Voice-Based Mail Notification for Visually Impaired Users
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional communication terminal apparatuses, such as cellular phones, require complex manipulations for new mail functions, making them difficult for users, especially the visually impaired, and allow for checking incoming mail at any time, which can be disruptive during meetings or conferences.
Innovation Solution
A communication terminal apparatus and program that allow users to check mail contents through synthesized voice alerts, similar to conventional telephone calls, by using reading-out registration data to notify users of incoming mails with specific keywords, enabling aural notification and simplifying the process for users with complex manipulation difficulties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If new mail functions are provided with various features, then mail system functionality is improved, but operation complexity increases making it difficult for visually impaired and elderly users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces visual display and manual manipulation operations with voice-based audio output. Mail contents are read aloud through the speaker system, allowing visually impaired users to access mail information without needing to visually navigate complex interfaces or perform complicated manipulation sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically reads mail contents when a mail reception notification is received, without requiring users to manually navigate through menus or activate specific functions. The mail reading function is triggered automatically by the notification reception, simplifying the user interaction to merely activating the notification reception mode.
2Loss of information
If users can check mail contents immediately upon receipt, then information accessibility is improved, but social etiquette is violated during meetings or conferences
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts its behavior based on the user's situation. When a mail notification is received during what appears to be a meeting or conference (inferred from contextual cues), the system provides audio notification without requiring immediate mail reading. Users can choose to read mail contents later when appropriate, balancing information accessibility with social etiquette.
3Ease of operation
If conventional telephone call interface is used for mail notification, then ease of use for visually impaired users is improved, but new mail functions cannot be provided
Solution Approach 1:
The system integrates multiple mail functions within a unified notification-based interface. The same notification mechanism that provides simple audio alerts also triggers various mail operations including reading, forwarding, and deletion. This allows the system to maintain telephone-call-like simplicity while supporting diverse mail functions through the notification system.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables visually impaired and other users to easily check incoming mail without complex manipulations, allowing them to acknowledge mail urgency during meetings by simulating a telephone call, thus avoiding social discomfort.
Implementation Method 1
the contents of an incoming mail are read out with synthesized voice in response to operation of the off-hook switch
Data Source
AI summary
A communication terminal apparatus is provided, with which a user can check contents of an incoming mail in the same manner as in an incoming call. A reading-out registration data YTD including a mail address MAD and a key word KWD is previously stored. When an address of a sender of the received mail coincides with the mail address MAD in the reading-out registration data YTD and a key word KWD corresponding to mail address MAD is included in the received mail, a phone number corresponding to the mail address of the sender is searched through an address book and the searched phone number is displayed on a display unit 4 while the incoming mail is notified and further contents of the incoming mail are read out in response to an off-hook operation, whereby incoming of a mail including a predetermined attribute is notified with an incoming-call alert which is generally used to notify an incoming call.