Computer software and portable memory for an electronic educational toy

• US 7,006,786 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2003
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tinkers & Chance
• Original Assignee: Tinkers & Chance
• Inventors: Marcus, Brian I., Heit, Warren S.
• Primary Examiner(s): ADAMS, CHANDA L
• Application Number:
  US10/455,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20040063079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 434/128, 434/159, 434/169, 434/171, 434/172, 434/176, 434/177, 434/178, 434/185, 434/191, 434/193, 434/195, 434/201, 434/204, 434/208, 434/209, 434/308, 434/309, 434/310, 434/311, 434/314, 434/323, 434/335, 434/340, 434/344, 434/362
• US Class Current: 434/362
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 1/06 and being attachable to, or mounted on, the support
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 1/16 the elements each bearing a plurality of different symbols, signs, or combinations of symbols and signs, only one symbol, sign, or combination thereof, of each element to be used at a time
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 1/36 the elements being connectible by corresponding projections and recesses
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 11/00 Teaching hand-writing, shorthand, drawing, or painting
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 17/00 Teaching reading teaching lip-reading G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 17/003 electrically operated apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/025 with electrically operated apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/04 Speaking with audible presentation of the material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 3/02 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/04 characterised by modifying the teaching programme in response to a wrong answer, e.g. repeating the question, supplying a further explanation

Abstract

Computer software and portable memory for an electronic educational toy designed to stimulate the development of a child'"'"'s mind using audio feedback, the educational toy including an enclosure enclosing a processor, data storage medium and a speaker and having a substantially flat surface, at least a portion of which comprises a work platform on which a child manipulates and places an object.

Claims

1. A portable memory to add educational software to an electronic educational toy by a user thereof, the educational software designed to teach letters of an alphabet, the portable memory comprising:

a portable memory housing designed to be compatible with and inserted into a portable memory receiving device associated with the electronic toy by the user thereof;

a memory medium contained in the portable memory housing; and

computer software embodied on the memory medium for use with a toy processor in the educational toy, the computer software having;

data for use by the toy processor to generate a plurality of questions or instructions output via a speaker, the question or instruction designed to encourage a child to make a cognitive selection of a letter and indicate the cognitive selection of the letter by placing a graspable object on a work platform, the work platform formed on at least a portion of a substantially flat surface of the toy and the question or instruction having at least one correct response;

data for use by the toy processor to determine whether the child'"'"'s cognitive selection of the letter as indicated by the placement of the object by the child on the work platform corresponds to a correct response to the question or instruction using information from one or more sensors for sensing the placement of the graspable object on the work platform, the graspable object capable of being placed and sensed in arbitrary child-defined locations on the work platform, the placement of the graspable object on the work platform in response to the question or instruction indicating the cognitive selection by the child of the letter corresponding to the question or instruction;

data for use by the toy processor to generate a first audio feedback response output by the speaker, the first audio feedback response indicating that the letter selected by the child corresponds to a correct response to the question or instruction; and

data for use by the toy processor to generate a second audio feedback response output by the speaker, the second audio feedback response indicating that the letter selected by the child does not correspond to a correct response to the question or instruction.

2. A portable memory as in claim 1 wherein the software generates questions or instructions with different levels of difficulty.

3. A portable memory as in claim 2, wherein the processor generates more difficult questions depending on the user having provided correct previous answers.

4. A portable memory as in claim 1, wherein the interaction between the toy users and added educational software is facilitated by a plurality of images on the work platform.

5. A portable memory as in claim 4, wherein the plurality of images on the work platform can be changed.

6. A portable memory to add educational software to an electronic educational toy by a user thereof, the educational software designed to teach words of a spoken language, the portable memory comprising:

a portable memory housing designed to be compatible with and inserted into a portable memory receiving device associated with the electronic toy by the user thereof;

a memory medium contained in the portable memory housing; and

computer software embodied on the memory medium for use with a toy processor in the educational toy, the computer software having;

data for use by the toy processor to generate a plurality of questions or instructions output via a speaker, a question or instruction designed to encourage a child to make a cognitive selection of a word and indicate the cognitive selection of the word by placing a graspable object on a work platform, the work platform formed on at least a portion of a substantially flat surface of the toy and the question or instruction having at least one correct response;

data for use by the toy processor to determine whether the child'"'"'s cognitive selection of the word as indicated by the placement of the object by the child on the work platform corresponds to a correct response to the question or instruction using information from one or more sensors for sensing the placement of the graspable object on the work platform, the graspable object capable of being placed and sensed in arbitrary child-defined locations on the work platform, the placement of the graspable object on the work platform in response to the question or instruction indicating the cognitive selection by the child of the word corresponding to the question or instruction;

data for use by the toy processor to generate a first audio feedback response output by the speaker, the first audio feedback response indicating that the word selected by the child corresponds to a correct response to the question or instruction; and

data for use by the toy processor to generate a second audio feedback response output by the speaker, the second audio feedback response indicating that the word selected by the child does not correspond to a correct response to the question or instruction.

7. A portable memory as in claim 6, wherein the software generates questions or instructions with different levels of difficulty.

8. A portable memory as in claim 7, wherein the processor generates more difficult questions depending on the user having provided correct previous answers.

9. A portable memory as in claim 6, wherein the interaction between the toy users and added educational software is facilitated by a plurality of images on the work platform.

10. A portable memory as in claim 9, wherein the plurality of images on the work platform can be changed.

11. A portable memory to add educational software to an electronic educational toy by a user thereof, the educational software designed to teach numbers, the portable memory comprising:

a portable memory housing designed to be compatible with and inserted into a portable memory receiving device associated with the electronic toy by the user thereof;

a memory medium contained in the portable memory housing; and

computer software embodied on the memory medium for use with a toy processor in the educational toy, the computer software having;

data for use by the toy processor to generate a plurality of questions or instructions output via a speaker, a question or instruction designed to encourage a child to make a cognitive selection of a number and indicate the cognitive selection of the number by placing a graspable object on a work platform, the work platform formed on at least a portion of a substantially flat surface of the toy and the question or instruction having at least one correct response;

data for use by the toy processor to determine whether the child'"'"'s cognitive selection of the number as indicated by the placement of the object by the child on the work platform corresponds to a correct response to the question or instruction using information from one or more sensors for sensing the placement of the graspable object on the work platform, the graspable object capable of being placed and sensed in arbitrary child-defined locations on the work platform, the placement of the graspable object on the work platform in response to the question or instruction indicating the cognitive selection by the child of the number corresponding to the question or instruction;

data for use by the toy processor to generate a first audio feedback response output by the speaker, the first audio feedback response indicating that the number selected by the child corresponds to a correct response to the question or instruction; and

data for use by the toy processor to generate a second audio feedback response output by the speaker, the second audio feedback response indicating that the number selected by the child does not correspond to a correct response to the question or instruction.

12. A portable memory as in claim 11, wherein the software generates questions or instructions with different levels of difficulty.

13. A portable memory as in claim 12, wherein the processor generates more difficult questions depending on the user having provided correct previous answers.

14. A portable memory as in claim 11, wherein the interaction between toy users and added educational software is facilitated by a plurality of images on the work platform.

15. A portable memory as in claim 14, wherein the plurality of images on the work platform can be changed.

16. A portable memory to add educational software to an electronic educational toy by a user thereof, the portable memory comprising:

a portable memory housing designed to be compatible with and inserted into a portable memory receiving device associated with the electronic toy by the user thereof;

a memory medium contained in the portable memory housing; and

computer software embodied on the memory medium for use with a toy processor in the educational toy, the computer software having;

data for use by the toy processor to generate a plurality of questions or instructions output via a speaker, a question or instruction designed to encourage a child to make a cognitive decision and indicate the cognitive decision by placing a graspable object on a work platform, the work platform formed on at least a portion of a substantially flat surface of the toy and the question or instruction having at least one correct response;

data for use by the toy processor to determine whether the child'"'"'s cognitive decision as indicated by the placement of the object by the child on the work platform corresponds to a correct response to the question or instruction using information from one or more sensors for sensing the placement of the graspable object on the work platform, the graspable object capable of being placed and sensed in arbitrary child-defined locations on the work platform, the placement of the graspable object on the work platform in response to the question or instruction indicating the cognitive decision by the child corresponding to the question or instruction; and

data for use by the toy processor to generate a first audio feedback response output by the speaker, the first audio feedback response indicating that the cognitive decision corresponds to a correct response to the question or instruction; and

data for use by the toy processor to generate a second audio feedback response output by the speaker, the second audio feedback response indicating that the cognitive decision does not correspond to a correct response to the question or instruction.

17. A portable memory as in claim 16, wherein the software generates questions or instructions with different levels of difficulty.

18. A portable memory as in claim 17, wherein the processor generates more difficult questions depending on the user having provided correct previous answers.

19. A portable memory as in claim 16, wherein the interaction between toy users and added educational software is facilitated by a plurality of images on the work platform.

20. A portable memory as in claim 19, wherein the plurality of images on the work platform can be changed.