Muthukumar Rajamani : Interaction Designer/Manager, Bangalore

Product Experience Management,User Reseach at Cisco Systems, India

Text to Voice/Speech Interface features on Mobile Phones / Handheld Devices

Using “Text to Voice/Speech Interface” on Handheld devices based on specific User Requirements/Needs

User sets his mobile/handheld device on ‘hands-free’/ handset mode. Meaning that he is using a headphone ( either wired or wireless)

#1 User gets a call. User is busy doing another task and doesn’t want to shift his visual attention to his mobile to know who is calling him… (Say while driving)

New mobile feature #1
User can enable a “voice interface mode”, where in he will be able to hear the ‘Name of the Caller” voiced out along with the ring tone

#2 User gets an SMS
User is busy doing another task and doesn’t want to shift his visual attention to the device but still wants to know who sent the text message and what the message content was.

New mobile feature #2
User can enable a “voice interface mode” or something like that , where in he will be able to hear the name of the SMS sender voiced out along with the message!

These features can be available in the next generation mobile phones. Is any one listening? Nokia? Sony Ericsson? Samsung?

Google Buzz
Categories: Voice of the User - VOU
Muthu,

Interesting ideas.
The best part about them is that it could only be switched on if it is in Hands Free mode. Otherwise one can just imagine the nuisance it will cause in a public space.

Vinod.
26 September 05 at 02:13
Yea Vinod, agree that it will be be most approriate to have this feature in ‘Hands Free’ mode, else it might cause disturbance to other users.

In terms of accessibility, this feature will also be usefull for users with poor vision. In such case, this feature can work on normal mode.
26 September 05 at 03:31