Abstract: A relay is described to facilitate communication through the telephone system between hearing users and users who need or desire assistance in understanding voice communications. To overcome the speed limitations inherent in typing, the call assistant at the relay does not type most words but, instead, re-voices the words spoken by the hearing user into a computer operating a voice recognition software package trained to the voice of that call assistant. The text stream created by the computer and the voice of the hearing user are both sent to the assisted user so that the assisted user can be supplied with a visual text stream to supplement the voice communications. A time delay in the transmission of the voice of the hearing user through the relay is of assistance in the assisted user comprehending the communications session.

Abstract: A training method and apparatus to train a call assistant to operate a telephone relay system for the hearing impaired that uses a re-voicing technique to produce near real-time transcription of a telephone conversation for display on a caption telephone or other device. The invention simulates an actual relay call as realistically as possible and produces a report on the skill of the particular call assistant being trained.

Abstract: An arrangement for providing captioned telephone service is provided which permits persons who are hard of hearing to receive captioning of their telephone communications as they need it. A personal interpreter/captioned telephone device can dial a relay on a second telephone line while the assisted user if conversing with a hearing user over a first telephone line. The second telephone line connects to a relay which provides voice to text translation service and returns a text stream to the captioned telephone device.

Abstract: A relay is described to facilitate communication through the telephone system between hearing users and users who need or desire assistance in understanding voice communications. To overcome the speed limitations inherent in typing, the call assistant at the relay does not type most words but, instead, re-voices the words spoken by the hearing user into a computer operating a voice recognition software package trained to the voice of that call assistant. The text stream created by the computer and the voice of the hearing user are both sent to the assisted user so that the assisted user can be supplied with a visual text stream to supplement the voice communications. A time delay in the transmission of the voice of the hearing user through the relay is of assistance to the assisted user in comprehending the communications session.

Abstract: An editing system for real-time remote transcription, such as may be used by deaf or hearing impaired individuals, displays transcribed text on a screen prior to transmission so that a human call assistant may identify words being held in a buffer by their spatial location on the screen to initiate a correction of those words either through speech or text entry.

Abstract: A system is described for assisting the hard of hearing in the use of the telephone, the system termed here text enhanced telephony or TET. The hard of hearing user uses a TET device or appliance which permits the user to speak and to hear the words spoken by the other party, the TET device also supplying to the user a text character stream of the words spoken by the other party. The TET system uses the system of voice-to-text relays, already in existence to assist the deaf community communicate with hearing persons over the telephone, to translate the spoken voice into a text stream. The TET relay and TET device are capable of separating voice and digital communications frequencies carrying text so that voice and a text communications stream of the words spoken by the voice can be carried over a common telephone line. The devices can also be capable of automated capabilities such that the devices can automatically configure a three-party relay call without the need for the user's instructions.

Abstract: A relay is described to facilitate communication through the telephone system between deaf people and hearing people. To overcome the speed limitations inherent in typing, the call assistant at the relay does not type most words but, instead, re-voices the words spoken by the hearing person into a computer operating a voice recognition software package trained to the voice of that call assistant. The conversation-type flow of communications achieved by this type of relay enables the design of a new class of interpreters for the deaf.

Abstract: A relay is described to facilitate communication through the telephone system between hearing users and users who need or desire assistance in understanding voice communications. To overcome the speed limitations inherent in typing, the call assistant at the relay does not type most words but, instead, re-voices the words spoken by the hearing user into a computer operating a voice recognition software package trained to the voice of that call assistant. The text stream created by the computer and the voice of the hearing user are both sent to the assisted user so that the assisted user can be supplied with a visual text stream to supplement the voice communications. A time delay in the transmission of the voice of the hearing user through the relay is of assistance in the assisted user comprehending the communications session.

Abstract: A system is described for assisting the hard of hearing in the use of the telephone, the system termed here text enhanced telephony or TET. The hard of hearing user uses a TET device or appliance which permits the user to speak and to hear the words spoken by the other party, the TET device also supplying to the user a text character stream of the words spoken by the other party. The TET system uses the system of voice-to-text relays, already in existence to assist the deaf community communicate with hearing persons over the telephone, to translate the spoken voice into a text stream. The TET relay and TET device are capable of separating voice and digital communications frequencies carrying text so that voice and a text communications stream of the words spoken by the voice can be carried over a common telephone line. The devices can also be capable of automated capabilities such that the devices can automatically configure a three-party relay call without the need for the user's instructions.

Abstract: A relay is described to facilitate communication through the telephone system between deaf people and hearing people. To overcome the speed limitations inherent in typing, the call assistant at the relay does not type most words but, instead, re-voices the words spoken by the hearing person into a computer operating a voice recognition software package trained to the voice of that call assistant. The conversation-type flow of communications achieved by this type of relay enables the design of a new class of interpreters for the deaf.

Abstract: A system is described for assisting the hard of hearing in the use of the telephone, in which an in-line text display is inserted in the telephone line before a standard telephone. The in-line display blocks text related digital communications signals to the standard telephone and decodes the text related digital signals to display on a built in display screen.

Abstract: A system is described for assisting the hard of hearing in the use of the telephone, the system termed here text enhanced telephony or TET. The hard of hearing user uses a TET device or appliance which permits the user to speak and to hear the words spoken by the other party, the TET device also supplying to the user a text character stream of the words spoken by the other party. The TET system uses the system of voice-to-text relays, already in existence to assist the deaf community communicate with hearing persons over the telephone, to translate the spoken voice into a text stream. The TET relay and TET device are capable of separating voice and digital communications frequencies carrying text so that voice and a text communications stream of the words spoken by the voice can be carried over a common telephone line. The devices can also be capable of automated capabilities such that the devices can automatically configure a three-party relay call without the need for the user's instructions.

Abstract: A low cost alphanumeric paging entry and page receiving device for entering alphanumeric messages remotely from a telephone and receiving pages via radio frequency signals. The device is designed so that both page reception and alphanumeric page entry can be provided using substantially the same hardware. The entry functionality uses simplex communications, using a system of Baudot tones to send page messages to a paging system for transmission to other similar devices.

Abstract: An electronic personal interpreter is provided so that deaf or hard of hearing persons can use on-the spot interpreting to converse with hearing persons who do not know sign language. The personal interpreter uses a telephone connection to a telephone relay system for the deaf to perform the actual interpretation. By using a wireless telephone connection, the device is made portable and by using improved communication protocols and a fast translation technique at the relay, conversation-like speeds of information interchange can occur. Thus for the first time, deaf people will be free to move in hearing society and engage in normal speed conversations with hearing people without special adaptations or training by the hearing people.

Abstract: A relay is described to facilitate communication through the telephone system between deaf people and hearing people. To overcome the speed limitations inherent in typing, the call assistant at the relay does not type most words but, instead, re-voices the words spoken by the hearing person into a computer operating a voice recognition software package trained to the voice of that call assistant. The conversation-type flow of communications achieved by this type of relay enables the design of a new class of interpreters for the deaf.

Abstract: A low cost alphanumeric paging entry system is based on a low cost paging (LCP) device to enter paging messages remotely from any telephone. The device is designed to minimize the needs for user training and is intended for intuitive operation by the user. The device uses simplex communications, using a system of Baudot tones, to send the paging message to the paging system for transmission to the intended recipient. A gateway is a device intended to interface between such an LCP device and an otherwise conventional paging system. The gateway provides a series of audible prompts to the user to facilitate easy and intuitive entry of the paging message to the gateway. The gateway then re-formats the paging message into a standard digital paging message format and re-transmits the message to a pagan system for transmission to the recipient.

Abstract: A system is described for assisting the hard of hearing in the use of the telephone, the system termed here text enhanced telephony or TET. The hard of hearing user uses a TET device or appliance which permits the user to speak and to hear the words spoken by the other party, the TET device also supplying to the user a text character stream of the words spoken by the other party. The TET system uses the system of voice-to-text relays, already in existence to assist the deaf community communicate with hearing persons over the telephone, to translate the spoken voice into a text stream. The TET relay and TET device are capable of separating voice and digital communications frequencies carrying text so that voice and a text communications stream of the words spoken by the voice can be carried over a common telephone line. The devices can also be capable of automated capabilities such that the devices can automatically configure a three-party relay call without the need for the user's instructions.

Abstract: A unified TDD and telephone incorporate intelligent mode switching to permit users of either device to use the integrated unit with the other features remaining largely invisible by sensing various signals including the removal of the handset or the turning on and off of the TDD device to determine the likely mode of a transmission and the detection of text to determining the likely mode of the receive text. This intelligent mode conversion includes a voice carryover mode in which text and voice may both be transmitted.

Abstract: A combined telephone AED simply integrates the function of a telephone and an alphanumeric entry device required for alphanumeric paging into a single unit by making use of the handset cradle switch to reset the unit from page mode to telephone mode whenever the handset is lifted. Paging operation is simplified through pre-stored entries in a directory giving both voice and paging numbers with the appropriate number being identified by the previously selected mode of the operation of the unit. Special purpose paging and speed dial buttons serve the combined function of identifying a mode of operation and initiating a search of the directory to reduce the number of keystrokes required of a user during typical operation.