Remote controlled classroom signalling device for behavior control

• US 6,072,395 A
• Filed: 03/04/1999
• Issued: 06/06/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mary Ellen Vega
• Original Assignee: Mary Ellen Vega
• Inventors: Vega, Mary Ellen
• Primary Examiner(s): SWANN III, GLEN R
• Application Number:
  US09/262,354
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/540, 340/566, 340/691.1, 340/691.3, 340/693.8, 340/309.4, 340/326, 340/332, 340/815.67, 307/117, 434/237, 434/433
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 23/00 Alarms responsive to unspecified undesired or abnormal conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources

Abstract

A plurality of lights operated by timers and/or a radio frequency remote control device are used to direct students from one activity to another. The lights are preferably arranged in a housing to resemble a traffic signal, the housing also including electrical circuitry to actuate the lights in response to timers, the remote control device, or noise levels above a selected threshold to communicate with the students. For example, a red light could signal the class to be quiet, a yellow light could indicate it is time to prepare for the next classroom activity, and a green light indicate it is time to move on to the next activity. The invention replaces the tedium of vocally repeating classroom instructions with signaling lights controlled automatically or responsive to the remote control device.

Claims

1. A method of teaching, comprising the steps of:

providing, in a housing visible to students in a classroom, red, yellow, and green lights controlled by a control device;

providing, in a remote control, at least one control device for controlling activation of the red, yellow, and green lights in the housing;

activating, prior to the end of an instruction period, the red light to indicate students an instruction period is about to end;

activating, after activation of the red light, the yellow light, to indicate to students that preparations for termination of the instruction period should commence; and

activating the green light when the students have completed preparations for termination of the instruction period to indicate to the students that the instruction period has ended.

2. The method of teaching of claim 1, wherein said step of activating, prior to the end of an instruction period, the red light to indicate students an instruction period is about to end comprises the step of activating, with an internal timer, the red light for a predetermined period at a predetermined programmed time prior to the end of the instruction period.

3. The method of teaching of claim 2, wherein said step of activating, prior to the end of an instruction period, the red light to indicate students an instruction period is about to end further comprises the step of generating a warning tone in conjunction with activation of the red light.

4. The method of teaching of claim 2, wherein said step of activating, after activation of the red light, the yellow light, to indicate to students that preparations for termination of the instruction period should commence comprises the step of activating, with the internal timer, the yellow light after activation of the red light for a predetermined period.

5. The method of teaching of claim 1, wherein said step of activating the green light when the students have completed preparations for termination of the instruction period to indicate to the students that the instruction period has ended comprises the step of activating, with the remote control, the green light when students have completed preparations for termination of the instruction period.

6. The method of teaching of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

monitoring student noise levels using a monitoring means provided within the housing; and

activating the yellow light when noise levels exceed a first predetermined threshold.

7. The method of teaching of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

activating a first warning tone when noise levels exceed the first predetermined threshold.

8. The method of teaching of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

activating the red light when noise levels exceed a second predetermined threshold higher than the first predetermined threshold.

9. The method of teaching of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

activating a second warning tone when noise levels exceed the second predetermined threshold.

10. A teaching apparatus comprising:

a housing resembling a traffic signal;

a red light, a yellow light, and a green light, arranged in the housing so as to resemble red, yellow, and green lights of a traffic signal;

a power supply for providing power to the red light, the yellow light, and the green light; and

a remote control for remotely activating the red light, the yellow light, and the green light.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a timing means, coupled to at least one of the red light, the yellow light, and the green light, for activating a selected one of the red light, the yellow light, and the green light, at a predetermined time.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said timing means activates said red light at a predetermined programmed time prior to the termination of an instruction period.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a tone generating means, for generating at least one tone, wherein said tone generating means generates a first warning tone when said red light is activated.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said timing means deactivates said red light after a second predetermined programmed period and activates said yellow light.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a tone generating means, for generating at least one tone, wherein said tone generating means generates a second warning tone when said yellow light is activated.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

sound level monitoring means, provided in said housing and coupled to said power supply, said red light, said yellow light, and said green light, for monitoring a level of student noise and for activating said yellow light when the student noise exceeds a first predetermined threshold.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a tone generating means, for generating at least one tone, wherein said tone generating means generates a first warning tone the student noise exceeds a first predetermined threshold.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said sound level monitoring means activates said red light when the student noise exceeds a second predetermined threshold.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a tone generating means, for generating at least one tone, wherein said tone generating means generates a second warning tone the student noise exceeds a second predetermined threshold.

20. A teaching apparatus comprising:

a housing resembling a traffic signal;

a red light, a yellow light, and a green light, arranged in the housing so as to resemble red, yellow, and green lights of a traffic signal;

a power supply for providing power to the red light, the yellow light, and the green light; and

sound level monitoring means, provided in said housing and coupled to said power supply, said red light, said yellow light, and said green light, for monitoring a level of student noise and for activating said yellow light when the student noise exceeds a first predetermined threshold.

21. A method of teaching, comprising the steps of:

providing, in a housing visible to students in a classroom, a plurality of differently colored lights controlled by a control device;

providing, in a remote control, at least one control device for controlling activation of the plurality of differently colored lights in the housing;

activating, prior to the end of an instruction period, a first one of the plurality of differently colored lights to indicate students an instruction period is about to end;

activating, after activation of the first one of the plurality of differently colored lights, a second one of the plurality of differently colored lights, to indicate to students that preparations for termination of the instruction period should commence; and

activating a third one of the plurality of differently colored lights when the students have completed preparations for termination of the instruction period to indicate to the students that the instruction period has ended.

22. The method of teaching of claim 21, wherein said step of activating, prior to the end of an instruction period, the first one of the plurality of differently colored lights to indicate students an instruction period is about to end comprises the step of activating, with an internal timer, the first one of the plurality of differently colored lights for a predetermined period at a predetermined programmed time prior to the end of the instruction period.

23. The method of teaching of claim 22, wherein said step of activating, prior to the end of an instruction period, the first one of the plurality of differently colored lights to indicate students an instruction period is about to end further comprises the step of generating a warning tone in conjunction with activation of the first one of the plurality of differently colored lights.

24. The method of teaching of claim 22, wherein said step of activating, after activation of the first one of the plurality of differently colored lights, the second one of the plurality of differently colored lights, to indicate to students that preparations for termination of the instruction period should commence comprises the step of activating, with the internal timer, the second one of the plurality of differently colored lights after activation of the first one of the plurality of differently colored lights for a predetermined period.

25. The method of teaching of claim 21, wherein said step of activating the third one of the plurality of differently colored lights when the students have completed preparations for termination of the instruction period to indicate to the students that the instruction period has ended comprises the step of activating, with the remote control, the third one of the plurality of differently colored lights when students have completed preparations for termination of the instruction period.

26. The method of teaching of claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

monitoring student noise levels using a monitoring means provided within the housing; and

activating the second one of the plurality of differently colored lights when noise levels exceed a first predetermined threshold.

27. The method of teaching of claim 26, further comprising the step of:

activating a first warning tone when noise levels exceed the first predetermined threshold.

28. The method of teaching of claim 26, further comprising the steps of:

activating the first one of the plurality of differently colored lights when noise levels exceed a second predetermined threshold higher than the first predetermined threshold.

29. The method of teaching of claim 28, further comprising the step of:

activating a second warning tone when noise levels exceed the second predetermined threshold.

30. A teaching apparatus comprising:

a housing resembling a traffic signal;

a plurality of differently colored lights arranged in the housing so as to resemble a plurality of differently colored lights of a traffic signal;

a power supply for providing power to the plurality of differently colored lights; and

a remote control for remotely activating each of the plurality of differently colored lights.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising:

a timing means, coupled to at least one of the plurality of differently colored lights, for activating a selected one of the plurality of differently colored lights, at a predetermined time.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said timing means activates the first one of the plurality of differently colored lights at a predetermined programmed time prior to the termination of an instruction period.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising a tone generating means, for generating at least one tone, wherein said tone generating means generates a first warning tone when said first one of the plurality of differently colored lights is activated.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein said timing means deactivates said first one of the plurality of differently colored lights after a second predetermined programmed period and activates a second one of the plurality of differently colored lights.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising a tone generating means, for generating at least one tone, wherein said tone generating means generates a second warning tone when said second one of said plurality of differently colored lights is activated.

36. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising:

sound level monitoring means, provided in said housing and coupled to said power supply and said plurality of differently colored lights, for monitoring a level of student noise and for activating a first one of said plurality of differently colored lights when the student noise exceeds a first predetermined threshold.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, further comprising a tone generating means, for generating at least one tone, wherein said tone generating means generates a first warning tone the student noise exceeds the first predetermined threshold.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said sound level monitoring means activates a second one of said plurality of differently colored lights when the student noise exceeds a second predetermined threshold.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising a tone generating means, for generating at least one tone, wherein said tone generating means generates a second warning tone the student noise exceeds the second predetermined threshold.

40. A teaching apparatus comprising:

a housing resembling a traffic signal;

a plurality of differently colored lights, arranged in the housing so as to resemble a traffic signal; and

a power supply for providing power to said plurality of differently colored lights;

sound level monitoring means, provided in said housing and coupled to said power supply and said plurality of differently colored lights, for monitoring a level of student noise and for activating one of said plurality of differently colored lights when the student noise exceeds a first predetermined threshold.