Device for Phone DTMF Tones

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Rick Jungles

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I recently built a device to listen to DTMF tones from a normal telephone. This captures digits and hands them to a computer. The computer looks for patterns (21 = A; 22=B ect.). This allows a person hard of hearing to see what the person on the other end of the phone is typing. They can talk while the other person types on the phone. This can be used with any phone using tones. The program can also use other combinations of numbers (99= Are you going to be home) ect. I am looking to get feedback. If this would be something that others would be interested in I will look into marketing it.

Thanks,

Rick Jungles
 
Could you explain more?

From what you say, it sounds like...

Person A (deaf)
Person B (hearing)

Person A looks at device. Person B presses numbers. "Hi, how are you?" is seen as "H-I-H-O-W-A-R-E-Y-O-U" which is translated possibly as "08-09-08-15-23-01-18-05-25-15-21" and dialed as "0-8-0-9-0-8-1-5-2-3-0-1-1-8-0-5-2-5-1-5-2-1". This seems like a lot of work for a short phrase.

A huge percentage of phone users are cell phone owners, including those who are deaf. Also, text messaging is commonly used as well.

With text messaging, cell phones with QWERTY keyboards are very easy and cell phones with just numbers is a bit harder... but easy to learn.

"Hi, how are you?" is seen as "H-I-,-H-O-W-_-A-R-E-_-Y-O-U?" which is likely dialed as "44 444 ** # 44 666 9 # 2 77 33 # 999 666 88 *". The user can see the letters on the keypad and don't have to remember each number for each letter for this device.

So, it seems like you're making something that's already done differently and easily by something that's been around for years.

Unless, you're trying to make something that is better? Care to explain more?
 
The reason I built this device is it works like something my Grandmother used for years. She was hard of hearing and like the fact that she could talk and not have to type at all and my aunt's would type to her. I made this to improve and customize some of the built in phases. I appreciate the feedback as I can look to see what other devices are already available.

Thanks,

Rick
 
Rick Jungles said:
The reason I built this device is it works like something my Grandmother used for years. She was hard of hearing and like the fact that she could talk and not have to type at all and my aunt's would type to her. I made this to improve and customize some of the built in phases. I appreciate the feedback as I can look to see what other devices are already available.

Thanks,

Rick
Click to expand...
Could you explain more how it works?

For instance, you're deaf and I'm hearing. What do I do and what do you do?

Let's suppose you want to say, "Hi, how are you?" to me. How would that be done?
 
After a call is made the deaf person would be able to talk. The hearing person would then type using any telephone keypad. Using the letters on the keypad ei (21 = A, 22 = B, 23 = C, 31 = D, 32 = E :1st number is the number with the letter-2nd number is the position of the letter on the button) this table can be modified. This would be displayed on the computer the deaf person would view during the call. The hearing person types 42 43 14 42 63 91 14 21 73 32 14 93 63 82 the deaf person will see "HI HOW ARE YOU". 14=space - a pause in typing will also put a space. Common phrases can also be put in the table taking advantage of unused number combinations. "HI HOW ARE YOU" could be programed so by typing 11 for example the whole phrase would be displayed. The call is date/time stamped and can be saved for later. retieval. This device would be listening on the line all the time, so even if an anwering machine would pick up the line it would still display any typed message on the computer. I Hope this is a better description of how it works.

Thanks,

Rick
 
Sound like something that TTY would do as it transmit/listen certain tones except using touchtones.. Honestly, I don't see how this would benfits for general deaf/HH public.. I would think it would be awful a lot of pressing buttons.. What about if you made mistake sending characters?

Rick Jungles said:
I recently built a device to listen to DTMF tones from a normal telephone. This captures digits and hands them to a computer. The computer looks for patterns (21 = A; 22=B ect.). This allows a person hard of hearing to see what the person on the other end of the phone is typing. They can talk while the other person types on the phone. This can be used with any phone using tones. The program can also use other combinations of numbers (99= Are you going to be home) ect. I am looking to get feedback. If this would be something that others would be interested in I will look into marketing it.

Thanks,

Rick Jungles
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for the feedback. I think I am better off to use this device to control my pc from my phone. I didn't know there are tty devices that let you talk at the same time as receiving messages.

Thanks again,

Rick
 
Rick Jungles said:
After a call is made the deaf person would be able to talk. The hearing person would then type using any telephone keypad. Using the letters on the keypad ei (21 = A, 22 = B, 23 = C, 31 = D, 32 = E :1st number is the number with the letter-2nd number is the position of the letter on the button) this table can be modified. This would be displayed on the computer the deaf person would view during the call. The hearing person types 42 43 14 42 63 91 14 21 73 32 14 93 63 82 the deaf person will see "HI HOW ARE YOU". 14=space - a pause in typing will also put a space. Common phrases can also be put in the table taking advantage of unused number combinations. "HI HOW ARE YOU" could be programed so by typing 11 for example the whole phrase would be displayed. The call is date/time stamped and can be saved for later. retieval. This device would be listening on the line all the time, so even if an anwering machine would pick up the line it would still display any typed message on the computer. I Hope this is a better description of how it works.

Thanks,

Rick
Click to expand...
Ah, that's what I thought.

It still sounds like a lot of work. Cell phones already have their own text messaging features where you simply press the key a specific number of times depending on what letter you want. With your method, you would have to memorize all the letters.:(
 
Hmmm... That would take a lot more time than a text relay service, even with no third party involved! :giggle:
 
Hi Rick

My name is Steve. I live in Brighton, England. I am not Deaf. I stumbled across your posts in this forum by googling for 'DTMF listening device'

I am very interested in your DTMF Device. I have a requirement for something exactly like this. Its actually for police help lines over here. In our area we have 50 help lines, but they do not have caller ID. What they do have is a unique ID stored in DTMF tones within the phone itself.

If a caller uses the help line phone to place a call, the call is then put through to an operator, who then needs to dial something like *0600* to activate the unique DTMF call ID. Obviously teh operator cannot tell from teh DTMF tones alone, which of the 50 phones is calling, so she has to manually ask the caller for their location.

I have been asked to find a system that can listen to the dtmf tones and display the info on teh screen. It sounds as if your device is perfect. Does it work with British DTMF tones do you know?

Please could you get in touch directly? pchelpman@hotmail.com or +44 1273 732272

Many thanks

Steve
 
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