Patent Application
20210252897
The field of the invention relates to paper workbooks.
The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
There are many situations in which multiple individuals want to collaborate with respect to the same subject matter to facilitate friendship and collaborative effort. One of the simplest solutions is for the individuals to be in the same room, and to each to have a copy of the same printed materials. One problem, however, is that at any given time, different individuals can be looking at different pages. One could solve that problem by simply projecting an image or text onto a screen that everyone can watch, or using software that allows each individual to simultaneously view a given image on individual display devices. There is even software that allows multiple individuals to simultaneously view, and collaboratively make changes to a given document.
All of those solutions, however, fail to achieve the psychological connection that can happen when two individuals are interacting with the same physical book. However, in that circumstance, the two individuals generally need to be positioned next to each other to simultaneously view a given page. Depending on the individuals and circumstances, such close joint viewing of a given page can be socially problematic, or undesirable for some other reason.
It might be more comfortable for two individuals to sit opposite, or catty corner, from one another when collaborating on a given subject matter. However, with printed subject matter that would mean that one of the collaborating individuals sees the subject matter upside down, or at least at an angle significantly different from a normal viewing angle.
An exemplary book to remedy the defect is shown in the US patent application, 2016/0325576 to Clements. The book can be used for individuals sitting face-to-face, and can share information easily because the same images are flipped over to opposing page sides. As used herein, the term “opposing page sides” means page faces that are juxtaposed when a book is closed. For example, in a typical book, if pages 2 and 3 are opposing, then pages 4 and 5 would be opposing, and pages 6 and 7 would be opposing. But page 3 would not oppose page 4.
One continuing problem, however, is that the Clements book targets individuals having a one-way (one directional) relationship, for example, a teacher to students, a reader to listeners, or an instructor to students. One can tell that Clements is directed to a one-way relationship, because whereas the Clements' book includes guidance (statements, questions, drawings, and images), only the side available to one of the users has a space to write answers or other responses.
Accordingly, Clements did not contemplate, and is not physically adapted to, facilitating a peer to peer (two-way) relationship, such as between friends communicating/discussing each other to facilitate friendship, where the sides presented to both users have guidance materials and corresponding spaces to write answers or other responses.
What is needed is a workbook that allows individuals to work on basically the same subject matter, by displaying to different users substantially duplicate guidance materials, and corresponding spaces to write answers or other responses.
The inventive subject matter provides a dual-orientation accessible book for facilitating communication among users of the workbook, having opposing page sides that display to different users (a) substantially duplicate guidance materials, and (b) corresponding spaces to write answers or other responses. In preferred embodiments, such books employ connectors that allow opposing pages to be displayed between 30 degrees and 180 degrees apart from one another.
As used herein, the terms “substantially similar pictorial and textual content” means content that would be recognized by an ordinary observer as being duplicative, other than with respect to size, coloration, or formatting.
For example, two opposing page sides would be deemed to have substantially similar pictorial content if one side has an image of a bird in flight, and the other side has the bird image in a different size or color, or in black and white. On the other hand, if the other side shows the bird standing on a branch, the two side would not be deemed to have substantially similar pictorial content.
Similarly, two opposing page sides would be deemed to have substantially similar textual content if the two sides include the same text, but formatted with different fonts, font sizes, font colors, italic, bold, and/or letter spacing, etc.
As used herein, the terms “substantially similar” with respect to content on opposing pages, whether question, pictorial content, or other content, means that an ordinary observer would recognize the meaning of such content as being duplicative. As used herein, substantially similar content is agnostic with respect to size, coloration, or formatting. For example, opposing page sides would be deemed to have a substantially similar question if one side has the text of a question in highlight, and the other side has the same text, but in a different size or color, or without highlighting.
In preferred embodiments, each of the opposing page sides includes at least a substantially similar question related to displayed pictorial and/or textual content, and a designated area to write an answer to the question. In some embodiments, each side has at least two questions and corresponding answer areas.
One huge advantage of having a peer-to-peer workbook, with answer spaces on opposing pages, is that first and second users can face each other while filling in the answer spaces, and then turn the book around to see each other's answers. One can't do that with a Clements type of workbook because only one of the users has answer spaces for any given set of opposing/duplicate pages.
In some embodiments, the substantially similar pictorial and textual content covers at least 50% of the visual areas of at least one set of opposing page sides. In more preferred embodiments, the substantially similar pictorial and textual content covers at least 75% of the visual areas on at least one set of opposing page sides.
In some embodiments, the substantially similar pictorial and textual content includes a question and a designated area to write an answer to the question. Also in preferred embodiments, the substantially similar pictorial and textual content includes an image, and the question relates to an aspect of the image.
All suitable connectors are contemplated to couple the various sheets, including for example, rings, cords, spirals, and perfect binding. The binding can be loose and/or elastic, such that opposing stacks of pages can be separated by several centimeters. Where opposing stacks of pages are to be angled other than approximately 180 degrees away from each other, a single ring or cord could be advantageously placed near a corner of the book.
It is contemplated that such books could have five, ten, twenty, fifty or more sets of opposing page sides with substantially similar pictorial and textual content. Contemplated books can have any reasonable dimensions, but preferably having length of 10-30 cm, width of 20-30 cm, and thickness of 1-5 cm.
Angles between opposing pages sides need not be the same as angles between substantially similar pictorial and textual content on such page sides. For example, a binding might restrict opposing page sides to be 180 opposite to one another, but the pictorial and textual content on one or both of the pages could be skewed, rather than lining up normally on the page. Similarly, a binding might restrict allow opposing page sides to be 175 degrees opposite to one another, but the pictorial and textual content on one or both of the pages could be collectively skewed by 15 degrees, such that persons viewing the book completely opposite to one another might still view the substantially similar pictorial and textual content normally on the opposing page sides.
In some embodiments, dual-orientation accessible books could have a stand that props up the book, with the binding forming an apex of a triangular configuration.
Each of sheets can be printed papers, printed plastics, printed metal, or combination thereof.
As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g. “such as”) provided with respect to certain embodiments herein is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element essential to the practice of the invention.
Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.
The following discussion provides many example embodiments of the inventive subject matter. Although each embodiment represents a single combination of inventive elements, the inventive subject matter is considered to include all possible combinations of the disclosed elements. Thus if one embodiment comprises elements A, B, and C, and a second embodiment comprises elements B and D, then the inventive subject matter is also considered to include other remaining combinations of A, B, C, or D, even if not explicitly disclosed.
As used herein, and unless the context dictates otherwise, the term “coupled to” is intended to include both direct coupling (in which two elements that are coupled to each other contact each other) and indirect coupling (in which at least one additional element is located between the two elements). Therefore, the terms “coupled to” and “coupled with” are used synonymously.
The recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein.
Unless the context dictates the contrary, all ranges set forth herein should be interpreted as being inclusive of their endpoints, and open-ended ranges should be interpreted to include only commercially practical values. Similarly, all lists of values should be considered as inclusive of intermediate values unless the context indicates the contrary.
Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member can be referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with other members of the group or other elements found herein. One or more members of a group can be included in, or deleted from, a group for reasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion or deletion occurs, the specification is herein deemed to contain the group as modified thus fulfilling the written description of all Markush groups used in the appended claims.
The book can further comprise a third (13) sheet, a fourth (14) sheet, and so on, all coupled through the connector (18). When the second sheet (12) is flipped over the connector (18), the book (10) concurrently reveals the B side of the second sheet (12b) and the A side of the third sheet (13a). The B side of the second sheet (12b) and the A side of the third sheet (13a) display a second set of substantially similar pictorial and textual content (16a/16b). In general, instances of substantially similar pictorial and textual content can be printed or otherwise displayed on opposing (i.e., facing) sides of any two consecutive sheets.
In some embodiments, at least 50% of the entire visible area of opposing sides of consecutive sheets is used for the substantially similar pictorial and textual content. As shown in
Examples of substantially similar pictorial and textual context are shown in
The connector can be a ring (48), spiral binding (28), a cord (38), a string (38), a perfect style book binding (18) or combination thereof. The connector can be elastic (38) and flexible (38) like a rubber band.
The sheets can be a printed paper, a printed plastic, printed metal, or combination thereof.
It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced. Where the specification claims refers to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C . . . and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from the group, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc.
This application is a Continuation-In-Part (CIP) of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/790,045, filed Feb. 13, 2020. These and all other referenced extrinsic materials are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16790045 | Feb 2020 | US |
| Child | 16991678 | US |
