GB2308940A

GB2308940A - A portable telephone for the visually impaired that has no visual display screen

Info

Publication number: GB2308940A
Application number: GB9627020A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sang-Wook Ha
Original assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 1995-12-30
Filing date: 1996-12-30
Publication date: 1997-07-09
Also published as: KR970055993A; GB9627020D0; KR100186219B1; DE19654575A1

Description

2308940 PORTABLE PHONE The present invention relates to a portable phone

and, in particular, a portable phone for the blind or visually impaired adapted to facilitate their comfort and convenience.

As a consequence of the development of various kinds of communication equipment, the use of portable phones is widespread. Furthermore, due to developments in the electronics industry, electronic components are becoming miniaturized whilst maintaining high As a result, portable phones have become more and more sensitivity.

miniaturized with an associated reduction in their weight and size. Despite the miniaturization of portable phones, portable phones are required to perform multiple functions.

Telephones are now a part of daily life. Indeed, today's social structure is too changeable to live easily without a telephone. With today's portable telephones, users can readily obtain various kinds of useful information.

Moreover, telephones have gradually become specialized by classes. Such classes include portable phones capable of calling during quiescence and movement; digital telephones capable of simultaneously transmitting/receiving voice information and non-voice information; picture telephones capable of transmitting/receiving a video signal during quiescence and movement; voice recognition telephones capable of operating transmitting/ receiving information by recognizing a user's voice instead of pressing a button; and, various other and specialized telephones are also merchandised.

Figs. 1A and 1B are views showing the construction of a portable phone for ordinary sighted, non-visually impaired people according to an embodiment of the prior art. Fig. 1A is a plan view and Fig. 1B is a Dack view.

2 As illustrated in Fig. 1A, the portable phone comprises an antenna 11 for transmitting output signals and receiving input signals. It is positioned in the upper portion of the portable phone. The phone also comprises a speaker 12 located beneath the antenna 11; a liquid crystal display 13 (hereinafter, referred to as LCD) located beneath the speaker 12 for displaying various signals; a volume adjusting key button 16; a numeral function key button 17; and a specific function key button 15, the above key buttons 16, 17, and 15 being used for inputting variable signals.

Also, as illustrated in Fig. 1B, the portable phone comprises a subscriber identity module coupler 19 (hereinafter, referred to as SIM); a battery pack case 21 for protecting a battery; and a lock 20 for allowing the battery pack case to be attached or detached to/from a body of the portable phone.

A SIM card installed in the SIM coupler 19 can be provided for ordinary people if the need arises, that is, while the SIM card is unnecessary in analog portable phones, it is indispensable in phones with a ground switching module GSM, programmed numerical control PCN, or code division multiple access CDMA.

The antenna 11 of the portable phone is disclosed in Korean Utility Model Laid-Open No. 94-957 entitled "Power on-off apparatus using antenna of portable phone" by the same assignee as in the present invention. As disclosed in the utility model, the portable phone for the blind or visually impaired automatically turns itself on/off by means of a power switch upon extension or retraction of the telescopic antenna.

3 Briefly, the portable phone includes a push rod disposed in a lower portion of the antenna which slides into an upper portion of one side of the body of the portable phone. A push switch in the body makes contact with the push rod. Thus, upon extension or retraction of the telescopic antenna, the antenna can automatically be attached or detached to/from the push rod, thereby enabling transmission of output signals and receipt of input signals. Further, the power switch is turned on/off. Consequently, the power switch can be easily operated even in the dark by fully sighted people. In addition, blind or visually impaired people can turn the power switch of the portable phone on or off by themselves.

In the portable phone used for fully sighted people, a printed circuit board (PCB) 18 is connected to the antenna 11, the speaker 12, and the LCD 13, and with a key pad 14 having a plurality of the key buttons 15, 16, and 17 disposed thereon. Numerals or symbols are disposed at the surf aces of the key buttons 15, 16, and 17, that is, the power switch key button 15, the volume adjusting key button 16, and the numeral function key button 17, in order to display their functions. The key buttons 15, 16, and 17 are assembled on the surf ace of the key pad 14. In order to reduce the problem of the numerals or the symbols being erased due to the frequency of contact, the numerals or the symbols are double processed with silk printing and the surface of the numerals or the symbols are given a coating. It is also convenient to use a back light behind the key pad 14 so that a user can more readily discern information on the LCD 13 at night. For example, the information could include the capacity of the battery, the received signal strength indicator (RSSI), a message and all kinds of call status information.

4 Furthermore, when key buttons 15, 16, and 17 are depressed, the LCD 13 of the printed circuit board 18 displays an output indicating the button has been pressed. If the need arises, the LCD 13 can display a picture to monitor the capacity of the battery installed in the lower portion of the body of the portable phone.

Fig. 2 is a f low chart showing in the prior art the steps for identifying the capacity of the battery. As illustrated in Fig. 2, for convenience of users, when the capacity of the battery is nearly used up, an electric signal is applied and the residual capacity of the battery is recognized. The alarm is rung by displaying on the LCD 13 the residual capacity of the installed battery and by identifying the capacity of the battery at the same time.

Moreover, a portable phone capable of displaying the capacity of the battery on the LCD 13 and sounding the alarm at the same time can ensure that an ordinary user is alerted to the f act that the battery is low and made aware of the battery capacity remaining with just one alarm.

As mentioned above, however, for the blind or visually impaired, the prior art portable phone used for ordinary people provides some difficulty in viewing the display indicating which key button has been pressed. Also, since the antenna of the telephone, which automatically turns on/off according to the extension/retraction of the telescopic antenna and which was made in consideration of the blind has recently been replaced with a fixed antenna, it no longer helps the blind. Further, although the LCD 13 can display a picture to show the capacity of the battery, blind or visually impaired individuals can not see or may have difficulty distinguishing the picture display. Furthermore, in the case that the capacity of the battery is used up and thus, the alarm rings, the blind have great difficulty in recognizing how much capacity remains in the battery. Moreover, the LCD and back light are of no use to the blind or visually impaired. In addition, it is difficult, if not impossible, for the blind or visually impaired to identify information upon extending/ retracting the SIM card.

Summary of the invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a portable phone for the blind or visually impaired, which can be more easily used by the blind in daily life.

There is therefore provided, a portable phone for the visually impaired, in which there is no visual display, and which includes a keypad covering substantially all of the available area between the microphone and speaker on one side of the phone. Preferably, the length of the keypad is substantially equal to or greater than % the length of the available area.

In a preferred embodiment, 10 numeral buttons, including 1 gate and 1 star button, are provided and no more than 5 additional buttons are provided.

In a further embodiment, each button is substantially equal to or greater than 40MM2.

of an area Preferably, each button is spaced from its neighbours by an area substantially equal to the area of the button.

In a preferred embodiment, the buttons on the keypad carry Braille to indicate the number or symbol of the button. Preferably, the buttons are of an area large enough to 6 accommodate Braille of a size according to the International standard. Preferably, the buttons carrying Braille points are spaced to conform to the international standard.

In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of raised type lines of Braille points are formed at a subscriber identity module SIM coupler located at the lower portion of said portable phone.

It will be apparent that by representing the functions of key buttons with Braille at the surface of the key buttons on a key pad the foregoing problem of the prior art is alleviated.

Description

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the following figures:

Figs. 1A and 1B are views showing the construction of a portable phone for ordinary people according to an embodiment of the prior art, wherein Fig. 1A is a plan view and Fig. 1B is a bottom view;

Fig. 2 is a flow chart showing steps for identifying battery capacity in a prior art telephone; and,

Figs. 3A and 3B are views showing the construction of a portable phone for the blind according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein Fig. 3A is a plan view and Fig. 3B is a bottom view.

Figs. 3A and 3B are views showing the construction of a portable phone for the blind according to a preferred embodiment, wherein Fig. 3A is a plan view and Fig. 3B is a 7 bottom view. As shown in Fig. 3, the portable phone for the blind 100 extends the size of a key pad 1 into the extra space made available by eliminating the LCD. Various numerals and symbols are displayed on the surface of key buttons 2, 3, and 4 on the extended key pad 1 by means of Braille points complying with the international standard so that the blind can easily identify the numerals and the symbols to which the key buttons refer. That is, the symbols on a power switch key button 2, a volume adjusting key button 3, and a numeral function key button 4 are represented by the Braille points so that the blind can readily identify the numerals and the symbols.

in the portable phone for the blind 100, the LCD is eliminated since the blind or visually impaired have no need for information displayed through an LCD or a back light. Therefore, the size of the key pad 1 can be freely extended to accommodate the extra space made available when the LCD is eliminated. The sizes of the key buttons 2, 3, and 4 formed on the surface of the extended key pad 1 are increased in size. In addition, the sizes of the numerals and the symbols on key buttons 2, 3, and 4 are increased in size. Thus a design of the portable phone can be uniquely embodied with easily identifiable numerals and the symbols for the blind by adjusting the sizes of the numerals and the symbols, the key pad, and the key buttons for the designer.

In addition, the numerals and the symbols can easily be identified upon attaching/ detaching a SIM card by forming the raised-type line of the Braille points at the surface of a SIM coupler 5 being f ormed at the lower portion of the portable phone 100 and mounting the SIM card.

It is apparent from the forgoing that the present invention allows the blind to enjoy a more convenient life by being 8 able to use a portable phone like non-visually impaired people. This is achieved through curtailing the cost required for manufacture of the phone due to elimination of the prior art LCD, and through constituting the numerals and the symbols with the Braille points on key buttons located on the extended key pad.

The Braille points preferably are of a size to conform to the international standard. The buttons are spaced from one another also to conform to the international standard. Each button is usually spaced by at least its area f rom its neighbours.

The present invention provides a portable phone f or the blind or visually impaired which has no LCD, thereby freeing up space on the key pad and the key buttons for Braille points by dispensing with the area required for the LCD. The portable phone for the blind has a key pad freely extended to an extra space where a liquid crystal display LCD is eliminated from a portable phone used by ordinary people. Also, the key buttons have their sizes extended freely on the extended keypad and separated by given intervals, and the numerals and symbols at the surface of key buttons are formed with the Braille points, thereby enabling the blind to identify the numerals and the symbols.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the method of the portable phone, it will be appreciated that it could be embodied in various electronic equipment with key buttons mounted therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

9

Claims

1. A portable phone for the visually impaired, in which there is no visual display, and which includes a keypad covering substantially all of the available area between the microphone and speaker on one side of the phone.

2. A phone according to claim 1, in which the length of the keypad is substantially equal to or greater than % the length of the available area.

3. A phone according to claims 1 or 2, in which 10 numeral buttons, including 1 gate and 1 star button, are provided and no more than 5 additional buttons are provided.

4. A phone according to claim 3, in which each button is of an area substantially equal to or greater than 40mm'.

5. A phone according to any preceding claim, in which each button is spaced from its neighbours by an area substantially equal to the area of the button.

6. A phone according to any preceding claim, in which the buttons on the keypad carry Braille to indicate the number or symbol of the button.

7. A phone according to claim 6, in which the buttons are of an area large enough to accommodate Braille of a size according to the International standard.

8. A phone according to claim 6 or 7, in which the buttons carrying Braille points are spaced to conform to the international standard.

9. A phone according to any preceding claim, wherein a plurality of raised type lines of Braille points are formed at a subscriber identity module SIM coupler located at the lower portion of said portable phone.

10. A portable phone substantially as described herein with reference to and/or as illustrated in figures 3A and 3B