MICROSCOPE CONTROLLER AND MICROSCOPE SYSTEM COMPRISING MICROSCOPE CONTROLLER

• US 20110134517A1
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evident Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Sukekawa, Minoru, Yamaguchi, Katsuyoshi, Shirota, Tetsuya
• Granted Patent: US 8,699,131 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/381
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/24 Base structure
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/368 details of associated display arrangements, e.g. mounting of LCD monitor

Abstract

In a microscope controller by which is performed an operation for controlling an operation of each of a plurality of electric units included in a microscope system, the control unit establishes a plurality of functional areas in the display region of the touch panel as regions for making operable the plurality of electric units. When an input to any of the functional areas is detected, the control unit generates a control instruction signal for controlling an electric unit corresponding to this functional area. The communication control unit transmits the control instruction signal to an external device controlling an operation of a corresponding electric unit. When an input to a predetermined functional area is detected, the control unit then reestablishes a plurality of functional areas within the display region of the touch panel so as to enlarge this functional area or a plurality of specific functional areas including this functional area.

Claims

1. A microscope controller by which an operation is performed for controlling an operation of each of a plurality of electric units included in a microscope system, the microscope controller comprising:

a touch panel unit for receiving an input provided by a physical contact from outside and having a display function;

a control unit for establishing a plurality of functional areas within a display region of the touch panel unit as regions for making operable each of the plurality of electric units, and generating a control instruction signal for controlling an electric unit corresponding to this functional area when an input provided by a physical contact from outside to any of the plurality of functional areas is detected; and

a communication control unit for transmitting the control instruction signal generated by the control unit to an external device that controls an operation of a corresponding electric unit, wherein

when an input provided by a physical contact from outside to a predetermined functional area of the plurality of functional areas is detected, the control unit reestablishes a plurality of functional areas within the display region of the touch panel unit so as to enlarge the functional area or a plurality of specific functional areas including the functional area, and when an input provided by a physical contact from outside to any of the plurality of functional areas after the reestablishing is detected, the control unit generates a control instruction signal for controlling an electric unit corresponding to the functional area.

2. The microscope controller according to claim 1, wherein

the functional area enlarged via the reestablishing is a functional area that, when the physical contact from outside to the functional area is made by a drag operation, enables an operation for causing an electric unit corresponding to this functional area to be continuously operated in conjunction with the drag operation.

3. The microscope controller according to claim 1, wherein

the functional areas enlarged via the reestablishing are a functional area for making operable an electric unit for moving a sample or objective lens in an optical axis direction of a stage, and a functional area for making operable an electric unit for moving the sample or the objective lens in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction of the stage.

4. The microscope controller according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of functional areas established or reestablished in the display region of the touch panel unit include at least one or more of functional areas for making operable an electric unit for moving a sample or objective lens in an optical axis direction of a stage, a functional area for making operable an electric unit for moving the sample or objective lens in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction of the stage, a functional area for making operable an electric unit for switching a lighting control quantity of a light source, a functional area for making operable an electric unit for switching an optical magnification, a functional area for making operable an electric unit for switching a position of an optical element turret, and a functional area for making operable an electric unit for switching a microscopic examination method.

5. The microscope controller according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of functional areas established or reestablished in the display region of the touch panel unit include a functional area for enabling an operation for causing a corresponding electric unit to be continuously operated in conjunction with a drag operation when a physical contact from outside is made by the drag operation, and

when a physical contact from outside started in the functional area is made by a drag operation and when the physical contact made by the drag operation continues to another functional area, the control unit generates a control instruction signal for controlling only an electric unit corresponding to the functional area in which the physical contact made by the drag operation was started.

6. The microscope controller according to claim 1, wherein

of the plurality of functional areas established or reestablished in the display region of the touch panel unit, when an input provided by a physical contact from outside is detected in a certain functional area, other than a functional area for enabling an operation for causing a corresponding electric unit to be continuously operated in conjunction with a drag operation if a physical contact from outside is provided by the drag operation, the control unit generates a control instruction signal for controlling an electric unit corresponding to the certain functional area on the basis of a position at which the physical contact stops.

7. The microscope controller according to claim 1, wherein

when an input provided by a physical contact from outside to the display region of the touch panel unit is detected, the control unit determines whether or not the physical contact is a physical contact provided via a specific operation defined in advance, and

when a result of the determining is a judgment of true, the control unit generates a control instruction signal for controlling an electric unit corresponding to the specific operation.

8. The microscope controller according to claim 7, wherein

the specific operation includes an operation in which a same position on a predetermined region established within the display region of the touch panel unit is touched two times consecutively within a fixed time period.

9. The microscope controller according to claim 7, wherein

the specific operation includes an operation in which a physical contact is performed in a circular motion on a predetermined region established in the display region of the touch panel unit within a fixed time period.

10. The microscope controller according to claim 7, wherein

in accordance with the specific operation, the control unit generates a control instruction signal for controlling any of an electric unit for switching a lighting control quantity of a light source, an electric unit for switching an optical magnification, an electric unit for switching an optical element turret position, and an electric unit for switching a microscopic examination method.

11. The microscope controller according to claim 7, wherein

a user can optionally determine the specific operation and a combination of corresponding electric units.

12. A microscope system comprising the microscope controller according to claim 1.

16. A microscope system comprising the microscope controller according to claim 2.

17. A microscope system comprising the microscope controller according to claim 3.

18. A microscope system comprising the microscope controller according to claim 4.

19. A microscope system comprising the microscope controller according to claim 5.

20. A microscope system comprising the microscope controller according to claim 6.

13. An electric unit controlling method performed by a microscope controller by which an operation is performed for controlling an operation of each of a plurality of electric units included in a microscope system, the method comprising:

establishing a plurality of functional areas in a display region of a touch panel unit, for receiving an input provided by a physical contact from outside and having a display function, as regions for making operable each of the plurality of electric units;

when an input provided by a physical contact from outside to a predetermined functional area of the plurality of functional areas is detected, reestablishing a plurality of functional areas within the display region of the touch panel unit so as to enlarge the functional area or a plurality of specific functional areas including the functional area;

when an input provided by a physical contact from outside to any of the plurality of functional areas after the reestablishing is detected, generating a control instruction signal for controlling an electric unit corresponding to the functional area; and

transmitting the control instruction signal to an external device that controls an operation of a corresponding electric unit.

14. The electric unit controlling method according to claim 13, further comprising:

when an input provided by a physical contact from outside to the display region of the touch panel unit is detected, determining whether or not the physical contact is a physical contact provided via a specific operation defined in advance;

when a result of the determining is a judgment of true, generating a control instruction signal for controlling an electric unit corresponding to the specific operation; and

transmitting the control instruction signal to an external device that controls an operation of a corresponding electric unit.

15. A microscope controller by which an operation is performed for controlling an operation of each of a plurality of electric units included in a microscope system, the microscope controller comprising:

a touch panel unit for receiving an input provided by a physical contact from outside and having a display function;

a control unit for establishing a plurality of functional areas within a display region of the touch panel unit as regions for making operable each of the plurality of electric units, and generating a control instruction signal for controlling an electric unit corresponding to this functional area when an input provided by a physical contact from outside to any of the plurality of functional areas is detected; and

a communication control unit for transmitting the control instruction signal generated by the control unit to an external device that controls an operation of a corresponding electric unit, wherein

when an input provided by a physical contact from outside to the display region of the touch panel unit is detected, the control unit determines whether or not the physical contact is a physical contact provided via a specific operation defined in advance, and

when a result of the determining is a judgment of true, the control unit generates a control instruction signal for controlling an electric unit corresponding to the specific operation.