IP Library Granted Patent US 10,922,994
Granted Patent B2
US 10,922,994 · App. 16/794,591 · Granted Feb 16, 2021

Interactive phonics game system and method

Inventors: Andrew Butler (Sunnyvale, CA); F Brian Iannce (San Jose, CA); Carey Lee (Redwood City, CA); Hector Javier Farias (Castro Valley, CA)
Assignee: Square Panda, Inc.
G09B17/003A63H3/36A63H17/26G06F3/0346G09B5/065A63H2200/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,922,994
App. No.
16/794,591
Granted
Feb 16, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for encouraging a child to learn to read, comprising a computing device and at least one physical manipulative, wherein the computing device can identify the physical manipulative and display at least one word relating to the physical manipulative. In an embodiment, a letter identification hoard with letter manipulatives is included, wherein a child can spell out a word on the letter identification board and the computing device shows an animation of the physical manipulative performing the action indicated by the word.

Claims (71)

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by one or more processors, a first figurine together with a second figurine both within a detection range of a sensor;

determining, by the one or more processors, a word that describes an action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine;

determining, by the one or more processors, that an animation is correlated to the word by a database in which a list of words includes the word that describes the action, the correlated animation depicting the action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine; and

causing, by the one or more processors, a display screen to present the animation that is correlated to the word by the database and that depicts the action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying the first figurine and the second figurine based on the detecting of the first figurine together with the second figurine both within the detection range of the sensor; and wherein:

the determining of the word that describes the action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine is responsive to the identifying of the first figurine and the second figurine.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein:

the identifying of the first figurine includes identifying at least one of a first animal figure, a first anamorphic figure, a first cartoon figure, or a first action figure; and

the identifying of the second figurine includes identifying at least one of a second animal figure, a second anamorphic figure, a second cartoon figure, or a second action figure.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a relationship of the first figurine relative to the second figurine; and wherein:

the causing of the display screen to present the animation that depicts the action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine is based on the determined relationship of the first figurine relative to the second figurine.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a position of the first figurine relative to the second figurine; and wherein:

the causing of the display screen to present the animation that depicts the action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine is based on the determined position of the first figurine relative to the second figurine.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining an orientation of the first figurine relative to the second figurine; and wherein:

the causing of the display screen to present the animation that depicts the action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine is based on the determined orientation of the first figurine relative to the second figurine.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining an interaction of the first figurine with the second figurine; and wherein:

the causing of the display screen to present the animation that depicts the action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine is based on the determined interaction of the first figurine with to the second figurine.

8. Apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor among the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising:

detecting a first figurine together with a second figurine both within a detection range of a sensor;

determining a word that describes an action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine;

determining that an animation is correlated to the word by a database in which a list of words includes the word that describes the action, the correlated animation depicting the action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine; and

causing a display screen to present the animation that is correlated to the word by the database and that depicts the action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying the first figurine and the second figurine based on the detecting of the first figurine together with the second figurine both within the detection range of the sensor; and wherein:

the determining of the word that describes the action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine is responsive to the identifying of the first figurine and the second figurine.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:

the identifying of the first figurine includes identifying at least one of a first animal figure, a first anamorphic figure, a first cartoon figure, or a first action figure; and

the identifying of the second figurine includes identifying at least one of a second animal figure, a second anamorphic figure, a second cartoon figure, or a second action figure.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a relationship of the first figurine relative to the second figurine; and wherein:

the causing of the display screen to present the animation that depicts the action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine is based on the determined relationship of the first figurine relative to the second figurine.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a position of the first figurine relative to the second figurine; and wherein:

the causing of the display screen to present the animation that depicts the action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine is based on the determined position of the first figurine relative to the second figurine.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining an orientation of the first figurine relative to the second figurine; and wherein:

the causing of the display screen to present the animation that depicts the action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine is based on the determined orientation of the first figurine relative to the second figurine.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining an interaction of the first figurine with the second figurine; and wherein:

the causing of the display screen to present the animation that depicts the action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine is based on the determined interaction of the first figurine with to the second figurine.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

detecting a first figurine together with a second figurine both within a detection range of a sensor;

determining a word that describes an action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine;

determining that an animation is correlated to the word by a database in which a list of words includes the word that describes the action, the correlated animation depicting the action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine; and

causing a display screen to present the animation that is correlated to the word by the database and that depicts the action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying the first figurine and the second figurine based on the detecting of the first figurine together with the second figurine both within the detection range of the sensor; and wherein:

the determining of the word that describes the action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine is responsive to the identifying of the first figurine and the second figurine.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein:

the identifying of the first figurine includes identifying at least one of a first animal figure, a first anamorphic figure, a first cartoon figure, or a first action figure; and

the identifying of the second figurine includes identifying at least one of a second animal figure, a second anamorphic figure, a second cartoon figure, or a second action figure.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a relationship of the first figurine relative to the second figurine; and wherein:

the causing of the display screen to present the animation that depicts the action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine is based on the determined relationship of the first figurine relative to the second figurine.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a position of the first figurine relative to the second figurine; and wherein:

the causing of the display screen to present the animation that depicts the action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine is based on the determined position of the first figurine relative to the second figurine.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining an orientation of the first figurine relative to the second figurine; and wherein:

the causing of the display screen to present the animation that depicts the action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine is based on the determined orientation of the first figurine relative to the second figurine.

21. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining an interaction of the first figurine with the second figurine; and wherein:

the causing of the display screen to present the animation that depicts the action performable by the first figurine together with the second figurine is based on the determined interaction of the first figurine with to the second figurine.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 9, 2021
From: SQUARE PANDA INC.
To: LEARNING SQUARED, INC.
Reel/Frame 057117/0660 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 26, 2020
From: BUTLER, ANDREW; IANNCE, F BRIAN; LEE, CAREY; FARIAS, HECTOR JAVIER
To: SQUARE PANDA, INC.
Reel/Frame 051936/0193 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 16451756 · Jun 25, 2019
Continuation 15428154 · Feb 9, 2017
Continuation 14838307 · Aug 27, 2015
Provisional Application 62044310 · Aug 31, 2014
Related Publication 20200184842A1 · Jun 11, 2020