Methods and apparatus for computer aided reading training

• US 6,056,551 A
• Filed: 08/28/1998
• Issued: 05/02/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bernie Marasco
• Original Assignee: Bernie Marasco
• Inventors: Marasco, Bernie
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rovnak, John Edmund
• Application Number:
  US09/141,917
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 434/156, 434/157, 434/167, 434/169, 434/176, 434/178, 434/179, 434/180, 434/182
• US Class Current: 434/178
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 17/003 electrically operated apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 17/04 for increasing the rate of reading; Reading rate control

Abstract

A method and apparatus for computer aided reading training provides for improving reading speed with comprehension, the method comprising the steps of displaying textual matter in a machine readable format; presenting a designated text display area indicia on a video monitor screen; presenting input device controllable operational indicia on the video monitor screen; and displaying the textual matter within the word display area indicia on the video monitor screen, the textual matter being segmented into textual portions, each of the portions appearing on the monitor screen for a selected duration and at the termination of the selected duration being instantly replaced by each subsequent one of the textual portions in turn, the operational indicia being functional for adjusting the position and approximate quantity of textual matter in each of the textural portions.

Claims

1. A method for improving reading speed with comprehension comprising the steps of:

a) providing textual matter in a machine readable format;

b) presenting a designated text display area indicia on a video monitor screen;

c) presenting input device controllable operational indicia on the video monitor screen;

d) displaying the textual matter within the word display area indicia on the video monitor screen, the textual matter being segmented into textual portions, each of the portions appearing on the monitor screen for a selected duration and at the termination of the selected duration being instantly replaced by each subsequent one of the textual portions in turn, the operational indicia functional for adjusting the approximate quantity of textual matter in each of the textural portions;

e) displaying a device controllable set of burst buttons on the video monitor screen;

f) selecting one of the burst buttons to re-read a previous set of words;

g) selecting another of the burst buttons to re-read a last displayed set of words;

h) selecting a still further one of the burst buttons to display a new set of words;

i) displaying a device controllable set of search buttons on the video monitor screen;

j) selecting one of the search buttons to find a specific word within the textural matter;

k) selecting another of the search buttons to find a set of words within the textural matter;

l) selecting a still further one of the search buttons to find a sentence within the textural matter;

m) displaying a device controllable, scrollable indicia enabled for searching the textual matter data file forward or backward and for displaying the textural matter accordingly; and

n) selecting and dragging the operational scroll indicia to move forward or backward respectively within the textual matter.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the portions of the textual matter, in turn, is centered in the word display area from left to right.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the portions of the textual matter is positioned, in turn, to the right of each previously displayed of the portions of the textual matter, as space in the word display area indicia is available therefor, and at the leftmost position of the word display area when such space is not available.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the textual matter display is started and stopped, with a video monitor screen pointing device operational for manipulation of the input device controllable operational indicia.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein a numerical reading rate is displayed the monitor screen upon termination of the displaying of the textual matter.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the textual matter is displayed with hesitations at selected punctuation marks.

7. An apparatus for use in improving reading speed with comprehension comprising:

a computer system having a means for data storage, a means for data computation and presentation formatting, and a means for data display;

the data display means providing an animated designated word display area and a plurality of animated, input device controllable, operational indicia;

the data computation and presentation formatting means being enabled for presenting a textual matter data file selected from the data storage means, on the data display means as a series of textual portions in timed sequence with each of the textual portions being replaced by a next said textual portion in turn;

a set of selectable burst buttons on the video monitor screen enabled for displaying a preset number of words or sentences before stopping such that users can burst back to re-read a previous set of words, repeat to reread the last set of words, or go forward with a new set of words;

a set of selectable search buttons on the video monitor screen enabled for selecting one of the search buttons to find a specific word within the textural matter, selecting another of the search buttons to find a set of words within the textural matter, and selecting a still further one of the search buttons to find a sentence within the textural matter; and

an operational indicia enabled for searching the textual matter data file forward or backward and for displaying the data file accordingly by dragging the operational indicia with a pointing device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the input device controllable, operational indicia comprise a start-play indicia, a stop-play indicia, a speed control indicia, a backup, forward and repeat selection indicia, a location marker indicia pictorially representing an approximate present text location position within the data file selection, a backup by one textual portion indicia, and a move-forward by one textual portion indicia.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the speed control indicia provides a bar graph, the animation thereof indicating the setting of display speed as a color differentiation between individual bars of the bar graph.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the input device controllable, operational indicia further comprise a search indicia enabled for searching the textual matter data file.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the search indicia is enabled for searching the data file for a single word, for multiple words and for a sentence.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the data display means further provides an indicia for indicating the speed of the data file display after at least a portion thereof has been displayed and wherein the data computation and presentation formatting means is enabled for calculating such speed.

13. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the input device controllable, operational indicia further comprises a scroll indicia enabled for searching the textual matter data file forward or backward and for displaying the data file accordingly.

14. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the data computation and presentation formatting means is enabled for providing the textual matter to be displayed with hesitations at selected punctuation marks.