Interactive multi-sensory reading system electronic teaching/learning device

• US 7,203,455 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2003
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Pyrce, Philip R., Ernst, Stephen M., Taylor, John W., Meade, James P., Hoppy, Joseph E., Bishop, James A. Jr., Galarneau, Dagan
• Primary Examiner(s): CHENG, JOE H
• Application Number:
  US10/448,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20040043371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 434/169, 434/201, 434/307.R, 434/308, 434/317, 434/362, 434/365, 345173-179, 341/33, 340/365, 178/19, 178/18.06
• US Class Current: 434/317
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied

Abstract

An electronic learning/teaching device operates with and without a printed sheet element having an arrangement of selectable content by means of a user responsive sensor array beneath a surface configured to receive the element. The sensor array is formed by cross-points of two sets of crossing conductive lines, one set being driven sequentially with a radio frequency square wave and the other set being sampled sequentially though a high impedance amplifier connection with an asynchronous detection circuit. Where more than one cross-point location is user activated, algorithms are used to identify one cross-point sensor location as the user activated selection.

Claims

1. An electronic user input device having a platform with a first, generally planar, user contact surface overlying a first, generally planar sensor, the first sensor being formed by separate and separated first and second sets of generally parallel, individual conductive lines transversely crossing over each other beneath the user contact surface of the platform, each pair of crossing lines defining a cross-point, the device characterized by:

a radio frequency oscillating signal generator cyclically coupled to individual conductive lines of the first set;

a synchronous detection circuit operatively coupled with the generator and with individual conductive lines of the second set to identify user selected individual cross-points of the first and second sets of lines of the array; and

a transistor coupling between each conductive line of the second set and the synchronous detection circuit, each individual conductive line of the second set being coupled with a base of the transistor coupled with the synchronous detection circuit.

4. The device according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the generator is a square wave generator.

5. The device according to claim 1, 2, or 3, further comprising a control circuit operatively coupled with the synchronous detection circuit and configured to identify cross-points of the array being potentially selected by the user and to identify one of the potentially selected cross-points as the selection for response of the device to user selection.

6. The device according to claim 1, 2, or 3, further comprising indicia permanently and visibly incorporated into an upper surface of the platform over the array in alignment over particular cross-points of the array for user identification of selected indicia through the array.

7. The device according to claim 1, 2, or 3, in combination with a printed sheet product configured for a predetermined orientation on the platform, the printed sheet product including printed indicia located in the predetermined orientation in alignment over particular cross-points of the array for user identification of selected indicia through the array.

2. An electronic user input device having a platform with a first, generally planar, user contact surface overlying a first, generally planar sensor, the first sensor being formed by separate and separated first and second sets of generally parallel, individual conductive lines transversely crossing over each other beneath the user contact surface of the platform, each pair of crossing lines defining a cross-point, the device characterized by:

a radio frequency oscillating signal generator cyclically coupled to individual conductive lines of the first set;

a synchronous detection circuit operatively coupled with the generator and with individual conductive lines of the second set to identify user selected individual cross-points of the first and second sets of lines of the array; and

a grounded electrically conductive plane spaced away from the two sets of conductive lines on a side of the array opposite the platform and at a distance effective to reduce an active user activation area around each cross-point of the array within which user selection is sensed by the synchronous detection circuit sufficiently to prevent overlap of adjoining user activation areas of any pair of adjoining cross-points.

3. An electronic user input device having a platform with a first, generally planar, user contact surface overlying a first, generally planar sensor, the first sensor being formed by separate and separated first and second sets of generally parallel, individual conductive lines transversely crossing over each other beneath the user contact surface of the platform, each pair of crossing lines defining a cross-point, the device characterized by:

a radio frequency oscillating signal generator cyclically coupled to individual conductive lines of the first set;

a synchronous detection circuit operatively coupled with the generator and with individual conductive lines of the second set to identify user selected individual cross-points of the first and second sets of lines of the array; and

a grounded conductive line between each adjoining pair of conductive lines of the first set so as to reduce cross coupling between the adjoining pair of conductive lines of the first set.