Wireless Captioning Interface for Hearing Assistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing captioned telephone solutions are expensive, limiting their availability to a single location, which is inconvenient for deaf or hard of hearing users who need to access captioning services at various locations within their home, office, or other environments without requiring a cellular voice and data plan.
Innovation Solution
A system where a smart phone or portable computing device acts as a CCP client device, wirelessly linked to a captioned telephone device operating as a CCP host device, allowing captioning services to be extended to remote locations via a home or office intranet and WIFI system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a single captioned telephone device is used, then the device cost is reduced, but the user must travel to a fixed location to access captioning services
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the captioning service into two separate components: a host captioned telephone device that remains at a fixed location, and a portable client device that can be moved freely. The host device maintains the expensive captioning functionality while the portable device provides mobility, allowing users to access captioning services at multiple locations without duplicating the expensive host device.
Solution Approach 2:
A portable computing device acts as an intermediary between the user and the host captioned telephone device. The portable device receives communications from the host device and relays them to the user, enabling the user to access captioning services remotely without being physically present at the host device location.
2Device complexity
If a captioned telephone device is located at a single fixed location, then device complexity is reduced, but the user experiences loss of time when needing to travel to answer calls
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the captioning functionality (host device) from the user interface device (portable client), allowing the user to interact with the captioning service at any location using the portable device while the complex host device remains stationary at a single location.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds the dimension of spatial mobility by introducing a portable client device that can be moved throughout the user's environment, transforming the fixed-location constraint into a multi-location accessible service while maintaining the simplicity of the host device at its original location.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a portable device is used to provide captioning services, then access flexibility is improved, but the device requires a cellular voice and data plan which increases cost
Solution Approach 1:
The portable computing device serves as a mediator that connects the user to the host captioned telephone device through existing wireless networks. Rather than requiring the portable device to independently provide captioning services (which would require expensive cellular plans), it acts as a remote interface to the host device, utilizing available network infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable computing device leverages its existing multi-functional capabilities (wireless communication, display, audio output) to serve as a captioning client, eliminating the need for specialized hardware and reducing operational costs by utilizing the device's universal functions rather than requiring dedicated captioning infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication system and method usable to facilitate communication between a hearing user and an assisted user. In particular, the system employs a wireless portable tablet or other portable electronic computing device linked to a captioning enabled phone as a remote interface for that phone, thereby providing an assisted user with more options, more freedom, and improved usability of the system.