Hands-Free Texting

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Hands-Free Text Messaging

U.S. Patent 7,116,976

U.S. Patent 7,376,434

U.S. Patent 7,890,128

U.S. Patent 8,112,104

U.S. Patent 8,280,419

U.S. Patent 8,737,978

U.S. Patent 11,019,199

U.S. Patent 11,711,459

U.S. Patent 11,792,316

Many like listening to music while running, and many states require drivers to be hands-free when using a cell phone. A conventional headset could allow both activities in a hands-free manner. But what happens if a runner/driver receives a text message? Attempting to read or respond to a text message while running/driving requires the runner to stop running or the driver to take her focus away from the road. For the runner, this is inconvenient. For the driver, such behavior can be extremely dangerous. Currently, 48 states ban text messaging for all drivers. Though eager to read and reply to the text messages, runners/drivers have to wait.

In a general sense, our patented technology helps solve the challenges of texting when it is inconvenient and/or illegal to do so. For example, our technology allows the smart phone of a runner/driver to receive an incoming text message, and have it converted as an audio message, and then played via a headset. With the headset, the runner/driver can respond to text messages by voice, or by selecting from a preset list of reply messages, without interrupting the run or violating the law.

With these technologies working hand-in-hand, users have numerous avenues of personalization. For example, depending on the ranked importance of the sender, what the users are doing, and/or the level of urgency, the technologies can choose whether or not the incoming text is reverted to audio, sparing users unnecessary interruptions while ensuring they quickly receive messages they deem important.