METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR GESTURE-BASED HEALTHCARE APPLICATION INTERACTION IN THIN-AIR DISPLAY

• US 20080114615A1
• Filed: 11/15/2006
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Mahesh, Prakash, Morita, Mark, Kariathungal, Murali Kumaran, Roehm, Stephen P.
• Application Number:
  US11/560,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20080114615A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for improved clinical workflow using gesture recognition. Certain embodiments provide a method for gesture-based interaction in a clinical environment. The method includes detecting a gesture in a thin-air display space. The method also includes identifying the detected gesture. The method further includes translating the identified gesture to a corresponding healthcare application function. Certain embodiments provide a gesture detection system. The system includes a thin-air display space defined by at least one sensor configured to detect a gesture performed in the thin-air display space. The system also includes a processor configured to identify the gesture and translate the gesture to a corresponding healthcare application function.

Claims

1. A method for gesture-based interaction in a clinical environment, said method comprising:

detecting a gesture in a thin-air display space;

identifying said detected gesture; and

translating said identified gesture to a corresponding healthcare application function.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said gesture includes a gesture component and at least one of a size component and a position component modifying said gesture component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said gesture corresponds to a sequence of healthcare application functions for execution at a remote system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said thin-air display space is defined by a plurality of sensors.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said plurality of sensors comprise at least ultrasound sensors and infrared sensors.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising using said gesture to perform at least one of data acquisition, data retrieval, order entry, dictation, data analysis, image review, image annotation, display modification and image modification.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a response from a remote system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a default translation between said gesture and said healthcare application function.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising customizing a translation between said gesture and said healthcare application function for at least one of a user and a group of users.

10. A computer-readable medium having a set of instructions for execution on a computer, said set of instructions comprising:

a sensor routine for detecting a gesture in a thin-air display space and identifying said detected gesture; and

a translation routine for translating said identified gesture to a corresponding healthcare application function.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said gesture further includes a characteristic associated with said gesture.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein said translation routine modifies said healthcare application function corresponding to said gesture based on said characteristic associated with said gesture.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein said characteristic includes at least one of a position and a size of said gesture.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said gesture corresponds to a sequence of healthcare application functions.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said sensor routine receives input from at least one ultrasound sensor and at least one infrared sensor to detect said gesture.

16. A gesture detection system, said system comprising:

a thin-air display space defined by at least one sensor configured to detect a gesture performed in said thin-air display space; and

a processor configured to identify said gesture and translate said gesture to a corresponding healthcare application function.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said at least one sensor comprises at least one ultrasound sensor and at least one infrared sensor.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said gesture further includes a characteristic associated with said gesture, said characteristic modifying said healthcare application function corresponding to said gesture.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said characteristic includes at least one of a position and a size of said gesture.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein said gesture corresponds to a sequence of healthcare application functions.