VOICE RECOGNITION VIRTUAL TEST ENGINEERING ASSISTANT

• US 20140344627A1
• Filed: 05/15/2014
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advantest Corporation
• Original Assignee: Advantest Corporation
• Inventors: SCHAUB, Keith, YU, Hui, DIEP, Minh
• Granted Patent: US 9,495,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/26 Functional testing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/321 Display for diagnostics, e.g. diagnostic result display, self-test user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

System and method of systems and methods of controlling an IC test equipment in response to verbal commands issued by test equipment users. A control apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a speech detection device operable to detect verbal commands and test control software configured to control operations of the test equipment. The control software is added with verbal command recognition capabilities. Program action commands defined in the test control software are associated with respective recognizable verbal commands. Upon a recognizable verbal command is detected, it is interpreted into the corresponding program action command which triggers the intended test program actions. The control apparatus may also have a gesture detection device, through which user gesture commands can be detected and interpreted into corresponding program actions commands.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of controlling test equipment for Integrated Circuit (IC) devices, said method comprising:

receiving first indications of a verbal command issued by a user;

interpreting said first indications into a program action command recognizable by a device diagnostic program, wherein said device diagnostic program is configured to control said test equipment to perform test procedures on electrical characteristics of one or more integrated circuit (IC) devices; and

providing said program action command to said device diagnostic program for execution thereof.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising rendering a graphical user interface (GUI) on a display device, wherein said GUI is configured to:

display said program action command on said display device subsequent to said interpreting; and

receive a user confirmation before said providing.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein said GUI is further configured to display a help menu comprising a plurality of program action commands recognizable by said device diagnostic program and respective audio commands associated therewith.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving second indications of a gesture command issued by a user, said second indications received via an imaging device;

interpreting said second indications into said program action command; and

providing said program action command to said device diagnostic program.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said verbal command starts with a cue phrase indicating an association between said verbal command and said device diagnostic program.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said program action command causes said device diagnostic program to:

render a request for a parameter range input, and further comprising;

receiving third indications of a first limit and a second limit that are issued by a user; and

converting said indications to said parameter range input.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said program action command is operable to trigger said device diagnostic program to perform a program action selected from a group consisting of:

rendering to display a GUI, loading a test plan, unloading a test plan, retesting, opening a diagnostic function module, opening an analyzing function module, running a target test, suspending a target test, rebooting, disabling audio control, setting a parameter for a test, cancelling a diagnostic execution, running a command script, debugging an IC device under test, and exiting said device diagnostic program.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving fourth indications of facial features of a user, wherein said facial features are detected via an image device; and

authenticating said user to use said device diagnostic program based on said third indications before said interpreting.

9. A system comprising:

a test apparatus configured to, in response to control signals, provide test input signals to an electronic device under test and collect test output signals therefrom;

a first communication channel;

a control system coupled to said test equipment via said first communication channel, said control system comprising;

a speech detection assembly configured to detect a speech event and generate first signals upon detection of said speech event;

a processor;

memory coupled to said processor and comprising instructions that, when executed by said processor, cause the processor to perform a method of controlling said test apparatus responsive to user commands, said instructions comprising;

a speech recognition module configured to generate a speech recognition result in response to said first signals;

a voice command recognition module configured to determine a first program action command in response to said recognition result; and

a diagnostic control module operable to control said test apparatus and configured to perform one or more program actions responsive to said program action command.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said control system further comprises a motion detection assembly configured to detect a gesture event from a user and generate second signals, wherein said instructions further comprise a gesture recognition module configured to determine a second program action command in response to said second signals.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said speech detection assembly and said motion detection assembly are integrated in an accessory peripheral device coupled to said processor.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said voice command recognition module comprises a list of prescribed program action commands associated with respective speech commands, and wherein aid voice command recognition module is configured to determine said first program action command by matching said recognition result with a speech command.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said diagnostic control module is configured to determine said control signals in response to said first program action command.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein said control system further comprises a display device, and wherein said instructions further comprise a graphical user interface (GUI) module configured to render a first GUI for display on said display device, wherein said first GUI is configured to display said first program action command upon determination thereof.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein said first program action command is a user defined script comprising a series of program action commands actionable by said diagnostic control module.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein said speech detection assembly coupled to said processor through a wireless communication channel, and wherein said voice command recognition module is operable to interpret voice commands issued in various languages.

17. A control system for controlling a test equipment, said control system comprising:

a bus;

a voice detection unit coupled to said bus and configured to detect voice commands issued from users and generate first signals responsive to said voice commands;

a processor coupled to said bus;

memory coupled to said processor and comprising instructions that, when executed by said processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising;

interpreting said first signals into corresponding program action commands that are actionable by a device diagnostic program, wherein said device diagnostic program is configured to control operations of said test equipment; and

providing said program action commands to said device diagnostic program.

18. The control system of claim 17, wherein said test equipment is configured to test electrical properties of semiconductor devices, and wherein said program action commands are configured to invoke said diagnostic program to:

render to display a GUI of said device diagnostic program, load a test plan, unload a test plan, retest, open a diagnostic function module, open an analyzing function module, run a target test, suspend a target test, reboot, disable voice command control, set a parameter for a test, cancel a diagnostic execution, run a command script, debug an IC device under test, and/or exit said device diagnostic program.

19. The control system of claim 17 further comprising a motion detection unit coupled to said bus and configured to detect gesture commands issued from users and generate second signals responsive to said voice commands, wherein said method further comprises interpreting said second signals into said corresponding program action commands.

20. The control system of claim 17 further comprising a display unit coupled to said bus, wherein said method further comprises rendering to display a graphical user interface configured to display said program action command in response to detection of a voice command.