Ultrasound imaging device having a soft keyboard for entering data

• US 6,491,630 B1
• Filed: 11/09/2000
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies Europe BV (Agilent Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Maier, Daniel Gerard, Lewallen, Donald W., Saccardo, Grace M, Kinicki, Rachel M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaworski, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US09/710,984
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 600/437, 600/443, 600/447, 382/128
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0431 Portable apparatus, e.g. comprising a handle or case
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• 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: G01S 15/899 Combination of imaging systems with ancillary equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52023 Details of receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52079 Constructional features constructional features of transducers B06B; mounting transducers G10K11/00; constructional features of ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/44
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52084 related to particular user interfaces special user input means for ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/467

Abstract

An ultrasound imaging device including a display which displays an ultrasound image of an object (such as a portion of a body of a patient) and a soft keyboard displayed on the display, which enables entering of identification information relating to the ultrasound image. The soft keyboard replaces the ultrasound image during an identification entry mode, to easily enable the entry of the identification information. The identification information may be patient identification information or date/time information, for example. The ultrasound imaging device may include software which enables the soft keyboard to be displayed in a plurality of different languages.

Claims

1. An ultrasound imaging device comprising:

means for obtaining an ultrasound image of an object;

a display configured for displaying the ultrasound image of the object;

a processor storing a plurality of soft keyboards and configured for receiving commands for displaying at least one of the plurality of soft keyboards on the display, wherein at least one of the soft keyboards enables entering of identification information relating to the ultrasound image; and

means for selecting a soft keyboard belonging to a particular group of soft keyboards of the plurality of soft keyboards and for programming the processor for displaying the selected soft keyboard on the display when a soft keyboard from the particular group of soft keyboards needs to be displayed.

2. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification information is patient identification information indicating the patient'"'"'s name and/or ID and/or a portion of a body of a patient which is the object.

3. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a touch-pad which selectively highlights keys of the soft keyboard based upon user manipulation; and

a select key which selects the highlighted key of the soft keyboard, to enter the patient identification information.

4. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a mouse, track ball or touch display which selects keys of the soft keyboard based upon user manipulation, to enter the patient identification information.

5. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising software which selectively displays the soft keyboard on the display in a plurality of languages, based upon a user input.

6. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

an identification input key which enables the ultrasound imaging device to enter an identification entry mode for entering the patient identification information, wherein the display displays the soft keyboard in response to activation by the identification input key;

wherein the display deletes any of the identification information already entered in response to the ultrasound imaging device being turned off or in response to the identification input key being activated.

7. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a storage device which stores the ultrasound image and corresponding patient identification information.

8. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the storage device is a flash RAM memory.

9. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

an input/output decoder which receives key inputs by the user; and

a Processing unit which receives the key inputs from the input/output decoder and executes the program to display the soft keyboard on the display and process the patient identification information input by the user through the soft keyboard.

10. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the soft keyboard consists of only the 26 letters of the English alphabet, the 10 roman numerals, a hyphen key, a comma key, back and forward arrow keys, and a space bar.

11. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising

an identification input key which enables the ultrasound imaging device to enter a patient identification entry mode for entering the patient identification information, wherein the display displays the soft keyboard in response to activation by the patient identification input key;

a touch-pad which selectively highlights keys of the soft keyboard based upon user manipulation;

a select key which selects the highlighted key of the soft keyboard, to enter the identification information; and

a plurality of control keys which control the display of the ultrasound image, wherein the ultrasound imaging device exits the patient identification input entry mode upon activation of one of the control keys or reactivation of the identification input key.

12. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an identification input key which enables the ultrasound imaging device to enter an identification entry mode for entering the information, wherein the display displays the soft keyboard in response to activation of the identification input key.

13. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

a touch-pad which selectively highlights keys of the soft keyboard based upon user manipulation; and

a select key which selects the highlighted key of the soft keyboard, to enter the identification information.

14. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a mouse, track ball or touch display which selects keys of the soft keyboard based upon user manipulation, to enter the information.

15. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

an input/output decoder which receives key inputs by the user; and

a Processing unit which receives the key inputs from the input/output decoder and executes the program to display the soft keyboard on the display and process the information input by the user through the soft keyboard, in response to the ultrasound imaging device entering the identification entry mode.

16. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the soft keyboard consists of only the 10 roman numerals, and back and forward arrow keys.

17. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising software which selectively displays the soft keyboard on the display in a plurality of languages, based upon a user input.

18. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

a processing element which selectively displays the soft keyboard on the display in the plurality of languages, processes the identification information input by a user through the soft keyboard, in response to the ultrasound imaging device entering the identification entry mode and another user input indicating one of the plurality of languages for display of the soft keyboard.

19. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a storage device which stores the ultrasound image and corresponding information.

20. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the storage device is a flash RAM memory.

21. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification information is date/time information.

22. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 21, further comprising:

a touch-pad which selectively highlights keys of the soft keyboard based upon user manipulation; and

a select key which selects the highlighted key of the soft keyboard, to enter the date/time information.

23. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 21, further comprising:

a mouse, track ball or touch display which selects keys of the soft keyboard based upon user manipulation, to enter the date/time information.

24. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 21, further comprising:

a date/time entry mode key which enables the ultrasound imaging device to enter an date/time entry mode for entering the date/time information, wherein the display displays the soft keyboard for entering the date/time information in response to activation of the date/time information entry mode key;

a touch-pad which selectively highlights keys of the soft keyboard based upon user manipulation;

a select key which selects the highlighted key of the soft keyboard, to enter the date/time information; and

a plurality of control keys which control the display of the ultrasound image, wherein the ultrasound imaging device exits the date/time entry mode upon activation of one of the control keys or upon reactivation of the date/time entry mode key.

25. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a date/time entry mode key which enables the ultrasound imaging device to enter an date/time entry mode for entering date/time information, wherein the display displays the soft keyboard for entering the date/time information in response to activation of the date/time information entry mode key.

26. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 25, further comprising:

a touch-pad which selectively highlights keys of the soft keyboard based upon user manipulation; and

a select key which selects the highlighted key of the soft keyboard, to enter the date/time information.

27. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 25, further comprising:

a mouse, track ball or touch display which selects keys of the soft keyboard based upon user manipulation, to enter the date/time information.

32. The ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the particular group of soft keyboards includes soft keyboards corresponding to a plurality of

28. A portable ultrasound imaging device comprising:

a display which displays an ultrasound image of a portion of a body of a patient;

a patient identification input key which enables the ultrasound imaging device to enter a patient identification entry mode;

a soft keyboard which replaces the ultrasound image on the display in response to activation of the patient identification input key, to enable identification of the ultrasound image; and

means for selecting another soft keyboard to replace the soft keyboard displayed by the display, wherein the two soft keyboards correspond to a particular group of soft keyboards.

29. The portable ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 28, further comprising:

a bottom panel having control keys to control features of the ultrasound image on the display; and

a top panel connected to and rotatable relative to the bottom panel, wherein the top panel has the display.

30. The portable ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 29, wherein the top panel folds over the bottom panel to a closed position to protect the display and the control keys from external elements.

31. The portable ultrasound imaging device as claimed in claim 28, wherein the particular group of soft keyboards includes soft keyboards corresponding to a plurality of languages.