Touch detecting teaching machine

Claim 2

A touch detecting teaching machine including a plurality of display panels arranged to be touched by a subject; means for displaying symbolic visual information in each of said panels; means for randomly selecting one of the visual means displayed or presented in the panels to be the correct alternative; means for giving an audible indication to the subject requesting him to select the correct alternative in accordance with the audio indication given to him; electronic registering means for determining which of the plurality of items of symbolic visual information the subject has selected by touching one of the panels; and means for giving a further audible indication only if the correct related item is touched.

Claim 3

A touch detecting teaching machine according to claim 1, wherein the means for displaying the symbolic visual information comprises a card on which said information is printed so as to appear framed within the display panels when the card is inserted in the machine.

Claim 4

A touch detecting teaching machine according to claim 1, wherein the means for displaying the symbolic visual information comprises a card having a plurality of apertures in which transparencies are located, means being provided to illuminate the transparencies from behind.

Claim 5

A touch detecting teaching machine according to claim 1, including a card on which the symbolic visual information is displayed; an oscillator; a ring counter which receives pulses from the oscillator; first and second microswitches located in the path of travel of the card on insertion into the machine, said microswitches respectively controlling the starting and stopping of the ring counter, said counter having as many outputs as there are display panels associated with the electronic registering means, whereby the correct alternative is randomly preselected and the electronic registering means is notified of this pre-selection.

Claim 6

A touch detecting teaching machine according to claim 4, including as many magnetic tracks on each card as there are display panels, each track being divided into two parts, the first carrying a recording in spoken words rElating to the item to be displayed or presented on the panel, the other part carrying a recording in spoken words implying that the subject''s response is correct; as many separate magnetic heads in the machine as there are display panels, each head being located to read off from its respective magnetic track; as many relays as there are magnetic heads, each relay having a contact; a common audio amplifier and loud speaker connected to one of the magnetic heads through the contact of that relay which is energized by the output of the ring counter and electronic registering means, whereby the randomly selected correct alternative is audibly indicated to the subject, and in the event of him giving a correct response, a further message is audibly indicated affirming that his response was correct.

Claim 7

A touch detecting teaching machine according to claim 4, wherein the electronic registering means includes a first plurality of logic circuits each associated with a touch sensitive mechanism on a respective panel for registering a response, a second plurality of logic circuit for determining whether or not the subject has correctly responded, and in the event of a correct response activating the respective relay in order to audibly indicate to the subject that his response is correct.

Claim 8

A touch detecting teaching machine according to claim 4, wherein the card is driven by means of capstan through an electric motor, the magnetic heads being located in close proximity thereto, electronic means associated with said motor for stopping the motor when the card is in a central position whereby the symbolic visual information is displayed or presented in the panels, and for starting the motor to eject the card from the machine when the subject has made his response whether correct or not.

Claim 9

A touch detecting teaching machine according to claim 6, wherein there is provided a performance computer and a visual indicator, said computer being associated with the logic circuit of the electronic registering means and receiving the appropriate logical indication as to whether a response is correct or not and feeding the indicator with the subject''s performance taking into account the previous responses.

Claim 10

A touch detecting teaching machine according to claim 5, wherein the magnetic heads are associated with a tape erasing and recording mechanism whereby new material may be recorded on the tracks of the card.