Group Design Project – B202
Product design video presentation
Introduction Speech
Hello, we are team Alpha.
We will be demonstrating numerous designs and plans for our product which aims to integrate a mobile phone and an mp3 player.
The device works like a standard pair of headphones by connecting to a standard headphone jack in any MP3player. However the device connects to your mobile phone via Bluetooth, allowing you to make and receive telephone calls through your mp3 earphones.
There are many mobile telephones on the market with integrated mp3 players, allowing you to make calls and listen to music through the same headphones, however there are no current products that allows you to integrate the two separate devices.
We have been working on several methods of implementing these features and feel that using a Bluetooth connection to the phone is the best way of integrating with the mobile phone, as it does not rely on the individual connections different companies install in their own models.
The presentation you will see today contains some technical details and key ideas behind the device.
Design Requirements [35 marks]
•
Plays music from MP3 player.
Quantitative & Numeric Reference:
Music must be have a limited decibel volume
Functional Reference:
Input jack correctly fits to MP3 player
Wiring carries music to headphones
Headphones output music
Order if Importance Reference:
High
To best understand the design requirements of the product, every stage of the functional process must be considered, and the key concepts highlighted. The first point that must be appraised would be the products ability to play music from the MP3 player, as any basic headphones are capable of. Several factors must be taken into thought regarding even this simple aspect. The most important function is that the correct music is transported correctly along the wire, and output is clear at the earphones. A ‘clear output’ is defined as an output which contains no static, no decrease in volume or equalizer settings and no time delay. This is achieved by having a tight and secure connection from the phono jack to the MP3 player, and using headphones of a good standard of quality.
The level at which the music is played is also an issue, it will vary along with the settings on the MP3 player, but a maximum level is needed. The noise level must not damage the users hearing, therefore the maximum volume must not exceed an output of 90dB(A). This level can start to damage the ear after eight hours of exposure per day, in the case that someone listens to an MP3 player that long at maximum volume, a warning will be placed on the packaging.
•
Phone calls can be received and answered.
Quantitative & Numeric Reference:
Call must be have a limited decibel volume
Functional Reference:
Pressing button once during incoming call answers call, activating microphone, putting call through to earphones.
Pressing button during call hangs up call, deactivating microphone and stopping phone signal from playing through earphones.
No music playing whilst incoming call.
Order if Importance Reference:
High
When there is an incoming call, the user will be able to answer it by pressing the button on the main hub casing of our product. This will relay the callers’ voice through the headphones, to the user and activate the microphone so that the user can reply. For this information to be relayed back and forth correctly, a strong and reliable Bluetooth connection is needed.
This Bluetooth signal is going to need to be strong and clear enough to reach from pocket height, up to chest height, approximately 70cm. This would be Bluetooth class 3, meaning the Bluetooth would easily have a range of 1 meter. It could be upgraded to class 2, but that is 10 meters and would unnecessarily increase costs and complexity. To maintain a clear connection, the version of Bluetooth used must be taken into consideration. The product would use Bluetooth version 2.1, which is the newest, clearest and most reliable version to date, also it is compatible with older phones as it’s backwards compatible. This version also uses less power, meaning batteries will last longer.
•
Music automatically stops when a phone call is answered, and starts when call is stopped.
Quantitative & Numeric Reference:
Music must stop for five seconds before resuming, unless button is pressed.
Music must stop instantly so ringtone can play instantly, not delaying call.
Functional Reference:
Music paused for five seconds after incoming call.
Music paused when button is pressed.
Music resumed when button is pressed 2nd time.
Order if Importance Reference:
High
The next stage in the functionality of the product is that the music on the MP3 player is paused when an incoming call is received. The decision was made that the music should be paused and not simply stopped as it’s easier then to resume after the call has finished. This means that the music must resume from the very point it cut off, taking into account and countering any sleep features the MP3 player may have.
When the music is paused, the ringtone from the phone must be played through the headphones. The headphones sound the ringtone from the phone for five seconds when an incoming call is received. This allows the user to acknowledge that they have received a call. In this time they have the choice of checking their phone to see who the call is from, giving them the option of pressing the answer button on the headphones, or ignoring the call. If they choose to ignore the call, the music will resume in five seconds and the call will ring out. This will need to all happen automatically, meaning that the appropriate hardware and software will need to be in place to make the appropriate switches between what the user can hear, at the appropriate time.
•
Water resistant / water tight
Quantitative & Numeric Reference:
Water resistant: protected against rain (not submersible) – less than 1m
Functional Reference:
Must function normally within water resistance parameters.
Order if Importance Reference:
Medium
The product will need to be somewhat watertight, or water resistant. This is because it may often be worn on the outside of clothing, outside in rainy conditions. If the product does not have adequate protection, one drip of rainwater getting into the wrong place could destroy the entire product. So whilst it needs to be far from submersible, it does need to have protection. This involves making all seals tight, and leaving nothing exposed.
•
CE and UL electronic standards compliant
Order if Importance Reference:
Medium
The CE mark on a product asserts that the item meets all of the essential requirements of the relevant European Directive. Our product in particular will have to meet European standards on low-voltage equipment. UL is the American version of European CE standards, so if our product is to be sold internationally in the USA, it will need to meet these standards also.
•
User friendliness (combined with "easy to find and use button")
Quantitative & Numeric Reference:
Weight
Size
Functional Reference:
Must meet size and weight standards for maximum user comfort
Order of Importance Reference:
Low
Other factors must be taken into account when designing the product, such as size and weight. Our headphones will have everything to a standard industry size, the only thing that we will develop ourselves is our encased Bluetooth hub with the button on. This hub will be roughly a rectangular prism in shape, 4 - 5cm tall, and 1 - 1.5cm wide and the weight should only be a few grams. This means that it will be small and light enough to dangle on the headphones and fall into place wherever it may without inconveniencing the user. As for appearance, it will be small and matt silver, with a shiny silver button just to make it slightly easier to see.
The button on the main case is important as it needs to be easy to press, as it may often be underneath clothing. The user needs to easily be able to find the button, meaning that it is going to need to be a definitive shape, and of a relevant size. Therefore the button will be circular, will stick out approximately 5mm from the casing itself, and will need to be relatively hardly pushed to compress fully. The button also needs to be tight so that it cannot be accidentally pressed by the user, or by getting knocked. Therefore the button will need to be tight, and will require a concentrated amount of force to depress.
•
Providing the user with information
Quantitative & Numeric Reference:
Weight
Size
Functional Reference:
Must be clear to the user when Bluetooth connection is established
Must be clear to the user when power is low / out
Order of Importance Reference:
Low
The product will have a two LEDs on the main hub, all behind translucent plastic so that they are not too bright. These LEDs will be; green, to show that the device is functioning properly and has adequate power supply left in the battery and blue, to show that a Bluetooth connection with the mobile phone has been established. With this setup the user will always be able to tell when and why the device is not functioning properly. As if the blue light is not showing, there is a problem with the Bluetooth connection to the phone, possibly that the phone does not have its Bluetooth feature activated. If the green light is faded or off, then it means that the batteries are running low / flat respectively, and replacement is needed. All of this will be documented in the user’s guide manual.
Design Specifications [35 marks]
The main roots of the device allow for combined functionality of a Mobile Phone & an MP3 Player, such that music will play from MP3 player until the mobile phone rings. During this process when a call is being received the device will cut-off the music being fed to the headphones allowing the mobile phone to then take main control until the call has ended or is cancelled. At this point the function switches back to the MP3 player allowing the music to be fed back through the headphones once again.
The product will achieve its role through software programmed logic, in which the device will only function if one of the active devices outputs an active feed, with the mobile phone having priority. The process will allow for the music to continually play up to the point when the mobile phone becomes active. The change in input that the programmed chip recognises will allow for the device to inter-change to the mobile phone with barely any delay or failure. The speed of this interaction shouldn't vary on the other external products as the whole logic is covered fully by the device and would be a set rate of change despite the varying products used.
The whole operation is carried out by a singular central button on the device which is positioned to allow the user to answer the incoming call and to end it. On our product, the button is tight, making it slightly harder to press, preventing the user accidentally pressing or activating the button by mistake. This is the products only user interface other than syncing phones / MP3 players with the device to allow the product to operate. The case will also contain two LED's that will indicate the power and Bluetooth connection of the product. A green light will show the power of the device, which will fade when power begins to get low, giving the user the ability to see when the battery requires replacing. The remaining LED is blue to represent an active Bluetooth signal and indicate to the user that the device has a successful Bluetooth connection functioning.
The system works on the basis that each programmed device that functions with our product will only perform if all prerequisites are met. As long as the Bluetooth sync with the phone is active, the devices should in turn easily be able to connect through the wiring sockets of the basic headphone port and allow for the data to be fed through to the headphones. The programming allowing the device to interact with the phone and MP3 player will be programmed on the PCB chip ports, where it will allow for only one of the functions to actively operate. This will operate under the basis of the MP3 as a constant, but having the phone as the highest priority interrupt. The user interface of the switch allows the user to operate the phone, allowing simple access to the passing of data to continue to the headset, whether that be from the phone or the MP3 player.
The mp3 player will be connected to the main hub via a hard wired phono jack, which is simple enough for any user to set up. The phone however will be connected by holding down the button to emit the Bluetooth signal and then connecting by using the phone to find the device and connect. The order these two actions are carried out in will have no difference on the ability to connect the two devices. Once this is done and the mp3 player is playing the music, a logic signal will go through to the main hub from the phone to check if a phone call is being received and then through an amplifier restricting noise level to 90dB if there is an incoming call. This then goes to the headphones which output the sound into the users’ ears. When a phone call is received it triggers a flag, causing the hub to send a signal to the MP3 player through the phono jack to pause the song. It then puts the phone call through with the ringtone output from the headphones. The user then has o decide to either leave it for five seconds, signalling the hub to send a signal to the MP3 player, un-pausing the song, or to press the button to answer the call. When this happens the call is put through the amplifier to the headphones. When the call is finished, the user presses the button and the signal is sent for the song to start again. The user also has the option of double tapping the button to hang up the call. This requires no extra programming, as it is essentially just answering and hanging up the call in quick succession.
The MP3 player will interface via a 3.5mm phono jack, connected to a GPH cable of length 65cm, leading to the main hub. The hub will contain the Bluetooth transmitter and receiver chip, all logic, and the push button to facilitate the required functionality. The “hub” that is continually mentioned is a plastic containment shell, 5cm long, 2cm wide and 1cm deep, containing a double-sided PCB board with the chips mounted. Another length of GPH cable of length 30cm will come out of the main hub and then be split to the two headphones. All parts will be manufactured by outside companies for mass production needs and for quality assurance.
Required Components:
• Headphone Wiring, MP3 Player to Earphones.
Specification:
- Clear and reliable audio signal.
Supplier:
Price: 21p per metre
Quantity: 1000+
Conclusion: The clearance price is being ignored, as it will not last forever, and may change during the products manufacture. Enough wire has been found here to wire from the phono jack that connects to the MP3 player, running up to the headphones. It is lightweight, only 5g per metre, so will not be too heavy as to provide discomfort for the user.
• Headphone Wiring, Bluetooth Hub to Earphones & Plastic Exterior.
Specification:
Cable:
- Clear and reliable audio signal
Protective Plastic Casing:
- Light weight
- Protective
- Flexible
Supplier:
Price: 0.21p per metre
Quantity: 1000+
Conclusion: The clearance price is being ignored, as it will not last forever, and may change during the products manufacture. Enough wire has been found here to wire from the phono jack that connects to the MP3 player, running up to the headphones. It is lightweight, only 5g per metre, so will not be too heavy as to provide discomfort for the user.
• Phono Jack Connection To MP3 Player.
Specification:
- Clear and reliable connection
- Stable physical connection to MP3 player, not loose.
- 3.55mm jack.
Supplier:
Price: £0.98
Quantity: 100+
Conclusion: This is the correct sized 3.55mm phono jack that will be attached to the bottom of the headphones so that they can connect to the MP3 player. It is compatible with a wide variety of wire types and sizes, including other wires that will be used in the product. It is firm and stirdy, this is important for this component as the connection needs to be firm, stirdy and reliable.
• Earphones - x 2.
Specification:
- 96 dB
- Frequency range: 20 - 20.000Hz
- ideal for internet and all portable devices
Supplier:
Price: £10.20 (bulk purchase to be negotiated)
£6.00 (bulk purchase to be negotiated)
Quantity: 1000+
Conclusion: The same supplier can provide the essential audio component required for audio output, and the casing to house it.
• Bluetooth Receiver / Transmitter
Specification:
- Must include wired compatibility
- Bluetooth version 2.1
- Bluetooth band: 3
Supplier:
Price: $16.80
Quantity: 1000+
Conclusion:
We have found a suitable Bluetooth transmitter / reciever device from National Semiconductor. It measures only 10mm x 17mm x 2.0mm, so is ideal to fit into our product. The Bluetooth version is correct. The band width is longer than our orignial specification, but current efforts to find band 3 bluetooth transmission and reciving devices have failed. Test samples are available from the company before purchase.
• Plastic Exterior Shell Casing & Button.
Specification:
Case:
- Length : 4cm
- Width: 1.5cm
- Thickness: 1.5cm
- Design: Rectangular
- Colour: Silver
Button:
- Hard press, so cannot accidentally be pressed.
- Small enough to not be obstructive
- Size: approximately 0.8 by 0.8mm
- Shape: Cylindrical
Supplier:
http://epsilonindustries.com
Price: $1.10 per mold cycle.
Quantity:1000+
Conclusion: We would require three mold cycles, one for the back of the case, one for the front of the case and one cycle for the button so one casing would cost $3.20. The price for this would almost definitely go down once a bulk order had been negotiated, as the same mould templates would not need to be remade. The company can work from designs provided, which means that it is possible to costumise the case for the products specific needs. It also means that all the rights for the case would be retained, which will make it easier to improve the device further.
• LEDs:- Blue, Green
Specification:
- Low power supply
- Dull colors so not to be too obvious.
- Green LED needs to glow when battery is full.
- Blue LED needs to glow when bluetooth connection is established.
Supplier:
Price: £3.50
Quantity: 500+
Supplier:
Price: Unknown - International Market. Approx: £3.00
Quantity: 1000+
Conclusion:
We have found reliable, trusted brand LEDs, for a cheap bulk price. They operate at as low as 20mA, and have a working temperature range of between -40 and 100°C. They are designed to be mounted onto products such as ours. They are 5mm in size, so they will not be too big or too obvious. Bulgin did not supply blue LEDs, so a second supplier has been found.
• Power Supply
Specification:
- Small & lightweight
- Very long life
- Fullfill products power requirements
Supplier:
Price: Unknown - International Market. Approx: £4.00
Quantity: 1000+
Conclusion: These batteries are small, light and claim to have an extremely long battery life, making them ideal for our product.
Business Opportunity Analysis [30 marks]
Study of New Companies, Products and Legislation
Could The Product Sell?
To fully and correctly analyse the potential selling capability of our product, the efforts of other companies to sell similar products, or products aimed at the same market, must be appraised. A good illustration of this would be Apples’ success with the iPod, undeniably the most successful MP3 player series ever made. Apple don’t dominate the personal computer or notebook computer market, despite providing Microsoft with determined competition for many years now. However the iPod was the first hugely successful commercial MP3 player. Initial success was due to the innovative and simple design. This featured a simple user interface wheel, combined with a very basic graphical UI. Apple have continually monopolised the MP3 market since, not being troubled by even Microsoft’s attempt at a rival product.
With the proper backing, our product could sell very well. This is based on the analysis of the target demographic, and the evidence of gaps in the current market. Backing would include a website dedicated to the product, explaining features, selling the product, highlighting practical day to day uses of the product and providing support. This would be much the same as Apples very well presented website promoting the iPod. Advertisement would be an invaluable asset in selling the product. This would be mainly in technology, general interest or young person’s magazines. Other possibilities include television advertisement, or points of sale in shops. Apple always strictly keep to the theme of their product in their advertisements. One Apple television advert featured block, bold colours (like those of the iPods themselves) of silhouettes dancing using iPods, other adverts have included showing features of iPhones in a calm and slow way with a relaxing voice, once again attempting to reflect the simplicity and ease behind the iPod. It is not only this key theme of bold, block simplicity that runs through the product, the website and the advertisements that help the product do well, but just the fact that all of these factors adhere to a common theme, helping to define the product.
Is There Room For Future Development?
Keeping within the study of Apples success with the iPod, it can be seen that the aforementioned success is repeated throughout several ‘generations’ of iPod and even phone integration. Apple have upgraded the iPod from what it was over six times now, improving and expanding it each time. Our product already has numerous exciting possible opportunities for development and expansion in the future. The main possible development field is integrating the product for use with many other accessories and peripherals. Examples of this include such things as a house phone, a computer or a doorbell. There could possibly be integration between a house phone and a music system within the house, so that the phone is not missed due to loud music. This works on the same principle as the current product but just expanding on it.
One of the most realistic future developments would be making the entire system wireless. This would involve a 3.5mm jack to Bluetooth transmitter adapter which slots tidily onto the MP3 player and transmits to the receiver on the headphones in the same way which the phone does. This would require some large changes to the current product, as the earphones would end up much like the wireless mobile phone ones that are currently available. The Bluetooth transmitter could then be used on any number of other products which have the appropriate connection
A further development would be to add voice commands to the microphone. This would enable the user to not only make calls via voice commands, but to also control the MP3 player via simple commands. However there are a number of imperfections with this idea at the moment which would require advances, such as local noise interference etc.
How Would You Do It?
Our product has three main key areas of development / construction / support. The first is the main basic headphone system. This includes a standard 3.5mm phono jack, which facilitates the connection to the MP3 player and plastic cased wiring running to the earphones. Extensive research and development is already available regarding this technology, and a standard, well tested headphone will not be difficult to find and use in our product. The practicality of this section simply involves buying several suitable components for testing, and bulk purchasing the most successful one.
Secondly is the Bluetooth phone integration hardware and software. This will allow the phone to automatically connect with the headphone hardware, establishing the link allowing phone calls to be relayed through the headphones. The essential technology for this already exists, as mobile Bluetooth ear receivers are currently readily available. It will however require some relatively new design to develop this feature into a small, encased receiver / transmitter on the headphones themselves, and integrate the signal into the headphone wire. This can be implemented on a practical level by testing using current Bluetooth devices, and selecting the best for our product.
Thirdly is the software to pause the MP3 player when an incoming call is received on the mobile phone. This will be primarily software based, inside the hub on the headphones. Such ‘technology’ does exist currently, as it is how mobile phones are able to pause music that is being played from the mobile phone itself, display an incoming call, and resume the music after the call has ended. We will be required however to implement this technology to function not on the phone only, but to integrate with the MP3 players controls. To practically achieve this stage, research into how mobile phones currently integrate this feature will be carried out. If necessary, the coding can easily be written by the products own development team.
Examining the Weaknesses of Existing Products and Companies
Is There A Gap In The Market?
Research suggests there is currently a gap in the market for a product such as this. Bluetooth is the very latest in cutting edge wireless technology, proving far superior to methods of information transfer than such methods as infrared transmission. This makes Bluetooth products a very popular and sellable market at the moment. Many products similar to our product currently exist, such as Bluetooth headphones, which are headphones that connect to anything with Bluetooth compatibility wirelessly. However MP3 players generally do not have Bluetooth connectivity, showing clearly an unfilled gap in the market there.
Bluetooth headsets which connect mobile phones to mobile earpieces are currently very popular. This is true among mainly busy people, such as businessmen etc. The Bluetooth earpiece is an innovative and creative product created to make people who are constantly receiving and making calls lives easier. These earpieces do however only connect to mobile phones, not fulfilling the potential market sector that our product aims to counter.
Other products include such things as Stereo Bluetooth receivers. These are mobile Bluetooth receiving devices which can pick up Bluetooth from any transmitter, such as a pc, so that music can be listened to wirelessly. There are a number of products like this available on the market currently, most notably Sony’s version. This product does make innovative use of Bluetooth technology, and could potentially connect to a mobile phone / and or an MP3 player. However there is no inbuilt functionality to switch between the two components based on incoming calls, which further demonstrates a hole in the market for our product.
Strong Product vs Weak Product
A very good example of a modern, strong, successful product would be Apples iPhone. This product launched in July 2008 and after less than a year of being on the market has had great success, largely due to the popularity of its iPod predecessor. The product is the only widely available MP3 player and phone combination available, which is good for us as it renders our product a lot less useful. Apple included the inbuilt technology so that if the user is listening to music and receives a call, they can answer or reject the call, and music is resumed. This is very much the concept of our product, the only difference being the inability to answer the phone from a button on the headphones, where our product has the capability.
An arguable example of a weaker product would be the Microsoft Zune. This product is Microsoft’s attempt at breaking into the MP3 player / portable hard drive market that is currently saturated with Apples product. However the usually dominant Microsoft has only managed to sustain an average of 9% of the market, compared to Apples 63%. The Zune boasts more features not included on the iPod, however its launch was so many years after the iPods, that there is not nearly as much trust or power behind the brand name.
Although our product is not an MP3 player like these examples are, the market has key similarities. The demographic is hugely similar as the age of consumers that our product targets are the same ages as those of these MP3 players. Our other key demographics; people who enjoy gadgets and people who would find this useful, would also be included in the example products target markets. So by analyzing the most popular products, we can determine the influential factors for success.
Assessment of Key Customer Demographic and Typical Users
Who Will Buy The Product?
Our key demographic will be younger people aged ten to thirty. This is our expected target audience based on the sale of Apple iPods MP3 players and mobile phones. It is the younger generation who grew up with such technology, so are more inclined to purchase new developments as they are released. Generally the older market e.g. someone over fifty, will care less about having the latest technology and gadgets. The product is designed to require minimal set up and support, which aims to encompass the younger market to use the product with confidence.
A more in depth view of our target market, not based on age, would cover several more areas. There are people who believe the product will be of great use to them, stopping them from missing calls and who will generally regard the product as one which makes life easier. The product clearly caters for this market, as these potential consumers exist as a result of the products current specification.
Secondly a key chunk of our market will be those who simply enjoy ‘gadgets’. Consumers such as this will seek out new and interesting technology with which to entertain themselves and impress their friends. There are often numerous stores in shopping centres aimed entirely at this target market. Products in these shops are always unique, innovative, fun or in some way interesting to such consumers. Our product is, as far as can be seen via research, unique. Therefore this market should be interested, as well as seeing the practicality of such a product.
Another market that would be sport enfusiasts or cycleists. Both of wich would buy the product for the same reason. This is because they can use there standard mp3 player and can hear when they get a phone call and then answer there phone without having to take there phone out of there pocket.
Review of Key Geographical Regions and Optimum Sales Conditions
Under What Conditions Would The Product Sell Best?
To help the product sell at its maximum potential, several conditions must be taken into consideration. Firstly the pricing must be just right. If the product is too expensive then sales will decrease, as is discussed previously. However if the product is too cheap then not only will the revenues suffer, but also people may see the product as being cheaply made and not of a quality that would seem necessary for such a technological product. The ideal price based on current product trends would be between £30 and £40, however this is pending a realistic estimation of the cost involved in the production of the product, and does not take into account possible advertising expenditures.
It is possible to say that, if advertising was involved, the time of release would have an effect on the products sales. The two best times to release the product would appear to be before Christmas, in an attempt to increase sales over the holiday period and in the January sales area. Another time, which is possibly even better, would be early summer. This is a good time as our product relies on people using it mainly outdoors, as that is when people will most often have an MP3 player in use, and a phone in their pocket.
The product would be sold predominantly in technical computing stores and interesting, quirky gadget shops. This is an attempt to provide for two key identified aspects of the consumer base. In technical / computing stores, it is more likely to be found by people who will enjoy such products, and who may see a practical use for it. Selling in gadget shops aims to cater for people who will buy it as it is new, interesting and unique. It will also probably be sold in the appropriate area in large scale supermarkets. This allows us to capture any missed consumer area and to get the product into the mainstream shopping environment.
There are factors which could have a negative effect on releasing the product, such as the current economic status of the world. The product can potentially be 100% considered as a luxury item. Currently people are inclined to spend less on extravagances as they may not have quite as much money as they usually would. This is because of the global economic crisis and the countries current recession. Companies such as Phillips announced great losses in quarterly sales at the start of the year. Over Christmas sales on such products were down substantially compared to prior years. This may well affect the sale of our product. The best way to counter this problem would be to attempt to keep the product at as low a price as is possible without sacrificing hugely on quality.
Finance & Revenue Assessment
Expenditures:
Running total of parts cost / 1000 products:
Wiring: £300
3.55mm Phono Jack: £980
Earphones: Possibly bulk negotiable £1600
Plastic Casing & Button: Possibly bulk negotiable £2202.34
Bluetooth Chip: £92.24.
LEDs: £10
Sub-Total Per Thousand: £5182
Sub-Total Per Individual: £5.18
Manufacture & Labour: £2000
Advertising: £2000
Packaging: £100
Total: £9282
Income:
Sold at £29.99 each: £29,990
Sold at £34.99 each: £35,990
Sold at £39.99 each: £39,990
Net Income Per Thousand: £20708 - £30708
Net Income Per Individual: £20.71 - £30.71
From this it is easy to see that the product can potentially provide a large income, with the appropriate backing. The price at which the product is sold at may vary as manufacture, labour and advertising costs become more exact, as they are currently estimates. From the information above thought it can be seen that a large income is guaranteed. These figures are all based on per 1000 units sold, so could potentially be even greater. If the product was successful, it may be possible to put more money into advertising to try and prompt exponential growth.
In Depth Look At Advertisement
It has been discussed that the product would do a lot better with the correct advertisement backing. Looking a bit deeper into advertisement, it is clear that an advertising strategy is key to maximising sales. One important thing to take into account is the name and possible slogans or key advertising lines that are repeated. To optimise these factors we must again refer to our target market, which ranges from ages ten to thirty. This shows that the majority of the market can be called mature, meaning that the product will be tailored to a more technical, smart and cutting edge appearance, as opposed to a colourful or slapstick theme. The name and slogans need to reflect this, without being too complex for a user who is not technically fluent to use.
It is paramount to define the product clearly, so that all marketing and advertisement campaigns can adhere to a clear and direct target. This means the product needs to be advertised as either a mobile phone accessory, an MP3 accessory or both. Both would be the best option, as the MP3 to phone functionality needs to be the large selling point. It would be sold among the accessories section in shops, alongside headphones and other accessories for mobile phones and MP3 players.
I think that an advertising campaign should highlight the advantages of our system for example saying that you don't need to lose your mp3 players functionalities, you get to have the same storage space things of that nature. It might also help to have the product celebrity endorsed or to have a launch event.
SCRIPT
Introduction Speech
SPEAKER:
Hello, we are team Alpha.
We will be demonstrating numerous designs and plans for our product which aims to integrate a mobile phone and an mp3 player.
The device works like a standard pair of headphones by connecting to a standard headphone jack in any MP3player. However the device connects to your mobile phone via Bluetooth, allowing you to make and receive telephone calls through your mp3 earphones.
SPEAKER:
There are many mobile telephones on the market with integrated mp3 players, allowing you to make calls and listen to music through the same headphones, however there are no current products that allows you to integrate the two separate devices.
We have been working on several methods of implementing these features and feel that using a Bluetooth connection to the phone is the best way of integrating with the mobile phone, as it does not rely on the individual connections different companies install in their own models.
The presentation you will see today contains some technical details and key ideas behind the device.
SPEAKER:
Design requirements [35 marks]
• Plays music from MP3 player.
To best understand the design requirements of the product, every stage of the functional process must be considered, and the key concepts highlighted. The first point that must be appraised would be the products ability to play music from the MP3 player, as any basic headphones are capable of. Several factors must be taken into thought regarding even this simple aspect. The most important function is that the correct music is transported correctly along the wire, and output is clear at the earphones. A ‘clear output’ is defined as an output which contains no static, no decrease in volume or equalizer settings and no time delay. This is achieved by having a tight and secure connection from the phono jack to the MP3 player, and using headphones of a good standard of quality.
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The level at which the music is played is also an issue, it will vary along with the settings on the MP3 player, but a maximum level is needed. The noise level must not damage the users hearing, therefore the maximum volume must not exceed an output of 90dB(A). This level can start to damage the ear after eight hours of exposure per day, in the case that someone listens to an MP3 player that long at maximum volume, a warning will be placed on the packaging.
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• Phone calls can be received and answered.
When there is an incoming call, the user will be able to answer it by pressing the button on the main hub casing of our product. This will relay the callers’ voice through the headphones, to the user and activate the microphone so that the user can reply. For this information to be relayed back and forth correctly, a strong and reliable Bluetooth connection is needed.
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This Bluetooth signal is going to need to be strong and clear enough to reach from pocket height, up to chest height, approximately 70cm. This would be Bluetooth class 3, meaning the Bluetooth would easily have a range of 1 meter. It could be upgraded to class 2, but that is 10 meters and would unnecessarily increase costs and complexity. To maintain a clear connection, the version of Bluetooth used must be taken into consideration. The product would use Bluetooth version 2.1, which is the newest, clearest and most reliable version to date, also it is compatible with older phones as it’s backwards compatible. This version also uses less power, meaning batteries will last longer.
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• Music automatically stops when a phone call is answered, and starts when call is stopped.
The next stage in the functionality of the product is that the music on the MP3 player is paused when an incoming call is received. The decision was made that the music should be paused and not simply stopped as it’s easier then to resume after the call has finished. This means that the music must resume from the very point it cut off, taking into account and countering any sleep features the MP3 player may have.
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When the music is paused, the ringtone from the phone must be played through the headphones. The headphones sound the ringtone from the phone for five seconds when an incoming call is received. This allows the user to acknowledge that they have received a call. In this time they have the choice of checking their phone to see who the call is from, giving them the option of pressing the answer button on the headphones, or ignoring the call. If they choose to ignore the call, the music will resume in five seconds and the call will ring out. This will need to all happen automatically, meaning that the appropriate hardware and software will need to be in place to make the appropriate switches between what the user can hear, at the appropriate time.
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• Water resistant / water tight
The product will need to be somewhat watertight, or water resistant. This is because it may often be worn on the outside of clothing, outside in rainy conditions. If the product does not have adequate protection, one drip of rainwater getting into the wrong place could destroy the entire product. So whilst it needs to be far from submersible, it does need to have protection. This involves making all seals tight, and leaving nothing exposed.
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• CE and UL electronic standards compliant
The CE mark on a product asserts that the item meets all of the essential requirements of the relevant European Directive. Our product in particular will have to meet European standards on low-voltage equipment. UL is the American version of European CE standards, so if our product is to be sold internationally in the USA, it will need to meet these standards also.
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• User friendliness
Other factors must be taken into account when designing the product, such as size and weight. Our headphones will have everything to a standard industry size, the only thing that we will develop ourselves is our encased Bluetooth hub with the button on. This hub will be roughly a rectangular prism in shape, 4 - 5cm tall, and 1 - 1.5cm wide and the weight should only be a few grams. This means that it will be small and light enough to dangle on the headphones and fall into place wherever it may without inconveniencing the user. As for appearance, it will be small and matt silver, with a shiny silver button just to make it slightly easier to see.
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The button on the main case is important as it needs to be easy to press, as it may often be underneath clothing. The user needs to easily be able to find the button, meaning that it is going to need to be a definitive shape, and of a relevant size. Therefore the button will be circular, will stick out approximately 5mm from the casing itself, and will need to be relatively hardly pushed to compress fully. The button also needs to be tight so that it cannot be accidentally pressed by the user, or by getting knocked. Therefore the button will need to be tight, and will require a concentrated amount of force to depress.
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• Providing the user with information
The product will have a two LEDs on the main hub, all behind translucent plastic so that they are not too bright. These LEDs will be; green, to show that the device is functioning properly and has adequate power supply left in the battery and blue, to show that a Bluetooth connection with the mobile phone has been established. With this setup the user will always be able to tell when and why the device is not functioning properly. As if the blue light is not showing, there is a problem with the Bluetooth connection to the phone, possibly that the phone does not have its Bluetooth feature activated. If the green light is faded or off, then it means that the batteries are running low / flat respectively, and replacement is needed. All of this will be documented in the user’s guide manual.
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Design specifications
The main roots of the device allow for combined functionality of a Mobile Phone & an MP3 Player, such that music will play from MP3 player until the mobile phone rings. During this process when a call is being received the device will cut-off the music being fed to the headphones allowing the mobile phone to then take main control until the call has ended or is cancelled. At this point the function switches back to the MP3 player allowing the music to be fed back through the headphones once again.
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The product will achieve its role through software programmed logic, in which the device will only function if one of the active devices outputs an active feed, with the mobile phone having priority. The process will allow for the music to continually play up to the point when the mobile phone becomes active. The change in input that the programmed chip recognises will allow for the device to inter-change to the mobile phone with barely any delay or failure. The speed of this interaction shouldn't vary on the other external products as the whole logic is covered fully by the device and would be a set rate of change despite the varying products used.
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The whole operation is carried out by a singular central button on the device which is positioned to allow the user to answer the incoming call and to end it. On our product, the button is tight, making it slightly harder to press, preventing the user accidentally pressing or activating the button by mistake. This is the products only user interface other than syncing phones / MP3 players with the device to allow the product to operate. The case will also contain two LED's that will indicate the power and Bluetooth connection of the product. A green light will show the power of the device, which will fade when power begins to get low, giving the user the ability to see when the battery requires replacing. The remaining LED is blue to represent an active Bluetooth signal and indicate to the user that the device has a successful Bluetooth connection functioning.
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The system works on the basis that each programmed device that functions with our product will only perform if all prerequisites are met. As long as the Bluetooth sync with the phone is active, the devices should in turn easily be able to connect through the wiring sockets of the basic headphone port and allow for the data to be fed through to the headphones. The programming allowing the device to interact with the phone and MP3 player will be programmed on the PCB chip ports, where it will allow for only one of the functions to actively operate. This will operate under the basis of the MP3 as a constant, but having the phone as the highest priority interrupt. The user interface of the switch allows the user to operate the phone, allowing simple access to the passing of data to continue to the headset, whether that be from the phone or the MP3 player.
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The mp3 player will be connected to the main hub via a hard wired phono jack, which is simple enough for any user to set up. The phone however will be connected by holding down the button to emit the Bluetooth signal and then connecting by using the phone to find the device and connect. The order these two actions are carried out in will have no difference on the ability to connect the two devices. Once this is done and the mp3 player is playing the music, a logic signal will go through to the main hub from the phone to check if a phone call is being received and then through an amplifier restricting noise level to 90dB if there is an incoming call. This then goes to the headphones which output the sound into the users’ ears. When a phone call is received it triggers a flag, causing the hub to send a signal to the MP3 player through the phono jack to pause the song. It then puts the phone call through with the ringtone output from the headphones. The user then has o decide to either leave it for five seconds, signalling the hub to send a signal to the MP3 player, un-pausing the song, or to press the button to answer the call. When this happens the call is put through the amplifier to the headphones. When the call is finished, the user presses the button and the signal is sent for the song to start again. The user also has the option of double tapping the button to hang up the call. This requires no extra programming, as it is essentially just answering and hanging up the call in quick succession.
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The MP3 player will interface via a 3.5mm phono jack, connected to a GPH cable of length 65cm, leading to the main hub. The hub will contain the Bluetooth transmitter and receiver chip, all logic, and the push button to facilitate the required functionality. The “hub” that is continually mentioned is a plastic containment shell, 5cm long, 2cm wide and 1cm deep, containing a double-sided PCB board with the chips mounted. Another length of GPH cable of length 30cm will come out of the main hub and then be split to the two headphones. All parts will be manufactured by outside companies for mass production needs and for quality assurance.
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Business opportunity analysis [30 marks]
Study of New Companies, Products and Legislation
Could The Product Sell?
To fully and correctly analyse the potential selling capability of our product, the efforts of other companies to sell similar products, or products aimed at the same market, must be appraised. A good illustration of this would be Apples’ success with the iPod, undeniably the most successful MP3 player series ever made. Apple don’t dominate the personal computer or notebook computer market, despite providing Microsoft with determined competition for many years now. However the iPod was the first hugely successful commercial MP3 player. Initial success was due to the innovative and simple design. This featured a simple user interface wheel, combined with a very basic graphical UI. Apple have continually monopolised the MP3 market since, not being troubled by even Microsoft’s attempt at a rival product.
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With the proper backing, our product could sell very well. This is based on the analysis of the target demographic, and the evidence of gaps in the current market. Backing would include a website dedicated to the product, explaining features, selling the product, highlighting practical day to day uses of the product and providing support. This would be much the same as Apples very well presented website promoting the iPod. Advertisement would be an invaluable asset in selling the product. This would be mainly in technology, general interest or young person’s magazines. Other possibilities include television advertisement, or points of sale in shops. Apple always strictly keep to the theme of their product in their advertisements. One Apple television advert featured block, bold colours (like those of the iPods themselves) of silhouettes dancing using iPods, other adverts have included showing features of iPhones in a calm and slow way with a relaxing voice, once again attempting to reflect the simplicity and ease behind the iPod. It is not only this key theme of bold, block simplicity that runs through the product, the website and the advertisements that help the product do well, but just the fact that all of these factors adhere to a common theme, helping to define the product.
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Is There Room For Future Development?
Keeping within the study of Apples success with the iPod, it can be seen that the aforementioned success is repeated throughout several ‘generations’ of iPod and even phone integration. Apple have upgraded the iPod from what it was over six times now, improving and expanding it each time. Our product already has numerous exciting possible opportunities for development and expansion in the future. The main possible development field is integrating the product for use with many other accessories and peripherals. Examples of this include such things as a house phone, a computer or a doorbell. There could possibly be integration between a house phone and a music system within the house, so that the phone is not missed due to loud music. This works on the same principle as the current product but just expanding on it.
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One of the most realistic future developments would be making the entire system wireless. This would involve a 3.5mm jack to Bluetooth transmitter adapter which slots tidily onto the MP3 player and transmits to the receiver on the headphones in the same way which the phone does. This would require some large changes to the current product, as the earphones would end up much like the wireless mobile phone ones that are currently available. The Bluetooth transmitter could then be used on any number of other products which have the appropriate connection
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A further development would be to add voice commands to the microphone. This would enable the user to not only make calls via voice commands, but to also control the MP3 player via simple commands. However there are a number of imperfections with this idea at the moment which would require advances, such as local noise interference etc.
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How Would You Do It?
Our product has three main key areas of development / construction / support. The first is the main basic headphone system. This includes a standard 3.5mm phono jack, which facilitates the connection to the MP3 player and plastic cased wiring running to the earphones. Extensive research and development is already available regarding this technology, and a standard, well tested headphone will not be difficult to find and use in our product. The practicality of this section simply involves buying several suitable components for testing, and bulk purchasing the most successful one.
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Secondly is the Bluetooth phone integration hardware and software. This will allow the phone to automatically connect with the headphone hardware, establishing the link allowing phone calls to be relayed through the headphones. The essential technology for this already exists, as mobile Bluetooth ear receivers are currently readily available. It will however require some relatively new design to develop this feature into a small, encased receiver / transmitter on the headphones themselves, and integrate the signal into the headphone wire. This can be implemented on a practical level by testing using current Bluetooth devices, and selecting the best for our product.
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Thirdly is the software to pause the MP3 player when an incoming call is received on the mobile phone. This will be primarily software based, inside the hub on the headphones. Such ‘technology’ does exist currently, as it is how mobile phones are able to pause music that is being played from the mobile phone itself, display an incoming call, and resume the music after the call has ended. We will be required however to implement this technology to function not on the phone only, but to integrate with the MP3 players controls. To practically achieve this stage, research into how mobile phones currently integrate this feature will be carried out. If necessary, the coding can easily be written by the products own development team.
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Examining the Weaknesses of Existing Products and Companies
Is There A Gap In The Market?
Research suggests there is currently a gap in the market for a product such as this. Bluetooth is the very latest in cutting edge wireless technology, proving far superior to methods of information transfer than such methods as infrared transmission. This makes Bluetooth products a very popular and sellable market at the moment. Many products similar to our product currently exist, such as Bluetooth headphones, which are headphones that connect to anything with Bluetooth compatibility wirelessly. However MP3 players generally do not have Bluetooth connectivity, showing clearly an unfilled gap in the market there.
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Bluetooth headsets which connect mobile phones to mobile earpieces are currently very popular. This is true among mainly busy people, such as businessmen etc. The Bluetooth earpiece is an innovative and creative product created to make people who are constantly receiving and making calls lives easier. These earpieces do however only connect to mobile phones, not fulfilling the potential market sector that our product aims to counter.
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Other products include such things as Stereo Bluetooth receivers. These are mobile Bluetooth receiving devices which can pick up Bluetooth from any transmitter, such as a pc, so that music can be listened to wirelessly. There are a number of products like this available on the market currently, most notably Sony’s version. This product does make innovative use of Bluetooth technology, and could potentially connect to a mobile phone / and or an MP3 player. However there is no inbuilt functionality to switch between the two components based on incoming calls, which further demonstrates a hole in the market for our product.
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Strong Product vs Weak Product
A very good example of a modern, strong, successful product would be Apples iPhone. This product launched in July 2008 and after less than a year of being on the market has had great success, largely due to the popularity of its iPod predecessor. The product is the only widely available MP3 player and phone combination available, which is good for us as it renders our product a lot less useful. Apple included the inbuilt technology so that if the user is listening to music and receives a call, they can answer or reject the call, and music is resumed. This is very much the concept of our product, the only difference being the inability to answer the phone from a button on the headphones, where our product has the capability.
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An arguable example of a weaker product would be the Microsoft Zune. This product is Microsoft’s attempt at breaking into the MP3 player / portable hard drive market that is currently saturated with Apples product. However the usually dominant Microsoft has only managed to sustain an average of 9% of the market, compared to Apples 63%. The Zune boasts more features not included on the iPod, however its launch was so many years after the iPods, that there is not nearly as much trust or power behind the brand name.
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Although our product is not an MP3 player like these examples are, the market has key similarities. The demographic is hugely similar as the age of consumers that our product targets are the same ages as those of these MP3 players. Our other key demographics; people who enjoy gadgets and people who would find this useful, would also be included in the example products target markets. So by analyzing the most popular products, we can determine the influential factors for success.
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Assessment of Key Customer Demographic and Typical Users
Who Will Buy The Product?
Our key demographic will be younger people aged ten to thirty. This is our expected target audience based on the sale of Apple iPods MP3 players and mobile phones. It is the younger generation who grew up with such technology, so are more inclined to purchase new developments as they are released. Generally the older market e.g. someone over fifty, will care less about having the latest technology and gadgets. The product is designed to require minimal set up and support, which aims to encompass the younger market to use the product with confidence.
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A more in depth view of our target market, not based on age, would cover several more areas. There are people who believe the product will be of great use to them, stopping them from missing calls and who will generally regard the product as one which makes life easier. The product clearly caters for this market, as these potential consumers exist as a result of the products current specification.
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Secondly a key chunk of our market will be those who simply enjoy ‘gadgets’. Consumers such as this will seek out new and interesting technology with which to entertain themselves and impress their friends. There are often numerous stores in shopping centres aimed entirely at this target market. Products in these shops are always unique, innovative, fun or in some way interesting to such consumers. Our product is, as far as can be seen via research, unique. Therefore this market should be interested, as well as seeing the practicality of such a product.
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Review of Key Geographical Regions and Optimum Sales Conditions
Under What Conditions Would The Product Sell Best?
To help the product sell at its maximum potential, several conditions must be taken into consideration. Firstly the pricing must be just right. If the product is too expensive then sales will decrease, as is discussed previously. However if the product is too cheap then not only will the revenues suffer, but also people may see the product as being cheaply made and not of a quality that would seem necessary for such a technological product. The ideal price based on current product trends would be between £30 and £40, however this is pending a realistic estimation of the cost involved in the production of the product, and does not take into account possible advertising expenditures.
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It is possible to say that, if advertising was involved, the time of release would have an effect on the products sales. The two best times to release the product would appear to be before Christmas, in an attempt to increase sales over the holiday period and in the January sales area. Another time, which is possibly even better, would be early summer. This is a good time as our product relies on people using it mainly outdoors, as that is when people will most often have an MP3 player in use, and a phone in their pocket.
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The product would be sold predominantly in technical computing stores and interesting, quirky gadget shops. This is an attempt to provide for two key identified aspects of the consumer base. In technical / computing stores, it is more likely to be found by people who will enjoy such products, and who may see a practical use for it. Selling in gadget shops aims to cater for people who will buy it as it is new, interesting and unique. It will also probably be sold in the appropriate area in large scale supermarkets. This allows us to capture any missed consumer area and to get the product into the mainstream shopping environment.
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There are factors which could have a negative effect on releasing the product, such as the current economic status of the world. The product can potentially be 100% considered as a luxury item. Currently people are inclined to spend less on extravagances as they may not have quite as much money as they usually would. This is because of the global economic crisis and the countries current recession. Companies such as Phillips announced great losses in quarterly sales at the start of the year. Over Christmas sales on such products were down substantially compared to prior years. This may well affect the sale of our product. The best way to counter this problem would be to attempt to keep the product at as low a price as is possible without sacrificing hugely on quality.
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Finance & Revenue Assessment
Expenditures:
Running total of parts cost / 1000 products:
Wiring: £300
3.55mm Phono Jack: £980
Earphones: Possibly bulk negotiable £1600
Plastic Casing & Button: Possibly bulk negotiable £2202.34
Bluetooth Chip: £92.24.
LEDs: £10
Sub-Total Per Thousand: £5182
Sub-Total Per Individual: £5.18
Manufacture & Labour: £2000
Advertising: £2000
Packaging: £100
Total: £9282
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Income:
Sold at £29.99 each: £29,990
Sold at £34.99 each: £35,990
Sold at £39.99 each: £39,990
Net Income Per Thousand: £20708 - £30708
Net Income Per Individual: £20.71 - £30.71
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From this it is easy to see that the product can potentially provide a large income, with the appropriate backing. The price at which the product is sold at may vary as manufacture, labour and advertising costs become more exact, as they are currently estimates. From the information above thought it can be seen that a large income is guaranteed. These figures are all based on per 1000 units sold, so could potentially be even greater. If the product was successful, it may be possible to put more money into advertising to try and prompt exponential growth.
