Interactive learning appliance

Claim 1

A method of using an a portable interactive learning appliance, the method including: a) answering problems selected by the portable interactive learning appliance, after the interactive learning appliance has determined a first current zone for the user from among multiple zones containing problems having respectively different levels of difficulty, wherein the problems selected by the interactive learning appliance are selected from at least the first current zone for the user; b) sending user performance information generated by the interactive learning appliance after a) to a server computer, wherein the server computer analyzes the user performance information, determines a second current zone for the user, and creates a content package for use in the interactive learning appliance using the analyzed user performance information, wherein the content package includes problems selected from at least the second current zone for the user; c) receiving the content package; d) loading the content package into the interactive learning appliance to create a modified interactive learning appliance; and e) using the modified interactive learning appliance, wherein the interactive learning appliance is cylindrically shaped and has a body, and wherein the input device is a ring that is disposed around the body.

Claim 2

A method of using an a portable interactive learning appliance, the method including: a) answering problems selected by the portable interactive learning appliance, after the interactive learning appliance has determined a first current zone for the user from among multiple zones containing problems having respectively different levels of difficulty, wherein the problems selected by the interactive learning appliance are selected from at least the first current zone for the user; b) sending user performance information generated by the interactive learning appliance after a) to a server computer, wherein the server computer analyzes the user performance information, determines a second current zone for the user, and creates a content package for use in the interactive learning appliance using the analyzed user performance information, wherein the content package includes problems selected from at least the second current zone for the user; c) receiving the content package; d) loading the content package into the interactive learning appliance to create a modified interactive learning appliance; and e) using the modified interactive learning appliance, wherein the interactive learning appliance is cylindrically shaped and has a body, and wherein the input device is a ring that is disposed around the body.

Claim 28

A system comprising: an interactive learning appliance for assisting a user in learning, the interactive learning appliance comprising: a) a processor; b) an input device operatively coupled to the processor; c) an output device operatively coupled to the processor; d) a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the memory comprising (i) reusable data, (ii) computer code for analyzing a current zone of the user, (iii) computer code for causing the interactive learning appliance to select problems from at least the current zone of the user, and (iv) computer code for presenting the selected problems to the user via the output device; and e) an information storage medium comprising a user log file, wherein the user log file stores information relating to the user's use of the interactive learning appliance, and an instruction file including instructions for manipulating the reusable data in the memory so that the output device provides different outputs for the user using the same reusable data, wherein the interactive learning appliance is portable and comprises a cylindrically shaped housing, and wherein the input device comprises a rotary dial; and a linker device, wherein the linker device is adapted to receive the information storage medium.

Claim 29

A system comprising: an interactive learning appliance for assisting a user in learning, the interactive learning appliance comprising: a) a processor; b) an input device operatively coupled to the processor; c) an output device operatively coupled to the processor; d) a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the memory comprising (i) reusable data, (ii) computer code for analyzing a current zone of the user, (iii) computer code for causing the interactive learning appliance to select problems from at least the current zone of the user, and (iv) computer code for presenting the selected problems to the user via the output device; and e) an information storage medium comprising a user log file, wherein the user log file stores information relating to the user's use of the interactive learning appliance, and an instruction file including instructions for manipulating the reusable data in the memory so that the output device provides different outputs for the user using the same reusable data, wherein the interactive learning appliance is portable and comprises a cylindrically shaped housing, and wherein the input device comprises a rotary dial; and a linker device, wherein the linker device is adapted to receive the information storage medium.

Claim 30

A method comprising: a) answering problems automatically selected by a portable interactive learning appliance comprising a processor, an input device coupled to the processor, and a speaker coupled to the processor, after the interactive learning appliance has automatically determined a first current zone for the user from among multiple zones of problems having different levels of difficulty, wherein the problems selected by the interactive learning appliance are selected from at least the first current zone for the user and wherein the interactive learning appliance creates a user log file comprising user performance information after the user has answered the problems automatically selected by the interactive learning appliance; b) after performing a), contacting a server computer at a host site operated by a host entity using a client computer at a user site via a communication medium, wherein the communication medium comprises the Internet; c) after performing b), uploading the user log file to the server computer operated by the host entity, wherein the server computer operated by the host entity automatically analyzes the user performance information, automatically determines a second current zone for the user based on the analyzed user performance information, and automatically creates a content package for use in the interactive learning appliance using the analyzed user performance information, wherein the content package includes problems selected from at least the second current zone; d) after performing c), downloading the content package from the server computer operated by the host entity to the client computer at the user site via the communication medium; e) after performing d), loading the content package into a transferable information storage medium via a linker device coupled to the client computer, wherein the transferable information storage medium is received in the linker device; f) after performing e), inserting the transferable information storage medium into a recess in the interactive learning appliance to thereafter create a modified interactive learning appliance; g) after performing f) using the modified interactive learning appliance, wherein the modified interactive learning appliance is not in communication with the server computer when the modified interactive learning appliance uses the content package that was previously downloaded; and h) after performing g), answering problems automatically selected by the modified interactive learning appliance, wherein the problems that are automatically selected by the interactive learning appliance are from the content package that was previously downloaded from the server computer at the host entity site.

Claim 31

A method comprising: a) answering problems automatically selected by a portable interactive learning appliance comprising a processor, an input device coupled to the processor, and a speaker coupled to the processor, after the interactive learning appliance has automatically determined a first current zone for the user from among multiple zones of problems having different levels of difficulty, wherein the problems selected by the interactive learning appliance are selected from at least the first current zone for the user and wherein the interactive learning appliance creates a user log file comprising user performance information after the user has answered the problems automatically selected by the interactive learning appliance; b) after performing a), contacting a server computer at a host site operated by a host entity using a client computer at a user site via a communication medium, wherein the communication medium comprises the Internet; c) after performing b), uploading the user log file to the server computer operated by the host entity, wherein the server computer operated by the host entity automatically analyzes the user performance information, automatically determines a second current zone for the user based on the analyzed user performance information, and automatically creates a content package for use in the interactive learning appliance using the analyzed user performance information, wherein the content package includes problems selected from at least the second current zone; d) after performing c), downloading the content package from the server computer operated by the host entity to the client computer at the user site via the communication medium; e) after performing d), loading the content package into a transferable information storage medium via a linker device coupled to the client computer, wherein the transferable information storage medium is received in the linker device; f) after performing e), inserting the transferable information storage medium into a recess in the interactive learning appliance to thereafter create a modified interactive learning appliance; g) after performing f) using the modified interactive learning appliance, wherein the modified interactive learning appliance is not in communication with the server computer when the modified interactive learning appliance uses the content package that was previously downloaded; and h) after performing g), answering problems automatically selected by the modified interactive learning appliance, wherein the problems that are automatically selected by the interactive learning appliance are from the content package that was previously downloaded from the server computer at the host entity site.

Claim 32

A method comprising: a) answering problems selected by a portable interactive learning appliance, after the interactive learning appliance has determined a first current zone for the user from among multiple zones containing problems having respectively different levels of difficulty, wherein the problems selected by the interactive learning appliance are selected from at least the first current zone for the user; b) sending user performance information generated by the interactive learning appliance after a) to a server computer via a communication medium, wherein the server computer analyzes the user performance information, determines a second current zone for the user, and creates a content package for use in the interactive learning appliance using the analyzed user performance information, wherein the content package includes problems selected from at least the second current zone for the user; c) receiving the content package from the server computer via the communication medium; d) loading the content package into the interactive learning appliance to create a modified interactive learning appliance; and e) using the modified interactive learning appliance.

Claim 33

A method comprising: a) answering problems selected by a portable interactive learning appliance, after the interactive learning appliance has determined a first current zone for the user from among multiple zones containing problems having respectively different levels of difficulty, wherein the problems selected by the interactive learning appliance are selected from at least the first current zone for the user; b) sending user performance information generated by the interactive learning appliance after a) to a server computer via a communication medium, wherein the server computer analyzes the user performance information, determines a second current zone for the user, and creates a content package for use in the interactive learning appliance using the analyzed user performance information, wherein the content package includes problems selected from at least the second current zone for the user; c) receiving the content package from the server computer via the communication medium; d) loading the content package into the interactive learning appliance to create a modified interactive learning appliance; and e) using the modified interactive learning appliance.