Patents by Inventor Tod Machover

Tod Machover 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: 11727949
    Abstract: A feedback system may play back, to a user, an altered version of the user's voice in real time, in order to reduce stuttering by the user. The system may operate in different feedback modes at different times. For instance, the system may detect when the severity of a user's stuttering increases, which is indicative of the user habituating to the current feedback mode. The system may then switch to a different feedback mode. In some cases, the feedback modes include at least a Whisper mode, a Reverb mode, and a Harmony mode. In Whisper mode, the user's voice may be transformed to sound as if it were whispering in the user's ears. In Harmony mode, the user's voice may be altered as if the user were harmonizing with himself or herself. In Reverb mode, the user's voice may be altered so that it reverberates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Rebecca Kleinberger, Michael Erkkinen, George Stefanakis, Akito van Troyer, Satrajit Ghosh, Janet Baker, Tod Machover
  • Publication number: 20210050029
    Abstract: A feedback system may play back, to a user, an altered version of the user's voice in real time, in order to reduce stuttering by the user. The system may operate in different feedback modes at different times. For instance, the system may detect when the severity of a user's stuttering increases, which is indicative of the user habituating to the current feedback mode. The system may then switch to a different feedback mode. In some cases, the feedback modes include at least a Whisper mode, a Reverb mode, and a Harmony mode. In Whisper mode, the user's voice may be transformed to sound as if it were whispering in the user's ears. In Harmony mode, the user's voice may be altered as if the user were harmonizing with himself or herself. In Reverb mode, the user's voice may be altered so that it reverberates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Rebecca Kleinberger, Michael Erkkinen, George Stefanakis, Akito van Troyer, Satrajit Ghosh, Janet Baker, Tod Machover
  • Patent number: 5875257
    Abstract: Apparatus for continuous sensing of hand and arm gestures comprises hand-held means for continuously sensing at least tempo and emphasis. These sensed parameters are represented quantitatively, and transduced by appropriate circuitry into electrical signals indicative of the parameter quantities. The signals may be used to control the performance of a musical composition (or the evolution of some other dynamic system), or may instead convey information. The signals may, for example, be provided to an interpreter that dynamically infers control commands from the gestures on a real-time basis in accordance with the generally accepted canon of musical conducting, directing the controlled system in accordance therewith. The invention may also sense one or more additional conducting parameters such as the speed and/or velocity, direction (i.e.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1999
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Teresa Marrin, Joseph Paradiso, Tod Machover, Christopher Verplaetse, Margaret Orth
  • Patent number: 5850051
    Abstract: Optional accompaniment patterns are created on the basis of a plurality of parameters. Thus, by changing the values of the parameters to be supplied as necessary, accompaniment patterns can be created in an unconstrained manner. By time-varying at least one of the parameters, an optional accompaniment pattern can be created in such a manner that a desired accompaniment tone is sounded at a desired time point, and an accompaniment pattern can be changed freely. A performance state of an performance operator such as a keyboard may be detected, so as to change the parameters on the basis of performance states detected at least for a current time and a given past time. This permits parameter control reflecting a changing real-time performance state. Alternatively, a parameter may be prepared in accordance with input performance information so that an accompaniment pattern is created on the basis of the prepared parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1998
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Tod Machover, Alex Rigopulos, Fumiaki Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 5650583
    Abstract: A pattern memory stores plural accompaniment patterns for each of plural accompaniment components. Each of the accompaniment components is composed of one or more musical instrument parts for an accompaniment performance. There are provided operating members which are used for selectively designating a desired component and a touch sensor for detecting an operation touch applied to the operated operating member. Any of the plural accompaniment patterns corresponding to the designated component is selected in accordance with the detected operation touch, and the selected accompaniment pattern is read out from the memory. The entire accompaniment performance pattern is provided by a combination of the accompaniment patterns thus selected for the respective components. In order to allow the selected pattern to be changed freely, modifiers representing how to make the change may be utilized by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 22, 1997
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Tod Machover, Joseph Chung, Fumiaki Matsumoto, Alex Rigopulos