Education system challenging a subject's physiologic and kinesthetic systems to synergistically enhance cognitive function

• US 6,749,432 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2002
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Impulse Technology Limited
• Original Assignee: Impulse Technology Limited
• Inventors: French, Barry J., Ferguson, Kevin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rovnak, John Edmund
• Application Number:
  US10/128,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20030077556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 434/219, 434/247, 434/248, 434/249, 434/250, 434/251, 434/252, 434/253, 434/254, 434/255, 434/256, 434/257, 434/258, 434/262, 434/322, 434/323, 434/236, 434/362
• US Class Current: 434/247
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1127 using markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4866 Evaluating metabolism A61B5/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0025 Tracking the path or location of one or more users, e.g. players of a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/12 specially adapted for children
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0024 for hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0055 with means for distracting the user, e.g. visual or audio means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8005 Athletics
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

An interactive educational system includes a tracking system for determining changes in an overall physical location of a student, and a display for displaying cues for the student to engage in full-body motion and to engage in an interactive cognitive learning task. An educational method includes prompting a student to engage in an interactive cognitive learning task which involves full body motion, thereby enabling the student to reach the enhanced learning state which results from elevated metabolic rate, and synergistically engaging the student'"'"'s kinesthetic learning facilities.

Claims

1. A method of educating comprising:

prompting a person to engage in body core movement which elevates the person'"'"'s metabolic rate; and

prompting the person to engage in a cognitive academic learning task while the person'"'"'s metabolic rate is elevated,

wherein the prompting to engage in a cognitive academic learning task includes displaying a view of a virtual space, and

wherein the promoting to engage in body core movement and the prompting to engage in a cognitive academic learning task both include promoting the person to engage in a body core movement cognitive academic learning task.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the prompting to engage in a body core movement cognitive academic learning task includes tracking an overall physical location of a person within a defined physical space;

updating in real time a virtual location corresponding to the physical location of the person;

updating in real time the view of the virtual space; and

displaying the view in real time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the prompting to engage in a body core movement cognitive academic learning task further includes updating the location of a virtual protagonist icon in the virtual space.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the updating a view includes updating a first person perspective view of the virtual space from the virtual location.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the displaying the view includes displaying cognitive learning elements.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the prompting to engage in a body core movement cognitive academic learning task includes delivering cognitive learning challenges to the person by a computer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the prompting to engage in a body core movement cognitive academic learning task includes prompting the person to engage in interactive challenges that involve manipulation of objects in a virtual world by body core movement of the person in a defined physical space.

8. The method of claim 1, further including ascertaining the degree of metabolic rate elevation.

9. The method of claim 8, further including adjusting the prompting to engage in body core movement to maintain the metabolic rate elevation at a desired level.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the ascertaining the degree of metabolic rate elevation includes monitoring the person'"'"'s heart rate.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the monitoring the person'"'"'s heart rate includes monitoring the heart rate using a sensor worn by the person.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the prompting the person to engage in a body core movement cognitive learning task includes progressively prompting the person, such that the person is initially presented with challenges that are easily solved through movement, and is thereafter presented with progressively more difficult challenges.

12. An interactive education system comprising:

a continuous tracking system for determining changes in an overall physical location of a person, in a defined physical space; and

a computer operatively coupled to the tracking system for updating in real time a virtual location in a virtual space corresponding to the physical location of the person in the physical space, and for updating a view of the virtual space,

wherein the view includes cognitive academic learning material; and

wherein the tracking system and the computer provide an interactive academic educational challenge wherein movement of the body core of the person in the physical space causes manipulation of objects in the virtual space.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising a display operatively coupled to the computer for displaying the view.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising a metabolic rate monitor worn by the person and operatively coupled to the computer.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the metabolic rate monitor is a heart monitor.

16. An interactive education system comprising:

means for elevating a person'"'"'s metabolic rate by prompting body core movement of the person; and

means for engaging the person in a cognitive academic learning task while the person'"'"'s metabolic rate is elevated, and

wherein the means for engaging includes, along with the means for elevating, means for prompting the person to engage in a body core movement cognitive academic learning task.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising means for ascertaining the person'"'"'s metabolic rate.