Computer training system with audible answers to spoken questions

• US 20020031754A1
• Filed: 11/20/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Donald Spector
• Inventors: Spector, Donald
• Granted Patent: US 6,830,452 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/323
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 17/006 with audible presentation of the material to be studied audio and audio-visual teaching apparatus in general G09B5/04, G09B5/06

Abstract

A phonics training system provides immediate, audible and virtual answers to questions regarding various images such as objects, animals and people, posed by a child when the child views such images on a video display terminal of the system. The system provides virtual answers to questions without the need for an instruction or teacher and includes a computer having a video output terminal and an electronic library containing common answers to basic questions.

Claims

1. A virtual learning system having one or more input or output devices for effecting interactive communications with the learning system, and a video display terminal for graphical depiction of the system response to the input devices, wherein the interactive communication is prompted by one or more user initiated inputs, the improvement comprising:

a) means for processing information generated by a user of the virtual learning system;

b) means for displaying on said video display terminal information generated by the vertical learning system in response to the information generated by the user;

c) means for presentation by the user in audible or video form inquiries regarding the information observed on the display terminal;

d) an electronic library of answers to inquiries which commonly arise from viewing the information; and

e) means for the recognition of the user'"'"'s inquiry and rendering via the output device from the library, the answer most closely related to at least some of the words and their sequence as presented in the inquiry.

2. A virtual learning system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said information generated by said user includes audible information.

3. A virtual learning system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said information generated by said user includes video information.

4. A virtual learning system in accordance with claim 3, wherein there is further included means to monitor the educational process of said user of said virtual learning system.

5. A virtual learning system in accordance with claim 4, wherein said monitor means further includes means to modify said virtual system learning environment based on progress of said user.

6. A virtual learning system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said virtual learning system provides for access to remotely stored educational material which may be accessed and displayed by said virtual learning system in response to the educational progress of said user.

7. A virtual learning system in accordance with claim 1, wherein a virtual image of a human appears on the video display terminal and is synchronized with the audible presentation of the answer from the electronic library.

8. A virtual learning system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said virtual image of a human is a teacher.

9. A virtual learning system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said teacher appears in a classroom setting.

10. A virtual learning system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said virtual learning system, in response to said audible or video information, will display the questions posed by the user of the system.

15. The virtual learning system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the presentation by the user is in audible form.

16. The virtual learning system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the means for recognition of the user'"'"'s inquiry is in word recognition.

11. A virtual learning system adopted to provide a child of limited knowledge with immediate audible virtual answers to inquiries that the child may have when observing images on a video display terminal, the system comprising:

a) a computer having an output terminal provided with an audio speaker;

b) an electronic library associated with the components in which is digitally stored answers to commonly asked inquiries resulting from observation of images on the video display terminal; and

c) means, including a voice recognition unit in the input of the computer, acting to recognize distinct words and their sequence pattern of a child speaking into the unit, whereby certain words and their sequence prompt the computer to scan the library to find the specific answer most closely related to the inquiry and when a match is found, audibly presented to answer to the child.

12. The virtual learning system in accordance with claim 11, wherein a virtual image of a human appears on the video display terminal and is synchronized with the audible presentation of the answer.

13. The virtual learning system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the human is a teacher.

14. The virtual learning system in accordance with claim 13, wherein said teacher appears in a classroom setting.