Patents by Inventor Gerald M. McCobb

Gerald M. McCobb 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).

  • Patent number: 10818299
    Abstract: A method of verifying a user identity using a Web-based multimodal interface can include sending, to a remote computing device, a multimodal markup language document that, when rendered by the remote computing device, queries a user for a user identifier and causes audio of the user's voice to be sent to a multimodal, Web-based application. The user identifier and the audio can be received at about a same time from the client device. The audio can be compared with a voice print associated with the user identifier. The user at the remote computing device can be selectively granted access to the system according to a result obtained from the comparing step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: David Jaramillo, Gerald M. McCobb
  • Patent number: 10735588
    Abstract: Processing customer communications may include receiving a communication from a customer device via a first communication medium, retrieving a customer record associated with the customer device, determining the customer record has a pending status associated with a logged customer device action, transmitting an optional display link to the customer device via a second communication medium different from the first communication medium, receiving a selection from the customer device associated with the optional display link, identifying a third party candidate for processing the customer device action based on the at least one selection, transmitting a request to process the customer device action to the third party candidate, and transmitting a notification to the customer device responsive to receiving confirmation of the request from the third party candidate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Gerald M. McCobb, David Stirk
  • Patent number: 10553198
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and non-transitory computer readable storage medium, in one embodiment, interpreting at least one input from a user via a wireless device, receiving at least one user account with the at least one input, deriving at least one representation of user intent, identifying at least one task based on the at least one representation of user intent, contacting at least one service to perform the identified at least one task and synthesizing speech to communicate a result of the contact to the wireless device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Gerald M. McCobb, David Stirk
  • Patent number: 10237409
    Abstract: Processing customer communications may include receiving a communication from a customer device via a first communication medium, retrieving a customer record associated with the customer device, determining the customer record has a pending status associated with a logged customer device action, transmitting an optional display link to the customer device via a second communication medium different from the first communication medium, receiving a selection from the customer device associated with the optional display link, identifying a third party candidate for processing the customer device action based on the at least one selection, transmitting a request to process the customer device action to the third party candidate, and transmitting a notification to the customer device responsive to receiving confirmation of the request from the third party candidate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Gerald M. McCobb, David Stirk
  • Patent number: 9986095
    Abstract: Processing customer communications may include receiving a communication from a customer device via a first communication medium, retrieving a customer record associated with the customer device, determining the customer record has a pending status associated with a logged customer device action, transmitting an optional display link to the customer device via a second communication medium different from the first communication medium, receiving a selection from the customer device associated with the optional display link, identifying a third party candidate for processing the customer device action based on the at least one selection, transmitting a request to process the customer device action to the third party candidate, and transmitting a notification to the customer device responsive to receiving confirmation of the request from the third party candidate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Gerald M McCobb, David Stirk
  • Patent number: 9754579
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and non-transitory computer readable storage medium, in one embodiment, interpreting at least one input from a user via a wireless device, receiving at least one user account with the at least one input, deriving at least one representation of user intent, identifying at least one task based on the at least one representation of user intent, contacting at least one service to perform the identified at least one task and synthesizing speech to communicate a result of the contact to the wireless device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Gerald M. McCobb, David Stirk
  • Patent number: 9275632
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and non-transitory computer readable storage medium, in one embodiment, interpreting at least one input from a user via a wireless device, receiving at least one user account with the at least one input, deriving at least one representation of user intent, identifying at least one task based on the at least one representation of user intent, contacting at least one service to perform the identified at least one task and synthesizing speech to communicate a result of the contact to the wireless device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Gerald M. McCobb, David Stirk
  • Patent number: 9208783
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for altering behavior of a multimodal application based on location. The multimodal application operates on a multimodal device supporting multiple modes of user interaction with the multimodal application, including a voice mode and one or more non-voice modes. The voice mode of user interaction with the multimodal application is supported by a voice interpreter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Soonthorn Ativanichayaphong, Charles W. Cross, Jr., Igor R. Jablokov, Gerald M. McCobb
  • Patent number: 9201714
    Abstract: A method for managing application modalities using dialogue states can include the step of asserting a set of activation conditions associated with a dialogue state of an application. Each of the activation conditions can be linked to at least one programmatic action, wherein different programmatic actions can be executed by different modality components. The application conditions can be monitored. An application event can be detected resulting in an associated application condition being run. At least one programmatic action linked to the application condition can be responsively initiated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Akram A. Bou-Ghannam, Gerald M. McCobb
  • Patent number: 8862475
    Abstract: Speech-enabled content navigation and control of a distributed multimodal browser is disclosed, the browser providing an execution environment for a multimodal application, the browser including a graphical user agent (‘GUA’) and a voice user agent (‘VUA’), the GUA operating on a multimodal device, the VUA operating on a voice server, that includes: transmitting, by the GUA, a link message to the VUA, the link message specifying voice commands that control the browser and an event corresponding to each voice command; receiving, by the GUA, a voice utterance from a user, the voice utterance specifying a particular voice command; transmitting, by the GUA, the voice utterance to the VUA for speech recognition by the VUA; receiving, by the GUA, an event message from the VUA, the event message specifying a particular event corresponding to the particular voice command; and controlling, by the GUA, the browser in dependence upon the particular event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Soonthorn Ativanichayaphong, Charles W. Cross, Jr., Gerald M. McCobb
  • Publication number: 20140249819
    Abstract: A method of verifying a user identity using a Web-based multimodal interface can include sending, to a remote computing device, a multimodal markup language document that, when rendered by the remote computing device, queries a user for a user identifier and causes audio of the user's voice to be sent to a multimodal, Web-based application. The user identifier and the audio can be received at about a same time from the client device. The audio can be compared with a voice print associated with the user identifier. The user at the remote computing device can be selectively granted access to the system according to a result obtained from the comparing step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: David Jaramillo, Gerald M. McCobb
  • Patent number: 8788620
    Abstract: Web service support for a multimodal client processing a multimodal application, the multimodal client providing an execution environment for the application and operating on a multimodal device supporting multiple modes of user interaction including a voice mode and one or more non-voice modes, the application stored on an application server, includes: receiving, by the server, an application request from the client that specifies the application and device characteristics; determining, by a multimodal adapter of the server, modality requirements for the application; selecting, by the adapter, a modality web service in dependence upon the modality requirements and the characteristics for the device; determining, by the adapter, whether the device supports VoIP in dependence upon the characteristics; providing, by the server, the application to the client; and providing, by the adapter to the client in dependence upon whether the device supports VoIP, access to the modality web service for processing the appl
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Soonthorn Ativanichayaphong, Charles W. Cross, Jr., Gerald M. McCobb
  • Patent number: 8744861
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and computer program products are described for invoking tapered prompts in a multimodal application implemented with a multimodal browser and a multimodal application operating on a multimodal device supporting multiple modes of user interaction with the multimodal application, the modes of user interaction including a voice mode and one or more non-voice modes. Embodiments include identifying, by a multimodal browser, a prompt element in a multimodal application; identifying, by the multimodal browser, one or more attributes associated with the prompt element; and playing a speech prompt according to the one or more attributes associated with the prompt element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Soonthorn Ativanichayaphong, Charles W. Cross, Jr., Gerald M. McCobb
  • Patent number: 8713542
    Abstract: Pausing a VoiceXML dialog of a multimodal application, including generating by the multimodal application a pause event; responsive to the pause event, temporarily pausing the dialogue by the VoiceXML interpreter; generating by the multimodal application a resume event; and responsive to the resume event, resuming the dialog. Embodiments are implemented with the multimodal application operating on a multimodal device supporting multiple modes of interaction including a voice mode and one or more non-voice modes, the multimodal application is operatively coupled to a VoiceXML interpreter, and the VoiceXML interpreter is interpreting the VoiceXML dialog to be paused.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Soonthorn Ativanichayaphong, Charles W. Cross, Jr., David Jaramillo, Gerald M. McCobb
  • Patent number: 8612230
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and computer program products are described for automatic speech recognition (‘ASR’) that include accepting by the multimodal application speech input and visual input for selecting or deselecting items in a selection list, the speech input enabled by a speech recognition grammar; providing, from the multimodal application to the grammar interpreter, the speech input and the speech recognition grammar; receiving, by the multimodal application from the grammar interpreter, interpretation results including matched words from the grammar that correspond to items in the selection list and a semantic interpretation token that specifies whether to select or deselect items in the selection list; and determining, by the multimodal application in dependence upon the value of the semantic interpretation token, whether to select or deselect items in the selection list that correspond to the matched words.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Ciprian Agapi, Soonthorn Ativanichayaphong, Charles W. Cross, Jr., Gerald M. McCobb
  • Publication number: 20130014130
    Abstract: A method for managing application modalities using dialogue states can include the step of asserting a set of activation conditions associated with a dialogue state of an application. Each of the activation conditions can be linked to at least one programmatic action, wherein different programmatic actions can be executed by different modality components. The application conditions can be monitored. An application event can be detected resulting in an associated application condition being run. At least one programmatic action linked to the application condition can be responsively initiated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Akram A. Bou-Ghannam, Gerald M. McCobb
  • Publication number: 20130014129
    Abstract: A method for managing application modalities using dialogue states can include the step of asserting a set of activation conditions associated with a dialogue state of an application. Each of the activation conditions can be linked to at least one programmatic action, wherein different programmatic actions can be executed by different modality components. The application conditions can be monitored. An application event can be detected resulting in an associated application condition being run. At least one programmatic action linked to the application condition can be responsively initiated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Akram A. Bou-Ghannam, Gerald M. McCobb
  • Patent number: 8352962
    Abstract: A method for managing multimodal interactions can include the step of registering a multitude of modality components with a modality component server, wherein each modality component handles an interface modality for an application. The modality component can be connected to a device. A user interaction can be conveyed from the device to the modality component for processing. Results from the user interaction can be placed on a shared memory are of the modality component server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Akram A. Bou-Ghannam, Gerald M. McCobb
  • Patent number: 8311836
    Abstract: A method for providing help to voice-enabled applications, including multimodal applications, can include a step of identifying at least one speech grammar associated with a voice-enabled application. Help fields can be defined within the speech grammar. The help fields can include available speech commands for the voice enabled application. When the speech grammar is activated for use by the voice-enabled application, the available speech commands can be presented to a user of the voice-enabled application. The presented speech commands can be obtained from the help fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Soonthorn Ativanichayaphong, David Jaramillo, Gerald M. McCobb
  • Patent number: 8229745
    Abstract: A method of building a mixed-initiative grammar can include receiving one or more conjoin phrases, wherein each conjoin phrase is associated with a selected one of the plurality of directed dialog grammars, and receiving a user input specifying a selected grammar generation technique. The mixed-initiative grammar can be automatically generated, in accordance with the selected grammar generation technique, such that the mixed-initiative grammar specifies an allowable ordering of sets when interpreting a user spoken utterance and whether duplicative phrases are allowable within the user spoken utterance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Soonthorn Ativanichayaphong, David Jaramillo, Gerald M. McCobb