Global Input Device for Multiple Computer-Controlled Medical Systems

• US 20080055239A1
• Filed: 02/02/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stereotaxis, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Stereotaxis, Inc.
• Inventors: Viswanathan, Raju R., Blume, Walter M., Kastelein, Nathan, Besson, Guy, Tomassoni, Gery, Garibaldi, Jeffrey M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,567,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/24 Keyboard-Video-Mouse [KVM] switch
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/08 Cursor circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

An integrated control and display system for operating a plurality of separate computer systems each having a visual display, includes at least one cursor control device for seamlessly moving a cursor among the visual displays of the separate computer systems, the cursor control device operating to control the computer system associated with the display on which the cursor appears.

Claims

1. An integrated control and display system for operating a plurality of separate computer systems each having a visual display, comprising:

at least one cursor control device for seamlessly moving a cursor among the visual displays of the separate computer systems, the cursor control device operating to control the computer system associated with the display on which the cursor appears.

2. The integrated control and display system according to claim 1 further comprising a composite display displaying the visual displays of each of the separate computer systems, the at least one cursor control device functioning to move the cursor across the composite display and the visual displays of each of the separate computer systems displayed thereon.

3. The integrated control and display system according to claim 1 wherein the cursor manipulated on the composite display changes appearance on at least some of the visual displays of the separate computer systems.

4. The integrated control and display system according to claim 2 wherein the system displays a composite cursor when the cursor is in the spaces between the visual displays of the separate computer systems, and displays the native cursor of the separate computer system when the cursor is over the visual display of that separate computer system.

5. The integrated control and display system according to claim 1 wherein each of the visual displays of the separate computer systems is displayed on a separate display, and wherein the at least one cursor control device functions to move the cursor among the separate displays.

6. The integrated control and display system according to claim 5 wherein the displays for each of the visual displays are arranged in an array, and wherein the at least one cursor control device functions to move the cursor from a display device to an immediately adjacent display device in the array.

7. The integrated control and display system according to claim 1 wherein there are at least two cursor control devices, each cursor control device operating a different cursor.

8. The integrated control and display system according to claim 7 wherein when two or more cursors are on the visual display of the same separate computer system, each of the cursors are identified with an associated identifying indicia.

9. The integrated control and display system according to claim 7 wherein when two or more cursors are on the visual display of the same separate computer system, only one of the cursors is identified as being active for controlling the separate computer system.

10. The integrated control and display system according to claim 7 wherein when two or more cursors are on the visusal display of the same separate computer system, only one of the cursors is selected to be active for controlling the separate computer system.

11. The integrated control and display system according to claim 10 wherein when two or more cursors are on the visual display of the same separate computer system, the cursor that was moved most recently is selected to be active.

12. The integrated control and display system according to claim 7 wherein when two or more cursors are on the visual display of the same separate computer system, the cursor that most recently appeared on the display is active.

16. The method according to claim 8 wherein there are at least two cursor control devices, and further comprising separately operating each cursor control device to separate cursors on the composite display.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein only one of the cursor control devices can operate the separate computer system when two or more cursors are on the same visual display corresponding to the separate computer system.

13. A method of operating a plurality of separate computer systems, each having a visual display, comprising:

displaying the visual displays from each of a plurality of separate computer systems;

operating at least one cursor control device to manipulate a cursor to one of the visual displays, and operating the cursor control to operate the separate computer system corresponding to the visual display.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the visual displays are displayed on a composite display, and wherein the step of operating the at least one cursor control, comprises operating the at least one cursor control to move a cursor on the composite display to a selected visual display, and operating the cursor control to operate the separate computer system corresponding to the visual display.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein the cursor changes appearance on at least some of the visual displays of the separate computer systems.

18. The method according to claim 13 wherein the visual displays of the separate computer systems are display on separate displays, and wherein the step of operating the at least one cursor control, comprises operating the at least one cursor control to move a cursor from display to display to a selected visual display, and operating the cursor control to operate the separate computer system corresponding to the visual display.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein the cursor changes appearance on at least some of the visual displays of the separate computer systems.

20. The method according to claim 18 wherein there are at least two cursor control devices, and further comprising separately operating each cursor control device to separate cursors on the composite display.

21. The method according to claim 18 wherein only one of the cursor control devices can operate the separate computer system when two or more cursors are on the same visual display corresponding to the separate computer system.

22. The method according to claim 18 wherein the displays for each of the visual displays are arranged in an array, and wherein the step of operating the at least one cursor control device comprises operating the cursor control device to move a cursor from one display to an immediately adjacent display in the array.

23. A control for operating a plurality of separate computer systems, the control comprising:

a composite display;

a video system for receiving display input from each of the plurality of separate computer systems and displaying it on the composite display;

a processor; and

a cursor control device providing cursor control input for the composite display which is translated by the processor to a corresponding local cursor location on each of the separate computer systems when the cursor on the composite display is on the display corresponding to that separate computer system.

24. A control for operating a plurality of separate computer systems, the control comprising:

a composite display;

a video system for receiving display input from each of the plurality of separate computer systems and displaying it on the composite display;

a processor;

a cursor control system connected to the processor, and to each of the separate computer systems

a cursor control device connected to the cursor control system, the cursor control system receiving input from the cursor control device and communicating the input to the processor, and communicating cursor control input generated by the processor to each of the separate computer systems when the cursor on the composite display is on the display corresponding to that separate computer system.

25. A method of operating a plurality of separate computer systems comprising:

displaying the separate displays from each of the plurality of separate computer systems on a composite display;

translating inputs generated by the operation of a cursor control device to control signals to an interface computer to move a cursor in the interstices between the separate displays on the composite screen and to control signals to the separate computer systems to operate the separate computer systems, so that the cursor appears to operate substantially continuously across the entire composite display, and when the cursor is positioned over the separate display of one of the separate computer systems, the cursor control device operates the separate computer system.

26. The method according to claim 25 wherein the step of translating inputs generated by the operation of a cursor control device to control signals to an interface computer and to control signals to the separate computer systems includes communicating the signals using the USB protocol.

27. The method according to claim 26 wherein the relative movements of the cursor control device relative to the composite display are translated into absolute cursor positions communicated to the separate computer systems using the USB protocol.

28. The method according to claim 25 wherein the step of translating inputs comprises scaling to provide smooth cursor movement, as the cursor moves across the composite display.

29. A control for operating a plurality of separate computer systems, the control comprising:

a composite display including the visual displays from at least some of the plurality of separate computer systems;

a processor;

a cursor control device providing cursor control input for the composite display which is translated by the processor to a corresponding local cursor location on each of the separate computer systems when the cursor on the composite display is on the display corresponding to that separate computer system.

30. The control according to claim 29 further comprising a video system for receiving display input from each of the plurality of separate computer systems and displaying it on the composite display.

31. An integrating control and display system for operating a plurality of separate computer systems, comprising:

a composite display integrating the separate displays from each of a plurality of separate computer systems;

a cursor control device for manipulating a cursor on the composite display, including on the displays of each of the separate computer systems on the composite display, the cursor control device operating the system corresponding to the separate display on which it appears on the composite display.

32. A method of operating a plurality of separate computer systems without altering the hardware or software of the separate computer systems, the method comprising:

displaying the separate displays of each of the plurality of separate computer systems on a composite display of a composite computer system;

operating the cursor control device of the composite computer system to manipulate a cursor on the composite display, and when the cursor on the composite display overlays the separate display of one of the separate computer systems, cursor control signals are generated to operate the separate computer system corresponding to the operation of the cursor control device of the composite system using an existing computer interface.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the cursor control signals are generated with a USB computer interface for operating the separate computer system.

34. A method of controlling a plurality of separate computer systems, comprising:

displaying the display from each of the separate computer systems on an integrated display;

accepting inputs form a cursor control device to move a cursor control device across the integrated display, the cursor control being operable to operate the separate computer system over which the cursor is displayed on the integrated display.