Mobile station user interface, and an associated method, facilitating usage by a physically-disabled user

• US 6,453,170 B1
• Filed: 12/31/1998
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Houston, Robert, Kiljander, Harri, List, Steve, Longbottom, Nancy
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US09/223,907
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• Field of Search: 379/456, 379/428, 379/433, 379/422, 379/368, 379/369, 379/447, 379/450, 379/5.2, 379/56.1, 455/351, 455/567, 455/550, 455/564, 455/575, 455/90, 455/31.2, 455/31.3, 455/344, 704/271, 341/21, 341/22, 340/825.19
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72475 specially adapted for disabled users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A user interface, and an associated method, facilitates operation of a mobile station by a physically-disabled user. In one implementation, concave-shaped face covers are provided for the telephonic keypad of a mobile station to facilitate its usage by a physically-disabled user. In another implementation, the mobile station is provided with a TTY (telecommunications device), also to facilitate operation of the mobile station by a physically-disabled user. And, in another implementation, a location-request signal generator, carriable by a user, generated a location-request signal upon actuation by the user. The mobile station includes a local receiver for receiving the location-request signal and an annunciator for annunciating reception of the location-request signal. If the mobile station becomes misplaced, a user actuates the location-request signal generator, and the annunciation signal generated responsive to detection of such signal at the mobile station facilitates location of the mobile station.

Claims

1. In a mobile station having an actuation keypad formed of an array of actuation keys, each of the actuation keys of said actuation keypad axially displaceable between an unactuated position and an actuated position, said mobile station operable in a radio communication system, an improvement of a user interface of facilitating usage thereof by a physically-disabled user, said user interface comprising:

a key mat comprising a plurality of concave-shaped face covers, at least one of said plurality of concave-shaped face covers corresponding with and disposed adjacent to an actuation key of said array of actuation keys said at least one concave-shaped face cover forming a force-receiving surface for facilitating reception of an actuation force from a mouth pin, thereby causing axial displacement of the adjacent actuation key out of the unactuated position and into the actuated position.

2. The user interface of claim 1 wherein the actuation keys of the actuation keypad have top face surfaces of first surface areas and wherein the force-receiving surfaces of said concave-shaped face covers are of second surface areas, the second surface areas greater than the first surface areas.

3. The user interface of claim 1 further comprising an annunciator coupled to receive indications of a mobile-station location request signal, the location request signal generated by a portable signal generator that is carriable by the user and external to the mobile station, said annunciator for generating an annunciation signal responsive to detection of the mobile-station location request signal.

4. The user interface of claim 3 wherein said annunciator comprises an audio transducer and wherein the annunciation signal comprises an audio signal generated in response to detection of a location request signal generated by the portable signal generator.

5. The user interface of claim 3 wherein said anunciator comprises a light transducer and wherein the anunciation signal comprises a light signal.

6. The user interface of claim 3 wherein said anunciator comprises a mechanical transducer and wherein the anunciation signal comprises a mechanical signal.

7. The user interface of claim 1 wherein the mobile station comprises transceiver circuitry for receiving forward link signals and for transmitting reverse link signals and wherein said user interface further comprises a TTY (Text Telephone) device coupled to the transceiver circuitry, said TTY device for converting indications of the downlink signals into text form and for receiving text inputs to be converted into the forward link signals.

8. The user interface of claim 7 wherein the mobile station comprises a mobile-station housing for housing the transceiver circuitry and wherein said TTY device is housed by the mobile-station housing together with the transceiver circuitry.

9. The user interface of claim 8 wherein said TTY device is coupled to the transceiver circuitry by way of a fixed connector and wherein the fixed connector is positioned within the mobile-station housing.

10. The user interface of claim 8 wherein the forward link signals are generated at a TRS (telecommunications relay service) and wherein the text inputs, received at said TTY device and converted into the reverse link signals, are transmitted to the TRS.

11. In a mobile station operable in a radio communication system, an improvement of a user interface for facilitating usage thereof by a physically-disabled user, said user interface comprising:

an actuation keypad formed of an array of actuation keys, each of the actuation keys of said actuation keypad displaceable between an unactuated position and an actuated position;

a plurality of concave-shaped face covers, said plurality of concave-shaped face covers at least corresponding in number with the actuation keys of which said actuation keypad is formed, each of said concave-shaped face covers disposed adjacent to an actuation key of said actuation keypad, each of said concave-shaped face covers forming a force receiving surface for facilitating reception of an actuation force from a mouth pin causing axial displacement of the actuation key upon which said face cover is seated out of the unactuated position and into the actuated position;

a mobile-station location request signal generator housed separately from the mobile station and carriable by the user, said mobile-station location request generator actuable by the user to generate a location request signal for transmission to the mobile station; and

an annunciator positioned together with the mobile station and coupled to receive indications of the mobile-station local request signal generated by said location request signal generator, said annunciator for generating an annunciation signal responsive to reception of the indications of the location request signal.

12. The user interface of claim 11 further comprising a mobile-station location request signal detector positioned together with the mobile station and coupled to said annunciator, said mobile-station location request signal detector for detecting transmission by said mobile-station location request signal generator of the location request signal and for providing the indications of the location request signal to said annunciator.

13. In a mobile communication system operable in a radio communication and having transceiver circuitry for receiving forward link signals and for transmitting reverse link signals, an improvement of a user interface for facilitating usage thereof by a physically-disabled user, said user interface comprising:

an actuation keypad formed of an array of actuation keys, each of the actuation keys of said actuation keypad axially displaceable between an unactuated position and an actuated position;

a key mat comprising a plurality of concave-shaped face covers, said plurality of concave-shaped face covers at least corresponding in number with the actuation keys of which said actuation keypad is formed, each of said concave-shaped face covers seated upon an actuation key of said actuation keypad, each of said concave-shaped face covers forming a force receiving surface for facilitating reception of an actuation force from a mouth pin causing axial displacement of the actuation key upon which said face cover is seated out of the unactuated position and into the actuated position; and

a TTY (Text Telephone) device coupled to the transceiver circuitry, said TTY device for converting indications of the downlink signals into text form and for receiving text inputs to be converted into the forward link signals.

14. The user interface of claim 13 wherein the mobile station comprises a housing for housing the transceiver circuitry and wherein said TTY device is housed together with the transceiver circuitry a housing for housing the transceiver circuitry and wherein said TTY device is housed together with the transceiver circuitry.

15. In a method for entering user inputs at a mobile station having an actuation keypad, formed of an array of actuation keys, at the mobile station, the actuation keys of the actuation keypad axially displaceable between an unactuated position and an actuated position, said mobile station operable in a radio communication system, an improvement of a method for facilitating use of the mobile station by a physically-disabled user, said method comprising:

covering the actuation keypad with a key mat comprising a plurality of concave-shaped face covers such that at least one of the concave-shaped face covers seats upon a corresponding actuation key, the at least one concave-shaped face cover forming a force-receiving surface for facilitating reception of an actuation force from a mouth pin to displace the actuation key associated therewith between the unactuated and actuated positions, respectively; and

selectively applying axial displacement forces upon selected ones of the concave-shaped face covers.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the mobile station comprises transceiver circuitry for receiving downlink signals transmitted thereto, said method comprising the additional operation of:

providing a TTY device in communication with the transceiver circuitry;

providing indications of the downlink signals to the TTY device; and

displaying the indications of the downlink form in text form upon the TTY device.