Method and apparatus for developing a person's behavior

• US 8,740,623 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2006
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BEE Visual LLC
• Original Assignee: BEE Visual LLC
• Inventors: Reilly, Daniel J., Walker, Michele A., Walker, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): EGLOFF, PETER RICHARD
• Application Number:
  US11/584,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20070117073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,783 Days
• Field of Search: 434/236, 434/317, 434/409, 434/238, 434/237, 434/308, 116/316, 116/318
• US Class Current: 434/236
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 1/36 the elements being connectible by corresponding projections and recesses
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• 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

An embodiment of an apparatus, or corresponding method, for developing a person'"'"'s behavior according to the principles of the present invention comprises at least one visual behavior indicator that represents a behavior desired of a person viewing the at least one visual behavior indicator. The apparatus, or corresponding method, further includes at least two visual choice indicators viewable with the at least one visual behavior indicator that represent choices available to the person, the choices assisting in developing the behavior in the person by assisting the person in choosing an appropriately adaptive response supporting the desired behavior or as an alternative to behavior contrary to the desired behavior.

Claims

1. An apparatus for developing a person'"'"'s behavior, comprising:

a processor and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the processor, to generate a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to display;

at least one electronically adjustable template configured to be adjusted by a caregiver to display a given visual behavior indicator to a person at any one time, the given visual behavior indicator (i) selected from a plurality of visual behavior indicators retrievable from an electronic database communicatively coupled to or within the apparatus and (ii) representing a behavior desired of the person viewing the given visual behavior indicator; and

at least two additional electronically adjustable templates, viewable with the given visual behavior indicator, the additional electronically adjustable templates configured to be adjusted by the person or the caregiver to display visual choice indicators from a plurality of visual choice indicators retrievable from the communicatively coupled electronic database and representing choices available to the person, the plurality of visual choice indicators enabled to be constrained by the caregiver as a function of respective visual behavior indicators, the adjustability of the templates to display the plurality of visual choice indicators assisting the person in developing the person'"'"'s behavior by constraining the person to choose (i) an appropriately adaptive response supporting the selected desired behavior or (ii) an alternative behavior to behavior that is contrary to the desired behavior.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the at least one electronically adjustable template is further configured to display at least one visual emotion indicator retrievable from the electronic database that represents an emotional state of the person viewing the at least one visual emotion indicator, and wherein the plurality of visual choice indicators further include representations of choices available to the person to assist in developing the person'"'"'s emotions by assisting the person in choosing an appropriately adaptive response to the emotional state.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the at least one electronically adjustable template is further configured to display at least one visual mental state indicator retrievable from the electronic database that represents a mental state of the person viewing the at least one visual mental state indicator, and wherein the plurality of visual choice indicators further include representations of choices available to the person to assist in developing the person'"'"'s mental control by assisting the person in choosing an appropriately adaptive response to the mental state.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the at least one electronically adjustable template is further configured to display at least one visual physical state indicator retrievable from the electronic database that represents a physical state of the person viewing the at least one visual physical state indicator, and wherein the plurality of visual choice indicators further include representations of choices available to the person to assist in developing the person'"'"'s physical well-being by assisting the person in choosing an appropriately adaptive response to the physical state.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the additional electronically adjustable templates limits the person to view only one respective visual choice indicator from at least two available visual choice indicators.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of visual behavior indicators and the plurality of visual choice indicators are associated with positive behavior.

7. The only apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of visual behavior indicators and the plurality of visual choice indicators are associated with negative behavior.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the at least one electronically adjustable template is further configured to display at least one visual mental state indicator retrievable from the electronic database and wherein the at least one visual mental state indicator and the plurality of visual choice indicators are associated with negative mental states.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the at least one electronically adjustable template is further configured to display at least one visual mental state indicator retrievable from the electronic database and wherein the at least one visual mental state indicator and the plurality of visual choice indicators are associated with positive mental states.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the GUI is further configured to display an emotional state reminder indicator viewable with the given visual behavior indicator and a respective subset of visual choice indicators.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the GUI is further configured to display a time indicator device usable in conjunction with the plurality of visual behavior indicators and the plurality of visual choice indicators.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the time indicator device includes a time indicator that visually presents time, elapsed time, or remaining time in a graphically representative format.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the time indicator device further includes a director element that visually or audibly indicates to whom or what the time, elapsed time, or remaining time is directed.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the time indicator device visually identifies to whom or what the time, elapsed time, or remaining time is directed.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the GUI is configured to display multiple visual behavior indicators arranged in a selectable manner.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the given visual behavior indicator and the plurality of visual choice indicators are viewable concurrently.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of visual choice indicators is selected from a group consisting of:

a behavior indicator, physical need indicator, activity indicator, and response indicator.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1 further including a writable and/or erasable touch-screen surface in operative association with the at least one electronically adjustable template including a plurality of visual behavior indicators, the at least two additional electronically adjustable templates including a plurality of visual choice indicators, or both.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the GUI includes indicia of a schedule.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the GUI is configured to display a time indicator device for use with the element with indicia of a schedule.

21. The apparatus according to claim 1 further including a coupling device or material to form a book including multiple pages with at least a subset of the multiple pages of the book including or configured to support the apparatus and GUI configured to display the at least one electronically adjustable template including a plurality of visual behavior indicators and the at least two additional electronically adjustable templates including a plurality of visual choice indicators.

22. The apparatus according to claim 1 further including a companion book with multiple pages, wherein the companion book describes how to use the at least one adjustable template including a plurality of visual behavior indicators with the at least two additional adjustable templates including a plurality of visual choice indicators.

23. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the visual behavior or choice indicators is physically selectable.

24. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the visual behavior or choice indicators is electronically selectable.

25. The apparatus according to claim 1 further including a visual guide explaining causes, meanings, or effects of human behavior, choices, mental states, physical states, or emotions.

26. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the additional adjustable templates limit the person to view only as many as four visual choice indicators from the plurality of visual choice indicators.

27. A method of developing a person'"'"'s behavior through use of a processor and one or more storage devices configured to store instructions that are operable when executed by the processor to generate a graphical user interface (GUI), the method comprising:

presenting, via the GUI, a given visual behavior indicator selected by a caregiver, of at least one adjustable template, the at least one adjustable template including a plurality of visual behavior indicators, to a person viewing the template, the visual behavior indicators representing behaviors desired of the person; and

enabling, via the GUI, at least two additional adjustable templates to be adjustable by the person or the caregiver, the additional adjustable templates including a plurality of visual choice indicators that represent choices available to the person, the plurality of visual choice indicators enabled to be constrained by the caregiver as a function of respective visual behavior indicators, the person'"'"'s or caregiver'"'"'s adjustment of the templates to display particular visual choice indicators assisting in developing the person'"'"'s behavior by (i) assisting the person in choosing an appropriately adaptive response supporting the selected desired behavior or (ii) by presenting an alternative behavior to behavior that is contrary to the desired behavior.

28. The method according to claim 27 further including presenting, via the GUI, at least one visual emotional state, mental state, or physical state indicator that represents at least one respective state of the person, and wherein the plurality of visual choice indicators further include representations of choices available to the person to assist in developing the person'"'"'s emotional, mental, or physical well-being by assisting the person in choosing an appropriately adaptive response to the at least one respective state.

29. The method according to claim 27 wherein the person'"'"'s or caregiver'"'"'s adjustment of the templates to display particular visual choice indicators limits viewing to only two visual choice indicators from among the plurality of visual choice indicators.

30. The method according to claim 27 further including reminding, via the GUI, the caregiver to evaluate an emotional state of the person prior to or in connection with presenting the given visual behavior indicator and particular visual choice indicators.

31. The method according to claim 27 further comprising indicating, via the GUI, time, elapsed time, or remaining time for the person to participate in or receive a reward or activity corresponding to a selected one of the plurality of visual choice indicators.

32. The method according to claim 31 further including visually, via the GUI, or audibly indicating to whom or what the time, elapsed time, or remaining time is directed.

33. The method according to claim 27 further including, via the GUI, supporting visual task indicators in a schedule format.

34. The method according to claim 27 further comprising describing, via the GUI, how to use the at least one adjustable template which includes a plurality of visual behavior indicators with the at least two additional adjustable templates including a plurality of visual choice indicators.

35. The method according to claim 27 further comprising forming a screen view, via the GUI, including the given visual behavior indicator and the particular visual choice indicators.

36. The method according to claim 35 further comprising supporting interactive selection of the particular visual choice indicators by the person via the GUI.

37. The method according to claim 27 wherein the visual behavior indicators and the visual choice indicators are retrievable from a communicatively coupled electronic database.

38. The method according to claim 27 wherein the visual behavior indicators and the visual choice indicators are retrievable via a computer network environment.