Patents Assigned to Ultratec, Inc.
  • Patent number: 10542141
    Abstract: A system and method, the method comprising receiving, at a processor, an hearing user's (HU's) voice signal from an HU participant during a first call, wherein the first call is a communication across a communication network, the processor programmed to perform the steps of, examining at least a portion of the voice signal to determine an identity of the HU, identifying a voice model associated with the identity of the HU, wherein the voice model comprises a plurality of rules, and further wherein each of the plurality of rules is a rule for transcribing a word in the HU voice signal into text and generating a text output, wherein the text output is a transcription of a plurality of words identified in the HU voice signal, and further wherein at least one of the plurality of words identified is identified using at least one rule of the plurality of rules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Ultratec, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert M. Engelke, Kevin R. Colwell
  • Patent number: 10491746
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Ultratec, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert M Engelke, Kevin R Colwell, Troy D Vitek
  • Patent number: 10469660
    Abstract: A communication system and method for displaying text captions corresponding to voice communications between an assisted user's mobile wireless device and a separate hearing user's device includes at least one communication component configured to enable the appliance to communicate with a relay, a display, and a processor operably coupled to the at least one communication component and the display. The processor is configured to enable the assisted user to establish an association between the appliance and the mobile device, receive text originating at the relay, the text corresponding to a transcript of the hearing user's voice signal originating at the hearing user's device, and cause text captions corresponding to the received text to be displayed on the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: ULTRATEC, INC.
    Inventors: Robert M Engelke, Kevin R Colwell, Troy D Vitek
  • Patent number: 10389876
    Abstract: A system for providing voice-to-text captioning service comprising a relay processor that receives voice messages generated by a hearing user during a call, the processor programmed to present the voice messages to a first call assistant, a call assistant device used by the first call assistant to generate call assistant generated text corresponding to the hearing user's voice messages, the processor further programmed to run automated voice-to-text transcription software to generate automated text corresponding to the hearing user's voice messages, use the call assistant generated text, the automated text and the hearing user's voice messages to train the voice-to-text transcription software to more accurately transcribe the hearing user's voice messages to text, determine when the accuracy exceeds an accuracy requirement threshold, during the call and prior to the automated text exceeding the accuracy requirement threshold, transmitting the call assistant generated text to the assisted user's device for dis
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Ultratec, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert M. Engelke, Kevin R. Colwell, Christopher R. Engelke
  • Patent number: 10298753
    Abstract: A method for maintaining contact information in a hearing impaired assisted user's communication device includes the steps of (a) providing a web site for altering assisted user contact information, (b) linking a proxy device to the web site, (c) receiving an identifier associated with the assisted user's device via the proxy device, (d) identifying an assisted user's device via the received identifier, (e) enabling the proxy device to be used to modify contact information for the assisted user associated with the received identifier, (f) starting a timer to time out a sync timeout period, (g) during the sync timeout period, receiving an indication via the assisted user's device confirming a desire to update the assisted user's contact information, (h) updating the assisted user's contact information, and (i) at the end of the timeout period, ceasing an indication that updated data is ready to be used from the assisted user's device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Ultratec, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert M Engelke, Kevin R Colwell, Troy Vitek
  • Patent number: 10225400
    Abstract: A method of operating a captioned telephone, comprising storing analog test data in a captioned telephone memory, dialing a telephone number to a relay gateway, connecting to the relay gateway over a communication network and performing a test of the communication network quality using the test data to determine if the network is sufficient to carry analog data, the test including at least one of transmitting the test data to the relay gateway and receiving test data from the relay gateway via the communication network, wherein the network is one of a POTS network and a VOIP network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Ultratec, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert M. Engelke, Kevin R. Colwell, Troy Vitek
  • Patent number: 10051120
    Abstract: A method for setting tones on an assisted user's communication device where the assisted user is hearing impaired, the method comprising the steps of (a) storing a sample voice recording in a memory of an assisted user's device, (b) presenting tone setting tools via a display screen on an assisted user's device, (c) receiving tone setting parameters via the assisted user's device, (d) playing the sample voice recording via a speaker on the assisted user's device where the sample voice recording is broadcast using the tone specified by the tone setting parameters, (e) repeating steps (b) through (d) until the tone of the sample voice recording is optimized; and (f) storing the optimized tone setting parameters for subsequent use as well as a method by which a proxy can help an assisted user enter manage contact and other information on an assisted user's device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Ultratec, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert M Engelke, Kevin R Colwell, Troy Vitek
  • Patent number: 10021229
    Abstract: A system and method for use with an assisted user's communication device that includes a display and a speaker, the method comprising the steps of providing a processor programmed to perform the steps of, upon placement of an emergency call to a hearing user, recognizing the call as an emergency call, automatically initiating a captioning service to provide text transcription of voice messages from the hearing user and providing some indication to the assisted user that captioning has been automatically commenced and, upon placement of a non-emergency call, only starting the captioning service after a request for the captioning service from the assisted user is received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: ULTRATEC, INC.
    Inventors: Robert M. Engelke, Kevin R. Colwell, Troy D Vitek
  • Patent number: 10015311
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: ULTRATEC, INC.
    Inventors: Robert M. Engelke, Kevin R. Colwell, Troy D. Vitek
  • Patent number: 9967380
    Abstract: A communication system including a hard of hearing user's captioned device, the captioned device including a display screen and a processor. The processor in the captioned device is configured to: establish communication with a hard of hearing user's phone device that is independent of the hard of hearing user's captioned device, receive a text communication originating at a relay, the text communication corresponding to a transcription of the hearing user's voice signal, and display a text caption corresponding to the text communication on the display of the hard of hearing user's captioned device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: ULTRATEC, INC.
    Inventors: Robert M Engelke, Kevin R Colwell
  • Patent number: 9961196
    Abstract: A method of and system for facilitating a captioned conversation between a hard of hearing user using a hard of hearing user's captioned device and a hearing user, the method including the steps of establishing communication between the captioned device and a hard of hearing user's phone device that is independent of the captioned device, and establishing communication between the captioned device and a relay for communicating a text communication from the relay to the captioned device, the text communication including a text transcript corresponding to a hearing user's voice signal transmitted to the hard of hearing user's phone device from a hearing user's phone device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: ULTRATEC, INC.
    Inventors: Robert M Engelke, Kevin R Colwell
  • Patent number: 9955007
    Abstract: A method of operating a captioned telephone, comprising storing analog test data in a captioned telephone memory, dialing a telephone number to a relay gateway, connecting to the relay gateway over a communication network and performing a test of the communication network quality using the test data to determine if the network is sufficient to carry analog data, the test including at least one of transmitting the test data to the relay gateway and receiving test data from the relay gateway via the communication network, wherein the network is one of a POTS network and a VOIP network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: ULTRATEC, INC.
    Inventors: Robert M. Engelke, Kevin R. Colwell, Troy Vitek
  • Patent number: 9350857
    Abstract: A system and method for use with an assisted user's communication device that includes a display and a speaker, the method comprising the steps of providing a processor programmed to perform the steps of, upon placement of an emergency call to a hearing user, recognizing the call as an emergency call, automatically initiating a captioning service to provide text transcription of voice messages from the hearing user and maintaining the captioning service for at least a time out period irrespective of actions by the assisted user and, upon placement of a non-emergency call, only starting the captioning service after a request for the captioning service from the assisted user is received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: ULTRATEC, INC.
    Inventors: Robert M. Engelke, Kevin R. Colwell, Troy D Vitek
  • Patent number: 9131045
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Ultratec, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert M. Engleke, Kevin R. Colwell
  • Patent number: 8917822
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Ultratec, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert M Engelke, Kevin R Colwell
  • Patent number: 8917821
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Ultratec, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert M. Engelke, Kevin R. Colwell, Troy D. Vitek
  • Patent number: 8908838
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Ultratec, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert M Engelke, Kevin R Colwell
  • Patent number: 8515024
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Ultratec, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert M. Engelke, Kevin R. Colwell, Troy D. Vitek
  • Patent number: 8416925
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for commencing a caption assisted telephone call using a combination of a first party telephone terminal and a first party Network appliance, the method comprising the steps of connecting the first party Network appliance to a relay, using the first party Network appliance to specify a first party call back telephone number, using the relay to dial the first party call back telephone number, specifying a confirmation activity that must be performed via the first party telephone terminal in order to continue a telephone call process, when the first party telephone terminal is answered, monitoring activities via the first party telephone terminal and when the confirming activity occurs, continuing the telephone call process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Ultratec, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert M Engelke, Kevin R. Colwell, Troy D. Vitek
  • Patent number: D763219
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Ultratec, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert M Engelke, Kevin Colwell, Troy Vitek, Peter Kirschhoffer