Abstract: A captioning system includes an assisted user's communication system, including a display screen, a microphone, a speaker, an input device for specifying a calling number of a hearing user's communication device, and a processor linked to the display screen microphone, speaker and input device. The processor is programmed to perform the steps of: (i) upon entry of a calling number via the input device, scanning the calling number, (ii) identifying a type of the calling number; (iii) where the type is a first type, performing a first process to initiate a remote captioning service; and (iv) where the type is a second type, performing a second process to initiate a remote captioning service where the second process is different than the first process.

Abstract: A method of operating a captioned telephone comprising the steps of dialing a telephone number to a relay gateway, connecting to the gateway over a communication network, performing a test to assess communication network quality, based on the test results, setting up the captioned telephone to operate in at least one of a first mode and a second mode wherein each of the first and second modes is one of (i) a PSTN mode in which data is communicated between the captioned telephone and the relay gateway via analog transmission and (ii) an IP mode in which data is communicated between the captioned telephone and the relay gateway via the Internet.

Abstract: A system and method for use with an assisted user's communication device that includes a display. The method includes providing a user communication device including a processor that is programmed to perform the step of, upon disconnection of an emergency call to a hearing user in which a captioning service has provided text transcription of voice messages from the hearing user, maintaining a link to the captioning service for a predetermined period of time. The processor also is programmed to perform the step of recognizing the call as an emergency call upon placement of the call, and the captioning service is automatically initiated upon the processor performing that recognition.

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.

Abstract: A captioning method for presenting captions to an assisted user (AU) during communication with a hearing user (HU) where the assisted user uses a captioned device and the hearing user uses a hearing user's device to facilitate the communication, the captioned device including a display screen and a speaker for presenting captions and broadcasting the hearing user's voice signals, respectively, the method comprising the steps of during an ongoing call between the AU and the HU, using an automated speech recognition (ASR) engine to generate initial ASR captions associated with the HU's voice signal, assessing at least one caption quality factor associated with prior initial ASR captions generated during the ongoing call, delaying broadcast of HU voice signal to the AU and based on the at least one caption quality factor, adjusting a duration of the HU voice signal broadcast delay.

Abstract: A text-assisted telephony system for use by an assisted user while communicating with a hearing user via a hearing user's phone device. The system includes first and second assisted user's communication devices, each including a processor, a microphone, a speaker, a display and a communication component. One processor is programmed to establish a voice call with the hearing user's phone device. One processor is programmed to establish a communication link with the other processor. Each processor is programmed to generate an alert indicating when an incoming call is received and to enable an assisted user to answer the call and, upon one of the devices being used to answer a call, that device receiving text captions from a remote relay corresponding to a hearing user's voice signal and presenting the text captions to the assisted user via the device display.

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.

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.

Abstract: A communication system comprising a hard of hearing user's wireless phone device configured to (i) wirelessly receive a hearing user's voice signal that originated at a hearing user's phone device, (ii) route the hearing user's voice signal to a relay for transcription into a text communication, (iii) receive a hard of hearing user's voice signal and (iv) transmit the hard of hearing user's voice signal to the hearing user's phone device, a hard of hearing user's captioned device that is independent of the hard of hearing user's phone device, the captioned device including a display screen and a processor, the processor in the captioned device configured to: (i) receive a text communication originating at the relay, the text communication corresponding to a transcription of the hearing user's voice signal, and (ii) display a text caption corresponding to the text communication on the display of the hard of hearing user's captioned device.

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.

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.

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.

Abstract: A captioning method for presenting captions to an assisted user (AU) during communication with a hearing user (HU) where the assisted user uses a captioned device and the hearing user uses a hearing user's device to facilitate the communication, the captioned device including a display screen and a speaker for presenting captions and broadcasting the hearing user's voice signals, respectively, the method comprising the steps of during an ongoing call between the AU and the HU, using an automated speech recognition (ASR) engine to generate initial ASR captions associated with the HU's voice signal, assessing at least one caption quality factor associated with prior initial ASR captions generated during the ongoing call, delaying broadcast of HU voice signal to the AU and based on the at least one caption quality factor, adjusting a duration of the HU voice signal broadcast delay.

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

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.

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.

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.

Abstract: A method and system for providing captioned telephone service, the method comprising the steps of, initiating a first captioned telephone service call, during the first captioned telephone service call, creating a first set of captions using a call assistant, simultaneous with creating the first set of captions using a call assistant, creating a second set of captions using an automated speech recognition engine, comparing the first set of captions and the second set of captions using a scoring algorithm based on errors between the first and second sets of captions to generate a score for the second set of captions, in response to the score being within a predetermined threshold range, continuing the call using only the automated speech recognition engine to generate text and in response to the score being outside of the predetermined threshold range, continuing the call using a call assistant to generate captions.

Abstract: A relay for captioning a hearing user's (HU's) voice signal during a phone call between an HU and a hearing assisted user (AU), the HU using an HU device and the AU using an AU device where the HU voice signal is transmitted from the HU device to the AU device, the relay comprising a display screen, a processor linked to the display and programmed to perform the steps of receiving the HU voice signal from the AU device, transmitting the HU voice signal to a remote automatic speech recognition (ASR) server running ASR software that converts the HU voice signal to ASR generated text, the remote ASR server located at a remote location from the relay, receiving the ASR generated text from the ASR server, present the ASR generated text for viewing by a call assistant (CA) via the display and transmitting the ASR generated text to the AU device.

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.