Systems and methods for computerized interactive skill training

• US 10,152,897 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2017
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Breakthrough Performancetech LLC
• Original Assignee: Breakthrough Performancetech LLC
• Inventors: Cohen, Martin L., Brown, Edward G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gishnock, Nikolai A
• Application Number:
  US15/492,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20170221372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 434219, 434247, 434257, 434258, 434307 R, 434308, 434326, 434327, 434318, 434322, 434323, 434350, 434362
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/20 Education
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 3/00 Manually or mechanically operated teaching appliances working with questions and answers electrically-operated G09B7/00; e.g. G09B7/063 advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/08 providing for individual presentation of information to a plurality of student stations
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/04 characterised by modifying the teaching programme in response to a wrong answer, e.g. repeating the question, supplying a further explanation

Abstract

The present invention is directed to interactive training, and in particular, to methods and systems for computerized interactive skill training. An example embodiment provides a method and system for providing skill training using a computerized system. The computerized system receives a selection of a first training subject. A training challenge related to the first training subject is accessed from computer readable memory. The training challenge is provided to a user via a terminal, optionally in verbal form. A first score related to the correctness and/or completeness of a verbalized challenge response provided by the user is stored in memory. A second score related to how quickly the trainee provided the verbalized challenge response is stored in memory. A third challenge score related to the confidence and/or style with which the trainee verbalized the challenge response is stored in memory.

Claims

1. A distributed computerized training system comprising:

an application server comprising a computing device;

a module data store;

a trainee terminal configured to communicate with the application server over a network;

non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions that when executed by the application server, cause the application server to at least;

receive a selection of at least one training module from the module data store;

generate animation of at least a face of a customer or prospect;

cause the animation of the face of the customer or prospect to be displayed on a terminal accessible by a trainee and a facilitator;

cause the animation of the face to lip-sync a verbalization of a challenge corresponding to the training module selection, wherein the challenge includes a statement or question and the system produces the verbalization using a synthesized voice or a pre-recorded voice;

cause correct answer elements and corresponding scoring icons to be displayed on the terminal during the display of the animation of the, wherein in response to a given scoring icon being selected, a visual indication is provided;

record a verbalized trainee challenge response to the challenge from the trainee;

generate scoring data corresponding to the verbalized trainee challenge response based at least in part on scoring icon selections, the scoring data related to the confidence and/or style with which the trainee verbalized the challenge response;

cause at least a portion of the scoring data to be displayed on the trainee terminal in real time; and

select from the scenario segment data store a next challenge that is to be provided to the trainee.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the application server, further cause the application server to remove the scoring data from computer readable memory in response to a trainee ceasing a training session.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the application server, further cause the application server to cause a preparatory user interface to be presented on the terminal prior to causing the animation of the face to lip-sync the verbalization of the challenge, wherein the preparatory user interface comprises at least a first plurality of elements presented one at a time, wherein a given element in the first plurality of elements is presented for a predetermined amount of time and is then automatically replaced with another element.

4. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the challenge response simulates a conversational response to the challenge.

5. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the scoring data is generated using information received by the application server from the terminal.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the challenge is a question or statement regarding a product or service.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the challenge is a question or statement regarding health, a change in marital status, a trip, a residence, and/or a child.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the application server, further cause the application server to generate a cumulative score using at least the following:

a score related to correctness and/or completeness of the challenge response;

a score related to how quickly the trainee provided the challenge response; and

a score related to the confidence and/or style with which the trainee verbalized the challenge response.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the application server, further cause the application server to cause a first challenge to be displayed on the terminal with a first frequency at least partly in response to a first frequency weighting and to cause a second challenge to be displayed on the terminal with a second frequency at east partly in response to a second frequency weighting.

10. A system comprising:

a computing device

a scenario segment data store;

non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions that when executed by the computing device, cause the system to at least;

identify one or more training modules;

receive a selection of at least one of the identified training modules;

generate animation of at least a face of a customer or prospect;

cause the animation of the face of the customer or prospect to be displayed on a terminal;

cause the animation of the face on the terminal to lip-sync a verbalization of a challenge corresponding to the training module selection, wherein the challenge includes a statement or question and the verbalization is produced using a synthesized voice or a pre-recorded voice;

cause correct answer elements and corresponding scoring icons to be displayed on the terminal during the display of the animation of the face;

generate scoring data corresponding to a verbalized trainee challenge response based at least in part on scoring icon selections, the scoring data related to the confidence and/or style with which the trainee verbalized the challenge response;

cause at least a portion of the scoring data to be displayed on the terminal; and

cause a next challenge from the scenario segment data to be provided to the terminal and the facilitator for display.

11. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computing, further cause the system to remove the scoring data from computer readable memory in response to a first trainee action.

12. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computing, further cause the system to cause a preparatory user interface to be presented on the terminal prior to causing the animation of the face to lip-sync a verbalization of a challenge, wherein the preparatory user interface comprises at least a first plurality of elements presented one at a time, wherein a given element in the first plurality of elements is presented for a predetermined amount of time and is then automatically replaced with another element.

13. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the challenge response simulates a conversational response to the challenge.

14. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the scoring data is generated using information received by the application server from the terminal.

15. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the challenge is a question or statement regarding a product or service.

16. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the challenge is a question or statement regarding health, a change in marital status, a trip, a residence, and/or a child.

17. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computing, further cause the system to generate a cumulative score using at least the following:

a score related to correctness and/or completeness of the challenge response;

a score related to how quickly the trainee provided the challenge response; and

a score related to the confidence and/or style with which the trainee verbalized the challenge response.

18. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computing, further cause the system to cause a first challenge to be displayed on the terminal with a first frequency at least partly in response to a first frequency weighting and to cause a second challenge to be displayed on the terminal with a second frequency at least partly in response to a second frequency weighting.

19. Non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions that when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receive a selection of a training module;

generate animation of at least a face of a customer or prospect;

cause the animation of the face of the customer or prospect to be displayed on a terminal;

cause the animation of the face on the terminal to lip-sync a verbalization of a challenge corresponding to the selected training module, wherein the verbalization is produced using a synthesized voice or a pre-recorded voice;

cause correct answer elements and corresponding scoring icons to be displayed on the terminal, wherein in response to a given scoring icon being selected, a visual indication is provided;

generate scoring data corresponding to a verbalized trainee challenge response based at least in part on scoring icon selections, the scoring data related to the confidence and/or style with which the trainee verbalized the challenge response; and

cause at least a portion of the scoring data to be displayed on the terminal.

20. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computing device, further cause the computing device to remove the scoring data from computer readable memory in response to a first trainee action.

21. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computing device, further cause the computing device to cause a preparatory user interface to be presented on the terminal prior to causing the animation of the face to lip-sync a verbalization of a challenge, wherein the preparatory user interface comprises at least a first plurality of elements presented one at a time, wherein a given element in the first plurality of elements is presented for a predetermined amount of time and is then automatically replaced with another element.

22. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 19, wherein the scoring data is generated using information received by the application server from the terminal.

23. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 19, when executed by the computing device, further cause the computing device r to generate a cumulative score using at least the following:

a score related to correctness and/or completeness of the challenge response;

a score related to how quickly the trainee provided the challenge response; and

a score related to the confidence and/or style with which the trainee verbalized the challenge response.

24. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computing device, further cause the computing device to cause a first challenge to be displayed on the terminal with a first frequency at least partly in response to a first frequency weighting and to cause a second challenge to be displayed on the terminal with a second frequency at least partly in response to a second frequency weighting.