---- Embedded Linux Journal Contest #3 Proposal ----

TvPhone
http://www.tvphone.com

Recent developments in technology have given promise toward the
realization of true media and communications convergence in the
home and workplace. There are certainly incremental steps involved
in achieving true convergence of communications mediums.  There is a
transition period phasing out the old and phasing in the new.  During
this period, products that allow use of the older technologies within
the frame of the newer are needed to help smooth the transition.
That is where TvPhone could play a key role.

TvPhone will be an open source software project aimed at integrating
commonly used features and products that are based around the telephone
with newer technologies based around communications and the television.

My proposal, TvPhone, would enable the Geode NSC1923 reference platform
to act as a telephone control center for the home.  Some of its features
would include:

- speakerphone capabilities via the television audio system and plug in
  microphone.
- pause media (live TV, DVD play, CD play, MP3 play, streamed media, etc)
  if you answer the phone via TvPhone.
- automatic media resume when you hang up the phone.
- digital answering machine.
- voicemail system if desired with multiple mailboxes.
- remote control and message retrieval via internet (web-based) or phone (DTMF).
- integration with email (i.e. automatically send voicemail messages to
  an email address), PDA or Cell phone.
- caller id logging.
- caller id action sequence.  Basically launch a local web
  page that is associated with a particular caller when the phone is answered.
  The web page can contain information like a photo of a person, contact info-
  mation.  The page could have a hyperlink for email.  The database of webpages
  could also be used to initiate a call/email to a person.  For example, scroll
  through the list of entries.  Selecting one launches their database webpage. 
  It can contain a hyperlink that would dial the person's home/work/cell phone
  number. Selecting the email hyperlink would open an email client with the
  appropriate email address in the To: field.
- fax sender/receiver.
- full integration into the Geode software to be controlled via TV
  overlay screens and infared remote control unit.
- to be used as a platform to build features such as voice activated calling
  and picture telephone, video conferencing, toll-saving IP phone.

Much of the core functionality of this project would take advantage of
existing open source projects such as: "VOCP" (vocp.sourceforge.net),
"Linux Telephone Answering Device (lintad)" (lintad.sourceforge.net), and
"vax" (vax.sourceforge.net).  The people involved in these projects will be a
good source of information for my project.  The core functionality of my 
project has a great deal in common with these.  Much of the work to implement
TvPhone would go into the application's integration into the Geode system.

If I become a finalist, my plan for the project is to develop the software
in layers where there are clean APIs (application programming interfaces) for
each layer.  In that, the functionality of the system could be exported and
easily utilized by other modules in the system.  I will also conform to any
user interface, stylistic or functional workings that currently exist in the
open source software for this reference platform.

I've been involved in software development for 15 years.  My work has covered
a broad range of technology, but has always centered around data comm-
unications and embedded systems software.  I have done work as low level as
writing microcode for an onchip DRAM controller, to software as high level as 
a graphical user interface. I've also done my share of soldering :-)
Throughout my career, I have benefitted enormously from the open source
community. More recently, my work involves an embedded system design where
I have again benefitted by the work of the uClinux (www.uclinux.org) community
as the basis for the platform.

I have a great appreciation for what the open source community has given
me.  I have always felt the need to give something back, beyond my
small, scattered contributions.  I see this as an excellent opportunity
to do so.

There may be some additional hardware needed to use TvPhone.  Since the
integrated modem in the Geode system probably does not support voice mode
modem features, a PCI voice modem would need to be installed into one of the
available PCI slots in the system.  Also, a high quality microphone would need
to be plugged into the front jack for the speakerphone capability.   It would
be great if a successful implementation of TvPhone would influence the
design of future products to possibly include some of this hardware into the
standard design.

I will develop a website under www.tvphone.com (which I currently own),
containing information about the TvPhone project and providing updates
on my progress.

Thank you for your consideration.

Best Regards,
Michael Quicquaro
mquicquaro@snet.net