Method of associating oral utterances meaningfully with word symbols seriatim in an audio-visual work and apparatus for linear and interactive application

• US 6,273,726 B1
• Filed: 05/12/2000
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Readspeak Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Readspeak Incorporated
• Inventors: Kirksey, William E., Morris, Kyle S.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Neill, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Clayton, Sheila
• Application Number:
  US09/570,237
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 434/156, 434/157, 434/167, 434/168, 434/169, 434/185, 434/118, 434/307.R, 434/308, 434/316, 434/365, 434/310, 434/311, 434/12
• US Class Current: 434/169
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/04 Speaking with audible presentation of the material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address

Abstract

An audio-visual work and method of its creation which work has writings placed on the pictures of the work so that as each word or other utterance is heard a writing to be associated with the hearing is coordinated with seeing of the writing such that the future presentation of either the utterance or the writing shall evoke the other in the mind of the original viewer-listener. Each word will when appropriate appear in a legible perspective adjacent to the mouth of the utterer. The work can be displayed linearly or under computer control of the viewer/listener along with additional educational materials.

Claims

1. A method of creating an audio-visual work comprising

(1) providing in the work pictorial scenes with natural communication situations for presentation to a viewer-listener with at least one pictorial scene comprising frames capable of having their visual portion displayed and their audio portion heard;

(2) creating a series of word utterances by at least one utterer with each utterer present in successive frames of such scene presentation;

(3) further creating a series of visual word symbols, each such word symbol

(i) corresponding to and associable with each word utterance;

(ii) capable of teaching the viewer-listener the visual appearance of the uttered word;

(iii) appearing in the sound source area of the frames which area includes the utterer;

(iv) appearing briefly in such frames of the pictorial scenes at the same time the word utterances are heard so that each utterance and each such corresponding word symbol are associable at the same time by the viewer-listener; and

(v) visually appearing in the frame alone so that when the viewer-listener hears an utterance he or she can see only the corresponding word symbol and no other word symbol;

whereby the audio-visual created allows the viewer-listener to associate each such utterance with each such word symbol to learn the visual appearance of the uttered word and the sound of the word symbol.

2. The method of claim 1 in which such word symbol appears in a portion of the sound source area which is most likely to be viewed as the word is spoken.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the frames include action elements and in which such word symbol appears in a portion of the sound source area where the viewer-listener engages in meaningful focus on such action elements.

4. The method of claim 1 in which such word symbol appears in the sound source area portion where the listener-viewer'"'"'s attention is directed by his or her interest in the audio-visual.

5. The method of claim 4 in which the sound source area portion is where there is action.

8. The method of claim 3 in which such sound source area portion is the area which is most likely to be viewed as the word is spoken.

9. The method of claim 4 in which such sound source area portion is the area which is most likely to be viewed as the word is spoken.

10. The method of claim 5 in which such sound source area portion is the area which is most likely to be viewed as the word is spoken.

11. A method of causing a population group comprising members to become aware of a group of written words of the language spoken in a territory comprising

(a) causing a plurality of audio-visual works to be created each of which works is created by the practice of the method of claim 1; and

(b) broadcasting and otherwise introducing such works into the territory to an extent and for a period of time

whereby the population group becomes aware of such written words of the language.

12. A method of teaching a student comprising

(a) creating one or more audio-visual works including natural communication situations, each of which works is created by the practice of method claim 1;

(b) making such works available to the student; and

(c) allowing such student to select arrangements for viewing and listening over time until each of the plurality of utterances has been heard by the student together with the viewing of their corresponding writings a sufficient number of times to assist in learning that certain utterances correspond to such certain writings.

6. A method of creating a teaching audio-visual work comprising

(1) providing in the work pictorial scenes with natural communication situations for presentation to a viewer-listener with at least one pictorial scene comprising frames capable of having their visual portion displayed and their audio portion heard;

(2) creating a series of word utterances by at least one utterer in successive frames of such scene presentation;

(3) fuirther creating a series of visual word symbols, one word symbol displayed in the sound source area portion from which the sound appears to emanate from and at least one other word displayed outside such portion, each such word symbol displayed in such portion

(i) corresponding to and associable with each such word utterance;

(ii) capable of teaching the viewer-listener the visual appearance of the uttered word;

(iii) appearing in such portion so that the viewer-listener has an opportunity to be able to make such association; and

(iv) appearing in such frames of the pictorial scenes at the same time the word utterances are heard so that each such utterance and each such corresponding word symbol are associable at the same time by the viewer-listener

whereby the audio-visual created allows the viewer-listener to associate each such utterance with each such word symbol to learn the visual appearance of the uttered word and the sound of the word symbol.

7. The method of claim 6 in which such sound source area portion is the area which is most likely to be viewed as the word is spoken.