KR101005797B1 - Control panel of ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide a control panel of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which enables rapid ultrasonic diagnosis without causing inconvenience to the user by minimizing the movement of the user's hand and allowing the user to input several commands at one place. do.

To achieve this object, the present invention provides a control panel for transmitting an input made by a user to a control unit in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a control unit for controlling an operation, the trackball input means and disposed along the circumference of the trackball input means. And multiple input means for generating an input signal when the user manipulates each area, wherein a command executed in response to the input signal is key-mapped by the control unit. Provide a panel.

Ultrasonic Diagnostics, Control Panel, Trackball, Touchpad, Jog Dial, Keymapping

Description

CONTROL PANEL OF ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS}

1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus.

2 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a control panel of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus.

3 is a partial perspective view of a control panel according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

4A is a plan view of the control panel of FIG. 3.

4B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 4A.

5 is a partial plan view of a control panel illustrating a modification of the touch pad.

6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control panel of FIG. 3.

7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a multiple signal input.

8 is a partial plan view of a control panel according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the control panel of FIG. 8.

10 and 11 are partial plan views of a control panel according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

12 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the control panel of FIGS. 10 and 11.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

100: control panel 110: trackball

120: multiple input means 121: first region

122: second region 123: third region

124: fourth region

The present invention relates to a control panel of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, and more particularly, not only minimizes the movement of a user's hand, but also allows a user to input several commands in one place, without causing inconvenience to the user. The control panel of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of diagnosis.

In general, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is a kind of inspection apparatus that irradiates an ultrasonic wave to an inspection site of an object (for example, a human body) and converts the time difference between the irradiated ultrasound wave and the echo reflected from the inside into a distance by an electronic circuit to image it. to be. Since the ultrasonic waves used in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus are harmless to the living body, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is particularly useful for medical use, and is widely used for detecting foreign substances in the living body, determining the degree of damage, and observing tumors or fetuses.

Referring to FIG. 1, which illustrates an example of an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus may include a main body 1 having a movable cart shape, a keyboard, a switch operated by a user to input various commands required for ultrasound diagnosis, and the like. A control panel 10 equipped with an input device such as a trackball, a probe 2 connected to an electronic circuit inside the device and being in contact with the skin of the subject to perform irradiation and reception of ultrasonic waves, and processed by an electronic circuit or the like. It includes a monitor 3 in which the signal is implemented as an image.

2 illustrates a conventional control panel 10. The control panel 10 is an input device for performing an operation such as selecting a diagnostic mode, controlling a diagnostic operation, inputting a command necessary for the diagnostic operation, signal manipulation, output control, and the like, for example, informing the user of the device status or A touch screen 11 for direct input, a trackball 12 for performing pointing operations, a keyboard 13 for inputting letters or numbers, a mode selection key 14 for selecting a diagnostic mode setting of the device, And an input device such as a signal adjusting terminal 15 using time gain control and an encoder terminal 16 for adjusting an output signal or a screen state.

In actual ultrasound diagnosis, a user holds a probe in one hand and performs ultrasound irradiation on a specific part of the human body, and simultaneously performs ultrasound diagnosis by operating various input devices on the control panel 10 with the other hand. In this case, the interface between the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and the user may include a user operating the touch screen 11, rolling the trackball 12, operating the keyboard 13, operating the mode selection key 14, or various terminals. By manipulating the fields 15 and 16. Here, the track ball 12 is a kind of pointing device, and the user moves the pointer displayed on the touch screen 12 by using the user's finger or the palm in an arbitrary direction, or the examinee's examination displayed on the touch screen 11. It is used for scrolling for reading of a record or the like.

Since various input devices are distributedly arranged in the control panel of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having such a configuration, when the user inputs various commands necessary for ultrasound diagnosis or operates an ultrasound diagnosis operation, the user may select various distributed input devices. The alternating operation not only increases the number of user's hand movements, but also delays the ultrasound diagnosis, causing inconvenience to the user, and requiring a lot of time due to frequent hand movements. There is a problem.

The present invention has been devised to solve the above problems, by minimizing the movement of the user's hand and allowing multiple commands to be input at one place, an ultrasound diagnosis that enables rapid ultrasound diagnosis without causing inconvenience to the user. The purpose is to provide a control panel of the device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a control panel in which a command selected in response to an input signal can be displayed when a user generates an input signal.

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In order to achieve the above and other objects, according to the present invention, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a control unit for controlling the operation as a control panel for transmitting the input made by the user to the control unit, the trackball input means and And multiple input means arranged along a circumference of the trackball input means and having a plurality of input areas for generating an input signal when the user manipulates each input area, wherein the command executed in response to the input signal includes: Provided is a control panel of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus characterized in that the key is mapped by.

Here, the multiple input means generates a signal in accordance with the pressure of the annular touch pad disposed around the trackball input means, and the pressure applied to each input area of the annular touch pad and disposed under the annular touch pad. It is preferable to have at least one sensor for transmitting to the control unit.

In addition, the multiple input means is arranged along the annular jog dial disposed below the annular jog dial, the annular jog dial disposed about the trackball input means, and generates a signal when the annular jog dial contacts. It is preferable to have a plurality of switches for transmitting a signal to the control unit.

In addition, the control panel preferably further includes command display means for displaying a command key-mapped by the controller.

In this case, the command display means includes a plurality of light emitting diodes disposed in the vicinity of the respective input regions, and a plurality of signs attached to the control panel corresponding to each of the light emitting diodes and explaining the keymapped commands. can do. The command display means may be any one selected from a 7-segment display, a dot matrix display, or a liquid crystal display.

In addition, when the command corresponding to the signal from the multiple input means is a command for selecting the diagnostic mode, it is preferable that the controller corresponds a subsequent signal from the multiple input means to a command dependent on the selected diagnostic mode.

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Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail with respect to the present invention.

According to the present invention, as described in relation to the prior art, to control the user to perform the ultrasound diagnosis by frequently operating the various input devices distributedly arranged in the control panel to reduce the inconvenience and to perform a quick ultrasound diagnosis, Equipped with multiple input means that can generate multiple input signals around the trackball where the user's hands are mainly located when operating the panel, allowing the user to input commands to execute multiple operations with only one hand in one place. The control panel of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is provided.

3 is a partial perspective view of a control panel according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4A is a plan view of the control panel of FIG. 3, and FIG. 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 4A.

3 to 4B, the control panel 100 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention may include a control unit (not shown) for controlling an operation. It is a control panel having a plurality of input means for conveying the input made by. The control panel 100 is disposed along the circumference of the trackball 110 and the trackball 110, has a plurality of input areas, and multiple input means 120 key-mapped by the control unit so that commands executed in each area are different. Preferably, the multi-input means in this embodiment is an input device 120 (hereinafter simply referred to as a “touch pad”) in the form of a touch pad, wherein a user's finger is And a pressure sensor 120b disposed below and in contact with the touch plate 120a to generate an input signal.

The input signal according to the movement of the trackball 110 is sensed by the trackball detector 111 disposed below it. The input signal generated by the user touching or rubbing the touch pad 120 is sensed by the pressure sensor 120b that can sense a change in pressure applied to the touch pad under the touch plate 120a. The pressure sensor 120b may be provided in plural along the circumferential direction of the touch plate 120a, or one may be provided in an annular shape corresponding to the annular shape of the touch plate 120a. The pressure sensor 120b detects a pressure change generated when the user's finger or pen is in contact with the surface of the touch plate 120a, for example, and recognizes an input signal, or the finger or pen is touched by the touch pad 120. By recognizing the positional information by a continuous pressure change detected when it comes in contact with the surface and slides along the touch plate 120a, the touchpad 120 functions as an input device for executing a user's desired command.

Preferably, the touch pad 120 is disposed around the track ball 110 with the track ball 110 in an annular shape. Accordingly, the touch plate 120a may be set to be partitioned into a plurality of areas along the circumferential direction thereof. Since the signal input by the touch pad 120 is key mapped by the controller, different commands may be executed for each signal input to each area. That is, when the user touches an arbitrary area on the touch panel 120a with his finger or the like and an input signal is generated in the area, a command related to the input signal generated by key mapping by the controller may be executed. In the following description, the touch pad 120 is configured to be partitioned into four regions 121 to 124.

Referring to FIG. 4A, the touch pad 120 has first to fourth regions 121 to 124 in a clockwise direction. Therefore, the command corresponding to the input signal detected in each of the areas 121 to 124 of the touch pad 120 is set to be different for each area by key mapping by the controller, so that at least four can be made through the single touch pad 120. Since four different inputs are possible, the inconvenience that a user frequently operates various input devices distributed in a control panel, such as a control panel according to the related art, is substantially reduced.

5 is a partial plan view of a control panel illustrating a modification of the touch pad. A touch pad centered on the track ball 110 and disposed along a circumference thereof may be provided with a plurality of touch pads for each area. When four areas are expected as shown in FIG. 5, a watch along the circumference of the track ball 110 may be provided. Four touch pads 121 ′ to 124 ′ in the direction may be provided in the control panel 100. That is, since the four touch pads 121 'to 124' are separated from each other and arranged around the trackball 210, the user can more clearly touch the touch pad 121 'when the user moves the finger to operate the touch pad. To 124 ') can be touched or pressed, thereby increasing convenience in use. As described above, when the touch pad is divided into a plurality of configurations, it will be understood that the number of installed touch pads may be configured by the number of commands executed through key mapping.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the control panel 100 shown in FIG. 3. In order to execute various commands related to the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, a user generates signals through a plurality of input means 11, 13, 15, 16, 110, and 120, and these signals are input signal detectors 21. 25 to 25, the control panel 100 may be transferred to the control unit 20 that may be provided in the control panel 100 or in the main body of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus. Here, the input signal due to the pressure change from the touch pad 120 is transmitted to the control unit 20 through the multi-input input signal detecting unit 21, and the signal is ultrasonically diagnosed by key mapping by the control unit 20. Is converted to a command related to.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of multiple signal inputs, and illustrates a case in which the touch pad 120 is configured to be divided into four regions 121 to 124. When the user touches or presses the first area 121 of the areas 121 to 124 on the touch pad 120, a pressure sensor located below it detects an input signal. The first region signal detector 21a, which may include a pressure sensor, transmits a signal to the controller 20, and the controller 20 interacts with the memory 25 to select a command related to the region. Transfer to the operation unit 26 performs an operation related to the diagnosis of the ultrasound diagnostic device. Similarly, when the user touches or presses the second to fourth areas 122 to 124, a keymap command pre-keyed for each area is executed.

Here, the memory unit 25 stores instructions related to the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, and the user inputs various input devices 11, 13, 15, and 16 that may be provided on the control panel 100. It can be a command executed when the operation is performed. That is, after grouping or selectively dividing the commands that can be executed when the user operates the various input devices in the memory unit 25, signals are generated in the respective area signal detection units 21a to 21d. When the signal is transmitted to the control unit 20, the control unit 20 associates a signal of the corresponding area with a command stored in the memory unit 25 and executes the selected command after the correspondence. Therefore, the control unit 20 pre-sets or programs how a signal generated in each area is associated with a corresponding command. An operation for executing a specific command in response to a specific input signal through such a process is commonly known as “key mapping”.

In the actual ultrasound diagnosis operation, the signal generated in each area of the touch pad 120 may be key mapped to correspond to a command for selecting various diagnostic modes, for example, in a diagnosis start or default state. That is, if one of the areas is keymapd to select a brightness mode (hereinafter referred to as “B mode”) that displays the magnitude of echo reflected from the human body on the screen, for example, the user touches the area B You can run the mode.

In addition, when the B mode is executed by the user, the controller 20 may correspond to an input signal of each of the areas 121 to 124 on the touch pad 120 corresponding to a command dependent on the B mode, which is the selected diagnostic mode. As an example in which the controller 20 keymaps the input signal of each region to correspond to a command dependent on the B mode, the first region 121 may be keymapd to adjust the depth of the human body on which the image is displayed, The region 122 may be keymapd to enable a zoom-in or zoom-out operation to generate a zoom effect, and the third region 123 may be a continuous wave mode, The fourth region 124 may be key mapped to switch to a pulsed-wave mode (hereinafter, referred to as a "PW mode").

Therefore, when the user wants to switch from the B mode to the CW mode or the PW mode, the user touches only the third area 123 or the fourth area 124 with a finger lightly while placing his hand on the trackball 110. Press or press to switch to the diagnostic mode. That is, the signal generated in the third area 123 is transmitted to the control unit 20 through the third area signal detection unit 21c, and the control unit 20 refers to the memory unit 25 and transmits the signal to the CW mode. After converting to a command to switch to the output, in this way, the signal input from the touch pad 120 is converted into a command related to the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus by key mapping of the control unit 20.

In addition, when a depth adjustment or a zoom effect is generated, the user may execute a desired command by lightly rubbing the first area 121 or the second area 122 on the touch pad 120 with his or her finger. In particular, in the latter case, when the user touches the second area 122 to execute the zoom effect command, all the areas on the touch pad 120 recognize the direction of the zoom and correspond to the command to execute the zoom in or zoom out operation. Key mapping by the control unit 20 may be reset so as to. Accordingly, key mapping may be performed by the controller 20 such that a zoom-in or zoom-out operation is performed by a user rubbing the touch pad 120 in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction along the circumferential direction of the touch pad 120. In addition, after rubbing the touch pad 120 along the touch pad 120 for depth adjustment or zooming, if an area on the touch pad 120 is touched again, a command for canceling the depth adjustment state or the zoom state is released. Key mapping may be performed on one region of the touch pad 120 to be executed.

In addition, when the user presses the first area 121 of the touch pad 120 to switch the diagnosis mode from the B mode to the CW mode, the control unit 20 controls each of the areas 121 to 124 on the touch pad 120. The input signal of can correspond to a command dependent on the CW mode, which is a new diagnostic mode. In this case, as an example of an operation command of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus depending on the CW mode, the first region 121 is a change in diagnostic speed, the second region 122 is a change in scale, and the third region 123 is With the change of the baseline, the fourth regions 124 may be designated as returning to the B mode, respectively.

On the other hand, in key mapping to designate a command to be executed corresponding to an input signal to each of the areas 121 to 124 on the touch pad 120, it is understood that a command frequently input by the user during the actual ultrasound diagnosis should be key mapped. Will be. In addition, if the touch pad 120 is configured to be divided into two, three, five, or more areas according to the use situation, a command executed for each position where a signal is input through key mapping is provided in each area. It will be appreciated that it may be specified to be different.

8 is a partial plan view of a control panel according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the control panel of FIG. 8. The control panel 200 according to the present embodiment includes a trackball 210 and a jog dial input device 220 (hereinafter, simply referred to as "jog dial") as multiple input means. The jog dial 220 includes a dial plate 220a in the form of a rigid hollow disk and a switch 220b disposed along the dial plate 220a below it. Therefore, in the jog dial 220 according to the present embodiment, the user does not tap lightly like a touch pad, but the user presses a part of the jog dial 220 securely or rotates the input signal while rotating in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Will be generated.

The input signal according to the movement of the trackball 210 is sensed by the trackball detector 211 disposed below it. An input signal generated by the user pressing or rotating the jog dial 220 is sensed by a switch 220b provided below the dial plate 220a. Accordingly, the switch 220b is preferably configured to detect an input signal during contact by being shorted when the dial plate 220a is pressed and contacted with the switch 220b, and released when the dial 220a is contacted. The switch 220b may correspond to an annular shape of the jog dial 220. A plurality of jog dials 220 may be provided along the circumferential direction thereof.

Since a plurality of switches 220b are disposed in an annular shape along the circumferential direction of the jog dial 220, the switches 220b are divided into respective areas, such as the touch pad is divided into a plurality of areas, When a signal is generated in the area, key mapping may be performed by the controller 20 to execute a specific command. This means that when the user presses anywhere on the jog dial 220, a switch 220b below it is short-circuited to generate a signal and the signal is transmitted to the controller 20 for key mapping by the controller 20. This is because a specific command can be executed.

In addition, when the jog dial 220 is rotated in one direction, the switch 220b may be sequentially shorted and a signal for the rotation direction of the jog dial 220 may be input. Commands such as zoom in, zoom out or depth adjustment may be executed.

10 and 11 are partial plan views of a control panel according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The control panel 300 according to the present embodiment includes a track ball 310, the above-described multiple input means 320 disposed around the track ball 310, and is arranged around the multiple input means 320. It further comprises a command display means 330 for displaying a keymapped command when operating the multiple input means.

In the control panel 300 illustrated in FIG. 10, a command display means 330 including a plurality of light emitting diodes 331 and a command description mark 332 attached corresponding to each of the light emitting diodes is provided with multiple input means 320. Are provided adjacent to each area. The command description mark 332 is printed with a command executed by key mapping when the user manipulates a corresponding area of the multiple input means 320, and the light emitting diode 331 is positioned to correspond to the command description mark 332. have. When the user manipulates an arbitrary area on the multiple input means 320, a command related to the corresponding area is executed by key mapping, and at the same time, the light emitting diode corresponding to the command description mark 322 on which the command is printed is turned on. The user then reads the command printed next to the lit LED, so that the function of the command display can be achieved.

In the control panel 300 illustrated in FIG. 11, a command display means 330 is provided in the form of a display window in the vicinity of the multiple input means 320. In this case, the command display means 330 may be any one of a seven-segment display, a dot matrix display, or a liquid crystal display. That is, the command display means 330 displays the selected command in short form when the user manipulates the multiple input means 320. In particular, in the case of the liquid crystal display, the command used for the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can be displayed by a symbol such as an icon, so that the display can be visually clearly recognized by the user.

12 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control panel 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The command display unit 26, which may include the command display unit 330, may be controlled by the controller 20. That is, when a signal is generated in any area of the multiple input means, the control unit 20 operates the command display unit 26 to display the keymapped command. In particular, when the control panel 300 is provided with an input device that simultaneously performs a function of displaying information and an input function, such as the touch screen 11 illustrated in FIG. 2, the control unit 20 may not touch the display unit. It will be appreciated that on 11 the user may directly display the command selected by keymapping when operating the multiple input means.

As described above, according to the control panel according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, by installing multiple input means in which various commands can be executed by key mapping around the trackball, the user can select and execute various commands with only one hand. .

Therefore, the rapid change of the diagnostic mode, the precise and easy adjustment operation in the selected diagnostic mode, and the rapid search of the recorded or stored image of the examinee are performed, thereby improving the speed of the ultrasound diagnosis as a whole and improving the workability. In addition, since the movement of the user's hand is minimized so that the user does not feel inconvenience in use, a user-oriented interface between the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and the user may be implemented.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, this is merely exemplary, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

Claims (9)

A control panel for transmitting an input made by a user to the control unit in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a control unit for controlling the operation, Trackball input means, A plurality of input means disposed along a circumference of the trackball input means and having first to fourth input areas and generating an input signal when a user manipulates each of the input areas, The multi-input means is arranged around the trackball input means and has an annular touch pad in which the first to fourth input regions are partitioned along the circumferential direction, and the annular touch pad under the annular touch pad. The input signal is generated in correspondence to the first to fourth input areas of the touch pad along the circumferential direction, and generates the input signal according to the pressure applied to the first to fourth input areas of the annular touch pad. First to fourth pressure sensing sensors for transmitting a signal to the control unit, The input signal is key-mapped by the controller so that the commands executed in response to the input signals from the first to fourth pressure sensors are different, respectively, If the command corresponding to the input signal from any one of the first to fourth pressure sensors is a command for selecting a diagnostic mode, the control unit receives a subsequent input signal from the first to fourth pressure sensors. To correspond to a command dependent on the selected diagnostic mode. Control panel of the ultrasound diagnostic device. delete delete The control panel of claim 1, further comprising command display means for displaying a command key-mapped by the controller. The method of claim 4, wherein The command display means includes a plurality of light emitting diodes disposed in the vicinity of the respective input regions, and a plurality of signs attached to the control panel corresponding to each of the light emitting diodes and describing the keymapped commands. The control panel of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. The method of claim 4, wherein And the command display means is one selected from a 7-segment display, a dot matrix display, or a liquid crystal display. delete delete delete

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