Voice activated laboratory environments

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for implementation and use of voice activated laboratory environments (VALET) are disclosed. According to one aspect, a VALET controls a first instrument in a first location, and has, in acoustic proximity to the first location, an audio interface configured to receive voice commands, to enunciate responses to the voice commands, and to transmit a first signal responsive to a first voice command to an intermediary location. The VALET also includes a computer configured to receive a computer instruction from the intermediary location, the computer instruction configuring the computer to select and issue an instrument command to cause the first instrument to effectuate the voice command.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A voice activated laboratory environment (VALET), comprising:
 an audio interface in acoustic proximity to a first room, the first room having an electromechanical positioner and a radio transmitter, the audio interface configured to receive voice commands from a user in the first room, the voice commands including instructions to set a position of the electromechanical positioner and a frequency of the radio transmitter, the audio interface configured to transmit a first electrical signal responsive to the voice commands to second location at least partially exterior to the first room;   a computer at the second location configured to:
 generate instructions responsive to the first electrical signal, the instructions being responsive to the voice commands from the user in the first room; and 
 issue the instructions to set the electromechanical positioner and the radio transmitter in the first room to the position and frequency of the radio transmitter in accordance with the voice commands while the user remains in the first room after issuing the voice commands. 
   
     
     
         2 . The VALET of  claim 1 , wherein the first room is a test chamber and the second location is at a control station exterior to the test chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The VALET of  claim 1 , wherein the audio interface is shielded from radio frequency (RF) waves by an acoustically penetrable electromagnetic shield. 
     
     
         4 . The VALET of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions are selected to cause the electromechanical positioner to at least one of translate and rotate with respect to a present position of the electromechanical positioner. 
     
     
         5 . The VALET of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions are selected to cause a change in frequency of the radio transmitter from a present frequency of the radio transmitter. 
     
     
         6 . The VALET of  claim 1 , wherein the voice commands include a question concerning a state of at least one of the electromechanical positioner and the radio transmitter and the instructions cause the audio interface to announce the state. 
     
     
         7 . The VALET of  claim 1 , wherein the computer is configured to store a table of instrument commands mapped to instructions, the instrument commands being configured to control at least one of a position of the electromechanical positioner and a frequency of the radio transmitter. 
     
     
         8 . The VALET of  claim 1 , wherein the computer is configured to map voice commands to instructions. 
     
     
         9 . The VALET of  claim 1 , wherein the computer is configured to generate a sequence of instructions to cause the electromechanical positioner to step through a sequence of positions in response to a voice command. 
     
     
         10 . The VALET of  claim 1 , wherein the computer is configured to generate a sequence of instructions to cause the radio transmitter to step through a sequence of frequencies in response to a voice command. 
     
     
         11 . A distributed system configured to enable a user in a radio frequency (RF) test chamber to instruments in the chamber via control equipment in a control room in response to voice commands issued in the chamber, the distributed system comprising:
 an audio interface in the chamber, the audio interface configured to receive a voice command and to output an audio electrical signal; and   a computer in the control room responsive to the audio electrical signal to generate a set of instructions for carrying out the voice command by issuing the instructions to at least one instrument in the chamber.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the computer is configured to store a set of instructions for each of a plurality of instruments in the chamber and is further configured to select at least one instruction from at least one set according to the voice command. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one instrument includes an electromechanical positioner configured to position one of an antenna and a device under test in response to the voice command. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the electromechanical positioner is caused to step through a sequence of positions in response to a voice command. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one instrument includes a radio transmitter configured to deliver energy at a radio frequency specified by a voice command. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the radio transmitter is caused to step through a sequence of frequencies in response to a voice command. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the computer is configured to cause the audio interface to announce a state of at least one of the at least one instrument. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the audio interface is shielded from radio frequency (RF) waves by an acoustically penetrable electromagnetic absorber. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the computer is configured to map a voice command to a voice command of a universal set of voice commands. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the computer is configured to map the universal set of voice commands to a different set of instructions for each a plurality of instruments in the chamber.