Head-mounted medical/dental accessories with voice-controlled operation
Head-mounted accessories for surgeons and medical/dental practitioners are equipped with no-touch, hands-free controls. A voice-activated headlamp includes a controller operative to send a signal to control a light source in accordance with a voice command received through an integrated or remote microphone. The voice command and control may be speaker-dependent or speaker-independent, and the head-mounted unit may include an interface to a computer for voice-command training or other purposes. The head-mounted unit includes a memory for storing the voice commands. The invention may be used to control other medical/dental accessories such as a head-mounted video camera, in which case the controller is further operative to at least turn the video camera ON or OFF. More preferably, a controller is additionally operative to control the focus or zoom of the video camera in accordance with a voice command.
1. A voice-activated headlamp, comprising:
a battery unit;
a head-mounted unit, including:
a light source;
a power switch receiving power from the battery unit;
a microphone; and
a controller operative to perform the following functions:
(a) receive an electrical signal from the microphone representative of a voice command; and
(b) send a signal to the power switch to control the light source in accordance with the voice command;
wherein the voice command includes turning the light source ON or OFF; and
wherein the battery unit provides fixed-voltage power signals to the head-mounted unit such that no control signals are required from the head-mounted unit to the battery unit.
2. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 1 , wherein the light source is a light-emitting diode (LED).
3. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 1 , wherein the microphone is mounted on the same head-mounted unit that includes the light source.
4. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 1 , wherein the head-mounted unit includes an interface for receiving a voice command from a remote microphone.
5. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 1 , wherein the battery unit is physically coupled directly to the head-mounted unit.
6. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 1 , wherein the head-mounted unit includes an interface for receiving power from a remote battery unit.
7. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 1 , wherein the head-mounted unit includes an interface to a computer for voice-command training.
8. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 1 , wherein the head-mounted unit includes a memory for storing the voice commands.
9. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 1 , wherein:
the head-mounted unit includes an interface to a video camera;
the controller is further operative to control the video camera in accordance with a voice command; and
the voice command includes turning the video camera ON or OFF.
10. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further operative to control the focus or zoom of the video camera in accordance with a voice command.
11. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 1 , further including a proximity sensor to assist in controlling the light source.
12. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 11 , wherein the proximity sensor assists in setting an ON or OFF threshold of the light source.
13. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 11 , wherein the proximity sensor is an active infrared (IR) sensor including an IR emitter and an IR detector.
14. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 1 , wherein the power switch receives a fixed-voltage power signal directly from the battery unit.
15. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 1 , including a mechanism to attach the head-mounted unit to eyeglass frames.
16. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 1 , wherein the power switch is a FET switch.
17. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 1 , including a mechanism to attach the head-mounted unit to a headband.
18. A voice-activated headlamp, comprising:
a battery unit;
a head-mounted unit, including:
a light source;
a power switch receiving power from the battery unit;
a microphone; and
a controller operative to perform the following functions:
(c) receive an electrical signal from the microphone representative of a voice command; and
(d) send a signal to the power switch to control the light source in accordance with the voice command;
wherein the voice command includes turning the light source ON or OFF; and
wherein the power switch receives a fixed-voltage power signal directly from the battery unit.
19. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 18 , wherein the light source is a light-emitting diode (LED).
20. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 18 , wherein the microphone is mounted on the same head-mounted unit that includes the light source.
21. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 18 , wherein the head-mounted unit includes an interface for receiving a voice command from a remote microphone.
22. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 18 , wherein the battery unit is physically coupled directly to the head-mounted unit.
23. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 18 , wherein the head-mounted unit includes an interface for receiving power from a remote battery unit.
24. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 18 , wherein the head-mounted unit includes an interface to a computer for voice-command training.
25. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 18 , wherein the head-mounted unit includes a memory for storing the voice commands.
26. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 18 , wherein:
the head-mounted unit includes an interface to a video camera;
the controller is further operative to control the video camera in accordance with a voice command; and
the voice command includes turning the video camera ON or OFF.
27. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 26 , wherein the controller is further operative to control the focus or zoom of the video camera in accordance with a voice command.
28. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 18 , further including a proximity sensor to assist in controlling the light source.
29. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 28 , wherein the proximity sensor assists in setting an ON or OFF threshold of the light source.
30. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 28 , wherein the proximity sensor is an active infrared (IR) sensor including an IR emitter and an IR detector.
31. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 18 , wherein the battery unit provides fixed-voltage power signals to the head-mounted unit such that no control signals are required from the head-mounted unit to the battery unit.
32. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 18 , including a mechanism to attach the head-mounted unit to eyeglass frames.
33. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 18 , wherein the power switch is a FET switch.
34. The voice-activated headlamp of claim 18 , including a mechanism to attach the head-mounted unit to a headband.