Touch screen finger position indicator for a spinal cord stimulation programming device

• US 9,314,640 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2015
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cirtec Medical Corp.
• Original Assignee: Greatbatch Limited (Greatbatch Incorporated)
• Inventors: Drees, Scott F., Kaula, Norbert F., Iyassu, Yohannes, Leyh, Scott G., Polefko, Richard J., Trier, Stephen C., Yoder, Raymond L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lavert, Nicole F
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAHMOOD, NADIA AHMAD
• Application Number:
  US14/926,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20160045750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 173 Days
• Field of Search: 607/59, 607/46
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04801 Cursor retrieval aid, i.e. visual aspect modification, blinking, colour changes, enlargement or other visual cues, for helping user do find the cursor in graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals

Abstract

A method of visualizing a user interaction with a clinician programmer is disclosed. A user engagement with respect to a screen of the clinician programmer is detected via one or more sensors associated with the screen of the clinician programmer. One or more locations on the screen of the clinician programmer corresponding to the user engagement is determined. An external monitor is communicatively coupled to the clinician programmer. The external monitor displays one or more cursors that graphically represent the one or more locations on the screen of the clinician programmer corresponding to the user engagement, respectively.

Claims

1. A method of visualizing a user interaction with a clinician programmer, the method comprising:

a) detecting a user engagement with respect to a screen of the clinician programmer via one or more sensors associated with the screen of the clinician programmer;

b) determining one or more locations on the screen of the clinician programmer corresponding to the user engagement; and

c) displaying, via an external monitor communicatively coupled to the clinician programmer, one or more cursors that graphically represent the one or more locations on the screen of the clinician programmer corresponding to the user engagement, respectively.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising mirroring the displaying of the one or more cursors on the screen of the clinician programmer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises detecting a physical contact of the screen of the clinician programmer via a touch sensor of the clinician programmer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the detecting the physical contact comprises detecting a physical contact from a finger or a stylus.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises detecting a proximity of a finger or a stylus via a proximity sensor of the clinician programmer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the engagement from the user invokes an action on the clinician programmer, and wherein the displaying comprises graphically differentiating a selected one of the cursors from the rest of the cursors, wherein the selected one of the cursors corresponds to the invoked action.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying is performed in a manner such that a majority of an area covered by the cursors is transparent.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the external monitor is multiple times larger in size than the clinician programmer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the external monitor and the clinician programmer are located in separate rooms.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the clinician programmer is configured to program a pulse generator so that the pulse generator delivers an electrical stimulation therapy to a patient.