Methods, devices, and systems for remotely controlling a plurality of communication devices
View Patent ↗Systems and methods for controlling communication systems for the hearing impaired are disclosed. A portable communication device requests control over a plurality of communication devices. The portable communication device connects to and controls the plurality of communication devices. The portable communication device includes a user interface that enables a user to transfer a call from a first communication device to a second communication device.
1. A communication system, comprising:
a plurality of video phones, wherein each of the plurality of video phones is configured to communicate independently from each of the others of the plurality of video phones, each of the plurality of video phones further configured to enable a hearing impaired user to participate in communication sessions for the hearing-impaired, wherein each of the plurality of video phones is accessible and used by the hearing impaired user of a portable communication device; and
the portable communication device configured to connect to an authentication service through a first network, the portable communication device further configured to send a request to the authentication service to obtain permission for controlling functions of the plurality of video phones, the functions including at least one of placing a call, handling an incoming call, or transferring a call, the portable communication device further configured to connect to the plurality of video phones through at least one of the first network and a second network and send commands to the one or more video phones to perform one or more of the functions responsive to the hearing impaired user interacting with the portable communication device and to the authentication service granting permission to the portable communication device, wherein the user operating the portable communication device is the same user of the plurality of video phones instead of a third-party agent.
2. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the portable communication device is further configured to place and receive a call on the portable communication device.
3. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the portable communication device is configured to enable the hearing impaired user to direct one or more of the plurality of video phones to accept an incoming call responsive to the hearing impaired user interacting with the portable communication device.
4. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the portable communication device is further configured to connect to and control the functions of each of the plurality of video phones through one of a transmission control protocol (TCP) and a user datagram protocol (UDP).
5. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the portable communication device comprises one of a tablet computer, a laptop computer, and a cellular telephone.
6. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the portable communication device comprises a touch-screen user interface.
7. A method of controlling a communication system for the hearing impaired, the method comprising:
connecting a portable communication device to an authentication service through a first network;
sending a request from the portable communication device to the authentication service to obtain permission for the portable communication device to control functions of a plurality of video phones for the hearing impaired, wherein each of the plurality of video phones for the hearing impaired is accessible and used by a hearing impaired user of the portable communication device, and each of the plurality of video phones for the hearing impaired is configured to communicate independently from others of the plurality of video phones;
connecting the portable communication device to each of the plurality of video phones for the hearing impaired through at least one of the first network and a second network responsive to the authentication service granting permission to the portable communication device; and
sending commands from the portable communication device to the plurality of video phones for the hearing impaired to perform one or more of the functions including, at least, placing a call, handling an incoming call, or transferring a call responsive to the hearing impaired user interacting with the portable communication device and to the authentication service granting permission to the portable communication device, wherein the user operating the portable communication device is the same user of the video phones instead of a third-party agent.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein sending the request from the portable communication device to the authentication service to obtain permission for the portable communication device to control the functions of the plurality of video for the hearing impaired comprises sending a user name and a password from the portable communication device to the authentication service.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein sending the request from the portable communication device to the authentication service to obtain permission for the portable communication device to control the functions of the plurality of video phones for the hearing impaired comprises sending a trusted device identification from the portable communication device to the authentication service.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein sending commands from the portable communication device to the plurality of video phones for the hearing impaired to perform one or more of the functions responsive to the hearing impaired user interacting with the portable communication device comprises entering an in-call mode with one of the plurality of video phones for the hearing impaired responsive to receiving a command at a user interface of the portable communication device.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein entering the in-call mode comprises at least one of placing a call and handling an incoming call.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein receiving the command at the user interface of the portable communication device comprises:
sensing a user selecting one of:
an incoming call icon; and
a contact icon of a plurality of contact icons displayed on the user interface of the portable communication device; and
sensing the user selecting one of a plurality of video phone icons that corresponds to the one of the plurality of video phones for the hearing impaired that the user desires to utilize.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein sensing the user selecting one of the incoming call icon and the contact icon and sensing the user selecting one of the plurality of video phone icons comprises sensing the user selecting and dragging the one of the incoming call icon and the contact icon to a proximity of the video phone icon that corresponds to the one of the plurality of video phones for the hearing impaired that the user desires to utilize.
14. A method of controlling a communication system for the hearing impaired, the method comprising:
transmitting a request from a portable communication device of a user to an authentication service to obtain permission for the portable communication device to control functions of a plurality of video phones for the hearing impaired, each of the plurality of video phones for the hearing impaired configured to be used by the user and located in a different location accessible by the user, and each of the plurality of video phones for the hearing impaired configured to communicate independently from others of the plurality of video phones; and
providing the user a user interface for directing the plurality of video phones for the hearing impaired to perform one or more of the functions including, at least, placing a call, handling an incoming call, or transferring a call responsive to the authentication service granting permission to the portable communication device, wherein said user operating the portable communication device is the same user of the video phones instead of a third-party agent.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising placing an outgoing call from one of the plurality of video phones for the hearing impaired responsive to the user interacting with the portable communication device.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein placing the outgoing call from the one of the plurality of video phones for the hearing impaired responsive to the user interacting with the portable communication device comprises detecting a user selection, on the user interface of the portable communication device, of a contact of the user that the user desires to place the outgoing call to, and detecting a user selection of the one of the plurality of video phones for the hearing impaired.
17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising accepting an incoming call at one of the plurality of video phones for the hearing impaired responsive to the user interacting with the user interface of the portable communication device.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein accepting an incoming call at the one of the plurality of video phones for the hearing impaired responsive to the user interacting with the portable communication device comprises detecting a selection, on the user interface of the portable communication device, of the one of the plurality of video phones for the hearing impaired while an incoming call is pending.
19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising terminating a call one of the plurality of video phones for the hearing impaired is participating in responsive to the user interacting with the user interface of the portable communication device.
20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising sending commands from the portable communication device to a first video phone and a second video phone of the plurality of video phones for the hearing impaired to transfer a call the first video phone is participating in to the second video phone responsive to the user interacting with the user interface of the portable communication device.
21. A communication system, comprising:
a plurality of video phones configured to enable a user to participate in communication sessions for the hearing-impaired, each of the one or more video phones configured to communicate independently from each other, wherein each of the plurality of video phones is accessible and used by the hearing impaired user of a portable communication device;
the portable communication device configured to:
send a request to an authentication service to obtain permission for controlling functions including, at least, placing a call, handling an incoming call, or transferring a call of the one or more video phones; and
provide a user interface to enable the user to direct the one or more video phones to perform one or more of the functions responsive to the authentication service granting permission to the portable communication device, wherein said user operating the portable communication device is the same user of the video phones instead of a third-party agent.
22. The communication system of claim 21 , wherein the portable communication device includes a display device, the portable communication device configured to present the user interface on the display device.
23. The communication system of claim 21 , wherein the portable communication device is further configured to send commands for the plurality of video phones to transfer ongoing calls the plurality of video phones are configured to participate in to others of the plurality of video phones.