces at least one of the application events is one that runs remotely from the receiving communication device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the application that produces at least one of the application events maintains a schedule for a user of the receiving device, wherein text mode is automatically established as the secondary communication mode for the receiving device when a schedule of the user indicates that the user is in a meeting, and wherein when the schedule of the user indicates that the user is finished with a meeting, voice mode is automatically established as the secondary communication mode for the receiving device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication mode that the sender is operating in a voice communication mode, wherein the second communication mode that the receiving device is operating within is a text communication mode, wherein said receiving device displays in text a subject of the communication comprising semantic content speech-to-text converted from content sent via the sending device, wherein an interface of the receiving device provides an option to switch to speech mode, wherein the changing of the format of messages occurs responsive to a selection of the option by a user of the receiving device, wherein said different communication mode is a speech communication mode.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein during the querying of the receiving device, a session initiating SIP invite message is sent to the receiving device, the receiving device sends back an indicator of the second communication mode, and thereafter establishes the communication with the receiving device via a Message Session Relay Protocol (MSRP) OK message.

8. The method of claim 1, the sending and receiving device each lack a text-to-speech processor and lack a speech-to-text processor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving device has a plurality of communication modes and is a mobile phone having a screen for displaying text, wherein said plurality of communication modes comprise at least one speech mode and at least one text mode.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said conversion element provides a translation service for the network node.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said steps of claim 1 are performed by at least one machine in accordance with at least one computer program having a plurality of code sections that are executable by the at least one machine.

12. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising:

computer usable program code stored in a tangible storage medium, when said computer usable program code is executed by a processor it is operable to initialize, from a sending device operating in a first communication mode, a communication to a receiving device, wherein said first communication mode is a speech mode communication;

computer usable program code stored in a tangible storage medium, when said computer usable program code is executed by a processor it is operable to query the receiving device from a network node functioning as a communication intermediary between the sending device and the receiving device, where the network node is a node remotely located from the sending device and the receiving device that is connected to each via a network, wherein the querying is via a Session Initiation Protocol(SIP) based message to determine a communication mode of the receiving device;

computer usable program code stored in a tangible storage medium, when said computer usable program code is executed by a processor it is operable to receive a response at the network node to the querying via another SIP based message from the receiving device, wherein the another SIP based message comprises semantic content provided by the receiving device, said semantic content defining a communication mode to be used for the receiving device;

computer usable program code stored in a tangible storage medium, when said computer usable program code is executed by a processor it is operable to determine from the semantic content of the another SIP based message that the receiving device is operating in the second communication mode, and wherein said second communication mode is a text mode;

computer usable program code stored in a tangible storage medium, when said computer usable program code is executed by a processor it is operable to, responsive to querying the receiving device, establish said communication, wherein said sending device communicates in said first communication mode by conveying messages to a network in the first communication mode, and wherein said receiving device communicates in said second communication mode by conveying messages to the network in the second communication mode;

computer usable program code stored in a tangible storage medium, when said computer usable program code is executed by a processor it is operable to activate, via the network node, a speech-to-text conversion processor and a text-to-speech conversion processor of a conversion element, where the conversion element is remotely located from the sending device and the receiving device and is connected to each via the network;

computer usable program code stored in a tangible storage medium, when said computer usable program code is executed by a processor it is operable to, during said communication, automatically change a format of messages conveyed between the sending device and the receiving device in accordance with the first communication mode and the second communication mode, wherein automatically changing the format is performed by the conversion element, wherein the changing of the format of messages includes speech-to-text converting a portion of the messages and text-to-speech converting a portion of the messages;

computer usable program code stored in a tangible storage medium, when said computer usable program code is executed by a processor it is operable to during said communication, send from the receiving device a different SIP based message to the network node, wherein the SIP based message includes semantic content indicating that the second communication mode is to be changed to a voice mode; and

computer usable program code stored in a tangible storage medium, when said computer usable program code is executed by a processor it is operable to responsive to receiving the different SIP based message, deactivating at the network node the conversion element for the communication so that it no longer performs speech-to-text and text-to-speech conversions of messages conveyed between the sending device and the receiving device during the communication, altering said communication so that the receiving device communicates in speech mode, wherein the altering of the second communication mode occurs without terminating said communication.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein during the querying of the receiving device, a session initiating SIP invite message is sent to the receiving device, the receiving device sends back an indicator of the second communication mode, and thereafter establishes the communication with the receiving device via a Message Session Relay Protocol (MSRP) OK message.

14. A telecommunication method comprising:

a network node receiving a communication from a sending device to a receiving device, wherein the receiving device is operating in a first communication mode that is a speech communication;

querying the receiving device from the network node functioning as a communication intermediary between the sending device and the receiving device, where the network node is a node remotely located from the sending device and the receiving device that is connected to each via a network, wherein the querying is via a Session Initiation Protocol(SIP) based message to determine a communication mode of the receiving device;

receiving a response at the network node to the querying via another SIP based message from the receiving device, wherein the another SIP based message comprises semantic content provided by the receiving device, said semantic content defining a communication mode to be used for the receiving device;

determining from the semantic content of the another SIP based message that the receiving device is operating in the second communication mode, and wherein said second communication mode is a text mode;

responsive to said querying step, establishing said communication, wherein said sending device communicates in said first communication mode by conveying messages to a network in the first communication mode, and wherein said receiving device communicates in said second communication mode by conveying messages to the network in the second communication mode;

activating, via the network node, a speech-to-text conversion processor and a text-to-speech conversion processor of a conversion element, where the conversion element is remotely located from the sending device and the receiving device and is connected to each via the network;

during said communication, automatically changing a format of messages conveyed between the sending device and the receiving device in accordance with the first communication mode and the second communication mode, wherein automatically changing the format is performed by the conversion element, wherein the changing of the format of messages includes speech-to-text converting a portion of the messages and text-to-speech converting a portion of the messages;

during said communication, the network node receiving a different SIP based message from the receiving device, wherein the SIP based message includes semantic content indicating that the second communication mode is to be changed to a voice mode; and

responsive to receiving the different SIP based message, the network node deactivating the conversion element for the communication so that it no longer performs speech-to-text and text-to-speech conversions of messages conveyed between the sending device and the receiving device during the communication, altering said communication so that the receiving device communicates in speech mode, wherein the altering of the second communication mode occurs without terminating said communication.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the network node comprises at least one computer program product, said at least one computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising computer usable program code stored in a tangible storage medium, when said computer usable program code is executed by a processor it is operable to perform said receiving of the communication, said querying, said receiving of the response, said determining, said establishing, said activating, said changing, said receiving of the different SIP based message, and said deactivating.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the another SIP based message and the different SIP based message use an extended version of the SIP protocol that is in accordance with an extension of a SIP for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions (SIMPLE) based protocol.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein during the querying of the receiving device, a session initiating SIP invite message is sent to the receiving device, the receiving device sends back an indicator of the second communication mode, and thereafter establishes the communication with the receiving device via a Message Session Relay Protocol (MSRP) OK message.