GB2245453A

GB2245453A - Telephone for the disabled

Info

Publication number: GB2245453A
Application number: GB9111640A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Broadbent Wealthy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-05-31
Filing date: 1991-05-30
Publication date: 1992-01-02
Anticipated expiration: 2011-05-30
Also published as: GB2245453B; GB9111640D0; GB9012090D0

Abstract

A telephone for the disabled has a Dodecahedron body 1 which has twelve pressure sensitive switches 2, one on each face of the body. The method of dialling would be to roll the body with the foot until the digit required was upwardly facing and then apply firm downward pressure to the upwardly facing pressure sensitive switch. The body would then be rolled to the next digit required and the same process repeated. This procedure would then be repeated until the whole number required had been dialled. <IMAGE>

Description

Telephone For The Disabled The present invention relates to a telephone for the disabled, in particular for a person without the use of arms or hands but with the full use of lower limbs, so that the telephone might be operated by foot.

Existing telephones normally have a handset and dialling facility such as a disc or press button which are not readily operable by the disabled; particularly the disabled without full use of their arms or hands.

According to the present invention a telephone for use by the disabled comprising a body shaped at least as a decahedron, preferably as a dodecahedron with ten of the faces thereof being numbered zero to nine. Each of those faces having a pressure sensitive switch associated therewith and connected or connectable to signal generating means for dialling of the appropriate number b a downwardly directed pressure being exerted on the appropriately upwardly facing side. At least one of the faces of the body should incorporate an on/off switch for the telephone, a re-dial facility, and an associated microphone and/or loudspeaker.

Preferably, each pressure sensitive face switch would be connected to an audible alarm so as to inform the user of the telephone device that the appropriate number required had been "Reed'' in.

Also according to the present invention the body could contain a transmitter/receiver and a power source preferably rechargeable, by contact means exposable for outside of the body.

Also according to the present invention the microphone and loudspeaker could be located in a separate body connected b suitable leads or connected by radio transmission/receiver means in the manner of a cordless telephone, or in which the microphone and loudspeaker are incorporated in the said body and are connected by suitable leads or connectable by radio transmission/receiver means in the manner of a cordless telephone to a telephone base unit. An audio-amplifier coupled to the loudspeaker and fine sensitivity of the microphone, enables the user to speak and listen from a distance of several feet away from the handset.

Also according to the present invention the telephone device may be a cordless unit where the body, containing the signal generator, transmitter/receiver means can be removed from its base unit, giving total freedom to the user within the confines of the operating distance pre-determined by the signal strength of the transmitterzreceiver of the telephone device.

According to 3. further aspect of the present invention the device may be used as .e. means of remotely controlling automatic devices such as electric windows, door locks, curtain drapes, lighting systems or audio-visual equipment that may be found in a person's home enabling the said person to operate numerous electrical apparatus from within the confines of one room, in which the device is connected by either suitable leads or connected to signal generating means for generating an appropriate switching signal to operate one or more of the said devices.

According to a further aspect of the present invention the device may be used as an educational toy to help/aid a person in identifying numbers, colours, shapes or pictures where the appropriate face switch is pressed and a integrated circuit speech synthesizer replays back to the child which number, colour, shape, or picture has been selected.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig.l is a pictorial view of the Dodecahedron shaped dialling unit, with the pressure sensitive switches shown on each face, forming an embodiment of the invention, together with the two exposable charging contacts located on the face that would be geometrically opposite the pressure switch controlling the main On/Off switch of the telephone.

Fig.2 is a sectional view of the telephone dialling unit with two of the pressure sensitive switches shown on geometrically opposite faces of the body connected in series with the appropriate gravity operated switch means. Also shown is the new board upon which the keypad and multipole connector are mounted allowing distribution of the switch wiring to each individual face switch.

Fig.3 is a section of a circuit diagram of an existing British Telecom "Freeway" cordless telephone keypad unit.

Fig.4 is a schematic diagram showing the conversion of a British Telecom printed circuit board to a twenty five way multi-pole connector.

Fig.5 shows a schematic layout of the components of the new printed circuit board.

Fig.6 shows a circuit diagram which controls the main fln/Off telephone switch and the power supply to the audio amplifier.

Fig.7 shows the different combinations of pulsed signals required to be able to dial individul dits.

Fig 8 shows the circuit diagram incorporating an audio amplifier for the loudspeaker in the telephone device.

Fig.9 shows a pictorial view of the base unit together with two of the ten charging contacts located on the base. The depression in the base and also the raised sections ensuring accurate location of the body.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the base showing the raised sections together with the geometrical layout of the charging contacts.

Fig. 11 shows the electrical connections of the base charging contacts.

Referring to the drawing in Fig.1 the telephone device comprises of a Dodecahedron body 1 with pressure sensitive switches 2 positioned on each face of the body.

Each of the pressure sensitive switches 2 are connected in series to a gravity operated switch means 3 as shown in Fig 2. forming an effective AND gate. To obtain an pulsed output for the purpose of dialling an individually appropriate number on an upwardly facing side it is necessary for both the pressure sensitive switch 2 and the gravity operated switch 3 to be a "logic one". The configuration of the two switches on each face of the body is such that only the upwardly facing switch can be a "logic one" at any one time, all other switches would be at "logic zero" thus preventing a wrong digit being dialled in error.

On one face of the body, one of the pressure sensitive switches 2 is connected to an electronic circuit 12 which operates the main On / Of f switch of the telephone device as shown in Fig 6. Also included on the said face is the microphone/loudspeaker system together with the bell. On the geometrically opposite face to the pressure sensitive switch controlling the on/off of the telephone device are the contact means 9 exposable to the outside of the body, as shown in Fig. 1, to connect with the rechargeable power source located in the telephone base unit.

The method of dialling would be to roll the body 1 with the foot until the individual digit required waC. upwardly facing and then firm downward pressure applied to the upwardly facing pressure sensitive switch 2. The body 1 would then be rolled to the next digit required and the same process repeated. This procedure would then be repeated until the whole number required had been dialled. The numbering of the telephone device is such that the pressure switch means 2 controlling the upwardly facing number is located in or on the same said face.

Fig.3 shows a circuit diagram of an existing British Telecom printed circuit board 6 that incorporates the keypad switching arrangement. To enable the new face switches 2 to be connected correctly to the printed circuit board 6 it is first necessary to determine which tracks combine to give each individual pulsed number, the combinations for which are given in Fig.7, and then to bypass the existing key pad switches by means of inserting and soldering a single wire at each position A to K on the existing keypad printed circuit board 6 and connecting these to a new printed circuit board 7 which incorporates a twenty five way multi-pole "D" connector socket 4; the schematic layout of a section of the new board 7 is as shown in Fig.4.Coupled to the twenty five wav multi-pole connector socket 4 is a matching n connector plug from which th twelve pairs of cables that are associated to each individual face digit are distributed to the appropriate pressure sensitive face switch 2. The facility of being able to disconnect the "D" connector plug from the printed circuit board 7 enables the face switches 2 to be left in position and undisturbed in the event of any maintenance required to the main printed circuit board 6.

Fig.5 shoves a schematic layout of the components of the new printed circuit board 7. The main component of the board 7 is the twenty five way multi-pole connector 4 which distributes the new wiring from the existing printed circuit board 6 to eleven of the pressure sensitive face switches 2.

Also incorporated on this board is the main circuit board 12 that controls the main OnSOff switch. The twelfth pressure sensitive switch 2 is used to give the input signal into the circuit 12 controlling the main On/Off switch of the telephone. New wires are inserted into the circuit board 6, totally isolating the main telephone switch, and connected to the output of the double pole double throw relay.

Fig. 6 shows the circuit diagram that controls the main ON/Off switch of the telephone device. When a pulsed signal from the pressure sensitive switch is input into the 41B integrated circuit the signal is cleaned up so as to give a definite output. This output is used to give an input signal to the 4027 chip that in turn gives either 2. logic one output or a logic ero output. The output signal of the *102 chip alternates between these two states each time a pulse is received. The output signal operates the DPDT relay, of which one pole of the rels.y controls the main telephone switch and the other pole of the relay controls the power supply to the audio amplifier.

located inside the kod? 1 is the audio-amplifier 13. This is connected to the loudspeaker, which replaces the normal telephone earpiece. The loudspeaker allows a persons voice to be heard at a distance from the telephone.

Fig. 7 shows the different combinations of the pulsed signals that are required to be able to obtain the eleven different digits that constitute the telephone dialling keypad.

Fig.8 is the basic circuit diagram for the audio-amplifier 13, The power source for the amplifier is by means of either a battery or from the rechargeable power source already incorporated in the main body of the telephone. The diagram shows the amplifier connected to the loudspeaker The double pole double throw relay as shown in Fig 6 controls the main telephone on/off switch and also controls the battery power supply to the audio-amplifier, ensuring that power to the audio-amplifier is only switched on when the telephone is switched on and therefore prolonging the life of the battery.

The base 15 as shown in Fig 9 is designed to locate the dodecahedron body 1 together with the telephone base unit.

The front lip of the base is chamfered aay so as to enable the body to be easily rolled on to it. The raised sections 14 on top of the base are so designed that, when the body orientation is so positioned that the face with the charging contact means 9 is down'ardly facing, accurate alignment of the charging contact means 9 on the body with the charging contacts 10 located on the surface of the bas 15 is ensured.

The positioning of the base unit charging contacts 1Q is such that it 31lows five different angular positions of the body with the said face in the same plane. In the centre of the area is a depression 11 of such a diameter and depth to allow the pressure sensitive switches 2 on the body 1 to sit inside the depression thus allowing the contact means 9 on the body to make positive connection by means of surface contact with the charging contacts 1 located in the base.

Fig.l shows a plan view of the base with the raised sections 14 that are used for accurate location of the body 1, and also the geometrical layout of the ten charging contacts 1 located in the base 15. Fig.ll shows the electrical circuit of the base charging contacts 1 so that whatever the geometrical orientation of the body charging contacts, the correct electrical polarity is observed for the recharging system. Connection of the base charging contacts 10 to the existing telephone base unit is achieved by using a miniature jack plug 8 to connect to the existing charging circuit located inside the telephone base unit via an externally mounted matching socket on the telephone base unit,

Claims

Claims 1. A telephone for use by the disabled comprising a body shaped at least as a decahedron with the faces thereof being numbered zero to nine with each face having a pressure sensitive switch associated therewith and connected or connectable to signal generating means for dialling of the appropriate number by a downwardly directed pressure being exerted on the appropriate upwardly facing side; and an associated microphone and/or loudspeaker.
2. A telephone as claimed in claim 1, in which the microphone and loudspeaker are located in a separate body connected by suitable leads or connected by radio transmission/receiver means in the manner of a cordless telephone, or in which the microphone and loudspeaker are incorporated in said body and are connected by suitable leads or connectahle by radio transmission/receiver means in the manner of a cordless telephone to a telephone base unit.
3. A telephone as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the signal generator is contained within the body or within a separate unit in communica+ion With said switches hy leads or bv radio transmissi:nn mean=. -uch as used in cordless telephone systems
4. A telephone as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, in which the switch associated with s particular number is located on the surface opposite that on which the particular number is located and gravity operated switch means are incorporated in the circuitry for said switch so as to close the circuit thereof when the particular number is in the upwardly facing position.
5. A telephone device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, in which each numbered face has the associated switch located in or on or as a part of said particularly numbered surface and the electric circuitry of said switch includes a gravity operated switch means arranged such that said switch means closes said circuit when the associated number faces upwardly.
6. A telephone device as claimed in claims 4 or 5, in which said gravity operated switch is a Mercury switch.
7. A telephone device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, in which the bod is a twelve sided Dodecahedron with at least one face being an on/off switch.
8. A device 5 claimed in any of claims 1 to T in which the body contains a transmitter/receiver and a power source preferably rechargeable by contact means exposable for outside the body.
9. A device for use as switching or like means for the disabled comprising a body shaped with at least four sides with the faces thereof being provided with indices means and each face having a pressure sensitive switch associated therwith and connected or connectable to signal generating means for generating an appropriate switching signal appropriate to the face and induce by a downwardly directed pressure being exerted on the appropriate upwardly facing ide.
10. A device as claimed in claim 9, in which the signal generating means is of the remote control type such S infre- red, ultrasonic or radio wave.
11. A device substantially as herein described it reference to the accompanying drawings.