Preferred view generation on structure level based on user preferences

• US 10,133,444 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2014
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Meyer, Carsten, Franz, Astrid Ruth, Stehle, Thomas Heiko, Wenzel, Fabian
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoang, Peter
• Application Number:
  US14/772,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20160004412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,708 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing

Abstract

An apparatus and related method for image viewing. The apparatus (V) allows to store, learn and remember preferred user views α_1-M for each anatomical structure F₁-F_N of interest. In any new image, the apparatus (V) affords automatically generating the preferred by the user for one or more of the structures (F₁-F_N) by a simple user input operation such as clicking with a mouse (PT) on any position within the displayed structure of interest (F₁-F_N).

Claims

1. An apparatus for image viewing, comprising:

a display device that displays an acquired image that comprises a plurality of features;

an input circuit that receives a view request in form of a user selection of an image region in the display of the acquired image representing a select feature of the plurality of features in the acquired image; and

a processor circuit that includes;

a view settings retriever that returns from memory a plurality of sets of view setting parameters associated with the select feature, wherein each of the one or more sets of view setting parameters is independent of the acquired image and comprises at least;

image positioning, image orientation, and image magnification; and

a graphics display generator that generates a graphics display of a plurality of widget elements, each widget element providing an illustration of a view of the select feature using a respective set of view setting parameters of the plurality of view setting parameters;

wherein the input circuit receives a user selection of a preferred widget element; and

the graphics display generator generates a graphic display of a preferred view of the select feature using the respective set of view setting parameters associated with the preferred widget element.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of widget elements are displayed in a sorted manner according to respective usage frequencies of the sets of view setting parameters associated with the select feature.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the usage frequency measures i) a specific user'"'"'s previous usage of the respective set of view setting parameters for the select feature or ii) a usage of the respective set of view setting parameters for the select feature by a group of users.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the processor circuit includes a usage logger that maintains and updates the usage frequency related to each of the sets of view setting parameters associated with the select feature each time the user selects the widget element associated with the respective set of view setting parameters.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the graphics display generator receives, whilst the preferred view is displayed on the screen, user instructions to change the respective set of view setting parameters into a new set of view setting parameters, thereby effecting the display on the screen of a new view of the select feature, and

the processor circuit adds the new set of view setting parameters to the plurality of sets of view setting parameters in memory.

6. A method of image viewing comprising:

displaying an acquired image that includes a plurality of features;

receiving a view request in form of a user selection of an image region in the acquired image, the image region representing a select feature of the plurality of features;

in response to the request, retrieving a plurality of sets of view setting parameters associated with the select feature from a memory circuit, wherein each of the sets of view setting parameters associated with the select feature is independent of the acquired image and comprises at least;

image positioning, image orientation, and image magnification;

generating a graphics display of a plurality of widget elements, each widget element providing an illustration of a view of the select feature using a respective set of view setting parameters of the plurality of view setting parameters;

receiving a user selection of a preferred widget element; and

generating a graphic display of a preferred view of the select feature using the respective set of view setting parameters associated with the preferred widget element.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising:

receiving, whilst the preferred view is displayed on the screen, user instructions to change the respective set of view setting parameters into a new set of view setting parameters, thereby effecting the display on the screen of a new view of the select feature, and

adding the new set of view setting parameters to the plurality of sets of view setting parameters in memory.

8. The method of claim 6, comprising displaying the plurality of widget elements in a sorted manner according to respective usage frequencies of the sets of view setting parameters associated with the select feature.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the usage frequency measures i) a specific user'"'"'s previous usage of the respective set of view setting parameters for the select feature or ii) a usage of the respective set of view setting parameters for the select feature by a group of users.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, comprising maintaining and updating the usage frequency related to each of the sets of view setting parameters associated with the select feature each time the user selects the widget element associated with the respective set of view setting parameters.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes a program that, when executed by a processing system, causes the processing system to:

display an acquired image on a screen, wherein the acquired image includes a plurality of features;

receive a view request in form of a user selection of an image region in the displayed acquired image, the image region representing a select feature of the plurality of features;

retrieve from memory a plurality of sets of view setting parameters associated with the select feature, wherein each of the sets of view setting parameters associated with the select feature is independent of the acquired image and comprises at least;

image positioning, image orientation, and image magnification;

generate a graphics display comprising a plurality of widget elements, each widget element providing an illustration of a view of the select feature using a particular set of view setting parameters of the plurality of view setting parameters;

receive a user selection of a preferred widget element; and

generate a graphic display of a preferred view of the select feature using the particular set of view setting parameters associated with the preferred widget element.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein the program causes the processing system to display the plurality of widget elements in a sorted manner according to respective usage frequencies of the sets of view setting parameters associated with the select feature.

13. The medium of claim 12, wherein the usage frequency measures i) a specific user'"'"'s previous usage of the respective sets of view setting parameters associated with the select feature, or ii) a usage of the respective set of view setting parameters associated with the select feature.

14. The medium of claim 11, wherein the program causes the processing system to:

receive, whilst the preferred view of the select feature is displayed on the screen, user instructions to change the respective set of view setting parameters into a new set of view setting parameters, thereby effecting the display on the screen of a new view of the select feature, and

store the new set of view setting parameters as an additional set of view setting parameters of the plurality of sets of view setting parameters associated with the select feature.

15. The medium of claim 12, wherein the program causes the processing system to update the usage frequency of the sets of view setting parameters associated with the select feature each time the user selects the associated widget element as the preferred widget element.