Systems and methods for improved call handling
AssigneeT-Mobile USA, Inc.
InventorHsin-Fu Henry Chiang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for sending text messages in audio form over voice calls. When a user receives an incoming voice call, the system can enable a user to type a “text” message to the caller. Rather than being sent as a text message, however, the system can send the text message directly to the microphone of the user's equipment (UE) as a voice synthesized audio file, or text-to microphone (TTM) message. The audio file is then sent from the user's UE to the caller's UE, in effect “reading” the text message to the caller. The caller hears the contents of the message, in the form of a voice synthesized audio file over the speaker of the caller's UE. The system can mute the microphones on one or both UEs during the TTM process to create a virtually silent process from the user's standpoint.
Claims19
A method comprising:
- receiving, over a voice over long term evolution (VOLTE) channel, a call at a transceiver of a first user equipment (UE) of a user from a second UE of a caller;
- receiving, by an input device of the first UE, a selection of a text-to-microphone (TTM) button;
- in response to the selection of the TTM button, sending, by the transceiver of the first UE over the VOLTE channel, a signal to cause the caller's UE to mute a microphone of the second UE;
- sending contents of a text message to a voice synthesizing module of the first UE;
- converting, by the voice synthesizing module, the contents of the text message into an audio file;
- generating, by a TTM module of the first UE, a TTM message comprising the audio file;
- sending, by the transceiver of the first UE over the VOLTE channel, the TTM message to the second UE;
- and
- sending, by the transceiver of the first UE, the text message to the second UE,
- wherein the TTM message causes a speaker on the second UE to play the audio file, and
- wherein sending the text message causes a screen on the second UE to display the text message.
A first user equipment (UE) comprising:
- a display configured to display a graphical user interface (GUI) comprising at least a plurality of buttons associated with a plurality of call-handling actions to a user, the plurality of buttons comprising at least one text-to-microphone (TTM) button;
- one or more input devices to receive an input from the user;
- a transceiver to receive, over a voice to long term evolution (VOLTE) channel, a call from a second UE;
- one or more processors in communication with at least the display, the transceiver, and the one or input devices;
- and
- memory including at least a voice synthesizing module and a TTM module, the memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:
- identify a selection of a text-to-microphone (TTM) button based on the input from the user;
- in response to the selection of the TTM button, sending, by the transceiver, a signal to cause the second UE to mute a microphone of the second UE;
- convert, by the voice synthesizing module, the contents of a text message into an audio file;
- and
- generate a TTM message that comprises the audio file;
- send, by the transceiver over the VOLTE channel, the TTM message to the second UE;
- and
- send, by the transceiver, the text message to the second UE,
- wherein the TTM message causes a speaker on the second UE to play the audio file.
A method performed by a first user equipment (UE), the method comprising:
- receiving, by a transceiver over a voice over long term evolution (VOLTE) channel, a call from a second UE;
- receiving, by an input device, a selection of a text-to-microphone (TTM) button;
- receiving, by the input device, a text message;
- generating, by one or more processors, an audio file based on the text message;
- generating, by the one or more processors, one or more real-time transfer protocol (RTP) packets based on the audio file;
- and
- transmitting, by the transceiver over the VOLTE channel, the one or more RTP packets to the second UE.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.