Telephonic communications – Including aid for handicapped user
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-21
2003-12-16
Woo, Stella (Department: 2643)
Telephonic communications
Including aid for handicapped user
C379S093170
Reexamination Certificate
active
06665375
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a telephone assistance device. More particularly, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for providing call connection status information to callers with hearing impairment.
2. Description of Related Art
Persons with hearing impairment face many obstacles in daily life. Routine tasks that people without hearing impairment take for granted may be difficult or impossible for people with hearing impairment. One such task is the use of a telephone. Many hearing impaired people speak very well and may find the use of a telephone useful. For example, a traveler may wish to call home to tell a spouse or loved one that he or she has arrived safely. When a worker is held up in traffic, the worker may wish to call the office to notify a superior that he or she will be late.
Assuming that a person with hearing impairment wishes to speak using a telephone, several barriers exist that prevent the hearing impaired person from using a telephone. One such barrier is that a hearing impaired caller cannot hear information, such as a dial tone, ringing, busy signal, or answering machine. Therefore, the caller must dial the number and repeat a spoken message several times hoping that the intended recipient answered and heard the message. The caller has no knowledge of the call connection status. Thus, a caller may accidentally call a facsimile machine and speak a message while the facsimile machine attempts to negotiate a facsimile transmission. Such a situation may call attention to the impairment, resulting in frustration and embarrassment.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a method and apparatus for providing feedback on call connection status.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a telephone with a customized display for displaying call connection status information. The telephone detects call status events, such as ringing and busy signals, and presents the call status via a status indicator. The telephone also receives codes indicating particular call status events, such as “on hold” and “voice mail record mode.” The present invention also provides telephones and other devices, such as answering machines and interactive voice response systems that generate call status codes or messages. A telephone may generate a code, which indicates that the user is hearing impaired. Thus, devices receiving this code may perform particular functions in response to such a code. For example, if an answering machine receives a code indicating that the caller is hearing impaired, the answering machine may skip the message, transmit a “recording” call status code, and record the caller's message. Public switches and public branch exchanges may also be modified to generate and deliver call status codes or messages. The present invention may also deliver call status information through another medium, such as a computer network. Thus, a caller may view call status information on a computer screen while attempting a telephone call.
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Forlenza Randy
Rodriguez Herman
Smith, Jr. James Newton
Spinac Clifford Jay
LaBaw Jeffrey S.
Tkacs Stephen R.
Woo Stella
Yee Duke W.
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