Apparatus and method of communications

A communication system, comprising:

• a memory to store computer instructions;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising:
• receiving from a first communication device a communication identifier of a second communication device to conduct a communication session utilizing a real-time text over internet protocol;
• submitting a request comprising the communication identifier of the second communication device to a telephone number mapping server to determine whether the second communication device operates according to one of a circuit-switched protocol or text over internet protocol, wherein the telephone number mapping server comprises a pre-existing entry indicating that the second communication device operates according to the circuit-switched protocol or the real-time text over internet protocol, and wherein the pre-existing entry is provisioned at the telephone number mapping server during registration of the second communication device;
• responsive to detecting that the second communication device operates according to the circuit-switched protocol and detecting that transcoding from text over internet protocol communications to circuit-switched protocol communications and from circuit-switched protocol communications to text over internet protocol communications is an available resource to enable communications between disparate communication devices:
• facilitating establishment of the communication session between the first and second communication devices,
• transcoding text over internet protocol communications initiated by the first communication device to circuit-switched protocol communications for use by the second communication device, and
• transcoding circuit-switched protocol communications initiated by the second communication device to text over internet protocol communications for use by the first communication device;
• and
• responsive to detecting that the second communication device operates according to the text over internet protocol, facilitating establishment of the communication session between the first and second communication devices according to the text over internet protocol.

A first communication device, comprising:

• a memory to store computer instructions;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising:
• receiving a request to facilitate a communication session;
• presenting a graphical user interface for requesting a communication identifier;
• receiving the communication identifier of a second communication device;
• submitting a request to a communication system to facilitate text over internet protocol communication session with the second communication device;
• wherein the request comprises the communication identifier of the second communication device,
• wherein the request causes the communication system to determine by way of a telephone number mapping server whether the second communication device operates according to one of a circuit-switched protocol or text over internet protocol,
• wherein the telephone number mapping server comprises a pre-existing entry indicating that the second communication device operates according to the circuit-switched protocol or the text over internet protocol, and
• wherein the pre-existing entry is provisioned at the telephone number mapping server during registration of the second communication device;
• responsive to the communication system determining that the second communication device operates according to the circuit-switched protocol,
• receiving a message initiated by the second communication device that has been transcoded by the communication system from a circuit-switched protocol message to a text over internet protocol message;
• and
• presenting in the graphical user interface a communication area for receiving the message from the second communication device.

A first communication device, comprising a

• a memory storing computer instructions;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising:
• receiving a request to engage in a communication session;
• presenting a graphical user interface for requesting a communication identifier;
• receiving the communication identifier of a second communication device;
• submitting a request comprising the communication identifier of the second communication device to a telephone number mapping server to determine whether the second communication device operates according to one of a circuit-switched protocol or a real-time text over internet protocol, wherein the telephone number mapping server comprises a pre-existing entry enabling the determination, and wherein the pre-existing entry is provisioned during registration of the second communication device;
• responsive to detecting that the second communication device operates according to the circuit-switched protocol, and the second communication device corresponds to a telecommunications device for a deaf user:
• enabling a voice codec for facilitating establishment of a communication session with the telecommunications device for the deaf user, and
• facilitating establishment of the communication session with the telecommunications device for the deaf user utilizing the voice codec;
• and
• responsive to detecting that the second communication device operates according to text over internet protocol, establish the communication session with the second communication device according to text over internet protocol.