A digital system that may be used by children two years old and older. The digital
system is contained in a child-proof case and has an upward-facing display with
a touch-sensitive screen that is within easy reach of a child. Other I/O devices
include proximity and motion sensors and a microphone, and there is also a loudspeaker.
When a proximity sensor senses someone in the neighborhood of the system, it displays
images on the display. A child may manipulate the images by touching them on the
touch screen. Manipulations include selecting an image by touching it, "dragging"
the selected image by moving the finger touching the image across the screen and
"dropping" the image by lifting a finger from it, moving a selected image by touching
another location on the screen and thereby causing the selected image to move to
the touched location, removing an image from the screen by "throwing" it, i.e.,
moving it above a threshold speed, and modifying the image by tapping it twice
and then moving the finger in a horizontal or vertical direction on the screen.
The direction in which an image is thrown may further determine what the thrown
image is replaced with. The manipulations are used to in activities such as shape
matching, puzzle assembly, assembly of a face out of parts, and hide-and-go-seek.
