Abstract:
The present invention is directed to providing a printing press interface which permits the operator to walk freely about the press during operation, and to input voice commands and to receive press status information as recognizable voice feedback. Exemplary embodiments permit the operator to initiate voice commands and to receive voice status information when the operator is located anywhere in a vicinity of the press. For example, the operator can communicate with the press via a wireless headset which transmits voice commands from the operator to the press, and which receives voice status information transmitted from the press.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to the control of printing presses. More particularly, the present invention is directed to automated control of printing presses from remote locations via a voice based interface. 
     2. Background Information 
     Control of a conventional printing press is implemented using an interface configured as a control console, typically having a keyboard and display. The operator must be present at the control console, and use his hands to enter press control requests and to request specific status information from various locations within the press. In response to hand keyed control commands and requests, status information can be displayed at the console for viewing by the operator. Status information is typically provided to the control console via either a wired link or via a wireless (e.g., radio frequency, or RF) link. 
     As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the requirement that the operator be situated at a centralized control console location can be an impediment to efficient monitoring of press operation, particularly as the size of the press is increased. A typical web fed printing press can be quite large and can, for example, encompass an entire press room. This renders the monitoring of various locations in the press quite cumbersome because the press operator must return to the control console each time a particular point in the press is to be monitored following a visual inspection of the area. If a particular fault indication is displayed at the control console, the operator must walk from the control console to each specified area of the fault condition. 
     One attempt to address the cumbersome nature of controlling a press and monitoring press status information from a centralized control console area is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,842. This patent is directed to a wireless control device for a printing machine. The control device includes a portable hand unit having a transmitter, and plural push buttons for selecting a desired command to be sent to one of plural electronic control units associated with a printing machine. The commands can be transmitted from the hand unit over a wireless link using, for example, electromagnetic radiation such as infrared waves, or by ultrasonic waves. A speech analysis system is generally described as being employed with the wireless control device to permit commands to be entered verbally by the operator. The verbal commands of the user are described as being converted into some digital format (e.g., infrared light pulses) to increase transfer assurance. In operation, the operator would presumably enunciate a particular command or status request which the hand unit would convert using, for example, pulse code modulation, into a signal which is transmitted to a control unit of the press. The control unit then activates the final control elements, such motors, valves and so forth, or provides the appropriate feedback indication. For example, relatively limited feedback information can be provided to the operator via acoustic warning alarms and so forth. Thus, the hand held unit does not transmit or receive voice per se, but rather the operator&#39;s voice is converted into a specific pulse code modulated signal, and only limited feedback is provided. 
     Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a voice based interface for a printing press which can respond to a wide range of voice input from the operator, and which can provide status reporting in the form of voice feedback to the operator. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to providing a printing press interface which permits the operator to walk freely about the press during operation, and to input voice commands and to receive press status information as recognizable voice feedback. Exemplary embodiments permit the operator to initiate voice commands and to receive voice status information when the operator is located anywhere in a vicinity of the press. For example, the operator can communicate with the press via a wireless headset which transmits voice commands from the operator to the press, and which receives voice status information transmitted from the press. 
     Generally speaking, exemplary embodiments are directed to an apparatus for interfacing with a printing press comprising: means for monitoring status conditions of a printing press; and means for generating audible indications of said status conditions as voice outputs. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, wherein like elements have been designated by like numerals, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is an exemplary embodiment of the voice activated machine interface for the main press console of a printing press; 
     FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate exemplary flow charts in accordance with operation of the FIG. 1 interface; and 
     FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a remote operator headset which can be worn by the operator, and used to interface with the main press console. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary apparatus for interfacing with a printing press in accordance with the present invention is generally designated  100 . The apparatus for interfacing is included within a main press console (MPC). The main press console interface  100  includes an input means  102  for receiving voice commands over a wireless link from the operator. In the exemplary FIG. 1 embodiment, the input means  102  includes an antenna  104 , such as a radio frequency antenna, and a low noise amplifier  106  for amplifying the received signals. Where voice inputs of the user transmitted over the wireless link have been modulated before transmission in any conventional manner, such as by frequency modulation or amplitude modulation and so forth, the input is supplied to a demodulator  108  for demodulation in a conventional manner. The voice input can be transmitted over the wireless link using any frequency, such as radio frequencies and radio frequency carriers on the order of a 1 megahertz (MHz) up to  10   10  Hz or greater. 
     The demodulated voice inputs are supplied to a means for monitoring status conditions of a printing press, generally represented as the monitoring means  110 . In the exemplary FIG. 1 embodiment, the monitoring means  110  is configured to include a communications processor  112 , and a command processor  114 . The communications processor can include any conventional speech processing algorithm to perform voice recognition on the received input signal. For example, where the operator has requested a status report of web tears in a web fed rotary printing press, the communications processor can be configured to recognize an operator voice command such as “monitor web break”. The recognized voice command can be output from the communications processor  112  to the command processor  114 . 
     FIG. 2A shows an exemplary flow chart associated with the communications processor  112 . In block  200 , voice inputs (commands or status requests) from the user which have been transmitted over the wireless link and demodulated by demodulator  108  are received. In block  202 , the communications processor uses a stored, conventional speech processing algorithm, such as the ViaVoice™ voice recognition software available from IBM, to interpret the voice input, and to correlate the voice input to a specific command or status request. For example, the communications processor can perform voice recognition of predetermined key words. In block  204 , the specific command or status request is forwarded to the command processor  114 . The communications processor then returns to an inactive state to await the next voice input, as represented by block  206 . 
     The command processor  114  can be configured to operate in accordance with a command instruction program retained in a memory  116 . The command processor  114  can also interface with conventional main press console machine interface software, associated with the printing press, and stored in a memory  118 . The main press console machine interface software can be conventional software used to drive any given printing press including, but not limited to, the graphical user machine interface software associated with the Heidelberg M3000 Printing Press as described in the M3000 Printing Press Operating Manual available from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen and incorporated herein by reference. 
     In response to receiving a recognized voice command via the communications processor  112 , the command processor  114  operates in accordance with the command instruction program to interface with the main press console machine interface software to control elements of the press affected by the command (for example, to control an adjusting motor of the press). The monitoring means  110  also includes status request software stored in a memory  120 . The command processor interfaces with the status request software. The status request software acquires status information associated with the status request from the press (for example, from specified sensors, such as web tear sensors or any other sensor). Status information which has been acquired is stored in a status request buffer  122  for transmission to the operator. 
     FIG. 2B illustrates an exemplary flow chart of the operation associated with the command processor  114 . In block  208 , the command processor receives an interpreted voice input from the communications processor  112 . In block  210 , the command processor accesses the command instruction program  116 , which constitutes an operating system for the command processor, to identify the specific printing press sensors or control elements affected by the command or request. For this purpose, the command processor can include a look-up table that correlates a specific command or status request to specific elements or sensors included in the press. After the specific press elements or sensors that are affected by the press have been identified in block  210 , the command processor interfaces with the main press console software, which controls identified elements associated with a particular command. For example, where the command is a press start command, the command processor forwards this to the main press console software, such that the software can operate in known fashion to start up the press. Where the command processor has identified a voice input as a status request, the command processor identifies the appropriate sensors affected by that request, and forwards this information to the status request software in block  212 . The status request software then operates in known fashion to access the outputs of specific sensors located throughout the press. Any outputs monitored can have their status buffered in block  214 , using the status request buffer  122  of FIG.  1 . For example, the command processor can direct a status request to “monitor web breaks” to the appropriate sensors using the status request software  120 . Any status information regarding web breaks acquired can then be stored in the status request buffer  122  of the monitoring means  110  for transmission back to the operator. 
     Transmission back to the operator is performed via a means for generating audio indications of the status conditions as voice outputs. In the exemplary FIG. 1 embodiment, audio indications are generated by converting status information which has been buffered in the status request buffer  122  into voice representations via an off-the-shelf audio processor  124 . That is, status information received from the press can be placed into a predetermined format, such that it can be recognized by the audio processor and translated, for example, using a look-up table that translates the predetermined format into a predetermined voice output. The audio processor translates given status information to predetermined voice information under the control of a communications processor  126 . 
     FIG. 2C illustrates an exemplary flow chart of the operation of the communications processor  126 . In block  216 , status information previously stored in the buffer  122  is received by the audio processor for translation into voice under the control of the communications processor  126 . The communications processor converts the status information into voice using, for example, a look-up table stored in the audio processor, as represented by block  218 . In block  220 , voice status information is transmitted under the control of the communications processor  126  to the operator. The communications processor then awaits the next packet of status information from the buffer  122 , as represented by block  222 . 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the communications processor  126 , the communications processor  112 , and the command processor  114  can be implemented as separate computers or microprocessors such as those available from Motorola Corp., Intel Corp. (e.g., Pentium {circle around (4)} processor), AMD Corp., or Cyrix (e.g., X86 processors) operating in parallel, or their functionality can be combined into a single computer or microprocessor. 
     Voice outputs from the audio processor are mixed in a mixer  128  with the output of an oscillator, such as a radio frequency oscillator  130  under control of the communications processor  126 . The input to the mixer  128  from the communication processor  126  can be in any desired format, including, but not limited to, an intermediate frequency, or directly as an audio frequency. An output from the mixer  128  is supplied via an output amplifier  130 , represented in FIG. 1 as a radio frequency amplifiers  132 , to the antenna  104  for transmission back to the operator. 
     In accordance with exemplary embodiments, the main press console interface  100  of FIG. 1 operates in a half duplex mode of operation. That is, the interface  100  is either active to receive voice inputs from the operator, or alternately is active to transmit voice status information back to the operator. For this reason, the exemplary FIG. 1 embodiment includes a transmit detect capability, well known to those skilled in the art, represented by a transmit detect element  134 , such as the VS 1  voice actived switch available from Ramsey Inc. of Ontario, Canada. The transmit detect element  134  operates in conjunction with switches  136  and  138  to transition the interface  100  from a default receive mode, to a transmit mode. 
     All of the structural features illustrated in the exemplary FIG. 1 embodiment can be implemented using conventional, off-the-shelf components configured to function in accordance with the exemplary embodiments described herein. 
     As already mentioned, voice commands from the operator are received over a wireless link by the antenna  104 . Status information, represented as voice outputs, are supplied back to the operator via the same wireless link. Accordingly, it is necessary for the operator to have some means for remotely accessing the monitoring means, to configure the monitoring means to select status conditions to be monitored. In addition, the operator must have some mechanism for receiving the modulated status outputs sent over the wireless link from the antenna  104 . 
     Referring to FIG. 3, an exemplary remote operator headset device  300  is illustrated for remotely configuring and controlling the monitoring means of FIG.  1 . In the exemplary FIG. 3 remote operator headset device, voice commands issued by the operator are picked up by a microphone  302 . The analog voice input received by the microphone  302  can, of course, be directly transmitted via an antenna  304  of the remote operator headset device to the main press console interface  100  via the wireless link. However, in accordance with an alternate embodiment, the voice commands are processed into a digital format via a conventional analog-to-digital converter  306  of an optional audio processor  308 . The digitized voice commands are then processed under the control of a communications processor  310 , which is programmed in accordance with communications processor software stored in a memory  312 . For example, the communications processor controls modulation of the voice commands for transmission over the wireless link in a manner similar to that described with respect to the communications processor  126  of FIG.  1 . 
     That is, in accordance with exemplary embodiments, voice commands can be frequency modulated, amplitude modulated, or any other form of modulation can be used to produce either an intermediate frequency or a direct audio frequency for output over the wireless link. The output from the communications processor  310  is supplied to a mixer  314  wherein it is mixed with an output of an oscillator  316 , such as a radio frequency operator. The mixed output is then supplied through an amplifier  318  to the antenna  304  for transmission over the wireless link. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that because audio frequency, voice commands or status requests of the user can be directly transmitted over the wireless link, the communications processor  310  and communications processor software can also be eliminated. 
     Status information transmitted from the main press console interface  100  to the antenna  304  is supplied via a low noise amplifier  318  back through the mixer  314  for demodulation, under control of the communications processor  310 , for output to the operator. A headset worn by the operator, such as the headset designated  320 , can be an analog or a digital headset. Where the headset is digital, the audio processor  308  can include a digital-to-analog converter  322 . 
     Again, like the main press console interface  100 , the remote operator headset can be configured to operate in a half-duplex mode. A conventional voice operated switch  324  can be used to transition from a default receive mode into a transmit mode via the activation of switches  326  and  328  in known fashion. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any conventional headset can be used. For example, where frequency modulation is used, any conventional frequency modulation headset having a transmit/receive range suitable for use with printing presses of the size desired, can be used. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the commands to which the machine press console responds can be limited to specific key words, or can be configured in accordance with the key word set available with any conventional speech processing algorithm readily available off-the-shelf. By way of example, headsets available from Earmark, Inc. such as the Earmark Series 4S radio headset can be used. 
     It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restricted. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and all changes that come within the meaning and range and equivalence thereof are intended to be embraced therein.