Patent Application
20190108056
The present disclosure relates to devices for providing distributed content on e.g. a screen, and periodically interrupting the distributed content pending a response to a question posed by a periodic permission system controlling delivery of distributed content.
The advent of electronic communications devices, encompassing television, cable content, personal computers, tablets, smart phones, and dedicated electronic game devices, are engrossing to youngsters. While electronic communications have their place, they also have the potential to cause youngsters to ignore duties and responsibilities. Notably, youngsters and even others can find electronic communications engaging to the point of addiction. One response is to prevent youngsters from using electronic communications devices. However, that may be deemed an overreaction.
One type of duty or responsibility frequently imposed on youngsters is attending to education lessons. If a youngster is overly engrossed with electronic communications devices, he or she may neglect studies. As with so many things, a balance between recreational use of electronic communications devices and attention to education is desirable.
There exists a need to implement this balance without unduly treading on one option or the other.
The disclosed concepts address the above stated situation by providing a way of minimally and selectively stopping excessive use of electronic communications devices, and imposing attention to scholastic or educational activities. To this end, the present invention contemplates a supervisory system for enabling use of an electronic communications device, while imposing periodic attention to scholastic or educational activities. Illustratively, a supervisory control system is incorporated in conjunction with use of the electronic communications device such that recreational use of the latter is periodically interrupted to interpose a scholastic or educational exercise. Continued recreational use is conditional, based on appropriate response by the user of the electronic communications device responsive to prompts provided by the supervisory control system.
The prompts may for example take the form of tests posing questions, requirements for writing essays, and other scholastic or educational activities. Acceptable completion of a test or writing requirement then restores recreational content functions of the electronic communications device.
The youngster is not barred from using the electronic communications device for recreational purposes, but still is obliged to fulfill scholastic or educational duties and responsibilities.
This is done automatically, without requiring presence or constant monitoring by an adult caregiver. A supervisory control may be carried within the electronic device, e.g., by downloading and having operating parameters preset by an adult administrator, by remote communications, and in other ways. The user knows that recreational privileges will be restored upon his or her appropriate participation, so that voluntary compliance is encouraged.
It is an object to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof by apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable, and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
This and other objects will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.
Various objects, features, and attendant advantages of the disclosed concepts will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:
The principal purpose of periodic permission system 100 is to enable ordinary use of electronic communications device 102, and to periodically interrupt ordinary use to oblige user 104 to respond to one or more queries posed by periodic permission system 100. Hereinafter, queries will be referred to in the singular, but will be understood to encompass plural queries. Ordinary use signifies presentation of content on screen 110 (and via audible output via e.g., a microphone, not shown, where appropriate) for the purposes of the originator of the content. Content may be for amusement, such as television and cable broadcasts, electronic game players, and the like. Content may also be proprietary.
Functionalities and modules of periodic permission system 100 may be incorporated into electronic communications device 102 as e.g., firmware or downloadable software, may be contained in a data storage and transfer device such as a memory card (not shown) or may be remotely supplied.
Periodic permission system 100 is for controlling access of 104 user to device 102 having a control circuit and a sensible output (e.g., screen 110). Periodic permission system 100 is controllable by authorized administrator 108 and is coupled to the control circuit of device 102. Periodic permission system 100 may further comprise an inhibition feature 114 periodically interrupting and inhibiting routine function of the sensible output of device 102 until user 104 has entered a response as data responsive to at least one query generated by periodic permission system 100 and made available to user 104 using the sensible output. Periodic permission system 100 may further comprise a restoration feature 116 restoring the routine function of device 102 responsive to user 104 entering a response to the query. Of course, periodic permission system 100 includes a query feature 136 for generating queries 118, shown as screen 112 in
In periodic permission system 100, the control circuit may comprise a microprocessor (not separately shown, but which may be part of electronic communications device 102 for example) Inhibition feature 114 and restoration feature 116 may be embodied in a dedicated module in supervisory control relationship to the microprocessor. The dedicated module may be under control of authorized administrator 108. The dedicated module may include a time setting functionality controllable by authorized administrator 108, wherein time frequency of periodic interrupting and inhibiting is established by authorized administrator 108.
Now referring additionally to
Opening screen 112 presents a query to user 104. More specifically, in the example of
Answers are not shown in
Periodic permission system 100 may further comprise a functionality wherein an incorrectly answered query 118 is repeated as a new query 118, e.g., in a subsequent cycle of interruption and querying.
Optionally, query 118 and the response(s) are maintained in memory of device 102 (or other memory enabled component of periodic permission system 100) and are retrievable for viewing.
Periodic permission system 100 may further comprising a functionality of establishing a third party 124 as a subordinate authorized administrator authorized to establish at least partial content of the query. Authorized administrator 108 may be a parent for example. Third party 124 (which may of course comprise more than one person) may be a teacher for example. Content of the query may comprise test questions and academic exercises initiated by the teacher. It may be more appropriate to have a teacher to establish specific queries, whereas the parent may be more appropriate to set parameters on use of device 102. An administration feature 142 is functional to receive and process inputs from authorized administrator 108, and optionally, any subordinate authorized administrator, such as third party 124.
In one implementation, periodic permission system 100 may be administered from a website by a website operator (website and operator are shown collectively as 126) and uses the internet 128 as a communications link. The website operator may be a school district for example, using periodic permission system 100 as an adjunct for teaching and testing many students remotely. Where periodic permission system 100 is implemented through website 126, the teacher (not separately shown) may access device 102 by logging into website 126. Where periodic permission system 100 is implemented through website 126, or is otherwise remotely operated using the internet 128, query 118 and parameters of operation may comprise modules downloadable through the internet 128, and through data storage apparatus connectable to device 102 in data transfer relationship. Data storage apparatus may comprise memory sticks, compact discs, and other data storage items (none shown). Where periodic permission system 100 uses the internet 128, participation of at least one of third party 124 and of user 104 is password protected.
In an optional form, periodic permission system 100 may further comprise a functionality of distinguishing between primary content and commercial messages, and initiating the inhibition feature when identifying a commercial message. This feature minimizes interruptions to the content displayed on screen 110, in the sense that user 104 would have been interrupted by the commercial message anyway. Therefore, using this optional form, periodic permission system 100 does introduce still another interruption to displayed content.
In a similar vein, and referring specifically to
In the above example, user 104 is a student, and the queries are in the form of simple mathematical addition problems. Periodic permission system 100 is not limited to these examples. In other implementations, user 104 may be an adult, or alternatively, a minor who is not a student. Queries may be educational, or may test a person's knowledge of a vocation, a set of rules, general knowledge, may comprise a psychological test, or may take any form or may be directed to any knowledge set. The above example of user 104 as a child student, and queries comprising simple arithmetic problems of addition are only exemplary.
Authorized administrator 108, illustrated in
While the disclosed concepts have been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred implementation, it is to be understood that the disclosed concepts are not to be limited to the disclosed arrangements, but are intended to cover various arrangements which are included within the spirit and scope of the broadest possible interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all modifications and equivalent arrangements which are possible.
