Distance learning system providing individual television participation, audio responses and memory for every student

Patent 5537141 Issued on July 16, 1996. Estimated Expiration Date:

April 15, 2014. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

Re32776

Re34340

2612533

2777901

2826828

2908767

2921385

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Inventors

Application

No. 228355 filed on 04/15/1994

US Classes:

725/116, Control process725/114Server or headend

Examiners

Primary: Kostak, Victor R.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Dorsey & Whitney

Foreign Patent References

16314 EP. 10/12/1980
128481 EP. 12/12/1984
9094233 DE. 03/12/1962
4-427885 JP 06/12/1992
6-165170 JP 06/12/1994
81/02961 WO. 10/12/1981
94/03851 WO. 02/12/1994

International Class

H04N 007/14

Abstract

An interactive distance learning system which provides individualized and meaningful interactive responses to each student, as if the student is receiving instruction directly from a private tutor or instructor. An interactive program transmission occurs to a diverse number of facilities and locations. The primary transmission is a live lecture by the person making the presentation on the distance learning system. The live lecture is accompanied by questions to gage comprehension by students. The questions, in interrogatory form, are graphically displayed on the screen either as video or overlaying the video showing the lecturer. In addition to the interrogatory question, a set of responses, one correct, the rest incorrect, are also presented for the student choice. A complimentary suite of affirmative supportive commentary is prepared and prerecorded for the plurality of correct and incorrect responses which might be given to a question. Each response teaches, confirms and encourages the learning experience. A processor, branching codes and a memory device can be used to create a large variety of responses to provide an individual response for every student who responds to an interrogatory. A different response is created for every answer given to every question. Video or disk recordings of presentations can be prerecorded to demonstrate concepts or ideas or simply expand on lectured points and can be switched in and out of the video presentation of the live lecture as the instructor chooses. The transmitted interactive signal can be recorded for later playback and remain fully interactive. An extremely flexible, relatively inexpensive system is thus created which uniquely teaches and uniquely addresses the needs of every student participating in the interactive distance learning system experience.

Other References

Harless, et al., "Interactive Videodisc Case Studies for Medical Education," 10th Ann. Symp. Computer Applications in Medical Care (Oct. 1986)
Bock, "Videodisk Standards: A Software View of the Technology," 8012 S.M.P.T.E. Journal, vol. 92 (1983