Patent Publication Number: US-11647986-B2

Title: Ultrasound diagnosis apparatus connected to wireless ultrasound probes and method of operating the same

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a Continuation Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/871,212, filed on Jan. 15, 2018, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/550,054, filed on Aug. 25, 2017, in the U.S. Patent Office and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2017-0181453, filed on Dec. 27, 2017, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The present disclosure relates to ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses connected to wireless ultrasound probes and methods of operating the ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses, and more particularly, to ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses paired with a plurality of wireless ultrasound probes and operation methods for displaying status information regarding the paired plurality of wireless ultrasound probes on a display of the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Ultrasound systems transmit ultrasound signals generated by transducers of an ultrasound probe to an internal part of an object and receive information about echo signals reflected therefrom, thereby obtaining an image of the internal part of the object. In particular, ultrasound systems are used for medical purposes including observation of an internal area of an object, detection of foreign substances, diagnosis of damage to the object, and imaging of characteristics. 
     Wireless ultrasound probes connected to an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus by using wireless communication are nowadays being developed in order to improve the operability of an ultrasound probe by removing a communication cable for transmitting and receiving ultrasound image data between the ultrasound probe and the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and eliminating the inconvenience caused by the communication cable. However, at the present time, an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus including a wireless ultrasound probe may contain only one wireless ultrasound probe, and only one wireless ultrasound probe may be connected to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus. Furthermore, even when an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes a plurality of wireless ultrasound probes, only one of the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes may be paired to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus. Thus, in the case that a user desires to use a wireless ultrasound probe other than a wireless ultrasound probe currently paired to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, the user suffers the inconvenience of having to disconnect the paired wireless ultrasound probe and pair the desired wireless ultrasound probe again. 
     SUMMARY 
     Provided are ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses simultaneously connected with a plurality of wireless ultrasound probes and configured to display a user interface (UI) indicating identification (ID) information regarding the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes connected thereto. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses may display UIs indicating status information regarding the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes paired using a wireless communication method. 
     Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments. 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes: a communicator connected with a plurality of different wireless probes through a wireless communication method by receiving pairing reception signals from the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes; a controller configured to control the communicator to wirelessly connect the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus with the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes and to wirelessly receive status information regarding the connected plurality of wireless ultrasound probes; and a display configured to display a user interface (UI) indicating the received status information regarding the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes. 
     For example, the communicator may include a plurality of communication modules paired one-to-one with the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes and configured to respectively transmit or receive ultrasound image data to or from the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes. 
     The communicator may be connected with the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes by using at least one of wireless communication methods including a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, Zigbee, Wi-Fi Direct (WFD), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Near Field Communication (NFC), Wireless Broadband Internet (WiBro), World Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Shared Wireless Access Protocol (SWAP), Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WiGig), and radio frequency (RF) communication. 
     The communicator may be configured to acquire insert information about a wireless ultrasound probe inserted into a holder of the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, among the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes. The controller may be further configured to detect the wireless ultrasound probe inserted into the holder, based on the insert information, and the display may be further configured to display connection information regarding the wireless ultrasound probe detected among the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes. 
     The display may be further configured to display a UI indicating the status information including at least one of an identification (ID), a wireless communication frequency, a connection type, a supported application, a wireless communication method, a communication status, battery charging information, a remaining battery capacity, and a time left for use with respect to each of the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes. 
     The communicator may be configured to receive, from an activated wireless ultrasound probe, ultrasound raw data generated by the wireless ultrasound probe activated among the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes, and the display may be further configured to display a UI indicating a type of a wireless communication method used to transmit and receive ultrasound data to and from the activated wireless ultrasound probe. 
     The UI may include characters indicating identifications (IDs) of the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes and thumbnail images representing shapes thereof. 
     The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus may further include a user input interface configured to receive a user input of selecting one of the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes, and the communicator may be configured to transmit an activation signal for operating a first wireless ultrasound probe selected among the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes, based on the user input to transmit ultrasound signals to an object. The display may be further configured to display the first wireless ultrasound probe that has received the activation signal to be distinguished from the unselected ones of the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes. 
     The controller may be further configured to generate a beamformer control signal for controlling a beamformer included in each of the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes and control the communicator to transmit the generated beamformer control signal to the activated first wireless ultrasound probe. 
     The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus may further include a sound output unit configured to output a preset sound when the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes are connected wirelessly to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of operating an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes: connecting a plurality of different wireless ultrasound probes with the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus by using a wireless communication method; receiving status information regarding the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes; and displaying a user interface (UI) indicating the received status information regarding the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes. 
     The connecting of the plurality of different wireless ultrasound probes with the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus may include: pairing wireless communication modules in the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus; one-to-one with the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes; and transmitting and receiving ultrasound image data respectively to and from the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes. 
     The connecting of the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes with the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus may include connecting the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes with the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus by using at least one of wireless communication methods including a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, Zigbee, Wi-Fi Direct (WFD), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Near Field Communication (NFC), Wireless Broadband Internet (WiBro), World Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Shared Wireless Access Protocol (SWAP), Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WiGig), and radio frequency (RF) communication. 
     The connecting of the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes with the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus may include: acquiring insert information about a wireless ultrasound probe inserted into a holder of the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, among the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes; detecting the wireless ultrasound probe inserted into the holder, based on the insert information; and displaying pairing information regarding the wireless ultrasound probe detected among the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes. 
     The displaying of the UI may include displaying a UI indicating the status information including at least one of an identification (ID), a wireless communication frequency, a connection type, a supported application, a wireless communication method, a communication status, battery charging information, a remaining battery capacity, and a time left for use with respect to each of the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes. 
     The method may further include receiving, from an activated wireless ultrasound probe, ultrasound raw data generated by the wireless ultrasound probe activated among the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes, and the displaying of the UI may include displaying a UI indicating a type of a wireless communication method used to transmit and receive ultrasound data to and from the activated wireless ultrasound probe. 
     The displaying of the UI may include displaying characters indicating identifications (IDs) of the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes and thumbnail images representing shapes thereof. 
     The method may further include: receiving a user input of selecting one of the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes; transmitting an activation signal for operating a first wireless ultrasound probe selected among the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes based on the user input to transmit ultrasound signals to an object; and displaying the first wireless ultrasound probe that has received the activation signal to be distinguished from the unselected ones of the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes. 
     The method may further include generating a beamformer control signal for controlling a beamformer included in each of the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes and transmitting the generated beamformer control signal to the activated first wireless ultrasound probe. 
     The method may further include outputting a preset sound when the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes are connected wirelessly to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program including instructions for performing operations of: connecting a plurality of different wireless ultrasound probes with an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus by using a wireless communication method; receiving status information regarding the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes; and displaying a user interface (UI) indicating the received status information regarding the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and/or other aspects will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG.  1    is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example in which an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus is connected with a plurality of wireless ultrasound probes and displays status information regarding the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes connected thereto, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG.  2    is a block diagram of a configuration of an ultrasound system according to an embodiment; 
         FIG.  3    is a block diagram of a configuration of an ultrasound system according to another embodiment; 
         FIG.  4    is a flowchart of a method of operating an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG.  5    is a flowchart of a method, performed by an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, of transmitting or receiving a pairing signal and ultrasound image data to or from a wireless ultrasound probe, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG.  6    illustrates an example in which an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus displays status information regarding a plurality of wireless ultrasound probes connected thereto, according to an embodiment; 
         FIGS.  7 A and  7 B  are diagrams illustrating examples in which an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus displays information about a status of its communication with a plurality of wireless ultrasound probes connected thereto, according to embodiments; 
         FIG.  8    is a flowchart of a method, performed by an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, of acquiring ultrasound image data by using a wireless ultrasound probe selected based on a user input, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG.  9    illustrates a user interface (UI) indicating a wireless ultrasound probe activated among a plurality of wireless ultrasound probes, based on a user input, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG.  10    is a block diagram of a configuration of an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus including a wireless ultrasound probe, according to an embodiment; and 
         FIGS.  11 A through  11 C  are diagrams illustrating ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses according to embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Advantages and features of one or more embodiments of the present invention and methods of accomplishing the same may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawings. In this regard, the present embodiments may have different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the descriptions set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the concept of the present embodiments to one of ordinary skill in the art, and the present invention will only be defined by the appended claims. 
     Terms used herein will now be briefly described and then one or more embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. 
     All terms including descriptive or technical terms which are used herein should be construed as having meanings that are obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. However, the terms may have different meanings according to the intention of one of ordinary skill in the art, precedent cases, or the appearance of new technologies. Also, some terms may be arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meaning of the selected terms will be described in detail in the detailed description of the invention. Thus, the terms used herein have to be defined based on the meaning of the terms together with the description throughout the specification. 
     When a part “includes” or “comprises” an element, unless there is a particular description contrary thereto, the part can further include other elements, not excluding the other elements. Also, the term “unit” in the embodiments of the present invention means a software component or hardware component such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and performs a specific function. However, the term “unit” is not limited to software or hardware. The “unit” may be formed so as to be in an addressable storage medium, or may be formed so as to operate one or more processors. Thus, for example, the term “unit” may refer to components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, and may include processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, micro codes, circuits, data, a database, data structures, tables, arrays, or variables. A function provided by the components and “units” may be associated with the smaller number of components and “units”, or may be divided into additional components and “units”. 
     In the present specification, an “object” may be a human, an animal, or a part of a human or animal. For example, the object may be an organ (e.g., the liver, the heart, the womb, the brain, a breast, or the abdomen), a blood vessel, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the “object” may be a phantom. The phantom means a material having a density, an effective atomic number, and a volume that are approximately the same as those of an organism. For example, the phantom may be a spherical phantom having properties similar to the human body. 
     Furthermore, in the present specification, a “user” may be, but is not limited to, a medical expert, such as a medical doctor, a nurse, a medical laboratory technologist, and a technician who repairs a medical apparatus. 
     Furthermore, in the present specification, the terms “first”, “second”, “1-1”, etc. are only used to distinguish one component, element, object, image, pixel, or patch from another component, element, object, image, pixel, or patch. Thus, these terms are not limited to representing the order or priority among elements or components. Expressions such as “at least one of,” when preceding a list of elements, modify the entire list of elements and do not modify the individual elements of the list. 
     Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In this regard, the present embodiments may have different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the descriptions set forth herein. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments with unnecessary detail. 
       FIG.  1    is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example in which an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  is connected with a plurality of wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  and displays status information regarding the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  connected thereto, according to an embodiment. 
     Referring to  FIG.  1   , the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may be connected with the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  including first through fourth wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  by using a wireless communication method. Although  FIG.  1    shows that the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  is a cart type apparatus, it may be implemented as a portable type apparatus. Examples of portable ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses may include, but are not limited to, a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) viewer, a hand-carried cardiac ultrasound (HCU) device, a smartphone, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a tablet PC. 
     In an embodiment, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may be an apparatus configured to generate an ultrasound image by processing ultrasound image data received from one of the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  and display the generated image, or be an apparatus for implementing only an image display function without performing a separate image processing function. 
     Each of the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  may transmit ultrasound signals to an object and receive echo signals reflected from the object to thereby produce reception signals. Each of the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  may also perform image processing on the reception signals to thereby generate ultrasound image data and then transmit the generated ultrasound image data to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100 . 
     Although a total of four (4) wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  are shown throughout the specification including  FIG.  1   , this is merely an example, and the number of wireless ultrasound probes connected to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  is not limited to 4. The wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  may each be different types of probes having different functions, but embodiments are not limited thereto. 
     The wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  may be connected to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  by using a wireless communication method. In this case, “connected” may mean a state in which the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  is paired to use at least one of the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204 . Even when the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  is connected with the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204 , it does not mean that the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may use all of the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  to transmit ultrasound signals to the object. “Pairing” is conceptually different from “activation”, as will be described in more detail below with reference to  FIGS.  8  and  9   . 
     For example, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may be connected wirelessly with the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  by using local area wireless communication. For example, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may be wirelessly paired with the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  by using at least one of data communication methods including a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, Zigbee, Wi-Fi Direct (WFD), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Near Field Communication (NFC), Wireless Broadband Internet (WiBro), World Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Shared Wireless Access Protocol (SWAP), Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WiGig), and radio frequency (RF) communication. 
     According to an embodiment, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may receive ultrasound raw data generated and digital-converted by a wireless ultrasound probe activated among the wireless ultrasound probe  201  through  204  by using a 60-GHz millimeter wave (mmWave) local area communication method. However, embodiments are not limited thereto, and the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may receive, through a WLAN or Wi-Fi, ultrasound image data that is used to construct an ultrasound image via an activated wireless ultrasound probe. 
     The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may display a user interface (UI) indicating status information regarding the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  on a display  130 . According to an embodiment, the display  130  may display a UI indicating status information including at least one of a wireless communication frequency, a connection type, a supported application, a wireless communication method, a communication status, battery charging information, a remaining battery capacity, and a time left for use with respect to each of the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  connected wirelessly to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100 . For example, the display  130  may display a first UI  141  indicating a status of a wireless communication connection with the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100 , a second UI  142  indicating a wireless pairing method for connecting to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100 , a third UI  143  indicating a communication method for transmitting or receiving ultrasound image data to or from the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100 , and a fourth UI  144  indicating a remaining battery capacity or whether a battery is being charged. Furthermore, the display  130  may display a fifth UI  145  indicating ID information of each of the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  connected wirelessly to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100 . UIs indicating status information will be described in more detail below with reference to  FIGS.  6 ,  7 A, and  7 B . 
     The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may display on the display  130  connection states of the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  that are connected wirelessly thereto, and embodiments are not limited thereto. According to an embodiment, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may output a preset sound when wirelessly connected with the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204 . Furthermore, in another embodiment, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may output different sounds respectively according to ID information of the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204 . For example, when the first and second wireless ultrasound probes  201  and  202  are respectively connected to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100 , the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may output first and second sounds, respectively. 
     A conventional ultrasound system including a wireless ultrasound probe includes only one wireless ultrasound probe, or even when the ultrasound system includes a plurality of wireless ultrasound probes, only one of the wireless ultrasound probes may be wirelessly paired thereto. Thus, when a user desires to use a wireless ultrasound probe other than a wireless ultrasound probe currently being paired, the user suffers the inconvenience of having to disconnect the paired wireless ultrasound probe and then pair the desired wireless ultrasound probe again. 
     On the other hand, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  according to the present embodiment may be wirelessly paired with the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  simultaneously. Thus, when the user desires to use one of the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204 , this configuration may allow the user to immediately use the desired wireless ultrasound probe without a separate additional pairing process, thereby increasing user convenience. Furthermore, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may display a UI indicating status information including connection states of the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  such that the user may easily identify a wireless connection state, a wireless communication method, and a remaining battery capacity of each of the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204 . 
       FIG.  2    is a block diagram of a configuration of an ultrasound system according to an embodiment. 
     Referring to  FIG.  2   , the ultrasound system may include an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  and a plurality of wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204 . The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may be implemented not only as a cart type apparatus but also as a portable type apparatus. Examples of portable ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses may include, but are not limited to, a PACS viewer, a HCU device, a smartphone, a laptop computer, a PDA, and a tablet PC. 
     In an embodiment, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may be an apparatus configured to generate an ultrasound image by processing ultrasound image data received from one of the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  and display the generated image, or be an apparatus for implementing only an image display function without performing a separate image processing function. 
     The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may include a communicator  110 , a controller  120 , and a display  130 . The communicator  110  may be connected simultaneously with the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  by using a wireless communication method. For example, the communicator  110  may simultaneously be paired wirelessly with the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  by using at least one of wireless communication techniques including a WLAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, WFD, IrDA, BLE, NFC, WiBro, WiMAX, SWAP, WiGig, and RF communication method. 
     According to an embodiment, the communicator  110  may include a wireless communication module for pairing with the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  and a data communication module for receiving ultrasound raw data generated by a wireless ultrasound probe that is activated among the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204 . The communicator  110  may include a 60-GHz mmWave data communication module and receive raw data via the 60-GHz mmWave data communication module. To acquire the raw data, a wireless ultrasound probe activated among the wireless ultrasound probes transmits ultrasound signals to the object, processes received ultrasound echo signals, and performs analog-to-digital conversion on the resulting signals. The wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  may be wirelessly paired to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  simultaneously, but only one of the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  may be activated. Thus, the communicator  110  may include one 60-GHz mmWave data communication module for performing data communication with the one activated wireless ultrasound probe. 
     In another embodiment, the communicator  110  may not include the 60-GHz mmWave data communication module. When a wireless ultrasound probe that is activated among the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  directly transmits to the display  130  image data that is used to construct an ultrasound image of the object, a relatively small amount of data may be transmitted compared to transmission of ultrasound raw data. In this case, the communicator  110  may include only a local area communication module for pairing. 
     According to an embodiment, the communicator  110  may wirelessly receive status information regarding the paired wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  respectively from the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204 . The communicator  110  may periodically receive status information regarding each of the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  to check a state thereof based on the status information. For example, the status information may include at least one of a wireless communication frequency, a connection type, a supported application, a wireless communication method, a communication status, battery charging information, a remaining battery capacity, and a time left for use with respect to each of the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204 . 
     The controller  120  may control operations of the communicator  110  and the display  130 . In detail, the controller  120  may control the communicator  110  to wirelessly pair the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  with the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  and wirelessly receive status information regarding the paired wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204 . Furthermore, the controller  120  may generate a UI indicating the status information regarding the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204 , which are received via the communicator  110  and control the display  130  to display the generated UI. 
     For example, the controller  120  may be formed as a hardware module including at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphic processing unit, random-access memory (RAM), and read-only memory (ROM). In an embodiment, the controller  120  may be implemented as an application processor (AP). The controller  120  may also be implemented as a hardware component such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). However, embodiments are not limited thereto, and the controller  120  may include components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components and task components, processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, micro codes, circuits, data, a database, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. 
     The display  130  may display a UI indicating status information regarding each of the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  wirelessly paired to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100 . According to an embodiment, the display  130  may display a graphical user interface (GUI) graphically representing at least one of a wireless communication frequency, a connection type, an executable application, a wireless communication method, a communication status, battery charging information, a remaining battery capacity, and a time left for use with respect to each of the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204 . In an embodiment, the display  130  may display a GUI indicating a data communication method for receiving ultrasound raw data or image data acquired from imaging from a wireless ultrasound probe activated among the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204 . 
     Furthermore, the display  130  may display characters respectively indicating ID information of the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  and thumbnail images graphically representing shapes of the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204 . 
     The display  130  may be constructed by a physical device including at least one of a cathode ray tube (CRT) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display panel (PDP), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, a field-emission display (FED), an LED display, a vacuum fluorescent display (VFD), a digital light processing (DLP) display, a flat panel display, a three-dimensional (3D) display, and a transparent display, and embodiments are not limited thereto. According to an embodiment, the display  130  may be formed as a touch screen including a touch interface. When the display  130  is formed as a touch screen, the display  130  may be integrated with a touch pad to receive a user touch input. 
     Each of the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  may transmit ultrasound signals to an object and receive echo signals reflected from the object to produce reception signals. Each of the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  may also perform image processing on the reception signals to thereby generate ultrasound image data. The wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  may be wirelessly connected to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  simultaneously via the communicator  110 . According to an embodiment, the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  may transmit generated ultrasound image data wirelessly to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  via the communicator  110 . 
     Although not shown in  FIG.  2   , the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may further include a sound output unit. The sound output unit may output a preset sound when the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  is connected wirelessly with the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204 . According to an embodiment, the sound output unit may output different sounds respectively according to ID information of the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204 . For example, when the first and second wireless ultrasound probes  201  and  202  are respectively connected to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100 , the sound output unit may output first and second sounds, respectively. 
       FIG.  3    is a block diagram of a configuration of an ultrasound system according to another embodiment. 
     Referring to  FIG.  3   , the ultrasound system according to the present embodiment may include an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100 ′ and a plurality of wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204 . The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100 ′ shown in  FIG.  3    includes the same components as the controller  120  and the display  130  of the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  described with reference to  FIG.  2   , except for a communicator  110 ′, and thus descriptions that are already provided above with respect to  FIG.  2    will be omitted here. 
     The communicator  110 ′ may include first through fourth wireless communication modules  111  through  114 . The first through fourth wireless communication modules  111  through  114  may be paired one-to-one with the wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204  by using at least one of wireless communication methods including WLAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, WFD, IrDA, BLE, NFC, WiBro, WiMAX, SWAP, WiGig, and RF communication. For example, the first through fourth wireless communication modules  111  through  114  may respectively be paired with the first through fourth ultrasound probes  201  through  204 . 
     The first through fourth wireless communication modules  111  through  114  may transmit or receive ultrasound image data to or from the first through fourth wireless ultrasound probes  201  through  204 . 
       FIG.  4    is a flowchart of a method of operating an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, according to an embodiment. 
     The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus is connected with a plurality of wireless ultrasound probes by using a wireless communication method (operation S 410 ). The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus may be connected wirelessly with the wireless ultrasound probes by using at least one of wireless communication methods including WLAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, WFD, IrDA, BLE, NFC, WiBro, WiMAX, SWAP, WiGig, and RF communication. In operation S 410 , when the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus is “connected” with the wireless ultrasound probes, it may mean that the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus is paired to use at least one of the wireless ultrasound probes. According to an embodiment, the wireless ultrasound probes connected to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus may each be different types of probes having different functions. However, embodiments are not limited thereto. 
     The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus receives status information from the wireless ultrasound probes (S 420 ). According to an embodiment, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus may receive, by using a wireless communication method, status information including at least one of ID information, a wireless communication frequency, a connection type, an executable application, a wireless communication method, a communication status, battery charging information, a remaining battery capacity, and a time left for use with respect to each of the paired wireless ultrasound probes. 
     The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus may display a UI indicating the received status information regarding the wireless ultrasound probes (S 430 ). According to an embodiment, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus may display a GUI including characters respectively indicating ID information of the wireless ultrasound probes and thumbnail images respectively representing shapes of the wireless ultrasound probes. Furthermore, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus may display a GUI graphically representing at least one of a wireless communication frequency, a connection type, an executable application, a wireless communication method, a communication status, battery charging information, a remaining battery capacity, and a time left for use with respect to each of the paired wireless ultrasound probes. 
       FIG.  5    is a flowchart of a method, performed by an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100 , of transmitting or receiving a pairing signal and ultrasound image data to or from a wireless ultrasound probe  200 , according to an embodiment. 
     The wireless ultrasound probe  200  transmits, to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100 , insert information indicating its insertion into the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  (operation S 510 ). In an embodiment, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may include a holder into which the wireless ultrasound probe  200  is inserted. When the wireless ultrasound probe  200  is placed in the holder, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may receive insert information and recognize the wireless ultrasound probe  200  placed therein based on the received insert information. 
     According to another embodiment, when the wireless ultrasound probe  200  is located a short distance corresponding to a preset distance from the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100 , the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may identify the wireless ultrasound probe  200 . For example, when the wireless ultrasound probe  200  includes an NFC communication module, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may identify the wireless ultrasound probe  200  by using NFC when the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  is within a preset distance from the wireless ultrasound probe  200 . 
     According to another embodiment, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may identify the wireless ultrasound probe  200  based on a user input signal input via a user input device (such as a button) mounted on the wireless ultrasound probe  200 , e. g., by using a probe information recognition method based on an RFID, etc. 
     The wireless ultrasound probe  200  transmits a pairing signal to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  (operation S 521 ), and the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  transmits a pairing signal to the wireless ultrasound probe  200  (operation S 522 ). 
     The pairing signals in operations S 521  and S 522  may be exchanged between the wireless ultrasound probe  200  and the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  by using at least one of wireless communication methods including WLAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, WFD, IrDA, BLE, NFC, WiBro, WiMAX, SWAP, WiGig, and RF communication. 
     The wireless ultrasound probe  200  provides status information to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  (operation S 530 ). According to an embodiment, the status information may include at least one of ID information, a wireless communication frequency, a connection type, an executable application, a wireless communication method, a communication status, battery charging information, a remaining battery capacity, and a time left for use with respect the wireless ultrasound probe  200 . The wireless ultrasound probe  200  may transmit the status information to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  by using a wireless communication method. 
     The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  displays a UI indicating the received status information regarding the wireless ultrasound probe  200  (operation S 540 ). In an embodiment, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may display a GUI indicating the status information on a display. 
     The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  transmits a beamforming control signal to the wireless ultrasound probe  200  (operation S 550 ). According to an embodiment, the wireless ultrasound probe  200  may be an ultrasound probe having a beamformer therein, and the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may transmit to the wireless ultrasound probe  200  a signal for controlling the beamformer provided in the wireless ultrasound probe  200  to irradiate ultrasound signals towards an object by using a wireless communication method. 
     The wireless ultrasound probe  200  transmits ultrasound signals to the object based on the received beamforming control signal and generates ultrasound image data based on ultrasound echo signals reflected from the object (operation S 560 ). 
     The wireless ultrasound probe  200  transmits the generated ultrasound image data to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  (operation S 570 ). According to an embodiment, the wireless ultrasound probe  200  may transmit the ultrasound image data generated by performing analog-to-digital conversion on ultrasound raw data regarding the object to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  by using a 60-GHz local area wireless communication method. In another embodiment, the wireless ultrasound probe  200  may generate a final ultrasound image based on the ultrasound image data regarding the object and transmit the generated final ultrasound image to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  by using a wireless communication method such as Wi-fi, Bluetooth, etc. 
       FIG.  6    illustrates an example in which an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus displays status information regarding a plurality of wireless ultrasound probes, i.e., first through fourth wireless ultrasound probes  601  through  604  connected thereto, according to an embodiment. 
     Referring to  FIG.  6   , a display  600  may display in a first region  600 - 1  a UI including thumbnail images respectively representing shapes of the first through fourth wireless ultrasound probes  601  through  604  connected to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and characters respectively indicating ID information of the first through fourth wireless ultrasound probes  601  through  604 . As a component of the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, the display  600  may be attached to a control panel to display a UI, but embodiments are not limited thereto. The display  600  may display an ultrasound image of an object via one of the first through fourth wireless ultrasound probes  601  through  604 . The display  600  may display in a second region  600 - 2  UIs used for operating the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, e.g., for obtaining an ultrasound image of the object or manipulating the obtained ultrasound image by using the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus. 
     A UI indicating status information regarding the first through fourth wireless ultrasound probes  601  through  604  wirelessly paired to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus may be displayed in the first region  600 - 1 . In an embodiment, the UI may be a GUI graphically representing status information. For example, the status information may include at least one of a wireless connection status, a wireless communication method, a wireless communication frequency, and a connection type with respect to each of the first through fourth wireless ultrasound probes  601  through  604 . 
     For example, a first UI  610  indicating ID information of the first wireless ultrasound probe  601 , a second UI  620 - 1  indicating a status of wireless connection between the first wireless ultrasound probe  601  and the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, and a third UI  630  indicating a wireless communication method used to pair the first wireless ultrasound probe  601  with the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus may be displayed in the first region  600 - 1  of the display  600 . The first UI  610  indicating the ID information of the first wireless ultrasound probe  601  may be displayed as characters, but the second UI  620 - 1  may be a GUI indicating a wireless connection status as the number of bar-shaped antennas. The third UI  630  may be a GUI composed of symbols indicating Wi-fi, Bluetooth, NFC, WiGig, etc. The number of bars in the second UI  620 - 1  and the number of antennas in the third UI  630  may be symbols that graphically represent a status of wireless communication between the first wireless ultrasound probe  601  and the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus. For example, in the third UI  630  indicating pairing via Wi-fi, the more antennas that are filled in a fan-shaped antenna symbol may mean the smoother Wi-fi pairing between the first wireless ultrasound probe  601  and the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus. 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG.  6   , the second through fourth wireless ultrasound probes  602  through  604  may be wirelessly paired with the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus by using Bluetooth, NFC, and WiGig, respectively. Statuses of wireless communications between each of the second through fourth wireless ultrasound probes  602  through  604  and the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus may respectively be displayed via first UIs  620 - 2  through  620 - 4 . 
     A fourth UI  640  indicating a method of data communication between the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and the fourth wireless ultrasound probe  604  activated among the first through fourth wireless ultrasound probes  610  through  602  may be displayed in the first region  600 - 1 . A thumbnail image of the fourth wireless ultrasound probe  604  that is the activated wireless ultrasound probe and its neighborhood may be shown in a specific color or shade to distinguish the fourth wireless ultrasound probe  604  from the first through third wireless ultrasound probes  601  through  603  that are not activated. According to an embodiment, a UI  600   a  representing a state of wireless pairing with the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and a UI  600   b  representing a state in which an ultrasound signal is being transmitted to the object, i.e., an activated state, may be indicated on the thumbnail image of the fourth wireless ultrasound probe  604 . 
     According to an embodiment, the fourth wireless ultrasound probe  604  may transmit ultrasound signals to the object, receive ultrasound echo signals reflected from the object, and perform analog-to-digital conversion on the ultrasound echo signals to thereby generate ultrasound raw data. The fourth wireless ultrasound probe  604  may transmit the ultrasound raw data to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus by using a 60-GHz mmWave data communication method. In this case, a fourth UI  640  may include a UI  640 - 1  indicating a status of data communication between the fourth ultrasound probe  604  and the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and a UI  640 - 2  indicating a method of transmission of ultrasound raw data as “60 GHz”. The fourth UI  640  may be displayed on one side of the thumbnail image of the fourth wireless ultrasound probe  604  that is the activated wireless ultrasound probe. 
     Furthermore, the display  600  may display in the first region  600 - 1  a UI indicating a state of a battery embedded in each of the first through fourth wireless ultrasound probes  601  through  604  connected to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, whether the battery is being charged, a time left for use, etc. For example, fifth UIs  650 - 1  and  650 - 2  respectively indicating that batteries respectively embedded in the first and second wireless ultrasound probes  601  and  602  are being charged may be displayed in the first region  600 - 1 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG.  6   , the fifth UIs  650 - 1  and  650 - 2  may allow the user to easily identify that the first and second wireless ultrasound probes  601  and  602  are being charged. 
     In an embodiment, a battery embedded in the third wireless ultrasound probe  603  may be fully charged to 100% while a battery in the fourth wireless ultrasound probe  604  may have 60% charge left. In this case, the display  600  may display fifth UIs  650 - 3  and  650 - 4  indicating the remaining battery capacities of the third and fourth wireless ultrasound probes  603  and  604  as geometric shapes or symbols and sixth UIs  660 - 3  and  660 - 4  indicating them as percentage (%) figures or characters. 
     According to an embodiment, the display  600  may display seventh UIs  670 - 3  and  670 - 4  respectively indicating remaining usable times of the third and fourth wireless ultrasound probes  603  and  604 . 
     While  FIG.  6    shows that the display  600  simultaneously displays second UIs  620 - 1  through  620 - 4  indicating a wireless connection status, the third UI  630  indicating a wireless communication method, the fourth UI  640  indicating a wireless communication frequency, the fifth UIs  650 - 1  and  650 - 2  indicating whether batteries are being charged, the fifth UIs  650 - 3  and  650 - 4  and sixth UIs  660 - 3  and  660 - 4  indicating remaining battery capacities, and the seventh UIs  670 - 3  and  670 - 4  indicating remaining usable times, embodiments are not limited thereto. In an embodiment, status information may include at least one of ID information, a wireless communication frequency, a connection type, a supported application, a wireless communication method, a communication status, battery charging information, a remaining battery capacity, and a time left for use with respect to each of the first through fourth wireless ultrasound probes  601  through  604  paired to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus by using a wireless communication method. Furthermore, UIs indicating the above status information may be displayed simultaneously or separately. 
       FIGS.  7 A and  7 B  are diagrams illustrating examples in which an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus displays information about a status of its communication with a plurality of wireless ultrasound probes connected thereto, according to embodiments. 
     Referring to  FIG.  7 A , a wireless ultrasound probe  701  may be connected wirelessly to an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  700 . In an embodiment, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  702  may be a cart type apparatus, but is not limited thereto. 
     According to an embodiment, the wireless ultrasound probe  701  may be wirelessly paired to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  702  by using a communication method such as Wi-fi, WLAN, or Bluetooth. Furthermore, the wireless ultrasound probe  701  may transmit ultrasound raw data generated using ultrasound echo signals acquired from the object to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  702 . In this case, the wireless ultrasound probe  701  may transmit the ultrasound raw data wirelessly to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  702  by using a 60-GHz mmWave data communication method. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  702  may perform image processing on the received ultrasound raw data to generate an ultrasound image. 
     A display  710  of the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  702  may display first through fifth UIs  721  through  725  indicating status information of the wireless ultrasound probe  701 . For example, the display  710  may display the first UI  721  indicating ID information of the wireless ultrasound probe  701 , the second UI  722  indicating a method of pairing with the wireless ultrasound probe  701 , the third UI  723  indicating a status of data communication between the wireless ultrasound probe  701  and the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  702 , the fourth UI  724  indicating a method of performing data communication with the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  702 , and the fifth UI  725  indicating a status of a battery in the wireless ultrasound probe  701 . 
     Although the second and fourth UIs  722  and  724  both indicate methods of wireless communication between the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  702  and the wireless ultrasound probe  701 , they actually indicate different types of communication methods. In detail, the second UI  722  indicates a wireless communication method such as Wi-fi, Bluetooth, etc., via which the wireless ultrasound probe  701  is wirelessly paired to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  702 , whereas the fourth UI  724  indicates a data communication method for transmitting ultrasound raw data generated by the wireless ultrasound probe  701  to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  702 . 
     The second UI  722  and a third UI  723  may both indicate a status of wireless communication between the wireless ultrasound probe  701  and the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  702 . For example, the second UI  722  may indicate that the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  702  is wirelessly paired with the wireless ultrasound probe  701  via Wi-fi while simultaneously displaying a status of the wireless pairing. In other words, when the number of fan-shaped antennas in the second UI  722  increases, it may mean that wireless pairing is performed more smoothly. Similarly, the third UI  723  may indicate status information about data communication between the wireless ultrasound probe  701  and the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  702  based on the number of bar-shaped antennas. For example, as the number of bar-shaped antennas in the third UI  723  increases, ultrasound raw data generated by the wireless ultrasound probe  701  may be transmitted to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  702  more smoothly. 
     Referring to  FIG.  7 B , a wireless ultrasound probe  703  may be wirelessly connected to an ultrasound imaging apparatus  704 . In an embodiment, the ultrasound imaging apparatus  704  may be a tablet pc, but is not limited thereto. 
     The wireless ultrasound probe  703  may be paired with the ultrasound imaging apparatus  704  by using a communication method such as Wi-fi or Bluetooth. The wireless ultrasound probe  703  may include both a beamformer and an image processor, and perform analog-to-digital conversion of ultrasound echo signals and then post-processing of the resulting signals to thereby generate ultrasound image data regarding an object. In this case, the wireless ultrasound probe  703  may transmit the ultrasound image data to the ultrasound imaging apparatus  704  by using a local area wireless communication method such as Wi-fi, WLAN, or Bluetooth. The wireless ultrasound probe  703  may transmit data having a resolution suitable for a table PC to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  704  after performing additional image processing on ultrasound raw data. 
     A display  730  of the ultrasound imaging apparatus  704  may display UIs  741  through  743  indicating status information of the wireless ultrasound probe  703 . For example, the display  730  may display the first UI  741  indicating ID information of the wireless ultrasound probe  703 , the second UI  742  indicating a method of pairing and data communication with the wireless ultrasound probe  703 , and the third UI  743  indicating a status of a battery in the wireless ultrasound probe  703 . Unlike the second UI  722  described with reference to  FIG.  7 A , the second UI  742  may indicate both a method of wireless pairing between the wireless ultrasound probe  703  and the ultrasound imaging apparatus  704  and a method of communicating ultrasound image data therebetween. 
     In the embodiments shown in  FIGS.  7 A and  7 B , the wireless ultrasound probe  701  and  703  may generate only ultrasound raw data regarding the object or acquire ultrasound image data by performing post-processing of the ultrasound raw data and transmit the ultrasound raw data and the ultrasound image data respectively to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  702  and the ultrasound imaging apparatus  704 . The wireless ultrasound probe  701  according to the embodiment shown in  FIG.  7 A  transmits to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  702  ultrasound raw data with higher image quality and higher frame rate than in the embodiment shown in  FIG.  7 B . Thus, the wireless ultrasound probe  701  may use a 60-GHz mmWave data communication method for the transmission. In the embodiment shown in  FIG.  7 B , the wireless ultrasound probe  703  generates ultrasound image data with low image quality and low frame rate by performing post-processing of ultrasound raw data and transmits the ultrasound image data to the ultrasound imaging apparatus  704  such as a tablet PC. In this case, the wireless ultrasound probe  703  may use a communication method such as Wi-fi or Bluetooth for the transmission. 
     According to the embodiments described with reference to  FIGS.  7 A and  7 B , when the wireless ultrasound probes  701  and  703  transmits ultrasound raw data or ultrasound image data by using different types of communication methods, UIs ( 722  and  723  of  FIG.  7 A and  742    of  FIG.  7 B ) indicating data communication methods are respectively displayed on the displays  710  and  730 . This allows the user to easily identify a data communication method, thereby increasing user convenience. 
       FIG.  8    is a flowchart of a method, performed by an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100 , of acquiring ultrasound image data by using a first wireless ultrasound probe  201  selected based on a user input, according to an embodiment. 
     The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  receives a user input for using at least one of a plurality of wireless ultrasound probes (operation S 810 ). According to an embodiment, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may include a user input interface for receiving a user input. The user input interface may include hardware components such as a key pad, a mouse, a trackball, a touch pad, a touch screen, and a jog switch, but are not limited thereto. In operation S 810 , the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may receive a user input of selecting the first wireless ultrasound probe  201  among the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes via the user input interface. 
     The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  transmits an activation signal to the first wireless ultrasound probe  201  (operation S 820 ). In this case, an “activation signal” is a signal for operating the first wireless ultrasound probe  201  selected based on the user input to transmit ultrasound signals to an object and receive ultrasound echo signals reflected from the object. The activation signal is different from a pairing signal (operation  521  of  FIG.  5   ) for simply connecting the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  with the first wireless ultrasound probe  201  in a wireless manner. 
     According to an embodiment, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may transmit the activation signal to the first wireless ultrasound probe  201  by using at least one of wireless data communication techniques including a WLAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, WFD, IrDA, BLE, NFC, WiBro, WiMAX, SWAP, WiGig, and RF communication. 
     The first wireless ultrasound probe  201  transmits an activation completion signal and an ultrasound emission preparation signal to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  (operation S 830 ). 
     The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  displays the first wireless ultrasound probe  201  to be distinguished from the unselected other wireless ultrasound probes (operation S 840 ). In an embodiment, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may include a display configure to display a UI indicating ID information and thumbnail images of the wireless ultrasound probes including the first wireless ultrasound probe  201 . The display may display the first wireless ultrasound probe  201  that has transmitted the activation signal and the ultrasound emission preparation signal to be distinguished from the other wireless ultrasound probes, e. g., by using a different color, by adding a shade therein, or by displaying ID information in bold characters. 
     The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  transmits a beamforming control signal to the first wireless ultrasound probe  201  (operation S 850 ). According to an embodiment, the first wireless ultrasound probe  201  may be an ultrasound probe having a beamformer therein, and the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  may transmit to the wireless ultrasound probe  201  a signal for controlling the beamformer provided in the first wireless ultrasound probe  201  to irradiate ultrasound signals towards the object by using a wireless communication method. 
     The first wireless ultrasound probe  201  transmits ultrasound signals to the object based on the received beamforming control signal and receives ultrasound echo signals reflected from the object (operation S 860 ). 
     The first wireless ultrasound probe  201  generates ultrasound image data by performing image processing on the received ultrasound echo signals (operation S 870 ). 
     The first wireless ultrasound probe  201  transmits the generated ultrasound image data to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  (operation S 880 ). According to an embodiment, the first wireless ultrasound probe  201  may transmit the ultrasound image data generated by performing analog-to-digital conversion on ultrasound raw data regarding the object to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  by using a 60-GHz local area wireless communication method. In another embodiment, the first wireless ultrasound probe  201  may generate a final ultrasound image based on the ultrasound image data regarding the object and transmit the generated final ultrasound image to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  100  by using a wireless communication method such as Wi-fi, Bluetooth, etc. 
       FIG.  9    illustrates a UI displayed on a display  900  of an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, the UI indicating a second wireless ultrasound probe  902  activated among a plurality of wireless ultrasound probes, i.e., first through fourth wireless ultrasound probes  901  through  904  based on a user input, according to an embodiment. 
     Referring to  FIG.  9   , the display  900  may display only the second wireless ultrasound probe  902 , which is activated among the first through fourth wireless ultrasound probes  901  through  904  based on a user input, to be distinguished from the other wireless ultrasound probes, i.e., the first, third, and fourth wireless ultrasound probes  901 ,  903 , and  904 . According to an embodiment, the display  900  may display only a region including ID information and a thumbnail image of the second wireless ultrasound probe  902  in shade or in a different color from those for regions showing the other wireless ultrasound probes  901 ,  903 , and  904 . Furthermore, the display  900  may display an activation UI  910  indicating an activated wireless ultrasound probe in the region where the ID information and the thumbnail image of the second wireless ultrasound probe  902  are displayed. Although not shown in  FIG.  9   , the display  900  may display characters representing the ID information of the activated second wireless ultrasound probe  902  in bold type unlike for those representing ID information of the other wireless ultrasound probes  901 ,  903 , and  904 . 
     According to the embodiment described with reference to  FIG.  9   , the user may intuitively identify only the currently activated second wireless ultrasound probe  902  from among the first through fourth wireless ultrasound probes  901  through  904  that are wirelessly paired to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus. 
       FIG.  10    is a block diagram of a configuration of an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000  including a wireless ultrasound probe  200 , according to an embodiment. 
     Referring to  FIG.  10   , the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000  may be connected with a wireless ultrasound probe  200  via a network  300 . 
     The wireless ultrasound probe  200  may include a transmitter  211 , a transducer  210 , a receiver  212 , a controller  220 , an image processor  230 , and a communicator  240 . Although  FIG.  10    shows that the wireless ultrasound probe  200  includes both the transmitter  211  and the receiver  212 , according to an implemented configuration, the wireless ultrasound probe  200  may include some of the components of the transmitter  211  and the receiver  212  while the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000  may also include some of them. 
     The transducer  210  may include a plurality of transducer elements. The plurality of transducer elements  211  transmit ultrasound signals to an object  10  in response to transmitting signals received from the transmitter  211 . The transducer elements may receive ultrasound signals reflected from the object  10  to generate reception signals. 
     The controller  220  controls the transmitter  211  to generate transmitting signals to be respectively applied to the transducer elements based on a position and a focal point of the transducer elements. 
     The controller  220  controls the receiver  212  to generate ultrasound data by performing analog-to-digital conversion on the reception signals received from the transducer  210  and summing the analog-to-digital converted reception signals based on a position and a focal point of the transducer elements. 
     The image processor  230  may generate an ultrasound image based on the generated ultrasound data. 
     The communicator  240  may wirelessly transmit the generated ultrasound data or ultrasound image to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000  via a wireless network. Alternatively, the communicator  240  may receive a control signal and data from the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000 . 
     The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000  may receive ultrasound data or an ultrasound image from the wireless ultrasound probe  200 . The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000  may include a communicator  1100 , a controller  1200 , a display  1300 , an image processor  1400 , an input interface  1500 , and a storage  1600 . 
     The controller  1200  may control all operations of the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000  and flow of signals between the internal elements of the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000 . The controller  1200  may include a memory for storing a program or data to perform functions of the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000  and a processor for processing the program or data. Furthermore, the controller  1200  may control the operation of the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000  by receiving a control signal from the input interface  1500  or an external apparatus. 
     The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000  may include the communicator  1100  and may be connected to external apparatuses, for example, servers, medical apparatuses, and portable devices such as smart phones, tablet PCs, wearable devices, etc., via the communicator  1100 . 
     The communicator  1100  may include at least one element capable of communicating with the external apparatuses. For example, the communicator  1100  may include at least one of a local area communication module, a wired communication module, and a wireless communication module. 
     The communicator  1100  may receive a control signal and data from an external apparatus and transmit the received control signal to the controller  1200  such that the controller  1200  may control the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000  in response to the received control signal. 
     Alternatively, the controller  1200  may transmit a control signal to the external apparatus via the communicator  1100  to control the external apparatus in response to the control signal from the controller  1200 . 
     For example, the external apparatus may process data from the external apparatus in response to the control signal from the controller  1200  received via the communicator  1100 . 
     A program for controlling the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000  may be installed in the external apparatus. The program may include command languages for performing part of operation of the controller  1200  or the entire operation thereof. 
     The program may be pre-installed in the external apparatus or may be installed by a user of the external apparatus by downloading the program from a server that provides applications. The server that provides applications may include a recording medium on which the program is stored. 
     The image processor  1400  may generate an ultrasound image by using ultrasound data received from the wireless ultrasound probe  200 . 
     The display  1300  may display an ultrasound image received from the wireless ultrasound probe  200  and an ultrasound image generated by the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000 . The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000  may include two or more displays  1300  according to its implemented configuration. Furthermore, the display  1300  may be combined with a touch panel to form a touch screen. 
     The storage  1600  may store various data or programs for driving and controlling the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000 , input and/or output ultrasound data, ultrasound images, etc. 
     The input interface  1500  receives a user input for controlling the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000 . For example, the user input may include an input for manipulating a button, a keypad, a mouse, a trackball, a jog switch, or a knop, an input for touching a touchpad or a touch screen, a voice input, a motion input, and an input of biometric information such as iris recognition or fingerprint recognition, but embodiments are not limited thereto. 
     Examples of the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000  according to an embodiment will now be described in detail with reference to  FIGS.  11 A through  11 C . 
       FIGS.  11 A,  11 B, and  11 C  are diagrams illustrating ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses according to an exemplary embodiment. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  11 A and  11 B , the ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses  1000   a  and  1000   b  may include a main display  1210  and a sub-display  1220 . At least one among the main display  1210  and the sub-display  1220  may include a touch screen. The main display  1210  and the sub-display  1220  may display ultrasound images and/or various information processed by the ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses  1000   a  and  1000   b . The main display  1210  and the sub-display  1220  may provide graphical user interfaces (GUI), thereby receiving user&#39;s inputs of data to control the ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses  1000   a  and  1000   b . For example, the main display  1210  may display an ultrasound image and the sub-display  1220  may display a control panel to control display of the ultrasound image as a GUI. The sub-display  1220  may receive an input of data to control the display of an image through the control panel displayed as a GUI. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses  1000   a  and  1000   b  may control the display of the ultrasound image on the main display  1210  by using the input control data. 
     Referring to  FIG.  11 B , the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000   b  may include a control panel  1650 . The control panel  1650  may include buttons, trackballs, jog switches, or knobs, and may receive data to control the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000   b  from the user. For example, the control panel  1650  may include a time gain compensation (TGC) button  1710  and a freeze button  1720 . The TGC button  1710  is to set a TGC value for each depth of an ultrasound image. Also, when an input of the freeze button  1720  is detected during scanning an ultrasound image, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000   b  may keep displaying a frame image at that time point. 
     The buttons, trackballs, jog switches, and knobs included in the control panel  1650  may be provided as a GUI to the main display  1210  or the sub-display  1220 . 
     Referring to  FIG.  11 C , the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000   c  may include a portable device. An example of the portable ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000   c  may include, for example, smart phones including probes and applications, laptop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), or tablet PCs, but an exemplary embodiment is not limited thereto. 
     The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000   c  may include the probe  2000  and a main body  3000 . The probe  2000  may be connected to one side of the main body  3000  by wire or wirelessly. The main body  3000  may include a touch screen  1450 . The touch screen  1450  may display an ultrasound image, various pieces of information processed by the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus  1000   c , and a GUI. 
     The embodiments of the present invention can be written as computer programs and can be implemented in general-use digital computers that execute the programs using a computer-readable recording medium. The above-described embodiments of the present disclosure may be embodied in form of a computer-readable recording medium for storing computer executable command languages and data. The command languages may be stored in form of program codes and, when executed by a processor, may perform a certain operation by generating a certain program module. Also, when executed by a processor, the command languages may perform certain operations of the disclosed embodiments. 
     Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include magnetic storage media (e.g., ROM, floppy disks, hard disks, etc.), optical recording media (e.g., CD-ROMs or DVDs), etc. 
     While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims. Accordingly, the above embodiments and all aspects thereof are examples only and are not limiting.