Emergency Call Captioning Timeout for Assisted Hearing Devices

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing assisted user devices for deaf or hard of hearing individuals face confusion when automatic captioning is initiated during emergency calls, leading to unintended deactivation and hampering communication, and subsequent calls are treated as non-emergency without captioning.

Innovation Solution

Implement a timeout period after initiating a 911 call to prevent manual adjustment of captioning, accompanied by visual or auditory indicators to confirm captioning status, ensuring captioning remains active during emergencies and reconnecting calls.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If automatic captioning is initiated during emergency calls, then captioning service is provided immediately to assisted users, but users may inadvertently deactivate captioning causing confusion and communication breakdown

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecaptioning service activation speedVSAvoiduser control over captioning

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by automatically activating captioning before the user can manually control it during emergency calls. This ensures captioning is immediately available when needed most, while the timeout period prevents premature deactivation attempts that would cause confusion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts user control capabilities based on call type. During emergency calls, manual captioning control is temporarily suspended for a timeout period, then restored afterward. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by providing immediate automatic activation while eventually returning user control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If manual captioning control is allowed during emergency calls, then users can adjust captioning preferences, but captioning may be deactivated causing communication hampering

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser preference adjustmentVSAvoidcaptioning service continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies preliminary anti-action by temporarily preventing manual captioning control during the timeout period of emergency calls. This counteracts the potential harmful action of deactivating captioning, ensuring service continuity and reliability while the emergency call is in progress.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically modifies the adaptability of captioning control based on emergency call status. During the timeout period, user preference adjustment is restricted to maintain reliability. After the timeout expires, adaptability is restored, allowing users to adjust preferences if needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If captioning is automatically activated for 911 calls, then emergency communication is facilitated, but subsequent calls are incorrectly treated as non-emergency without captioning

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveemergency call captioning assuranceVSAvoidcall type recognition accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses feedback by monitoring call characteristics and user interactions during and after emergency calls. This feedback mechanism helps distinguish between actual emergency calls requiring captioning and subsequent regular calls, improving call type recognition accuracy while maintaining reliability for genuine emergencies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts captioning activation status based on call type detection. After an emergency call timeout period expires, the system transitions to a state where captioning is not automatically activated, allowing proper differentiation between emergency and non-emergency calls while maintaining the reliability assurance during actual emergencies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS12489839B2911 call assistance for assisted device user

Publication Date: 2025.12.02 ULTRATEC INC

AI summary

An assisted user's (AU's) captioning device for assisting an AU during a call with a hearing user (HU) wherein the hearing user uses a HU's communication device, the captioning device comprising a display screen and a processor linked to the display screen, the processor programmed to perform the steps of upon receiving a call, automatically determining if the call is from one of a first set of HUs, upon determining that the call is from one of the first set of HUs, automatically initiating captioning and presenting captions of an HU voice signal during at least a portion of the call, and upon determining that the call is not from one of the first set of HUs, starting the call without captioning and providing an option to the AU to initiate captioning during the call.