Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
379052000 | INCLUDING AID FOR HANDICAPPED USER (E.G., VISUAL, TACTILE, HEARING AID COUPLING) | 41 |
20080267361 | Public phone device with multiple functionalities including services for the hearing impaired - A public phone with enhanced communications services for the hearing impaired and hard of hearing. | 10-30-2008 |
20080292066 | Telephone handset coupling system - A telephone handset that includes both a speaker and a secondary flux coil is provided. The secondary flux coil provides improved inductive coupling between the handset and a hearing aid. Due to the wiring configuration of the handset, the speaker and the secondary flux coil can be independently filtered, thus providing means for independently optimizing the performance of both the speaker and the secondary flux coil. Suitable filters include both passive circuits and digital signal processors. | 11-27-2008 |
20080292067 | Terminal Equipment and Method Thereof - The present invention relates to a terminal for hard of-hearing and speech-disabled people and a character transmitting and receiving method using the same, in a mobile communication system that provides voice communication services using a mobile terminal, such as CDMA, and a system that provides voice communication services through a packet communication network, such as VoIP. A character communication function is implemented in a mobile terminal or a VoIP phone that is widely spread. The character communication function matches to a function that transfers character information for hard of-bearing and speech-disabled people along a path that provides voice services, and thus a user can freely communicate simply using the mobile terminal or VoIP phone. It is advantageous in that character communications can be performed without modifying the systems or hardware of the terminal, and communication mobility is provided to hard of-hearing and speech-disabled people. | 11-27-2008 |
20080298556 | HEARING AID-COMPATIBLE CORDLESS TELEPHONE WITH CORDED HANDSET - A cordless telephone for use with a hearing aid includes an induction coil in a handset. The handset is electrically and mechanically connected to a platform or base for the handset such that the handset platform and handset are not farther from each other than the length of the cord that connects them. Audio processing circuitry in the remote station of the cordless telephone enables both volume control and tone control of the signals produced at the handset earpiece and induced by the hearing-aid compatible voice coil with the handset. | 12-04-2008 |
20090028300 | NETWORK COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS INCLUDING VIDEO PHONES - An inbound call for a hearing impaired user may be routed to a server. The server may determine a destination for the call and obtain caller identifying information from the incoming call. A pop-up prompt may be displayed on a computing device of one or more recipients of the call. The pop-up prompt may comprise one or more input to allow the intended recipient(s) of the call to handle the incoming call by answering the call using a video relay service (VRS) agent, a text relay service agent (TRS), a messaging service, or the like. If a hearing impaired user answers the call, one of a plurality of in-house or remote VRS or TRS agents may be selected to provide relay services for the call. Outbound calls made by the hearing impaired user may be similarly assigned to one of a plurality of VRS or TRS agents. | 01-29-2009 |
20090060147 | ACHIEVING HEARING AID COMPATIBILITY ON HANDSETS WITH LOW ACOUSTIC IMPEDANCE RECEIVERS - In one embodiment, an equalizer outputs a compensated received signal that flattens the acoustic frequency response characteristic of a handset having a leak tolerant ear piece. A hardware based filter is implemented within the handset having a response matched to the response of the equalizer so that the acoustic and magnetic frequency responses of the handset are substantially flat over the audible frequency range to comply with regulatory requirements. | 03-05-2009 |
20090086933 | CALL ROUTING USING VOICE SIGNATURE AND HEARING CHARACTERISTICS - In an example embodiment, a system that appropriately routes calls to an agent at a contact center based on the agent's voice and/or hearing characteristics. The agent is selected by matching speech and hearing characteristics of a caller with the speech and hearing characteristics of an agent. In order to find the best match for the caller, the contact center determines if the caller is hearing impaired, and if so determines a suitable frequency range for the caller. If a match cannot be found, the agent's and/or caller's voice may be shifted in real time and adjusted to a frequency range that is best suited for the caller. | 04-02-2009 |
20090262906 | TELECOMMUNICATION RELAY SERVICE ASSISTANCE FOR INCOMING CALLS - A method is provided in a telecommunications network for clandestinely providing a transmission relay service (TRS) to a called party ( | 10-22-2009 |
20090323905 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN INCOMING AND OUTGOING MESSAGES AND IDENTIFYING CORRESPONDENTS IN A TTY COMMUNICATION - A method and system are provided that examine incoming and outgoing TTY transmissions to determine an identifier for distinguishing between correspondents in a TTY call. The system may utilize contact information associated with an incoming or outgoing call to provide visual distinctions, and/or flow control, to the text from each party as it is displayed on a TTY device. | 12-31-2009 |
20100002848 | TELEPHONE FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED - A telephone for the visually impaired is disclosed, which comprises a frame and a receiver. The frame is configured with an operation panel and a receiver holder, whereas there are a keypad being disposed at a position on top of the operation panel and a first protruding dot being disposed at a position beneath the operation panel. Moreover, the receiver holder is an open structure that is formed extruding from a side of the frame and is configured with a pressing part. With the aforesaid devices, any visually impaired person is able to place the receiver on the receiver holder in a trouble-free manner while enabling the pressing part to be compressed exactly by the receiver; and he/she is able to recognize the exact location of the keypad for placing a dial as soon as the first protruding dot is felt by the hand of the visually impaired person. | 01-07-2010 |
20100014646 | TTY Translation for VoIP - A device for transmitting TTY communications includes an input for receiving analog tones from a TTY device, a first output for connecting to a public telephone switch network (PSTN) and a second output for connecting to digital communications network. The device is configured to operate in a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode the device receives the analog tones at the input and transmits the analog tones over the PSTN through the first output. In the second mode, the device receives the analog tones at the input, converts the analog tones into transmission control protocol (TCP) packets and transmits the TCP packets over a digital communications network through the second output. | 01-21-2010 |
20100027765 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING ASSISTED COMMUNICATIONS - An approach is provided for selectively translating a communication session and associated media among different formats based on user sensory impairment, preferred communication format, device capability, and restrictive environmental conditions. | 02-04-2010 |
20100061527 | Telephone grid - The nature of the disclosures of the Telephone Grid is a new process of jotting down telephone numbers. It is a process of checking off numbers on a grid, instead of having to write them down. It is especially useful to people who cannot write quickly, like the elderly or handicapped, as well as useful to business people who need to read and record numbers accurately. | 03-11-2010 |
20100142683 | Method and apparatus for providing video relay service assisted calls with reduced bandwidth - The bandwidth use for Video Relay Service (VRS) assisted calls for hearing impaired individuals is reduced by transmitting a sequence of corresponding sign identification (ID) numbers rather than a video of the signing itself. The signs may be captured by a video camera and recognized by a previously trained sign recognition algorithm, which advantageously converts the signs to sign ID numbers for transmission. Then, at the receiving end, the sequence of ID numbers may be advantageously re-converted back into signs, which may, for example, be displayed on a video screen with use of an artificially created (e.g., a “cartoon”) image comprising (at least) a pair of hands. | 06-10-2010 |
20100166155 | INTERNET PROTOCOL TEXT RELAY FOR HEARING IMPAIRED USERS - IP text relay or phone captioning is described herein, to facilitate communication through the use of traditional phone or VOIP or internet telephone system between people of hearing impaired and those who can hear. This service and device will enable users to communicate with users of hearing via assistance of an operator who will transcribe the call, while also receiving the Caller ID of the calling party and not the relay center. | 07-01-2010 |
20100208873 | TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVICE FOR THE DEAF (TDD) INTERFACE FOR INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE (IVR) SYSTEMS - Various embodiments are directed to a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) interface implemented by a server computing system. In one embodiment, the server computing system may be configured to receive an incoming telephony call from a TDD protocol-based device placed to a telephone number associated with the server computing system. In response to the incoming telephony call, the server computing system may invoke an automated telephony services application and associate a TTD interface with the incoming telephony call. The server computing device may output information from the automated telephony services application to the TDD protocol-based device via the TDD interface as TDD protocol-based data. Other embodiments are described and claimed. | 08-19-2010 |
20100220841 | NECKLOOP FOR TELELOOP HEARING AID SYSTEM - The invention relates to a neckloop for being coupled with a transformer element and for generating an electromagnetic signal for being received by a telecoil of a hearing device or by an induction receiver. In order to avoid strangulation of the person wearing the neckloop the neckloop comprises a teleloop cable having a first end and a second end, and a first magnet and a second magnet for forming a clasp of the neckloop. The first and second magnets are of opposite polarity. The first magnet is provided with a first plating and the second magnet is provided with a second plating. The first plating is in direct contact with the first end and the second plating is in direct contact with the second end. | 09-02-2010 |
20100272243 | AUTOMATED SELECTION OF TTY-MODES IN A MOBILE DEVICE - Disclosed is a method and apparatus for allowing a user to select, from a plurality of TTY-modes, one TTY-mode to associate with one phone number. The associated TTY-mode will be used for either incoming or outgoing calls using that phone number. Further disclosed are a plurality of TTY-modes to associate with individual phone numbers, and, a selectable set of default TTY-modes to use if no TTY-mode is associated with a particular phone number. Selectable audio modes, associable with phone numbers or with TTY-modes, is also discussed. | 10-28-2010 |
20110103559 | Voice Response Systems Browsing - A method for voice browsing an integrated voice response server is described. The method includes visually displaying a representation of a choice tree for a service, where the service includes an audio menu of available actions. A selection of an action displayed in the representation is received. The method also includes automatically navigating the audio menu in order to initiate the selected action. Apparatus and computer readable media are also described. | 05-05-2011 |
20110116608 | METHOD OF PROVIDING TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A DEAF PERSON AND A HEARING PERSON - A method of two-way communications between a deaf or hearing impaired person and a hearing person. Each person has a device ( | 05-19-2011 |
20110123003 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS RELATED TO TEXT CAPTION ERROR CORRECTION - Systems and methods related to providing error correction in a text caption are disclosed. A method may comprise displaying a text caption including one or more blocks of text on each of a first device and a second device remote from the first device. The method may also include generating another block of text and replacing a block of text of the text caption with the another block of text. Furthermore, the method may include displaying the text caption on the second device having the block of text of the first text caption replaced by the another block of text. | 05-26-2011 |
20110170672 | CAPTIONED TELEPHONE SERVICE - A method of operating a captioned telephone call in which an assisted user is connected by a captioned telephone device which is connected both by one 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 calling the relay on the second line to initiate captioning service set up prior to the call being answered, after the call is answered, the captioned telephone device passing spoken words received on the first telephone line to the second telephone line and the captioning service then providing captioning to the captioned telephone device of the spoken words transmitted on the second telephone line. | 07-14-2011 |
20110206189 | System for Automatic TTY Equipment Detection and for Notification of the Hearing Impaired - The invention is directed to efficient notification of the hearing impaired during emergencies. A message initiating agency and an administrator create an outbound message for delivery and further selects a number of campaign related parameters. A telecommunications interface module is provided that is capable of detecting the presence of a connected TTY device, and a connected TTY device logging system for recording in a database the occurrences of detection of a TTY devices associated with a particular telecommunications interface, or outbound message contact. The system delivers the campaign message to one or more telecommunications interfaces, delivers a TTY compatible message or a provides notification to said administrator of the detection of a connected TTY device, and records the incidence of failures to deliver the campaign message. | 08-25-2011 |
20120250836 | System For Text Assisted Telephony - A method of and system for operating a captioned telephone service, the method comprising the steps of providing words spoken by a remote user to a relay, at the relay, a call assistant listening to the words spoken by the remote user and re-voicing the words into a computer with voice recognition software trained to the voice of the call assistant to create a text stream of the words spoken by the remote user and presenting the text stream to an assisted user via a display. | 10-04-2012 |
20120250837 | System For Text Assisted Telephony - A method of and system for operating a captioned telephone service, the method comprising the steps of providing words spoken by a remote user to a relay, at the relay, a call assistant listening to the words spoken by the remote user and re-voicing the words into a computer with voice recognition software trained to the voice of the call assistant to create a text stream of the words spoken by the remote user and presenting the text stream to an assisted user via a display. | 10-04-2012 |
20120269330 | Navigation System Support of In-Vehicle TTY System - The described method and system provide for utilizing a navigation system to facilitate communications between a call center and a disabled individual who may have difficulty hearing or speaking. In one implementation, if TTY services are unavailable through a TIM or TTY device, a call center may communicate with occupants of a vehicle through a vehicle navigation unit, utilizing a display and input method associated with the navigation unit. In another implementation, the call center may communicate with occupants of a vehicle through the navigation unit in the first instance. | 10-25-2012 |
20120269331 | Media Relay Service - Disclosed are various embodiments for a call control application bridges communication devices with a media call. In one embodiment, the call control application receives a request to place a media call from a source device to a destination device. The call control application determines if at least one of the source device and the destination device is associated with a telephone number registered in a relay registry. In response to a determination that the telephone number is registered in the registry, the call control application directs an intermediary agent to place a first media call to the source device and a second media call to the destination device. The call control application then bridges the first media call and the second media call via the intermediary agent. | 10-25-2012 |
20130188784 | DEVICE INDEPENDENT TEXT CAPTIONED TELEPHONE SERVICE - A system and method for presenting caller ID information related to a caption assisted telephone call incorporating a first party Network appliance, a first party telephone service/terminal, and a relay linkable to the first party Network appliance via the Internet. | 07-25-2013 |
20130308763 | CAPTIONED TELEPHONE SERVICE - 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. | 11-21-2013 |
20140241512 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO SUPPORT USING ANALOG TTY DEVICES WITH VOICE-ONLY PC SOFT CLIENTS - Methods and systems for allowing analog TTY devices to be operated in conjunction with voice-only soft client applications are provided. Supported communication styles include a text-only TTY mode, a mode in which the user of the soft client receives text and responds by voice, a mode in which the user receives voice and responds with text, and a voice-only mode. Mode selection may be manual or automatic. Communication between the TTY device and far-end user may be via a direct connection between the TTY and the associated PBX, or via a connection between the TTY and the PC that is hosting the soft phone application. | 08-28-2014 |
20140270099 | METHODS, DEVICES AND SYSTEMS FOR CREATING OR SHARING A VISUAL INDICATOR PATTERN - Methods, apparatuses, and devices for creating or sharing a visual indicator pattern for indicating a condition of an incoming communication. A storage device stores a plurality of visual indicator patterns for displaying on a spatial visual indicator. A user interface is configured to receive a command from a user. Responsive to the command, a user-created visual indicator pattern is stored on the storage device, or another visual indicator pattern is received from, or shared with, another user. | 09-18-2014 |
20140270100 | METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR CALL MANAGEMENT ON A HEARING-IMPAIRED SIDE OF HEARING-IMPAIRED COMMUNCATION SYSTEMS - Methods and apparatuses for enabling electronic communication with a hearing-capable user and a hearing-impaired user are disclosed. An identified entry is selected from a database comprising one or more entries, wherein each of the one or more entries is associated with a contact of the hearing-impaired user and includes one or more connection indicators for the contact and one or more custom greetings for the contact. The identified entry is selected responsive to the one or more connection indicators for the hearing-capable user. A calling connection from the hearing-capable user to a translator is established and the translator is instructed to greet the hearing-capable user with one of the one or more custom greetings. | 09-18-2014 |
20140270101 | SYSTEMS AND RELATED METHODS FOR VISUAL INDICATION OF AN OCCURRENCE OF AN EVENT - Systems and methods are disclosed for visually indicating an occurrence of an event. A spatial visual indicator system comprises a spatial visual indicator including a plurality of illuminatable elements configured in at least a two-dimensional arrangement. The spatial visual indicator displays a visual indicator pattern corresponding to a detected event. A control circuit is configured to detect an event, and cause a transceiver to send a communication indicating a visual indicator pattern corresponding to the event to the spatial visual indicator. The spatial visual indicator is configured to display the visual indicator pattern. The spatial visual indicator is located remote to the transceiver. A method of indicating an occurrence of an event comprises receiving a communication indicating one of a plurality of visual indicator patterns that is associated with a detected event. The method also includes displaying the one of the plurality of visual indicator patterns. | 09-18-2014 |
20140270102 | SYSTEM FOR TEXT ASSISTED TELEPHONY - A system and method for providing captioned services comprising a relay, an assisted user's captioned device including a processor programmed to perform the steps of establishing a first communication link between the captioned device and a hearing person's device, receiving voice signals from the hearing person via the first communication link, receive an indication that an activator has been activated to invoke a captioning service and in response transmitting the hearing user's voice signals received at the captioned device to a relay via a second communication link, receiving text back corresponding to the hearing user's voice signals from the relay and displaying the text wherein the assisted user can invoke the captioning service either prior to or after the first communication link is established. | 09-18-2014 |
20140286480 | METHOD OF PROCESSING TELEPHONE VOICE OUTPUT, SOFTWARE PRODUCT PROCESSING TELEPHONE SOUND, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH TELEPHONE FUNCTION - A method of processing telephone voice output is applied in an electronic device with telephone function. When any one of the two communicators is a hearing-impaired user, at least one of the electronic devices will obtain the corresponding voice adjustment parameters according to the receiver identification of the hearing-impaired user. Therefore, the voice adjusting program is able to process the voice in advance based on the voice adjustment parameters to help the hearing-impaired user hear better. | 09-25-2014 |
20140341359 | SYSTEM FOR TEXT ASSISTED TELEPHONY - A device and method for providing captioned services to an assisted user using a captioned device linkable via a first communication link to a hearing user's device where the method includes the steps of, at a relay, receiving a request for captioning service from the captioned device on a second communication link, in response to the request, setting up the captioning service at the relay including receiving hearing user voice signals from the captioned device, providing the voice signals to a call assistant to transcribe into text and transmitting the text back to the captioned device to display, wherein the step of receiving a request may be prior to establishment the first communication link and wherein the step of receiving a request may be subsequent to establishment of the first communication link. | 11-20-2014 |
20150078537 | Device Independent Text Captioned Telephone Service - A system and method for presenting caller ID information related to a caption assisted telephone call incorporating a first party Network appliance, a first party telephone service/terminal, and a relay linkable to the first party Network appliance via the Internet. | 03-19-2015 |
20150131786 | APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR OPERATING A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM IN ONE OF A TONE MODE AND A TEXT MODE - Apparatuses and methods are disclosed for enabling a first user at a first communication device to communicate with a far-end user at a second communication device via a relay service providing translation services for the first user. The communication system may be operable in a plurality of modes, including a tone mode in which an audible tone conveying a message may be transmitted to the second communication device regardless of a format of the character data generated by the first communication device. A text mode may include sending a text signal corresponding to the message being displayed at the relay service regardless of the format of the character data. Switching modes may be responsive to a determination that the far-end user is a live person. Related methods of operating the communication system are also disclosed. | 05-14-2015 |
20160105554 | CAPTIONED TELEPHONE SERVICE - 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. | 04-14-2016 |
20160142538 | METHOD FOR COMPENSATING FOR HEARING LOSS IN A TELEPHONE SYSTEM AND IN A MOBILE TELEPHONE APPARATUS - The method makes it possible to extend functional possibilities, and to increase sound quality and the intelligibility of speech in mobile telephone apparatuses and communication systems for hearing-impaired subscribers. The personalized audio signals for hearing-impaired users are generated on the basis of attributes thereof received from audiograms—frequency characteristics of the hearing of the hearing-impaired user stored in a database on the server of the communications network and linked to the telephone numbers of hearing-impaired users. The signals are processed on the server in a broadband frequency range on the basis of attributes of the hearing of the hearing-impaired user, the power of the processed audio signals is adjusted according to the attributes of the hearing-impaired user, and the adjusted personalized audio signals are transmitted from the communication server to the telephone apparatuses of the hearing-impaired users. | 05-19-2016 |
20160142539 | APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR ROUTING DIGITAL VOICE DATA IN A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR HEARING-IMPAIRED USERS - A communication system facilitating communication for assisting hearing-impaired users includes an analog telephone adaptor (ATA) device and a communication device. The communication device is configured to route digital voice data between the ATA device and a second communication device during a conversation involving the communication device and a second communication device through a wireless port of communication device, and communicate through the wireless port with a relay service configured to provide interpretive assistance for a hearing-impaired user of the communication device. A method includes routing digital voice data received wirelessly by a communication device to an ATA device, routing digital voice data received from the ATA device from the communication device wirelessly to a second communication device, and communicating wirelessly with a relay service configured to provide captioning services of the content of a portion of the voice data received by the communication device from the second communication device. | 05-19-2016 |