Scientific Learning Corporation

Angela Jane Benitz

William Michael Jenkins

Seiken Nakama

Elizabeth H Budra

John J Montgomery

An apparatus and method on a computing device for training of auditory and graphical discrimination in humans is provided. The method and apparatus provides a number of stimulus sets, each stimulus set having a number of different phonemes. Speech processing is used to provide multiple levels of emphasis and or stretching for enhancing a subject's ability to discriminate between similarly sounding phonemes. The processing is applied to phonemes and presented to the human as a trial. As a subject correctly identifies phonemes in the stimulus sets, the amount of processing applied to the phonemes is reduced, ultimately to the level of normal speech. A performance feedback mechanism is provided to allow the human to obtain a summary of his/her success over the stimulus sets, at the different processing levels. More detailed feedback is also provided indicating specific processing levels achieved for each of the stimulus sets. Selection buttons are provided on a graphical interface to allow the human to hear a stimulus set at his beginning processing level, and at his currently obtained processing level.

Method and apparatus for reporting progress of a subject using audio/visual adaptive training stimulii

An apparatus and method for training the cognitive and memory systems in a subject is provided. The apparatus and method incorporates a number of different games to be played by the subject. The games artificially process selected portions of language elements, called phonemes, so they will be more easily distinguished by the subject, and gradually improves the subject's neurological processing and memory of the elements through repetitive stimulation. The programs continually monitor a subject's ability to distinguish the processed language elements, and adaptively configures the programs to challenge and reward the subject by altering the degree of processing. That is, the subject advances through a number of different processing or skill levels as their ability to distinguish between language elements improves. The subject's progress through the processing levels is recorded to allow an adaptive timing mechanism to optimize game play time for each of the games. As the subject advances through the processing levels in a particular game, the amount of game play time for that game is reduced. This insures that the subject spends the most time with those games s/he finds most difficult, and the least time with those games s/he has mastered.

Method and apparatus for cognitive training of humans using adaptive timing of exercises

An interactive multimedia application executes in a debug mode in which a tester can specify a particular classification of user event and a user event satisfying the particular classification is emulated. For example, classifications can include correct and incorrect responses. To emulate a correct response, an interactive module of the interactive multimedia application determines correct criteria and provides those criteria to a debug manager upon request. In addition, characterization of user events is performed by a user interface module which communicates user events in the form of event messages to the interactive module. The debug manager emulates a user event of the particular category by retrieving the classification criteria from the interactive module, forming an event message representing an event satisfying the criteria for the particular classification, and sending the event message to the interactive module. Accordingly, the interactive module receives an event message which could have come from either the debug manager or the user interface module. As such, the particular computer instructions executed by the interactive module in response to the event are the same regardless of whether the event is emulated.

Simulated play of interactive multimedia applications for error detection

An interactive multimedia application executes in a debug mode in which previously recorded user events are retrieved from memory and emulated in sequence. Each user event is represented by a record which specifies a particular classification of user event. Accordingly, a user event satisfying the particular classification is emulated. The debug manager emulates a user event of the particular category by retrieving the classification criteria from the interactive module, forming an event message representing an event satisfying the criteria for the particular classification, and sending the event message to the interactive module. Accordingly, the interactive module receives an event message which could have come from either the debug manager or the user interface module. As such, the particular computer instructions executed by the interactive module in response to the event are the same regardless of whether the event is emulated. In the debug mode, the user can start and stop recording of user events and can start playback of previously recorded user events. Such is particularly useful in testing interactive multimedia applications. For example, very long streams of user events can be generated and allowed to control execution of an interactive multimedia application for extended periods of time.

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San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Angela Jane Benitz