PORTABLE ULTRASOUND APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD FOR THE SAME

• US 20160228092A1
• Filed: 02/10/2016
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Bae Hyung, KIM, Kyu Hong, PARK, Su Hyun
• Granted Patent: US 10,588,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4427 Device being portable or laptop-like
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5207 involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image reconstruction G06T11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/54 Control of the diagnostic device
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8915 using a transducer array
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52025 for pulse systems G01S7/52034 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5208 with integration of processing functions inside probe or scanhead
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52082 involving a modular construction, e.g. a computer with short range imaging equipment modular ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/4411
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52084 related to particular user interfaces special user input means for ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/467

Abstract

A portable ultrasound apparatus includes a sampler configured to obtain an in-phase signal and a quadrature signal from an ultrasound signal; a memory configured to store the in-phase signal and the quadrature signal and output the stored in-phase signal and the stored quadrature signal according to a first time delay; an interpolator configured to interpolate the in-phase signal and the quadrature signal outputted from the memory; and a phase rotator configured to apply a second time delay to the interpolated in-phase signal and the interpolated quadrature signal.

Claims

1. A portable ultrasound apparatus comprising:

a sampler configured to obtain an in-phase signal and a quadrature signal from an ultrasound signal;

a memory configured to store the in-phase signal and the quadrature signal and output the stored in-phase signal and the stored quadrature signal according to a first time delay;

an interpolator configured to interpolate the in-phase signal and the quadrature signal outputted from the memory; and

a phase rotator configured to apply a second time delay to the interpolated in-phase signal and the interpolated quadrature signal.

2. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the interpolator is configured to interpolate the in-phase signal and the quadrature signal based on the second time delay.

3. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the phase rotator is configured to convert the second time delay into a form of a delay phase, and apply the delay phase to the in-phase signal and the quadrature signal.

4. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a delay calculator configured to calculate the first time delay and the second time delay based on a focal position of the ultrasound signal, and control an output of the memory according to the first time delay.

5. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a beamformer configured to generate the ultrasound signal by focusing a plurality of echo signals reflected from an object.

6. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a composition unit configured to generate an in-phase composite signal and a quadrature composite signal based on the in-phase signal and the quadrature signal, to which the second time delay is applied, respectively; and

a communicator configured to transmit the in-phase composite signal and the quadrature composite signal to an external device.

7. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

an application storage configured to store an application, which is configured to be used by the external device to generate an ultrasound image from the in-phase composite signal and the quadrature composite signal, wherein the communicator is configured to transmit the application stored in the application storage to the external device.

8. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

an application searcher configured to search whether the application is installed in the external device, and determine whether the application is to be installed in the external application according to the search.

9. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a decimator configured to reduce a sampling frequency in at least one composite signal among the in-phase composite signal and the quadrature composite signal.

10. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a dynamic band pass filter configured to compensate a frequency variation which changes according to a focal position of the ultrasound signal in the in-phase composite signal and the quadrature composite signal.

11. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an inputter configured to receive an input of a focal position of the ultrasound signal.

12. A control method to be performed by a portable ultrasound apparatus, the control method comprising:

obtaining an in-phase signal and a quadrature signal from an ultrasound signal and storing the obtained in-phase signal and the obtained quadrature signal;

performing a first delay operation to output the stored in-phase signal and the stored quadrature signal according to a first time delay;

interpolating the output in-phase signal and the output quadrature signal; and

performing a second delay operation to apply a second time delay to the interpolated in-phase signal and the interpolated quadrature signal.

13. The control method of claim 12 wherein:

the interpolating comprises;

performing a zero padding operation to insert zero in the in-phase signal and the quadrature signal based on the second time delay, and

filtering the in-phase signal and the quadrature signal, in which the zero is inserted, by using an interpolation filter.

14. The control method of claim 12, wherein

the performing of the second delay operation comprises converting the second time delay into a form of a delay phase, and applying the delay phase to the in-phase signal and the quadrature signal.

15. The control method of claim 12, further comprising:

calculating the first time delay and the second time delay according to a focal position of the ultrasound signal.

16. The control method of claim 12, further comprising:

performing first beamforming operation to generate the ultrasound signal by focusing a plurality of echo signals reflected from an object.

17. The control method of claim 12, further comprising:

generating an in-phase composite signal and a quadrature composite signal by composing an in-phase signal and a quadrature signal, to which the second time delay is applied, respectively.

18. The control method of claim 17, further comprising:

reducing a sampling signal in at least one of the in-phase composite signal and the quadrature composite signal.

19. The control method of claim 17, further comprising:

compensating a frequency variation which changes according to a focal position of the ultrasound signal in the in-phase composite signal and the quadrature composite signal.

20. The control method of claim 12, wherein:

the obtaining comprises storing the in-phase signal and the quadrature signal in an interleaved manner.

21. An ultrasound apparatus, comprising:

a sampler configured to sample a signal obtained from an ultrasound signal according to a sampling frequency;

a memory configured to store the sampled signal; and

an interpolator configured to interpolate data in the stored signal, to thereby increase the sampling frequency.

22. The ultrasound apparatus of claim 21, wherein the data comprises zero components.