Patent Publication Number: US-2005118558-A1

Title: System and method for improving learning and retention by using neurolinguistic programming layout

Description:
REFERENCES CITED  
      U.S. Patent Documents:  
     
         
          U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,347  
          Date: June 1984  
          Inventor: Stahly  
          Class: 351/158  
          U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,293  
          Date: March 1988  
          Inventor: Kole  
          Class: 434/236  
          U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,181  
          Date: October 1994  
          Inventor: Mark  
          Class: 600/28  
          U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,290  
          Date: April 1996  
          Inventor: Quigley, et al  
          Class: 434/129  
          U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,924  
          Date: October 1996  
          Inventor: Katsuren  
          Class: 273/292  
          U.S. Pat. No. 5,871,211  
          Date: February 1999  
          Inventor: Was  
          Class: 273/242  
          U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,916  
          Date: May 1999  
          Inventor: Hirsch  
          Class: 424/45  
          U.S. Pat. No. 6,141,797  
          Date: November 2000  
          Inventor: Buck  
          Class: 2/15  
          U.S. Pat. No. 6,259,889  
          Date: July 2001  
          Inventor: LaDue; Christoph Karl  
          Class: 434/308  
          U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,874  
          Date: August 2002  
          Inventor: Goen  
          Class: 434/262  
       
    
     OTHER REFERENCES  
     
         
          Neal J. Cohen, http://www.beckman.uiuc.edu/faculty/cohen.html  
          Richard Bolstad, http://www.nlp.org/research.htm  
          http://www.dreamweb.ch/don/nlp.htm  
          Grinder &amp; Bandler, The Structure of Magic, 1975  
          Grinder &amp; Bandler, Frogs into Princes, 1978  
          Grinder, Bandler &amp; DeLozier, Neuro-Linguistic Programming; Volume 1, 1980  
          Ned Hermann, The Whole Brain Business Book, 1996  
          Robert Horn, Visual Language: Global Communication For The 21 st  Century, 1999  
          D. A. Bernstien, et. al., Psychology (5th Edition), 2000  
          S. F. Davis &amp; J. J. Palladino, Psychology (3rd Edition), 2000  
       
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      From the dawn of the printed word, authors and publishers have been striving to improve the readability of their works. Practitioners have tried variations in fonts, colors, pictures, font size, and more. Most or all of these were used to create or improve the ill-defined “visual appeal” of the work. Authors and publishers wanted their reader/viewer to enjoy the visual experience much as one might enjoy viewing a painting. Creating a pleasant viewing experience certainly supports the reading process. In recent decades, advertisers have attempted to improve the art by adding “subliminal” messages, with varying levels of success. Existing art depends greatly on personal preference and cultural bias for its appeal; a layout that is appreciated by one person may be despised by another, while a layout that is popular to one generation may be reviled by another. The existing art is highly subjective.  
      In the field of memory improvement, there have been a number of advances. Hirsch (U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,916) uses odorants to improve learning capacity by 25%, Davis (U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,181) uses musical composition of varying tempos to enhance learning and self-improvement, Kole (U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,293) claims increased learning when the learner&#39;s body is subjected to extra-gravitational forces. This invention extends the practice into the realm of the ocular.  
      It is well known that brain functions stimulate body movement, for example, when we feel good, we smile. Research has supported the “facial feedback” hypothesis that says forcing a smile, can make one feel better (Bernstein, et al., 2000); Davis and Palladino, 2000).  
      Although this process is not well understood, the inventors believe that this process of facial feedback is equally applicable to the interaction between the eyes and the brain. It has been shown experimentally that when an individual is accessing certain parts of his or her brain, that the person&#39;s eyes will tend to move in predictable patterns (Grinder and Bandler, 1975 &amp; 1978). When accessing past memories, for example, an individual will tend to look to the left. When thinking about a picture, an individual will tend to look up, when considering a physical activity, people tend to look downward, when thinking about the future people tend to look to the right and so on. It is reasonable to assume, therefore, that by forcing eye movement in those particular directions the individual can stimulate particular areas of the brain to more effectively access certain areas of the brain. For example, if I am planning to climb a rock wall, my mind would work most effectively if I first look left and down as I recall other rock walls that I have climbed. Then, I might look upward and to the right to visualize how I might climb this new wall. Appendix A is a review of the classic addressing patterns.  
      This kind of technique has been proven by experiment to be successful. Bolstad reports how F. Loiselle in 1985 instructed a group of students to study for a spelling test by visualizing the words while looking up and to the left. This group&#39;s spelling score increased 25% over that of the control group. The indication here is that forcing the eye toward certain directions for certain tasks will stimulate relevant brain functions to make learning more effective.  
      In a similar vein, controlling spurious eye movement can improve relaxation and improve memory (U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,347).  
      Using related technique for the opposite effect, the normal process of memory can be disrupted by forcing rapid eye movement in a variety of directions (U.S. Pat. No. 6,419,629).  
      Finally, it has been shown that the process of absorbing information can be improved by breaking the information into smaller, more easily readable “chunks” (e.g. using several small and individually relevant boxes of text instead of an entire page of text) (Horn, Visual Language, 1999.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      It is an advantage of the present invention to use the principles of Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) to define how the information will be displayed (on screen or printed page) to enhance the viewer&#39;s mental functions to improve their ability to absorb, understand and recall the information.  
      The present invention accomplishes the forgoing objects by arranging specific kinds of information (including cognitive, historical, visionary, interpersonal and others) on a display surface (such as printed page, computer screen, presentation screen and others) in ways that allow and encourage viewers to move their eyes in particular ways (such as up, down, left, right) to view those certain types of information which then causes the viewer to absorb understand and retain the viewed information more easily because the eye movement caused the brain to use those specific areas that relate directly to the viewed information. The present invention is embodied in the following layout (see  FIG. 1 ). 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SERIAL VIEWS  
      Description of  FIG. 1 :  
       FIG. 1  is a typical layout of information as it may appear on facing pages of a book, oversized book, projection screen or other form of presentation. The information within the FIGURE both explains and exemplifies the process. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      Details of  FIG. 1 .  
      A. On the upper area of the display, is presented a block of text which includes information specifically related to higher level brain functions such as that of an intellectual and/or creative focus (e.g. a description of the technology and science that is used for patent research). This is also the area for visually related information (e.g. a description of a patent research office).  
      B. Pictures and other graphics area also presented in the upper area of the display are (e.g. picture of a patent researcher at work).  
      C. The bottom area of the display is the area where the kinesthetic information would be placed (e.g. a step by step “how to” process for conducting patent research).  
      D. The information related to the auditory brain functions including interpersonal functions (e.g. the text of an informative discussion between two patent researchers, or a story about patent research) is arranged in this area toward the center area (vertical orientation) of the page.  
      E. On the left hand side of the display is the area where information would be placed that is of a historical nature (e.g. the history of patent research).  
      F. On the right hand side of the display is where information relating to the future (e.g. the future of patent research) is presented.  
      G. In this embodiment, the size of the display is larger than the normal size to more allow the reader&#39;s eyes to more effectively access the relevant areas of his or her brain.  
      H. In this embodiment the information is presented on a two-page spread to further accentuate the accessing effect.  
      I. This embodiment shows how variations can be presented, such as this one that combines the “future” area on the right and the “kinesthetic” area on the bottom to create an area focused on actions for the future (e.g. helpful hints on—what to do to make your patent application process easier).  
     ALTERNATE EMBODIMENTS  
      In  FIG. 1 , we see the preferred embodiment for the majority of the US population. It is understood that other modifications will be evident to those skilled in the art. For example, when left-handed individuals access information, many exhibit eye-movement patterns that are opposite to those of right-handed individuals. An alternative embodiment, therefore might be a reverse-aligned book for left-handed readers. Another embodiment of this invention could be developed by determining the eye-movement/access patterns of an individual and custom-creating a layout to specifically suit that individual&#39;s brain accessing patterns. Another embodiment might be on a computer screen or other projection device within a large room for individuals or whole groups.  
      It should be recognized that, while the invention has been described in relation to a preferred embodiment thereof, those skilled in the art may develop a wide variation of applications without departing from the principles of the invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are to be construed to cover all equivalents falling within the true scope and spirit of the invention. The present example in  FIG. 1  and alternative embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.  
      Appendix A  
      Note, the eye directions listed below are from the point of view of an observer.  
      From http://www.dreamweb.ch/don/nlp.htm  
      Eye accessing cues:  
      When someone&#39;s eyes move in a certain direction, you can say if he&#39;s thinking is visual, auditory or kinaesthetic.  
     
         
          Vr—Visual remembered: (eyes up to the right): When someone sees images as he has seen them before. He remembers something and visualizes it.  
          Vc—Visual constructed: (eyes up to the left): Someone sees images of things he has never seen before. He&#39;s using his fantasy.  
          Ar—Auditory remembered: (eyes to the right side): Someone remembers sounds heard before.  
          Ac—Auditory constructed: (eyes to the left side): Someone constructs sounds he has never heard before.  
          Ad—Auditory digital: (eyes down to the right): Someone is talking to himself.  
          K—Kinaesthetic: (Eyes down to the left): Someone feels emotions, sense of touch or muscle movement.