Telephone for a physically handicapped person

• US 4,453,043 A
• Filed: 02/04/1982
• Issued: 06/05/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bell-Northern Research Ltd. (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northern Telecom Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Wojcik, Jacek J., Lafrance, Conrad, Zielinski, Lech S.
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHREYER, STAFFORD
• Application Number:
  US06/345,936
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 179/90 BD, 179/90 AD, 179/90 R, 179/1 VC, 179/81 R, 179/1, 179/1 HF, 179/1 HS
• US Class Current: 379/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2474 Telephone terminals specially adapted for disabled people user interfaces for cordless or mobile telephones specially adapted for disabled users H04M1/72475; network based special services or facilities for hearing-impaired persons H04M3/42391; devices for conversing with the deaf-blind G09B21/04

Abstract

A telephone for a physically handicapped person has a transducer which is selected for easy actuation by the handicapped person. The transducer may, for example, be operated orally. When the transducer is first operated, a switch under the control of the transducer causes the telephone line switch to go "off hook" and, after a suitable delay, causes outpulsing of a zero signal to alert the operator. Once contact with the operator is established, the caller who has access to a telephone microphone, asks the operator to place the call and subsequently participates in it. Following the termination of the call, the transducer is operated again to reactuate the line switch and return the telephone set to its "on hook" condition. A similar procedure is followed when a call is received by the handicapped person. However, in this case, since no zero dialling is required, ringing voltage on the line is detected and, while present, zero dialling in response to transducer actuation is prevented.

Claims

1. A call sequence control circuit for use in a telephone system for use by a physically handicapped person comprising:

a transducer;

a controller under the control of the transducer operable to make and break an electrical connection between a telephone speech circuit and a telephone line;

signal generating means under the control of the controller for generating an alerting signal and for transmitting the signal to the telephone line;

detector means for detecting ringing voltage on the telephone line; and

inhibiting means under the control of the detector means for preventing transmission of said alerting signal while ringing voltage is being detected by the detector means.