Interactive audiovisual control mechanism

• US 5,065,345 A
• Filed: 08/21/1990
• Issued: 11/12/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DynEd International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: DynEd International, Inc.
• Inventors: Crane, Douglas, Knowles, Lance
• Primary Examiner(s): Harkcom, Gary V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US07/570,961
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• Field of Search: 434/323, 434/309, 434/308, 434/318, 434/321, 358/341, 358/342, 364/521, 364/518
• US Class Current: 715/202
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/06 Foreign languages with audible presentation of material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied
• 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

An Interactive Audiovisual Control Mechanism (IACM) which, by exploiting recent advances in CD technology which permit rapid random access of discrete audio information (such as an individual sound or utterance), provides for the first time an interactive computer system in which large amounts of high quality audio and video are presented to the user simultaneously. In the preferred embodiment, this is accomplished via random access to both CD/ROM and VD devices, wherein individual visual frames of the VD are displayed on the system'"'"'s display monitor for specified periods of time while discrete sounds and utterances from the CD/ROM are played through the system'"'"'s speaker. Audio from the VD and computer'"'"'s CPU may also be accessed at the same time, as well as computer graphic still images and animation (due to a well-known "GENLOCK" device). A "Control Bar" mechanism provides the user with a consistent user interface which insulates the user from the various sources of this audiovisual information, enabling the user to concentrate on the information itself, not the technology used to present that information. In conjunction with the Control Bar is a "Shuffler" mechanism that provides the user with much of the system'"'"'s appearance of intelligence. While the Control Bar enables the user to access the desired section of the author'"'"'s material (by handling the corresponding random access retrieval of the appropriate audiovisual material from its various sources), the Shuffler controls which particular audio and/or visual components the system selects (from the entire domain of material provided by the author), based upon the user'"'"'s "performance level," which is determined from the user'"'"'s interaction with the system.

Claims

1. An interactive computer system, comprising:

a central processing unit;

an audio output device for playing sounds;

an audio source device for generating said sounds, said audio source device operationally connected to said central processing unit and to said audio output device;

a visual output device for displaying visual images;

a visual source device for generating said visual images, said visual source device operationally connected to said central processing unit and to said visual output device; and

computer control means, operationally connected to said central processing unit for controlling said central processing unit, comprising;

means for generating a plurality of frame segments of audiovisual information, said plurality of frame segments comprising one or more audiovisual frames, said audiovisual frames comprising one or more of said visual images being displayed on said visual output device while one or more of said sounds are being played through said audio output device,

random access audio addressing means for non-sequentially accessing individual sounds generated by said audio source device,

random access visual image addressing means for non-sequentially accessing individual visual images generated by said visual source device, said accessing of said individual visual images from said visual source device being independent of said accessing of said individual sounds from said audio source device, such that said visual images and sounds are not preassociated on the same recording medium,

synchronization means for accessing individual frame segments of audiovisual information, said synchronization means causing said random access audio addressing means to access and play said sounds directly through said audio output device while simultaneously causing said random access visual addressing means to access and display said visual images directly on said visual output device, and

user control means for enabling the user of said interactive computer system to interactively access frame segments of audiovisual information, such that said user control means creates new audiovisual frame segments in real time.

2. The interactive computer system of claim 1 wherein said audio source device is an optical disk device.

3. The interactive computer system of claim 1 wherein said audio source device is a CD device.

4. The interactive computer system of claim 1 wherein said audio source device is a CD/ROM device.

5. The interactive computer system of claim 1 wherein said audio source device is a CDI device.

6. The interactive computer system of claim 1 wherein said audio source device is a VDI device.

7. The interactive computer system of claim 1 wherein said audio source device is a compact disk player and wherein said visual source device is a videodisk player.

8. The interactive computer system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said audiovisual frames comprises both computer graphic visual images generated by said central processing unit and video images generated by said visual source device.

9. The interactive computer system of claim 8 wherein at least one of said audiovisual frames also comprises animated sequences of said computer graphic visual images.

10. The interactive computer system of claim 1 wherein said audio source device is capable of storing at least sixty minutes of at least FM-quality audio information, discrete portions of which are accessible within one and one-half seconds.

11. The interactive computer system of claim 1 wherein said video source device is capable of storing at least thirty minutes of digital audio information, discrete portions of which are accessible within one and one-half seconds.

12. An interactive computer system, comprising:

a central processing unit;

an audio output device for playing sounds;

an audio source device for generating said sounds, said audio source device operationally connected to said central processing unit and to said audio output device;

a visual output device for displaying visual images;

a visual source device for generating said visual images, said visual source device operationally connected to said central processing unit and to said visual output device; and

computer control means, operationally connected to said central processing unit for controlling said central processing unit, comprising;

means for generating a plurality of frame segments of audiovisual information, said plurality of frame segments comprising one or more audiovisual frames, said audiovisual frames comprising one or more visual images being displayed on said visual output device while one or more said sounds are being played through said audio output device,

random access audio addressing means for non-sequentially accessing individual sounds generated by said audio source device,

random access visual image addressing means for non-sequentially accessing individual visual images generated by said visual source device, such that said visual images and sounds are not preassociated on the same recording medium,

synchronization means for accessing individual frame segments of audiovisual information, said synchronization means causing said random access audio addressing means to access and directly play said sounds through said audio output device while simultaneously causing said random access visual addressing means to access and directly display said visual images on said visual output device,

user control means for enabling the user of said interactive computer system to interactively access frame segments of audiovisual information, such that said user control means creates new audiovisual frame segments in real time,

user level determination means for determining the performance level of the user of the interactive computer system, based upon the user'"'"'s previous interaction with that system, such that said user control means creates new audiovisual frame segments in real time,

means for accessing a predefined set of related audiovisual frames,

means for generating, from said set of related audiovisual frames, a subset of said related audiovisual frames, the size of said subset being determined by the performance level of the user, and

means for selecting one of said audiovisual frames from said subset of related audiovisual frames.

13. The interactive computer system of claim 12 wherein said means for selecting one of said audiovisual frames is a pseudo-random process.