Learning system with student tape auto compile

• US 6,198,905 B1
• Filed: 10/01/1997
• Issued: 03/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Remschel, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADAMS, CHANDA L
• Application Number:
  US08/942,075
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 434/350, 434/118, 434/362, 434/322
• US Class Current: 434/350
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/04 with audible presentation of the material to be studied sound recording or reproducing G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student

Abstract

A learning system is provided which includes a plurality of student units for use by students, a teacher unit for use by a teacher, and a plurality of master storage devices that store information reproduced by the student units. The learning system includes a computer for use also by the teacher that operates to control each of the student units. The computer also provides the feature of student tape auto compile in which the student units are controlled to record student responses/answers, selected student units are controlled to reproduce the respective recorded information in a predetermined format, and the master unit(s) is controlled to record the information output by the selected student units. Various user selections during student tape auto compile include which student recordings to be compiled, the compiling format (e.g., sequential by student, sequential by question number), amount of student recording time, and which master units are to be used during compiling.

Claims

1. A learning system, comprising:

a plurality of student units, each adapted to store at least audio information supplied from a respective student, each of said student units being further operable to output said stored audio information;

a master unit for storing said audio information output by each of said student units; and

a teacher unit including a computer having a display and a graphic user interface for controlling each of said student units and said master unit, said computer adapted to selectively control each of said plurality of student units to output a selected portion of said stored audio information in a predetermined format for a predetermined period of time and to control the master unit to store the audio information output by the selected student units.

2. The learning system of claim 1, further comprising a user input device for inputting at least a compile command, said stored audio information from at least one of said student units being compiled in response to said compile command.

3. The learning system of claim 2, wherein at least one of said students is assigned to a group, said compile command including at least a group selection whereby said stored audio information associated with all students in said selected group is compiled.

4. The learning system of claim 3, wherein said computer displays a total amount of time necessary for said master unit to store the audio information supplied by the student units of said students assigned to the selected group.

5. The learning system of claim 1, further comprising a user input device for receiving from a user a storage capacity of said storage medium;

said computer being operable to identify and display to said user the number of storage mediums having said storage capacity necessary to store the audio information supplied from the student units in the group.

6. The learning system of claim 5, wherein the required total storage time is less than a playback time of said stored audio information.

7. The learning system of claim 1, wherein said master unit further comprises a plurality of master storage devices for storing audio information onto respective storage mediums.

8. The learning system of claim 7, further comprising a user input device for inputting information identifying at least one of said master devices to store said stored audio information output by the selected student units.

9. The learning system of claim 1, further comprising a user input device for receiving from a user time information identifying an amount of time to be recorded from each selected student unit, said computer controlling the selected student units to reproduce the respective stored audio information only for said identified amount of time.

10. The learning system of claim 1, wherein said computer is operable, in response to a sequential storage instruction, to control the selected student units to reproduce the respective stored audio information sequentially so that all of the audio information reproduced by a first student unit is stored by the master unit prior to the storing of the audio information reproduced by a second student unit.

11. The learning system of claim 1, wherein said audio information supplied by each of said students and stored by each of the respective student units is comprised of a plurality of successive student answers;

said computer being operable, in response to a question order storage instruction, to control the selected student units to reproduce the respective stored audio information in a manner so that said master unit stores a respective student answer of each of said students prior to storing a subsequent student answer of each of said students.

12. A learning system, comprising:

a plurality of student recording/reproducing means for storing at least audio information supplied by a plurality of students and for outputting the respective stored audio information;

master storing means for storing said audio information output by the student recording/reproducing means;

control means for controlling each of said student recording/reproducing means and said master recording means, said control means being adapted to selectively control each of said plurality of said student recording/reproducing means to output a selected portion of said stored audio information in a predetermined format for a predetermined period of time and to control the master storage means to store the audio information output by the selected student recording/reproducing means; and

input means for receiving from a user a recording capacity of said storage medium; and

said control means including means for displaying to said user the number of storage mediums having said storage capacity necessary to store the audio information supplied from the student recording/reproducing means in the group.

13. The learning system of claim 12, wherein the required total storage time is less than a playback time of said stored audio information.

14. A learning system, comprising:

a plurality of student recording/reproducing means for storing at least audio information supplied by a plurality of students and for outputting the respective stored audio information;

master storing means for storing said audio information output by the student recording/reproducing means; and

control means for controlling each of said student recording/reproducing means and said master recording means, said control means being adapted to selectively control each of said plurality of said student recording/reproducing means to output a selected portion of said stored audio information in a predetermined format for a predetermined period of time and to control the master storage means to store the audio information output by the selected student recording/reproducing means;

wherein said master recording means further comprises a plurality of master storage means for storing audio information onto respective storage mediums.

15. The learning system of claim 14, further comprising user input means for inputting information identifying at least one of said master storage means to store said stored audio information output by the selected student recording/reproducing means.

16. A learning system, further comprising:

a plurality of student recording/reproducing means for storing at least audio information supplied by a plurality of students and for outputting the respective stored audio information;

master storing means for storing said audio information output by the student recording/reproducing means;

control means for controlling each of said student recording/reproducing means and said master recording means, said control means being adapted to selectively control each of said plurality of said student recording/reproducing means to output a selected portion of said stored audio information in a predetermined format for a predetermined period of time and to control the master storage means to store the audio information output by the selected student recording/reproducing means; and

user input means for receiving from a user time information identifying an amount of time to be recorded from each selected student means, said control means controlling the selected student recording/reproducing means to reproduce the respective stored audio information only for said identified amount of time.

17. A method of controlling a learning system having a plurality of student units and a master unit, comprising the steps of:

storing by each of said student units at least audio information supplied by a respective one of a plurality of students;

selecting a student tape compile profile on a teacher unit graphical user interface;

controlling selected ones of said student units to reproduce a selected portion of the respective stored audio information in a predetermined format for a predetermined period of time in accordance with said student tape compile profile; and

storing the audio information output by the student units.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising steps of:

assigning each of said plurality of students to one of a plurality of groups;

receiving a compile instruction from a user; and

reproducing stored audio information from said student units in accordance with said compile instruction.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said compile information includes at least a selected group, said stored audio information being reproduced from said student units assigned to the selected group.

20. The learning method of claim 19, further comprising the step of displaying a total amount of time necessary to store the audio information reproduced by said each of said student units.

21. The learning method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

receiving from a user a storage capacity of said storage medium;

identifying the number of storage mediums having said storage capacity necessary to store the audio information supplied by the students and stored on the respective student units; and

displaying the identified number of necessary storage mediums.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

identifying at least one of a plurality of master storage devices to store on respective storage mediums the audio information output by the selected student units; and

storing the output audio information by the identified master storage devices.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

identifying an amount of time for output of said stored audio information of each selected student unit; and

outputting stored audio information from said student units only for said identified amount of time.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of reproducing the stored audio information sequentially so that all of the audio information reproduced by a first student unit is stored on the storage medium prior to the storage on the storage medium of the audio information reproduced by a second student unit.

25. The method system of claim 17, further comprising the step of reproducing the respective stored audio information in a manner so that a first student answer of each of said students is stored on the storage medium prior to storing on the storage medium of a second student answer of each of said students.