Patents by Inventor Matthew Aaron Nichols

Matthew Aaron Nichols 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: 10375473
    Abstract: A device, system, and method whereby a speech-driven system used in an industrial environment distinguishes speech obtained from users of the system from other background sounds. In one aspect, the present system and method provides for a first audio stream from a user microphone collocated with a source of human speech (that is, a user) and a second audio stream from a environmental microphone which is proximate to the source of human speech but more remote than the user microphone. The audio signals from the two microphones are asynchronous. A processor is configured to identify a common, distinctive sound event in the environment, such as an impulse sound or a periodic sound signal. Based on the common sound event, the processor provides for synchronization of the two audio signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Vocollect, Inc.
    Inventors: Sean Nickel, Dale McGary, Matthew Aaron Nichols, Michael Kloehn
  • Publication number: 20190114571
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for evaluating workers for executing various types of tasks. As can be appreciated, a worker who is best suited for carrying out a first task requiring a first set of skills may not necessarily be the most suitable for carrying out a second task that requires a different set of skills. Accordingly, a number of workers are evaluated when performing various tasks and the results of the performance evaluations are stored in a database in the form of performance metrics. The performance metrics of each worker and the associated task performed by the worker are linked to each other by using a machine-readable code. The machine-readable code, which can be a stock keeping unit (SKU) code, is used to search the database for retrieving and evaluating the various performance metrics and identifying one or more workers for executing an upcoming task.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Inventor: Matthew Aaron Nichols
  • Publication number: 20180082702
    Abstract: A device, system, and method whereby a speech-driven system used in an industrial environment distinguishes speech obtained from users of the system from other background sounds. In one aspect, the present system and method provides for a first audio stream from a user microphone collocated with a source of human speech (that is, a user) and a second audio stream from a environmental microphone which is proximate to the source of human speech but more remote than the user microphone. The audio signals from the two microphones are asynchronous. A processor is configured to identify a common, distinctive sound event in the environment, such as an impulse sound or a periodic sound signal. Based on the common sound event, the processor provides for synchronization of the two audio signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventors: Sean Nickel, Dale McGary, Matthew Aaron Nichols, Michael Kloehn
  • Patent number: 9171539
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention address the deficiencies of the prior art by providing a method, apparatus, and program product to of converting components of a web page to voice prompts for a user. In some embodiments, the method comprises selectively determining at least one HTML component from a plurality of HTML components of a web page to transform into a voice prompt for a mobile system based upon a voice attribute file associated with the web page. The method further comprises transforming the at least one HTML component into parameterized data suitable for use by the mobile system based upon at least a portion of the voice attribute file associated with the at least one HTML component and transmitting the parameterized data to the mobile system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Vocollect, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul M. Funyak, Norman J. Connors, Paul E. Kolonay, Matthew Aaron Nichols
  • Publication number: 20150199957
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention address the deficiencies of the prior art by providing a method, apparatus, and program product to of converting components of a web page to voice prompts for a user. In some embodiments, the method comprises selectively determining at least one HTML component from a plurality of HTML components of a web page to transform into a voice prompt for a mobile system based upon a voice attribute file associated with the web page. The method further comprises transforming the at least one HTML component into parameterized data suitable for use by the mobile system based upon at least a portion of the voice attribute file associated with the at least one HTML component and transmitting the parameterized data to the mobile system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Publication date: July 16, 2015
    Inventors: Paul M. Funyak, Norman J. Connors, Paul E. Kolonay, Matthew Aaron Nichols
  • Patent number: 8996384
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention address the deficiencies of the prior art by providing a method, apparatus, and program product to of converting components of a web page to voice prompts for a user. In some embodiments, the method comprises selectively determining at least one HTML component from a plurality of HTML components of a web page to transform into a voice prompt for a mobile system based upon a voice attribute file associated with the web page. The method further comprises transforming the at least one HTML component into parameterized data suitable for use by the mobile system based upon at least a portion of the voice attribute file associated with the at least one HTML component and transmitting the parameterized data to the mobile system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Vocollect, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul M. Funyak, Norman J. Connors, Paul E. Kolonay, Matthew Aaron Nichols
  • Publication number: 20110106537
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention address the deficiencies of the prior art by providing a method, apparatus, and program product to of converting components of a web page to voice prompts for a user. In some embodiments, the method comprises selectively determining at least one HTML component from a plurality of HTML components of a web page to transform into a voice prompt for a mobile system based upon a voice attribute file associated with the web page. The method further comprises transforming the at least one HTML component into parameterized data suitable for use by the mobile system based upon at least a portion of the voice attribute file associated with the at least one HTML component and transmitting the parameterized data to the mobile system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Inventors: Paul M. Funyak, Norman J. Connors, Paul E. Kolonay, Matthew Aaron Nichols