Illustrated, Interactive Thought Map and Methods of Use

Abstract

Discovery products, kits and methods using a plurality of illustrated cards are disclosed herein. One or more of the illustrated cards includes a prompt for participant input and the plurality of illustrated cards is configurable to form a thought map when viewed collectively. The illustrated cards can be used in various settings to address a wide range of concepts in an unexpected and lower stress manner.

Claims

1. A discovery product comprising: a plurality of illustrated cards, wherein one or more of the illustrated cards includes a prompt for participant input, the plurality of illustrated cards configurable to form a thought map when viewed collectively.

2. The discovery product of claim 1, wherein the prompt is a blank space associated with a word(s), image(s) and/or symbol(s), a thought bubble, an empty box, a shaded area, a dangling line, a cursor prompt, an electronically designated area or a combination thereof.

3. The discovery product of claim 1, wherein the prompt comprises words associated with an illustration of a physical object.

4. The discovery product of claim 1, wherein the participant input is written input, illustrative input, verbal input, mental input, manual input or a combination thereof.

5. The discovery product of claim 1, wherein the plurality of illustrated cards is configured to align edge-to-edge in two-dimensions to form the thought map when viewed collectively.

6. The discovery product of claim 1, wherein at least one illustration bridges across two or more of the illustrated cards, thereby defining neighboring illustrated cards of the thought map.

7. The discovery product of claim 1, wherein the illustrated cards comprise drawings, paintings, digital art, photography or a combination thereof.

8. The discovery product of claim 1, wherein the illustrated cards are made of a material selected from the group consisting of card stock, paper, cardboard, paperboard, wood, chalkboard, dry erase board, plastic and combinations thereof.

9. The discovery product of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of illustrated cards is illustrated on both a top surface and a bottom surface of the card.

10. The discovery product of claim 1 further comprising a key showing how the illustrated cards are designed to be configured collectively.

11. The discovery product of claim 1, wherein the plurality of illustrated cards comprises four or more cards.

12. The discovery product of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of illustrated cards includes a prompt for participant input.

13. The discovery product of claim 1, wherein the illustrated cards are electronic cards presented on a graphical user interface.

14. A method for promoting discovery, comprising: providing a plurality of illustrated cards; directing at least one participant to provide input on one or more of the illustrated cards; and instructing the participant to organize the plurality of illustrated cards to be viewed collectively as a thought map.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein there is one participant and the plurality of illustrated cards is provided one at a time to the one participant.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein there is one participant and the plurality of illustrated cards is provided all at once to the one participant.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein there are multiple participants and one of the plurality of illustrated cards is provided to each of the multiple participants.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein there are multiple participants and all of the plurality of illustrated cards is provided to each of the multiple participants.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the method is performed by an electronic device using a series of computer-readable instructions stored in a memory of a processor, the electronic device further comprising a graphical user interface.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising a step of comparing a key to the illustrated cards configured collectively.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic of a discovery product substantially configured into a thought map, according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In general, the terms and phrases used herein have their art-recognized meaning, which can be found by reference to standard texts, journal references and contexts known to those skilled in the art. The following definitions are provided to clarify their specific use in the context of this description.

[0029] As used herein, a discovery product is a participant-discovery product, a self-discovery product, a partner-discovery product, or a team-discovery product that facilitates insight into a participant's cognitive, emotional or psychological state or a subject-matter discovery (educational) product. For example, a discovery product may prompt a participant(s) to reply to one or more requests for input in a rapid, stream-of-consciousness manner to evoke an answer(s) or other response(s) (e.g., refusal to answer) from a participant's subconscious mind. An educational or subject-matter discovery product may, for example, lead to plot discovery, cultural discovery, scientific discovery and the like.

[0030] As used herein, a thought map is a visual representation used to organize thoughts, feelings, emotions, factual subject-matter, related concepts, or other information. In an embodiment, a thought map is an interactive puzzle.

[0031] The terms direct and indirect describe the actions or physical positions of one object relative to another object. For example, an object that directly acts upon or touches another object does so without intervention from an intermediary. Contrarily, an object that indirectly acts upon or touches another object does so through an intermediary (e.g., a third component).

[0032] FIG. 1 is a schematic of a discovery product substantially configured into a thought map, according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown, there are nine illustrated cards designed to form a substantially rectangular two-dimensional thought map when configured collectively. Some cards contain a prompt for participant input. The prompt is shown in FIG. 1 as typed font. In the example shown, a participant has provided input, shown as handwritten comments. FIG. 1 also includes some illustrations bridging across two or more of the illustrated cards, thereby defining neighboring illustrated cards of the thought map. For example, an object, such as a vine or clothes line, may physically bridge across neighboring cards. In another example, related objects may bridge across cards in a non-physical manner, such as the character of the middle, lefthand card supporting the frame of the top, lefthand card or the character of the central card looking into the something hidden mirror of the middle, righthand card and wondering why he is not seeing his reflection.

STATEMENTS REGARDING INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE AND VARIATIONS

[0033] All references cited throughout this application, for example patent documents including issued or granted patents or equivalents; patent application publications; and non-patent literature documents or other source material; are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties, as though individually incorporated by reference, to the extent each reference is at least partially not inconsistent with the disclosure in this application (for example, a reference that is partially inconsistent is incorporated by reference except for the partially inconsistent portion of the reference).

[0034] The terms and expressions which have been employed herein are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed. Thus, it should be understood that although the invention has been specifically disclosed by preferred embodiments, exemplary embodiments and optional features, modification and variation of the concepts herein disclosed can be resorted to by those skilled in the art, and that such modifications and variations are considered to be within the scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims. The specific embodiments provided herein are examples of useful embodiments of the invention and it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the invention can be carried out using a large number of variations of the devices, device components, and method steps set forth in the present description. As will be apparent to one of skill in the art, methods and devices useful for the present methods and devices can include a large number of optional composition and processing elements and steps. All art-known functional equivalents of materials and methods are intended to be included in this disclosure. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the invention is not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.

[0035] When a group of substituents is disclosed herein, it is understood that all individual members of that group and all subgroups are disclosed separately. When a Markush group or other grouping is used herein, all individual members of the group and all combinations and subcombinations possible of the group are intended to be individually included in the disclosure.

[0036] It must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms a, an, and the include plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a card includes a plurality of such cards and equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art, and so forth. As well, the terms a (or an), one or more and at least one can be used interchangeably herein. It is also to be noted that the terms comprising, including, and having can be used interchangeably. The expression of any of claims XX-YY (wherein XX and YY refer to claim numbers) is intended to provide a multiple dependent claim in the alternative form, and in some embodiments is interchangeable with the expression as in any one of claims XX-YY.

[0037] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, the preferred methods and materials are described.

[0038] Whenever a range is given in the specification, for example, a range of integers, a temperature range, a time range, a composition range, or concentration range, all intermediate ranges and subranges, as well as all individual values included in the ranges given are intended to be included in the disclosure. As used herein, ranges specifically include the values provided as endpoint values of the range. As used herein, ranges specifically include all the integer values of the range. For example, a range of 1 to 100 specifically includes the end point values of 1 and 100. It will be understood that any subranges or individual values in a range or subrange that are included in the description herein can be excluded from the claims herein.

[0039] As used herein, comprising is synonymous and can be used interchangeably with including, containing, or characterized by, and is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. As used herein, consisting of excludes any element, step, or ingredient not specified in the claim element. As used herein, consisting essentially of does not exclude materials or steps that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristics of the claim. In each instance herein any of the terms comprising, consisting essentially of and consisting of can be replaced with either of the other two terms. The invention illustratively described herein suitably can be practiced in the absence of any element or elements, limitation or limitations which is/are not specifically disclosed herein.