Electronic learning device for an interactive multi-sensory reading system

• US 20040043365A1
• Filed: 05/30/2003
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: McIlvain, Scott H., Kelley, Miriam, Brown, Matthew K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,402,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/178
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip

Abstract

An electronic learning device configured to receive in a predetermined orientation a book having an arrangement of selectable mode icons, selectable content and a page identifier. Non-volatile memory in the electronic learning device has instructions associated with each mode icon, and data associated with the selectable content. A controller is in electrical communication with a page identification sensor and a position sensor for detecting the presence of a selector. The controller is configured a) to operate in accordance with instructions associated with each mode icon, b) to determine the position of the selector when the selector is within the active range of the position sensor, c) to recognize the page identifier, and a selection by the selector of one of the selectable mode icons, the selectable indicia or the selectable content and d) to send to the electronic user interface a signal associated with the selection.

Claims

1. An interactive electronic learning device for receiving a book associated with an interactive electronic learning system responsive to a selector, the book having a predetermined orientation and selectable content, the device comprising:

a housing assembly having a book well configured to receive the book when the book is in the predetermined orientation;

an electronic user interface in the housing assembly, the electronic user interface comprising a position sensor having an active range including the selectable content of the book when the book is in the book well; and

control electronics in the housing assembly, the control electronics comprising;

non-volatile memory having therein instructions associated with the selectable content; and

a controller in electrical communication with the electronic user interface, the controller configured

a) to operate in accordance with the instructions in the non-volatile memory,

b) to determine a position of the selector when the selector is within the active range of the position sensor,

c) to recognize a selection of the selectable content by the selector, and

d) to send to the electronic user interface a signal associated with the selection.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the book has at least one setback and the book well has a sidewall with a sidewall offset configured to allow insertion of the book in the book well when the at least one setback is in registry with the sidewall offset.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the selector is a finger and the position sensor is a position sensor configured to sense the location of the finger when the finger is in the active range of the position sensor.

4. An interactive electronic learning device for receiving a book associated with an interactive electronic learning system responsive to a selector, the book openable to a two-page spread formed by a first page and a second page connected to the first page by a binding, the two-page spread having selectable content thereon and opposed side edges distal to the binding, each of the opposed side edges having a setback upper portion, the device comprising:

a housing assembly having a book well with sidewalls generally conforming to the two-page spread, a portion of each sidewall in registry with the setback upper portion of the two-page spread having a sidewall setback configured in conjunction with the setback upper portion to facilitate access for page turning;

an electronic user interface in the housing assembly, the electronic user interface comprising a position sensor having an active range including the selectable content of the book when the book is in the book well; and

control electronics in the housing assembly, the control electronics comprising;

non-volatile memory having therein instructions associated with the selectable content; and

a controller in electrical communication with the electronic user interface, the controller configured

a) to operate in accordance with the instructions in the non-volatile memory,

b) to determine a position of the selector when the selector is within the active range of the position sensor,

c) to recognize a selection of the selectable content by the selector, and

d) to send to the electronic user interface a signal associated with the selection.

5. An interactive electronic learning device for receiving a book associated with an interactive electronic learning system responsive to a selector;

the book openable to a two-page spread formed by a first page and a second page connected to the first page by a binding, the two-page spread has a page-spread bottom portion with a page-spread bottom edge, the device comprising;

a housing assembly having a book well with sidewalls generally conforming to the two-page spread, a portion of each sidewall in registry with the page-spread bottom edge having a bevel configured to provide unobstructed tactual and visual access to the page-spread bottom portion;

an electronic user interface in the housing assembly, the electronic user interface comprising a position sensor having an active range including the selectable content of the book when the book is in the book well; and

control electronics in the housing assembly, the control electronics comprising;

non-volatile memory having therein instructions associated with the selectable content; and

a controller in electrical communication with the electronic user interface, the controller configured

a) to operate in accordance with the instructions in the non-volatile memory,

b) to determine a position of the selector when the selector is within the active range of the position sensor,

c) to recognize a selection of the selectable content by the selector, and

d) to send to the electronic user interface a signal associated with the selection.

6. An interactive electronic learning device for receiving a book associated with an interactive electronic learning system responsive to a selector, the book having selectable content, the device comprising:

a housing assembly having a base with a base-recess and a cover with a cover-recess, the base-recess and the cover-recess forming a book well;

a hinge assembly connecting the base to the cover, the hinge assembly comprising a first hinge and a second hinge spaced from the first hinge, the first and second hinges having an axis of rotation spaced from the base-recess edge and the cover-recess edge;

a book mounting assembly having a first mounting element integral with the first hinge and a second mounting element integral with the second hinge, the first and second mounting elements configured to releasably retain the book in the book well;

an electronic user interface in the housing assembly, the electronic user interface comprising a position sensor having an active range including the selectable content of the book when the book is in the book well; and

control electronics in the housing assembly, the control electronics comprising;

non-volatile memory having therein instructions associated with the selectable content; and

a controller in electrical communication with the electronic user interface, the controller configured

a) to operate in accordance with the instructions in the non-volatile memory,

b) to determine a position of the selector when the selector is within the active range of the position sensor,

c) to recognize a selection of the selectable content by the selector, and

d) to send to the electronic user interface a signal associated with the selection.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the book has a spine and the first and second mounting elements each has a mounting slot with a mounting-slot opening spaced from a mounting-slot rest and offset laterally from the mounting-slot rest toward the base-recess, the mounting slot configured to releasably retain the spine of the book.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the mounting slot is configured to guide the spine of the book toward the mounting-slot rest and releasably retain the spine at least generally coincident with the axis of rotation of the hinge assembly.

9. An interactive electronic device for receiving a book associated with an interactive electronic learning system responsive to a selector, the book having selectable content, the device comprising:

a housing assembly having a book well configured to receive the book;

a physical user interface in the book well, the physical interface comprising an arrangement of selectable indicia;

an electronic user interface in the housing assembly, the electronic user interface comprising a position sensor having an active range including the selectable content of the book when the book is in the book well and the selectable indicia of the book well;

control electronics in the housing assembly, the control electronics comprising;

non-volatile memory having therein instructions associated with the selectable content of the book and the selectable indicia of the book well; and

a controller in electrical communication with the electronic user interface, the controller configured

a) to operate in accordance with the instructions in the non-volatile memory,

b) to determine a position of the selector when the selector is within the active range of the position sensor,

c) to recognize a selection by the selector of the selectable content of the book or one of the selectable indicia of the book well, and

d) to send to the electronic user interface a signal associated with the selection.

10. An interactive electronic device for receiving a book associated with an interactive electronic learning system responsive to a selector, the device comprising:

a housing assembly having a book well configured to receive the book;

a physical user interface in the book well, the physical user interface comprising an arrangement of selectable mode icons;

an electronic user interface in the housing assembly, the electronic user interface comprising a position sensor having an active range including the selectable mode icons of the book well;

control electronics in the housing assembly, the control electronics comprising;

non-volatile memory having therein instructions associated with the selectable mode icons in the book well; and

a controller in electrical communication with the electronic user interface, the controller configured

a) to operate in accordance with the instructions associated with the selectable mode icon in the book well,

b) to determine a position of the selector when the selector is within the active range of the position sensor,

c) to recognize a selection by the selector of the selectable mode icons in the book well, and

d) to send to the electronic user interface a signal associated with the selection.

11. An interactive electronic device for receiving a book associated with an interactive electronic learning system responsive to a selector, the book having selectable content and an arrangement of selectable mode icons, the device comprising:

a housing assembly having a book well configured to receive the book;

an electronic user interface in the housing assembly, the electronic user interface comprising a position sensor and a visible signal generator, the position sensor having an active range including the selectable content and the arrangement of selectable mode icons when the book is in the book well, the visible signal generator in registry with the selectable mode icons of the book when the book is in the book well;

control electronics in the housing assembly, the control electronics comprising;

non-volatile memory having therein instructions associated with the selectable content and the selectable mode icons; and

a controller in electrical communication with the electronic user interface, the controller configured

a) to operate in accordance with the instructions in the non-volatile memory,

b) to determine a position of the selector when the selector is within the active range of the position sensor,

c) to recognize a first selection by the selector of one of the selectable mode icons and send to the visible signal generator a first signal corresponding to the first selection, and

d) to recognize a second selection by the selector of the selectable content and send to the electronic user interface a signal associated with the second selection.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the visible signal generator is an arrangement of light emitting diodes and each of the selectable mode icons is in registry with one of the light emitting diodes.

13. An interactive electronic device for receiving a book associated with an interactive electronic learning system responsive to a selector, the book having a page identifier and selectable content, the device comprising:

a housing assembly having a book well configured to receive the book;

an electronic user interface in the housing assembly, the electronic user interface comprising a position sensor having an active range including the selectable content of the book when the book is in the book well;

a page identification sensor in the housing assembly; and

control electronics in the housing assembly, the control electronics comprising;

non-volatile memory having therein instructions associated with the selectable content; and

a controller in electrical communication with the electronic user interface and the page identification sensor, the controller configured

a) to operate in accordance with the instructions in the non-volatile memory,

b) to determine a position of the selector when the selector is within the active range of the position sensor,

c) to recognize the page identifier,

d) to recognize a selection of the selectable content by the selector, and

e) to send to the electronic user interface a signal associated with the selection.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the page identification sensor comprises an arrangement of optical emitter and detector pairs.

15. An interactive electronic learning device for receiving a book associated with an interactive electronic learning system responsive to a selector, the book having a predetermined orientation, a two-page spread formed by a first page and a second page connected to the first page by a binding attached to a spine, the two-page spread having opposed side edges distal to the binding, each of the opposed side edges having a setback upper portion, a page identifier, selectable content, a first arrangement of selectable mode icons on the two-page spread, the device comprising:

a housing assembly having a base with a base-recess and a cover with a cover-recess;

a hinge assembly connecting the base to the cover, the hinge assembly comprising a first hinge and a second hinge spaced from the first hinge, the first and second hinges having an axis of rotation spaced from the base-recess edge and the cover-recess edge;

a book well formed by the base-recess and the cover-recess, the book well having sidewalls generally conforming to the two-page spread, the sidewalls configured to receive the book when the book is in the predetermined orientation, a portion of each sidewall in registry with the setback upper portion of the two-page spread having a sidewall setback configured, in conjunction with the setback upper portion of the two-page spread, to facilitate access for page turning;

a book mounting assembly having a first mounting element integral with the first hinge and a second mounting element integral with the second hinge, the first and second mounting elements configured to releasably retain the book in the book well;

a physical user interface in the book well, the physical interface comprising a second arrangement of selectable mode icons and an arrangement of selectable indicia;

an electronic user interface in the housing assembly, the electronic user interface comprising a position sensor and an arrangement of light emitting diodes, the position sensor having an active range including the selectable content of the book when the book is in the book well, each of the selectable mode icons is in registry with one light emitting diode of the arrangement of light emitting diodes;

a page identification sensor is in the housing assembly; and

control electronics in the housing assembly, the control electronics comprising;

non-volatile memory having therein instructions associated with each of the selectable mode icons of the first and second arrangements of selectable mode icons and data associated with the selectable indicia and the selectable content; and

a controller in electrical communication with the electronic user interface, the position sensor, and the page identification sensor, the controller configured

a) to operate in accordance with the instructions in the non-volatile memory,

b) to determine a position of the selector when the selector is within the active range of the position sensor,

c) to recognize the page identifier;

d) to recognize a first selection by the selector of one of the selectable mode icons of the first and second arrangements of selectable mode icons and to energize the light emitting diode in registry with the first selection, and

d) to recognize a second selection by the selector of the selectable content of the book or the selectable indicia of the book well and send to the electronic user interface a signal associated with the second selection.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the selector is a finger and the position sensor is a position sensor configured to sense the location of the finger when the finger is in the active range of the position sensor.