Telephone for blind people

Abstract

A telephone comprising interface means ( 4, 1, 3, 12, 40 ) fit to allow the transmission and reception of signals corresponding to vocal and alphanumeric messages, at least a unit ( 5 ) for controlling and processing said signals and said interfaces and means ( 9, 10, 10 A, 10 B) for making said alphanumeric received messages, intelligible for blind people, whereas these interfaces are provided with members ( 40 ) for allowing blind people to transmit said alphanumeric messages.

1 . A telephone comprising interface means ( 4 ,  1 ,  3 ,  12 ,  40 ) arranged to allow the transmission and reception of signals corresponding to vocal and alphanumeric messages, and at least a controlling and processing unit ( 5 ) for said signals and said means, characterized in that it provides means ( 9 ,  10 ,  10 A,  10 B) to make said received alphanumeric messages, intelligible to blind people, and that these interfaces provide member ( 40 ) arranged to allow blind people to transmit said alphanumeric messages.  
     
     
         2 . A telephone according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the means ( 9 ,  10 ) to make the alphanumeric messages intelligible for blind people comprise means ( 12 ) fit to deform a support ( 16 ) so to engrave on it said alphanumeric message in Braille alphabet.  
     
     
         3 . A telephone according to  claim 2 , characterized in that the deformable support is a ribbon ( 16 ) and that means ( 15 ) are provided for the automatic feeding of such ribbon, means ( 13 ) for deforming such ribbon and/or sensory means ( 16 ) to detect the presence of said ribbon.  
     
     
         4 . A telephone according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the means ( 9 ,  10 A) to make the alphanumeric messages intelligible to the blind people include members ( 13 B) arranged to modify the position of a plurality of movable tactile elements ( 20 ) so that all characters of said alphanumeric messages are reproduced in sequence as Braille alphabet.  
     
     
         5 . A telephone according to  claim 4 , characterized in that the means provide at least a cell ( 13 B) of a Braille bar.  
     
     
         6 . A telephone according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the means ( 9 ,  10 B) to make the alphanumeric messages intelligible to the blind people include means ( 10 B) fit to realize a vocal synthesis of said alphanumeric messages.  
     
     
         7 . A telephone according to  claim 1 , characterized in that it provides a body ( 21 ) arranged to lodge the interface means ( 1 ,  3 ,  4 ,  12 ,  40 ) and the control unit ( 5 ) and that also the means ( 9 ,  10 ,  10 A,  10 B) to make the alphanumeric messages intelligible to the blind people are lodged in said body.  
     
     
         8 . A telephone according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the means ( 40 ) to allow the blind people to transmit an alphanumeric message provide an alphanumeric keyboard having on the relative keys ( 40 ) alphanumeric characters in Braille characters.  
     
     
         9 . A telephone according to  claim 8 , characterized in that the keys ( 40 ) of the alphanumeric Braille keyboard are shaped so that they can be rotated in a plurality of different operational positions.  
     
     
         10 . A telephone according to  claim 9 , characterized in that to each of the different positions of each key ( 40 ) corresponds a character of the alphabet Braille or no character at all.  
     
     
         11 . A telephone according to  claim 1 , characterized in that it provides operating members ( 43 ,  44 ,  45 ) to activate a function of sending the alphanumeric message and/or acoustic means which confirm that the forwarding has taken place or there was no forwarding, and/or a key ( 41 ) to type in a space in the alphanumeric message, and/or a key to activate the dial of numerical characters in alternative to the alphabetical ones ( 42 ) and/or a key ( 43 ) to select the composition of a SMS message and/or of a key ( 45 ) to erase the last selected character, and that on said keys or in their correspondence is provided a sign intelligible to the blind people fit to identify the function of each key.  
     
     
         12 . A telephone according to  claim 1 , characterized in that it provides a numerical keyboard ( 24 ), in which the number corresponding to each key is given in Braille on the external face of the keys, and/or a key ( 25 ) to take-close the telephone line, and/or a key ( 26 ) to send the alphanumeric messages, and/or a key ( 27 ) to erase an alphanumeric received message, and/or a slide key ( 28 ) for the activation-disconnection of an answering service, and/or keys ( 29 ) and ( 30 ) to activate a function of verification of the level, respectively, of reception of the telephone signal and battery's charge.  
     
     
         13 . A telephone according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the keys ( 29 ,  30 ) for verifying the levels of reception of the telephone signal and position of the battery are connected through the control unit ( 5 ) of the telephone to a member arranged to give a different acoustic signal for each detected level of reception or charge.  
     
     
         14 . A telephone according to  claim 12 , characterized in that on said keys or in correspondence thereof is provided a sign intelligible to blind people fit to identify the function of each key.  
     
     
         15 . A telephone according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the faces of all the keys of the telephone have dimensions greater or equal to 4×7 (mm).  
     
     
         16 . A Telephone according to  claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises a rechargeable battery ( 35 ) and a regulating battery charger ( 49 ) with means ( 52 ) indicating the level of the reached charged, in such a way to be intelligible to the blind people.  
     
     
         17 . A telephone according to  claim 5  characterised in that the Braille bar ( 101 ) is movably connected to the telephone body.  
     
     
         18 . A telephone according to  claim 5  characterised in that each single bar ( 101   c ) comprises a switch ( 102 ) for manually selecting each of said bars.  
     
     
         19 . A telephone according to  claim 1  comprising a key ( 103 ) for reading again a complete message on the Braille bar ( 101 ), and/or a key ( 104 ) for reading a subsequent string of character on the Braille bar ( 101 ), and or a display ( 105 ).  
     
     
         20 . A telephone according to  claim 1  comprising a display for displaying the letters or numbers of the message to be read or to be written in a dimension ranging between 0.5 and 4 cm.  
     
     
         21 . A telephone comprising two displays ( 105 ), one being bigger than the other ( 105 ) and being arranged to display characters having a dimension bigger than that of the characters displayed on the smaller display ( 105 ).  
     
     
         22 . A telephone according to  claim 21  characterised in that the second display is movably connected to a base body ( 222 ) of the telephone.  
     
     
         23 . A telephone according to  claim 1  characterized in that it comprises: a plurality of keys ( 109 - 111 ) for accessing and selecting different menu's options of the telephone, and in that the telephone control means comprise means for making automatically each of said access or selection intelligible to blind people.  
     
     
         24 . A telephone according to  claim 23  characterised in that the means for making automatically said access or selection intelligible to blind people comprise a Braille bar ( 101 ) or means for emitting an acoustic signal or vocal message ( 103 ).  
     
     
         25 . A telephone according to  claim 23  characterised in that it comprises a key ( 111 ) for cancelling the last selected option of the menu, and/or a movable element ( 112 ) for signalling an event which was not detected by the user, and/or a key ( 116 ) for selecting one or more of the possible options for making messages and features of the phone intelligible to the blind.  
     
     
         26 . A telephone comprising interfaces means ( 4 ,  1 ,  3 ) fit to allow the transmission and reception of signals corresponding to vocal and alphanumeric messages, and at least a control and processing unit ( 5 ) of said signals and means, characterized in that it provides the keyboard ( 24 ) and/or at least one of the keys ( 25 ,  26 ,  27 ,  28 ,  29 ,  30 ) as defined in one of the claims  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15 , respectively.  
     
     
         27 . A battery charger for a telephone, characterized in that it comprises means ( 52 ) to give the level of the reached position, in a way intelligible to the blind people.  
     
     
         28 . A telephone comprising means of interface ( 4 ,  1 ,  3 ,  12 ,  40 ) for displaying alphanumeric data, such as messages or instructions or selection or options of a menu, and at least a controlling and processing unit ( 5 ) for said data, characterised in that said interface means comprise means ( 9 ,  10 ,  10 A,  10 B) to make said data intelligible to blind people.  
     
     
         29 . A telephone according to  claim 26  characterised in that the means ( 9 ,  10 ) to make the data intelligible for blind people comprise means ( 12 ) fit to deform a support ( 16 ) so to engrave on it said alphanumeric message in Braille alphabet.  
     
     
         30 . A telephone according to  claim 26 , characterized in that the means ( 9 ,  10 A) to make the data intelligible to the blind people include members ( 13 B) arranged to modify the position of a plurality of movable tactile elements ( 20 ) so that all characters of said data are reproduced in sequence as Braille alphabet.  
     
     
         31 . A telephone according to  claim 29 , characterized in that the means provide at least a cell ( 13 B) of a Braille bar.  
     
     
         32 . A telephone according to  claim 26 , characterized in that the means ( 9 ,  10 B) to make the alphanumeric messages intelligible to the blind people include means ( 10 B) arranged to realize a vocal synthesis of said data.  
     
     
         33 . A telephone according to  claim 26 , characterized in that it provides a body ( 21 ) arranged to lodge the interface means ( 1 ,  3 ,  4 ,  12 ,  40 ) and the control unit ( 5 ) and that also the means ( 9 ,  10 ,  10 A,  10 B) to make the alphanumeric messages intelligible to the blind people are lodged in said body.  
     
     
         34 . A device for blind people for interacting with a telephone characterised in that 
 the telephone ( 300 ) is provided with means ( 302 ) for exchanging data with said device ( 303 ),    said data comprising at least some of the usual messages, options, selections displayed by a telephone,    said device comprises means ( 307 ) for exchanging data with said telephone ( 300 ),    the means ( 302 ) of the telephone ( 300 ) are arranged to send to said device ( 303 ) said data and    said means ( 307 ) of the device are arranged to make said received data intelligible to the blind people, said device further comprising selection means arranged to make each selection intelligible to the blind people and to send said selection to the telephone through said exchanging means.    
     
     
         35 . A device according to  claim 32  characterised in that the exchanging means ( 302 ,  307 ) for exchanging and transmitting data between the telephone ( 300 ) and the device ( 303 ) comprises a cable which connects said means or a wireless connection means.  
     
     
         36 . A device as claimed in  claim 32 , characterized in that the means ( 9 ,  10 ) to make the data intelligible for blind people comprise means ( 12 ) fit to deform a support ( 16 ) so to engrave on it said data in Braille alphabet.  
     
     
         37 . A device according to  claim 32 , characterized in that the means ( 9 ,  10 A) to make the data intelligible to the blind people include members ( 13 B) arranged to modify the position of a plurality of movable tactile elements ( 20 ) so that all characters of said data are reproduced in sequence as Braille alphabet.  
     
     
         38 . A device according to  claim 35 , characterized in that the means provide at least a cell ( 13 B) of a Braille bar.  
     
     
         39 . A device according to  claim 32 , characterized in that the means ( 9 ,  10 B) to make the data intelligible to the blind people include means ( 10 B) arranged to realize a vocal synthesis of said data.  
     
     
         40 . A device according to  claim 32 , characterized in that the selection means comprise an alphanumeric keyboard having on the relative keys ( 40 ) alphanumeric characters in Braille characters.  
     
     
         41 . A device according to  claim 38 , characterized in that the keys ( 40 ) of the alphanumeric Braille keyboard are shaped so that they can be rotated in a plurality of different operational positions.  
     
     
         42 . A device according to  claim 39 , characterized in that to each of the different positions of each key ( 40 ) corresponds a character of the alphabet Braille or no character at all.  
     
     
         43 . A device according to  claim 39 , characterized in that it provides operating members ( 43 ,  44 ,  45 ) to activate a function of sending the data to the telephone and/or acoustic means which confirm that the forwarding has taken place or there was no forwarding, and/or a key ( 41 ) to type in a space in the datum, and/or a key to activate the dial of numerical characters in alternative to the alphabetical ones ( 42 ) and/or a key ( 43 ) to select the composition of a SMS message and/or of a key ( 45 ) to erase the last selected character, and that on said keys or in their correspondence is provided a sign intelligible to the blind people fit to identify the function of each key.  
     
     
         44 . A device according to  claim 32 , characterized in that it provides a numerical keyboard ( 24 ), in which the number corresponding to each key is given in Braille on the external face of the keys, and/or a key ( 26 ) to send an alphanumeric datum, and/or a key ( 27 ) to erase an alphanumeric received datum.  
     
     
         45 . A device according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the faces of all the keys of the device have dimensions greater or equal to 4×7 (mm).  
     
     
         46 . A device according to  claim 36  characterised in that the Braille bar ( 101 ) is movably connected to the telephone body.  
     
     
         47 . A device according to  claim 36  characterised in that each bar comprises a switch ( 102 ) for manually selecting each of said bar.  
     
     
         48 . A device according to  claim 32  comprising a key ( 103 ) for reading again a complete message on the Braille bar, and/or a key ( 104 ) for reading a subsequent string of character on the Braille bar, and/or a conventional display ( 105 ).  
     
     
         49 . A device according to  claim 32  comprising a conventional display for displaying the letters or numbers of the message to be read or to be written in a dimension ranging between 0.5 and 4 cm.  
     
     
         50 . A device according to  claim 47  comprising two displays, one being bigger than the other and being arranged to display characters having a dimension larger than that of the characters displayed on the smaller display.  
     
     
         51 . A device according to  claim 48  characterised in that the second display is movably connected to a base body ( 222 ) of the phone.  
     
     
         52 . A device according to  claim 32  characterized in that it comprises: a plurality of keys ( 109 - 111 ) for accessing and selecting different menu's options of the telephone, and in that the device comprises control means for making automatically each of said access or selection intelligible to blind people.  
     
     
         53 . A device according to  claim 50  characterized in that the means for automatically making said access or selection intelligible to blind people comprise a Braille bar or means for emitting an acoustic signal or vocal message.  
     
     
         54 . A device according to  claim 50  characterised in that it comprises a key ( 111 ) for cancelling the last selected option of the menu, and/or a movable element ( 112 ) for signalling an event which was not detected by the user, and/or a key ( 116 ) for selecting one or more of the possible options for making messages and features of the phone intelligible to the blind.  
     
     
         55 . An electronic device comprising a keyboard ( 40 ) provided with keys shaped in such a way that can be rotated in a plurality of different operational positions.  
     
     
         56 . A device as claimed in  claim 53  characterised in that each key has a substantially parallelepiped shape with regular shaped bases, in particular triangular, square, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon shaped.  
     
     
         57 . A device as claimed in  claim 53 , having on the relative keys ( 40 ) alphanumeric characters in Braille characters.  
     
     
         58 . A device according to  claim 53 , characterized in that to each of the different positions of each key ( 40 ) it corresponds a character of the Braille alphabet, or no character at all.  
     
     
         59 . A device according to  claim 53  characterised in that all side faces of the keyboard keys have equal dimensions and/or that said dimensions are at least 4×7 mm.  
     
     
         60 . A device according to  claim 53  characterised in that each key may be rotated and pushed down in any of the possible rotational positions, by said rotation and subsequent pushing down being the selection of a particular character.  
     
     
         61 . A device as claimed in  claim 53  characterised in that on an end of each key ( 40 ) there is a projection ( 47 ) with relieves on it, arranged in such a way that under the pressure of the rotating key, through underlying contacts, electric circuits ( 48 ) may be activated relative to the representation of a corresponding character, each pressure of the key corresponding to a letter causing the closing of a particular and univocal combination of contacts ( 48 ).