Patent ID: 9311911
Filing Date: 2016-04-12
CPC Classification: G10L,H04M,H04W

Claim Text:
1. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, by a first device, data to establish a voice communication channel with a second device, then establishing the voice communication channel with the second device; receiving, after the voice communication channel with the second device has been established, a request to switch between (i) a speech audio mode in which audio received by a microphone of the first device is communicated through the voice communication channel to the second device, and (ii) a text-to-speech mode in which the microphone of the first device is muted and text that is typed into a keyboard on the first device is generated by a text-to-speech engine into speech audio that is communicated through the voice communication channel to the second device; after receiving the request, switching between (i) the speech audio mode in which audio received by the microphone of the first device is communicated through the voice communication channel to the second device, and (ii) the text-to-speech mode in which the microphone of the first device is muted and text that is typed into the keyboard on the first device is generated by a text-to-speech engine into speech audio that is communicated through the voice communication channel to the second device; after switching between (i) the speech audio mode in which audio received by the microphone of the first device is communicated through the voice communication channel to the second device, and (ii) the text-to-speech mode in which the microphone of the first device is muted and text that is typed into the keyboard on the first device is generated by a text-to-speech engine into speech audio that is communicated through the voice communication channel to the second device, receiving text that is typed into the keyboard on the first device; generating, by the text-to-speech engine, the speech audio based on the text; and transmitting the speech audio to the second device over the voice communication channel.