Telephone terminal to control functions and enter digits

Details Telephone terminal to control functions and enter digits Telephone terminal to control functions and enter digits

2001-11-05

2004-09-14

Maung, Nay (Department: 2684)

Telecommunications

Transmitter and receiver at same station

Radiotelephone equipment detail

C455S557000, C455S564000, C379S368000, C379S433070, C379S370000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06792298

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a telephone terminal, and in particular, to a mobile telephone to control functions and enter digits.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The telephone, and in recent years increasingly the mobile telephone, has become a virtually indispensable communication means in everyday life. It makes it possible to contact private and business contacts, to make use of services, to order goods and to request help in emergency situations, etc., over any desired distances. The particular advantage of the mobile telephone is that it also offers these capabilities from virtually any desired point in the developed industrial nations. That is, even while traveling to work or to school, or while on journeys, one can communicate. For children and the elderly, whose mobility is restricted and who in some circumstances in daily life are comparatively dependent on assistance, these capabilities are particularly worthwhile—especially from the view pint of safety.
However, the elderly and small children generally have problems with operating a conventional telephone, particularly with operating a mobile telephone, which normally uses menu guidance requiring a sequence of interactive control and perception processes. People with very poor sight or who cannot read cannot operate a normal mobile telephone at all. Thus, even though the capabilities of mobile telephones are particularly valuable to them, people such as these are largely prevented from using these capabilities.
The relatively complicated operation of modern telephones, in particular of mobile telephones, is a more or less necessary consequence of their necessary consequence of their comprehensive functionality, which is based on users who have major demands.
The requirements of the elderly or small children for a telephone terminal are extremely simple in comparison. Generally, they contact only a small number of people (parents, neighbors, doctor, police, etc.) and additional functions are of virtually no or little value. Thus, they do not require a display and do not require a normal digit or function keypad to operate the telephone. The components of a normal modern telephone terminal result in people making incorrect selections, and often make it impossible for them to make the desired calls. However, on the other hand, the user interface of such appliances is matched to the presence and the use of the display and of the function keypad such that even simple, indispensable control processes—such as the activation of a mobile telephone by entering the PIN, speed dialing, call acceptance and call termination etc.—depend on the use of the function keypad, and of the display.
A keypad adapter, which is plugged onto the actual keypad of the mobile telephone, is known from WO 98/10571. Further keys, which form a second keypad, are located on this keypad adapter. The keys on this second keypad are physically arranged such that the first keypad of the mobile telephone, located underneath, can be operated by the second keypad. Since the specified group of people most of the time operate only selected keys on the mobile radio telephone keypad, these keys are designed to be larger on the second keypad. It is thus simpler for the physically disabled to operate the keys, which are now larger.
In one embodiment of the invention, there is a telephone terminal. The terminal includes, for example, a housing and a first input device to control the functions and enter digits of telephone numbers, and a second input device which is held in a snap-on module and configured to be fit to the housing, the second input device at least partially covering the first input device when fitted, wherein contact between the mobile telephone and the snap-on module is by a connector strip as part of a standardized plug connection, and the plug connection has an identification contact to switch the controller from the first to the second input device.
In another aspect of the invention, the telephone terminal is a mobile telephone and has an input element for call acceptance and call termination.
In another aspect of the invention, the plug connection has an identification contact via which the snap-on module is detected, and the telephone terminal is switched to be controlled by the second input device, and the first input device is switched off.
In still another aspect of the invention, terminal has an off switch, which is connected to the identification contact, and via which the telephone terminal is switched off when the snap-on module is removed.
In another aspect of the invention, the second input device has a number of speed-dialing keys and an associated dialing sequence control device to carry out a sequence of predetermined dialing processes automatically.
In another aspect of the invention, the terminal has a locking device for childproof locking of the snap-on module to the housing.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the snap-on module covers the top face of the housing, leaving the loudspeaker and microphone areas free.
In another aspect of the invention, the snap-on module has a lighting device to illuminate the second input device.


REFERENCES:
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patent: 5335273 (1994-08-01), Takagi et al.
patent: 5365570 (1994-11-01), Boubelik
patent: 5646649 (1997-07-01), Iwata et al.
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patent: 295 01 044.4 (1995-06-01), None
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patent: 298 09 825 (1998-10-01), None
patent: 0 354 367 (1990-02-01), None
patent: 2 321 823 (1998-08-01), None
patent: WO 98/10571 (1998-03-01), None
patent: WO 98/40995 (1998-09-01), None

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