Method for adaptively scheduling ultrasound system actions

• US 9,530,398 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2013
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: White Eagle Sonic Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: White Eagle Sonic Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Tobias, Richard, Wu, Bicheng, Parikh, Ashish
• Primary Examiner(s): Ratcliffe, Luke
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baghdasaryan, Hovhannes
• Application Number:
  US14/098,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20140160894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0207 Driving circuits specially adapted for particular applications, see the relevant subclass, e.g. G01; circuits for steering transducer arrays G10K11/34; basic circuits H03
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/041 Controlled or regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8979 Combined Doppler and pulse-echo imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/899 Combination of imaging systems with ancillary equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52082 involving a modular construction, e.g. a computer with short range imaging equipment modular ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/4411
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52085 Details related to the ultrasound signal acquisition, e.g. scan sequences control of medical diagnostic ultrasound devices A61B8/54
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52098 related to workflow protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/18 Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound G10K11/02, G10K11/36 take precedence

Abstract

A method of adaptively scheduling ultrasound device actions starts with an electronic circuit included in an adaptive scheduler selecting a next task in a task list. The task list may include tasks scheduled to be performed by an ultrasound system. Each of the tasks may include a plurality of task actions. The electronic circuit may then determine if a task action included in the next task can start. This determination may include determining if the task action can be completed without interfering with a start of a higher priority task in the task list. When the electronic circuit determines that the next task action can start, the electronic circuit may signal to a beam associated with the task action to start and perform the task action. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of adaptively scheduling ultrasound device actions comprising:

selecting by an electronic circuit included in an adaptive scheduler a next task in a task list, wherein the task list includes a plurality of tasks scheduled to be performed by an ultrasound system, wherein each of the tasks includes a plurality of task actions that is used by an adaptive scheduler for adaptive scheduling, wherein the plurality of task actions include a plurality of parallel ultrasound task actions, wherein at least one of the ultrasound task actions include a timed beam firing sequence, wherein the plurality of task actions are associated with the at least one probe unit;

adaptively modifying by the electronic circuit the task list based on signals received from an input device or from a receiver, wherein adaptively modifying the task list includes;

determining by the electronic circuit if a task action included in the next task can start, wherein determining if the task action can start includes determining if the task action can be completed without interfering with a start of a higher priority task in the task list; and

signaling by the electronic circuit to a beam associated with the task action to start and perform the task action upon determination that the next task action can start.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining by the electronic circuit whether the end of the task list has been reached upon determination that the next task action cannot start; and

selecting by the electronic circuit a task that follows the next task in the task list upon determination that the end of the task list has not been reached.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tasks includes a first beam task being a task associated with a first beam and a second beam task being a task associated with a second beam, the first beam having a higher priority level than the second beam.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the task action can start includes:

determining if the task action depends on receiving an event from at least one of a probe unit or an external device; and

determining if the event has been received upon determination that the task action depends on receiving the event.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the event is a signal received by the adaptive scheduler that indicates a completion of a task action by at least one of the probe unit or the external device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the event is a signal received by the adaptive scheduler that indicates that a list of tasks has been modified at the request of a user.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein upon receipt of the event, the adaptive scheduler performs at least one of:

pausing task actions, modifying task parameters, adding tasks, deleting tasks, or invoking software procedures.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein while the beam associated with the task action starts and performs the task action, upon receipt of the event, the adaptive scheduler performs at least one of:

pausing task actions, modifying task parameters, adding tasks, deleting tasks, or to invoking software procedures.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the task action can start includes:

analyzing timing constraints associated with the task action and timing constraints associated with the higher priority task in the task list.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tasks includes a photoacoustic laser firing task or an electrocardiogram task.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the task list includes, for each of the plurality of tasks, an identification of one of the plurality of beams and at least one of:

a number of beam firing actions, a setup time, a firing time, a dead-time, a pulse repetition period, a desired rate of images per second, or a number of multifocal zones.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the identification of the one of the plurality of beams is a beam type of the one of the plurality of beams.

13. A non-transitory storage device, having stored therein instructions, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method of adaptively scheduling ultrasound device actions, the method comprising:

selecting a next task in a task list, wherein the task list includes a plurality of tasks scheduled to be performed by an ultrasound system, wherein each of the tasks includes a plurality of task actions that is used by an adaptive scheduler for adaptive scheduling, wherein the plurality of task actions include a plurality of parallel ultrasound task actions, wherein at least one of the ultrasound task actions include a timed beam firing sequence, wherein the plurality of task actions are associated with the at least one probe unit;

adaptively modifying by the electronic circuit the task list based on signals received from an input device or from a receiver, wherein adaptively modifying the task list includes;

determining if a task action included in the next task can start, wherein determining if the task action can start includes determining if the task action can be completed without interfering with a start of a higher priority task in the task list; and

signaling to a beam associated with the task action to start and perform the task action upon determination that the next task action can start.

14. The non-transitory storage device of claim 13, wherein the instructions stored therein, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the method further comprising:

determining whether the end of the task list has been reached upon determination that the next task action cannot start; and

selecting a task that follows the next task in the task list upon determination that the end of the task list has not been reached.

15. The non-transitory storage device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of tasks includes a first beam task being a task associated with a first beam and a second beam task being a task associated with a second beam, the first beam having a higher priority level than the second beam.

16. The non-transitory storage device of claim 13, wherein determining if the task action can start includes:

determining if the task action depends on receiving an event from at least one of a probe unit and an external device; and

determining if the event has been received upon determination that the task action depends on receiving the event.

17. The non-transitory storage device of claim 16, wherein the event is a signal received that indicates a completion of a task action by at least one of the probe unit and the external device.

18. The non-transitory storage device of claim 17, wherein the event is a signal received that indicates that a list of tasks has been inputted by the user.

19. The non-transitory storage device of claim 17, wherein the instructions stored therein, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the method further comprising:

while the beam associated with the task action starts and performs the task action, upon receipt of the event, performing at least one of;

pausing task actions, modifying task parameters, adding tasks, deleting tasks, or to invoking software procedures.

20. The non-transitory storage device of claim 13, wherein determining if the task action can start includes:

analyzing timing constraints associated with the task action and timing constraints associated with the higher priority task in the task list.