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

• US 9,555,255 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2016
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cirtec Medical Corp.
• Original Assignee: Nuvectra Corporation
• Inventors: Drees, Scott, Kaula, Norbert, Iyassu, Yohannes, Leyh, Scott G., Polefko, Richard J., Trier, Stephen C., Yoder, Raymond L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Koharski, Christopher D
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAHMOOD, NADIA AHMAD
• Application Number:
  US15/091,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20160228717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 300 Days
• Field of Search: 607/46, 607/59, 607/60
• 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 portable electronic programmer has a display screen, one or more sensors, a non-transitory memory storing instructions, and one or more electronic processors configured to execute the instructions to perform operations that include: detecting, via the one or more sensors, that the display screen of the portable electronic programmer has been engaged by an object; determining a location of the display screen of the portable electronic programmer that has been engaged; and causing an external monitor to display a visual indicator that corresponds to the location of the display screen of the portable electronic programmer, the external monitor being communicatively coupled to the portable electronic programmer.

Claims

1. A portable electronic programmer, comprising:

a display screen;

one or more sensors;

a non-transitory memory storing instructions; and

one or more electronic processors configured to execute the instructions to perform operations that include;

detecting, via the one or more sensors, that the display screen of the portable electronic programmer has been engaged by an object;

determining a location of the display screen of the portable electronic programmer that has been engaged; and

causing an external monitor to display a visual indicator that corresponds to the location of the display screen of the portable electronic programmer, the external monitor being communicatively coupled to the portable electronic programmer.

2. The portable electronic programmer of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

programming a pulse generator to generate electrical stimulation therapy for treating a patient.

3. The portable electronic programmer of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include a touch sensor or a proximity sensor.

4. The portable electronic programmer of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying a first visual content on the display screen of the portable electronic programmer; and

causing a second visual content to be displayed on the external monitor, wherein the second visual content is a scaled-up copy of the first visual content.

5. The portable electronic programmer of claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises detecting an engagement of a human finger or a stylus on the screen of the portable electronic programmer.

6. The portable electronic programmer of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic programmer is outside of a view of a person who is viewing the external monitor.

7. The portable electronic programmer of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator includes a cursor that is at least partially transparent.

8. The portable electronic programmer of claim 1, wherein the external monitor is at least multiple times larger than the display screen of the portable electronic programmer.

9. A system, comprising:

a first display mechanism; and

a portable electronic device communicatively coupled to the first display mechanism, the portable electronic device having a second display mechanism different from the first display mechanism, the portable electronic device being configured to;

detect, via one or more sensors, that the second display mechanism has been engaged by an object;

determine a location of the second display mechanism that has been engaged; and

cause the first display mechanism to display a visual indicator that corresponds to the location of the second display mechanism.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the portable electronic device is configured to program a pulse generator to generate electrical stimulation therapy for treating a patient.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising the pulse generator, the pulse generator being communicatively coupled to the portable electronic device.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more sensors include a touch sensor or a proximity sensor.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the portable electronic device is further configured to:

display a first visual content on the second display mechanism; and

cause a second visual content to be displayed on the first display mechanism, wherein the second visual content is a scaled-up copy of the first visual content.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the portable electronic device is configured to detect an engagement of a human finger or a stylus on the second display mechanism.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the portable electronic device is outside of a view of a person who is viewing the first display mechanism.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the visual indicator includes a cursor that is at least partially transparent.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the first display mechanism is at least multiple times larger than the first display mechanism.

18. A portable electronic programmer, comprising:

a display screen;

one or more sensors;

a non-transitory memory storing instructions; and

one or more electronic processors configured to execute the instructions to perform operations that include;

displaying a visual content on the display screen of the portable electronic programmer;

detecting, while the visual content is being displayed and via the one or more sensors, that the display screen of the portable electronic programmer has been touched by a finger or by a stylus;

determining a location of the display screen of the portable electronic programmer that has been touched;

communicating the location to a monitor that is situated remotely from the portable electronic programmer, wherein the monitor is displaying a magnified version of the visual content displayed on the screen of the portable electronic programmer; and

graphically indicating, on the monitor, the location of the portable electronic programmer that is touched.

19. The portable electronic programmer of claim 18, wherein the display screen of the portable electronic programmer is touched by a first person, and wherein the screen of the portable electronic programmer is not visible to a second person who is viewing the monitor.

20. The portable electronic programmer of claim 18, wherein the graphically indicating comprises displaying a cursor on the monitor, wherein the cursor is not displayed on the display screen of the portable electronic programmer.