Pulsed-tone timing exercise method

• US 5,592,143 A
• Filed: 07/25/1994
• Issued: 01/07/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Focus International, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Focus International, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Bushman, William R., Romney, Julie B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US08/279,440
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 340/309.15, 340/323 R, 340/384.7, 340/384.71, 340/384.5, 340/384.4, 340/384.3, 84/470 R, 84/484, 84/479 R, 84/636, 434/178, 434/179
• US Class Current: 340/309.16
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 5/025 Electronic metronomes rhytem generation for electrophonic musical instruments G10H1/36
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 17/04 for increasing the rate of reading; Reading rate control

Abstract

A pulsed-tone timing method. Pulsed audible guide tones are activated at an initial pulsing rate. The pulsing rate is manipulated so as to repeatable (i) increase the pulsing rate over a time span to an intermediate pulsing rate and (ii) abruptly drop the pulsing rate to a decreased rate between the intermediate pulsing rate and a previous rate, until a predetermined final pulsing rate is reached. The pulsing rate can be manipulated such that each subsequent intermediate pulsing rate pulses at a faster rate than previous intermediate pulsing rates. The method can be used in many activities. For example, a reader can read a line of text per each guide tone while keeping pace with the specifically timed rate increases, thereby increasing reading effort and reading speed.

Claims

1. A pulsed-tone pacing method comprising the steps of:

(a) activating pulsed audible guide tones at an initial pulsing rate; and

(b) repeatably (i) increasing the pulsing rate over a time span to a successively higher pulsing rate and (ii) abruptly dropping the pulsing rate to a lower rate between the higher pulsing rate and the initial pulsing rate, until a final pacing rate is reached.

2. A pulsed-tone timing method as defined in claim 1 wherein step (b) further comprises performing substeps (i) and (ii) such that each successively higher pulsing rate pulses at a faster rate than previous pulsing rates.

3. A pulsed-tone timing method as defined in claim 1 wherein step (a) further comprises activating at least one weaker tone following each guide tone.

4. A pulsed-tone timing method as defined in claim 1 wherein step (a) further comprises activating each guide tone in the form of a continuous tone of longer duration and further activating at least one pulsed tone of a shorter duration following each guide tone.

5. A pulsed-tone timing method as defined in claim 4 wherein step (a) further comprises activating the at least one pulsed tone in the form of a series of pulsed tones collectively having a shorter duration than a preceding guide tone.

6. A pulsed-tone timing method as defined in claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises the steps of:

(c) selecting a desired pulsing rate percentage increase;

(d) uniformly increasing the pulsing rate over a first time span to a first higher pulsing rate equal to approximately one-half of the desired percentage increase above the initial pulsing rate;

(e) abruptly dropping the pulsing rate to a first lower pulsing rate equal to approximately one-fourth of the desired percentage increase above the initial pulsing rate;

(f) uniformly increasing the pulsing rate over a second time span to a second higher pulsing rate equal to approximately three-fourths of the desired percentage increase above the initial pulsing rate;

(g) abruptly dropping the pulsing rate to a second lower pulsing rate equal to approximately one-half of the desired percentage increase above the initial pulsing rate;

(h) uniformly increasing the pulsing rate over a third time span to a final pacing rate equal to approximately the full desired percentage increase above the initial pulsing rate.

7. A pulsed-tone timing method as defined in claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

(i) interrupting the pulsing rate following step (d) with a period of silent delay prior to commencing with step (e);

(j) interrupting the pulsing rate following step (f) with a period of silent delay prior to commencing with step (g);

(k) interrupting the pulsing rate following step (h) with a period of silent delay and then re-activating the pulsed audible guide tones at the final pulsing rate.

8. A reading exercise method for increasing a reading rate of a reader, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) activating pulsed audible guide tones at an initial pulsing rate and simultaneously reading a segment of text per each pulsed audible guide tone at a corresponding initial reading rate;

(b) repeatably (i) increasing the pulsing rate, and thus the reading rate, over a time span to a successively higher pulsing and reading rate and (ii) abruptly dropping the pulsing rate, and thus the reading rate, to a lower pulsing and reading rate between the higher pulsing and reading rate and the initial pulsing and reading rate, until a final pulsing rate and corresponding final reading rate are reached.

9. A reading exercise method as defined in claim 8, wherein step (b) further comprises performing substeps (i) and (ii) such that each successively higher pulsing rate pulses at a faster rate than previous pulsing rates.

10. A reading exercise method as defined in claim 8 wherein step (a) further comprises activating at least one weaker tone following each guide tone.

11. A reading exercise method as defined in claim 8 wherein step (a) further comprises activating each guide tone in the form of a continuous tone and simultaneously reading a line of text from left to right per each guide tone, and activating at least one pulsed tone following each guide tone while moving one'"'"'s line of sight from right to left to a following line of text.

12. A reading exercise method as defined in claim 11 wherein step (a) further comprises activating the at least one pulsed tone in the form of a series of pulsed tones collectively having a shorter duration than a preceding guide tone.

13. A reading exercise method as defined in claim 8, wherein step (b) further comprises the steps of:

(c) selecting a desired pulsing and reading rate percentage increase;

(d) uniformly increasing the pulsing and reading rate over a first time span to a first higher pulsing and reading rate equal to approximately one-half of the desired percentage increase above the initial pulsing and reading rate;

(e) abruptly dropping the pulsing and reading rate to a first lower pulsing and reading rate equal to approximately one-fourth of the desired percentage increase above the initial pulsing and reading rate;

(f) uniformly increasing the pulsing and reading rate over a second time span to a second higher pulsing and reading rate equal to approximately three-fourths of the desired percentage increase above the initial pulsing and reading rate;

(g) abruptly dropping the pulsing and reading rate to a second lower pulsing and reading rate equal to approximately one-half of the desired percentage increase above the initial pulsing and reading rate;

(h) uniformly increasing the pulsing and reading rate over a third time span to a final pulsing and reading rate equal to approximately the full desired percentage increase above the initial pulsing and reading rate.

14. A reading exercise method as defined in claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

(i) interrupting the pulsing and reading rate following step (d) with a period of silent delay prior to commencing with step (e);

(j) interrupting the pulsing and reading rate following step (f) with a period of silent delay prior to commencing with step (g);

(k) interrupting the pulsing and reading rate following step (h) with a period of silent delay and then re-activating the pulsed audible guide tones at the final pulsing and reading rate.

15. A reading exercise method for increasing a reading rate of a reader from a first reading rate to a second reading rate, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) activating pulsed audible guide tones over at least one time span at an exercise pulsing rate and simultaneously reading a segment of text per each pulsed audible guide tone at a corresponding exercise reading rate, wherein said exercise pulsing rate is higher than a first pulsing rate corresponding to the first reading rate;

(b) dropping the pulsing and reading rates to the first pulsing and reading rates and producing a pulsing increase in the pulsing rate to thereby increase said pulsing and reading rates over a time span;

(c) selectively discontinuing the pulsing increase when the pulsing rate attains a desired second pulsing rate and maintaining a flat reading rate at the desired second pulsing rate and corresponding second reading rate.

16. A reading exercise method as defined in claim 15 wherein step (a) further comprises activating the pulsed audible guide tones at an exercise pulsing rate which represents a 50% increase above the first pulsing rate.

17. A reading exercise method as defined in claim 16 wherein step (c) further comprises interrupting the pulsing increase when the pulsing rate attains a desired second pulsing rate which is less than the exercise pulsing and reading rate.

18. A reading exercise method as defined in claim 15 wherein step (a) further comprises activating the pulsed audible guide tones over a plurality of time spans and re-reading the same segments of text during each time span.