Interactive references to related application

• US 8,952,887 B1
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wood, Michael C., Jedrzejek, Tracey Hope, Freeman, Richard Glenn, Flowers, Mark, Shuler, Eric Thomas, Grunert, Margaret E., Avery, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US12/395,496
• Time in Patent Office: 2,174 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-178, 434/159, 434/317, 178/18.01, 178/18.09, 178/20.01, 178/20.04
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0291 for reading, e.g. e-books constructional details of portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04146 using pressure sensitive conductive elements delivering a boolean signal and located between crossing sensing lines, e.g. located between X and Y sensing line layers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04162 for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems

Abstract

A method for producing an output in response to an interaction with a print element on a sheet is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes placing a sheet comprising a print element on a surface of a base unit. A user can then mark on the sheet in the vicinity of the print element with a marking instrument. An audio output that corresponds to the print element is generated.

Claims

1. A system for interacting with a user comprising:

a plurality of pages each containing a plurality of print elements disposed thereon;

an interactive apparatus comprising;

a memory component operable to store data;

an input component operable to receive a user input;

a processor operable to process said user input and in response thereto detect a user interaction with a print element of said plurality of print elements, and wherein said processor is further operable to determine an output response based on said user interaction and based on programming information stored on said memory component, and wherein said output response is unique to said user interaction with said print element; and

an output component for rendering said output response.

2. The system as described in claim 1 further comprising:

a remote server operable to transmit a programming information to said interactive apparatus.

3. The system as described in claim 1, wherein said print element is disposed on a page, and wherein said page is a page of a book.

4. The system as described in claim 1, wherein said interactive apparatus further comprises a speaker and wherein said output response is an audio output rendered on said speaker.

5. The system as described in claim 1, wherein said output response is a visual output.

6. The system as described in claim 3, wherein said interactive apparatus further comprises a marking instrument operable to make said user input.

7. The system as described in claim 6, wherein said marking instrument is a stylus.

8. The system as described in claim 1, wherein said interactive apparatus further comprises a transceiver operable to send and receive said programming information.

9. The system as described in claim 1, wherein said user interaction is in response to a user being prompted to perform a task.

11. The interactive apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said memory component is operable to store a programming code, wherein said processor utilizes said programming code to determine said output response based on said user interaction with said print element.

12. The interactive apparatus as described in claim 11, wherein said programming code is downloaded to said memory component from a remote server.

13. The interactive apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said page is a page of a book.

14. The interactive apparatus as described in claim 1 further comprising a speaker and wherein said output response is an audio output rendered by said speaker.

15. The interactive apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said output response is a visual output.

16. The interactive apparatus as described in claim 1 further comprising:

a marking instrument to make said user input.

17. The interactive apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said making instrument is a stylus.

18. The interactive apparatus as described in claim 1 further comprising:

a transceiver operable to send and receive data.

10. An interactive apparatus comprising:

a memory component operable to store data;

an input component operable to receive a user input;

a processor operable to process said user input and in response thereto detect a user interaction with a print element of a plurality of printed elements disposed on a page, and wherein said processor is further operable to determine an output response based on said user interaction, and wherein said output response is unique to said user interaction with said print element; and

an output component for rendering said output response.

19. A computer implemented method of interacting with a user, said method comprising:

receiving a user input;

in response to said user input, detecting a user interaction with a print element of a plurality of printed elements disposed on a page;

in response to said user interaction, determining an output response using a programming code, wherein said output response is unique to said user interaction, and wherein said output response is related to said print element; and

in response to said determining, rendering said output response.

20. The method as described in claim 19, further comprising:

receiving said programming code from a remote server; and

storing said programming code in a memory component.

21. The method as described in claim 19, wherein said page is a page of a book.

22. The method as described in claim 19, wherein said output response is an audio output.

23. The method as described in claim 19, wherein said output response is a visual output.

24. The method as described in claim 19 further comprising:

prompting said user to perform a task prior to said user input, wherein said user input is in response to said prompting.

25. The method as described in claim 19, wherein said output response is selected from a group consisting of a clue, an indication that a task was correctly performed and an indication that a task was incorrectly performed.

26. The method as described in claim 19 further comprising:

storing said user interaction in a memory component.

27. The method as described in claim 20, wherein said user interaction comprises a user marking on said page.