Touch Screen Interface for Senior Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current internet communication systems are often confusing for elderly senior citizens due to the requirement of using computer keyboards, making it difficult for them to effectively communicate with relatives and friends over long distances.
Innovation Solution
A user-friendly hardware-software-internet system that utilizes touch screen technology and simplified menus, allowing senior citizens in care facilities to communicate through messages, photographs, and video clips, with an administrator managing access and notifications, and relatives able to contact patients via a web page using standard web browsers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If standard computer keyboard and mouse interfaces are used for internet communication, then communication functionality is achieved, but ease of operation deteriorates for senior citizens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical keyboard and mouse interface with a touch screen interface that displays large, clearly labeled buttons and menus. This substitution eliminates the need for senior citizens to learn complex keyboard shortcuts and mouse coordination, allowing them to communicate through simple tactile interactions with the screen.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface parameters are changed to accommodate senior citizens' needs: button sizes are increased, text is displayed in larger fonts, color contrasts are enhanced, and navigation is simplified to require minimal steps. These parameter changes make the communication system accessible to users with declining visual and motor skills.
2Reliability
If comprehensive message management features are implemented, then communication effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automatic notification and reminder features that operate without requiring senior citizens to manually manage complex settings. The system automatically sends notifications to relatives when messages are received, automatically reminds patients to check their messages, and automatically manages message storage and retrieval, thereby ensuring reliable communication while keeping the interface simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides immediate visual and audible feedback when messages are sent, received, or read. This feedback mechanism ensures that communication is reliable by confirming each interaction, while the feedback is presented in a simple, easy-to-understand format that does not increase operational complexity for the user.
3Reliability
If administrator control features are added to manage patient access, then security and reliability are improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides users into distinct segments with different access levels: administrators who manage the system, relatives who send and receive messages, and patients who view messages. Each segment has a simplified interface tailored to their specific needs, allowing comprehensive access control while maintaining ease of operation for each user group.
Solution Approach 2:
The administrator acts as an intermediary who sets up the communication connections between relatives and patients once. After this initial setup, relatives and patients can communicate directly through the simplified interface without needing administrator intervention, thus maintaining security through controlled access while preserving ease of operation for end users.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method is disclosed whereby a patient at a senior care facility can send and receive messages via the inter-net. Tools are provided to manage the patients, the patient's relative contact, mail and photo collection. Relatives can be designated to suggest changes to the contacts and edit the contents of the patient's contacts files. The messages may be audio, video or text and the user friendly system helps the patients navigate through the process. Notification is provided so that the relatives and patients know when a message had been received. Further notification is provided if a prolonged period lapses after receipt of a message to a patient and the message has not been read.