Bringing Audio/Visual technology to seniors

Concept:  Allow a senior grandparent, great-grandparent can use to let them see and hear loved ones around the world.

Do it simply that would be as easier as making a phone call on a land line telephone.  Pick up phone, dial and have Audio/Visual of the party that answers the phone.

See the person (sister, niece, nephew, grandchild, etc.) while you speak to them and they talk to you.

Type of connection

• The type of connection might be a wireless Bluetooth or 802.11x.  
  
• It might be a broadband internet connection (co-axial cable or DSL)
  
• It might be a standard telephone line.
  

The idea would be to have something that is very familiar to a senior person that has used very little technology to be able to pick up a phone to be able to see and hear their loved ones in another part of the world.

The audio/visual connection can be done now using:

• Both parties using a PC with Skype over VOIP on a broadband internet connection.  The limitation is that both parties need a PC with the broadband internet access.   The PC may not be usable by the senior citizen.
• Both parties can be using a mobile device over a wireless 4G network.  Cost may be a factor when the mobile device is only used to connect with one or two people.

Questions:

Could a phone be built that operates exactly like a telephone that plugs into a telephone line.   The phone would have a web camera and 3" by 3" display.   The call is made in the same way as a standard telephone call.   The individuals at both ends of the phone line can see each other as they speak to each other.   Could the voice and video signal be sent over the standard analog phone line?   Would a modem be required to transmit the video signal on analog line?

Rich Hartmann