User interface in an ultrasound system

Embodiments of a user interface in an ultrasound system are disclosed. In one embodiment, the ultrasound system comprises a display unit for prompting a user to touch a desired one of hierarchically arranged soft buttons for triggering an execution of the function of the ultrasound system associated with the touched button. The display unit includes a display having a display with touch panel mounted. The display unit is configured to display a touch screen menu together with the ultrasound image on the display.

The present application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2008-0028801 filed on Mar. 28, 2008, the entire subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to user interfaces, and more particularly to a user interface adapted to utilize a touch screen in an ultrasound system.

BACKGROUND

Recently, an ultrasound system has been extensively used in the medical field due to its non-invasive and non-destructive nature. Modern high-performance ultrasound imaging systems and techniques are commonly used to produce two dimensional ultrasound images, three-dimensional ultrasound images and color flow images of internal features of patients. Further, such ultrasound systems provide various functions such as image recording, image annotation, zooming, archiving, panning and the like.

As the number of functions performed by the ultrasound system is increased, the size of a user interface such as a control panel, on which a keyboard, a track ball and slide bars are installed, is also inevitably increased. However, it is difficult to expand the area of the user interface due to the limited space of the ultrasound system. To resolve this problem, the ultrasound system may provide a touch screen as the user interface. The touch screen may be mounted on a control panel in the conventional ultrasound system. In order to install the touch screen on the ultrasound system, a touch panel liquid crystal display and an additional graphic card should be additionally provided. Thus, installing the touch screen on the control panel significantly increases the manufacturing costs.

Further, the ultrasound system may use a display, the horizontal size of which is relatively lager than the vertical size (e.g., the aspect ratio is 4:3 or 16:9). However, there is a problem since a display area of the display is not efficiently used due to the characteristics of the ultrasound image.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of a user interface, which utilizes a touch screen in an ultrasound system, are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, by way of non-limiting example, an ultrasound system comprises: an ultrasound diagnostic unit for forming an ultrasound image based on echoes reflected from a target object; a touch screen menu forming unit for forming a touch screen menu having graphics and text, the touch screen menu including hierarchically arranged soft buttons associated with functions of the ultrasound system; and a display unit including a display with a touch panel mounted, the display unit being configured to display the touch screen menu together with the ultrasound image on the display to prompt a user to touch a desired one of the soft buttons for triggering an execution of the associated function therewith, wherein a display area of the display is horizontally divided into an upper display area and a lower display area, wherein the ultrasound image is displayed on the upper display area and the touch screen menu is displayed on the lower display area.

In another embodiment, an ultrasound system comprises: an ultrasound diagnostic unit for forming an ultrasound image based on echoes reflected from a target object; a touch screen menu forming unit for forming a touch screen menu having graphics and text, the touch screen menu including hierarchically arranged soft buttons associated with functions of the ultrasound system; and a display unit including a display with a touch panel mounted, the display unit being configured to display the touch screen menu together with the ultrasound image on the display to prompt a user to touch a desired one of the soft buttons for triggering an execution of the associated function therewith, the display unit further including a support to rotatably support the display; a rotation detection unit configured to detect rotation of the display to output a rotation detection signal; and a control unit configured to determine a display mode of the ultrasound image and the touch screen menu in response to the rotation detection signal.

In another embodiment, an ultrasound system comprises: an ultrasound diagnostic unit for forming an ultrasound image based on echoes reflected from a target object; a touch screen menu forming unit for forming a touch screen menu having graphics and text, the touch screen menu including hierarchically arranged soft buttons associated with functions of the ultrasound system; a display unit including a display with a touch panel mounted, the display unit being configured to display the touch screen menu together with the ultrasound image on the display to prompt a user to touch a desired one of the soft buttons for triggering an execution of the associated function therewith, the display unit further including a support to rotatably support the display; a rotation detection unit configured to detect rotation of the display to output a rotation detection signal; an approach sensing unit mounted on the display unit, the approach sensing unit being configured to sense an approach of an object to output an approach sensing signal while the object is within a predetermined distance from the display; and a control unit configured to determine a display mode of the ultrasound image and the touch screen menu in response to the rotation detection signal and the approach sensing signal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A detailed description may be provided with reference to the accompanying drawings. One of ordinary skill in the art may realize that the following description is illustrative only and is not in any way limiting. Other embodiments of the present invention may readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons having the benefit of this disclosure.

Referring more particularly toFIG. 1, an illustrative embodiment of an ultrasound system100is shown. As depicted, the ultrasound system100may include an ultrasound diagnostic unit110configured to form ultrasound images based on ultrasound echoes reflected from a target object. The ultrasound diagnostic unit110may include a probe (not shown) for transmitting and receiving ultrasound signals, a beam former (not shown) for forming a receive beam based on the ultrasound echoes, and an image processing unit (not shown) for processing the receive beam to form the ultrasound image of the target object.

The ultrasound system100may further include a touch screen menu forming unit120that may be operable to form a touch screen menu having graphics and text. The touch screen menu may include hierarchically arranged soft buttons associated with functions of the ultrasound system. For example, the touch screen menu may be classified into a main menu and a sub menu. The main menu may include image mode buttons for selecting the ultrasound image modes such as a 2-dimensional (2D) mode, a color mode, a Power Doppler mode and a pulsed wave mode, and a utility mode for setup of the ultrasound system100. The sub menu may include a plurality of image adjusting buttons and a plurality of setup buttons associated with the respective soft buttons contained in the main menu. The instructions may include requests for display mode selection, patient information display, rotation of an ultrasound image, enlargement and reduction, gain adjustment, measurement, movement of a cursor and the like.

The ultrasound system may further include a display unit130that may display an ultrasound image formed in the ultrasound diagnosing unit110. Also, the display unit130may further display the touch screen menu formed in the touch screen menu forming unit120. In one embodiment, the display unit130may include a display with a touch panel mounted, such as a touch panel liquid crystal display (LCD). The touch panel may be configured to detect a user touch to thereby output a touch signal corresponding to a touch location of the user on the display. That is, the display is configured to display the touch screen menu together with the ultrasound image on the display panel to prompt a user to touch a desired one of the hierarchically arranged soft buttons for triggering an execution of the associated function therewith. The display unit130may further include a support to rotatably support the display in a predetermined direction within a predetermined angle by the user.

The ultrasound system100may additionally include a rotation detecting unit140. The rotation detecting unit140may be configured to detect a rotation of the display in the display unit130to thereby output a detection signal (“rotation detection signal”). Referring now toFIG. 2, if the display210is rotated to be within a first angle range P1of about 0 to 45 degrees with respect to a reference angle (e.g., 0 degree), then the rotation detecting unit140may output a first rotation detection signal. Also, if the display210is rotated to be within a second angle range P2of about 45 to 90 degrees, then the detecting unit140may output a second rotation detection signal. In one embodiment, when the display210is rotated to be positioned at an angle of 45 degrees, the detecting unit140may output the second rotation detection signal.

The ultrasound system may further include a control unit150. The control unit150may be configured to control transmission/reception of the ultrasound signals. Further, the control unit150may be operable to control formation of the ultrasound image and the touch screen menu. The control unit150may also be configured to determine a display mode of the ultrasound image and the touch screen menu on the display in response to the rotation detection signals.

In one embodiment, if the first rotation detection signal is outputted from the detecting unit140, then the control unit150may be operable to control the display unit130such that a first display area320and a second display area330are displayed on left and right sides of the screen, respectively, as illustrated inFIG. 3. In such a case, the ultrasound image UI may be displayed on the first display area320and the touch screen menu may be displayed on the second display area330. As described above, the touch screen menu may include the main menu332and the sub menu334. In one embodiment, a ratio of the horizontal dimensions of the first display area320and the second display area340may be set to 3:1. However, the ratio is certainly not limited thereto. The size ratio may be adjusted according to the image mode.

In one embodiment, it has been described that the ultrasound image UI may be displayed on the first display area320and the touch screen menu may be displayed on the second display area340. However, displaying the ultrasound image UI and the touch screen menu is certainly not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the touch screen menu may be displayed on the first display area320and the ultrasound image UI may be displayed on the second display area330. In such a case, the ratio of the horizontal dimensions of the first display area320and the second display area330may be set to 1:3, although it is certainly not limited thereto.

If the second rotation detection signal is outputted from the detecting unit140, then the control unit150may be operable to control the display310such that a third display area340and a fourth display area350are displayed on upper and lower sides of the screen of the display310, respectively, as illustrated inFIG. 4. In such a case, the ultrasound image UI may be displayed on the third display area340and the touch screen menu may be displayed on the fourth display area350. The touch screen menu may include the main menu352and the sub menu354. A ratio of the vertical dimensions of the third display area340and the fourth display area350may be set to 7:1. However, the ratio is certainly not limited thereto.

If the touch signal is inputted from the display unit130, then the control unit150may be configured to control the ultrasound system100such that the function corresponding to the soft button located at the user touch is performed.

The ultrasound system100may further include an approach sensing unit160. In one embodiment, the approach sensing unit160may be installed on a front side of the display unit130. However, the location of the approach sensing unit160is not limited thereto. The approach sensing unit160may be operable to sense whether any object such as a user's hand, a stylus, etc. approaches the approach sensing unit160within a predetermined distance. If the object approaches within the predetermined distance, then the approach sensing unit160may output an approach sensing signal. Any device capable of sensing the approach of the object may be used as the approach sensing unit160.

If the approach sensing signal is not outputted from the approach sensing unit160, then the control unit150may be operable to control the display310such that the main menu is only displayed on the display unit130, as illustrated inFIG. 5. In such a case, the display area330displaying the touch screen menu may be reduced depending on the size of the main menu332. That is, the control unit150may control the display unit130such that the display area320for displaying the ultrasound image UI may be widened and the display area330for displaying the touch screen may be reduced. In another embodiment, If the approach sensing signal is not outputted, then the control unit150may be operable to control the display310such that the ultrasound image UI is only displayed.

However, if the approach sensing signal is outputted from the approach sensing unit160, then the control unit150may be operable to control the main menu332and the sub menu334to be displayed at the same time, as illustrated inFIG. 6. In such a case, the size of the display area330for displaying the touch screen menu may be adjusted according to the size of the main menu332and sub menu334.

FIGS. 7 and 8show examples of displaying the ultrasound image and the touch screen menu, while the display of the display unit130is rotated to be at an angle of 90 degrees. If the approach sensing signal is outputted from the approach sensing unit160, then the control unit150may be operable to control the display310such that the main menu is only displayed on the display unit130, as illustrated inFIG. 7. In such a case, the display area350displaying the touch screen menu may be reduced depending on the size of the main menu352. That is, the control unit150may control the display unit130such that the display area340for displaying the ultrasound image may be widened and the display area350for displaying the touch screen may be reduced. Also, the control unit may be operable to control the display unit130such that the ultrasound image is only displayed while the approach sensing signal is not outputted in another embodiment.

However, if the second signal is outputted from the approach sensing unit160, then the control unit150may be operable to control the main menu352and the sub menu354to be displayed at the same time, as illustrated inFIG. 8. In such a case, the size of the display area350for displaying the touch screen menu may be adjusted according to the size of the main menu352and sub menu354.

In one embodiment, since the display unit and the user interface are embodied in a single device, costs may be reduced. Also, the touch screen menu is provided on the display together with the ultrasound image so that the user may easily select a desirable function of the ultrasound system without changing the user's sight. Further, since the touch screen menu is provided on a residual display area while the ultrasound image is displayed, the display area of the display unit130may be efficiently utilized.