Patent Publication Number: US-2015064678-A1

Title: Audio command system and method of supervising workers

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/697279 , filed on Sep. 5, 2012. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Various situations exist wherein a worker or group of workers must perform a series of steps in a specific order. If any of the steps are omitted or executed out of sequence, the entire operation may fail. For this reason, it is highly desirable to have a supervisor or trainer on site to give verbal instructions for the workers to follow. This is obviously important when the sequence of steps is very complex or when the workers are inexperienced, but even highly seasoned workers performing seemingly simply steps can make mistakes, particularly in emergency situations where there are many distractions. In firefighting, for example, there have been cases of pumps failing to operate because of a firefighter forgetting just one step. 
     Unfortunately, it is not always possible for a supervisor to oversee every step of every operation performed by workers in every situation. Accordingly, there exists a need for an audio command system that can instruct workers when a supervisor is not available. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly, to achieve the desired objects of the invention , an audio command system is provided which allows multiple sets of spoken instructions or commands to be stored in a digital memory and later broadcast to workers in various environments. The system comprises transducer means such as a speaker/microphone which converts multiple sets of spoken commands into analog electrical signals, an audio input device which converts the analog electrical signals into digital signals, and a voice memory which stores the digital signals until needed. Control means are provided for selecting a desired set of commands to be accessed from the voice memory and broadcast to at least one worker. 
     A method of instructing workers using the audio command system is also described. The method comprises converting a plurality of sets of spoken commands into a plurality of sets of digital signals, storing each set of digital signals in a unique location in a memory device, selecting an operation to be performed, accessing the set of stored digital signals corresponding to the selected command set, converting the digital signals corresponding to the selected operation back into spoken commands, and broadcasting the spoken commands to the at least one worker. 
     In a further and more specific aspect of the inventive method, each set of spoken commands is given a name which is recited before the associated set of commands is recited. When the system in output mode, an operator actuates a first switch to select the name of a desired command set, causing the name to be broadcast from the system. After hearing the name and verifying that it corresponds to the correct command set, the operator actuates a second switch to allow all of the commands in the set to be broadcast. The entire process may then be repeated for many different command sets corresponding to various different operations that the workers need to perform. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing and more specific objects and advantages of the instant invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an audio command system according to the present invention; and 
         FIG. 2  is a flow chart showing a sequence of steps executed by the audio command system. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The audio command system of the present invention, indicated in its entirety by the numeral  10 , comprises audio transducer means  12 , an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) or audio input device  14 , a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) or audio output device  16 , a voice memory  18 , memory  20 , a control processor  22 , and control switches S 1  and S 2 . 
     The audio transducer means may comprise any device or set of devices for converting sound waves to and from electrical signals such as, for instance, a combination speaker/microphone, separate speakers and microphones, a headset, or the like. 
     The system has two modes of operation: input mode and output mode. Input mode allows recording of an operator&#39;s voice and output mode allows the recorded voice to be played back. 
     The voice memory  18  is capable of storing up to a predetermined maximum number X of vocal command sets, each of which consists of up to a predetermined maximum number Y of vocal commands recited in a specific sequence. Switch S 1  allows an operator to choose a command set and switch S 2  allows the commands within the selected set to be input to or output from the system  10 . 
     The specific command sets and commands may vary depending on the application, but for firefighting applications, examples of typical command sets are “pump operations”, “lighting operations”, and “hydraulic operations.” Typical commands within a command set such as “pump operations” are “put the transmission in neutral”, “activate the air brake”, “actuate the pump”, “put the transmission in drive”, “step on the accelerator,” and so forth. 
     When the system  10  is in input mode, an operator actuates switch S 1  to select the name of a desired command set such as “pump operations,” and then speaks the name into the audio transducer means  12  which converts the operator&#39;s voice into analog electrical signals which are subsequently converted into digital signals by the ADC  14 . These digital signals are then stored in a unique location in the voice memory  18 . 
     Next, the operator actuates switch S 2  and recites the entire list of commands within the selected set. The transducer means  12  converts the acoustic waves from the spoken commands into a set of analog electrical signals that are converted into a set of digital signals. The set of digital signals is stored in another unique location in the voice memory  18 . 
     The process of inputting operation names and command sets can then be repeated X-1 times. 
     When the system  10  is in output mode, the operator actuates switch S 1  to select the desired command set. The name of the set is then retrieved from the memory  20  and converted into audio signals by the DAC  16 , which then outputs the name of the set through the audio transducer means  12 , confirming that the correct set has been chosen. The operator then actuates switch S 2  so that all of the commands in the set are output through the speaker. 
     The audio command system of the present invention is ideal for use on emergency vehicles such as fire trucks and ambulances, but is also suitable for use on non-emergency vehicles and innumerable other environments. 
     Various modifications of the invention will readily occur to the skilled practitioner. To the extent that such modifications do not depart from the spirit of the invention, they are intended to be included within the scope thereof.