Your advice needed

[yizhak]

Hello all,
I'm a 3'rd year computer science student. I design a cellular phone prototype for hearing impaired people, and would like to get your answers for the following questions, to my Email address r.shira@gmail.com.
Your answers will help me to design a better solution for the hearing impaired population.
Thanks in advance!


Please mark the level of the importance of the following features being offered for a special cell phone, destined at a hearing impaired user:

1. Not required 2. Required 3. Highly required

Big screen and good camera, for video conversations:

Vibrating bracelet, connects to the phone wirelessly, and indicates incoming calls, SMS's and alarm clock:

Tripod, enables the user to have a video conversation without holding the phone:

Attached big silicon keyboard, for easier SMS connect:

A background noises filter:

Option to amplify certain frequencies, respective to user's disability:
A system that translate voice to a 3-dimantion figure, during conversation with regular phone, so the user can read the figure's lips:

 

[SxyPorkie]

Hello all,
I'm a 3'rd year computer science student. I design a cellular phone prototype for hearing impaired people, and would like to get your answers for the following questions, to my Email address r.shira@gmail.com.
Your answers will help me to design a better solution for the hearing impaired population.
Thanks in advance!


Please mark the level of the importance of the following features being offered for a special cell phone, destined at a hearing impaired user:

1. Not required 2. Required 3. Highly required

Big screen and good camera, for video conversations:1

Vibrating bracelet, connects to the phone wirelessly, and indicates incoming calls, SMS's and alarm clock:3

Tripod, enables the user to have a video conversation without holding the phone:3

Attached big silicon keyboard, for easier SMS connect:2

A background noises filter:3

Option to amplify certain frequencies, respective to user's disability: 3

A system that translate voice to a 3-dimantion figure, during conversation
with regular phone, so the user can read the figure's lips:

1

 

[andycane]

I didn't realize that cell phones can do video calls. But I can't imagine the payment on the plans if they do utilize that as that has to require an extensive amount of info being exchanged. But I'm intriged as well.

But if it's possible, then a good quality/resolution screen will be required. No point if they're blurry or can barely see what's going on. So it would be highly required.

not sure what the purpose of the bracelet vibrating as most phones do a decent job of it's own vibration. Might be better if the bracelet activates the T-coil if the phone is unable to do it on it's own (like my current palm treo 700wx as the magnet is not strong enough to activate it). For example, i have to grab my keys & activate my T-coil mode to use my phone which causes quite a delay between the call & getting prepped to answer resulting in about 1/2 of my calls as missed calls. If the bracelet activates it automatically, then I could answer the phone much more quickly. The bracelet might be helpful for the text/email features the phone may just beep instead of vibrate. But I imagine it would be more cost effective & less intrusive if the software itself was modified on the actual phone to vibrate. Not everyone remembers to wear all items, and since a bracelet is quite exposed to the eliments & wear/tear if worn on the wrist, would the phone be as functional if the bracelet wasn't available.

Most qwerty keyboard IMO is good enough for texting, as if it gets too big, then portability becomes an issue. My palm treo 700wx has a decent keyboard. And I've heard that some carriers may begin to include more keyboard on the touch screen (bad idea IMO) similar to the recent announced iPhone. So modification of the keyboard is probably not necessary unless it's a phone that just has 10 keys with 3-4 letters per key

I would love it if there was some program that would provide voice to text similar to those computer programs that converts voice to text (i.e., naturally speaking dragon) that would be similar to an IM while talking on the phone. But I'm not sure if the technology is quite ready for that as I've heard these voice to text software's reliability is quite questionable.

Lastly, I think it's great that you're interested in developing a cellular device for us by listening to what we want. I hope you continue to get a positive experience to keep coming up with some fresh ideas & approaches to improve everyone's satisfaction. I can remember my first cell phone & how it was a bad experience with their hardware (*cough* cingular) & left the carrier first chance to join sprint because they had a phone that had a built in t-coil compatiable phone before all the other carriers did. Keep up the hard work.

 

[yizhak]

thanks!

 

[deafclimber]

how is bout a built-in front camera on mobile ?

cingular will release video calling this coming summer. it should be very interesting to communicate with ASL on mobiles. i look forward to that.

 

[Angel]

Please mark the level of the importance of the following features being offered for a special cell phone, destined at a hearing impaired user: 1. Not required 2. Required 3. Highly required

Big screen and good camera, for video conversations:

2

Vibrating bracelet, connects to the phone wirelessly, and indicates incoming calls, SMS's and alarm clock:

3

Tripod, enables the user to have a video conversation without holding the phone:

3

Attached big silicon keyboard, for easier SMS connect:

3

A background noises filter:

2

Option to amplify certain frequencies, respective to user's disability:

2

A system that translate voice to a 3-dimantion figure, during conversation
with regular phone, so the user can read the figure's lips:

2

 

[yizhak]

Thank you very much for your answers.
By the way, the "Speech To Animation" technology of SpeechView (SpeechView, of course…) is really good.