Video TTY device and method for videocommunication

A method of teletype communicating with a remote communication terminal over a communications channel, comprising:

• capturing images of a user, including at least one of the user's mouth and hands;
• generating teletype information, including text and data representing the captured images, over a wireless channel;
• and
• receiving the teletype information over the wireless channel using a wireless receiver and, after establishing communication with the remote communication terminal, communicating the information over the communications channel for simultaneous display of the text and captured images, generating compressed video information using a first compression rate, and negotiating a non-audible communication mode with the remote communication terminal by altering a transmission rate for the video that is compressed using the first compression rate.

A teletype communication arrangement for use with a television set, comprising:

• a TTY device including user-engageable keys arranged to generate data in response to a user engaging the TTY device;
• a processor-based circuit having a program that, when executed, causes the processor-based circuit to communicate teletype information over a communications channel, the processor-based circuit being adapted to generate compressed video information using a first compression rate and control information that, after establishing communication with the remote communication terminal, negotiates a non-audible communication mode with a remote communication terminal, in which video information compressed using the first compression rate is transmitted at a different transmission rate;
• and
• an interface circuit configured to respond to the processor-based circuit by generating data, including at least text information, for display on the television set.

A teletype communication arrangement for use with a television set, comprising:

• TTY means, including user-engageable keys, for generating teletype data in response to a user engaging said TTY means;
• a processor-based circuit having a program that, when executed, causes the processor-based circuit to communicate the teletype data over a communications channel, the processor-based circuit being adapted to generate compressed video information using a first compression rate and, after establishing communication with the remote communication terminal, communicating information for negotiating a non-audible communication mode with a remote communication terminal, in which video information compressed using the first compression rate is transmitted at a different transmission rate;
• and
• means for responding to the processor-based circuit by generating data, including at least text information, for display on the television set.

A video-teletype communicator involving a display screen as part of at least one of a plurality of communication terminals communicating over a communications channel, comprising:

• means for communicating user-input information over the communications channel;
• means for processing the user-input information for communicating teletype information over the communications channel and generating data for user display, and for generating compressed video information using a first compression rate and, after establishing a communication connection, communicating information for negotiating a non-audible communication mode with a remote communication terminal by altering a transmission rate for the video that is compressed using the first compression rate;
• and
• means for formatting the generated data for a display screen with a teletext banner and a remote view image along a top portion of the display screen.

A video-teletype communication arrangement for communicating over a communications channel, comprising:

• means, including user-engageable keys, for generating teletype data in response to a user engaging the keys;
• and
• a processor-based circuit having a program that, when executed, responds to a command received from the means for generating by switching between communication modes, the communication modes including at least following:
• communicating video image data and the teletype data over the communications channel for display by using one of a plurality of transmisson rates for sending video and without altering a rate of video compression;
• and accesing the internet using the communications channel.