Registered: Sep 1999
Location: at work...
Posts: 736

I really like the idea of a cellphone springboard (with hands-free microphone & earpiece), but I wonder if it is really feasible with today's technology to have it conform to the springboard form factor. For example, the smallest Li-Ion battery available for my Motorolla StarTac is almost as big as a springboard all by itself, and it doesn't have a long talk-time. Does anyone who is knowledgable about such things have an opinion on battery or other cellphone technology as it relates to the Springboard form factor?

Hopeful but not holding my breath,
Rob

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Posts: 3

Recently, I looked into what it would take to build a cell phone springboard. I thought that it would be cool to have a phone the size of a large pack of gum that could function either in or out of the visor, and would use a hands-free headset to provide speaker and microphone. My plan was to build a dual-mode (analog/PCS digital) cell phone that would function using both the visor as a visual user interface, and the speech interface available for the new Qualcomm 5th gen chipset. There would be two buttons on the phone - a power switch and a button to answer/terminate a call when the phone is not in the visor. The Qualcomm chipset includes a microprocessor (the "mobile station modem") that is designed to run the phone's user interface, drive the LCD and keypad, and compress/decompress digitized voice data. There's an intermediate frequency baseband processor chip that converts the digital signals that the modem requires to a baseband analog signal, and then there's the RF front-end that consists of a frequency upconverter, frequency synthesizer, filters, a low-noise amp, a power amp, and a transmit/receive switch. Only a couple of miscellaneous chips in addition, such as a power management chip (also available from Qualcomm) to drive a ringer/vibrating motor, to supply voltage-regulated power, and to control battery charging; and a voice vocoder chip to digitize voice data would be necessary. All this should be able to fit in a springboard module-sized phone assuming good board layout. The battery would then become the dominant contribution to the size of the phone. A loop antenna on the periphery of the circuit board would keep the profile small. One could conceivably use this phone for wireless data transfer using a company like Sprint and their "wireless web" service. Anyways, my conclusion was that it is definitely possible, however the phone will not be flush with the back of the visor due to the battery needs of the device. Hope this answers your question.

[This message has been edited by zeroenergy (edited 12-30-1999).]

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 434

Even if it were possible, I wouldn't want one. I'd rather have a separate phone (which I already own anyway). First of all, the Visor would make an very unergonomic phone.

Second, you wouldn't be able to easily use the Visor while talking on it (unless you went with an earphone setup or something. You can't imagine how frustrating it is not being able to talk on my phone and scroll through the built-in phone book and scheduler (Nokia 6190) at the same time.

Third, who wants to swap springboard to use the phone?

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: "Children are a gift from God, they are a reward"
Posts: 1049

Eug,
I've been thinking that it might not be a bad idea to use a earphone anyway(between College AND the Marine Corps I feel I have been less than kind to my brain and try to be nice to it now).
I think it should be possible to incorporate a dialer into the present address program in the Visor. I actually just got rid of my PCS phone because I hated hauling it around for the occasional call in I would get. A phone module would make sense to someone like me who would rather carry 1 "large" item and several smaller ones, instead of 2 or 3 "Large" ones. Right now I carry both my 8MB flash (in Visor) and my back-up (in a card wallet with 2AAA's).
So I guess that what works for you, wouldn't for me and so forth.
Have a Great New Years!

[This message has been edited by BobbyMike (edited 12-31-1999).]

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: at work...
Posts: 736

Thanks for your detailed reply, zeroenergy! From your post, it sounds like it would be possible to design a cellphone springboard module whose non-battery components would fit in the springboard form factor, but with the battery, might stick out the back with the thickness of another springboard, perhaps. I suppose I could live with that. Beats carrying around a Visor AND my StarTAC! Hope there are folks out there working on this! =)

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 434

One of my biggest concerns was in my last line - swapping springboards.

Say, the phone "rings". Will you have time to close your program, pull out the springboard, find your phone board, plug it in, and then answer it, all within 3 rings?

Probably not. While dialing calls is not a problem, receiving calls is a whole different kettle of fish.

Plus I take my phone EVERYWHERE, including mountain biking, partially for safety reasons. I take my Visor most places, but not everywhere.

While, it might be cool to have a phone on the Visor, I don't think it really makes sense to build one. I wouldn't be surprised if somebody DOES build one, but I doubt they'd make much money off it.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 97

I've been following this thread with much interest, as I too find it cumbersome to carry 1)a Visor, 2)a pager, and 3)a cellphone around with me everywhere I go... being the geek I am! Therefore the convergence of these gadgets... er, I mean tools, would be much anticipated. However, as some have pointed out, some of the ergonomics have to be ironed out first. For example, SpringBoard swapping when you need to use the phone, poor access to the organizer during a phone call, etc.

I think part of this problem can be solved by something I saw in an ad from Ericsson. A wireless Bluetooth enabled one-piece headset! http://www.bluetooth.com/news/show....=news&id=41

It includes a mic and in-the-ear speaker, with a button to press to answer calls. As such, it can be used with any other Bluetooth-enabled device within 10 metres; and yes, I'm thinking of a Visor with a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone SpringBoard module! Boy, that was a mouthful! Can you imagine? If they shrink the mic to the in-the-ear type, we'd be walking around looking like FBI agents or crazy psychotic people talking to ourselves!



[This message has been edited by visordoc (edited 01-03-2000).]

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: at work...
Posts: 736

Eug, I think your concerns are valid. I myself bring my cellphone with me some times when I don't bring my Visor/Palm. However, if the cellphone springboard does not REQUIRE the Visor to operate, maybe then it would be OK. For example, when you just have the headset mic/earpiece with the springboard cellphone piece (but not the whole Visor), maybe you could receive calls but could only place calls through an operator. This would eliminate the need for a bulky keypad. In fact, you wouldn't even necessarily need a human operator, depending on your service provider -- Bell Atlantic Mobile has a service called 'TalkDial' that uses voice recognition software so you can just speak the number you are trying to dial and it makes the connection for you.

This way, the cellphone springboard doesn't need a bulky keybad -- just one button to make/receive a call and maybe a second button for emergency 911 calls or something. In normal usage, the Visor can serve as the keypad (with phonebook integration, of course). If the cellphone can be used in this 'detached mode', it also allows you to be on the phone even when you abolutely NEED to have a different springboard attached to your visor (e.g. when you have to call a friend to tell her about the great Tiger Woods' Golf game you are having). The added value of the cellphone springboard when connected to the Visor includes: keypad, caller ID, signal strength/battery level displays, phonebook integration, modem capabilities (send/receive e-mail, pages, etc.), preferences (alarm volume/type, vibration alarm, etc.)

So what do people think? Would it work 'ergonomically'? Would you use it?

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 72

Rob, valid point, however that defeats the purpose of the cell phone module. I see what your saying, but that would mean all the visor is useful for is dialing saved numbers. I dont believe that it is worth buying a new phone.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: "Children are a gift from God, they are a reward"
Posts: 1049

I don't think anybody has mentioned the other use a cell phone module would be used for, web acess(If it came with modem). (Also text based messaging.) If you could bundle a package that included those features there would be buyers. Most people who bought the module, I would think, would leave the cell phone unit in and incoming calls would be caught by voice mail if the module wasn't plugged in. How many people will have a ton of different modules that they use ALL the time? Most people will customize their visor by choosing the few that make the most sense for them. People like me, and there are a couple, who use(d) their phones to mostly call out and check voice mail when on the road, will look into a cell unit if it comes out. Heavy phone users like EUG will keep their separate phones., and we will all be very happy.
Michael