Patents by Inventor Ronald L. Webster

Ronald L. Webster 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: 5478304
    Abstract: An anti-stuttering device and method for enhancing the fluency of speech in stutterers. The device consists of a microphone for detecting an individual speaker's tissue conducted vocal pulses ("voice") at the junction of the mandible and skull for transmission to the ear canal of the speaker where they are reproduced as audio signals. A predetermined delay, imperceptible to the speaker, is introduced into these non-tissue conducted voice related audio signals applied to the ear canal to thereby achieve a unique temporal relationship with respect to the arrival at the speaker's ear canal of tissue conducted audio signals related to that individual speaker's vocal pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 26, 1995
    Inventor: Ronald L. Webster
  • Patent number: 4784115
    Abstract: An anti-stuttering device and method for enhancing the fluency of speech in stutterers. The device detects vocal pulses generated by the opening and closing of a speaker's vocal folds. Electrical signals representative of the vocal pulses are transmitted to a receiver in a sealed ear canal of the speaker where they are reproduced as audio pulses. The audio pulses produce a resonant effect within the ear canal to thereby provide an early indication of the characteristics of the speaker's voice and tend to reduce stuttering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1988
    Inventor: Ronald L. Webster
  • Patent number: 4020567
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is utilized in the detection of certain characteristics in the speech of stutterers as they participate in a program which reconstructs the basic properties of speed sounds. The method of speech therapy for stutterers includes transducing a patient's speech into an electrical signal and comparing the transduced signal to a reference signal representative of the desired speech target behavior. The comparison is initiated when the amplitude of the transduced speech signal exceeds a threshold related to minimal sound level. When the amplitude of the transduced speech signal exceeds that of the reference signal, the subject is visually advised of an error in his speech. When the amplitude of the transduced speech signal remains above the trigger threshold and below the reference signal, the subject is visually advised that a correct speech response has been made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1974
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1977
    Inventor: Ronald L. Webster