Cellular Network Hosted Telecommunications Relay Services
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional telecommunications relay services (TRS) lack flexibility and efficiency in providing access to users with disabilities, relying on external operators for translation services, which can be cumbersome and limited in availability within cellular networks.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for providing cellular network-hosted TRS, where user preferences for text-to-speech or speech-to-text conversions are received and implemented through network slicing, allowing seamless integration of TRS functions within the 5G New Radio (NR) network, enabling real-time text (RTT) and teletypewriter (TTY) services without the need for dialing 711, and allowing for high-quality experience by reassigning user equipment to slices with defined operating parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If TRS services are provided through external operators via 711 dialing, then TRS functionality is available, but service accessibility and user convenience deteriorate due to the need for separate dialing procedures and external service coordination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges TRS functionality directly into the cellular network core, combining voice service and TRS service into a unified network-hosted system. This eliminates the need for separate 711 dialing procedures and external operator coordination, allowing users to access TRS services through regular voice calls with automatic service activation based on user preferences stored in the network.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service by automatically activating TRS functions based on pre-configured user preferences stored in the network. When a user initiates a voice call, the network automatically detects the need for TRS services and activates the appropriate text-to-speech or speech-to-text conversion without requiring manual intervention or external operator assistance.
2Reliability
If TRS services are hosted externally, then service provision is possible, but service quality and reliability worsen due to limited availability and dependency on external systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates TRS service hosting directly into the cellular network core infrastructure, merging voice service and TRS service into a unified system. This integration ensures that TRS services are always available whenever the cellular network is operational, eliminating dependency on external systems and improving overall service reliability and availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cellular network core is designed to provide multiple functions including both voice service and TRS service through a unified architecture. The network-hosted TRS function can serve multiple users with different disabilities (hearing-impaired, speech-impaired) and support various communication modes (text-to-speech, speech-to-text, RTT, TTY) within the same infrastructure.
3Productivity
If network slicing is used to assign UEs to TRS-capable slices, then service quality improves through optimized resource allocation, but network management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements network slicing to segment the cellular network into different logical networks, with specific slices optimized for TRS services. Users equipment (UE) can be assigned to appropriate slices based on their TRS preferences and service requirements, enabling optimized resource allocation and improved service delivery efficiency for TRS-capable users while maintaining separate service paths.
Data Source
AI summary
Various arrangements for providing cellular network hosted telecommunications relay services (TRS) are detailed herein. A piece of user equipment (UE) can be reassigned from a first slice of the cellular network to a second slice of the cellular network that provides TRS. In response to a voice call being initiated and the UE being assigned to the second slice, a TRS function hosted by the cellular network can be provided for the voice call.