U.S. patent application number 10/946546 was filed with the patent office on 2005-03-31 for interactive spatial chirography device.
Invention is credited to Khomo, Malome T..
Application Number | 20050069205 10/946546 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34382321 |
Filed Date | 2005-03-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050069205 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Khomo, Malome T. |
March 31, 2005 |
Interactive spatial chirography device
Abstract
Disclosed herein is chirography system including a chirography
stylus fitted with an ultrasonic transducer tip and a font frame
reader employing sensors at reference points of a font coordinate
system. The system may be provided with a symbol recognition module
adapted to identify symbol path traces of the stylus as the stylus
traces the path guided by a cue card for a handwritten symbol. The
system may also include an output for affirming successful
recognition of a spatial chirography symbol by audibly expressing
the identified symbol when the recognition succeeds and/or audibly
prompting for another attempt when the recognition procedure fails.
The system may employ one of physical and electronic cue cards
including symbols adapted to be traced during a learning
session.
Inventors: |
Khomo, Malome T.; (Four
Ways, ZA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MCANDREWS HELD & MALLOY, LTD
500 WEST MADISON STREET
SUITE 3400
CHICAGO
IL
60661
|
Family ID: |
34382321 |
Appl. No.: |
10/946546 |
Filed: |
September 21, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10946546 |
Sep 21, 2004 |
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10672647 |
Sep 26, 2003 |
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10946546 |
Sep 21, 2004 |
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10840905 |
May 7, 2004 |
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10946546 |
Sep 21, 2004 |
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10876314 |
Jun 24, 2004 |
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60520169 |
Nov 14, 2003 |
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60542309 |
Feb 6, 2004 |
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60552800 |
Mar 12, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
382/187 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G09B 7/02 20130101; G06K
9/222 20130101; G09B 11/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
382/187 |
International
Class: |
G06K 009/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An interactive spatial chirography device for spatial symbol
tracing and recognition, the device comprising: a chirographic
stylus having a transducer element adapted to trace a symbol; a
plurality of sensors adapted to receive signals emitted by the
transducer element as the symbol is traced; means for determining
spatial coordinate measurements from the signals received at the
plurality of sensors; a means for collecting the determined spatial
coordinate measurements; a symbol recognition module for employing
the measurements collected during symbol a trace for symbol
recognition, wherein the device is adapted to determine an outcome
of the symbol recognition of the trace; and at least one cue card
having at least one symbol inscribed thereon.
2. The interactive spatial chirography device according to claim 1,
wherein the plurality of sensors comprise: at least one sensor
adapted to receive position signals from the transducer of the
stylus relative to a spatial coordinate origin; and at least one
sensor adapted to receive position signal from the transducer of
the stylus relative to a plurality of spatial reference points.
3. The interactive spatial chirography device according to claim 1,
further comprising means for producing an audible response with
respect to the outcome of the symbol recognition of the trace.
4. The interactive spatial chirography device according to claim 1,
wherein the device is adapted to at least one of assisted learning
and unassisted learning by a learner user.
5. The interactive spatial chirography device according to claim 1,
wherein the device comprises an unassisted interactive learning
application comprising a learning assistant application program for
assisting a learner user of the device to learn traced symbols.
6. The interactive spatial chirography device according to claim 5,
further comprising: storage for symbols to be learned; and storage
for symbols previously learned.
7. The interactive spatial chirography device according to claim 6,
wherein a symbol to be learned comprises one of a physical visual
representation and an electronically-generated visual
representation of the symbol to be learned, wherein the symbols are
adapted to be traced by the stylus during a learning session, and
wherein the symbols are disposed upon one of a physical cue card
and an electronic cue curd.
8. The interactive spatial chirography device according to claim 5,
wherein the learning assistant application program comprises at
least one of: a session administration function; a teaching and
lesson reinforcement function; a demonstration function; and a
symbol guide function.
9. The interactive spatial chirography device according to claim 5,
wherein the learning assistant application program comprises at
least one of: lesson theme functions; lesson evaluation functions;
and learner coaching functions.
10. The interactive spatial chirography device according to claim
1, further comprising: a media reader for loading at least one of
electronic lessons and learning programs; a removable media storage
device adapted to contain at least one of electronic lessons and
learning programs; and a program operating system.
11. The interactive spatial chirography device according to claim
1, further comprising: a learning platform having a keyboard
adaptor; a keyboard line discipline assistant program; an
implementation of printable key symbols; and a comprehensive
binding of emulated keyboard control keys.
12. The interactive spatial chirography device according to claim
1, further comprising: a keyboard interface port; a keyboard
controller emulator; and a connector for electrically connecting a
keyboard adaptor to a host computer.
13. The interactive spatial chirography device according to claim
1, further comprising: a learning platform with a mouse adaptor;
means for determining a mouse X-Y position; and a mouse line
discipline assistant program.
14. The interactive spatial chirography device according to claim
1, further comprising: a mouse interface port; a mouse controller
emulator; and a connector for electrically connecting the mouse
adaptor to a host computer.
15. The interactive spatial chirography device according to claim
14, wherein a mouse X-Y position comprises two X-Y components of a
three dimensional stylus position reading projected onto a spatial
stylus reader projection plane.
16. The interactive spatial chirography device according to claim
1, further comprising: an interactive console associated with an
interactive learning platform; console interfaces; application
assistant programs; and a console supervisor program.
17. The interactive spatial chirography device according to claim
16, further comprising: a keyboard emulator and an associated
interface; a mouse emulator and an associated interface; a device
interface connector; a spatial data bus between the device
interface connector and a main system unit; and at least one analog
audio interface.
18. The interactive spatial chirography device according to claim
16, further comprising: at least one learning assistant module; and
at least one interface emulation assistant module.
19. The interactive spatial chirography device according to claim
16, further comprising: supervisor program text; a boot loader for
non-resident supervisor text; a spatial position sampling routine;
position sample queues; and position averaging routines.
20. A spatial computing method comprising: associating a console
display with a perspective view of three-dimensional space;
associating interactive computing resources with a conceptual
three-dimensional space; assigning a volume element in a
perspective space to available resources; arranging volume elements
in a perspective view; distinguishing between distinct volume
elements by spatial position separation; distinguishing between
different types of resource by employing differing graphic
features; containing all available resources in a closed convex
boundary; associating the closed convex boundary with a point at
minus infinity; providing an initial perspective within which all
available resources are in view; associating the initial
perspective with a global computing context for the initial
perspective; ensuring that all enclosed resources in a context are
spatially reachable; and providing resources available for a
particular context.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application makes reference to, claims priority
to and the benefit from the following U.S. Provisional Patent
Applications: Ser. No. 60/542,309, filed Feb. 6, 2004, and Ser. No.
60/520,169, filed on Nov. 14, 2003, the complete subject matter of
which are hereby incorporated herein by reference, in their
respective entireties.
[0002] The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S.
Non-Provisional Patent Application having Ser. No. 10/672,647,
entitled "A Spatial; Chirographic Sign Reader", and filed on Sep.
26, 2003, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference, in its
entirety.
[0003] The present application is also a continuation-in-part of
U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application having Ser. No. 10/840,905,
entitled "A Spatial; Chirographic Sign Reader and System for
Chirographic Reading", and filed on May 7, 2004, which is hereby
incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety.
[0004] The present application is also a continuation-in-part of
U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application having Ser. No. 10/876,314,
entitled "Method of Employing a Chirographic Stylus", and filed on
Jun. 24, 2004, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference, in
its entirety.
FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0005] [Not Applicable]
MICROFICHE/COPYRIGHT REFERENCE
[0006] [Not Applicable]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0007] Handwriting is traditionally performed on a writing surface,
such as paper, with an ink-dispensing pen or other writing
instrument, such as, a pencil or paintbrush. The result is expected
to be understandable by human readers.
[0008] Recently, electronic handwriting has been done on planar X-Y
digitizing pads using a stylus employed to simulate handwriting
upon the pad to create an electronic facsimile of handwriting. The
digitizing system collects an array of X-Y coordinates of pixels
corresponding to the curve tracing positional points of the stylus
tip. Usually the X-Y arrays are gathered and stored as positional
arrays, and are made discernible to a human reader when rendered on
an X-Y display, but are rarely discernible as text by a device.
[0009] Attempts to make handwriting discernible as machine-readable
text have concentrated on handwriting recognition of the X-Y traces
by translation into binary coded text after affine transformation
of the X-Y trace. Other techniques of recognition of the X-Y traces
employ stochastic recognition based on various randomness
assumptions using a statistical model. Other attempts with more
deterministic techniques of recognition of the X-Y traces use
velocity profiling in on-line recognition and forward search in
batch recognition. Many similar X-Y trace recognition efforts have
resulted in numerically intense algorithms, which tend to restrict
the recognition process to off-line batch processing, conducted as
a separate procedure long after the writing has been done.
[0010] More recently, on-line recognition systems have dispensed
with natural handwriting and created specialized pen-stroke
shorthand for letters of the Latin alphabet and Arabic numerals and
punctuation marks, such as an electronic stylus recognition system.
Field experience has shown that recognition error rates are high
enough to cause manufacturers to begin supplanting the system with
keypads and software keyboards. Miniaturized keypads are slow when
compared to normal handwriting speed. Full-sized keyboards,
although faster in use than miniature keyboards, are too cumbersome
for optimum purposes.
[0011] Devices that track X-Y motion in true geometry exist in the
form of analog joysticks. These are used as actuators for
simulation and as gaming input devices, where a hand-held game
controller may incorporate an analog joystick that permits tracking
of directional inputs over 360 degrees around an action reference
point, and is small enough to be manipulated by a fingertip. The
cited range of 360 degrees signifies that the joystick spans a
projection of the X-Y plane, but does not span a radial distance,
i.e., the joystick is not operable to span a projection along the
Z-axis. This is because the range of each joystick sensor is less
than the radial range to be spanned.
[0012] The cited joystick may utilize optical quadrature sensor
wheels over two orthogonal axes of rotation. Such a configuration
may suffice for directional control over a planar range, but is
inadequate for the capture of natural handwriting strokes because
the latter requires a depth sensor.
[0013] At the time of Charles Babbage, the person attributed with
inventing the analytic engine, a predecessor of the modem-day
computer, a computer was a person whom Babbage observed working at
Napier's logarithm table workshop in France. Napier's workers each
sat upon assigned desks and specialized on one base-10 place value
for the computation of his historical six-figure logarithm tables.
Babbage adopted that concept, applied it to mechanical screws, and
managed to build a device that mechanized Napier's procedure to
nearly thirty place values and developed precision screws and gears
driven in tandem at a 10:1 gear ratio. This brought into existence
the concept of a machine register.
[0014] Babbage also borrowed from the Italian textile industry of
the time. The punch cards employed by the mechanical pattern
knitting looms of the day, were employed by Babbage to mechanically
assert to an analytic engine, a numeric register value. The use of
punched cards for formulating arithmetic problems for analytic
engines was better publicized by Ada (Lady Lovelace), a Babbage
acquaintance who took an intellectual interest in the Babbage
invention.
[0015] This combination in turn inspired Hollerith to create a
tabulating machine (a punched card device) that was used in a
first-ever major census undertaking of the post civil war United
States. The Hollerith system dominated computing for the next
century and brought into existence the International Business
Machine Company (IBM).
[0016] The manner by which the Hollerith system operated was to
input data into the analytic machine (computer) by transcribing
information onto punched cards. The IBM encoding scheme that
persists to this day is called the extended binary coded decimal
interchange code. Once the data cards were punched, they would be
appended to a computer program. Punched program cards were preceded
by control cards for performing batch-computing jobs. This
procedure evolved into a unique culture of mainframe computing.
[0017] After a century of the Hollerith method, a console for
mainframe computing included a command and control work area
overseeing the work of card readers, print queues, and a host of
system administration tasks for numerous batch jobs that were being
executed at any one time. From this concentration of control arose
a replication on what was then relegated to peripheral control
devices (PDP) for overseeing communications, printing, and other
I/O functions. The now defunct Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)
refined the PDP into an independent computing machine, free from
the constraints of the mainframe, and defined what is now
historically known as the minicomputer era. One departure, however,
was in the adoption of variable record lengths. The mainframe
imposed 80 column records universally, which was the standard
length for punched cards.
[0018] DEC also defined a series of terminals, derisively termed
dumb terminals by mainframe users, which only controlled an output
text display and input text keyboard. The virtual terminals (VT) as
they were then known brought about a new mode of using a computer,
namely through a text entry command line. The host computer would
invoke a command interpreter and the user would enter commands with
strict syntax and semantics. The premier example of this was the
DEC command language (DCL) facility used on VT terminals, for
example. The most rudimentary terminal in the series was the VT-100
DEC terminal.
[0019] Concurrent with this development, new research initiatives
arose for interactive computing, most famously, the international
academic and industrial collaboration called Multiplexed
Information and Computing Service (MULTICS). The MULTICS effort
subscribed, to by competitors of IBM, attempted to make the
features of mainframes generic. Out of the MULTICS research
initiative arose, within AT&T Bell Laboratories, a much
narrower interaction model, appropriately called Uniplexed
Information and Computing System (UNIX.RTM.), in which the computer
kernel only did one thing: multiplex concurrent tasks on one
computer with a scheduler. UNIX.RTM. adopted a number of
interactive computing features of the DEC PDP machines, while
retaining the more useful generics of MULTICS. The most salient of
these to users was the shell command interpreter, which became the
standard for command-line interactive computing.
[0020] When console displays became capable of areal layout of
text, the interaction model evolved from a command line to a menu
screen. An interactive program would present a menu screen of
available commands, and a user would select them using various
typesetting keystrokes to lead the typesetting cursor to the text
of the desired selection, and send a directive for invoking that
command by hitting a transmit key.
[0021] The transmit key of the console arose from
telecommunications, telegraphy in particular, wherein a terminal
that looked like a typewriter had a typesetting carriage return and
line feed, and wherein typed text was entered. The transmit key
served that purpose, in telecommunications, and was adopted as the
command key for text screen menu systems.
[0022] It is appropriate to note that the DEC VT terminals also
adopted the American Standard Code for Information Exchange (ASCII)
for inter-computer communications. The ASCII standard was developed
by independent teletype manufacturers, led by a company whose
premier product was also named TeleType. UNIX.RTM. developers also
incorporated the DEC adaptations into their computing models,
wherein a terminal is identified as a teletypewriter (TTY). It may
also be noteworthy that the UNIX.RTM. implementation of terminal
screen addressing of a typesetting cursor are found in the
appropriately cursed utilities.
[0023] As UNIX.RTM. workstations began supplanting minicomputers,
solid-state miniaturization and large scale circuit integration
techniques gave rise to retail-affordable microcomputers, primarily
led by Apple Computer Corporation, using the BASIC computer
language interface for programmers and users and a control
program/manager (CP/M) for console services.
[0024] At this point IBM developed a new microcomputer product, the
IBM-PC, and used Microsoft, a young CP/M Basic software developer
and vendor to provide critical microcomputer applications for the
IBM-PC. The BASIC language interface sold by Microsoft was largely
derived from DEC Basic, upon which the Microsoft start-up had cut
its teeth. At the point IBM required a Disk Operating System (DOS)
helper for the IBM-PC, Microsoft adopted a variant of the DEC
research CP/M DOS Helper (DR-DOS), and the standard interaction
terminal on the Microsoft DOS (MS-DOS) was given the capability of
VT 100 terminals and an ASCII interchange code convention.
[0025] When graphics-capable microcomputers became retail
affordable, a new interaction model came into being. Pointing
devices were introduced into computer interaction. Research at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was combined with
research at Xerox Corporation into a windowing computer system
predicted by psychology researcher Dr. Licklider of MIT decades
before. A number of aspects of the interaction paradigm first
appeared on text command screens. The location of main commands at
a top row of the screen and the display of abbreviated command
options immediately below a selected main command for a temporary
period of time, namely a pull-down menu, and reservation of the
remainder of the screen for the application interaction data was
first adopted. When graphics was added to this pull down menu
system, the ability to reserve an area of the screen with a
graphics icon of what had been a text command label brought rise to
the personal computing model named Windows, Icons, Menus, and
Pull-down System (WIMPS).
[0026] Apple Computer adopted the graphics windowing computer model
of Xerox.RTM., into their Macintosh.RTM. computer, and when
graphics capability became common to IBM-PC's, IBM.RTM. launched
their Presentation Manager.RTM. under a multitasking PS/2 successor
to DOS, while Microsoft launched a competing Windows.RTM. system.
To date windowing systems dominate the interaction paradigm. The
WIMPS paradigm has been elaborated by specialization, such as for
example, dialog control, text editing control, selection list,
combo-box control (combination of text and list) in text
applications, and features, such as for example, overlay, panning,
and zoom magnification and retraction. The areal icon selection for
menus and controls was refined further in engineering drawing
graphics applications as a snap behavior, wherein the pointer
mouse, or digitizer cursor, was allowed to capture a nearby graphic
feature into its prevailing context, where having the user exactly
point at the minute feature location was not practical.
[0027] In brief the historical computing sequence starting with
Napier is as follows: Napier: human arithmetic computing with
working desk register and handwritten input and output; Babbage:
mechanical arithmetic computing with a machine register; Ada:
programming with punched cards; Hollerith: batch data processing
with punched cards; TeleType: interactive typewriting keyboard;
DEC: interactive computing console; MIT: human computer interaction
pointing devices; and Xerox: window interaction computing using
console with pointer mouse.
[0028] Over the two decades of evolution of the window interaction
computing method, many applications for computing have emerged in
addition to the WIMPS paradigm. The earliest was the accounting
spreadsheet, followed soon after by the clerical word processor.
When graphics became available to applications, engineering drawing
followed. When graphics animation became possible simulated games
came into common use. As communications have become more pervasive,
interaction models have also become remote, so that remote
geometric spatial computing has been applied to robotics, and
tele-computing, as in telemetry, and telemedicine, for example.
[0029] The mainstay of user interfaces in all these applications
continues to be WIMPS. Because the chirographic system, according
to an embodiment of the present invention, may specifically be
designed for use as a handwriting device and a graphical marking
device, the chirographic system may be adapted to provide the
opportunity for converting the Napier computer into a fully
computerized model by employing the tactile operations that Napier
relied upon.
[0030] Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and
traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the
art through comparison of such systems with embodiments presented
in the remainder of the present application with reference to the
drawings.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0031] Aspects of the present invention may be found in an
interactive spatial chirography device for spatial symbol tracing
and recognition. The device may comprise a chirographic stylus
having a transducer element adapted to trace a symbol, a plurality
of sensors adapted to receive signals emitted by the transducer
element as the symbol is traced, means for determining spatial
coordinate measurements from the signals received at the plurality
of sensors, a means for collecting the determined spatial
coordinate measurements, a symbol recognition module for employing
the measurements collected during a trace for symbol recognition,
wherein the device may be adapted to determine an outcome of the
symbol recognition of the trace.
[0032] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
plurality of sensors may comprise at least one sensor adapted to
receive position signals from the transducer of the stylus relative
to a spatial coordinate origin and at least one sensor adapted to
receive position signal from the transducer of the stylus relative
to a plurality of spatial reference points.
[0033] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
interactive spatial chirography device may further comprise means
for producing an audible response with respect to the outcome of
the symbol recognition of the trace.
[0034] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
device may be adapted to at least one of assisted learning and
unassisted learning by a learner user.
[0035] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
device may comprise an unassisted interactive learning application
comprising a learning assistant application program for assisting a
learner user of the device to learn traced symbols.
[0036] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
interactive spatial chirography device may further comprise storage
for symbols to be learned and storage for symbols previously
learned.
[0037] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
symbols to be learned may comprise at least one of cue cards having
symbols inscribed thereon and electronic visual representations of
symbols, wherein the symbols may be adapted to be traced by the
stylus during a learning session.
[0038] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
learning assistant application program may comprise at least one of
a session administration function, a teaching and lesson
reinforcement function, a demonstration function, and a symbol
guide function.
[0039] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
learning assistant application program may comprise at least one of
lesson theme functions, lesson evaluation functions, and learner
coaching functions.
[0040] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
interactive spatial chirography device may further comprise a media
reader for loading at least one of electronic lessons and learning
programs, a removable media storage device adapted to contain at
least one of electronic lessons and learning programs, and a
program operating system.
[0041] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
interactive spatial chirography device may further comprise a
learning platform having a keyboard adaptor, a keyboard line
discipline assistant program, an implementation of printable key
symbols, and a comprehensive binding of emulated keyboard control
keys.
[0042] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
interactive spatial chirography device may further comprise a
keyboard interface port, a keyboard controller emulator, and a
connector for electrically connecting a keyboard adaptor to a host
computer.
[0043] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
interactive spatial chirography device may further comprise a
learning platform with a mouse adaptor, means for determining a
mouse X-Y position, and a mouse line discipline assistant
program.
[0044] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
interactive spatial chirography device may further comprise a mouse
interface port, a mouse controller emulator, and a connector for
electrically connecting the mouse adaptor to a host computer.
[0045] In an embodiment according to the present invention, a mouse
X-Y position may comprise components of a three dimensional
position of the stylus onto two X-Y position readings along a
spatial reader stylus projection plane.
[0046] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
interactive spatial chirography device may further comprise an
interactive console associated with an interactive learning
platform, console interfaces, application assistant programs, and a
console supervisor program.
[0047] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
interactive spatial chirography device may further comprise a
keyboard emulator and an associated interface, a mouse emulator and
an associated interface, a device interface connector, a spatial
data bus between the device interface connector and a main system
unit, and at least one analog audio interface.
[0048] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
interactive spatial chirography device may further comprise at
least one learning assistant module, and at least one interface
emulation assistant module.
[0049] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
interactive spatial chirography device may further comprise a
supervisor program text, a boot loader for non-resident supervisor
text, a spatial position sampling routine, position sample queues,
and, position averaging routines.
[0050] Aspects of the present invention may be found in a spatial
computing method which comprises, associating a console display
with a perspective view of three-dimensional space, associating
interactive computing resources with a conceptual three-dimensional
space, assigning a volume element in a perspective space to
available resources, arranging volume elements in a perspective
view, distinguishing between distinct volume elements by spatial
position separation, distinguishing between different types of
resource by employing differing graphic features, containing all
available resources in a closed convex boundary, associating the
closed convex boundary with a point at minus infinity, providing an
initial perspective within which all available resources are in
view, associating the initial perspective with a global computing
context for the initial perspective, ensuring that all enclosed
resources in a context are spatially reachable, and providing
resources available for a particular context.
[0051] Aspects of the present invention may be found in interactive
spatial chirography system for spatial letter tracing and
recognition comprising a chirography device and a chirography
stylus comprising sensors for spatial font coordinate measurement.
The system may also comprise a housing for the chirography system
and the chirography stylus, and means for mounting a cue card. The
system may also comprise a text character recognition module. The
system may also comprise a convention for indicating a start and an
end of a handwriting trace. The system may also comprise a means
for collecting positional measurements of the handwriting trace for
text character recognition. The system may also comprise a means of
providing an audible presentation of an outcome of text character
recognition of the handwriting trace.
[0052] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
interactive spatial chirography device may further comprise at
least one sensor to record a position relative to a font coordinate
origin and at least one sensor to record a stylus position relative
to reference points associated with a typeface frame.
[0053] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
means for mounting a cue card may comprise a receptacle for the cue
card on the system housing, a means for mounting the cue card
according to a particular orientation, and a means for visually
viewing the cue card by a font origin sensor mount point about the
housing.
[0054] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
means for collecting positional measurements of the handwriting
trace may comprise associating a viewed cue card image with
position readings taken from movement of a tip of the stylus along
a cue card image outline.
[0055] In an embodiment according to the present invention, an
audible presentation of an outcome of the text character
recognition may comprise a textual result of a recognition
procedure, a textual indication of a next step to be performed, an
audio indication of an outcome of the text character recognition,
and a visual indication of an outcome of the text character
recognition.
[0056] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
means for mounting the cue card in the correct orientation may
comprise a notch on an edge of the cue card adapted to mate with a
matching beveled feature on a mating receptacle side, and wherein
other cue card edges fittingly mates with other receptacle
sides.
[0057] Aspects of the present invention may be found in a method of
correcting geometrical distortions associated with a handwriting
trace, the method comprising one of tracing along a plane parallel
to a plane associated with a typeface sensor when a typeface zenith
is oriented along a sightline of an end-user, and tracing along a
plane parallel to a plane of a cue card image when a plane of a
typeface sensor coincides with the plane of the cue card image.
[0058] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
method of tracing along the plane parallel to the plane of the
typeface sensor when the typeface zenith is oriented along the
sightline of an end-user further comprises at least one of:
directing the stylus to face the typeface sensor, centering the
stylus by adjusting a stylus position in a hand of an end-user,
centering the stylus by moving a chirographic device associated
with the stylus, facing a typeface perpendicularly with respect to
the stylus, aligning the stylus with the cue card image, aligning
the stylus, the cue card edge, and a font origin sensor, tracing
along a downward sloping direction with respect the typeface plane,
and tracing along an upward sloping direction of the typeface
plane.
[0059] Aspects of the present invention may be found in an
interactive spatial chirography device comprising a chirographic
housing, a front interaction area on the housing, a stylus, a
connector associated with the stylus being activated by a power
switch, and a stylus grip adapted to activate a handwritten
character recognition application.
[0060] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
housing may comprise a structure comprising outer surfaces adapted
to minimize risk of injury.
[0061] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
front interaction area of the housing may comprise a space for
holding at least one cue card, an attachment for holding the
stylus, a mounting for an audio speaker, and a receptacle for
holding a cue card while in use.
[0062] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
spaces for holding the at least one cue card may comprise a silo
for holding cue cards that are to be employed during a current
educational session and another silo for holding cue cards
previously employed in the current educational session.
[0063] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
silos may each comprise a silo cavity within the housing adapted to
hold a set of cue cards, retaining flanges to securely hold the cue
cards if the housing becomes disoriented, and an opening for
retrieving the cue cards to be employed from the silos.
[0064] Aspects of the present invention may be found in a method of
assisting a learner in operating an interactive spatial chirography
device, the method comprising preparing an educational setting,
demonstrating operation of the device, administering a first
educational session with a first educational symbol, administering
another educational session with another symbol until all symbols
have been employed, and ending the educational setting.
[0065] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
method may further comprise selecting a set of cue cards to be used
in the educational session, stowing selected cue cards into a first
silo, placing the selected cue cards face up in a receptacle
adapted to hold the cue cards in use, ensuring that a top of a
symbol displayed upon a cue card is oriented toward a sightline of
a learner, administering the education to the learner by powering
the device, and facilitating a learner familiarization with the
education device.
[0066] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
method may further comprise explaining operation of the device to
the learner, prompting the learner grasp a stylus, prompting the
learner to move the stylus to initialize an educational program,
demonstrating tracing of a handwritten symbol to invoke a response
from the educational device, demonstrating handwriting motions
while the learner is grasping the stylus, explaining directional
paths to the learner as the symbolic path is traced, withdrawing
the stylus from proximity of the cue card at an end of a
handwritten trace, and reinforcing what the learner has
performed.
[0067] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
administering an educational session may comprise selecting a
symbol to be used, picking the cue card from the first silo,
presenting the symbol visually to the learner, defining the symbol,
letting the learner become visually familiar with the symbol,
explaining any hints from a back face of the cue card, placing the
cue card into a receptacle in the housing, prompting the learner to
trace a cue card image, reinforcing what was learned, removing the
cue card from the receptacle, and stowing previously used cue card
in a second silo.
[0068] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
method may further comprise conveying an acknowledgment of success
upon completion and/or prompting for another attempt upon failure,
reinforcing accolades and affirmation when the device audibly
acknowledges success, and performing additional learning
re-enforcement.
[0069] Aspects of the present invention may be found in an
unassisted interactive system comprising an interactive
chirographic device adapted for unassisted learning and a learning
assistant program.
[0070] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
interactive chirographic device may further comprise a cue card
replacement means, a stylus alignment means, a hand rest assembly,
and a hand-position detection means.
[0071] In an embodiment according to the present invention, wherein
electronic cue card replacement may comprise a display screen
displaying a virtual electronic cue card, a display screen image
displaying a virtual electronic cue card inscription, and virtual
electronic cue card inscriptions and text.
[0072] In an embodiment according to the present invention, wherein
the device may further comprise a cue card receptacle coincident
with a reader font frame, a display screen center-point being
located at a font origin, a display screen plane being oriented
parallel to a typeface plane, typeface frame reference sensors
being identified with display frame reference points, and a hand
rest guiding positioning of a hand of a learner.
[0073] In an embodiment according to the present invention, wherein
a hand rest assembly may comprise a base, a hand saddle flap, a
movable joint between a base and a hand saddle flap, and a hand
saddle flap closing hinge spring.
[0074] In an embodiment according to the present invention, wherein
the hand position detection means may comprise a hand saddle flap
opening pressure actuator on a hand rest base, a hand saddle flap
closing hand pressure activated hand saddle flap, and a hand saddle
flap closing detection electrical circuit.
[0075] In an embodiment according to the present invention, wherein
the device may further comprise system storage for electronic cue
card images and inscriptions, a partition of system storage for
planned lesson electronic cue cards, and a partition of the system
storage for accomplished lesson electronic cue cards.
[0076] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
device further comprises a learning assistant program comprising
assistance functions, a lesson session administration function, a
lesson reinforcement function, a demonstration function, and a
symbol guide function.
[0077] Aspects of the present invention may be found in a
chirographic learning platform comprising an unassisted learning
chirographic device, an external media reader for the chirographic
learning platform, an external media unit comprising lesson
programs and subject data, and a program loader.
[0078] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
lesson program may comprise a session administration function and a
learner assistance function.
[0079] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
learner assistance function may comprise lesson theme experiencing
functions, lesson experience evaluation functions, lesson
demonstration functions, and lesson coaching functions.
[0080] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
method may further comprise inserting an external media unit into a
media reader, loading the lesson program onto the system,
initializing the lesson by switching to a corresponding session
administration module, running the lesson application, and
resetting the system monitor on a hard interrupt.
[0081] Aspects of the present invention may be found in a
chirographic keyboard emulation device comprising a chirographic
learning platform having a keyboard adaptor, a keyboard line
discipline assistant program, an implementation of printable key
symbols, and a comprehensive binding of emulated keyboard control
keys.
[0082] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
chirographic learning platform having a keyboard adaptor may
further comprise a keyboard interface port, a keyboard controller
emulator, and a connector for electrically coupling the keyboard
adaptor to a host computer.
[0083] In an embodiment according to the present invention, wherein
the keyboard line discipline assistant program may comprise an
interactive session assistant program for keyboard interaction, and
a keyboard line discipline for an associated keyboard type of a
target host computer system.
[0084] In an embodiment according to the present invention, an
implementation of the printable key symbols may comprise a complete
result set of a chirographic recognition module.
[0085] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
comprehensive binding of emulated keyboard control keys may
comprise binding hand rest hand pressure switch combinations that
uniquely map all keyboard control combinations.
[0086] Aspects of the present invention may be found in a
chirographic mouse emulator device comprising a chirographic
learning platform having a mouse adaptor, a mouse position, and a
mouse line discipline assistant program.
[0087] In an embodiment according to the present invention, wherein
the chirographic learning platform having a mouse adaptor may
further comprise a mouse interface port, a mouse controller
emulator, and a connector for electrically coupling the mouse
adaptor to a host computer.
[0088] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
mouse position may comprise components of a chirographic stylus
three-dimensional position imposed upon at least one two
dimensional position reading along a spatial reader stylus
projection plane.
[0089] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
mouse line discipline assistant program may comprise an interactive
session assistant program for mouse interaction, a mouse line
discipline for an associated mouse type of a target host computer
system.
[0090] Aspects of the present invention may be found in a
chirography console comprising an interactive chirographic learning
platform, console interfaces, application assistant programs, and a
console supervisor program.
[0091] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
console interfaces may comprise a keyboard emulator having an
associated interface, a mouse emulator having an associated
interface, a chirographic console interface connector, a spatial
data bus between the chirographic console interface connector and a
main system unit, and an audio interface.
[0092] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
application assistant program may comprise one or a plurality of
lesson assistant modules, and one or a plurality of interface
emulation assistant modules.
[0093] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
console supervisor program may comprise supervisor program text, a
boot loader for non-resident supervisor text, a spatial position
sampling routine, position sample queues, and position averaging
routines.
[0094] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
method of operating the chirography console may comprise loading
the console supervisor program at system bootstrap, and invoking
the console supervisor program.
[0095] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
method may further comprise invoking a sample scheduler, invoking a
position sampling routine, queuing acquired samples for processing,
invoking averaging routines to improve accuracy, invoking
recognition routines to identify handwritten text, invoking lesson
assistant routines, and invoking emulation routines.
[0096] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
invoking the sample scheduler may comprise providing processing
time to subsequent routines by priority, executing higher priority
tasks before lower priority routines, assigning more computing time
to higher priority routines than lower routines, and managing
processing resources within and between tasks.
[0097] Aspects of the present invention may be found in a spatial
computing method comprising associating a chirography console
display with a perspective view of three-dimensional space,
associating interactive computing resources with a conceptual
three-dimensional space, assigning a volume element in a
perspective space to each available resource, arranging volume
elements in a three dimensional perspective view, distinguishing
distinct volume elements by spatial position separation,
distinguishing between different types of resources by differing
graphics features, containing all available processing resources in
a closed convex boundary, associating the closed convex boundary
with a point at minus infinity behind student viewer, providing an
initial perspective within which all available resources are in
view, associating an initial perspective with a global computing
context, making all enclosed resources in a context spatially
reachable, and presenting resources available for the global
computing context.
[0098] In an embodiment according to the present invention, making
all the enclosed resources in a context spatially reachable may
comprise approaching a volume element with an alibi change of
coordinates, assigning a projection area of a volume element to an
entrance to corresponding resources, and snapping at the volume
element to enter a corresponding computing context.
[0099] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
approaching a volume element with an alibi change of coordinates
may comprise associating a perspective viewpoint with a cursor
volume element, performing translations through a scene with an
alibi coordinate linear transformations of a cursor, rotating and
panning the perspective viewpoint, and approaching and zooming
toward a volume element.
[0100] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
snapping at the volume element to enter an associated computing
context may comprise setting a snap sphere radius of resolution at
less than half a minimum spatial separation between objects at a
prevailing perspective, setting the minimum spatial separation
between objects to be a tactile distance at which a learner viewer
is enabled to operate at the prevailing perspective, qualifying a
volume element as being snapped if a learner viewer is able to
translate a viewpoint to a point whose snap sphere intersects the
volume element.
[0101] In an embodiment according to the present invention, setting
the minimum spatial separation between objects to be a tactile
distance at which the learner viewer is enabled to operate at the
prevailing perspective may comprise scaling a distance for the
perspective to a tactile movement distance of a chirographic stylus
for the learner viewer, adding to the minimum separation distance a
linear factor of a statistical standard error of a position when
the position is an averaged value, canceling significant amplitude
of tremor oscillation detected in the learner viewer positioning,
and subtracting from the minimum separation distance a canceled
oscillation amplitude.
[0102] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
qualifying a volume element as snapped, if the learner viewer is
enabled to translate the viewpoint to a point whose snap sphere
intersects the volume element may comprise fixing the viewpoint if
significant oscillation is present, indicating a minimum time over
which a snap qualification persists, and indicating at least one
learner viewer action while the snap qualification persists.
[0103] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
presenting the resources available for the context may comprise
projecting the perspective view of the conceptual three-dimensional
space containing the resources upon a portion of a console display
area, projecting specialization of the current context in a
conceptual two-dimensional area on a portion of a console display
area disjoint from the display area used for a spatial perspective,
projecting work areas of the current context upon a conceptual
two-dimensional area on a portion of the console display area
disjoint from the display area used for the spatial perspective and
the display area used for specialization of the current context,
projecting a containing context whenever the current context is a
specialization upon a portion of the console display area disjoint
from the display area used for the spatial perspective, the display
area used for specialization of the current context, and from the
display area used as work areas of the current context, accessing
one of containing context, current context specialization, and
current context work areas.
[0104] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
accessing one of containing context, current context
specialization, and current context work areas may comprise
approaching an areal resource by panning a cursor to an area
reserved for the containing context, panning the cursor to the area
reserved for context specialization, panning the cursor to the work
area reserved for the current context, and snapping at the areal
resource.
[0105] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
snapping at the areal resource entails snapping at a volume
element.
[0106] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
method may further comprise associating one of a panned-to context
area and work area with an areal projection of the volume element,
using a snap circle for one of the panned-to context area and work
area by associating the snap circle with a two-dimensional
projection of a snap sphere, qualifying an areal element as being
snapped if a learner viewer is enabled to translate the areal
viewpoint to a point whose snap circle intersects the areal element
approached, and snapping at one of linear resources and point
resources.
[0107] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
snapping at one of the linear resources and at one of the point
resources may entail snapping at an areal resource.
[0108] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
method may further comprise associating one of the linear resources
and the point resources with a linear projection of the areal
resource, using a snap interval for one of the linear resources and
the point resources by associating the snap interval with a
one-dimensional projection of the snap circle, qualifying a linear
element as being snapped if the learner viewer is enabled to
translate the linear viewpoint to a point whose snap interval
intersects the linear element approached, and qualifying a point
element as being snapped if the learner viewer is enabled to
translate the linear viewpoint to a point whose snap interval
contains the point element approached.
[0109] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
indicating a learner viewer action while a snap qualification
persists may comprise presenting audible cues regarding a context
of a snapped resource, presenting visual user cues regarding the
context of the snapped resource, and performing an action as
indicated by a learner viewer response to context cues.
[0110] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
performing an action as indicated by a learner viewer response to
context cues may comprise preserving a current context, entering a
new context, responding to learner viewer interaction therein,
ending an interaction in a new context by exiting the current
context, and restoring a prior context upon returning thereto.
[0111] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
restoring the prior context may comprise providing one of a gradual
spatial, graphic, and audible transition to the prior context to
prevent disorienting the learner viewer.
[0112] Aspects of the present invention may be found in employing a
spatial chirographic system and a spatial computing method for use
in navigating resources contained in a console, for example. A
mouse or other computerized pointing device may generate data
points very rapidly. In word-processing applications, even where
text formatting and rendering occupy large portions of processing,
mouse-driven operations may be too fast for a human to follow.
Programmers deliberately slow down the travel of a cursor or
pointer icon to permit perception by humans.
[0113] In an embodiment according to the present invention, to
facilitate spatial navigation of an application resource, the same
reduction of speed may be required to give a user enough time to
take in a scenario and decide what to do next. Unlike WIMPS windows
and their two-dimensional panes, a metaphor that seems to fit
spatial context computing better is a doors, rooms, and floors
navigation model, wherein a floor area may correspond to a WIMPS
screen or window.
[0114] For the purpose of revealing the invention it may suffice to
exemplify a method employing at least one with one of the devices
listed above, for example, a spatial chirographic sign styling
marker.
[0115] These and other advantages and novel features of the present
invention, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof,
will be more fully understood from the following description and
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0116] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a
chirographic device according to an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0117] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of
the chirographic device according to FIG. 1 illustrating features
not visible in FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0118] FIG. 3 is a schematic elevation section view of the
exemplary embodiment of the chirographic device according to FIGS.
1 AND 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0119] FIG. 4 is a front elevation perspective view of another
exemplary chirographic device according to an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0120] FIG. 5 is a rear elevation perspective view of the exemplary
embodiment of the chirographic device illustrated in FIG. 4
according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0121] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment
of the chirographic device according to an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0122] FIG. 7 is a mechanical elevation schematic view of an
exemplary chirographic device according to an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0123] FIG. 8 is a Venn diagram of an exemplary educational
application architecture of the chirographic device according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0124] FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the
chirographic device according to an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0125] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary
embodiment of the chirographic device according to FIG. 9 in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0126] FIG. 11 is a perspective plan view of another embodiment of
the chirographic device according to an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0127] FIG. 12 is a diagonal cross-sectional view of an exemplary
hand rest of the FIG. 11, and an exemplary embodiment of the
chirographic device having text setting key switches and a saddle
rocking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0128] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary keyboard
emulation application for the chirographic device according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0129] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary mouse
emulation application for the chirographic device according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0130] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a side panel of an
exemplary embodiment of the chirographic device according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0131] FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram indicating a plurality of
subsystems supporting a plurality of input and output interfaces
for the chirographic device according to an exemplary embodiment of
the present invention such as the FIG. 15 embodiment;
[0132] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a user-friendly interactive
chirographic console illustrating computing resources, work areas,
sub-contexts, and context areas for the chirographic device
according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0133] FIG. 18 illustrates a text editing and recognition
application of a graphics styling application for the chirographic
device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0134] Aspects of the present invention may be found in a spatial
chirographic system comprising input device drivers collecting
spatial chirographic data from any one of a number of spatial
chirographic devices, for example. The chirographic system
according to the present invention may comprise a text character
recognition application employing data generated by a spatial
chirographic sign reader, for example.
[0135] In an embodiment according to the present invention, a
mechanically un-coupled chirography stylus may be employable for
use in the teaching unencumbered handwriting. Aspects of the
present invention may be found in a text character recognition
technique that provides features adapted to facilitate learning
handwriting of individually written characters, for example. A
system supporting such a handwriting learning application may
employ, in addition to a chirographic stylus and chirographic
reader, a prompting mechanism for soliciting trial hand strokes,
and an evaluation means for indicating successful completion of a
handwritten character.
[0136] In an embodiment according to the present invention, a
learning session, i.e., an interactive learning session, may
proceed sequentially from an initial prompting for an end-user to
write a particular letter of the alphabet or numeral. The process
may also comprise reading the handwriting strokes of a
learner/student. When the learner/student fulfills spatial
conditions for asserting a handwritten character, the evaluation
means may acknowledge the successful handwriting condition, with an
audio/visual reward, such as for example, "Great Job", a bell, or a
light may be activated.
[0137] Aspects of the present invention may also be found in a
spatial character recognition method that may be adapted to an
educational end-use with young children under adult/supervisory
guidance, for example. In an embodiment according to the present
invention, an interactive chirographic device may also meet the
needs of an adult, for example, whose responsibility it is to see
that the learner/student interaction with the device is an
entertaining, positive learning experience. The chirographic device
according to an embodiment of the present invention may be employed
by learners/students, for example, who desire to learn a
second/foreign language, for example.
[0138] In an embodiment according to the present invention, an
assisted learning application may focus upon learning shapes,
letters, characters, and numerals, for example. The learner/student
may be entertained through affirmation and encouragement. The
system may be adapted to provide the learner/student rewards/praise
while learner/student uses the system, for example.
[0139] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
cumulative effect of interacting with the chirographic device may
be learning how to write letters, characters, symbols, and
numerals, for example, which may be provided along with the device,
or marketed separately. The learner/student may be able to
demonstrate proficiency by having the handwritten symbols
recognized by the chirographic device. Early recognition of shapes
and handwriting strokes acquired by interacting with the
chirographic device may be a useful first step in learning to write
on paper and typing on a keyboard, for example, in subsequent
educational experiences.
[0140] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
benefits may be acquired by using the assisted learning device and
application. For example, accomplishments may be captured and
codified into an automated system so that as the learner advances,
the learner/student may continue to build upon previously acquired
knowledge. The learning/educational method may be codified into
procedures employable by the system.
[0141] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
learner/student may be able to interact with the device with
supervision. In order to dispense with a human assistant, the
educational procedure may be incorporated into a learning
application adapted oversee activities of a learner/student in the
same manner as a supervisor/educator may oversee the learning of a
child in an educational environment.
[0142] Aspects of the present invention may be found in one of an
automatic user interface and a user activated self-assisted user
interface, for example. Advisories, affirmations, and time
dependent procedures, for example, may be encoded into the system
within a learning application.
[0143] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
supervisory educational program may be provided with an
audible/visual presence and may act as the equivalent of a
teacher.
[0144] In an embodiment according to the present invention, initial
guidance by may be performed by the application to assist the
learner/student/user to trace symbols with minimum distortion, for
example. The interactive chirographic device may be adapted to
explain distortions and how to avoid them to the learner/student.
The explanations/guidance may be given in real-time and may be
encoded into the software/firmware of the device. The device may
continuously monitor student/learner activities, evaluate the
activities, and offer real-time instruction to the student learner
while the student learner is performing an education task, for
example.
[0145] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
supervision of stylus manipulation may be employed to facilitate an
intended education and amusement experience. The device may offer
real-time instructions to the student/learner in how to deal with
corrections/modifications of handwriting and on how to properly
interact with the device. In an embodiment according to the present
invention, all aspects of the user-device interaction may be
designed to provide playful learning. The student learner may enjoy
the user-device interaction to a point where the learning may
become auxiliary to the anticipation of enjoyment through playful
learning while employing the device to write symbols, for
example.
[0146] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
teaching may comprise a plurality of sequenced lessons. Each lesson
may build upon a previous lesson. The lessons may also be grouped
into modules, for example, beginner modules, intermediate modules,
advanced modules, and expert modules, for example.
[0147] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
converting a learning application into a generic interactive
application may comprise changing operative references so that
purposeful verbs, such as for example, teach, and quantitative
nouns, such as for example, lesson may not universally apply. For
generic rendering of an interactive application of the present
invention, a contextual relation, such as for example, teach a
lesson, may be replaced within less specific context in
expressions, such as for example, accomplish a mission, fulfill an
objective, demonstrate a competency, and achieve a goal, for
example.
[0148] Aspects of the present invention may be found in an assisted
learning device and application. In an embodiment according to the
present invention, the device may be an interactive two-person task
targeted at a learner player and supervisory assistant educator,
for example.
[0149] In an embodiment according to the present invention, an
unassisted interactive device and application may be adapted to
automate the procedures associated with the supervisory assistant
educator, so that the device may be employed for autonomous
self-education, that is, the educational assistant may be found in
a software/firmware application and may be a logical component of
the learning device, and not a real person. A learning assistant
program, for example, may be regarded as a game, wherein the
learning assistant is a game character. The unassisted learning
device may be generalized/specialized for teaching a plurality of
subjects or a single subject and/or pursuing a plurality of themes
or a single them the interactive Chirographic device. In an
embodiment according to the present invention, a computer generated
learning assistant may comprise a woman with a Greek accent adapted
to assist the student/learner in writing Greek characters, for
example.
[0150] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
interactive assistant program may be applied in other elementary
learning situations. An extension of the use of the interactive
assistant program may be, for example, teaching spelling, match,
geometry, geography, etc., when the student learner has learned to
consistently use the chirography stylus for writing all the
characters of particular character set.
[0151] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
interactive assistant program may be adapted to provide spelling
lessons. In an embodiment according to the present invention, a
plurality of electronic cue cards and/or physical cue cards may be
employed along with the device. The electronic and/or physical cue
cards may comprise words, text, sentences, and hints to assist the
student/learner spell.
[0152] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
electronic cue cards and/or physical cue cards may also comprise
dictionary definitions and/or thesaurus synonyms. A spelling lesson
administration module may be adapted to evaluate each character
expected to be handwritten in a spelling word, for example, and
offer an acknowledgment of success when the word is spelled
correctly. Conversely, the administration module may also prompt
the student to make a new/another attempt when the learner spells a
word incorrectly with incorrect or unrecognizable letters, for
example. The system may also be employed to assist a student
learner with mathematics, music, map reading, translation of
unknown languages, and chemistry, for example.
[0153] In an embodiment according to the present invention, to
support a spelling administration module, for example, program
memory be employed. To support a spelling extension, for example, a
set of electronic and/or physical spelling cue cards for words may
be added to the unassisted learning application and may comprise a
plurality of memory module add-ons or readable/removable memory
media.
[0154] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
extension of the assistant program may be adapted for other
educational games. Arithmetic/mathematics is a numerical extension
of the present device. Mathematics, of course, deals with numbers
and mathematical operations. The unassisted learning
device/application may comprise a plurality of extensions to a
program memory module and a plurality of storage modules to
accommodate extended functionality of an arithmetic administration
module and arithmetic electronic and/or physical cue cards, for
example.
[0155] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
employing mathematical electronic and/or physical cue cards may be
slightly different than employing handwriting electronic and/or
physical cue cards. A processor associated with the chirographic
device may be adapted to perform mathematical calculations.
Therefore, the solutions/answers to mathematical learning questions
may not be pre-stored because adequate time exists for the
processor to compute an expected answer during an education
session.
[0156] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
chirographic device may also employ a chirographic text setter. The
chirographic text setter may comprise features that are loadable by
employing a keyboard assistant program. The keyboard assistant
program may employ a keyboard adaptor (emulator) to replicate an
actual keyboard. The interactive chirographic device may then be
employed like a keyboard and associated with another/host system,
or example.
[0157] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
chirographic text setter may comprise inputs for horizontal shifts
and for vertical shifts, for example, of the chirographic stylus.
In a mobile variant, the features may be harnessed by un-coupling
stylus positioning motions of the hand from hand-placement motions
of an end-users wrist, for example. A wireless chirographic stylus
may eliminate mechanical dependencies between the chirographic
reader and the chirographic stylus facilitating operating a
chirographic keyboard emulation application.
[0158] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
assistant program structure of the unassisted interactive
application of the interactive chirographic device may be applied
to create another assistant game character from a human or
animation context and employ a character-based setting for the
interactive application to emulate text-setting features of a
computer keyboard device, for example.
[0159] Aspects of the present invention may be found in making the
X-Y components of positional readings of the spatial chirographic
reader available to a separate host computer by emulating a
computer mouse and/or an X-Y digitizing device, for example.
[0160] Aspects of the present invention may be found in enabling an
interactive chirographic device to interact with an external host
computer system, for example. The target/host computer system may
comprise a keyboard input and a mouse input. The interaction may be
achieved by adapting the chirographic system according to the
present invention to accommodate at least two emulation interfaces,
for example, one for a keyboard and another for a computer
mouse.
[0161] In an embodiment according to the present invention, spatial
chirographic devices may comprise additional measurement dimensions
of positional readings beyond those employed by a conventional,
two-dimensional mouse interface. In an embodiment according to the
present invention, three-dimensional position data; positional data
of a marker factored on an orientation of a marker tip; positional
data of a text setter within a setter X-Y layout; positional data
of a scanner within an X-Y layout and factored on the scan
direction, for example, may also be employed.
[0162] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
consolidating the various aforementioned data interfaces under a
common platform may permit an end-user to employ a chirographic
console device to interact with other computing devices. Aspects of
the present invention may also be found in formulating a
chirographic console wherein any combinations of devices, whether
as stand-alone, keyboard bound, interfaced by a particular
protocol, an isolated system, and a network, whether wireless or
wired, may be accessible from the chirographic console.
[0163] In the following detailed descriptions of the drawings,
spatially orienting terms are used, such as "left", "right",
"vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", etc. It is to be
understood that these terms are used for convenience of description
of the preferred embodiments by reference to the drawings. These
terms do not necessarily describe the absolute location or
orientation in space, such as left, right, upward, downward, etc.,
that any part may assume.
[0164] The numbering scheme used in the diagrams has been made
hierarchical, and a single digit may be used to identify an item or
feature in each hierarchical level. The label-numbering scheme used
in the following diagrams has also been made unique across all
diagrams, to facilitate immediate recognition of items that appear
in more than one figure. Furthermore, a detail in one figure of a
generic item in a prior figure may be prefixed/suffixed with the
prior/current numeric label, so that a prior generic item labeled
99 may show details enumerated as 991 and 992, for example.
[0165] Aspects of the present invention may be found in a
chirographic stylus fitted with an ultrasonic transducer tip
adapted to operate in conjunction with a font frame chirographic
reader. The chirographic reader frame may have a rectangular base,
which may house a plurality of ultrasonic sensor microphones, for
example. Frame extensions from the members of the base may meet at
a single apex, and another ultrasonic sensor microphone may be
housed there, for example.
[0166] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
font frame chirographic reader may employ a square base with the
microphones attached at each corner of the square base. The
chirographic reader may also comprise four extensions extending
from the base to the apex at a perpendicular distance equal to a
half-length of the diagonal of the square base, for example. The
positioning of the sensors may be chosen to simplify the conversion
of stylus proximity into reader font coordinates, wherein identical
ultrasonic pulse arrival times at all five sensors may correspond
to the stylus tip being located at the typeface origin, for
example.
[0167] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
chirographic stylus transducer and the chirographic reader frame
sensors may be connected to a chirographic system. The chirographic
system may be adapted to perform conversions of ultrasonic probe
measurements (time measurements) into spatial positions
(distance/location measurements), for example. The chirographic
system may also comprise an application module adapted to perform
spatial chirographic character recognition using the converted
spatial position data, for example.
[0168] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
chirographic system may also comprise an output for affirming
successful recognition of a spatial chirography character. In an
embodiment according to the present invention, the recognized
character may be represented using standard binary encoding, such
as for example, ASCII, and the character code may be entered into a
voice synthesizer module for conversion into an audible signal, for
example. The generated signal may be sent from the synthesizer to
an audio speaker, for example.
[0169] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
chirographic system may comprise structural members of the typeface
frame and base platform altered to have rounded features for safety
of a student/learner. Elevated portions of the typeface frame may
be modified into a single rounded hoop made of a molded pliable
substance so that it does not present any sharp or hard edges to a
student/learner. The sensor placement geometry of the interactive
chirographic device may be retained. The speaker and stylus
attachments may be placed in the front of the base platform.
[0170] In an embodiment according to the present invention, to
accommodate a supervisor/educator in administering an educational
lesson, two silos for the physical cue cards may be provided. One
silo may be employed to store the cards to be played/studied/traced
next and another silo may be employed for physical cue cards that
have already been played/studied/traced, for example. Each silo may
comprise a retaining front flange to prevent the physical cue cards
from slipping out when the device is tipped forward, for example. A
convenient opening may also be provided at the top of each silo to
extract the next physical cue card from a pending stack in a
pending silo.
[0171] In an embodiment according to the present invention, when
distortion in tracing along an electronic and/or physical cue card
surface is intolerable, then a facsimile version may be employed,
by changing the ultrasonic sensor orientations. The sensor
orientation may be rotated so that the electronic and/or physical
cue card zenith is parallel to the font frame zenith, the four
typeface sensors on the top panel surface, and the font origin
sensor at a midpoint of an elevated portion of the device.
[0172] In an embodiment according to the present invention, an
unassisted interactive chirographic device may derive
specifications principally from procedures described for the
supervisory assistant for the learner/student user in the assisted
learning chirographic device. The supervisory assistant may be
charged with establishing the learning environment, properly
positioning the student/learner with respect to the chirographic
device, selecting appropriate electronic and/or physical cue cards
to be used during a particular learning session, initiating the
educational session, selecting a symbol/character/quantity to be
learned, motivating the student/learner to identify the selected
symbol/character/quantity, audibly expressing auxiliary information
(hints, etc.) about the symbol/character/quantity, prompting the
student/learner to initiate tracing the symbol/character/quantity,
reviewing a completed trace, placing a used electronic and/or
physical cue card into the completed lesson silo, and retrieving
another electronic and/or physical cue card from the first silo for
the next symbol/character/quantity to be learned, for example.
[0173] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
supervisory assistant may guide the student/learner during the
early learning sessions by helping adjust the posture of the
student/leaner to reduce distortion, and training the
student/learner how to perform preferred up-strokes and
down-strokes. In the absence of a human supervisory assistant, the
unassisted learning device may build into the physical design of
the device the known characteristics that minimize geometric
distortion during unassisted use, for example. The unassisted
learning device may incorporate such aspects into the construction
of the chirographic device and other aforementioned functions into
the chirographic system.
[0174] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
unassisted interactive learning device may comprise similar
functionality as the assisted learning device, for example. The
supervisory assistant may present an electronic and/or physical cue
card visually to the student/learner and provide additional
information surrounding the symbol disposed thereon. The unassisted
learning device may also provide a visual display to fulfill the
same function. The visual display may also replace the physical cue
cards, wherein the unassisted learning device may employ an
electronic equivalent of a physical cue card silo for the symbols
selected for a learning session.
[0175] In an embodiment according to the present invention, a
spatial chirographic learning platform may provide general support
for unassisted learning using the spatial chirographic device by
extending the unassisted learning device into subject areas other
than the teaching of spatial chirography.
[0176] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
architecture of the learning assistant of the unassisted
interactive learning device may be adapted for general use. A
facility for extending program memory for adding functionality and
storage for additional subject matter cue cards maybe provided to
accommodate any learning modules/games.
[0177] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
subject-specific learning assistant and associated subject matter
may be introduced into the system by an auxiliary storage device or
memory cartridge, for example. The chirographic system may
therefore be modified to accommodate a memory-reading device for
reading a removable memory storage device.
[0178] In an embodiment according to the present invention, a
learning assistant automation procedure may be employed to make the
interactive chirographic device emulate a keyboard, for example.
The unassisted learning chirography system may be fitted with a
keyboard-emulating interface. A hinged hand rest or saddle flap may
be modified to float, pivot, and respond to all wrist inclinations
so that the learning platform may perform a text setting function,
for example.
[0179] In an embodiment according to the present invention, a hand
pressure sensor of the hand rest may record wrist and hand
movements, for example, motion directed perpendicularly into the
hand rest base. In order to facilitate additional wrist motions,
the hand pressure sensor may be disposed in a middle of the hand
saddle and a hinge and flap-closing spring may replaced by four
spring loaded two-way pressure sensing switches at four corners
along the underside of the hand saddle. Furthermore, a main
pressure sensor located in a middle of the hand rest base may be
profiled slightly higher than the four bi-directional switches so
that the interactive keyboard assistant program may respond to any
setting actions, for example.
[0180] In an embodiment according to the present invention, output
of the keyboard emulation program may be transmitted to a keyboard
output interface using a line discipline of a target host computer.
The line discipline employed may be incorporated into a keyboard
session administration module of the keyboard assistant.
[0181] In an embodiment according to the present invention, a
chirographic keyboard emulator may be employed to emulate a mouse
by collecting sensor position readings associated with the typeface
plane of the chirographic device and applying hand rest pressure
sensing switches to implement mouse click events, for example.
[0182] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
spatial chirography console may consolidate multiple spatial
chirography interfaces into a single interactive device, for
example. The keyboard emulation and the mouse emulation may be
adapted by employing a conventional keyboard and mouse, for
example. The present invention may provide for multiple interaction
interfaces to be consolidated into the spatial chirography console,
for example. In an embodiment according to the present invention,
the interfaces may comprise keyboard, mouse, and styling marker
interfaces, for example.
[0183] In an embodiment according to the present invention, a
spatial chirography computing method may be adapted to unify the
WIMPS and graphics interaction models into a spatially driven
model, for example, wherein each may be assigned an application
context spatial volume (ROOM), for example. A first console context
may provide a perspective view of available application ROOM
objects, wherein the stylus motions may cause a perspective of the
student/learner/user to move among objects. Snapping on a DOOR of a
ROOM facilitates entry into the space of the ROOM, which may be
populated with additional ROOM objects, and lined with a FLOOR area
at a bottom, some of which may be taken by one or more WINDOW
objects, or by zero or more DOOR objects, for example.
[0184] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a
chirographic device 100 according to an embodiment of the present
invention. In an embodiment according to the present invention, a
reader frame may be supported on a base platform 120, upon which
may be mounted an ultrasonic sensor 101 on a mid point of a rear
edge of a platform top surface 121. Two additional sensors 103 and
105 may also be mounted at front corners of the platform top
surface 121. From the same mid-point of the rear edge of the
platform 120, for example, two conduits 114 and 113, may guide
wiring for two additional ultrasonic sensors 104 and 102, for
example, which may be mounted upon a top horizontal font frame
member 110. Font frame member 110 may be supported by a plurality
of frame support members, such as for example, frame support
members 111, 112, 115, and 116, and the frame support members may
be anchored to a corner of the base platform 120.
[0185] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
first ultrasonic sensor 101 may serves as a reader font coordinate
origin, for example. The other four ultrasonic sensors 102, 103,
104, and 105, may locate four corners of a reader typeface frame on
a plane located at unit perpendicular distance from the font origin
sensor 101. Together the five sensors form a right pyramid, with
the base of the pyramid serving as a typeface facing the user, and
the apex defining a font origin behind the typeface plane.
Electrical wires from the five sensors (101-105) lead into the
platform base 120, and connect as sensors inputs to a chirography
system housed in the platform base 120, for example, being fully
obscured in FIG. 1.
[0186] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
additional items may be housed in the base platform 120. For
example, a speaker 122, a cue card 123 bearing an inscription 124
of a symbol, and a receptacle depression 151 facilitating insertion
and removal of the cue card 123. To enforce a proper orientation of
the inscription in the device 100, one edge of the cue card 123 may
be notched and another edge may be beveled, wherein the cue card
may be adapted to fit into a corresponding oppositely beveled and
notched slot of the receptacle depression 151. A hand 140 of a user
writing is illustrated in FIG. 1 truncated below the wrist. The
hand 140 is illustrated holding a chirographic stylus 130. The
chirographic stylus 130 may be provided with an electrical lead
131, (also shown truncated), extending to a connector on one side
of the platform base 120.
[0187] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
truncated electrical lead 131 may also serve as a non-truncated
wireless stylus antenna, for example, in wireless communication
with a wireless adaptor.
[0188] The hand 140 of the user is illustrated in FIG. 1 grasping
the stylus 130, in such a manner as to lead a stylus tip 132 along
an outline of the inscription 124 when the line of sight and a
perspective viewpoint of a user coincide. The stylus tip 132 may
comprise a stylus position transducer adapted to transmit an
ultrasonic signal receivable by the five reader frame ultrasonic
sensors (101-105), for example.
[0189] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of
chirographic device 100 according to FIG. 1 illustrating features
not visible in FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0190] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary chirographic device 200. The
line of sight of a user does not coincide with the perspective
viewpoint of FIG. 2. Instead, stylus tip 232 of stylus 230 is
illustrated being held substantially above the inscription 241
disposed upon cue card 231. FIG. 2 also illustrates additional cue
cards (232-235) and designates the cue card mounted upon platform
220 as cue card 231, for example. The far side partially exposes
the receptacle depression 251 of the receptacle for extracting the
cue card 231 from the receptacle slot 252. A near side of the
receptacle slot 252 illustrates the corresponding beveled fit
between the cue card 231 and the receptacle slot 252, for
example.
[0191] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
four illustrated cue cards may be assigned reference numerals 232,
233, 234, and 235, for example. Cue cards illustrated in FIG. 2
bearing inscriptions, for example, cue card 231 bears inscription
241 of the symbol comprising the small letter "a", cue card 232
bears inscription 242 of the symbol comprising the small letter
"b", and cue card 233 bears inscription 243 of the symbol of the
small letter "c", wherein each inscription is representative of the
symbols of the small letters of the alphabet. Together, a
collection of cue cards for a complete set of symbols of a writing
system, for example, may be designated as cue card set 239
illustrated in FIG. 2. In an embodiment according to the present
invention, the depth of the receptacle slot 252 and the thickness
of a cue card, such as for example, cue card 231, may be symmetric
or asymmetric, and may facilitate a secure fit between the cue card
231 and the receptacle 252. In an embodiment according to the
present invention, mating edges of the cue card 231 and the
receptacle 252 may form a jigsaw matching edge curve at one edge of
the receptacle 252 and the cue card 231, for example.
[0192] Other items that were illustrated in FIG. 1, and are
illustrated again in FIG. 2, include: the five ultrasonic sensors
201, 202, 203, 204, and 205; the typeface frame members 210, 211,
and 212; base platform 220; speaker 222; stylus 230; electrical
system connector lead 231, and stylus tip transducer 232. The
stylus 230 is again illustrated being grasped by the hand 240 of a
user.
[0193] FIG. 3 is a schematic elevation section view of an exemplary
embodiment of the chirographic device 300 illustrated in FIGS. 1
AND 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0194] FIG. 3 may depict geometrical distortion possible is stylus
position measurements, for example. The section view illustrated in
FIG. 3 projects all of the significant items upon a centerline of
the entire chirographic device assembly 300. The most significant
items of the chirographic device with respect to geometrical
distortions may be the ultrasonic sensors, for example. Sensor 301
may be oriented along a centerline of the chirographic device
assembly 300 and may be depicted by a moderate-sized circle
illustrated in FIG. 3. A front of the chirographic device assembly
300 may be on the right side of FIG. 3. Sensors 302 and 303 may
therefore be on a far side of the centerline, and may be depicted
by small-sized circles in FIG. 3. Sensors 304 and 305 may be are on
a near side of the centerline, and so they may be depicted by
large-sized circles in FIG. 3. The two pair of concentric circles
may be connected by a typeface-plane guideline 311/312 projecting
each of frame members 311 and 312 onto a centerline plane
illustrated in FIG. 3.
[0195] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
extending perpendicularly through a mid-point of frame projection
311/312, and focused on sensor 301, is the Zenith of the font
coordinate system, depicted as the broken guideline 362 in FIG.
3.
[0196] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
base platform 320 reveals a cue card receptacle 325, a cue card
323, and a portion of cue card 323 comprising inscription 340.
Inscription 340 may be an abstraction of symbols 241, 242, and 243,
illustrated in FIG. 2, for example. The top and bottom of the
inscription has been designated with reference numerals 3401 and
3402, respectively. Two image end-points may establish a line of
sight range for a view focal point depicted by an eye 352 of the
user.
[0197] In an embodiment according to the present invention, a
cutaway representation of stylus 330 and hand 340 (330/340), is
illustrated projected onto the centerline plane. When the user
traces the inscription 340 with the stylus tip 332, the stylus tip
may trace a path 361 centered along a pivot point 351, for example.
Assuming that the user moves the stylus 330/340 along the path 361,
which is nearly parallel to the typeface plane 311/312, as the line
of sight trace of stylus tip 332 moves from image start 3401 to
image end 3402, the sensor system may be adapted record a traversal
of the stylus tip 332 from typeface position 37101 to 37102 marking
a projected image 370 of cue card inscription 340.
[0198] In an embodiment according to the present invention, other
stylus paths may be possible for a same image trace. It may be
possible for a user to trace the stylus tip 332 along the zenith
guideline 362 by drawing the stylus 330/340 generally towards the
pivot-point 351. Whereas the starting point of projection 370 may
match that of path 362, the end-point of projection 370 may
degenerately end at the same fixed typeface location labeled 37202,
causing a distortion at the bottom of the typeface frame, for
example.
[0199] In an embodiment according to the present invention, it may
also be possible for the user to track the stylus 330/340 close to
the cue card 323, as say along the near-parallel guideline 363. In
that case, the ending point of the projection 370 may match the
ending point of the projection of path 362, and may be the typeface
location labeled 37202. The starting point of the projection may be
located close to the same endpoint, as shown by projection
end-point label 37301 causing a distortion at the top of the
typeface frame, for example.
[0200] FIG. 4 is a front elevation perspective view of another
exemplary chirographic device according to an embodiment of the
present invention. FIG. 4 also illustrates an exemplary assisted
learning device 400 in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention in the application. In an embodiment according to the
present invention, the assisted learning device 400 may comprise a
molded uni-body housing with a top member 410, and a bottom member
420. Both members the top and bottom members 410 and 420 may be
provided with rounded profiles and continuous bulky curve joints to
eliminate any sharp edges, corners, or other protrusions that may
be a source of injury to a learner, for example, children.
[0201] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
housing may be generally oval in shape. The uni-body structure may
provide five recessed ultrasonic sensor sockets having reference
numerals 401, 402, 403, 404, and 405 positioned in the tipped right
pyramidal geometric configuration as illustrated in the previously
illustrated embodiments.
[0202] In an embodiment according to the present invention, n cue
card is depicted in FIG. 4. Instead, cue card receptacle 425 is
illustrated. The receptacle 425 was obscured by a cue card in the
previously illustrated embodiments. The molding 420 may also
feature a deep platform base into which is built two storage silos
for the cue cards. The silos feature openings 426 and 427,
respectively, through which cue cards may be inserted and/or
extracted. During use, used cue cards may be inserted into one of
the silo openings and next cue cards may be extracted from the
opening of the other silo, for example.
[0203] Since no cue card is shown to be in use in FIG. 4, the cue
card last used and the cue card to be used next may each be one of
the top facing cards labeled 461 and 471 at the top of the cue card
stacks 469 and 479, respectively. Together, the cue card stacks 469
and 479 may represent a complete cue card stack such as described
with reference to reference numeral 239 in FIG. 2. The distinction
in the label numbering in FIG. 4 may refer to whether a particular
card has been used, or not, for example.
[0204] A difference in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, in
comparison with the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 AND 2, may
be in the location of the speaker 422. In FIG. 4, for example, the
speaker 422 may be placed on the front side of platform base 420
where there may be adequate room to house the speaker 422. Another
revelation illustrated in FIG. 4 is the depiction of a complete
wiring lead 431 from stylus 430 to system housing 420, for example.
In adherence to design for child learner users, the stylus 430 may
be made stubby and relatively small to fit into the hand of a
child. A cavity below the receptacle 425 may be used to stow the
stylus 430 when not in use and while a cue card lid may secure
sealed contents in storage, for example.
[0205] Because the assisted learning device is applicable for use
by a child learner, for example, the activation and turning off of
the learning device may be incorporated into the stylus connector
and/or the stylus grip, for example. Inserting the stylus connector
may cause the system to power on and grasping the stylus 430 may
initiate the system to begin running a handwriting learning
application program, for example.
[0206] FIG. 5 is a rear elevation perspective view of an exemplary
embodiment of the chirographic device illustrated in FIG. 4
according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a
rear perspective view of an embodiment of the child-safe assisted
learning device 400 illustrated in FIG. 4, modified to align the
ultrasonic sensors assigned to the typeface frame with a cue card
to minimize the geometric distortion described in the discussion of
FIG. 3, and to permit facsimile tracing along a cue card surface,
for example.
[0207] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
rotation of sensor alignment may move the font origin sensor 501
from a rear of platform top surface 521, to a mid-point elevated
structural member 510, for example. Two top typeface sensors 502
and 504 of the line-of-sight orientation may be rotated down to the
back of the platform top surface 521. Reorientation may entail an
inversion to convert font origin direction sensing from a typeface
zenith in the line-of-sight orientation into a typeface nadir in a
cue card orientation, for example.
[0208] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment
of the chirographic device according to an embodiment of the
present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates an overhead perspective view
of an unassisted interactive learning device 600 according to an
embodiment of the present invention. The unassisted interactive
learning device may provide elements of the device that differ from
the assisted learning device illustrated in the previous
embodiment.
[0209] A distinguishing characteristic of the present embodiment
may be the alignment of the cue card 623 with the font frame making
the symmetry axes collinear, for example. The cue cards may be
supplanted by a visual display, for example. Because the
positioning of a visual cue card may overlap the font frame, the
alignment may be absolute and the font origin sensor may be
obviated, for example.
[0210] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
learning reinforcement actions of supervisory assistant in the
assisted learning device may be made by the unassisted learning
device, eliminating the need for a human educator (learning
assistant). To achieve this, cue card text may be stored in
electronic form in the unassisted learning device system, for
example. The unassisted learning device, via a voice synthesizer,
may audibly express all electronic information, introductory
instructions, demonstrations, and reinforcement text, for
example.
[0211] Because there may be no human learning assistant available
to guide the lesson/play, the device may be altered to encourage
practices that reduce geometric distortion of the symbol traces,
for example. In particular, the writing area may be narrowly
restricted to operate when writing pressure is applied close to the
corresponding trace area.
[0212] An embodiment of the unassisted interactive learning device
may therefore consist of a system housing 620. The system housing
620 may comprise a main upper surface serving as a cue card display
623 slightly recessed from outer edges serving as a font frame and
a guiding receptacle 625. The inscription 624 may be generated by
the display 623. The font origin sensor may be eliminated because
the display now obstructs the origin sensor from detecting a stylus
signal. At all four corners of the display position the ultrasonic
sensors 602, 603, 604, and 605 may serve the same role as described
in prior embodiments, for example.
[0213] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
user interaction portion of housing 620 may be altered into a hand
rest 629, for example. The top face of the hand rest may be
inclined to accommodate handwriting motions and may be fitted with
a contact-detecting flap 621 above the platform hand rest 629. The
flap 621 may be flexibly connected to the hand-rest 629 with a
spring-loaded hinge 628 at the base of the hand rest 629, for
example. The size of the hand rest 629 may be restricted in area to
act as a positioning guide, for example. The flap 621 may be
spring-loaded to allow the flap 621 to move when the user places a
hand on the flap 621 or retracts the hand therefrom. The flap 621
may also accommodate a speaker through opening 622, for
example.
[0214] FIG. 7 is a mechanical elevation schematic view of an
exemplary chirographic device according to an embodiment of the
present invention. FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment of the
unassisted interactive learning device 700 illustrating
electro-mechanical components within employing a schematic system
block diagram. The mechanical features of the learning device 700
may comprise a section of the flap 721 illustrating a perforated
opening 722, and a hinge 728 at a joint between the flap 721 and
the hand rest base 729. The hinge 728 may comprise a spring 7281 to
keep the flap 721 in a relatively closed position when at rest, for
example.
[0215] Further mechanical components illustrated in FIG. 7 may
comprise a hand pressure detection assembly housing 708
accommodating a pressure probe piston 781 is in contact with an
under-side of flap 721. The piston shaft may be kept in an ejected
position by a loaded spring 782 in housing 708. The hinge spring
7281 may keep the flap 721 in contact with the shaft 781 and may
exert enough pressure to depress the shaft into the shaft housing,
for example. When hand pressure is applied to the flap 721, the
piston 781, may be forced into the housing 708, and the bottom
flange surface of the piston 781 may recede to make contact with
electrical contact 783, for example. Another mechanical feature
illustrated in FIG. 7 may comprise an electrical loud speaker 771
mounted on a top face housing of the hand rest base 729.
[0216] Schematic mechanical representations of the stylus and
corresponding components may comprise a stylus shaft 730, a wire
731 connecting to the system and the stylus tip 732, for example.
Similarly mechanical representations of the ultrasonic sensors 702,
703, 704, and 705, are given below receptacle 725 with the nearer
sensors 704 and 705 being presented in larger relief than the
further sensors 702 and 703. The rectangular display 723 may also
be given a trapezoid outline to adhere to depth of relief, for
example.
[0217] The remainder of the schematic features illustrated FIG. 7
may relate to electrical connections and electronic components
associated with the unassisted interactive learning device. The
mechanical representation 732 of the stylus 730 may be given an
electrical designation of transducer 799, for example. Mechanical
contact 783 for the pressure detector 781 may be given electrical
designation as open circuit leads 798 that close on contact between
shaft 781 and contact 783, for example. The removable stylus
connection 731 may be given the electrical designation of activator
switch 796, for example. The speaker 771 may be given an electrical
designation for leads 797, which connect to the electronic voice
synthesizer unit 707, for example.
[0218] FIG. 7 also illustrates schematic details of the main system
unit 709 contained in housing 720, for example. The main system
unit 709 may have a data bus 791 to which all the aforementioned
leads may connect, for example. The components of the main system
unit 709 may include a memory module 792, a storage module 793, a
CPU 794, and a timer 795, for example. Detailed descriptions of the
system modules may be found in the Applicant's prior application
entitled, "A Chirography System", specified earlier and
incorporated herein by reference. Features relevant to the
unassisted interactive learning device may include partitioning
storage module 793 into two modules, for example. Partition 7931
may be for holding learning plan symbol items and partition 7932
may be for holding the symbol items that have already been used in
a learning/play session. The main system unit 709 may also comprise
a program module 7942 in CPU 794, for example.
[0219] FIG. 8 is a Venn diagram illustrating exemplary educational
application architecture 800 of the chirographic learning device
according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8
illustrates a Venn diagram of the application architecture of the
unassisted interactive learning device showing modules derived from
the assisted learning device. The overall application may be
represented by the main entity 809 encircling all the application
features. The inner entities may be independent resources
comprising a system stylus reader 801, an image renderer 802, a
demonstration entity 803, a spatial symbol guide 804, a symbol
recognition entity 807, an audio synthesizer 808, lesson symbols
8911 to be learned, and a learned lesson symbols 8912.
[0220] In an embodiment according to the present invention, a
lesson session subsystem 891 of the learning assistant application
809 may incorporate the recognition entity 807, the lesson symbols
to be learned 8911, and learned lesson symbols 8912. A teaching and
reinforcement subsystem 893 may incorporate the audio/voice
synthesizer 808, the demonstration entity 803, and the spatial
symbol guide entity 804. The learning administration subsystem 892
may incorporate the system stylus reader 801 and the teaching and
reinforcement subsystem 893, for example. Two display subsystems
may also be defined, such as for example, an image display
subsystem 894 and a symbol display subsystem 895. The image display
subsystem 894 may incorporate the spatial symbol guide 804, the
system stylus reader 801, and the image renderer 802. The symbol
display subsystem 895 may incorporate the demonstration entity 803,
the system stylus reader 801, and the image renderer 802, for
example.
[0221] FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the
chirographic learning device according to an embodiment of the
present invention. FIG. 9 illustrates an adaptation of the
unassisted interactive learning device 900 adapted as learning/game
platform having a removable media input device 906 for loading
specialized learning programs and additional electronic subject
matter, for example. The mechanical features illustrated in FIG. 9
comprise a system housing 920, a hand rest base 929, a hand saddle
flap 921 having a speaker opening 922, and a flap hinge 928, for
example.
[0222] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
electrical components employable in the unassisted chirographic
learning device 900 may comprise a hand pressure sensor 981 shown
under the flap 921, a speaker 971 under the flap opening 922, a
stylus electrical lead 931 shown truncated in FIG. 9, ultrasonic
sensors 902, 903, 904, and 905 surrounding display screen 923, for
example. The display screen 923 is shown exhibiting inscription
924. An additional electrical component specific to the
learning/game platform may be an external media component 906, for
example, shown loaded onto the learning device.
[0223] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary
embodiment of the chirographic learning device according to an
embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 illustrates an
overhead overlay schematic illustration of the chirographic
learning/game platform system 1000, for example. The system 1000
may comprise a media storage unit 1006 shown inserted into a
media-receiving receptacle 1063 in system housing 1020. The
media-receiving receptacle 1063 may be adapted to connect the
storage unit 1006 to a controller 1062 via a local bus connector
1061. The controller 1062 may feature storage resources, such as
for example, program code storage 10621 and data storage 10622,
which may be made available to the main system unit 1009 as
extensions of an internal program and data memory resource.
[0224] In an embodiment according to the present invention, some
electrical components shown may be similar to those illustrated in
the unassisted learning chirographic device and may comprise, for
example, a system bus 1091 connecting system devices, such as for
example, ultrasonic sensors 1002, 1003, 1004, and 1005, a display
device 1023, a pressure sensor 1081, a speaker 1071, a voice/audio
synthesizer 1007, a switch 1096, and a transducer lead 1031. The
switch 1031, the speaker 1071, and the pressure sensor 1081 may be
associated with attachments to a hand rest housing 1029, whereas
the other components maybe attached to the main housing 1020, for
example.
[0225] FIG. 11 is a perspective plan view of another embodiment of
the chirographic learning device according to an embodiment of the
present invention. FIG. 11 illustrates a perspective view of the
interactive chirographic learning device featuring a rocking hand
saddle 1121 to provide text setting key inputs for chirographic
keyboard emulator, for example. FIG. 11 the system housing 1120
having top face corners attached to ultrasonic sensors 1102, 1103,
1104, and 1105 surrounding a display screen 1123, which may be
displaying an inscription 1124. From the housing 1120, an
electrical lead 1111 may emanates and end with a PS/2 DIN keyboard
plug 1112, for example.
[0226] The hand rest base 1129 of the console may have an
electrical lead 1131 emanating therefrom and connecting to an
ultrasonic transducer, for example. The hand saddle flap 11211 may
be altered by elimination of a hinge at a bottom edge of the hand
rest, for example. This may be done to permit the hand saddle 1121
to rock freely. Likewise, a retaining spring associated with the
hinge may also be eliminated. In place of the hinge assembly, four
floating pressure sensors 11281 may be placed around the central
pressure switch 1181. The floating pressure sensors visible in FIG.
11 may comprise switch 11281, switch 11282, and switch 11284, for
example. The central switch 1181 and the speaker 1171 may also be
partially visible under the hand rest saddle 1121 in FIG. 11.
[0227] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
hand rest saddle 1121 may comprise contouring to permit a hand of a
learner user to assume a relatively fixed position with regard to
the saddle surface 1121. The clearance between the top of hand rest
base 1129 and the hand rest saddle 1121 may be exaggerated in FIG.
11 to reveal as much detail as possible within. As a result,
additional underside features of the hand rest saddle 1121 may be
revealed. Socket connectors 11211, 11212, and 11214 are shown
engaged to floating switch shafts 11281, 11282, and 11284,
respectively, for example.
[0228] FIG. 12 is a diagonal cross-sectional view of an exemplary
hand rest for an exemplary embodiment of the chirographic learning
device having text setting key switches and a saddle rocking
mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
12 illustrates a diagonal vertical cross-sectional view of the
handrest base 1229 and the hand rest saddle 1221 showing text
setting key switches and the hand rest saddle rocking switch
mechanism in more detail. The diagonal of the section bisects
switch 12281, pressure sensor 1281, and switch 12284. A section of
another diagonal may bisect switches 12282 and 12283, and pressure
sensor 1281 and may be identical by symmetry to the section shown
in FIG. 12. The hand rest saddle 1221 may be kept in place by ball
and socket connectors 12211, 12212, and 12214 and connector 12213
obscured, which may rotatably lock the shafts of the floating
switches, for example. The main pressure switch 1281 may be locked
into place or may be made to rest on a rocker pivot pad 12215, for
example. The geometrical alignment of the switches may be such that
when the saddle 1221 is depressed towards the hand rest surface,
the rocker shaft 1281 may make the first contact and the other
switches may remain floating. When hand pressure tilts the saddle
1221 in any direction around the rocker pad 12215, the floating
contacts in the downward tilt side may become depressed, for
example.
[0229] In an embodiment according to the present invention, all the
switches are shown to make electrical contact on a downward plunge
of the sensor piston, for example. It may be possible to
equivalently make contact on an upward tilt, or to make contact
under both conditions, to collect more reliable readings, for
example. In an embodiment according to the present invention, only
the downward plunge of the switch shafts make electrical contact,
for example. FIG. 12 illustrates two connector leads 129281 and
129282 for floating switch shaft 12281, leads 129284 and 129285 for
switch shaft 12284, and leads 12981 and 12982 for pressure switch
1281, for example.
[0230] In an embodiment according to the present invention, when a
hand of a learner user is removed from the saddle 1221, the spring
1282 may raise the shaft and saddle to open the circuit of switch
leads 12981 and 12982, for example. The ball joint sockets of the
floating switches may be made of elastic material, such as for
example, rubber and may counterbalance each other at rest to keep
all of the floating switch contacts open. In an embodiment
according to the present invention, the top surface of the hand
rest base 1229 may also provide a mounting for audio speaker
1271.
[0231] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary keyboard
emulation application for the chirographic learning device 1300
according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 may
differ from the device illustrated in FIG. 10 as follows. For
example, the device may comprise five hand rest sensors instead of
one, for example. FIG. 13 illustrates electro-mechanical tilt
sensors 13281, 13282, 13283 and 13284 in addition to, pressure
sensor 1381. The five switch lines may be passed through controller
139280, before being passed on to the main system unit, for
example. The controller 1139280 may condition the sensor data
points into a time-stamped sample destined for the main system
unit, for example.
[0232] Further, whereas FIG. 10 featured an external media reader
and controller, for example, FIG. 13 features instead a keyboard
controller interface and adaptor 13911, an output lead 1311 having
a terminating keyboard plug 1312. Other elements of the featured
chirography learning may remain unchanged and may be common to the
unassisted learning device 1300. The other elements may comprise a
main system unit 1309 and system bus 1391 connecting system
devices. The system devices may comprise ultrasonic sensors 1302,
1303, 1304, and 1305, a display 1323, a speaker 1371, a voice/audio
synthesizer 1307, a media reader 1362, a local bus 1361, a
removable media 1306, a switch 1396, and a transducer lead 1331,
for example. All other reference numerals illustrated in the
figure, but not specifically discussed correspond to previously
defined elements but having a figure placement prefix, such as for
example, in FIG. 11, a media storage device 1106 is disclosed and
it respective counterpart 1306 is disclosed in FIG. 13.
[0233] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
chirographic learning device may comprise a media reader for the
keyboard emulator adapted to load keyboard assistant program
emulations for differing keyboard types, for example. Where a
target keyboard type is predetermined, the particular keyboard
emulation may be installed in firmware at the time of manufacture
of the emulator, for example.
[0234] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary mouse
emulation application for the chirographic learning device
according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14
illustrates a keyboard emulation schematic diagram similar to that
illustrated in FIG. 13. The chirographic learning device may be
provided with capabilities of mouse buttons, such as for example,
pressure sensing switches, and with capabilities of X-Y
digitization in the form of stylus X-Y readings, capabilities for
the extraction of the X-Y components, and in a mouse adaptor, for
example. A mouse emulator may add to the keyboard emulator a mouse
lead 1413 having a connector plug 1414 and a mouse adaptor 14913.
All other reference numerals illustrated in the figure, but not
specifically discussed correspond to previously defined elements
but having a figure placement prefix, such as for example, in FIG.
11, a media storage device 1106 is disclosed and it respective
counterpart 1406 is disclosed in FIG. 14.
[0235] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a side panel of an
exemplary embodiment of the chirographic learning device according
to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 illustrates an
embodiment of a chirography console 1500, for example. In an
embodiment according to the present invention, emulations for
conventional inputs and outputs (I/O) may comprise a keyboard
interface 1511 and a mouse interface 1513, for example. The
chirography console may also provide an interface for analog audio
I/O containing four connectors for a speaker(s) 1572, a
microphone(s) 1573, an auxiliary input(s) 1574, and an auxiliary
output(s) 1575, for example.
[0236] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
chirography console may also comprise a chirography interface 1515,
for example. A chirography interface connection may be provided for
native chirography devices, adaptors, and network interfaces, for
example. Connections employable by this interface may comprise
previously described connections for the previously described
chirographic learning devices, adaptors for wireless communications
connections, and adaptors for networking with remote chirographic
systems, for example. All other reference numerals illustrated in
the figure, but not specifically discussed correspond to previously
defined elements but having a figure placement prefix, such as for
example, in FIG. 11, a media storage device 1106 is disclosed and
it respective counterpart 1506 is disclosed in FIG. 15.
[0237] FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram indicating a plurality of
subsystems supporting a plurality of input and output interfaces
for a chirographic learning device according to an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 illustrates a
schematic diagram of a chirography console system 1600 indicating
the subsystems supporting console input and output interfaces. The
console system may comprise the same subsystems as set forth in the
chirography system for the learning/game platform illustrated in
FIG. 10 for the keyboard emulator illustrated in FIG. 13, and for
the mouse emulator illustrated in FIG. 14.
[0238] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
chirography console system may be distinguished by concurrent use
of more than one device interface, for example. FIG. 16 illustrates
a main system unit 1609 and system bus 1691. The reader sensor
subsystem may be separated into a spatial positioning subsystem
16950 having a local bus 16951 directly linked to a chirographic
interface controller 16915 of the chirographic console interface
1615. The bus 16951 may carry principally spatial positioning data,
for example. The reader subsystem 16950 may also have a direct link
to each of the ultrasonic sensors 1602, 1603, 1604, and 1605.
Similarly, the display local bus 16923 may be separated from the
system bus 1691, so that the display 1623 may be distinguished from
the main system unit 1609, for example.
[0239] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
spatial positioning local bus 16951 may be directly connected to
the emulation unit 16910, which is shown to comprise keyboard
adaptor 16911 and mouse adaptor 16913. The keyboard adaptor 16911
may connect directly to the keyboard interface 1611, and the mouse
adaptor 16913 may connect directly to the mouse interface 1613. A
stylus transducer 1699 may be connected to the system via
connection 1631 as illustrated in previous embodiments. The stylus
line 1631 may join the main system bus 1691 via connector 1696,
which may also serve as a power switch as illustrated in previous
embodiments.
[0240] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
analog audio interfaces 1672, 1673, 1674, and 1675 may each attach
to an audio subsystem 1670, which may comprise an audio/voice
synthesizer unit 1607 also illustrated in previous interactive
chirographic system embodiments. The audio/voice synthesizer unit
1607 may be directly connected to an output speaker 1671, for
example.
[0241] In an embodiment according to the present invention, a hand
rest pressure switch 1681 and saddle rocker switches 16281, 16282,
16283, and 16284 may be directly connected to controller 169280,
which in turn may be connected, as illustrated in previous
embodiments, to the system bus 1691. A media reader subsystem 1662
may also connect to the system bus 1691, for example. All other
reference numerals illustrated in the figure, but not specifically
discussed correspond to previously defined elements but having a
figure placement prefix, such as for example, in FIG. 11, a media
storage device 1106 is disclosed and it respective counterpart 1606
is disclosed in FIG. 16.
[0242] In an embodiment according to the present invention, a
spatial volume, or metaphoric ROOM, may be assigned to each
application context, for example. The ROOM may be a topologically
closed surface, for example. On the surface may be bindings to
context that are peculiar to that room, for example. Each context
may comprise a DOOR through which a cursor may enter, for example.
The inside of the bounding surface may be designated a FLOOR area
where the work for that ROOM may be performed. Geometric partitions
of the generic FLOOR may be partitioned into other entities, such
as for example, WALL areas and ROOF areas. However, the entities
may remain qualitatively indistinguishable from a two-dimensional
FLOOR, for example.
[0243] In an embodiment according to the present invention, a
WINDOW may be defined as an area of FLOOR that is no longer capable
of three dimensional space travel, and which may only perform two
dimensional X-Y navigation, such as for example, as offered by a
conventional mouse. Thus, a WINDOW user never leaves the ROOM that
the WINDOW is in, for example. A ROOM may have assigned one or more
DOOR objects to parts of the surface. Such a DOOR may lead to a
specialization ROOM, for example. The FLOOR area may be occupied by
a DOOR and/or WINDOW, and may collectively be called WALL, for
example.
[0244] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
DOOR through which a navigator enters a ROOM may be available to
the learner user. In the context of a particular ROOM, the entrance
DOOR may be designated a ROOF area, and may be made visible as the
point at minus infinity by lining the FLOOR, and lining the entire
boundary of the visible screen, for example. One may exit a ROOM by
hitting the ROOF, for example. If a ROOM has multiple features, its
space may also be populated with more ROOMS, for example.
[0245] In an embodiment according to the present invention, one may
enter a ROOM from the ROOF and view the resources against the FLOOR
background, for example. A chirographic pointing device may be
adapted to ZOOM into the space and pass ROOM objects contained in
the context SPACE, surveying each nearest ROOM when snap conditions
are met as the pointer passes them, and continue the descent until
a last one has been passed. At that point the cursor may have
reached the FLOOR, and one may PAN over DOOR and WINDOW areas, if
any are available, and enter the appropriate contexts they provide,
for example. One may also pan to the floor boundaries to find the
ROOF lining and snap the ROOF to exit the current context, for
example.
[0246] In an embodiment according to the present invention, a
CURSOR may spatially explore the ROOM objects suspended in the ROOM
space, for example. In addition to entering a visible DOOR, one may
also move around the outside of a ROOM to view obscured DOOR items,
if any exist, for example. Although rotation of a ROOM is allowed,
it may be easier on processing load to provide an outside WINDOW to
that object to view the features without entering. An array of
readily accessible DOOR entrances and exits may be placed on the
view boundary for that purpose, for example.
[0247] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a user-friendly interactive
chirographic console 1700 illustrating computing resources, work
areas, sub-contexts, and context areas for the chirographic device
according to an embodiment of the present invention. The border of
the overall rectangular frame containing all the features in the
figure is a depiction of a chirographic display 1723, for example.
The image 1724 may be contained in a border frame 1723, for
example. At the bottom of the screen, the frame border 1723 may
occupy non-zero area to facilitate viewing items that are out of
context. Contained contexts may be arranged in a containment
sequence in the area 17231 of border 1723, and the selection of
sub-contexts available at this perspective may be arranged on a
left area 17232 of border 1723, for example.
[0248] In an embodiment according to the present invention, a
spatial perspective is presented in the main perspective projection
area 1724. The projection area 1724 may contain volume elements of
available computing resources arranged with depth perspective
against a background drawing area 17240. One of the volume elements
may serve as a spatial chirography cursor, for example, and move
between other relatively fixed volume objects as the user zooms and
pans through the perspective space.
[0249] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
border 17241 may be allocated to a two-dimensional work area of the
current context. For reasons of economy, the available areal
resources of a snapped volume element may also be displayed in area
17241 for the duration of the snap qualification, for example. When
a user unsnaps focus from one of the volume objects by retracting
the cursor therefrom, the areal resource display area may revert
from showing the snapped context resources to showing areal
resources of the current context, for example.
[0250] In an embodiment according to the present invention, to cast
the forgoing descriptions in terms of the ROOM metaphor, the
spatial position in the current context may be indicated by the
CURSOR volume element, for example. The CURSOR volume element may
be a ROOM with no DOOR, for example. Other volume elements in the
perspective view may have DOOR characteristics, which may include
distinguishing graphic hints. The volume element shaped like a
computer mouse, for example, may hint at a chirographic mouse
emulator, for example. The background surface 17240 of the
perspective area may be the FLOOR of the current ROOM. The ROOF may
be given by border area 17231 of the diagram, while the arrangement
of available DOOR contexts may be given in border area 17232. The
CURSOR may shuffle through the arrangement of DOOR contexts as the
cursor snaps past volume elements in the ROOM. The available WINDOW
areas may be arranged in the edge area 17241 of the floor 17240.
WINDOW area 17241 and DOOR area 17232 may together be the WALL of
the ROOM, for example. So the ROOM depicted in FIG. 17 may contain
eight traversable DOOR objects and three WINDOW application work
areas, for example. The example of the applications shown herein
may be, for example, a calendar application 172411, a console
application 172412, and a chirography teacher learner program
172413, for example.
[0251] FIG. 18 illustrates a text editing and recognition
application of a graphics styling application for the chirographic
learning device according to an embodiment of the present
invention. FIG. 18 illustrates a caption editing text recognition
application work area as a sub-context of a graphics styling
application 1800. This is a two dimensional WINDOW environment as
evidenced by the absence of DOOR volume elements. FIG. 18
illustrates a marker styling application adapted to switch contexts
into symbol recognition, for example.
[0252] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
window may comprise a two-dimensional screen area 1824. The marker
graphics may be in area 18241 of screen image 1824 and a text
setting may occupy area 18242 of screen area 1824.
[0253] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
image 182420 of a stylized letter "T" may be formed in area 18242
in the course of a user writing the word "CAPTION" within the
styling application in the text setting area 18241. The CURSOR for
the styling application may be the calligraphic nib 182421 (shown
truncated) and the active context may be tracking a geometrical
indicatrix unit vector of the stylus path in the font coordinate
system. The text setter cursor is shown at location 182410 of the
text setting area 18241. Also shown are three previously set text
characters, namely character 182411 for "C", 182412 for "A", and
182413 for "P".
[0254] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
change of context between recognition and styling maybe provided in
the WINDOW containing snap indications. An expected advantage from
this paradigm may be to afford the learner user minimal distraction
as one performs differing computing roles using the same physical
computer input device, for example.
[0255] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
operations of the interactive chirographic learning device may be
as follows. One of the cue cards may be inserted into a reader
receptacle. The user may grasp the stylus and begins to trace over
the image disposed upon the cue card with the stylus tip. The user
may be advised to trace the markings along a path closely parallel
to the typeface plane, for example.
[0256] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
user may develop a line of sight and a hand stroke pivot point that
consistently, and as closely as possible enables minimally
distorted readings by the font coordinate sensors, for example. A
training process may enable the learner user to compensate and
correct for misalignment or non-linearity of the font-frame zenith,
the line of sight, and the hand stroke pivot point, for example.
The following operational considerations may apply, for example.
Attend to the stylus pointing towards the sensors. Attend to
centering the stylus by adjusting the position of the hand. Attend
to centering the stylus by moving the learning device. Attend to
facing the device typeface perpendicularly. Attend to aligning the
stylus to the cue card image. Attend to aligning the eye and nose
area in line with the cue card and rear font origin sensor. Attend
to following stylus down-traces in the downward slope direction of
the typeface plane. Attend to following up-traces in the upward
slope direction of the typeface plane.
[0257] If the above operational requirements cannot be fulfilled,
say because the learner user is a child whose tactile skills are
not yet refined, the design may be changed slightly to align the
zenith of the cue card with the zenith of the font coordinate,
instead of with the line of sight, for example. The orientation of
the sensors may have to be rotated to coincide with the cue-card
surface. The typeface sensors may lay upon the platform top surface
121 and the font origin sensor 101 located above the platform top
surface 121 as illustrated in FIG. 1, for example. Operation of the
device may permit direct facsimile tracing of the cue card image
along a plane parallel to the cue card, for example.
[0258] Aspects of the present invention may be found in a method
for operating an assisted learning device. The method may be
directed to the assistant, even though the actual operations to be
performed may be by the assisted learner user, for example. The
method may comprise selecting a set of cue cards to be used in the
learning session, placing the selected cue cards face up, ensuring
that the top of the inscription is facing forward in the line of
sight of the learner user, presenting the learning device to the
learner user with the front facing the learner user, and turning on
the learning device to invoke the learning session.
[0259] The method may also comprise permitting the learner user to
adjust to the context, explaining what the learner user is to do to
satisfactorily complete the lesson, encouraging the learner user to
grasp the stylus, placing a hand over the hand of the learner user
on the stylus to demonstrate, if necessary, and encouraging the
learner user to move the stylus into range of the device to
initialize a learning program.
[0260] The method may also comprise selecting a first cue card and
removing the card from the silo, visually presenting the symbol to
the learner user and pronouncing the symbol, permitting the learner
user to visually study the image of the symbol, reading any hints
from the back face of the cue card while the learner user visually
studies the image, and placing the cue card into the cue card
receptacle.
[0261] The method may also comprise demonstrating tracing of the
symbol along the cue card surface to invoke a response from the
learning device, demonstrating hand motions while the learner user
is grasping the stylus, explaining the directional paths as both
learner user and assistant trace the path together, and at the end
of the trace withdrawing the stylus from the cue card surface. The
learning device may acknowledge successful completion or may
suggest another attempt, for example. For additional attempts the
learner and assistant may pay attention to distortion problems
inherent in the learning device.
[0262] The method may also comprise properly grasping and
maintaining a trace path along the cue card surface. The learning
device may acknowledge successful tracing of a symbol in use with a
pre-programmed accolade and a joyful enunciation of the
successfully written symbol. The assistant may also perform
additional learning re-enforcement before turning to the next
symbol or ending the learning session.
[0263] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
operation of an unassisted interactive learning device may be
coordinated by operation of the learning assistant program, for
example. The learning assistant program may be initiated when the
learner user connects the stylus to the system unit, for example,
or when the learner user disengages the stylus from a parked
position, for example. In an embodiment according to the present
invention, disconnecting the stylus lead 131 from the housing 129,
for example may also be performed in the assisted learning device.
Either embodiment may activate switch 796 illustrated in FIG. 7 to
invoke the INITIALIZE system directive.
[0264] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
INITIALIZE procedure may invoke the learning assistant program
through a session learning administration context, for example. The
subsystem corresponding to that application context is illustrated
in FIG. 8 as the learning session entity 891, for example. The
subsystem may follow the steps outlined in the operation of the
assisted learning device and substitute human assistant capability
with a logical computerized entity also described with respect to
FIG. 8.
[0265] In an embodiment according to the present invention, during
a learning session, the session learning administration context may
run introductory presentations and steer a selection of the lesson
symbols. Choosing a lesson may be made by designating selections on
display areas and prompting stylus pointing at the designated
areas, for example. No handwriting may be expected because one
application of the learning device involves learning to write and
the learning device may be programmed to assume that the learner
user cannot yet do so.
[0266] In an embodiment according to the present invention, each
time the learner user triggers a hand pressure sensor on the hand
rest flap 621 illustrated in FIG. 6 the session learning
administration context may assume initialization of the spatial
chirography readings by the stylus and invoke an OPEN directive for
the transducer and sensor devices, for example. Data collection by
the stylus reader subsystem 601 may begin and proceed until the
hand is raised. When pressure is taken off the hand rest, a CLOSE
system directive may be invoked and the system context may return
to the session learning administration context in which acquired
data may be transferred to an appropriate subsystem, for example, a
guidance subsystem or a recognition subsystem. A TERMINATE
procedure may shut down the learning assistant program and may be
invoked by a reverse of an invoking trigger action, for
example.
[0267] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
learning assistant program may comprise heuristics for actions to
be taken during learner user inattention, such as for example,
autonomously issuing a TERMINATE when the learner user is idle for
a predetermined time period and autonomously issuing a CLOSE when
the learner user is generating too much spatial data by depressing
the hand rest for a predetermined time period. In the latter case,
the learning session context may prompt the learner user for
alternate actions and/or settings to avoid the interruption, for
example.
[0268] In an embodiment according to the present invention, an
interrupt arising from ejection of a data cartridge may cause a
context switch back to a native monitor supervision program as all
open devices may be released with a CLOSE system directive.
Conversely, when an interrupt is from insertion of a media pack,
the learning device may be released before an application on an
inserted storage pack may be loaded and an INITIALIZE may be issued
for the new learning context.
[0269] In an embodiment according to the present invention, a
keyboard emulation application may comprise a central hand pressure
detection switch 1181 or 1281 of the hand rests illustrated in
FIGS. 11 AND 12 and may serve as a universal KEY_PRESS of a
conventional keyboard, for example.
[0270] In an embodiment according to the present invention, when
used in continuous handwriting, hand pressure detection switch 1181
or 1281 may remain depressed throughout a continuous tracing of
successive symbols, for example. The symbol recognition module may
emit the KEY_PRESS between symbols as though the learner user had
pressed at the keyboard key recognized. The data accompanying a
keyboard KEY_PRESS may be ASCII encoding of the symbol or a key
location scan code, for example. The keyboard emulator may convert
the symbol set encoding recognition value into a scan code of an
active line discipline and serialize it into a data line of the
keyboard interface one data bit at a time, for example.
[0271] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
keyboard emulation interface may have a bit rate synchronization
timer line (pin) that may be controlled by the keyboard signaling
system. The interactive chirography system may employ a clock as a
timer for serializing emulated scan codes into a data line. The
serial clock cycles may include a START bit followed by a standard
number of DATA bits, an integrity check PARITY bit, and an ending
STOP bit, for example.
[0272] In an embodiment according to the present invention, a
convention of retracting the stylus between symbols, either between
inking and positioning depths, or between starting and ending
positions in the direction of handwriting flow for the writing
system, the rocking of the hand saddle may be used to detect the
retractions and to trigger the KEY_PRESS for the successive symbols
regardless of the recognition result, for example.
[0273] Keyboards may also have directional setting arrow keys.
These keys may be implemented directly as diagonal directions by
rocker switches 12281, 12282, 12283, and 12284 illustrated in FIG.
12, for example. Where isolating single rocker switch contacts is
an issue, another implementation may follow a convention for
horizontal and vertical directions being asserted by triggering
neighboring switches sharing a common horizontal or vertical
component in a diagonal direction, for example.
[0274] In an embodiment according to the present invention,
emulation may depend upon the direction of behavior. A host may
listen for keyboard signals and may force stoppage by holding a
data line voltage LOW, for example. The host can also send data
back to the keyboard. The emulator may be cognizant of both
situations. The interactive chirographic system may host a keyboard
and provide a driver of line discipline.
[0275] In conformance to the behavior of keyboards, successive
KEY_PRESS events may insert an emitted character code into a small
circular character buffer, for example. When the buffer is full,
the keyboard emulation may emit a diagnostic beep to indicate
failure/inability to accept additional characters, in conformance
with keyboard behavior. Most common personal computer keyboards may
be IBM/PC models PC, PC/XT, and PC/AT, for example. Those keyboards
may provide a feature of emitting rapid KEY_PRESS codes when the
keyboard key is kept depressed, for example. The emulator may also
mimic automatic "type-matic" behavior, for example. The host
keyboard emulator may transfer data to an attached system
application when a KEY_PRESS is associated with a transmit key or
an enter key, for example.
[0276] External computer keyboard line disciplines may vary widely
even within product lines of same system manufacturers. The
interactive chirographic system may therefore rely upon a console
feature to load an interaction assistant program for the particular
type of keyboard that the host system expects to be attached
thereto, for example.
[0277] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
line discipline cited herein may be appropriate for a particular
keyboard, or for a direction of roles, so that for example, a
character buffer may be flushed on every KEY_PRESS. The transmit
key may advise the host device drivers to flush their buffers to
the receiving host computer program, for example. Likewise, the
interaction assistant program for such a system may manage buffer
overflows and the overflow "beep/tone" may emanate from the host
computer instead, for example. Depending upon line discipline, the
situation may be detected by checking whether the remote host is
keeping the data line LOW. In that situation, the emulator may emit
a beep/tone on every KEY_PRESS after its local buffer of sixteen
characters is filled.
[0278] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
keyboard emulator may implement all of the keyboard features even
when they are redundant for purposes of type setting. As an
example, block capitals may be detected by spatial chirographic
recognition, whereas a keyboard may implement block capitals by
asserting a SHIFT with a common KEY_PRESS scan code location, for
example. Although the user may have written a single block capital
letter directly, the emulator may generate the key sequences that
the keyboard would have generated, for example.
[0279] Where adherence to redundancy is even more critical may be
when a host system or application requires a user to type hot key
combinations, where those combinations may be typesetting actions
and/or privileged control directives.
[0280] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
techniques used to emulate a keyboard may also be used to emulate a
mouse. Mouse X-Y data may originate from a reader module of the
chirography system, for example. Mouse button events may originate
from the hand rest keys, for example.
[0281] In an embodiment according to the present invention, mouse
emulations, like keyboard emulations, may depend upon the type of
mouse being emulated, for example. There may be a one-button mouse,
a two-button mouse, and a three-button mouse, for example. Each of
these mouse types may employ a different set of bindings to the
hand rest switches, for example. As with the keyboard, the main
hand-pressure switch 981 as illustrated in FIG. 9, for example, may
be universally used to indicate the mouse BUTTON_DOWN
condition.
[0282] In an embodiment according to the present invention, a
binding may identify a mouse button being pressed with one of the
four rocker keys, for example. As an example of a binding, either
or both of the left rocker switches, in combination with the switch
981, a BUTTON_DOWN may be assigned to LEFT_CLICK, for example.
Similarly, for the right two rocker switches, the assignment of
RIGHT_CLICK, for example. With these bindings for the left and
right button clicks, the middle button may be implemented by
excluding switch 981, BUTTON_DOWN and the two top rocker switches
being simultaneously depressed, for example.
[0283] In an embodiment according to the present invention, another
binding that may be of use when the hand rest serves as a text
setting signal source and also text recognition start/stop
indicator may be to exclude switch 981, for example, from text
setting and only use the rocker switches. Under those
circumstances, switch 981, may serve for example, as a keyboard
KEY_PRESS of the keyboard emulator, while BUTTON_DOWN of the mouse
emulator may be indicated by any of the rocker switches, for
example. Many other equivalent implementations of the one, two, or
three button mouse may be possible.
[0284] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
chirography console may support multiple data types concurrently
because certain chirographic device applications may combine data
types of other chirographic devices. The console may be configured
to handle all of them, for example. A distinction between operation
of the chirography console and operation of keyboard and/or mouse
emulators may lie in the ability to handle multiple interaction
assistant programs on the console, for example.
[0285] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
operations of the console may comprise an interaction assistance
program supervising one or more emulator assistant programs
simultaneously and any other concurrent chirographic applications
running natively or remotely through adaptors or networks, for
example.
[0286] From the viewpoint of the running system, the console
assistant program may run like a multitasking operating system
kernel specialized to interactive chirographic systems, for
example. When not referring to the context of any particular
chirographic application, the console assistant program may be
invoked at system INITIALIZE, for example.
[0287] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
console assistant program may probe for devices connect to the
console and allocate device driver resources for each of the
connected devices found during the probe, for example. The console
assistant may be resident in firmware or may be loaded from the
media reader, for example. In the latter case, a boot loader may
reside in firmware. The boot loader may seek the console assistant,
for example. Boot loader readers may include raw interfaces whose
drivers may also be in firmware, for example.
[0288] Once the console assistant program is loaded and allocated
device resources, it may invoke an assistant program for each
interactive resource found. Thereafter, the console assistant
program may handle the execution of multiple application assistant
programs in a time-shared regime, for example. Unlike non-console
emulator assistant programs, time-shared variants may run
standalone, wherein their addressing may be intermediated by the
console assistant, for example. The stand-alone console assistant
program may be distinguished from other assistant programs by a
supervisor name, for example.
[0289] Although the console application assistant programs may
operate under time-sharing, a core spatial chirography system may
operate in real-time or may have a guaranteed sampling duty cycle
to fulfill needs of the spatial position reader and the positioning
stylus, for example.
[0290] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the
supervisor may invoke a spatial position sampler routine, for
example. The spatial position sample routine may determine the
processing available between allocated sampling duty cycles. After
each sample cycle, the processing duty cycle may be run for each
application assistant. The supervisor may preempt applications to
evenly distribute processing between samples, for example.
[0291] In an embodiment according to the present invention, if a
processing load takes longer than a designated life span of one
sample, then inconsistencies may arise regarding an assumed sample
time. The recognition module, for example, may be computing
intensive and may have real-time ramifications upon responses to
various user actions. Operation of the console may be to assign
priorities to expedite processes that work with real-time data and
to assign to job queues, remaining processing that are not time
critical and whose delay does not affect the overall integrity of
the system, for example.
[0292] The converse of the above consideration regards the accuracy
of real-time samples. It is known that in sensing techniques
geometrical integrity is more critical than time. The overall
system may be more concerned with improving accuracy first, so the
sampler routine may remain in real time, and multiple readings may
be taken before a sample of sample size N may be designated a
sample time for the average time of the reading in the sample. In
this situation, the best precision may be placed on a processing
queue, and although the recognition module may be processing
delayed data, it may continue to be able to trigger preemptive
routines that post data, such as for example, a recognized
character for DISPLAY rendering or for KEY_PRESS keyboard
emulation.
[0293] While the invention has been described with reference to
certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the
art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be
substituted without departing from the scope of the invention. In
addition, many modifications may be made to adapt particular
situation or material to the teachings of the invention without
departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the
invention not be limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed,
but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within
the scope of the appended claims.
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