Patents by Inventor Mary Watanabe

Mary Watanabe has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20060093996
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for teaching and learning reading are disclosed. The apparatus is a group of universally connectable blocks and may include a primer having intelligible reading units composed of reading indicia. Each block has at least three faces, and each face of a given block the same reading indicia type. Each block has a color that corresponds to the reading indicia type. The primer's reading indicia are colored to correspond to the blocks bearing the same reading indicia type. The method comprises reading the primer, reading selected reading indicia in the primer, and locating blocks having the selected reading indicia. An intelligible reading unit comprised of the selected reading indicia in the primer is read and assembled from the blocks. Two blocks are selected, having the identified reading indicia, and connected. The color or selected indicia are viewed to determine whether the indicia form the selected intelligible reading unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2005
    Publication date: May 4, 2006
    Applicant: EAT/Cuisenaire, A Division of A. Daigger & Company
    Inventors: Dennis Goldman, Mary Watanabe, Richard Woldenberg
  • Patent number: 7018210
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for teaching and learning reading is disclosed. The apparatus is a group of universally connectable blocks and a primer having intelligible reading units composed of reading indicia. Each block has at least three faces, and each face of a given block the same reading indicia type. Each block has a color that corresponds to the reading indicia type. The primer's reading indicia are colored to correspond to the blocks bearing the same reading indicia type. The method comprises reading the primer, reading selected reading indicia in the primer, and locating blocks having the selected reading indicia. An intelligible reading unit comprised of the selected reading indicia in the primer is read and assembled from the blocks. Two blocks are selected, having the identified reading indicia, and connected. The color or selected indicia are viewed to determine whether the indicia form the selected intelligible reading unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: ETA/Cuisenaire
    Inventors: Dennis K. Goldman, Mary Watanabe, Richard Woldenberg
  • Publication number: 20040197749
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for teaching and learning reading is disclosed. The apparatus is a group of universally connectable blocks and a primer having intelligible reading units composed of reading indicia. Each block has at least three faces, and each face of a given block the same reading indicia type. Each block has a color that corresponds to the reading indicia type. The primer's reading indicia are colored to correspond to the blocks bearing the same reading indicia type. The method comprises reading the primer, reading selected reading indicia in the primer, and locating blocks having the selected reading indicia. An intelligible reading unit comprised of the selected reading indicia in the primer is read and assembled from the blocks. Two blocks are selected, having the identified reading indicia, and connected. The color or selected indicia are viewed to determine whether the indicia form the selected intelligible reading unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2003
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Inventors: Dennis K. Goldman, Mary Watanabe, Richard Woldenberg
  • Patent number: 6685477
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for teaching and learning reading is disclosed. The apparatus comprises blocks that are removably connectable and bear various reading indicia on their faces. The reading indicia includes pictures, vowels, consonants, combinations of vowels and consonants, rimes, parts of speech, and punctuation. Preferably, any selected block has only one type of reading indicia and has color-coding associated with that type of indicia. By connecting two or more blocks so that the reading indicia form an appropriate pattern or unit, students can form parts of words, words, phrases or even sentences. Different subgroups of reading indicia may be used in progression to teach and learn at different skill levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: ETA/Cuisenaire, a division of A. Daigger & Company
    Inventors: Dennis K. Goldman, Mary Watanabe