Display apparatus for teaching writing

• US 20050106538A1
• Filed: 10/07/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Freeman, Richard Glen, Annunziata, Ed, White, Elecia
• Granted Patent: US 7,249,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/167
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 11/00 Teaching hand-writing, shorthand, drawing, or painting
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 11/06 Devices involving the use of transparent or translucent tracing material, e.g. copy books
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods are provided directed at teaching writing, such as printing, cursive, and calligraphy, to users of all ages. Typically, the embodiments are directed toward teaching children the basic skills of writing. However, it may be appreciated that the embodiments may be utilized by users of all ages. In particular, embodiments of the invention can be used to teach the skill of writing and learning letters of the English alphabet to foreigners. Or, embodiments of the invention can be used to teach English speakers various foreign alphabets. For example, embodiments may provide instruction in writing Arabic letters, Greek letters, or Chinese or Japanese characters, to name a few. Additionally, embodiments of the invention may be used to teach artistic forms of writing, such as calligraphy, script, or various fonts.

Claims

1. An interactive learning apparatus comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a display screen on the housing;

(c) an electronic position location system, wherein the electronic position location system includes a processor that is capable of determining a location of a selected region of the display screen;

(d) a stylus for selecting regions on the display screen; and

(e) a memory device operatively coupled to the processor, the memory device comprising

(i) code for displaying an instructional stroke on the display screen,

(ii) code for displaying a starting point for drawing the instructional stroke on the display screen, and

(iii) code for displaying a user mark on the display screen drawn by a user with the stylus using the starting point as a reference point.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the instructional stroke forms at least a portion of a letter of an alphabet.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the instructional stroke is surrounded by a boundary region, wherein the memory device includes code for providing feedback to the user regarding the location of the user mark in relation to the boundary region.

4. An apparatus as in claim 3, further comprising an audio output device coupled to the processor unit and wherein the feedback comprises an audio output.

5. An apparatus as in claim 4, wherein the audio output comprises a supportive phrase when the location of the user mark is within the boundary region.

6. An apparatus as in claim 4, wherein the audio output comprises a coaching phrase when at least a portion of the location of the user mark is outside of the boundary region.

7. An apparatus as in claim 3, wherein feedback comprises removal of the user mark from the display screen.

8. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the memory device further comprises code for providing feedback to the user regarding stroke direction of the user mark in relation to stroke direction of the instructional stroke.

9. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the memory device further comprises code for providing feedback to the user regarding completion of the user mark in relation to the instructional stroke.

10. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the memory device further comprises code for removing the instructional stroke from the display screen while the user mark remains.

11. An interactive learning apparatus comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a processor unit in the housing;

(c) a display screen coupled to the processor unit;

(e) a position sensing layer associated with the display screen, wherein the position sensing layer comprises a touch panel having touch points; and

(f) a memory unit coupled to the processor unit, wherein the memory unit comprises

(i) code for displaying an instructional stroke on the display screen, wherein the instructional stroke intersects at least a portion of the touch points,

(ii) code for displaying a starting point for drawing the instructional stroke on the display screen, and

(iii) code for displaying a user mark on the display screen drawn by a user with the stylus using the starting point as a reference point.

12. An apparatus as in claim 11, wherein the instructional stroke forms at least a portion of a letter of an alphabet.

13. An apparatus as in claim 11, wherein the instructional stroke is a first instructional stroke, the starting point is a first starting point, and the user mark is a first user mark, and wherein the memory unit further comprises

(iv) code for displaying a second starting point for drawing a second instructional stroke on the display screen and

(v) code for displaying a second user mark drawn by the user using the second starting point as a reference point for drawing the second user mark.

14. An apparatus as in claim 11, wherein the memory unit further comprises code for scoring the accuracy of the drawing of the user mark in relation to the instructional stroke.

15. An apparatus as in claim 14, wherein scoring comprises determining the amount of touch points intersected by the user mark which are included in the at least a portion of the touch points intersected by the instructional stroke.

16. An apparatus as in claim 14, wherein scoring comprises determining the amount of touch points intersected by the user mark which are not included in the at least a portion of the touch points intersected by the instructional stroke.

17. An apparatus as in claim 14, further comprising an audio output device coupled to the processor unit and wherein the memory unit further comprises code for providing an audio output from the audio output device indicating the accuracy to the user.

18. An apparatus as in claim 11, wherein the memory unit further comprises code for determining the distance between one of the at least a portion of the touch points and a corresponding point on the user mark.

19. An apparatus as in claim 18, wherein the memory unit further comprises code for prompting the user to draw the user mark again or draw a different user mark depending on the determined distance between the one of the at least a portion of the touch points and the corresponding point on the user mark.

20. An apparatus as in claim 11, wherein the memory unit further comprises code for improving line quality of the user mark.

21. An interactive learning apparatus comprising:

(a) housing;

(b) a processor unit in the housing;

(c) an audio output device coupled to the processor unit;

(d) an erasable display medium coupled to the housing, wherein the erasable display forms a display region;

(e) an array of illumination sources in the display region;

(f) a memory unit coupled to the processor unit, wherein the memory unit comprises code for illuminating a predetermined number of illumination sources in the array of illumination sources to display an image; and

(g) a stylus for drawing on the erasable display to attempt to reproduce the displayed image.

22. An apparatus as in claim 21, wherein the illumination sources are exposed through holes in the erasable display medium.

23. An apparatus as in claim 21, wherein the erasable display medium comprises a magnetic erasable display medium, and wherein the stylus includes a magnetic tip.

24. An apparatus as in claim 21, further comprising an erase lever that can be actuated to erase the erasable display medium.

25. A method comprising:

providing a learning apparatus comprising

(a) a housing,

(b) a display screen on the housing,

(c) an electronic position location system, wherein the electronic position location system includes a processor that is capable of determining a location of a selected region of the display screen,

(d) a stylus for selecting regions on the display screen,

(e) a memory device operatively coupled to the processor, the memory device comprising

(i) code for displaying an instructional stroke on the display screen,

(ii) code for displaying a starting point for drawing the instructional stroke on the display screen, and

(iii) code for displaying a user mark on the display screen drawn by a user with the stylus using the starting point as a reference point;

viewing the instructional stroke displayed on the display screen;

viewing the starting point associated with the instructional stroke displayed on the display screen; and

drawing the user mark on the display screen with the stylus using the starting point as a reference point.

26. A method as in claim 25, wherein the memory device comprises code for at least one output, the method further comprising receiving an output regarding the accuracy of drawing the user mark in relation to the instructional stroke.

27. A method as in claim 26, wherein the output comprises a supportive phrase or a coaching phrase.

28. A method as in claim 25, wherein the memory device comprises code for at least one output, the method further comprising receiving an output regarding stroke direction of drawing the user mark in relation to the instructional stroke.

29. A method as in claim 25, wherein the memory device comprises code for at least one output, the method further comprising receiving an output regarding completion of drawing the user mark in relation to the instructional stroke.

30. A method comprising:

providing an interactive learning apparatus comprising

(a) a housing,

(b) a processor unit in the housing,

(c) a display screen coupled to the processor unit,

(e) a position sensing layer associated with the display screen, wherein the position sensing layer comprises a touch panel having touch points, and

(f) a memory unit coupled to the processor unit, wherein the memory unit comprises

(i) code for displaying an instructional stroke on the display screen, wherein the instructional stroke intersects at least a portion of the touch points,

(ii) code for displaying a starting point for drawing the instructional stroke on the display screen, and

(iii) code for displaying a user mark on the display screen drawn by a user with the stylus using the starting point as a reference point;

viewing the instructional stroke displayed on the display screen;

viewing the starting point for drawing the instructional stroke displayed on the display screen; and

drawing the user mark on the display screen with the stylus using the starting point as a reference point.

31. A method as in claim 30, wherein the instructional stroke is a first instructional stroke, the starting point is a first starting point, and the user mark is a first user mark, and wherein the memory unit further comprises

(iv) code for displaying a second starting point for drawing a second instructional stroke on the display screen and

(v) code for displaying a second user mark drawn by the user using the second starting point as a reference point for drawing the second user mark, further comprising

viewing the starting point for drawing the second instructional stroke displayed on the display screen;

drawing the second user mark on the display screen with the stylus using the starting point as a reference point.

32. The method as in claim 30, wherein the memory unit further comprises code for scoring the accuracy of the drawing of the user mark in relation to the instructional stroke, the method further comprising receiving an output regarding the accuracy of drawing the user mark in relation to the instructional stroke based on the scoring.

33. A method comprising:

providing an interactive learning apparatus comprising;

(a) housing,

(b) a processor unit in the housing,

(c) an audio output device coupled to the processor unit,

(d) an erasable display medium coupled to the housing, wherein the erasable display forms a display region,

(e) an array of illumination sources in the display region,

(f) a memory unit coupled to the processor unit, wherein the memory unit comprises code for illuminating a predetermined number of illumination sources in the array of illumination sources to display an image, and

(g) a stylus for drawing on the erasable display to attempt to reproduce the displayed image;

viewing the illuminated predetermined number of illumination sources; and

drawing on the erasable display with the stylus to attempt to reproduce the displayed image.

34. A method as in claim 33, wherein the erasable display medium comprises a magnetic erasable display medium and wherein the stylus includes a magnetic tip, and wherein drawing comprises attracting magnetic particles in the magnetic erasable display medium with the magnetic tip.

35. An apparatus as in claim 34, further comprising actuating an erase lever to erase the erasable display medium.

36. An interactive learning apparatus comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a display screen on the housing;

(c) an electronic position location system, wherein the electronic position location system includes a processor that is capable of determining a location of a selected region of the display screen;

(d) a stylus for selecting regions on the display screen; and

(e) a memory device operatively coupled to the processor, the memory device comprising

(i) code for displaying an instructional stroke on the display screen, wherein the instructional stroke is formed by images of objects relating to a theme other than writing;

(ii) code for displaying a starting point for drawing the instructional stroke on the display screen, and

(iii) code for displaying a user mark on the display screen drawn by a user with the stylus using the starting point as a reference point.

37. An apparatus as in claim 36, wherein the objects comprise footprints.

38. An apparatus as in claim 36, wherein the starting point comprises a footprint having an identifying color.

39. An apparatus as in claim 36, wherein the instructional stroke forms at least a portion of a letter of an alphabet.

40. A computer readable medium comprising

(i) code for displaying an instructional stroke on a display screen;

(ii) code for displaying a starting point for drawing the instructional stroke on the display screen, and

(iii) code for displaying a user mark on the display screen drawn by a user with the stylus using the starting point as a reference point.

41. A computer readable medium as in claim 40, wherein the instructional stroke forms at least a portion of a letter of an alphabet.

42. A computer readable medium as in claim 40, wherein the instructional stroke is surrounded by a boundary region, wherein the medium further comprises code for providing feedback to the user regarding the location of the user mark in relation to the boundary region.

43. A computer readable medium as in claim 42, wherein the feedback comprises removal of the user mark from the display screen.

44. A computer readable medium as in claim 42, wherein the feedback comprises an audio output.

45. A computer readable medium comprising

(i) code for displaying an instructional stroke on a display screen, wherein the instructional stroke is formed by images of objects relating to a theme other than writing;

(ii) code for displaying a starting point for drawing the instructional stroke on the display screen, and

(iii) code for displaying a user mark on the display screen drawn by a user with the stylus using the starting point as a reference point.

46. A computer readable medium as in claim 45, wherein the objects comprise footprints.

47. A computer readable medium as in claim 45, wherein the instructional stroke forms at least a portion of a letter of an alphabet.

48. A computer readable medium as in claim 45, wherein the instructional stroke is surrounded by a boundary region, wherein the medium further comprises code for providing feedback to the user regarding the location of the user mark in relation to the boundary region.

49. A computer readable medium as in claim 48, wherein the feedback comprises removal of the user mark from the display screen.

50. A computer readable medium as in claim 48, wherein the feedback comprises an audio output.