Remote teaching system

• US 4,785,472 A
• Filed: 05/11/1987
• Issued: 11/15/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Trustees of The Stevens Institute of Technology (Stevens Institute Of Technology)
• Original Assignee: The Trustees of The Stevens Institute of Technology (Stevens Institute Of Technology)
• Inventors: Shapiro, Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAN, WING F
• Application Number:
  US07/048,158
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 358/85, 379/102, 379/104, 379/105, 379/53, 379/54, 379/96, 434/335, 434/350, 434/339, 434/307
• US Class Current: 379/93.19
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/14 with provision for individual teacher-student communication
• 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

A remote teaching system 2 includes a teacher station 4 and a plurality of student stations 6 which may be located at sites remote from one another. Each station 4, 6 includes a speaker telephone 122, 122'"'"' or other voice telephone set which is connectable to a telephone system 124 for voice communication among the various stations. Each station 4, 6 includes a video display monitor 14, 14'"'"' such as a television set and a video media player 16, 16'"'"' such as a video-tape cassette player connected to the video display monitor 14, 14'"'"'. Each student station 6 also includes a video-media-player controller 8'"'"', 22'"'"' which is connected to the video media player 16'"'"' of the student station 6 for controlling the playing of the player. The teacher station 4 includes a video-media-player master controller 8, 22 connected to the video media player 16 of the teacher station 4 for controlling the playing of the player. The video-media-player master controller 8, 22 of the teacher station 4 and the video-media-player controller 8'"'"', 22'"'"' of the student stations are connectable to the telephone system 124 for transmitting and receiving telephonic control signals over the telephone system, so that the playing of the video media player 16 of the teacher station 4 and the video media players 16'"'"' of the student stations 6 can be synchronized.

Claims

1. A remote teaching system, comprising:

(a) a plurality of student stations, each student station including;

(a.1) a voice telephone set connectable to a telephone system for voice communication;

(a.2) a video display monitor for displaying visual images;

(a.3) a video media player connected to the video display monitor for playing video media to produce visual images on the display monitor, the video media player having a start/stop-control-signal input port and being adapted to start and stop the playing of video media in response to start/stop-control signals applied to the start/stop-control-signal input port; and

(a.4) video-media-player control means connectable to the telephone system and connected to the start/stop-control-signal input port of the video media player for receiving telephonic start/stop control signals over the telephone system and transmitting corresponding start/stop control signals to the start/stop-control-signal input port of the video media player to controllably start and stop the playing of video media in the video media player; and

(b) a teacher station including;

(b.1) a voice telephone set connectable to the telephoee system for voice communication between the teacher station and the student stations;

(b.2) a video display monitor for displaying visual images;

(b.3) a video media player connected to the video display monitor for playing video media to produce visual images on the display monitor, the video media player having a start/stop-control-signal input port and being adapted to start and stop the playing of video media in response to start/stop control signals applied to the start/stop-control-signal input port; and

(b.4) video-media-player master control means connectable to the telephone system and connected to the start/stop-control-signal input port of the video media player of the teacher station for generating start/stop control signals in response to instructions from an operator of the teacher station, for applying the start/stop control signals to the start/stop-control-signal input port of the video media player of the teacher station and for transmitting corresponding telephonic start/stop control signals over the telephone system so that the playing of video media players of the teacher station and of the student stations can be started and stopped substantially in synchronism.

2. The remote teaching system according to claim 1 in which each video-media-player control means comprises:

(a.4.1) a digital computer having random-access memory for storing data and programs, a central processing unit in communication with the random-access memory for executing programs stored in the memory, a keyboard in communication with the random-access memory for entering data and programs into the memory, and an input/output channel, the input/output channel being connected to the start/stop-control-signal input port of the video media player; and

(a.4.2) a modem connected to the input/output channel of the digital computer, the modem being connectable to the telephone system for receiving telephonic start/stop control signals over the telephone system and transmitting corresponding control signals to the input/output channel of the digital computer, the digital computer being capable of transmitting start/stop control signals from the input/output channel to the start/stop-control-signal input port of the video media player in response to the control signals from the modem; and

in which the video-media-player master control means comprises;

(b.4.1) a digital computer having random-access memory for storing data and programs, a central processing unit in communication with the random-access memory for executing programs stored in the memory, a keyboard in communication with the random-access memory for entering data and programs into the memory, and an input/output channel, the input/output channel being connected to the start/stop-control-signal input port of the video media player; and

(b.4.2) a modem connected to the input/output channel of the digital computer, the modem being connectable to the telephone system for receiving start/stop control signals from the input/output channel of the digital computer and transmitting corresponding telephonic control signals over the telephone system.

3. The remote teaching system according to claim 2 in which the input/output channel of each digital computer includes a computer video-signal output port, each input/output channel being capable of generating a computer video signal at the computer video-signal output port for driving a video display monitor;

each student station further including;

(a.5) an electrically-controlled double-throw video-signal switch having a computer video-signal input port, a video-media-player video-signal input port, a display-monitor video-signal output port, and a switch-control-signal input port, the video-signal switch being adapted to connect the display-monitor video-signal output port to either the computer video-signal input port or the video-media-player video-signal input port in response to a video-signal-selection control signal applied to the switch-control-signal input port, the computer video-signal input port being connected to the computer video-signal output port of the digital computer, the video-media-player video signal input port being connected to a video-signal output port of the video media player, the display-monitor video-signal output port being connected to a video-signal input port of the video display monitor, and the switch-control-signal input port being connected to the input/output channel of the digital computer; and

the teacher station further including;

(b.5) an electrically-controlled double-throw video-signal switch having a computer video-signal input port, a video-media-player video-signal input port, a display-monitor video-signal output port, and a switch-control-signal input port, the video-signal switch being adapted to connect the display-monitor video-signal output port to either the computer video-signal input port or the video-media-player video-signal input port in response to a video-signal-selection control signal applied to the switch-control-signal input port, the computer video-signal input port being connected to the computer video-signal output port of the digital computer, the video-media-player video signal input port being connected to a video-signal output port of the video media player, the display-monitor video-signal output port being connected to a video-signal input port of the video display monitor, and the switch-control-signal input port being connected to the input/output channel of the digital computer.

4. The remote teaching system according to claim 3 in which the video media player of each station is a video-tape cassette player.

5. The remote teaching system according to claim 3 in which the video media player of each station is a video disk player.

6. The remote teaching system according to claim 3 in which the modem of each station is an integrated voice/data modem having a data-channel port, a voice-channel port, and a telephone-line connection port, the data channel port being connected to the input/output channel of the digital computer associated with the station, the voice-channel port being connected to the voice telephone set associated with the station, and the telephone-line connection port being connectable to the telephone system.

7. The remote teaching system according to claim 1 in which the voice telephone set of each station is a speaker telephone.

8. The remote teaching station according to claim 2 in which the teacher station further includes:

(b.5) graphics input means connected to the input/output channel of the digital computer of the video-media-player master control means of the teacher station for entering digitally encoded graphics images into the digital computer.

9. The remote teaching station according to claim 8 in which the graphics input means includes a digital graphics tablet.

10. A remote teaching system, comprising:

(a) a teacher station including;

(a.1) a digital computer having random-access memory for storing data and programs, a central processing unit in communication with the random-access memory for executing programs stored in the memory, a keyboard in communication with the random-access memory for entering data and programs into the memory, and an input/output channel, the input/output channel including a computer video-signal output port and a digital-signal output port, the input/output channel being adapted to generate at the computer video-signal output port a computer video signal for driving a video display monitor and to generate digital signals at the digital-signal output port in response to output commands from the central processing unit;

(a.2) a video display monitor having a video-display-monitor video-signal input port, the video display monitor being adapted to display visual images in response to video signals applied to the video-signal input port;

(a.3) a video-tape cassette player having a video-player video-signal output port and a video-player control-signal input port, the video-tape cassette player being adapted to play a video-tape cassette mounted in the player in response to video-player operation control signals applied to the video-player control-signal input port, the video signal obtained from the video tape cassette being produced at the video-player video-signal output port;

(a.4) an electrically-controlled double-throw video-signal switch having a computer video-signal input port, a video-player video-signal input port, a display-monitor video-sinal output port, and a switch-control-signal input port, the electrically-controlled double-throw video-signal switch being adapted to connect the display monitor video-signal output port to one of the computer video-signal input port or the video-player videosignal input port in response to a video-signalselection control signal applied to the switch-control-signal input port;

(a.5) video-signal transmission means connecting respectively (i) the video-player video-signal output port of the video-tape cassette player to the video-player video-signal input port of the video-signal switch, (ii) the computer video-signal output port of the digital computer to the computer video-signal input port of the video-signal switch, and (iii) the display-monitor video-signal output port of the video-signal switch to the video-display-monitor video-signal input port of the video display monitor;

(a.6) video-player control-signal transmission means for connecting the digital signal output port of the input/output channel of the digital computer to the video-player control-signal input port of the video-tape cassette player so that video-player operation control signals produced at the digital-signal output port of the digital computer can controllably start and stop the playing of a video-tape cassette in the video cassette player;

(a.7) a speaker telephone connectable to a telephone system for voice communication;

(a.8) a modem having a data-channel port and a telephone line connection port for transmitting and receiving telephonic data signals over a telephone system; and

(a.9) digital-signal transmission means interconnecting the input/output channel of the digital computer and the data-channel port of the modem; and

(b) a plurality of student stations, each student station being connectable to the telephone system, each student station including;

(b.1) a digital computer having random-access memory for storing data and programs, a central processing unit in communication with the random-access memory for executing programs stored in the memory, a keyboard in communication with the random-access memory for entering data and programs into the memory, and an input/output channel, the input/output channel including a computer video-signal output port and a digital-signal output port, the input/output channel being adapted to generate at the computer video-signal output port a computer video signal for driving a video display monitor and to generate digital signals at the digital-signal output port in response to output commands from the central processing unit;

(b.2) a video display monitor having a video-display-monitor video-signal input port, the video display monitor being adapted to display visual images in response to video signals applied to the video-signal input port;

(b.3) a video-tape cassette player having a video-player video-signal output port and a video-player control-signal input port, the video-tape cassette player being adapted to play a video tape cassette mounted in the player in response to video-player operation control signals applied to the video-player control-signal input port, the video signal obtained from the video tape cassette being produced at the video-player video-signal output port;

(b.4) an electrically-controlled double-throw video-signal switch having a computer video-signal input port, a video-player video-signal input port, a display monitor video-signal output port, and a switch-control-signal input port, the electrically-controlled double-throw video-signal switch being adapted to connect the display monitor video-signal output port to one of the computer video-signal input port or the video-player videosignal input port in response to a video-signalselection control signal applied to the switch-control-signal input port;

(b.5) video-signal transmission means connecting respectively (i) the video-player video-signal output port of the video-tape cassette player to the video-player video-signal input port of the video-signal switch, (ii) the computer video-signal output port of the digital computer to the computer video-signal input port of the video-signal switch, and (iii) the display-monitor video-signal output port of the video-signal switch to the video-display-monitor video-signal input port of the video display monitor;

(b.6) video-player control-signal transmission means for interconnecting the digital signal output port of the input/output channel of the digital computer and the video-player control-signal input port of the video-tape cassette player so that video-player operation control signals produced at the digital-signal output port of the digital computer can controllably start and stop the playing of a video tape cassette in the video-tape cassette player;

(b.7) a speaker telephone connectable to the telephone system for voice communication with the teaching station and with other student stations;

(b.8) a modem having a data channel port and a telephone-line connection port for transmitting and receiving telephonic data signals over on the telephone system; and

(b.9) digital-signal transmission means connecting the input/output channel of the digital computer to the data-channel port of the modem.

11. The remote teaching system according to claim in which each video-tape cassette player is adapted to perform the functions of start, stop, fast forward, reverse and pause to display a single image frame in response to video-player operation control signals applied to the video-player control-signal input port.

12. A remote teaching system, comprising:

(a) a teacher station including

(a.1) a digital computer having random-access memory for storing data and programs, a central processing unit in communication with the random-access memory for executing programs stored in the memory, a keyboard in communication with the random-access memory for entering data and programs into the memory, and an input/output channel, the input/output channel including a computer video-signal output port and a digital-signal output port, the input/output channel being adapted to generate at the computer video-signal output port a computer video signal for driving a video display monitor and to generate digital signals at the digital-signal output port in response to output commands from the central processing unit;

(a.2) a video display monitor having a video-display-monitor video-signal input port, the video display monitor being adapted to display visual images in response to video signals applied to the video-signal input port;

(a.3) a video-tape cassette player having a video-player video-signal output port and a video-player control-signal input port, the video-tape cassette player being adapted to play a video tape cassette mounted in the player in response to video-player start/stop control signals applied to the video-player control-signal input port, the video signal obtained from the video tape cassette being produced at the video-player-video-signal output port;

(a.4) an interface controller having a computer video-signal input port, a video-player video-signal input port, a display-monitor video-signal output port, a computer digital-control-signal input port, and a video-player control-signal output port, the interface controller being adapted to connect the display monitor video-signal output port to one of the computer video-signal input port or the video-player video-signal input port in response to a video-signal-selection control signal applied to the computer digital-control-signal input port, the interface controller being adapted to produce video-player start/stop control signals at the video-player control-signal output port in response to video-player start/stop control signals applied to the computer digital-control-signal input port for controllably starting and stopping the playing of a video tape cassette in the video-tape cassette player;

(a.5) video-signal transmission means connecting respectively (i) the video-player video-signal output port of the video-tape cassette player to the video-player video-signal input port of the interface controller, (ii) the computer video-signal output port of the digital computer to the computer video-signal input port of the interface controller, and (iii) the display-monitor video-signal output port of the interface controller to the video-display-monitor video-signal input port of the video display monitor;

(a.6) control-signal transmission means connecting respectively (i) the digital signal output port of the input/output channel of the digital computer to the computer digital-control-signal input port of the interface controller and (ii) the video-player control-signal output port of the interface controller to the video-player control-signal input port of the video-tape cassette player;

(a.7) a speaker telephone;

(a.8) a voice/data modem having a data-channel port, a voice-channel port and a telephone line connection port adapted to be connected to a telephone system;

(a.9) digital-signal transmission means connecting the input/output channel of the digital computer to the data-channel port of the voice/data modem; and

(a.10) voice-telephonic signal transmission means connecting the voice-channel port of the voice/data modem to the speaker telephone; and

(b) a plurality of student stations, each student station being connectable to the teacher station over a telephone sysem, each student station including;

(b.1) a digital computer having random-access memory for storing data and programs, a central processing unit in communication with the random-access memory for executing programs stored in the memory, a keyboard in communication with the random-access memory for entering data and programs into the memory, and an input/output channel, the input/output channel including a computer video-signal output port and a digital-signal output port, the input/output channel being adapted to generate at the computer video-signal output port a computer video signal for driving a video display monitor and to generate digital signals at the digital-signal output port in response to output commands from the central processing unit;

(b.2) a video display monitor having a video-display-monitor video-signal input port, the video display monitor being adapted to display visual images in response to video signals applied to the video-signal input port;

(b.3) a video-tape cassette player having a video-player video-signal output port and a video-player control-signal input port, the video-tape cassette player being adapted to play a video tape cassette mounted in the player in response to video-player start/stop control signals applied to the video-player control-signal input port, the video signal obtained from the video tape cassette being produced at the video-player video-signal output port;

(b.4) an interface controller having a computer video-signal input port, a video-player video-signal input port, a display monitor video-signal output port, a computer digital-control-signal input port, and a video-player control-signal output port, the interface controller being adapted to connect the display monitor video-signal output port to one of the computer video-signal input port or the video-player video-signal input port in response to a video-signal-selection control signal applied to the computer digital-control-signal input port, the interface controller being adapted to produce video-player start/stop control signals at the video-player control-signal output port in response to video-player start/stop control signals applied to the computer digital-control-signal input port for controllably starting and stopping the playing of a video tape cassette in the video-tape cassette;

(b.5) video-signal transmission means connecting respectively (i) the video-player video-signal output port of the video-tape cassette player to the video-player video signal input port of the interface controller, (ii) the computer video-signal output port of the digital computer to the computer video-signal input port of the interface controller, and (iii) the display-monitor video-signal output port of the interface controller to the video-display-monitor video-signal input port of the video display monitor;

(b.6) control-signal transmission means connecting respectively (i) the digital signal output port of the input/output channel of the digital computer to the computer digital-control-signal input port of the interface controller and (ii) the video-player control-signal output port of the interface controller to the video-player control-signal input port of the video-tape cassette player;

(b.7) a speaker telephone;

(b.8) a voice/data modem having a data-channel port, a voice channel port and a telephone line connection port adapted to be connected to the telephone system for voice/data communication with the teaching station and with other student stations;

(b.9) digital-signal transmission means connecting the input/output channel of the digital computer and the data-channel port of the voice/data modem; and

(b.10) voice telephonic signal transmission means connecting the voice-channel port of the voice/data modem and the speaker telephone.