Puppetry based communication system, method and internet utility

• US 7,343,296 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2001
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Puppetools Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Puppetools Incorporated
• Inventors: Peyton, Jeffrey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): OUELLETTE, JONATHAN P
• Application Number:
  US09/808,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20070219809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,554 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/00 Teaching, or communicating with, the blind, deaf or mute audible presentation of material to be studied G09B5/04; devices or methods for replacing direct visual or auditory perception by another kind of perception A61F9/08, A61F11/04; audible indication of meter readings or of colour G01D7/12; watches for blind persons G04B25/02; speech analysis, speech recognition G10L; sound-recording or reproducing, per se G11B

Abstract

A puppetry based system and method is provided. Specifically, the puppetry based system and method comprises a computer environment including one or more images, symbols and other proprietary content (collectively referred to as “images”). A printer is connected to the computer environment for printing the images in paper form. A hinge is provide which is attached to the paper form. The hinge is adapted for hand manipulation to create a hand actuated puppet which is representative of the image. In another aspect of the present invention, a puppetry based business model system and method is provided wherein content providers and owners provide images, to a puppet site. The puppet site reconfigures the images, symbols and other proprietary content to include a hinge area which, when such images are downloaded in paper form, the hinge area is adapted to be hand manipulated to form the paper form into a hand actuated puppet representation of the image. Users, such as children, teachers and parents, subscribe to the puppet site and download selected images in paper form. The paper forms are formed into hand actuated puppets representative of the images and are used for communication, play, entertainment and learning. Further, the puppet site may include a training laboratory equipped with multimedia audio and video to provide demonstrations and modeling of skills and techniques associated with puppet-based learning and communication.

Claims

1. A puppetry based communication method for neurological development, comprising the steps of:

providing one or more images in a computer environment, the one or more images being provided by content providers;

configuring the one or more images to include a hinge area and being adapted for hand manipulation;

a remote site user downloading selected of said one or more images to provide said images in paper form;

forming said paper form to create a puppet representative of said image by affixing a hinge to the paper form; and

interacting with an on-line training laboratory on the puppet site, the training laboratory comprising a plurality of developmental segments having multimedia audio and video files containing content, the plurality of developmental segments comprising;

Instructions on construction of the puppets, Communications, Show &

Tell, Journal Writing, Curriculum Link, Problem-Solving, Storytelling, Children'"'"'s Workshop, Adult Workshop, Staff Development, Evaluation, Research Associate, Special Project Partners and Special Education,

wherein the method facilitates learning and communication by a remote site user with other remote site users and the training laboratory, said remote site user selecting one or more of the plurality of developmental segments in connection with play with the formed puppet which promotes right brain visual thinking, processing and communication, thus promoting brain development of the user.

2. The puppetry based communication method of claim 1 wherein said step of downloading includes printing said image on a printer.

3. The puppetry based communication method of claim 1 further comprising the step of

manipulating said one or more images in the computer environment to create a personalized image.

4. A puppetry based communication business method for neurological development, comprising the steps of:

providing a puppet site containing one or more images the one or more images being provided by content providers, and a training laboratory comprising a plurality of developmental segments having multimedia audio and video files containing content, the plurality of developmental segments comprising;

Instructions on construction of the puppets, Communications, Show &

Tell, Journal Writing, Curriculum Link, Problem-Solving, Storytelling, Children'"'"'s Workshop, Adult Workshop, Staff Development, Evaluation, Research Associate, Special Project Partners and Special Education;

configuring the one or more images to include a hinge area and being adapted for hand manipulation;

subscribing one or more remote site users to said puppet site;

the one or more remote site users accessing an interface and selecting one or more of the images;

printing the selected one or more of the images in paper form;

affixing a hinge to the paper form to allow the one or more remote site users to form the paper form to create a puppet representative of the one or more images; and

the remote site user interacting with the puppet site having and the training laboratory,

wherein the method facilitates learning and communication by the one or more remote site users with other remote site users and the training laboratory, said remote site user selecting one or more of the plurality of developmental segments in connection with play with the formed puppet which promotes right brain visual thinking, processing and communication, thus promoting brain development of the user.

5. The puppetry based business method of claim 4 wherein at least one of the images are provided by content providers.

6. The puppetry based business method of claim 4 wherein the one or more remote site users are selected from the group of:

children, students, teachers, parents, employees, employers, patients, and any combination there of.

7. The puppetry based business method of claim 4 wherein the one or more remote site users are located at any one of a home, classroom, workshop, childcare center, business, hospital or training center.

8. The puppetry based business method of claim 4 further comprising the step of manipulating said one or more images to create a personalized image.

9. The puppetry based business method of claim 4 further comprising the step of organizing said one or more images into topic areas.

10. The puppetry based business method of claim 9 wherein said topic areas are selected from any one of the following:

educational, training, medical, social awareness, business and entertainment.

11. A puppetry based communication system, comprising:

a computer environment including a puppet site and a computer network, the puppet site containing a file server with databases for maintaining one or more images available in said puppet site and information regarding remote site users, and an on-line training laboratory having a plurality of developmental segments with multimedia audio and video files containing content, the plurality of developmental segments comprising;

Instructions on construction of the puppets, Communications, Show &

Tell, Journal Writing, Curriculum Link, Problem-Solving, Storytelling, Children'"'"'s Workshop, Adult Workshop, Staff Development, Evaluation, Research Associate, Special Project Partners and Special Education, and being configured to provide instruction and interaction to the remote site users with other remote site users and the training laboratory when said remote site users selects one or more of the plurality of developmental segments in connection with play with the one or more images which promotes right brain visual thinking, processing and communication, thus promoting brain development of the user;

at least one printer connected to said computer environment for printing said one or more images in paper form; and

a hinge attached or integrated into said paper form, said hinge being adapted for hand manipulation to create a hand actuated puppet representative of said one or more images.

12. The puppetry based communication system of claim 11 wherein said hinge is formed within the image.

13. The puppetry based communication system of claim 11 wherein said hinge is affixed to the image.

14. The puppetry based communication system of claim 11 wherein the computer network is the Internet.

15. The puppetry based communication system of claim 11 further comprising an Internet server connected to the puppet site computer and the computer network.

16. A computer readable medium containing instructions which, when executed by a computer:

provide one or more images;

allow selection of said one or more images;

enable a remote site user to print said one or more images in paper form; and

allow interaction with an on-line training laboratory having a plurality of development segments with multimedia audio and video files containing content, the plurality of developmental segments comprising;

Instructions on construction of the puppets, Communications, Show &

Tell, Journal Writing, Curriculum Link, Problem-Solving, Storytelling, Children'"'"'s Workshop, Adult Workshop, Staff Development, Evaluation, Research Associate, Special Project Partners and Special Education, said instructions when executed facilitate learning and communication by the one or more remote site users with other remote site users and the training laboratory, said remote site user selecting one or more of the plurality of developmental segments in connection with use of said one or more images in paper form to promote right brain visual thinking, processing and communication, thus promoting brain development of the users.