Intuitive user interface and control circuitry including linear distance measurement and user localization in a portable ultrasound diagnostic device
First Claim
1. A portable ultrasound diagnostic device, comprising:
- a control panel having at least one input device, the at least one input device capable of being actuated by a user to enable the user to input commands on the control panel;
control circuitry electrically coupled to the at least one input device, the control circuitry comprising a processor, which detects when the at least one input device has been actuated and which performs a predetermined imaging or information function in response to a determination that the at least one input device has been actuated;
each function being associated with one input device; and
a display electrically coupled to the control circuitry, the display configured to display information to the user, wherein the control panel and the display comprise a user interface of the ultrasound diagnostic device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ultrasound diagnostic device includes a console portion and a display portion. The console portion includes a control panel, which includes a plurality of input keys. A user may input commands on the control panel by actuating one or more keys on the control panel. The console portion comprises control circuitry, which controls the operations of the ultrasound diagnostic device. The control circuitry receives input signals from the control panel. The input signals correspond to commands entered by the user on the control panel. The control circuitry processes the electrical signals and performs operations on an ultrasound image being displayed on a display monitor. The ultrasound images being displayed on the display may be modified by the control circuitry in response to one or more keys of the control panel being actuated by the user. A transducer assembly connected to the console portion is used by the user to acquire ultrasound image information from a subject. Each of the keys on the console portion represent a particular function to be performed by the control circuitry on image information acquired by the transducer assembly. This “one button per function” feature of the invention utilizes icons, which inform the user of the function of each key. This feature of the invention renders the control panel suitable for use all over the world since the icons are capable of being understood by people of different nationalities. The overall size and weight of the ultrasound diagnostic device is reduced because the number of keys needed to operate the ultrasound diagnostic device is minimized. In another aspect of the invention, the ultrasound diagnostic device includes logic configured to allow the device to be localized by the user based on a number of different parameters, including, but not limited to, language, date appearance convention and decimal point convention.
72 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A portable ultrasound diagnostic device, comprising:
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a control panel having at least one input device, the at least one input device capable of being actuated by a user to enable the user to input commands on the control panel;
control circuitry electrically coupled to the at least one input device, the control circuitry comprising a processor, which detects when the at least one input device has been actuated and which performs a predetermined imaging or information function in response to a determination that the at least one input device has been actuated;
each function being associated with one input device; and
a display electrically coupled to the control circuitry, the display configured to display information to the user, wherein the control panel and the display comprise a user interface of the ultrasound diagnostic device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
a plurality of input devices, at least one of the input devices being a touch-sensitive digitizer, and wherein a plurality of the input devices are buttons having icons on them, each button corresponding to a predetermined function to be performed by the control circuitry, wherein the icons on the buttons indicate the functions that are associated with the buttons.
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3. The ultrasound diagnostic device of claim 2, wherein the icons are repeated on the display and the icons are associated with the current value of the associated button.
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4. The ultrasound diagnostic device of claim 1, further comprising linear measurement logic configured to allow the user to perform a linear measurement of a feature on the display.
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5. The ultrasound diagnostic device of claim 4, wherein the linear measurement logic is responsive to one of the input devices and the touch-sensitive digitizer.
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6. The ultrasound diagnostic device of claim 4, further comprising:
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a transducer coupled to the control circuitry, the transducer having a transducer face; and
wherein the linear measurement logic measures a distance between the transducer face and an object being imaged by the ultrasound diagnostic device.
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7. The ultrasound diagnostic device of claim 1, further comprising localization logic configured to allow the ultrasound imaging device to be configured in a plurality of configurations by the user.
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8. The ultrasound diagnostic device of claim 7, wherein the localization logic allows the ultrasound diagnostic device to be configured for a plurality of different languages.
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9. The ultrasound diagnostic device of claim 7, wherein the localization logic allows the ultrasound diagnostic device to be configured for a plurality of different date code styles.
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10. The ultrasound diagnostic device of claim 7, wherein the localization logic allows the ultrasound diagnostic device to be configured for a plurality of different decimal point styles.
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11. The ultrasound diagnostic device of claim 1, further comprising a transducer coupling port adapted to couple one of a plurality of different transducers to the control circuitry.
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12. The ultrasound diagnostic device of claim 11, wherein the control panel, the control circuitry, the display, and a transducer weigh less than fifteen (15) pounds.
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13. The ultrasound diagnostic device of claim 11, wherein the control panel, the control circuitry, the display, and a transducer weigh less than six (6) pounds.
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14. A portable ultrasound diagnostic device, comprising:
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a control panel having at least one input device, the at least one input device capable of being actuated by a user to enable the user to input commands on the control panel;
control circuitry electrically coupled to the at least one input device, the control circuitry comprising a host processor, which detects when the at least one input device has been actuated and which performs a predetermined function in response to a determination that the at least one input device has been actuated;
a display electrically coupled to the control circuitry, the display configured to display information to the user, wherein the control panel and the display comprise a user interface of the ultrasound diagnostic device; and
localization logic contained in the control circuitry, the localization logic configured to allow the ultrasound diagnostic device to be configured by a user in a plurality of configurations. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. An ultrasound diagnostic device for obtaining ultrasound diagnostic measurements, the device comprising:
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a control panel having at least one input device disposed thereon, said at least one input device capable of being actuated by a user to enable the user to input commands on the control panel;
control circuitry electrically coupled to said at least one input device, the control circuitry comprising a host processor which detects when said at least one input device has been actuated and which performs a predetermined function in response to a determination that said at least one input device has been actuated;
a display electrically coupled to the control circuitry, the display configured to display information to the user; and
an audio input device connection adapted to enable an audio input device to be electrically coupled to the control circuitry to thereby allow the user to input audio information into the ultrasound diagnostic device for subsequent output, wherein the control panel, the display and the audio input device connection comprise a user interface of the ultrasound diagnostic device. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A portable ultrasound diagnostic device, comprising:
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a control panel having a plurality of input devices, each input device corresponding to one of a plurality of predetermined imaging or information functions, the plurality of input devices and predetermined imaging or information functions being a subset of a larger set of imaging or information functions, at least one input device capable of being actuated by a user to enable the user to input commands on the control panel;
each function being associated with one input device;
control circuitry electrically coupled to the at least one input device, the control circuitry comprising a processor, which detects when the at least one input device has been actuated and which performs the predetermined imaging or information function in response to a determination that the at least one input device has been actuated; and
a display electrically coupled to the control circuitry, the display configured to display information to the user, wherein the control panel and the display comprise a user interface of the ultrasound diagnostic device. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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Specification