Card type of electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus
First Claim
1. A card type of electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus comprising a plurality of card means;
- each of said card means having a surface on which a sensory-information representation in visual, tactile, and/or odorous form is provided to present pictorial-symbol information and/or language-symbol information, to include imagery, alphabetic letters, phonemes, words, text, numerals, and/or arithmetical symbols;
coding means associated with each of said plurality of card means, identifying said sensory-information representation;
a first housing means having a plurality of card slots in combination with a visually and functionally distinctive button associated with each said card slot wherein one of a plurality of said card means may be inserted in each of said card slots;
decoding means for reading said coding means;
operator-input means whereby an input signal is generated as a result of selection by the operator, by the pressing of one of said visually and functionally distinctive buttons;
a memory means containing audio information as vocal expression and/or nonvocal sound corresponding to each of said plurality of card means;
a control means associated with said decoding means reacting to said input signal, by the pressing of one of said visually and functionally distinctive buttons thereby accessing from said memory means said audio information corresponding to said particular card means; and
output means associated with said memory means and said control means for converting said audio information, as vocal expression and/or nonvocal sound, into sensory-output information representative of a particular one of said card means.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic learning system that utilizes a plurality of coded cards on which sensory-information representations are provided to present pictorial-symbol information and/or language-symbol information, in conjunction with a housing that contains card slots in combination with a visually and functionally distinctive button associated with each individual card slot and a button associated in an equal manner to all card slots, wherein a card may be inserted in each of the card slots. The operator can cause the system to generate unique audible information associated with the sensory-information representation provided on any selected card by pressing the visually and functionally distinctive button associated with the card slot in which the card is inserted. The operator can also cause the system to generate, automatically and sequentially, unique audible information associated with the sensory-information representation provided on each inserted card and, depending on the type of cards installed, perform secondary functions as the individual cards are being accessed, such as, mathematical computations, pattern recognition, and spelling accuracy by pressing the visually and functionally distinctive button associated in an equal manner with all card slots, after which automatic tertiary functions take place such as the accuracy of the result of mathematical computations are accessed and an audible message is generated; an audible message equivalent to the combination of the installed cards is generated; and the accuracy of the spelling of words formed by individual cards is determined and an audible message is generated.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A card type of electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus comprising a plurality of card means;
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each of said card means having a surface on which a sensory-information representation in visual, tactile, and/or odorous form is provided to present pictorial-symbol information and/or language-symbol information, to include imagery, alphabetic letters, phonemes, words, text, numerals, and/or arithmetical symbols; coding means associated with each of said plurality of card means, identifying said sensory-information representation; a first housing means having a plurality of card slots in combination with a visually and functionally distinctive button associated with each said card slot wherein one of a plurality of said card means may be inserted in each of said card slots; decoding means for reading said coding means; operator-input means whereby an input signal is generated as a result of selection by the operator, by the pressing of one of said visually and functionally distinctive buttons; a memory means containing audio information as vocal expression and/or nonvocal sound corresponding to each of said plurality of card means; a control means associated with said decoding means reacting to said input signal, by the pressing of one of said visually and functionally distinctive buttons thereby accessing from said memory means said audio information corresponding to said particular card means; and output means associated with said memory means and said control means for converting said audio information, as vocal expression and/or nonvocal sound, into sensory-output information representative of a particular one of said card means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A card type of electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus comprising a plurality of card means;
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said card means divided into a plurality of types including a first, second, third, and fourth card means; a plurality of said first card means having a surface on which a sensory-information representation in visual, tactile, and/or odorous form is provided to present pictorial-symbol information and/or language-symbol information, to include imagery, alphabetic letters, phonemes, words, text, numerals, and/or arithmetical symbols; coding means associated with each of said plurality of first card means, identifying said card means as said first card means and identifying said sensory-information representation; a first housing means having a plurality of card slots in combination with a visually and functionally distinctive button associated in an equal manner with all of said card slots wherein one of a plurality of said card means may be inserted in each of said card slots; decoding means for reading said coding means; operator-input means whereby an input signal is generated as a result of selection by the operator, by the pressing of said visually and functionally distinctive button; a memory means containing audio information as vocal expression and/or nonvocal sound corresponding to each of said plurality of first card means; a control means associated with said decoding means reacting to said input signal, by the pressing of said visually and functionally distinctive button thereby sequentially accessing from said memory means said audio information corresponding to each inserted said first card means; and output means associated with said memory means and said control means for converting said audio information, as vocal expression and/or nonvocal sound, into sensory-output information representative of each sequentially accessed said first card means. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus comprising
a plurality of sensory-information representations; -
a memory means containing audio information as vocal expression and/or nonvocal sound corresponding to each of said plurality of sensory-information representations; said memory means in addition containing audio information as vocal expression corresponding to a word or fraction thereof formed by a consecutive arrangement of a group of said sensory-information representations; said memory means in addition containing audio information as vocal expression concerning solutions to a plurality of arithmetical problems formed by a consecutive arrangement of a group of said sensory-information representations; said memory means in addition containing audio information as vocal expressions representing comments reflecting on the said arithmetical problems formed by a consecutive arrangement of a group of said sensory-information representations and the operator'"'"'s response to said arithmetical problems; said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus possessing the ability of entering said audio information from a source external to said apparatus into said memory means corresponding to each of said plurality of sensory-information representations; said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus possessing the ability of being operable in a plurality of modes of operation to include the first and second modes of operation; said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus possessing the ability to interpret said plurality of sensory-information representations into a plurality of functional categories for unique treatment to include the first, second, and third functional categories; an operator-input means whereby an input signal is generated as a result of selection by the operator of a particular one of said plurality of sensory-information representations when said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus is in said first mode of operation; said operator-input means whereby an input signal is generated as a result of selection by the operator of a multiple of said plurality of sensory-information representations when said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus is in said second mode of operation; a control means for selectively accessing said audio information from said memory means in an operating order defined by said operating mode of said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus and said functional-category of selected said sensory-information representations; said control means in addition reacting to said input signal generated in response to operator selection of a particular one of said plurality of sensory-information representations when said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus is in said first mode of operation by accessing from said memory means said audio information corresponding to said particular sensory-information representation; a sensory-information-illumination means reacting to said input signal generated in response to operator selection of a particular one of said plurality of sensory-information representations when said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus is in said first mode of operation by illuminating said particular sensory-information representation; said control means in addition reacting to said input signal generated in response to operator selection of a multiple of said plurality of sensory-information representations that have been interpreted by said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus as said first functional-category representations when said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus is in said second mode of operation by sequentially accessing from said memory means said audio information corresponding to each of said sensory-information representations; said control means in addition reacting to said input signal generated in response to operator selection of a multiple of said plurality of sensory-information representations that have been interpreted by said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus as said first functional-category representations when said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus is in said second mode of operation by adjusting the time between the access from said memory means of said audio information corresponding to said sensory-information representations to a time defined by an intercard-time means; said control means in addition reacting to said input signal generated in response to operator selection of a multiple of said plurality of sensory-information representations that have been interpreted by said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus as said second functional-category representations when said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus is in said second mode of operation by sequentially accessing from said memory means said audio information corresponding to each of said sensory-information representations, and automatically repeating the sequential accessing of each of said sensory-information representations while reducing the access time between said sensory-information representations at the start of each sequence, and after a finite number of access sequences of said memory means, said audio information corresponding to a word or fraction thereof formed by the consecutive arrangement of a group of said sensory-information representations is accessed from said memory means; said control means in addition reacting to said input signal generated in response to operator selection of a multiple of said plurality of sensory-information representations that have been interpreted by said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus as said second functional-category representations when said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus is in said second mode of operation by adjusting the initial time between the sequential access from said memory means to a time defined by said intercard-time means; said control means in addition reacting to said input signal generated in response to operator selection of a multiple of said plurality of sensory-information representations that have been interpreted by said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus as said third functional-category representations when said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus is in said second mode of operation by sequentially accessing from said memory means said audio information corresponding to each of said sensory-information representations; said control means in addition reacting to said input signal generated in response to operator selection of a multiple of said plurality of sensory-information representations that have been interpreted by said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus as said third functional-category representations when said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus is in said second mode of operation by adjusting the time between the access from said memory means to a time defined by said intercard-time means; said sensory-information-illumination means reacting to said input signal generated in response to operator selection of a multiple of said plurality of sensory-information representations when said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus is in said second mode of operation by sequentially illuminating each of said sensory-information representations; a logic means including arithmetical-problem-solution means for performing the arithmetical problem created through the sequential access, caused by said input signal generated in response to operator selection, of a consecutive arrangement of a group of said plurality of sensory-information representations that have been interpreted by said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus as said third functional-category representations when said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus is in said second mode of operation; a comparator means associated with said arithmetical-problem-solution means and said sensory-information representations for determining the accuracy of the solution to the arithmetical problem created through the sequential access, caused by said input signal generated in response to operator selection, of a consecutive arrangement of a group of said plurality of sensory-information representations that have been interpreted by said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus as said third functional-category representations when said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus is in said second mode of operation; said logic means including said arithmetical-problem-solution means in addition accessing from said memory means said audio information concerning a solution to the arithmetical problem created through the sequential access, caused by said input signal generated in response to operator selection, of a consecutive arrangement of a group of said plurality of sensory-information representations that have been interpreted by said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus as said third functional-category representations when said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus is in said second mode of operation; said logic means including said arithmetical-problem-solution means in addition for accessing from said memory means said audio information representing comments reflecting on the operator'"'"'s response to the arithmetical problem created through the sequential access, caused by said input signal generated in response to operator selection, of a consecutive arrangement of a group of said plurality of sensory-information representations that have been interpreted by said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus as said third functional-category representations when said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus is in said second mode of operation; an output means associated with said memory means for converting said accessed audio information into sensory-output information; said output means associated with said memory means for converting said audio information into said sensory-output information representative of a particular one of said plurality of sensory-information representations when said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus is in said first mode of operation; said output means in addition associated with said memory means for converting said audio information into said sensory-output information representative of a multiple of sequentially accessed said plurality of sensory-information representations when said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus is in said second mode of operation; said output means in addition associated with said memory means for converting said audio information from said memory means corresponding to a word or fraction thereof formed by a consecutive arrangement of a group of said sensory-information representations interpreted by said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus as said second functional-category representations into sensory-output information when said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus is in said second mode of operation; said output means in addition associated with said memory means and said logic means, which includes said arithmetical-problem-solution means for converting said audio information from said memory means concerning solutions to said arithmetical problems into said sensory-output information when said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus is in said second mode of operation and said sensory-information representations are interpreted by said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus as said third functional-category representations; said output means in addition associated with said memory means and said logic means, which includes said arithmetical-problem-solution means for converting said audio information from said memory means representing comments reflecting on the operator'"'"'s response to said arithmetical problems into said sensory-output information when said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus is in said second mode of operation and said sensory-information representations are interpreted by said electronic learning aid/teaching apparatus as said third functional-category representations; and said control means in addition for the coordination of said sensory-information-illumination means and said output means. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification