Interactive learning appliance

• US 6,801,751 B1
• Filed: 08/04/2000
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Knowledge Kids Enterprises, Inc.
• Original Assignee: LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fishbach, Matt, Brown, Matthew, Wood, Michael C., Marggraff, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Hughes, S. Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADAMS, CHANDA L
• Application Number:
  US09/632,424
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 434/350, 434/362, 434/322, 434/323, 434/307.R, 434/169, 434/167, 434/327, 434/320, 434/351, 434/393, 434/298, 369/63, 463/42, 463/43, 446/297, 446/301, 446/175
• US Class Current: 434/362
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 method for assisting a user in learning is provided. The method may comprise receiving performance information of a user after the user uses an interactive learning appliance. The user performance information is generated by the user'"'"'s use of the interactive learning appliance which is adapted to educate the user about one or more predetermined subjects. The performance information, which may be in the form of a user log file, may be received at a server computer from a site where the user is present.

Claims

1. A method of using an a portable interactive learning appliance, the method including:

a) answering problems selected by the portable interactive learning appliance, after the interactive learning appliance has determined a first current zone for the user from among multiple zones containing problems having respectively different levels of difficulty, wherein the problems selected by the interactive learning appliance are selected from at least the first current zone for the user;

b) sending user performance information generated by the interactive learning appliance after a) to a server computer, wherein the server computer analyzes the user performance information, determines a second current zone for the user, and creates a content package for use in the interactive learning appliance using the analyzed user performance information, wherein the content package includes problems selected from at least the second current zone for the user;

c) receiving the content package;

d) loading the content package into the interactive learning appliance to create a modified interactive learning appliance; and

e) using the modified interactive learning appliance,

wherein the interactive learning appliance is cylindrically shaped and has a body, and wherein the input device is a ring that is disposed around the body.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein c) comprises receiving the content package at a client computer, and wherein the method further comprises:

transferring the content package from the client computer to a linker device and then to a transferable information storage medium before d).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein d) includes inserting a transferable information storage medium into a recess in the body of the interactive learning appliance.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the interactive learning appliance is an educational toy.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the memory or the information storage medium comprises code for spelling problems.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the memory or the information storage medium comprises code for math problems.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises inserting a transferable information storage medium containing the content package into a recess in the body.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the interactive learning appliance comprises a speaker and a display device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein c) comprises receiving the content package at a client computer at a user site, and wherein the method further comprises:

transferring the content package from the client computer to a linker device at the user site and then to a transferable information storage medium before d),

removing the transferable information storage medium from the linker device at the user site; and

then

inserting the transferable information storage medium into a recess in the body of the interactive learning appliance.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the transferable information storage medium comprises a user log file, general audio sequences, and graphical command sequences.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising contacting a Web site on the server computer using the client computer.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising, before a):

using the interactive learning appliance, wherein the interactive learning appliance uses a fast-track zone determining process to determine the user'"'"'s zone.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising, before a):

using the interactive learning appliance, wherein the interactive learning appliance uses a fast-track zone determining process to initially determine a zone of a user, and then a standard fast-track zone determining process to determine the zone of the user.

14. An interactive learning appliance for assisting a user in leaning, the interactive learning appliance comprising:

a) a processor;

b) an input device operatively coupled to the processor;

c) an output device operatively coupled to the processor;

d) a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the memory comprising (i) reusable data, (ii) computer code for analyzing a current zone of the user, (iii) computer code for causing the interactive learning appliance to select problems from at least the current zone of the user, and (iv) computer code for presenting the selected problems to the user via the output device; and

e) an information storage medium comprising a user log file, wherein the user log file stores information relating to the user'"'"'s use of the interactive leaning appliance, and an instruction file including instructions for manipulating the reusable data in the memory so that the output device provides different outputs for the user using the same reusable data,

wherein the interactive learning appliance is portable and comprises a cylindrically shaped housing, and wherein the input device comprises a rotary dial.

15. The interactive learning appliance of claim 14 wherein the information storage medium is a transferable information storage medium.

16. The interactive learning appliance of claim 14 wherein the reusable data comprises reusable audio data.

17. The interactive learning appliance of claim 14 wherein the interactive learning appliance is an educational toy.

18. The interactive learning appliance of claim 14 wherein the memory or the information storage medium comprises code for spelling problems.

19. The interactive learning appliance of claim 14 wherein the memory or the information storage medium comprises code for math problems.

20. The interactive learning appliance of claim 14 wherein the output device is a speaker, and wherein the interactive learning appliance further comprises a display device.

21. The interactive learning appliance of claim 14 wherein the information storage medium is a transferable information storage medium, and wherein the information storage medium is in the form of a cartridge that is insertable in the cylindrically shaped housing.

22. The interactive learning appliance of claim 14 wherein the memory or the transferable information storage medium comprises code for science problems.

23. The interactive learning appliance of claim 14 wherein the memory or the transferable information storage medium comprises code for geography problems.

24. The interactive learning appliance of claim 14 wherein the interactive learning appliance is an educational toy.

25. The interactive learning appliance of claim 14 wherein the memory or the transferable information storage medium comprises code for history problems.

26. A system comprising:

an interactive learning appliance for assisting a user in learning, the interactive learning appliance comprising;

a) a processor;

b) an input device operatively coupled to the processor;

c) an output device operatively coupled to the processor;

d) a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the memory comprising (i) reusable data, (ii) computer code for analyzing a current zone of the user, (iii) computer code for causing the interactive learning appliance to select problems from at least the current zone of the user, and (iv) computer code for presenting the selected problems to the user via the output device; and

e) an information storage medium comprising a user log file, wherein the user log file stores information relating to the user'"'"'s use of the interactive learning appliance, and an instruction file including instructions for manipulating the reusable data in the memory so that the output device provides different outputs for the user using the same reusable data,

wherein the interactive learning appliance is portable and comprises a cylindrically shaped housing, and wherein the input device comprises a rotary dial; and

a linker device, wherein the linker device is adapted to receive the information storage medium.

27. A method comprising:

a) answering problems automatically selected by a portable interactive learning appliance comprising a processor, an input device coupled to the processor, and a speaker coupled to the processor, after the interactive learning appliance has automatically determined a first current zone for the user from among multiple zones of problems having different levels of difficulty, wherein the problems selected by the interactive learning appliance are selected from at least the first current zone for the user and wherein the interactive learning appliance creates a user log file comprising user performance information after the user has answered the problems automatically selected by the interactive learning appliance;

b) after performing a), contacting a server computer at a host site operated by a host entity using a client computer at a user site via a communication medium, wherein the communication medium comprises the Internet;

c) after performing b), uploading the user log file to the server computer operated by the host entity, wherein the server computer operated by the host entity automatically analyzes the user performance information, automatically determines a second current zone for the user based on the analyzed user performance information, and automatically creates a content package for use in the interactive learning appliance using the analyzed user performance information, wherein the content package includes problems selected from at least the second current zone;

d) after performing c), downloading the content package from the server computer operated by the host entity to the client computer at the user site via the communication medium;

e) after performing d), loading the content package into a transferable information storage medium via a linker device coupled to the client computer, wherein the transferable information storage medium is received in the linker device;

f) after performing e), inserting the transferable information storage medium into a recess in the interactive learning appliance to thereafter create a modified interactive learning appliance;

g) after performing f) using the modified interactive learning appliance, wherein the modified interactive learning appliance is not in communication with the server computer when the modified interactive learning appliance uses the content package that was previously downloaded; and

h) after performing g), answering problems automatically selected by the modified interactive learning appliance, wherein the problems that are automatically selected by the interactive learning appliance are from the content package that was previously downloaded from the server computer at the host entity site.

28. A method comprising:

a) answering problems selected by a portable interactive learning appliance, after the interactive learning appliance has determined a first current zone for the user from among multiple zones containing problems having respectively different levels of difficulty, wherein the problems selected by the interactive learning appliance are selected from at least the first current zone for the user;

b) sending user performance information generated by the interactive learning appliance after a) to a server computer via a communication medium, wherein the server computer analyzes the user performance information, determines a second current zone for the user, and creates a content package for use in the interactive learning appliance using the analyzed user performance information, wherein the content package includes problems selected from at least the second current zone for the user;

c) receiving the content package from the server computer via the communication medium;

d) loading the content package into the interactive learning appliance to create a modified interactive learning appliance; and

e) using the modified interactive learning appliance.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the content package comprises problems from the second current zone for the user, a zone above the second current zone for the user, and a zone below the second current zone for the user.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein c) comprises receiving the content package at a client computer, and then transferring the content package to a transferable information storage medium via a linker device, and then inserting the transferable information storage medium into a recess in the interactive learning appliance.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein the problem selected by the portable interactive learning appliance include spelling problem.