System and method for providing music based cognitive skills development

• US 8,536,436 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2011
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sylvain Jean-Pierre Daniel Moreno
• Original Assignee: Sylvain Jean-Pierre Daniel Moreno
• Inventors: Moreno, Sylvain Jean-Pierre Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Warren, David S.
• Application Number:
  US13/090,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20120090446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 84600-602, 844/70.R, 844/77.R, 844/78
• US Class Current: 84/470.R
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/00 Teaching music metronomes G04F5/02

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for providing music based cognitive skills development. More particularly the present invention may provide a music based cognitive skills development platform. The platform is provided using computer implemented systems and methods for training a human subject so as to enhance his/her intelligence, attention, language skills and brain functioning. The present invention provides these benefits using exercises, one or more of which are based on musical training aspects, however, in addition to musical training other cognitive skills development exercises may be used, as described herein. The invention may be utilized by users of varying musical skills and may be presented at a level corresponding to the prior musical training (if any) of a user, and in a form corresponding to the cognitive capacity, interests and attention span of a user.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for training cognitive ability of a user, said method being implemented by one or more computer processors and comprising:

a. operating a processor to group at least two exercises selected from at least two of the following musical exercise categories;

rhythm;

voice awareness;

musical ear;

music theory;

musical product; and

creativity into one or more exercise training modules,

wherein the exercise training modules comprise two or more levels of increasing difficulty;

wherein at least a first exercise in said exercise training modules require the user to make a single selection;

wherein the selection is made in order to answer a question presented to the user;

wherein the selection reflects a choice which distinguishes a particular visual cue paired to a musical sound and at least one other visual cue paired to a different musical sound, said choice recognizing the relationships between tones and visual cues;

wherein at least a second exercise is also presented to the user, said second exercise not requiring a selection from the user and pairing non-musical notation visual cues with corresponding musical sounds in order to present to the user a correct relationship between the non-musical notation visual cues and the musical sounds exercise being presented to the user separately from the first exercise;

b. operating a processor to provide feedback to the user contingent upon the single selection; and

c. operating a processor to present the at least two exercises to the user as part of one of the one or more exercise training modules, said exercises each being at a level of difficulty appropriate for the user.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of monitoring and analyzing the user'"'"'s performance for each exercise of the exercise training module;

and producing an exercise result relating to the user.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising the further step of identifying the exercise result as pass or fail.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising the further steps of:

a. posing one or more memory questions to a user after the exercise by applying a memory module to the exercise;

b. generating an exercise result reflecting a performance rating of correct selections to the one or more memory questions compared to the total number of possible correct selections.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of assessing the user'"'"'s performance by monitoring the user'"'"'s interaction with the exercise by using at least one of the following:

a webcam;

a keyboard;

a computer mouse;

microphone;

accelerometer, a specially designed electronic glove; and

a sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of a assessing the user'"'"'s performance by utilizing information gathered during an exercise by comparing the information to prior information gathered from the user during a prior testing session.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of repeating each of the exercise training modules at least two times before advancing to the next level of difficulty, and at most 3 times if the user'"'"'s performance is assessed to be below a performance target.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising the further step of determining the performance rate target to be at least a selected percentage of the exercise training modules.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising the further step of setting the selected percentage to be approximately:

65% to 85% correct responses to questions posed by a memory module after an exercise;

or 65% to 85% overall performance.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of pairing of an animal character and a musical note in each exercise training module, whereby the animal character represents the musical note.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of the exercise training module presenting exercises in which the user moves body parts in synchronization with a musical rhythm as a rhythm category of exercises, wherein the body part is specifically indicated to be at least one of the following:

hands;

arms;

shoulders;

feet;

legs;

head;

or whole body, and wherein the movement is not related to music production.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising the further step of presenting a reference rhythm having occurrences separated by time intervals for each difficulty level so that difficulty is related to at least one of the following:

increasing tempo;

slowing tempo;

medium tempo;

alternating tempo; and

fast tempo.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of the exercise training module for the voice and vocalization category comprises exercises in which directions for enhancing, constructing or expressing meaning, and directing the user to perform tasks requiring performing vocal range, volume, scooping voice, vocal ornamentations, voice projection and teaching vocal mime are provided.

14. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of teaching a user to discriminate musical tones by utilizing the exercise training module for the musical hearing/auditory training, sound discrimination/recognition and music theory categories.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising the further step of presenting exercises to a user in the music theory category that involve directions for enabling the user to recognize the relationship between music tones and characters, and relationships between spaces and lines of a music staff and musical tones.

16. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of the exercise training module for the singing training category requiring the user to learn singing skills and song lyrics, including combinations of body movements related to the song lyrics.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of the exercise training module for musical creativity category requiring the user to produce and perform puzzles, musical melodies, songs and body movements.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising a difficulty appropriate for the user, wherein the difficulty is set according to at least both the age of the user and past performance.

18. A system of music based cognitive training comprising:

(a) at least one computer; and

(b) the computer configured to operating a computer processor to run a computer program including computer instructions processable by the computer processor, which when made available to the at least one computer, are operable to define a music based cognitive training utility that is operable to improve one or more cognitive functions of an individual, wherein;

(i) the music based cognitive training utility includes or defines a series of exercises consisting of musical exercises linked to improving cognitive function, and that cumulatively define a music based cognitive training module, wherein each of the series of exercises includes two or more exercise components, the exercise components being associated with different levels of difficulty

wherein at least a first exercise in said exercise series require the user to make a single selection;

wherein the selection is made in order to answer a question presented to the user;

wherein the selection reflects a choice which distinguishes a particular visual cue paired to a musical sound and at least one other visual cue paired to a different musical sound, said choice recognizing the relationships between tones and visual cues;

wherein at least a second exercise is also resented to the user said second exercise not requiring a selection from the user and pairing non-musical notation visual cues with corresponding musical sounds in order to present to the user a correct relationship between the non-musical notation visual cues and the musical sounds, the second exercise being presented to the user separately from the first exercise;

(ii) the music based cognitive training utility includes or is linked to a performance monitoring utility for monitoring and recording the performance of the individual in each exercise component;

(iii) the music based cognitive training utility being operable to present to the individual, once the individual has achieved a minimum performance threshold for a first exercise component, a subsequent second exercise component or N exercise component where N is an integer equal or greater than 2, which requires a selection from the user, and which is associated with an increasing level of difficulty relative to the preceding exercise component, based on operation of the performance monitoring utility such that the music based training facility is operable to enable adaptive training of the individual to improve iteratively the performance of the individual following the music based cognitive training module, thereby providing improved cognitive functions through music based training.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the music based cognitive training module incorporates tasks involving both acoustic and verbal stimuli.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the music based cognitive training module also incorporates one or more memory exercises in which the individual is asked to confirm one or more items learned in one or more preceding exercises.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the music based cognitive training utility is operable to adjust the level of difficulty of each exercise based on the performance of the individual for that exercise in a particular music based cognitive training module.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the music based cognitive training utility is operable to provide feedback to the individual regarding their performance.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the performance monitoring utility is operable to evaluate the individual based on recent learning.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein each music based cognitive training module includes one or more story components including one or more characters and a story line, wherein one or more of the exercises are presented using the one or more story components.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein music based cognitive training utility defines:

(a) at least one exercise based on rhythm, followed by;

(b) at least one auditory exercise; and

(c) at least one singing exercise.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the music based cognitive training utility further defines at least one exercise based on voice and vocalization.