Telephone apparatus and method adapted for use by impaired...

Details Telephone apparatus and method adapted for use by impaired... Telephone apparatus and method adapted for use by impaired...

1998-07-23

2001-04-03

Chan, Wing F. (Department: 2643)

Telephonic communications

Supervisory or control line signaling

Substation originated

C379S368000, C379S052000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06212271

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to telephone apparatus and, more particularly, to a telephone apparatus and method adapted for ease of use by impaired individuals.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
For the visually or physically impaired, accurately dialing a standard telephone may be difficult. For example, distinguishing among and accurately actuating the relatively small twelve-button keypad buttons of a standard telephone is a challenging task. Certain techniques such as conventional speed dialing are available in telephone apparatus, but since they generally involve use of the relatively small keypad buttons or other similarly sized small buttons, these techniques are also of limited use to the impaired. Even complete keypads composed of relatively large buttons present difficulty in distinguishing among the multiple buttons. Moreover, automatic dialers typically have a relatively small number of distinguishable buttons, therefore they tend to limit the caller to a correspondingly small number of parties to be called.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention ameliorates these problems. The invention provides new apparatus designed for ease of use by impaired individuals. This apparatus comprises a medium for storing both the telephone number of the party to be called and a description associated with each telephone number (for example, the name of the party). This combination of information will hereinafter be referred to as the identifier. Further, the apparatus includes a processing unit that manipulates (for example routes, compresses, etc.) the identifier and a prominent instrumentality (for example, at least one oversized button) for sequentially retrieving the stored identifiers. The apparatus also comprises an element responsive to each retrieval of a part of a stored identifier (for example, the description) for indicating (for example, audibly) the retrieved part of the identifier. The apparatus may further comprise a switch that selectively connects between a phone line, standard parts of a telephone set, and the processing unit. Finally, the apparatus comprises a way for selecting and initiating a call to a party whose identifier was retrieved.
The inventive apparatus can either be incorporated as an integral part of an otherwise standard telephone set or be connected to a standard set as an adjunct device. In either configuration, the critical functions are provided by a suitably programmed standard processing unit.
Also, the invention provides a method, designed for ease of use by impaired individuals, for storing and retrieving identifiers. In particular, the method comprises storing in a memory at least one identifier representing a party to be called, and then retrieving the stored identifier from memory in response to the activation of at least one prominent instrumentality. Further, the method comprises indicating each retrieved identifier. Finally, the method comprises responding to selection of the retrieved identifier by initiating a call to the party corresponding to the retrieved identifier.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4866764 (1989-09-01), Barker, III
patent: 4908853 (1990-03-01), Matsumoto
patent: 5440627 (1995-08-01), Puri
patent: 5561712 (1996-10-01), Nishihara
patent: 5805694 (1998-09-01), Kim

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