Method and apparatus for controlling ultrasound systems with physical controls

• US 9,500,944 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2007
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Washburn, Michael Joseph, Voight, David Dixon
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Amy
• Assistant Examiner(s): STITT, ERIK V
• Application Number:
  US11/713,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20080215982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,553 Days
• Field of Search: 715/773, 600/437, 600/400
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0866 involving foetal diagnosis; pre-natal or peri-natal diagnosis of the baby
• 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: A61B 8/488 involving Doppler signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52084 related to particular user interfaces special user input means for ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/467
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 42/06 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves

Abstract

A user interface for controlling an ultrasound system comprises a display for displaying ultrasound data and a plurality of physical controls. At least one of the physical controls is configured to control multiple functions of the ultrasound system and has a user operable member providing physical actions that are associated with system parameters. The physical actions comprise rotational and translational movements, and each of the system parameters is associated with an ultrasound system action.

Claims

1. A user interface for controlling an ultrasound system, comprising:

a display for displaying ultrasound data;

at least one multi-function control configured to control different functions of the ultrasound system, the multi-function control having a corresponding user operable member configured to extend above a surface of the ultrasound system, at least one of the user operable members being movable with physical actions comprising both rotational and translational movements, wherein the movements are associated with different system parameters corresponding to different ultrasound system actions; and

a label being displayed on the display, the label being associated with the multi-function control, wherein the label comprises a plurality of defined parameters and graphical indicators associated with the physical actions of the multi-function control.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the physical actions further comprise a push movement.

3. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the rotational movement further comprises clockwise rotation and counter-clockwise rotation.

4. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the user operable member being a rotatable joystick.

5. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the translational movement further comprises a toggling movement in first and second directions.

6. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the translational movement further comprises a toggling movement in at least four directions that are different with respect to each other.

7. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising context sensitive information being displayed on the display as part of the label and associated with the multi-function controls, the context sensitive information identifying a plurality of defined parameters controllable by the multi-function control, and wherein a plurality of graphical indicators associate different ones of the physical actions with different defined parameters.

8. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising a multi-function mapping module configured to identify a machine state of the ultrasound machine, the multi-function mapping module further configured to identify the multiple functions associated with the multi-function control based on the machine state.

9. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of multi-function controls, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of multi-function controls are positioned proximate each other to minimize movement of a user'"'"'s hand.

10. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the parameters and associated physical actions are pre-assigned.

11. A method for controlling an ultrasound system, comprising:

detecting a physical action that physically moves at least a portion of a multi-function control configured to allow both translational and rotational movements, the physical action being one of at least four physical actions of the user operable members, wherein the physical actions of the multi-function control are associated with different system actions;

mapping system parameters to the four physical actions of the multi-function control;

displaying a label associated with the multi-function control, the label displaying a plurality of different graphical indicators associated with the four physical actions, the label further displaying a system parameter associated with each of the physical actions; and

performing a system action associated with the physical action, wherein first and second system actions associated with first and second physical actions from the four physical actions of the multi-function control are different with respect to each other;

detecting one of the first and second physical actions that physically moves at least a portion of another multi-function control; and

performing a third system action associated with the one of the first and second physical actions, wherein the third system action is different with respect to the first and second system actions.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising detecting a third physical action of the multi-function control from the four physical actions, the third physical action being a translational movement in one of eight directions, the eight directions being different with respect to each other.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

mapping system parameters to the second and third physical actions of the multi-function control; and

displaying graphical indicators within the label, the graphical indicators being associated with the second and third physical actions.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising detecting a third physical action of the multi-function control from the four physical actions, wherein the third physical action is a push movement that physically moves at least a portion of the multi-function control.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a speed of rotation associated with the first physical action; and

modifying the first system action when the speed of rotation is greater than a predetermined speed threshold.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a duration of time associated with the second physical action; and

modifying the second system action when the duration of time is greater than a predetermined duration threshold.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting a mode of operation of the ultrasound system; and

mapping first and second system parameters to the first and second physical actions, the system parameters being based on the mode of operation.

18. A method for controlling an ultrasound system, comprising:

detecting a machine state of an ultrasound system;

detecting a physical action that physically moves a user operable member of a multi-function control interconnected with the ultrasound system, the multi-function control configured to allow both translational and rotational movements, the physical action being one of at least four physical actions of the user operable members, wherein the physical actions of the multi-function control are associated with different system actions;

displaying a label associated with the multi-function control, the label displaying a plurality of different graphical indicators associated with the four physical actions, the label further displaying a system parameter associated with each of the physical actions; and

performing the system action that is associated with the physical action, the multi-function control, and the machine state.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising displaying a label associated with one of the at least two multi-function controls, the label displaying at least one unique graphical indicator that is associated with one of the physical actions.

20. The method of claim 18, the method further comprising displaying a label associated with one of the at least two multi-function controls, the label displaying at least one of a first graphical indicator associated with a rotational movement, a second graphical indicator associated with a push movement, a third graphical indicator associated with a toggling movement in first and second directions, and a fourth graphical indicator associated with a toggling movement in third and fourth directions, the first, second, third and fourth graphical indicators being different from each other.

21. A user interface for controlling an ultrasound system, comprising:

a display for displaying ultrasound data; and

at least one multi-function control configured to control different functions of the ultrasound system, the multi-function control having a corresponding user operable member configured to extend above a surface of the ultrasound system, at least one of the user operable members being movable with physical actions comprising both rotational and translational movements, wherein the movements are associated with different system parameters corresponding to different ultrasound system actions, and

a plurality of labels each having a defined set of parameters controllable by the multi-function control and associated graphical indicators associating the rotational and translational movements to the parameters, wherein a label from the plurality of labels is displayed based on a mode of operation.

22. The user interface of claim 21, wherein at least one of the graphical indicators is not displayed in one of the modes of operation corresponding to a physical action not used in the mode of operation.

23. The user interface of claim 21, wherein at least one of the physical actions controlling the defined parameters is different for different modes of operation.