FIELD

The present disclosure relates to laboratory instrumentation, and in particular, to implementation and use of voice activated laboratory environments (VALET).

INTRODUCTION

The following patents, publications and patent applications, owned by, ETS-Lindgren Inc., the assignee of the present invention describe various examples of laboratory instrumentation configurations, and are incorporated in their entirety herein by reference:

U.S. Pat. No. 8,330,640 describes a compact range having a parabolic reflector as shown inFIG. 1.FIG. 1shows a top view of an integrated chamber500with absorber502and the compact range reflector504with a source506partially shielded by absorber508and with a test zone510. To substantially reduce or practically eliminate edge diffractions, the outer periphery of the reflector504is extended all the way to the walls, floor, and ceiling (peripheral surfaces of the chamber) as shown at512. The source506is an antenna whose direction may be adjusted by a motor that controls a position and/or orientation of the source506. The position/orientation of the source506may be controlled via test equipment located outside the chamber500. A device to be tested in the test zone510may be positioned on a moveable positioner whose position is controlled by the test equipment located outside the chamber500.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,326,229 describes a test arrangement using propagation path corridors to connect separate regions in an anechoic chamber as shown inFIG. 2.FIG. 2shows anechoic chambers connected by propagation corridors with different types of elements in each chamber. Thus, one chamber72has a wireless device and a rotating absorber and partially absorber covered walls. Another chamber74contains a stationary DUT. Another chamber76contains a DUT on a positioner. Another chamber78shows MIMO antennas that are connected to external test equipment. Thus any combination of chamber types and elements may be employed using propagation path corridors to connect the chambers. The propagation path corridors may be configured to produce variable delay and/or attenuation between the different chambers72,74,76and78. The instrument to control the propagation path corridors may be located outside the chamber having the antennas, devices and absorbers.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,655,284 describes various test implementations in an anechoic or partially anechoic chamber that have positioners and radiating elements that can be controlled via test equipment located outside the chamber.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,331,869 describes an anechoic chamber804that has multiple antennas806surrounding a device under test802, as shown inFIG. 3. The antennas806are connected to a variable path simulator808located exterior to the DUT802. The variable path simulator is connected to a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) tester810, all of which may be controlled by a user.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,482,708 is a diagram of an enhanced reverberation chamber10having a floor12, ceiling14, and four sides16(only two sides shown) to enclose a device under test, DUT, as shown inFIG. 4. InFIG. 4, a measurement antenna20is mounted on a first positioner21, and a calibration antenna22is mounted on a second positioner23. The antennas may be omni-directional or highly directional. In the alternative to a calibration antenna22, a device to be tested may be mounted on the second positioner23. The second positioner23may be fixed or moveable. In another alternative embodiment, a measurement antenna may be mounted on the second positioner23and a device to be tested may be mounted on the first positioner. Thus, the first positioner21carries a first device involved in a test, and the second positioner23carries a second device involved in the test. The reverberation chamber10may also include a tuner or mode stirrer such as a horizontal z-fold tuner26and/or a vertical z-fold tuner28. The positions and motion of the positioners and the rotation of the tuners26and28may be controlled by software, test equipment and/or a user located exterior to the reverberation chamber10. Also, the frequency of operation of the antennas20and22may be controlled by equipment located outside the reverberation chamber10.

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/967,051 depicts a closed loop power adjustment system for a boundary array having a plurality of antennas in an anechoic chamber and equipment to separately monitor and control the power delivered to each antenna.

U.S. Pat. No. 10,009,122 described distributed processing in a boundary array. In some embodiments, at least some of the processing for emulating one or more propagation channels is performed within an anechoic chamber. This processing may be controlled at least in part by test equipment located within or without the chamber.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0027434 describes robotic arms (positioners)20aand20bthat carry antennas19aand19band may be positioned about a spherical surface about a DUT1mounted on a positioner28as shown inFIG. 5. In some embodiments, the first positioner20ascans about the hemisphere70aand the second positioner20bscans about the hemisphere70b.Other scanning surfaces may be implemented. The second positioner20bmay be configured for power measurement of the signals produced by the DUT1. The first positioner20aand a communication test system may be used to establish a link to the DUT1and cause it to adapt its antenna configuration (e.g. beamforming) to the desired orientation and polarization by moving the positioner20aand antenna19ato a chosen position and orientation relative to the DUT1. Once the communication link is established, the second positioner20bmay be used to probe, via an antenna19b,the radiation pattern of the DUT1while it communicates with the first antenna19ain the chosen position. Note that a first communication endpoint30amay be mounted somewhere on or in the vicinity of the first positioner20aand a second communication endpoint30bmay be mounted somewhere on or in the vicinity of the second positioner20b.Note that each positioner20aand/or20bmay, in some embodiments, be positioned manually, or their positions may be controlled by a remotely located device or a local device such as a controllable motor. Similarly, the communication endpoints30may be controlled remotely to vary the content and frequency of signals to be transmitted by the antennas19.

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/892,042,FIG. 6shows positioning of antennas8and16specified by the angles θ1, θ2, ϕ1and ϕ2relative to the DUT. The angle ϕ2corresponds to a clockwise (or counterclockwise) rotation of the support structure3, and θ2corresponds to a clockwise (or counterclockwise) rotation of the support arm18. As shown inFIG. 6, the support arm14is curved to avoid striking the base17or support arm18. Similarly, the second support arm18may also be curved. In addition, or alternatively, the base structures15and17may be spaced apart to avoid mechanical interference between the first and second support arms14and18. The positions of support arms14and18and base structures15and12may be controlled by equipment located remotely or locally.

Some or all of the above documented configurations include at least a first location where first instrumentation is located and/or a second location where second instrumentation is located, where the second instrumentation controls, affects or alters the operation of the first instrumentation and/or vice versa. For example, the first location may be an anechoic chamber with the first instrumentation including any one or more of one or more positioners, one or more antennas, and/or one or more other instruments. The second location may be a monitoring or control location with the second instrumentation including any one or more of one or more signal generators, one or more signal analyzers, one or more computers, one or more video displays, one or more positioner control instruments, one or more power attenuators or amplifiers, one or more controllable couplers, one or more switches, etc.

Thus, in many cases, a person working within the first location wants to control, affect or alter a first item of instrumentation located within the first location (such as the positioner upon which is mounted a device under test, or an antenna), the first item of instrumentation being controlled or governed by a second item of instrumentation located in the second location. For example, suppose the person working in an anechoic chamber wants to change the position of an antenna mounted on a positioner that is controlled by a position controller located outside the anechoic chamber. To change the position, therefore, the person must exit the anechoic chamber, adjust the position controller, and then return to the anechoic chamber to continue working. This is time consuming, inconvenient and increases the difficulty of setting up and conducting a test.

In the alternative, a second person may be placed at the position controller, and the person within the chamber may shout the change in position to the second person, who responds by adjusting the position controller, and then shouts back to the person in the chamber that the adjustment to the position controller has been made. Implementing either of these two scenarios is costly and inefficient. The same inefficiencies arise if the person working within the chamber wants to change the frequency of operation of an antenna probe that is controlled by a signal generator located outside the chamber.

As another example, suppose that while working in the chamber, the person decides that he needs technical assistance or needs to consult a manual. In this example, the person would have to stop what he is doing, leave the chamber and go to a phone to call for technical assistance or read the manual.

As another example, suppose a person is at a test bench working on troubleshooting a circuit using a dual channel oscilloscope. Suppose further that both his hands are occupied, each hand holding a different probe connected to the oscilloscope. Now, if he wants to adjust a setting of the oscilloscope, he must release one of the probes, make the adjustment and then manually reacquire the probe. This too is inefficient.

SUMMARY

Methods, computers and intermediary systems are provided. According to some embodiments, a method for controlling at least one instrument in a lab environment. The method includes providing, in acoustic proximity to a first location having a first instrument in the lab environment, an audio interface configured to receive voice commands and to transmit a first electrical signal responsive to a first voice command to an intermediary location. The method further includes receiving, from the intermediary location, at a computer at a second location, a computer instruction, the computer instruction configuring the computer to select and issue an instrument command to cause the first instrument to effectuate the voice command.

According to this aspect, in some embodiments, the computer is embedded in one of the first instrument and a second instrument configured to control the first instrument. In some embodiments, the instrument command is selected from a table of instrument commands associated with the one of the first and second instrument. In some embodiments, the instrument command is selected via a computer program that associates a universal set of voice commands with an instrument type, and associates a voice command with an instrument command for a particular make and model of the instrument type. In some embodiments, the second location is in close proximity to the first location. In some embodiments, the instrument command is issued by the using a Virtual Instrument Software Architecture (VISA). In some embodiments, the computer obtains the computer instruction by polling a buffer at the intermediary location. In some embodiments, the voice command is a command to direct the first instrument to perform a sequence of operations and the computer issues at least one instrument command to cause the first instrument to perform the sequence of operations. In some embodiments, the first location in the lab environment includes a test region and the second location is in a control and monitoring region for controlling and monitoring a test of a device in the test region. In some embodiments, the audio interface and the computer are portable.

According to another aspect, voice activated lab environment (VALET) is provided. The VALET includes in acoustic proximity to a first location, an audio interface configured to receive voice commands and to transmit a first signal responsive to a first voice command to an intermediary location. The VALET also includes a computer at a second location 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 a first instrument to effectuate the voice command.

According to this aspect, in some embodiments, the first location is in a test chamber and the second location is at a monitoring/control station exterior to the chamber. In some embodiments, the audio interface is shielded by an acoustically penetrable electromagnetic shield. In some embodiments, the first instrument is a positioner and the issued instrument command causes the positioner to position the positioner responsive to the voice command. In some embodiments, the first instrument is one of a transmitter and a receiver and the issued instrument command sets a frequency of operation of the one of the transmitter and receiver responsive to the voice command. In some embodiments, the first voice command is a question and the audio interface answers the question based on a signal received from the intermediary location, the signal received from the intermediary location being based on a signal received from the computer, the signal received from the computer based on a message received from one of the first instrument and a second instrument configured to control the first instrument. In some embodiments, the first voice command is one of an instruction, a request and a question.

According to yet another aspect, an intermediary system for interpreting and relaying commands from and to an audio interface is provided. The system includes a first interface configured to receive a first signal responsive to a voice command received by the audio interface located in acoustic proximity to a first instrument. The system also includes a processor configured to recognize the voice command by analysis of the first signal, the analysis of the first signal identifying a type of instrument operable to effectuate the voice command. The processor is also configured to generate a computer instruction in response to the recognized voice command, the computer instruction configured to cause a computer in another location to identify at least one instrument command that when issued to an instrument effectuates a response in accordance with the voice command. The system also includes a second interface configured to send the computer instruction to the computer.

According to yet another aspect, a computer for executing instructions to control an instrument in response to a voice command detected by an audio interface is provided. The computer includes a first interface to receive a computer instruction from an intermediary location, the computer instruction conveying an identity of an instrument and a command derived from the voice command detected by the audio interface. The computer also includes processing circuitry configured to select an instrument command to cause the instrument to effectuate the voice command. The computer also includes a second interface to issue the instrument command to the instrument. According to some embodiments, the selection of the instrument command is performed by identifying a make and model of the instrument and selecting a corresponding instrument command from a table of instrument commands for the identified make and model of instrument.

