Automatic scaling of display for image management system

• US 6,549,214 B1
• Filed: 12/31/1999
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Patel, Alpesh, Koehn, Bradley E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US09/476,619
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1.1, 345/3.1, 345/3.3, 345/3.4, 345/660, 345/667, 345/668, 345/669
• US Class Current: 345/660
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0414 Vertical resolution change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0421 Horizontal resolution change
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing

Abstract

An image management system has an image database configured to store a plurality of image data files and a workstation coupled to the image database. The workstation includes a memory to store configuration data, a display, and a data processing device. The data processing device is configured to retrieve a selected image data file from the image database generate a scaling factor based on the configuration data, and generate a display signal based on the selected image data file and the scaling factor. The display is configured to receive the display signal and to generate indicia representative of the display signal.

Claims

1. An image management system, comprising:

an image database configured to store a plurality of image data files; and

a workstation coupled to the image database, the workstation comprising;

a first display having a resolution;

a memory to store display resolution data representative of the resolution of the display and to store a set of scaling data associated with a set of resolutions; and

a data processing device coupled to the memory and the display configured to retrieve a selected image data file from the image database, to generate a scaling factor based on the display resolution data and the set of scaling data, and to generate a display signal based on the selected image data file and the scaling factor, wherein the display is configured to receive the display signal and to generate indicia representative of the display signal.

2. The image management system of claim 1, wherein the image data files comprise medical data.

3. The image management system of claim 1, wherein the image database includes a picture archival and communications system database.

4. The image management system of claim 1, wherein the data processing device is further configured to generate the display signal based on the number of displays coupled to the data processing device.

5. The image management system of claim 1, wherein the resolution is between approximately 90 and 168 dots per inch.

6. The image management system of claim 1, wherein the data processing device is configured to generate the scaling factor by linear interpolation based on a predetermined maximum resolution and a predetermined minimum resolution from the set of scaling data.

7. The image management system of claim 1, wherein the data processing device is configured to generate the resolution data in response to a request received from an operator input device.

8. The image management system of claim 1, further comprising a second display coupled to the data processing device having the resolution.

9. The image management system of claim 1, further comprising a second workstation coupled to the image database, wherein the second workstation has a second display having a second resolution different than the first resolution, wherein the workstation and the second workstation operate the same software application.

10. A method of scaling a display of an image management system, the display having a resolution, comprising:

retrieving a selected image data file from an image database;

generating a scaling factor based on the resolution and a set of scaling data associated with a set of resolutions;

generating a display signal based on the selected image data file and the scaling factor; and

providing the display signal to the display.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating resolution data representative of the resolution in response to a request received from an operator input device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the scaling factor is generated by linear interpolation based on a predetermined maximum resolution and a predetermined minimum resolution from the set of scaling data.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the display signal is generated based on the number of displays in the image management system.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the selected image data file comprises medical data.

15. An image management system having a display with a resolution, comprising:

means for retrieving a selected image data file from an image database;

means for generating a scaling factor based on the resolution and a set of scaling data associated with a set of resolutions;

means for generating a display signal based on the selected image data file and the scaling factor; and

means for providing the display signal to a display.

16. The image management system of claim 15, further comprising means for storing a plurality of image data files coupled to the means for retrieving, the means for retrieving for retrieving the selected image data file from the means for storing.

17. The image management system of claim 15, wherein the resolution is between approximately 90 and 168 dots per inch.

18. The image management system of claim 15, further comprising input means for receiving a request from an operator and means for generating resolution data representative of the resolution of the display in response to receiving the request.

19. The image management system of claim 15, wherein the scaling factor is generated by linear interpolation based on a predetermined maximum resolution and a predetermined minimum resolution from the set of scaling data.

20. The image management system of claim 15, wherein the means for generating a display signal generates the display signal based on the number of displays in the image management system.

21. The image management system of claim 15, wherein the selected image data file comprises medical data.