A PREPAID, REMOTE MEMORY CUSTOMER ACCOUNT

FOR THE HEARING IMPAIRED

Technical Field The present invention relates, generally, to prepaid, remote memory accounts for use by consumers to access goods and services and, more particularly, to a system for permitting hearing impaired individuals to utilize communication devices (i.e. , a telephone) to place long distance telephone calls while using a prepaid, remote memory calling card.

Background Art and Technical Problems

Remote memory, prepaid accounts for use in purchasing goods and services such as long distance telephone calls are generally well known. Presently known schemes typically involve a printed document, for example a wallet-sized plastic or cardboard card which includes a unique account code and instructions for accessing a host computer to thereby place long distance telephone calls. To utilize the prepaid phone card the caller dials a special telephone number typically printed on the card, usually a toll free 1 -800 number, whereupon a pre-recorded voice message prompts the caller to enter the access code (or account code) printed on the card. Upon entering the account number, for example by using the telephone key pad to generate dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) tones representative of the account code, the host computer determines the amount of funds available (if any) in an account maintained by the host and associated with the particular account code entered by the caller. If sufficient funds are available in the account, the host computer issues a voice prompt to the caller indicating the number of minutes of telephone service available in the account, the amount of money left in the account, or any other suitable parameter. The host then prompts the caller to enter a destination telephone number. Once the destination number is entered, the host connects the caller with the desired destination, and monitors the duration of the call; when the account is nearly withdrawn or fully withdrawn, the host may either terminate the call or permit the caller

to pay for the remainder of the call through any suitable mechanism, for example by replenishing the account, inserting coins into a pay phone, or charging the call to a credit card, debt card, or the like.

Prepaid telephone calling cards are typically printed in batches and shipped to retail outlets for sale to consumers; alternatively, batches of cards may be sent to employers for distribution to employees, for example as part an incentive program. In order to reduce fraud, security measures are often taken during manufacture and shipping to prevent unauthorized access to the account numbers printed on the cards. In this regard, the authorization codes (account numbers) or other relevant information may be obscured or otherwise covered by packaging techniques, scratch off surfaces, and the like until the card is placed in the hands of the ultimate consumer. In this way, unauthorized access to the security codes may be reduced until the card is properly purchased or the account properly activated.

The use of prepaid, remote entry telephone cards is particularly prevalent in the United States. However, since the use of remote memory schemes typically involves a voice prompt to the user, hearing impaired individuals are effectively precluded from enjoying the benefits of these schemes. In particular, a hearing impaired individual cannot easily hear voice prompts from the host, a hence cannot conveniently participate in the call setup procedures described above.

Presently known devices for facilitating telephone access for hearing impaired individuals typically involve the use of a teletype device, variously referenced in the literature as a Tele-Typewriter for the Deaf (TTY),

Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (TDD), Text Telephone (TT), or Tele- Typewriter Device (TTD). Such TT devices permit a hearing impaired caller to communicate with other TT devices as well as with non-TT devices. For a more detailed discussion of telephone devices for the hearing impaired, see Telephone Communication and Hearing Impairment by Norman P. Erber

(Copyright 1 985 by College-Hill Press, Inc. of San Diego, California), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by this reference.

Presently known TT devices permit a hearing impaired individual to communicate directly with another hearing impaired individual in possession of a TT device in the following manner.

The calling party may configure his TT device to either receive a conventional telephone hand set into an acoustic coupler integral with the

TT device or, altematively, the TT device may be plugged directly into the telephone jack (e.g. , an RS-232 serial interface port, or the like). With the device plugged into the telephone jack the calling party then enters the desired destination telephone number into the device and instructs the device to dial the destination telephone number. When the incoming call is answered by a TT device at the destination telephone number, either through an acoustic coupling or direct connection to the telephone jack, the calling party and the destination party each type their messages on to their respective TT devices, whereupon each message is formatted and transmitted to the other device, which decodes the message, and displays it on a display screen or monitor integral with each device. In this way, hearing impaired individuals can communicate directly with one another through conventional telephone lines.

However, hearing impaired individuals are essentially precluded from using existing prepaid calling cards inasmuch as they are unable to hear the voice prompts from the host computer inviting the calling party to enter his account code, destination telephone number, and the like. Moreover, presently known TT devices do not typically generate the DTMF tones which the host computer is configured to receive to access account information and authorize a long distance call.

Presently known TT devices may also be used by the hearing impaired to communicate with other individuals who are not in possession of a TT device. More particularly, many government agencies facilitate this communication through the provision of Relay Services. For example, a hearing impaired individual who wishes to communicate with a party not in possession of a TT device dials up a Relay Service using his personal TT device. The Relay Service answers the incoming call either with a TT device

or through a mechanism which simulates a TT device. The Relay Service transmits a data packet to the calling party inviting the calling party to enter a destination telephone number. The calling party enters the destination telephone number into his TT device, whereupon the telephone number is transmitted to the relay service. The Relay Service then dials the destination telephone number, and communicates orally with the destination party. Specifically, the Relay Service provider reads information which the calling party types into his TT device and transmits to the relay service. Upon reading the information, the Relay Service speaks the information to the destination party. When the destination party responds orally to the Relay

Service provider, the Relay Service types this information into the TT device located at the Relay Service facility, whereupon data corresponding to the destination party's response is transmitted to the calling party and displayed on the screen associated with the calling party's TT device. While the foregoing relay services effectively permit communication between a hearing impaired individual and a destination party not equipped with a TT device, the process is time consuming and cumbersome. Consequently, currently known prepaid, remote memory calling card schemes are not readily adaptable in the context of Relay Services. In particular, the hearing impaired individual wishing to use a conventional prepaid calling card would need to dial (or if the TT device is connected directly into the telephone jack then type in) the telephone number for the Relay Service (typically a toll free 1 -800 number). The individual would then type in the access telephone number printed on the card, whereupon the Relay Service dials the access number and functions as an intermediatory between the calling party and the provider of the prepaid telephone service, as well as function as an intermediatory between the calling party and the destination party. The time delay inherent in transposing information from an audible form to data which can be displayed on the screen (and vice versa) would consume a substantial amount of long distance access time, rendering such a scheme impracticable.

A system and method are thus needed which will permit the use of prepaid, remote memory calling cards by hearing impaired individuals and others who desire to access non voice destinations, for example data networks, interactive voice response systems, computer networks, information services, and the like.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides methods and apparatus for overcoming many of the shortcomings associated with the prior art. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a long distance telephone switch is equipped with enhanced software which permits the switch to effectively communicate with TT devices and other non-voice initiated calls and destinations.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a long distance telephone switch suitably comprises a plurality of modules, each including one or more incoming telephone trunks. One or more of the incoming lines are configured to receive incoming telephone calls from a TT device, modem, or similar hardware configuration associated with the calling party. Upon detecting that the incoming call is a non-voice call (e.g. , a TT call), the switch retrieves an appropriate software routine configured to process the incoming call as a non-voice call, and thereby prompts the incoming caller to provide certain information to be used by the switch in processing the long distance call, for example through the use of message prompts rather than voice prompts. In this way, the message prompts may be properly received and processed by the hardware unit associated with the calling party.

When the telephone switch determines that sufficient funds remain in the calling party account to permit the calling party to place a long distance call, the switch dials the long distance destination telephone number and establishes communication with the destination party. Depending on the type of communication hardware associated with the calling party and the destination party, the switch may effectively connect the calling party with

the destination party or alternatively, function as an intermediatory, passing data packets back and forth between a first communication link associated with the calling party and a second communication link associated with the destination party. In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, the switch may be configured to facilitate communication between a voice party and a non-voice party or between any two non voice parties, including facilitating communication between modems, databases, computer networks, information services, and the like.

Brief Description of the Drawing Figures

The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawing figures, wherein like numbers denote like elements, and:

Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a host computer system, including redundant file servers and respective incoming call trunks and outgoing call trunks;

Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram of a calling party, a switch, and a destination party;

Figure 3 is a schematic block diagram of a exemplary TT device useful in the context in the present invention; and

Figure 4 is a schematic representation of a communication protocol message useful in the context of the present invention.

Detailed Description of Preferred Exemplary Embodiments

Referring now to Figure 1 , a host system 10 suitably comprises a primary file server 1 2, a redundant file server 14, respective incoming call trunks 1 6a-1 6c, respective outgoing call trunks 1 8a-1 8c, and a communications bus 1 9. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, file server 12 suitably coordinates the various functions performed by host 10, including call switching, call routing, call record creation, call processing, and management and control of the various

accounts associated with the prepaid calling cards used by calling parties to access host 10. For a more complete discussion of prepaid calling card systems, see co-pending United States patent application serial number 08/458,71 5 entitled Refundable Prepaid Telephone Card, and serial number 08/456,525 entitled Methods and 'Apparatus for Providing a Prepaid, Remote

Entry Customer Account, both filed June 1 , 1 995 in the name of John

Taskett, and the copending application serial number , entitled

Methods and Apparatus for Providing a Prepaid, Remote Entry Customer Account for the Visually Impaired, filed in the names of John Taskett and Barbara Piernot concurrently herewith. The entire disclosures of these patent applications are incorporated herein by this reference.

With continued reference to Figure 1 , redundant file server 14 suitably functions as a backup server to permit sustained, uninterrupted long distance telephone service in the event file server 12 fails to perform satisfactorily. Each of respective incoming call trunks 1 6 is supported by a PC or suitably computing hardware (not shown), and have associated therewith a plurality of provider service telephone numbers. More particularly, an exemplary incoming trunk 1 6a suitably comprises a first telephone line 20a, a second telephone line 20b, and so on. In accordance with a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention, incoming line 20a suitably has a first telephone number (e.g. , a toll-free "800" number) associated therewith configured to receive incoming voice calls. (Alternatively, line 20(a) may have a series of telephone numbers associated therewith) . A second incoming line 20(b) suitably has associated therewith a second telephone number (or a second series thereof), and is configured to simulate a modem, thus making line 20(b) particularly well suited for receiving incoming telephone calls placed from modems. A third incoming line 20(c) suitably corresponds to a third (e.g. , toll free) telephone number or series thereof, and is suitably dedicated to receiving calls from TT devices. A fourth incoming line or 20d is associated with a fourth toll free 1 -800 or series thereof, and is suitably equipped to receive and process one or more of voice, modem, TT, or other type incoming calls.

File server 12 suitably houses and/or otherwise facilitates the control of appropriate operating instructions, software modules, prerecorded voice prompts, pre-configured data packets, and the like to facilitate the processing of calls received at the various incoming telephone lines associated with host system 10. In addition, file server 1 2 embodies software and operating instructions for controlling the out dialing of destination telephone numbers, and the various other switching and routing operations performed by switch 10. In the context of a particularly preferred embodiment, each of respective trunks 1 6 and 1 8 are supported by an appropriate digital network interface (for interfacing respective telephone lines 20 with post 10), as well as appropriate computer telephony resources for performing various voice and data processing functions. In a preferred embodiment, an exemplary network interface circuit comprises a DTI/21 1 T- 1 network interface board manufactured by Dialogic of Parsippany, New Jersey. Suitable call processing resources include a D/1 21 B 1 2 port voice processing board, also manufactured by Dialogic. For a discussion of methods for configuring computers to assist the hearing impaired, see Communication, Control, and Computer Access for Disabled & Elderly Individuals, Vol. 1 , 2, 3 (copyright 1 987 by Trace Research and Development Center, published by College-Hill Press a Division of Little,

Brown and Company, Inc. Boston, MA), the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by this reference.

Referring now to Figure 2, host 1 0, when configured in accordance with the present invention, suitably permits a calling party 22 to communicate with a destination party 34 even though the communications hardware employed by calling party 22 and destination party 34 may be incompatible, as described below.

When calling party 22 desires to make a long-distance telephone call to destination party 34 using a pre-paid telephone card, calling party 22 suitably dials a predetermined telephone number associated with host 10, for example a toll free 1 -800 telephone number preprinted on a pre-paid calling card in the possession of calling party 22. Inasmuch as service

provider 10 is suitably a long-distance service provider, it will often be necessary for the telephone call to be initially routed through a Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) 26. Thus, the initial telephone call to service provider 10 is routed from calling party 22 to LEC 26 via a first segment 24 typically comprising a conventional telephone line. LEC 26 then routes the call to the appropriate long-distance carrier, based on the particular 800 number dialed by caller 22, via a second segment 28 typically comprising conventional twisted pair, coaxial, or optical fiber telephone lines. A first communications link 30 is thus established between calling party 22 and service provider 10.

Upon receiving the incoming call, host 10 prompts calling party 22 to enter various information required by host 10 to complete the long-distance telephone call, for example an account code, a destination telephone number, and perhaps a Personal Identification Number (PIN) or other security information. In a conventional voice to voice prepaid long-distance telephone call, switch 10 simply connects calling party 22 with destination party 34 via a second communication link 32, whereupon calling party 22 and destination party 34 engage in long-distance telephone conversation, as is known in the art. In accordance with the present invention, switch 10 may facilitate communication between calling party 22 and destination party

34 even if one or both of the parties comprises a TT device, modem, or other hardware configuration.

More particularly and referring now to Figures 1 -3, calling party 22 may be equipped with a TT device 36, for example a Superprint (TM) TT device available from Ultratec, Inc. of Madison, Wisconsin and detailed in the manual entitled Telephoning with your Superprint 10 Ed. ( 1 990 by Comminucation Department of Ultratec, Inc.). TT device 36 suitably comprises an alphanumeric key pad 38, an LCD, LED, or other suitable display for displaying text to the user, a printer 42 for creating a record of the text displayed on screen 40, an acoustic coupler 44 configured to receive a conventional telephone handset, and a telephone jack 48 to permit

TT device 36 to be connected directly to a telephone line in lieu of acoustic coupler 44.

When calling party 22 desires to initiate a toll call using a TT device in accordance with the present invention, the caller enters the toll free 1 -800 number designated by host 10 for receiving incoming telephone calls placed by TT devices. In this regard, an exemplary "Hearing Impaired" prepaid telephone card advantageously bears a predetermined 800telephone number which corresponds to a particular incoming line at switch 10 designated by the service provider for receiving incoming calls from TT devices. As such, the particular incoming line associated with switch 10 which receives the TT initiated call is configured to employ a processing routine specifically tailored to TT initiated incoming calls.

The toll free 1 -800 telephone number is suitably routed by LEC 26 to host 1 0, thereby establishing the first communication link 30. Upon receipt by incoming telephone line 20c of incoming trunk 16a (see Figure 1 ), host

10 processes the incoming call as a TT initiated call.

More particularly, host 10 retrieves a first data packet from memory which is compatible with the TT device which placed the incoming call, and transmits the data packet to TT device 36 associated with calling party 22. A text message corresponding to the first data packet is then displayed on screen 40, inviting the calling party to enter additional information into TT device 36. For example, host 10 suitably transmits successive data packets to the caller to thereby prompt him to enter an account code associated with the pre-paid calling card used by the caller, a destination telephone number, and so on. When host 10 has confirmed that sufficient funds are available in the caller's account to place a toll call, host 10 dials the destination telephone number requested by the caller. When destination party 34 answers the call, a second communication link 32 is established between host 10 and destination party 34. If destination party 34 functions as a voice telephone extension (e.g., a PC, data network, TT device, or the like), service provider 10 may facilitate communication between the caller and the destination party by providing a relay service, as discussed above. If

destination party 34 is a non-voice telephone extension, service provider 10 suitably coordinates communication between calling party 22 and destination party 34 in accordance with the respective hardware configurations associated therewith. More particularly, TT devices typically produce tones which permit communication at relatively low rates, measured in bits per second (BPS). A first scheme employed by many known TT devices is referred to as the BAUDOT encoding scheme, which typically communicates at 45.5 BPS. A second encoding protocol employed by known TT devices is referred to as the American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) encoding system, and typically communicates at BAUD rates compatible with modems operating at a plurality of BAUD rates, for example 300, 14,400, and 28,800 BPS. Of course, virtually any encoding scheme may be employed by calling party 22 in the context of the present invention. See, for example, Digital Design by M. Morris Mano (Copyright 1 984 by Prentice-

Hall, Inc. Englewood Cliff, NJ), the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein.

Incoming telephone line 20c, and in particular the network interface and call processing hardware and software associated therewith, is suitably configured to detect the particular hardware configuration employed by caller

22.

More particularly, the TT device associated with caller 22 will likely employ the BAUDOT encoding scheme, the ASCII encoding scheme or a variant thereof. When switch 1 0 receives an incoming TT call, switch 1 0 may be configured to transmit a seek tone to the calling party to determine whether caller 22 is operating in BAUDOT mode, ASCII mode, or an alternate mode. If caller 22 is in ASCII mode or some hybrid mode which simulates the ASCII scheme, caller 22 will also transmit a seek tone to inform switch 1 0 of the presence of an ASCII-type TT device. Upon receipt of the respective seek tones by the switch and by caller 22, each confirms that it is communicating with an ASCII configured (or ASCII simulating) TT device. If caller 22 does not generate a seek tone, switch 10 may conclude

that caller 22 is not operating in ASCII mode, and may either presume that caller 22 is functioning in BAUDOT mode or in an alternate mode, as discussed in greater detail below.

If mutual (bilateral) ASCII communication is confirmed, switch 10 and caller 22 engage in a predetermined ASCII handshake routine to establish the communication protocols for the communication session. In this regard, TT devices operating in ASCII mode function in substantially the same way as general purpose modems; hence, switch 10 and caller 22 may also advantageously enter into an ASCII handshake routine even if caller 22 is equipped with a conventional modem, as opposed to an ASCII configured TT device.

Referring now to Figure 4, switch 1 0 and caller 22 suitably perform an ASCII handshake routine by transmitting to one another a predetermined handshake message, for example a message packet 402. Message 402 suitably comprises a plurality of fields defining the various parameters to be

"agreed to" by the switch and the caller as to the manner in which they will exchange data packets and the format for those data packets.

An exemplary handshake message 402 suitably comprises a first field 404 which determines whether communication between the switch and the caller will be at full or half duplex. While many hardware configurations potentially associated with caller 22 may have configurable communication parameters, many do not. Thus, switch 10 is suitably configured to selectively operate at either full or half duplex, so that it may best accommodate any hardware limitations associated with caller 22. A second field 406 suitably relates to the rate at which data will be exchanged between the caller and the switch (e.g. the BAUD rate). Again, since many hardware configurations potentially associated with caller 22 may be limited in terms of BAUD rate, switch 10 is suitably capable of operating at a wide range of BAUD rates, such that switch 1 0 may advantageously accommodate any BAUD rate limitations associated with caller 22.

A third field 408 suitably relates to the presence, function, and number of parity bits to be employed in the communication protocol established between the switch and the caller. Switch 10 is suitably capable of accommodating hardware limitations or preferences which caller 22 may have with respect to parity.

A fourth field 410 suitably defines the number of bits to be transmitted in each data packet exchanged between the caller and the switch. Similarly, a fifth field 41 2 suitably relates to the number of stop bits indicating the end of a message packet. As with many of the other communication protocol parameters discussed herein, switch 10 is advantageously sufficiently robust to accommodate virtually any hardware configuration or preference exhibited by the hardware associated with caller 22.

One or more additional fields 414 may be suitably employed in the context of message packet 402, as may be necessary or useful in establishing and maintaining communication between switch 1 0 and various incoming call configurations.

Once switch 10 has determined the hardware configuration and established an appropriate communications protocol with the device associated with caller 22, switch 10 suitably retrieves the appropriate processing subroutine which will permit switch 1 0 to process the incoming call. Specifically, switch 10 suitably requests information from the calling party, and receives the information necessary to process the toll call requested by calling party. Upon receiving the information from calling party 22 necessary to complete an outgoing call to a destination telephone number, switch 1 0 places the outgoing call.

Upon establishing second communication link 32 between switch 1 0 and destination party 34, switch 10 suitably facilitates communication between calling party 22 and destination party 34, as appropriate. In this regard, communication is suitably established between switch 10 and destination party 34 in much the same way described above with respect to the communication link between the switch and the calling party. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, switch 10 may directly

"connect" calling party 22 to destination party 34 in much the same way a long-distance carrier connects a calling party with a long-distance destination, i.e., as when a calling party direct dials a long-distance destination and is routed to that destination through a LEC and a long- distance carrier, as is known in the art. However, in order to establish such a direct connection, switch 10 must first determine whether the communication protocols associated with first communication link 30 are compatible with the communication protocols associated with second communication link 32. More particularly, many TT devices (and indeed many modems) communicate through an asynchronous communication protocol, for example as described above in connection with Figure 4. If the communication protocols associated with the first communication link 30 are compatible with (or can be manipulated to make them compatible with) the communication protocols associated with second communication link 32, a direct connection between the calling party and the destination party may be desirable. If, on the other hand, the respective communication protocols are incompatible, switch 10 may function as an intermediary for facilitating the exchange of information between respective communication links 30 and 32.

More particularly, data packets received by switch 10 from calling party 22 may be suitably retrieved by switch 1 0 and sequentially placed into a RAM associated with switch 1 0 in any convenient manner; similarly, data packets received from destination party 34 may be retrieved by switch 1 0 and placed into RAM in a predetermined manner. The various data packets received from destination party 34 may be retrieved from RAM and transmitted to calling party 22, and the data packets received from calling party 22 may be retrieved from RAM and transmitted to destination party 34, to thereby facilitate communication between the calling party and the destination party even if the communication protocols associated with respective links 30 and 32 are incompatible.

Moreover, to the extent the data packet is retrieved from communication link one and transferred to communication link two (and vice versa), the need to be "translated" or otherwise manipulated so that data packets transmitted by the calling party may be unwrapped and understood by the destination party (and vice versa), switch 10 suitably includes processing software configured to render the respective data packets compatible. In this regard, see, for example, pages 1 1 .42-1 1 .49 and pages 1 2.20-1 2.25 of the 1 993, 1 994 or 1 995 version of the "Dialogic Products and Services Guide", available from the Dialogic Corporation in Parsippany, New Jersey, Atlanta, Georgia, Austin, Texas, or Sunnyvale, California, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by this reference.

Although the invention has been described herein with reference to the appended drawing figures, it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention is not so limited. Various modifications in the sequence of steps and arrangement of components may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.