Reward based game and teaching method and apparatus employing television channel selection device

• US 20020012894A1
• Filed: 03/05/2001
• Published: 01/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Russell Craig Becker
• Original Assignee: Russell Craig Becker
• Inventors: Becker, Russell Craig
• Granted Patent: US 6,551,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 432/201
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/02 Counting; Calculating abacus G06C1/00

Abstract

The present invention includes an apparatus and a method for teaching relationships between numbers and how to perform certain types of mathematical operations. The system includes a television channel selection device, such as a remote control device with a visual display. The user selects a channel to view, and is presented with a mathematical problem involving the channel number. When the problem is correctly solved, the television switches to the selected channel. If an incorrect solution is entered, the user is given further opportunities to solve the problem before being prompted to a solution. The degree of difficulty of the problems can be adaptively adjusted, depending upon the accuracy of the user'"'"'s answers.

Claims

1. An electronic teaching system incorporated into a television channel selection system to motivate learning mathematics by requiring a user to solve a mathematical problem before a television set will tune to the selected channel, the device comprising:

a non-volatile memory storing an educational program;

an output device for presenting information to a user;

an input device for a user to enter information including a selected television channel;

a controller programmed to execute the program stored in the non-volatile memory to receive from the input device a number corresponding to a selected television channel, present through the output device a mathematical problem involving the number of the selected television channel, and receive a solution to the problem entered through the input device by the user to determine whether the entered solution is correct, and if so, cause the television set to time to the selected television channel.

2. The system of claim 1 in which the non-volatile memory, the input device, and the controller are located on a remote control device apart from the television set.

3. The system of claim 2 in which the output device is located on the remote control device apart from the television set.

4. The system of claim 3 in which the output device comprises a light emitting diode device, a liquid crystal device, or a plasma display device.

5. The system of claim 1 in which the output device comprises the screen of a television set.

6. The system of claim 1 in which presenting a problem includes presenting an arithmetic expression that equates to the selected channel number, the arithmetic expression having one or more portions omitted.

7. The system of claim 1 in which presenting a problem includes presenting a problem requiring more than one entry in the solution.

8. The system of claim 1 in which the controller executes a program that presents the problem to the user again if the controller determined that the entered solution is incorrect.

9. The system of claim 1 in which the controller executes a program that presents the problem to the user again if the controller determined that the entered solution is identical to a previously entered solution.

10. The system of claim 1 in which the controller executes a program that presents a more difficult problem to the user after the user achieves a predetermined rate of success.

11. The system of claim 1 in which controller executes a program that presents problems characterized by levels of difficulty and, if the user drops below a predetermined rate of success, the program further includes:

requesting the user to enter another number corresponding to a television channel; and

presenting another problem involving the other number and having a level of difficulty less than that of the first problem.

12. A method of motivating people to learn by providing a reward of a person'"'"'s own choosing and integrating the reward into a learning exercise, the method comprising:

entering a number corresponding to a television channel;

presenting a problem involving the charnel number;

entering a solution to the problem;

determining whether the solution is correct; and

if the solution is correct, causing the television set to tune to the television channel.

13. The method of claim 12 in which presenting a problem includes presenting an incomplete mathematical expression that can be completed to equate to the entered television channel.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising presenting the problem again if the entered solution is incorrect.

15. The method of claim 12 in which the problem is characterized by a level of difficulty and further comprising, if the user achieves a predetermined rate of success:

entering another number corresponding to a television channel; and

presenting another problem involving the other number and having a level of difficulty greater than that of the first problem.

16. The method of claim 12 in which the problem is characterized by a level of difficulty and further comprising, if the user drops below a predetermined rate of success:

entering another number corresponding to a television channel; and

presenting another problem involving the other number and having a level of difficulty less than that of the first problem.

17. The method of claim 12 in which the problem requires one entry as a solution.

18. The method of claim 12 in which the problem requires multiple entries as a solution.

19. The method of claim 12 in which the problem is susceptible to multiple correct solutions and further comprising

entering another number corresponding to a television channel, the other number being the same as the previously entered number;

presenting again the problem involving the charnel number;

entering a solution to the problem;

determining whether the entered solution is identical to a previously entered solution; and

if the solution is identical, presenting a request for a different solution.

20. A reward-based game comprising:

(a) presenting a problem involving a channel member;

(b) entering a solution to the problem;

(c) causing the television set to tune to the television channel if the solution is correct;

(d) repeating steps (a) through (c) multiple times;

(e) tracking the number of successful solutions entered; and

(f) acknowledging a cumulative number of correct solutions.

21. The method of claim 20 in which:

multiple users perform steps (a) through (d);

tracking the number of successful solutions entered includes tracking the number of successful solutions entered by the multiple users; and

acknowledging a cumulative number of correct solutions includes indicating which user has the most successful solutions.

22. The method of claim 20 in which acknowledging a cumulative number of correct solutions includes indicating a level of achievement.