VOICE-OPERATED REMOTE CONTROL

This disclosure provides a voice-operated remote control intended to replace multiple entertainment system remotes, and it preferably includes two parts, a base unit and a remote (or table-top) unit. During normal operation, the base unit receives each electronic speaker driver signal from a stereo receiver or other sound source and uses speaker-specific transfer functions to generate an “audio mimic signal” which accounts for room acoustics and circuitry distortions. This signal is then subtracted from detected sound and a residual is used to detect spoken commands. In response to spoken commands, learned IR commands are transmitted by the base unit to the remote unit, which then repeats these commands, directing them toward the appropriate entertainment system. Learning of room acoustics and of IR and spoken commands are each performed in discrete modes. During a speaker learning mode, the base unit causes each speaker in turn to generate a test pattern which is measured via microphone and used to develop a speaker-specific transfer function. During a command learning mode, a user speaks each command (e.g., “TV on,” “Tape Off,” “louder,” etc) several times into the remote unit until that spoken command is “learned” and recognizable.