EP0860074A1 - Adaptateur pour clavier de telephone - Google Patents

Adaptateur pour clavier de telephone

Info

Publication number
EP0860074A1
EP0860074A1 EP97939073A EP97939073A EP0860074A1 EP 0860074 A1 EP0860074 A1 EP 0860074A1 EP 97939073 A EP97939073 A EP 97939073A EP 97939073 A EP97939073 A EP 97939073A EP 0860074 A1 EP0860074 A1 EP 0860074A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
adaptor
telephone
keys
keypad
plate
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP97939073A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Victor Brian Green
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP0860074A1 publication Critical patent/EP0860074A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
    • H04M1/02—Constructional features of telephone sets
    • H04M1/23—Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
    • H04M1/26—Devices for calling a subscriber
    • H04M1/27—Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously
    • H04M1/274—Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously with provision for storing more than one subscriber number at a time, e.g. using toothed disc
    • H04M1/2745—Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously with provision for storing more than one subscriber number at a time, e.g. using toothed disc using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
    • H04M1/72—Mobile telephones; Cordless telephones, i.e. devices for establishing wireless links to base stations without route selection
    • H04M1/724—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
    • H04M1/72475—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones specially adapted for disabled users

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a telephone accessory and equipment, and in particular to a telephone accessory and equipment for assisting physically impaired persons to use conventional and/or mobile telephones.
  • a telephone keypad adaptor for use with a telephone having a number storing facility, the adaptor comprising a keypad having a plurality of keys thereon arranged such that, when the adaptor is mounted on the telephone, the keys of the adaptor keypad are able to operate selected keys of the telephone keypad, including number retrieval keys of the telephone.
  • the present invention provides a telephone keypad adaptor for a telephone having a number storing facility, which, when mounted on the telephone, provides a keypad having fewer keys than the normal keypad of the telephone, these adaptor keys operating keys of the telephone which enable numbers stored by the telephone to be called.
  • the present invention provides a telephone with a number storing facility and a secondary keypad, the secondary keypad in use extending over the main keypad area of the telephone and having fewer keys than the main keypad of the telephone, these keys of the secondary keypad operating keys of the main keypad that enable telephone numbers stored in the memory of the telephone to be called.
  • the keypad adaptor of the present invention is able to provide a keypad for a telephone having fewer keys thereon than the normal keypad of the telephone. This makes the telephone much easier to use, as the correct keys are much easier to press, and keys not of use may be masked by the adaptor pad so that they cannot be pressed by accident.
  • adaptor keypad For a similar size of adaptor keypad to that of the telephone's normal keypad, the use of fewer keys enables the adaptor keys to be spaced further apart and/or allows them to be larger, so that there may be more of a strike area for each key and less chance of hitting an adjacent key by accident.
  • the invention facilitates the use of telephones by those who would otherwise find their use very difficult, if not impossible.
  • the invention is especially appropriate for use with mobile telephones. These tend to have memories with scroll functions, and, in such cases, the selected keys of the telephone may comprise connect ("send"), disconnect ("end"), memory scroll up, memory scroll down and select, as well as for example an on/off key and one of the digit keys, for example the digit five, which would represent for example the number most frequently used and stored in the memory.
  • a user may press e.g. the 5 key to obtain the most used telephone number, and scroll up or down to other less frequently used numbers (Preferably, these other numbers are listed in order of their usage, so that the next two most frequent numbers are at memories 4 and 6, etc.) .
  • the user may press select and then press connect to call the number. Once finished, the user may press disconnect.
  • the adaptor keypad may select only some of the keys of these 0 to 9 digits, e.g. four keys, strategically placed so that the adaptor keys are able to remain suitably spaced and sized when mounted above them.
  • the adaptor keypad for a conventional telephone may select a suitable number of the 0 to 9 digits as well as the shift key and preferably also a loudspeaker key.
  • the precise keys selected by the adaptor keypad may be different from the above depending on the telephone's operation and key arrangement.
  • the keypad adaptor keys and keypad may take any suitable forms to provide the required functions.
  • the adaptor keys themselves may have strike areas of suitable sizes and shapes to enable knuckles or fists to be used to strike the keys.
  • the keys may be shaped and sized to facilitate operation by an operating tool, such as for example a rod held in the mouth of a user.
  • each adaptor key is concave to reduce the chances of a user's finger, hand, etc., or operating tool, from slipping from the key.
  • the adaptor keys may be colour-coded or otherwise marked and/or shaped, e.g. as up/down scroll arrows, so as for example to enable a user with limited sight to more easily select the correct keys.
  • the adaptor keys may be mounted directly above respective ones of the telephone keys, so that when pressed, they in turn press directly onto these respective telephone keys. This arrangement provides a particularly simple system. It would, however, be possible to have the adaptor keys offset from their respective telephone keys, if necessary, for example should two required keys be adjacent one another on the telephone keypad. This may be achieved in any suitable manner, such as for example by suitable mechanical lever means .
  • the keypad may comprise a plate having holes therein through which the adaptor keys are mounted, each adaptor key in use lying directly above a respective one of the selected keys of the telephone keypad.
  • a telephone keypad adaptor for use with a telephone having memory storing facilities, the adaptor comprising a plate; means for locating and securing the plate over the keypad of the telephone; and a plurality of buttons mounted in the plate which project through the plate and which are adapted to move in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the plate, the buttons engaging keys of the telephone keypad that allow numbers stored in the telephone to be called, the buttons having a greater striking area and/or spacing than the keys of the telephone keypad.
  • Each adaptor key may have an upper portion for operation by the user and a lower portion which engages the selected telephone key when the adaptor key is pressed.
  • the adaptor keys may comprise a pad providing a striking area for the user on one side of the plate, a stem passing through the plate, and a second pad opposite to the selected key of the telephone keypad.
  • Means, such as spring means, may be provided for urging the adaptor keys out of contact with the telephone keys when they are not being pressed.
  • the keys may also be guided and prevented from rotation, by for example providing splines along the key stems which engage in corresponding grooves in the holes in the plate, or for example by suitably shaping the plate holes and the stems of the keys to include e.g.
  • the adaptor may be mounted on the telephone in any suitable manner, e.g. in a clip-on or clamped manner.
  • one or more brackets are provided which connect with a plate of the keypad to hold the plate in place over the telephone keypad.
  • the plate could be held in place by a strap, which could be elasticated, with spacer means for holding the adaptor keypad a suitable distance from the telephone keypad.
  • the adaptor may form part of a cradle in which the telephone is mounted, e.g., to the seat of a wheelchair or to a wall or a car mounting unit .
  • the adaptor is removable from the telephone for example to allow for cleaning of the telephone and adaptor, and to enable the telephone to be used normally or to be programmed or reprogrammed by a user or by a carer of the user.
  • removal of the adaptor may additionally facilitate recharging of the battery.
  • the adaptor is configured so that it enables the continued use of any ear piece and/or microphone attachments, etc., where provided on the telephone.
  • Adaptors could be made specifically for one or more models of telephone, and different makes of telephone will often have similar dimensions and keypad arrangements, so that one adaptor may accommodate a range of models.
  • the adaptor may also be adjustable to accommodate variations in telephone design, such as in respect of their thickness, width and key arrangements.
  • the adaptor may have a keypad plate on which the keys are mounted, which has a number of holes therein, only some of which are used, with the particular holes used being dependent on the telephone keypad arrangement on which it is to be mounted. Also, these holes may be elongate, to allow for more accurate placement of the adaptor keys over the telephone keys .
  • the adaptor may be mounted to the telephone by adjustable mounting means, which may accommodate different sizes, e.g. widths and thicknesses of the telephone, and also distances of the adaptor keypcid from the telephone.
  • the mounting means could comprise a strap, which could be elasticated, and adjustable spacer means between the adaptor keypad and the telephone keypad.
  • the present invention provides a keypad adaptor for a telephone comprising keys of larger size than those of the telephone keypad, the adaptor keys operating respective ones of the keys of the telephone keypad.
  • the adaptor keypad may include the same number of keys as the telephone keypad, or a significant number of them.
  • the adaptor keypad may therefore be larger than the keypad of the telephone.
  • the telephone need not then be one which stores telephone numbers, as the keys of the adaptor could be selected to operate the dialling digit keys of the telephone. As the adaptor keys would be larger, dialling would still be easier than when using the original telephone keypad without the adaptor.
  • the invention also extends to a telephone with such an adaptor.
  • Fig. 1 shows a plan view of an adaptor according to one embodiment of the present invention.
  • Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the adaptor of Fig. 1.
  • a keypad adaptor 1 is mounted on a mobile telephone 2.
  • the mobile telephone 2 has a keypad 3 comprising keys 4 , and a display screen 5.
  • Adaptor 1 has a keypad plate 6 which is mounted on the telephone 2 by a U-shaped mounting bracket 7 shown by dashed lines in Fig. 2 in order that the other features of the adaptor 1 may be clearly seen.
  • Adaptor 1 includes six buttons 8 mounted on the plate 6 above selected ones of the keys 4 of the telephone 2, the keys 4 being chosen so as to allow a user to call telephone numbers stored in a memory of the telephone 2.
  • Each button 8 of the adaptor comprises an outer portion 9 (shown in cross-section in Fig. 2) , which the user presses to operate the corresponding opposite key 4 of the telephone, a central shaft 10 passing through the plate 6, and an inner portion 9 which contacts with the opposing key 4 when the button 8 is pressed.
  • Central shaft 10 is cross-shaped in section, and is able to move relative to the plate 6 through a correspondingly cross-shaped hole in the plate 6. The cross-shaped section helps to guide the buttons 8 and to prevent their rotation.
  • the inner portion 10 is preferably formed from a resilient material such as rubber or the like.
  • Means, such as a spring mounted between the outer portion 9 and the plate 6 may be provided to bias the buttons 8 up out of contact with the keys 4 when the buttons 8 are not pressed.
  • buttons 8 are concave. Some users need to use an aid such as a rod held in the mouth to press the buttons 8, and the concave surfaces 12 help to prevent slippage of these rods .
  • the keys 4 selected are the connect, disconnect, display list of memory numbers, scroll memory numbers up, scroll memory numbers down, and select memory number keys .
  • each button is larger and their centres more spaced apart than those of the keys 4 of the telephone, and thus enable a user to more easily make a telephone call without for example pressing a wrong key or two keys together. Keys not required are masked by the plate 6 , and so cannot be pressed by accident.
  • the mounting bracket 7 may be connected to the plate 6 in any suitable manner, and may provide a clip- on and/or screw construction. It may form part of a cradle by which the mobile telephone 2 is mounted to a vehicle seat, a wheelchair, wall or some other structure. Various alternatives and modifications on the above design are of course possible, and the adaptor keypad and mounting means may take any suitable forms and be made from any suitable materials.
  • the mounting bracket 7 may for example be integral with plate 6 , and/or plate 6 may be pivotally mounted to one side of the bracket 7. Alternatively, the bracket 7 may be separate from plate 6, but attached by screws, or in a clip manner or the like. The bracket 7 could be replaced e.g.
  • the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in use with a mobile telephone, and this provides a particularly advantageous system.
  • the invention is however also suited to use with a conventional telephone e.g. mounted on a desk or a wall and connected to a telephone point by a cable, suitable changes being made as appropriate, such as which keys are selected and the mounting arrangement used.
  • the adaptor keypad may have buttons 8 for the dialling keys of the telephone keypad, and possible other keys of the telephone also. This could make the keypad larger, but would still provide the advantage of larger press buttons .

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Telephone Set Structure (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention porte sur un adaptateur de clavier (1) pour téléphone (2) classique ou mobile se montant par exemple à l'aide d'une bride en U (7) et comprenant une plaque (6) couvrant le clavier (6) et des boutons (8) recouvrant des touches (4) sélectionnées du téléphone (2) de manière à permettre à l'utilisateur d'appeler les numéros stockés dans la mémoire du téléphone (2). Les boutons sont de préférence plus larges et plus espacés que les touches (4) ce qui facilite leur utilisation par des personnes handicapées.
EP97939073A 1996-09-09 1997-09-09 Adaptateur pour clavier de telephone Withdrawn EP0860074A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GBGB9618800.8A GB9618800D0 (en) 1996-09-09 1996-09-09 Telephone accessory and equipment
GB9618800 1996-09-09
PCT/GB1997/002429 WO1998010571A1 (fr) 1996-09-09 1997-09-09 Adaptateur pour clavier de telephone

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0860074A1 true EP0860074A1 (fr) 1998-08-26

Family

ID=10799642

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP97939073A Withdrawn EP0860074A1 (fr) 1996-09-09 1997-09-09 Adaptateur pour clavier de telephone

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0860074A1 (fr)
AU (1) AU4129497A (fr)
CA (1) CA2237202A1 (fr)
GB (1) GB9618800D0 (fr)
WO (1) WO1998010571A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
HUP0201118A2 (en) * 1999-05-05 2002-07-29 Siemens Ag Telephone terminal
GB2363592B (en) * 2000-09-26 2002-10-09 Constantinos Hadjisotiriou Numerical-to-textual keypad converter
FI116344B (fi) * 2000-10-11 2005-10-31 Nokia Corp Viestintälaite
EP1349354A1 (fr) * 2002-03-28 2003-10-01 Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB Façade amovible avec mémoire intégrée pour terminal mobile
GB2400817A (en) * 2003-04-22 2004-10-27 Design Engineering Services Uk Communications device handset having enlarged buttons
GB2404630B (en) 2003-08-07 2006-09-27 Research In Motion Ltd Cover plate for a mobile device having a push-through dial keypad
FR2870426B1 (fr) * 2004-05-17 2006-08-11 Michel Villaneau Telephone portable a usage facilite

Family Cites Families (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CA941532A (en) * 1970-03-11 1974-02-05 Akira Nishikiori Operating device for push button-dialled telephone
US3778553A (en) * 1972-04-05 1973-12-11 M Rackman Attachment for facilitating use of a push-button telephone set as a data terminal
DE3022877A1 (de) * 1980-06-19 1981-12-24 Manfred 4010 Hilden Kuhn Telefon-computer aufsatzkasten
CA1316617C (fr) * 1988-07-11 1993-04-20 Chihiro Fuse Telephone
IL93998A (en) * 1990-04-03 1996-01-19 Schreiber Jacob Pushbutton telephone dial keypad adaptor module
GB9116073D0 (en) * 1991-07-25 1991-09-11 Atkins Richard S Programmable dialler
GB9203349D0 (en) * 1992-02-17 1992-04-01 British Telecomm Keypad buttons
US5365570A (en) * 1992-06-02 1994-11-15 Boubelik Mark J Emergency cellular telephone apparatus
US5444775A (en) * 1993-11-09 1995-08-22 Tobish; John J. Telephone key selection aid
FI97507C (fi) * 1995-01-05 1996-12-27 Nokia Mobile Phones Ltd Pikavalinta matkaviestimessä

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO9810571A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO1998010571A1 (fr) 1998-03-12
GB9618800D0 (en) 1996-10-23
CA2237202A1 (fr) 1998-03-12
AU4129497A (en) 1998-03-26

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