Method and apparatus for controlling ultrasound systems with physical controls

• US 20080215982A1
• Filed: 03/02/2007
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Washburn, Michael Joseph, Voight, David Dixon
• Granted Patent: US 9,500,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/722
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0866 involving foetal diagnosis; pre-natal or peri-natal diagnosis of the baby
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/461 Displaying means of special interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/467 characterised by special input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/488 involving Doppler signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52084 related to particular user interfaces special user input means for ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/467
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 42/06 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves

Abstract

A user interface for controlling an ultrasound system comprises a display for displaying ultrasound data and a plurality of physical controls. At least one of the physical controls is configured to control multiple functions of the ultrasound system and has a user operable member providing physical actions that are associated with system parameters. The physical actions comprise rotational and translational movements, and each of the system parameters is associated with an ultrasound system action.

Claims

1. A user interface for controlling an ultrasound system, comprising:

a display for displaying ultrasound data; and

a plurality of physical controls, at least one of the physical controls configured to control multiple functions of the ultrasound system and having a user operable member providing physical actions that are associated with system parameters, the physical actions comprising rotational and translational movements, each of the system parameters being associated with an ultrasound system action.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the user operable member further comprises a push movement.

3. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the rotational movement further comprises clockwise rotation and counter-clockwise rotation.

4. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the user operable member being a rotatable joystick.

5. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the translational movement further comprises a toggling movement in first and second directions.

6. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the translational movement further comprises a toggling movement in at least four directions that are different with respect to each other.

7. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising a label being displayed on the display, the label being associated with the at least one of the physical controls configured to control multiple functions, the label indicating at least one graphical indicator associated with at least one of the physical actions.

8. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising a multiple function mapping module identifying a machine state of the ultrasound machine, the multiple function mapping module identifying the system parameters associated with the at least one of the physical controls configured to control multiple functions based on the machine state.

9. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising a multiple function mapping module mapping a different one of the system parameters to each of the physical actions of the at least one of the physical controls configured to control multiple functions.

10. A method for controlling an ultrasound system, comprising:

detecting a first physical action of a multiple function (multi-function) control, the first physical action being a rotational movement;

performing a first system action associated with the first physical action;

detecting a second physical action of the multi-function control, the second physical action being a translational movement in one of first and second directions that are different with respect to each other; and

performing a second system action associated with the second physical action, the first and second system actions being different with respect to each other.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising detecting a third physical action of the multi-function control, the third physical action being a translational movement in one of eight directions, the eight directions being different with respect to each other.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising detecting a third physical action of the multi-function control, wherein the third physical action is a push movement.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a speed of rotation associated with the first physical action; and

modifying the first system action when the speed of rotation is greater than a predetermined speed threshold.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a duration of time associated with the second physical action; and

modifying the second system action when the duration of time is greater than a predetermined duration threshold.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting a mode of operation of the ultrasound system; and

mapping first and second system parameters to the first and second physical actions, the system parameters being based on the mode of operation.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

mapping a system parameter to the first physical action of the multi-function control;

displaying a label associated with the multi-function control; and

displaying a graphical indicator within the label, the graphical indicator being associated with the first physical action.

17. A method for controlling an ultrasound system, comprising:

detecting a machine state of an ultrasound system;

detecting a physical action of a user control interconnected with the ultrasound system, the physical action being one of at least four physical states of the user control; and

performing a system action associated with the physical action and the machine state.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying a label associated with the user control, the label displaying at least one graphical indicator associated with the physical action, the label further displaying a system parameter associated with the physical action.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying a label associated with the user control, the label displaying at least one unique graphical indicator, each of the graphical indicators being associated with one of the physical actions.

20. The method of claim 17, the method further comprising displaying a label associated with the user control, the label displaying at least one of a first graphical indicator associated with a rotational movement, a second graphical indicator associated with a push movement, a third graphical indicator associated with a toggling movement in first and second directions, and a fourth graphical indicator associated with a toggling movement in third and fourth directions, the first, second, third and fourth graphical indicators being different from each other.