Patent ID: 6215978
Filing Date: 2001-04-10
Classification: A63H,G09B

Abstract:
A didactic device comprising:a power source;a position sensing mechanism;a sound-producing circuit responsive to said position sensing mechanism;a speaker;at least said sound-producing circuit and said speaker being electrically connected to said power source;a container having an outer surface defined at least in part by a plurality of facet positions of respectively uniform size and configuration, each of said facet positions having a fixed unit visual display thereon different from the respective visual displays on the other facet positions at all times;an initial placement of said container on a supporting surface locating only one of said plurality of facet positions in an ""up"" position in substantially parallel spaced relation to the supporting surface with only another one of said plurality of facet positions located in a ""down"" position in engagement with the supporting surface, any one of said plurality of facet positions on said container being locatable in the ""up"" position with a corresponding another one of said plurality of facet positions being locatable in the ""down"" position;said container holding said power source, said position sensing mechanism, said sound-producing circuit and said speaker;said position sensing mechanism being responsive to the initial placement of said container on the supporting surface with said another one of said plurality of facet positions in the ""down"" position in engagement with the supporting surface to signal said sound-producing circuit to produce a first aural response which provides educational information corresponding to the fixed unit visual display on said one facet position of said container located in the ""up"" position; andfollowing the initial placement of said container on the supporting surface, said position sensing mechanism being further responsive to the subsequent placement of said container on the supporting surface locating a different one of said plurality of facet positions in the ""up"" position and a different another one of said plurality of facet positions located in the ""down"" position to signal said sound-producing circuit to produce a second aural response different from the first aural response and providing educational information corresponding to the fixed unit visual display on said different one of said plurality of facet positions of said container currently located in the ""up"" position.