Patents by Inventor Robert Bruce Mahaffey
Robert Bruce Mahaffey 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).
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Patent number: 8826146Abstract: The present invention is a user interface for varying accessibility parameters to match comprehension needs. The present invention consists of a uniform, easy to use, interface to applications. Rather than dealing directly with the user interface parameters of a particular application, the user interacts with this uniform interface, or UI aggregator. The UI aggregator can then transform the information presented by the particular application or combination of applications as desired by the user. The UI aggregator can be accessed through a variety of modes—keyboard, speech, touch, and gestures. Through interaction with the UI aggregator, the user can create and select user profiles that control multiple software applications.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2004Date of Patent: September 2, 2014Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Paul S. Luther, Robert Bruce Mahaffey
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Patent number: 8028226Abstract: The present invention provides for analyzing document content for display with reduced cognitive load assists those who are blind, have low vision, or cognitive problems. This present invention also aids those who prefer to receive condensed information orally. Document content is analyzed, a set of salient words and phrases are generated from the document content and the set of salient words and phrases are read.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2008Date of Patent: September 27, 2011Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Branimir Konstantinov Boguraev, Jani Gabriel Byrne, Catherine Keefauver Laws, Robert Bruce Mahaffey, Mary Susan Neff
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Patent number: 7643991Abstract: The present invention provides for processing voice data. The vocalic of at least one word associated with the electronic voice signal is elongated. The magnitude of at least one consonant spike of the at least one word associated with the electronic voice signal is increased. Through the emphasis of the consonants, intelligibility of speech is increased.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2004Date of Patent: January 5, 2010Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.Inventors: Recep Ismail Haritaoglu, Paula Kwit, Robert Bruce Mahaffey, Thomas Guthrie Zimmerman
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Publication number: 20080292200Abstract: The present invention provides for visual enhancement of text. A text area is selected. A plurality of non-identical images of the text area are captured. Background information is removed from these images. The contrast characteristics of text area of the plurality of images are increased. The contrasted images are combined so as to increase their effective resolution. In an alternative embodiment, the text picture is broken up into a plurality of component colors, and these colors are then sharpened and recombined.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 30, 2008Publication date: November 27, 2008Inventors: Frederik Carl Moesgaard Kjeldsen, Robert Bruce Mahaffey
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Publication number: 20080215969Abstract: The present invention provides for analyzing document content for display with reduced cognitive load assists those who are blind, have low vision, or cognitive problems. This present invention also aids those who prefer to receive condensed information orally. Document content is analyzed, a set of salient words and phrases are generated from the document content and the set of salient words and phrases are read.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 7, 2008Publication date: September 4, 2008Inventors: Branimir Konstantinov Boguraev, Jani Gabriel Byrne, Catherine Keefauver Laws, Robert Bruce Mahaffey, Mary Susan Neff
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Patent number: 7400776Abstract: The present invention provides for visual enhancement of text. A text area is selected. A plurality of non-identical images of the text area are captured. Background information is removed from these images. The contrast characteristics of text area of the plurality of images are increased. The contrasted images are combined so as to increase their effective resolution. In an alternative embodiment, the text picture is broken up into a plurality of component colors, and these colors are then sharpened and recombined.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2005Date of Patent: July 15, 2008Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Frederik Carl Moesgaard Kjeldsen, Robert Bruce Mahaffey
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Patent number: 7389299Abstract: The present invention provides for analyzing document content for display with reduced cognitive load, and assists those who are blind, have low vision, or have cognitive problems. This present invention also aids those who prefer to receive condensed information orally. Document content is analyzed, a set of salient words and phrases are generated from the document content, the salient words and phrases are tagged, and the set of salient words and phrases are read.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2004Date of Patent: June 17, 2008Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Branimir Konstantinov Boguraev, Jani Gabriel Byrne, Catherine Keefauver Laws, Robert Bruce Mahaffey, Mary Susan Neff
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Patent number: 6728680Abstract: A data processing system collects video and audio samples of acceptable speech production. A video camera focuses on a speaker's face and, particularly, articulation visible in the area of the mouth or other body movements associated with speech production. Video files are used to archive acceptable and unacceptable productions. These files may then be used to provide feedback about acceptable and unacceptable ways to produce speech. A speech professional or language teacher may play a model speech production and a subject speech attempt simultaneously to compare articulation, audio analysis, and appearance of articulators. A subject may play a model speech production and record a speech attempt simultaneously to attempt to mimic the appearance of articulators. Image processing may be used to create a mirror image of a video model or a current attempt or both to avoid left-right confusion.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2000Date of Patent: April 27, 2004Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Joseph D. Aaron, Peter Thomas Brunet, Frederik C. M. Kjeldsen, Paul S. Luther, Robert Bruce Mahaffey
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Patent number: 5884263Abstract: A note facility which documents the progress of a student in producing human speech. The facility stores a set of notes in a note file in a computer memory. Each of the set of notes contains textual information generally descriptive of the human speech produced at a given time during the training. A set of speech samples is also stored and attached to selected ones of the set of notes. Each of the speech samples is a digitized version of the human speech produced. The facility analyzes the human speech produced at least one of the given times to produce speech statistics which are presented to the user interface. The speech statistics can be stored in a note and the statistics note attached to the set of notes containing the descriptive text. Navigation through the note file can review each of the notes for the subjective opinion of the student's progress, statistics of an objective acoustic analysis of the speech and listen to the speech file on which the opinion is based.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 1996Date of Patent: March 16, 1999Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Joseph David Aaron, Frances Ann Hayden, Catherine Keefauver Laws, Robert Bruce Mahaffey
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Patent number: 5832441Abstract: Selecting human speech samples for a speech model of human speech is preformed. The system presents a graphic representing a human speech sample on a computer display, e.g., an amplitude vs. time graph of the speech sample. Through user input, the system marks a segment of the graphic. The marked segment of the graphic represents a portion of the human speech sample. The system plays the portion of the human speech sample represented by the marked segment back to the user to allow the user to determine its acceptability for inclusion in the speech model. If so indicated by the user, the portion of the human speech sample represented by the marked segment is selected for inclusion in the speech model. The system also analyzes the portion of the human speech sample represented by the marked segment for acoustic properties. These properties are presented to the user in a graphic of the analyzed portion representative of the acoustic properties, e.g.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 1996Date of Patent: November 3, 1998Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Joseph David Aaron, Peter Thomas Brunet, Catherine Keefauver Laws, Robert Bruce Mahaffey, Carlos Victor Pinera