Patent ID: 6146146
Filing Date: 2000-11-14
Classification: G09B

Abstract:
An interactive learning device for children comprising:a housing having a front face and a back face;a plurality of switches located on said front face of said housing, each switch having an image of a letter of an alphabet associated therewith;a speaker supported in said housing for producing sounds;a first electronic display screen located on said front face of said housing for displaying images;an electronic processor in said housing, said processor in electrical communication with the plurality of switches, the speaker, and the first electronic display screen, said processor responsive to said switches to selectively cause said speaker to produce sounds and said screen to display images,said learning device being operable in at least two modes being selected from the group consisting of;a first operating mode wherein;a primary image is associated with each of said switches, each primary image being a graphical representation of the letter associated with the switch; andactivation of one of said switches causes said processor to activate said first electronic display screen so that said first electronic display screen graphically traces the primary image associated with the activated switch;a second operating mode wherein;a primary sound and a primary image are associated with each of said switches; andactivation of one of said switches causing said speaker to produce the primary sound associated with the activated switch and causing said first electronic display screen to display the primary image associated with the activated switch.a third operating mode wherein;a sound and an image are associated with each of the letters associated with said switches; andsaid processor automatically sequences through said sounds and images, the automatic sequencing comprising the steps ofa) said processor choosing a letter;b) said processor causing said speaker to produce the sound associated with the chosen letter and causing the first electronic display screen to display the image associated with the chosen letter;c) said processor choosing a different letter; andd) returning to step b.a fourth operating mode wherein;a series of sounds comprising a spoken question are associated with each of the switches;said processor quizzes a user, the quizzing comprising the steps ofa) said processor choosing one of said switches;b) said processor causing said speaker to produce the sounds comprising the spoken question for the chosen switch;c) said processor waiting for a switch to be activated, and when a switch is activated, determining what switch is activated;d) if the activated switch is the chosen switch, said processor causing said speaker to produce a reward sound, and skipping to step f;e) if the activated switch is not the chosen switch, said processor causing said speaker to produce a non-reward sound, and returning to step c;f) said processor choosing a different one of said switches;g) returning to step b; wherein one of said two modes is the third operating mode.