KR20140076479A - Ultrasound apparatus and method for inputting information using the ultrasound apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are an ultrasound apparatus and a method for inputting information by using the ultrasound apparatus. The method for inputting information includes allowing a user to select a control item of an ultrasound apparatus through a control area included in a user input part, displaying a control widow which represents the selected control item on a screen, and controlling the set value of the control item based on a touch motion of a touch input which is received through the control area with regard to the selected control item.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasound apparatus and an information input method of the ultrasound apparatus,

The present invention relates to an ultrasonic apparatus for receiving a touch input and an information input method for the ultrasonic apparatus.

The ultrasonic apparatus generates an ultrasonic signal by using a probe with respect to a predetermined area inside the object (generally, 20 kHz or more), and obtains an image of a part inside the object using the information of the reflected echo signal. In particular, the ultrasonic device is used for medical purposes such as detecting foreign substances inside the object, measuring and observing the injury. Such an ultrasonic device is advantageous in that it is more stable than X-ray, can display in real time, and is safe because there is no radiation exposure, so that it can be used as an X-ray diagnostic device, a CT (Computerized Tomography) MRI (Magnetic Resonance Image) It is widely used with other imaging diagnostic devices.

In general, the parameters related to the operation of the ultrasonic apparatus and the image output are set so as to be universally usable. However, the various characteristics of the ultrasound signals reflected from the object differ from object to object, and the user adjusts parameters to diagnose the object to obtain an accurate image.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information input method including receiving a control item from a user through a control area included in a user input unit, Displaying a control window representing the selected control item on a screen; And adjusting the set value of the control item based on the touch operation of the touch input received through the control area with respect to the selected control item.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a control item includes a plurality of parameters related to an ultrasound image, and a plurality of parameters are matched to a plurality of areas arranged in a control area.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the displaying includes displaying a control item, which is matched with an area arranged adjacent to the control item selected in the control area, together with the selected control item in the control window .

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of selecting includes sensing a position of a touch input to a user's control area; And obtaining a control item corresponding to the sensed position.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for displaying a set value in a control window.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a touch operation includes at least one of a pressure operation for changing a pressure of a touch input and a position operation for changing a position of a touch input.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the touch operation includes a pressure operation, the adjusting may include increasing or decreasing a set value according to a direction in which the pressure of the touch input to the control region increases The method comprising the steps of:

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a direction in which pressure is increased is determined based on a center of a touch input.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the touch operation includes a position operation, the adjusting step may include a step of increasing or decreasing a set value according to a direction in which a position of the touch input with respect to the control area changes The method comprising the steps of:

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a direction in which a position is changed is a direction in which a touch input is dragged.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of regions are arranged according to at least one of a horizontal axis direction of a control region, a vertical axis direction of a control region, a circular pattern, and a lattice pattern.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a touch screen display, And obtaining a control item corresponding to a predetermined position in the control area.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a predetermined position is determined based on at least one of a frequency at which a control item is selected and a user input.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the adjusting step includes adjusting a set value based on an acceleration of a touch operation for changing a touch input.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a control item includes at least one of a frequency of an ultrasonic signal, a dynamic range, a frame average, a reject level A power, a filter, and a line density.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control item includes at least one of a color, a brightness, a saturation, a sharpness, a contrast, and a resolution, which are parameters related to a video output of the ultrasonic apparatus .

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a user input unit includes at least one of a touch screen, a touch panel, and a touch pad.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: an acquiring unit acquiring ultrasound data from a target object; A user input part including a control area and selecting a control item of the ultrasonic device from a user through a control area; A display unit for displaying an ultrasound image based on the ultrasound data and displaying a control window representing the selected control item; And a control unit for adjusting the set value of the control item based on the touch operation of the touch input received through the control area with respect to the selected control item.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information input method including receiving a control item from a user through a control area included in a user input unit, Displaying a control window representing the selected control item on a screen; And adjusting the set value of the control item based on the touch operation of the touch input received through the control window for the selected control item.

There is provided a computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute an information input method for solving the above technical problem.

The present invention may be readily understood by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which reference numerals refer to structural elements.
1 is a diagram showing an ultrasound system for diagnosing a target object through an ultrasound signal.
2 is a block diagram illustrating an ultrasound system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an information input method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a diagram illustrating a plurality of parameters matched to a user input, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a diagram for explaining a method of selecting a control item in relation to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a diagram for explaining a method of selecting a control item in relation to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining contents of adjusting a set value, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
8 is a view for explaining a method of selecting a control item in relation to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the contents of adjusting a set value, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a view for explaining a pressure operation in relation to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a diagram showing control items arranged in the horizontal direction in relation to an embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a diagram showing control items arranged in a lattice pattern and a circular pattern in relation to an embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a diagram showing a control window related to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining contents of selecting a control item at a predetermined position, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
15 is a view for explaining an embodiment of sensing a touch input through a control window according to an embodiment of the present invention.
16 is a diagram illustrating various methods of receiving a touch input, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Also, in certain cases, there may be a term selected arbitrarily by the applicant, in which case the meaning thereof will be described in detail in the description of the corresponding invention. Therefore, the term used in the present invention should be defined based on the meaning of the term, not on the name of a simple term, but on the entire contents of the present invention.

When an element is referred to as " including " an element throughout the specification, it is to be understood that the element may include other elements as well, without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. In addition, the term " "... Module " or the like means a unit for processing at least one function or operation, which may be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

"Ultrasound image" and " ultrasound image " in the specification mean an image of a target object obtained by using an ultrasound signal. An object can mean a part of the body. For example, the object may include an organs such as liver, heart, nuchal translucency, brain, breast, abdomen, or fetus.

Ultrasonic images can be implemented in various ways. For example, the ultrasound image may be at least one of an A-mode (amplitude mode) image, a B-mode (brightness mode) image, a C-mode (color mode) image, and a D-mode (Doppler mode) image. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasound image may be a two-dimensional image or a three-dimensional image.

Throughout the specification, the term "user" may be, but is not limited to, a medical professional such as a doctor, nurse, medical laboratory technologist, sonographer or the like.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. In order to clearly illustrate the present invention, parts not related to the description are omitted, and similar parts are denoted by like reference characters throughout the specification.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is a diagram showing an ultrasound system 10 for diagnosing a target object through an ultrasound signal. The ultrasound system 10 according to one embodiment includes a main body 11, one or more probes 12, a display unit 13, and a control panel.

The user places the probe 12 for transmitting the ultrasonic signal close to the object and acquires the ultrasonic data based on the echo signal received from the object. Then, the user can diagnose the object through the ultrasound image generated by analyzing the ultrasound data and displayed on the display unit 13. The control panel according to one embodiment may include one or more parameter adjustment units 14 for adjusting parameters of the ultrasonic apparatus. The parameter adjustment unit 14 may be implemented by one or more knob buttons.

On the other hand, the user of the ultrasonic system 10 controls the operation of the ultrasonic device by using the parameter control unit 14 provided as a hardware device on the control panel. As a result, the user memorizes the physical location of the parameter with high utilization frequency and uses it with familiarity, but occasionally moves his gaze while diagnosing the object. In addition, the operation of moving the hand to the parameter adjusting section 14 to adjust the parameter of the ultrasonic apparatus by the user may cause the efficiency of the operation to be lowered.

Accordingly, there is a need for a method and an apparatus that can diagnose a target object by adjusting parameters of the ultrasonic apparatus while keeping the user's line of sight fixed to the display unit 13.

2 is a block diagram illustrating an ultrasound system 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The ultrasound system 100 may include an acquisition unit 110, a user input unit 120, a display unit 130, and a controller 140. In addition to the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic device 100 may further include other general configurations.

The ultrasonic apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can acquire ultrasonic data from a target object by using ultrasonic waves and can provide a GUI (Graphic User Interface) that can control a parameter of the ultrasonic apparatus 100 to a user Equipment.

The ultrasonic device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be implemented in various forms. For example, the ultrasound device 100 described herein may be implemented in the form of a mobile terminal as well as a stationary terminal. Examples of mobile terminals include a PACS viewer, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a PDA, a tablet PC, and the like.

Hereinafter, the components included in the ultrasonic apparatus 100 will be described in order.

The acquisition unit 110 acquires ultrasound data for a target object. The ultrasound data according to an embodiment of the present invention may be two-dimensional ultrasound data on a target object or three-dimensional ultrasound data. In addition, the ultrasonic data may include Doppler data, which is data representing the motion of the object.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the obtaining unit 110 may include a probe (not shown) for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals and a beam former (not shown) for performing transmission and reception focusing of ultrasonic signals have. The probe 110 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include at least one of a 1D (Dimension), a 1.5D, a 2D (matrix), and a 3D probe.

The acquiring unit 110 can acquire ultrasound data directly from other devices or an external server as well as directly acquire ultrasound data by scanning an object using transmission and reception of ultrasound signals as described above.

That is, the acquiring unit 110 may receive ultrasonic data by wire or wireless using one or more components that allow communication between the ultrasonic apparatus 100 and the external apparatus. For example, the acquisition unit 110 may acquire ultrasound data using a local communication module, a mobile communication module, a wireless Internet module, a wired Internet module, and the like.

The short-range communication module is a module for short-range communication. (WLAN), Bluetooth, BLE, UWB (Ultra Wideband), ZigBee, Near Field Communication (NFC), Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) infrared Data Association) may be used.

The mobile communication module transmits and receives radio signals to and from at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network. The wireless Internet module refers to a module for wireless Internet access, and the wireless Internet module can be embedded in the acquisition unit 110 or externally. The wired Internet module refers to a module for wired Internet access.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the acquiring unit 110 can receive ultrasound data from an external device through wired / wireless communication. The external device according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a tablet PC, an electronic book terminal, a digital broadcast terminal, a PDA (personal digital assistant) A digital camera, and the like, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Meanwhile, the acquiring unit 110 may acquire ultrasound data from a hospital server or a cloud server through a medical image information system (PACS), either wired or wirelessly, as well as an external device.

The user input unit 120 means means for the user to input information and data for controlling the ultrasonic apparatus 100 into the ultrasonic apparatus 100. [ The user input unit 120 can receive various types of control inputs from a user and can receive, for example, a touch input.

The user input unit 120 may include a key pad, a track ball, a mouse, a dome switch, a touch pad (contact type capacitance type, pressure type resistive type, infrared ray detection type, Method, integrated tension measuring method, piezo effect method, etc.), a touch panel, a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like. In particular, the user input unit 120 may include a touch screen having a layer structure with the display unit 130, which will be described later.

The touch screen can be configured to detect not only a real-touch but also a proximity touch. In this specification, the term "real-touch" refers to a case where a pointer is actually touched on the screen, and "proximity-touch" , But approaches a predetermined distance from the screen. In this specification, a pointer is a tool for touching or touching a specific portion of a displayed screen. Examples include a stylus pen, a finger, and the like.

Although not shown in the drawings, various sensors may be provided inside or near the touch screen to detect touch or proximity touch of the touch screen. An example of a sensor for sensing the touch of the touch screen is a tactile sensor. A tactile sensor is a sensor that detects the contact of a specific object with a degree or more that a person feels. The tactile sensor can detect various information such as the roughness of the contact surface, the rigidity of the contact object, and the temperature of the contact point.

In addition, a proximity sensor is an example of a sensor for sensing the touch of the touch screen. The proximity sensor refers to a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object approaching a predetermined detection surface or a nearby object without mechanical contact using the force of an electromagnetic field or infrared rays. Examples of proximity sensors include a transmission type photoelectric sensor, a direct reflection type photoelectric sensor, a mirror reflection type photoelectric sensor, a high frequency oscillation type proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, a magnetic proximity sensor, and an infrared proximity sensor.

The user input unit 120 can receive various types of touch inputs from a user. The user input detected by the user input unit 120 may be a tap, a touch & hold, a double tap, a drag, a panning, a flick, a drag & And may include drag and drop, swipe, pinching, and unpincing, tilting, and the like. Also, the user input may be a 1-point input, a 2-point input, a 3-point input, and a 4-point input for more than four touch inputs, depending on the number of inputs sensed . Each user input will be described later in conjunction with a specific embodiment.

Also, the user input unit 120 can sense the touch operation of the received touch input based on the various sensors described above. Examples of the touch operation include a pressure operation for changing the pressure of the touch input, a position operation for changing the position of the touch input, and the like. Further, the user input unit 120 may also detect the acceleration at which the touch operation is changed, and may measure the acceleration at which the pressure or the position changes with time.

The display unit 130 can display and output information processed by the ultrasonic apparatus 100. [ For example, the display unit 130 may display an ultrasound image of a target object on a screen, and may display a UI (User Interface) or a GUI (Graphic User Interface) related to function setting.

The display unit 130 may be a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, a flexible display, a three-dimensional display A 3D display, and an electrophoretic display. According to the embodiment of the ultrasonic device 100, the ultrasonic device 100 may include two or more of the display units 130.

When the display unit 130 and the user input unit 120 have a layer structure and are configured as a touch screen, the display unit 130 may be used as an input device in addition to the output device.

The controller 140 controls the overall operation of the ultrasonic device 100. That is, the control unit 140 can control the acquisition unit 110, the user input unit 120, the display unit 130, and the like as a whole.

Hereinafter, an information input method of the ultrasonic apparatus using the touch input using the configuration included in the ultrasonic apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an information input method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart shown in FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the steps of the ultrasonic apparatus 100, the acquiring unit 110, the user input unit 120, the display unit 130, and the controller 140, . Therefore, even if omitted from the following description, it can be understood that the above description regarding the configurations shown in FIG. 2 also applies to the flow chart shown in FIG.

In step S310, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 receives a user input for selecting a control item from a user. That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can select a control item from the user through the user input unit.

The control item refers to a plurality of parameters associated with the ultrasonic device 100. That is, the control item may include a plurality of parameters related to the operation of the ultrasonic apparatus 100 or the image output.

As a control item related to the operation of the ultrasonic apparatus 100, for example, a frequency of a ultrasonic signal, a dynamic range, a frame average, a reject level, an output power, a filter, a line density, and the like. Examples of control items related to the video output of the ultrasonic device 100 include parameters such as color, brightness, saturation, sharpness, contrast, and resolution. The control items associated with the ultrasonic device 100 may include various kinds of parameters in addition to the various parameters described above.

Meanwhile, in step S310, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may receive a user input for selecting a control item through the control area of the user input unit. The control area means an area where the control item, which is a parameter of the above-described ultrasonic device 100, is matched among the user input parts. That is, in step S310, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 senses the position of the user input received through the control area and acquires the control item matched to the corresponding position. As will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 4, the control area may refer to a part or all of the area included in the user input part.

The user's touch input received by the ultrasonic apparatus 100 in step S310 may be a tap and / or a drag input sensed in the control area. For example, the user can tap a position on the control area or drag a specific position on the control area.

The "tap" indicates an operation in which the user immediately touches the screen using a finger or a touch tool (e.g., an electronic pen) and immediately lifts it from the screen without moving. "Drag" means an operation of moving a finger or a touch tool to another position in the screen while the user holds the touch after touching the finger or the touch tool on the screen.

According to one embodiment, in step S310, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may acquire a control item corresponding to a predetermined position. That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can acquire a control item corresponding to a position previously stored internally in the ultrasonic apparatus 100, regardless of the position on the control region of the touch input. At this time, the touch input of the user can be utilized as a signal for obtaining the control item by the ultrasonic apparatus 100 regardless of the position of the touch input. This embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

In step S330, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 displays a control window. That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can display a control window indicating the control item selected in step S310 through the display unit.

The control window may mean a UI or a GUI for visually outputting the control item through the display unit. That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can display a control window representing the control item selected in step S310 on the screen of the display unit in various ways. For example, the ultrasound system 100 may display a control window using at least one of graphic data and text data, or display a control window using an OSD (On-Screen Display) or an OSG (On-Screen Graphic) It is possible.

According to one embodiment, the ultrasound apparatus 100 may display not only the control item selected in step S310, but also one or more other control items in the control window. A related embodiment will be described again in Fig.

5 to 9, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 displays the control window on the lower right of the display unit, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may display a control window at various positions of the display unit, and may display a control window by overlapping with the ultrasonic image.

As the ultrasonic apparatus 100 displays the control window in step S330, the user can check the currently selected control item and further control parameters of the ultrasonic apparatus 100. [

In step S350, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 adjusts the set value of the control item based on the touch input. That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may receive a touch input for adjusting a parameter of the ultrasonic apparatus 100 from a user, and may increase or decrease a set value of a parameter indicated by the control item selected in step S310 based on the touch input .

More specifically, in step S350, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can adjust the set value of the control item based on the touch operation of the touch input. According to one embodiment, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can adjust the set value based on the touch number of the touch input and the touch operation. Further, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may adjust the set value based on the pressure operation and the position operation described in Fig. Embodiments in which the ultrasonic apparatus 100 adjusts the set values in accordance with various kinds of touch inputs will be described with reference to Figs. 5 to 9. Fig.

On the other hand, in step S350, the touch input may be received through the control area described in step S310. That is, although the touch input for selecting the control item in step S310 and the touch input for adjusting the set value in step S350 have been described, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may continuously receive two inputs through the control area. The details of adjusting the set value according to the touch input will be described later with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9. FIG. According to another embodiment, in step S350, the touch input can also be received through the control window of step S330, and this embodiment is described in Fig.

Although not shown in FIG. 3, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 according to an embodiment may further include, following step S350, displaying the adjusted set value. That is, in step S350, the ultrasound apparatus 100 adjusts the set value based on the touch input and outputs the adjusted set value as visual information, thereby promptly providing the user with a change of the parameter of the ultrasound device 100 have. This embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 7 and 9. Fig.

According to the information input method described above with reference to FIG. 3, the user of the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can easily adjust the parameters of the ultrasonic apparatus 100 through the user input unit without having to grasp the position of the hardware device. Accordingly, the user can operate the ultrasonic apparatus 100 while observing the ultrasound image of the target object, check the result immediately, and not only the time for object diagnosis can be shortened, but also the accuracy can be improved.

4 is a diagram illustrating a plurality of parameters matched to a user input 410, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 4 shows a control area 420 which is a part of the user input part 410 and the user input part 410. As shown in FIG. That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may receive a user input for selecting a control item from a user via a control area 420 indicated by a dotted line. 4, the control region 420 may be implemented as a partial region of the user input unit 410 or may be implemented as the entire region of the user input unit 410. [

4 shows an embodiment in which the frequency of the ultrasonic signal, the dynamic range, the average frame, the reject level, the output, the filter, and the density are included in the control item. However, the control items matched to the control area 420 are limited thereto It does not. That is, the control item may include various parameters of the ultrasonic device 100 as described above.

The control item is matched to a plurality of areas in the control area 420, respectively. That is, the seven parameters shown in Fig. 4 can be matched to the control area 420 divided into seven areas. On the other hand, the seven regions divided from the control region 420 are arranged along the uniaxial direction of the control region 420. In FIG. 4, the seven regions are arranged in the vertical direction. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the vertical regions may be arranged in the horizontal direction. Embodiments related to the arrangement of the control regions 420 will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 11 to 13. Fig.

According to one embodiment, the number of divided areas can be determined according to the number of parameters included in the control item. The ultrasonic device 100 may divide the control area 420 according to the number of parameters selected from the user or determined internally in the system. The ultrasonic device 100 may then match and store the parameters in the respective regions of the divided control region 420. [

When the touch input to the control area 420 is detected by the user, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 acquires a control item corresponding to the sensed touch input. That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 senses the position of the touch input and can select a previously stored control item by matching with the sensed position. For example, when the user touches the top area in the control area 420 divided into seven areas, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can select the " Frequency " control item for controlling the frequency of the ultrasonic signal.

5 is a diagram for explaining a method of selecting a control item in relation to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 to 9, the user input unit and the display unit are shown separately for convenience of explanation. However, the ultrasound device 100 is not limited to this embodiment. An embodiment of the embodiment of the user input unit and the display unit will be described later with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 5, the user input unit 520 senses a touch input from the top to the fifth of the seven control regions. That is, when the user touches the fifth area using two fingers, the ultrasonic device 100 can detect two positions 525 of the touch input and select a previously matched "Power" control item at the two positions 525.

Then, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 displays a control window 515 on the display unit 510. The ultrasonic apparatus 100 can display on the display unit 510 a control window 515 indicating " Power ", which is the currently selected control item 530. [

5, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 displays the control window 515 on the lower right side of the display unit 510. However, the position of the control window 515 is not limited thereto. For example, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may display the control window 515 at predetermined positions on the display unit 510, and overlap the ultrasonic images with the ultrasound images.

On the other hand, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may display not only the currently selected control item 530 in the control window 515, but also other control items. 5, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 displays the "Reject Level" control item and the "Filter" control item through the control window 515 together with the "Power" being the currently selected control item 530 can do. In the present embodiment, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can display one or more control items based on the positions arranged in the control area.

More specifically, in the control area shown by the dotted line in the user input unit 520, the fifth control item "Power" from the top is adjacent to the fourth control item "Reject Level" and the sixth control item "Filter" . (The arrangement of the " Filter " control item is not directly shown in Fig. 5 but is the same as the arrangement of the control items shown in Fig. 4). Accordingly, the ultrasonic device 100 has a Reject Level (Filter) control item in the control window 515 together with the fifth control item (Power).

On the other hand, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can display the currently selected control item 530 using the visually distinct effect from the control items displayed together. 5, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can display the currently selected control item 530 on the control window 515 by applying various visual effects such as thickness, color, size, and border.

Further, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can display the position of the displayed control items on the basis of the arrangement order matched to the user input unit 520. [ That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 controls the "Reject Level" control item selected in response to the upward movement of the touch input to the upper end of the control window 515, the "Filter" control item selected as the touch input moves down And can be displayed at the lower end of the window 515.

According to the present embodiment, not only the user can check which parameter is presently displayed on the currently selected control item, but also can easily confirm which parameter can be selected by changing the position of the touch input. That is, the plurality of control items matching the control area included in the user input unit 520 are not visually displayed in the user input unit 520. [ Accordingly, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 needs to provide the user with information on the selected control item according to the position of the touch input. According to the present embodiment, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 simultaneously displays the currently selected control item according to the position of the touch input and the control item to be selected by moving the position of the touch input, thereby providing a visual guide to the user .

6 is a diagram for explaining a method of selecting a control item in relation to an embodiment of the present invention. 5, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 receives a touch input to drag from the fifth control area to the third control area, by sensing the two positions 625. As shown in Fig. The third control area of the user input unit 620 is matched with the " Frame AVG " control item.

Accordingly, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 displays the " Frame AVG " control item 630 in the control window 615. [ 5, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can display the "Dynamic Range" control item matched with the control region adjacent to the third control region and the "Reject Level" control item together.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining contents of adjusting a set value, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

6, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 senses the touch operation for the currently selected control item " Frame AVG " control item. 7 shows an embodiment in which the touch operation is a pressure operation, and the lower right end in Fig. 7 shows an embodiment in which the touch operation is a position operation.

7, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can detect a change in pressure of the touch input with respect to the position 722 among the two positions 721 and 722. That is, the user can increase the pressure to the right position among the two positions touched by the user input unit 720.

The ultrasonic apparatus 100 can recognize the pressure operation for increasing the pressure of the touch input as a touch operation for increasing the set value. Accordingly, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can increase the set value for the currently selected control item " Frame AVG " control item.

7, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 displays a set value 735 adjusted for the currently selected control item on the display unit 710. [ That is, if the user continues to increase the pressure on position 722, ultrasound device 100 may continue to increase the set values for the " Frame AVG " control item to 8, 9,

7, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can sense a change in the position of the touch input with respect to the position 732 among the two positions 731 and 732. [ That is, the user can drag the touch input to the position 732 to the right while maintaining the touch input to the position 731.

The ultrasonic apparatus 100 can adjust the set value of the currently selected control item according to the direction in which the position of the touch input changes. As shown in FIG. 7, when the touch input to the position 732 moves in the right direction, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can adjust the setting value by increasing the set value. Conversely, when the touch input to the position 731 moves to the left, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may adjust the setting value of the " Frame AVG "

Although not shown in FIG. 7, the ultrasonic device 100 can also detect when both positions of the two-point input change. 7, both the positions 731 and 732 move to the right, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 increases the set value, and when both the positions 731 and 732 move to the left, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 ) Can reduce the set value.

As another example, the ultrasonic device 100 may also detect pinching and un-pinching inputs. That is, when the touch input to the position 731 is moved to the left and the touch input to the position 732 is moved to the right so that an unpinching input where the two positions are distant is received, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can increase the set value have. Conversely, if a pinching input that moves while the two positions 731 and 732 approach each other, the ultrasonic device 100 may decrease the set value.

That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may match and store various types of touch inputs and adjustment methods of the set values in advance, and adjust the set values for the currently selected control items based on the touch operation of the sensed touch input.

Meanwhile, the ultrasonic device 100 can also detect the acceleration of the touch operation. 7, when the pressure gradually increases from the lower left position to the position 722, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 gradually increases the set value based on the acceleration at which the pressure changes according to the pressure operation, .

Similarly, in the case where the position 732 moves abruptly from the lower right end of Fig. 7 to the position 733 and then slowly moves, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 rapidly increases the set value reflecting the acceleration that the position changes according to the position operation, . Accordingly, not only the user can finely adjust the setting value for the control item, but also the user can adjust the coarse setting.

8 is a view for explaining a method of selecting a control item in relation to an embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 8, the ultrasonic device 100 senses a one-point input that is a touch input that drags the position 822 of the user input 820 to position 824.

The ultrasonic apparatus 100 may select the " Frame AVG " control item corresponding to the position 824 and display the control window 815 on the display unit 810 to indicate the currently selected control item 830. [ The ultrasonic apparatus 100 can display control items arranged adjacent to the currently selected control item 830 in the control window 815 according to the order in which the control areas are arranged in the user input unit 820 have.

9 is a view for explaining contents of adjusting a set value according to a touch operation of a one-point input, in relation to an embodiment of the present invention. 9 shows an embodiment in which the touch operation is a position operation, and the lower right end in Fig. 9 shows an embodiment in which the touch operation is a pressure operation.

First, the case of the position operation will be described. When the positional operation in which the position 922 changes to the position 924 is detected, the ultrasonic device 100 can increase or decrease the set value according to the direction in which the position of the touch input changes. 9, when a positional operation for moving the position of the touch input to the right is detected, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can increase the set value for the currently selected control item. Conversely, when the position of the touch input is changed to the left direction, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can reduce the set value.

In addition, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may adjust the set value according to the touch operation in which the touch input is changed, and display the adjusted set value 930 in the control window 915. Accordingly, the user can immediately confirm the change of the set value for the currently selected control item.

Next, the case of the pressure operation will be described. When the sensed pressure of the touch input changes, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can adjust the set value according to the direction in which the pressure changes. Taking Fig. 9 as an example, with respect to position 945, ultrasonic device 100 may receive a tilting input that tilts the touch input to the right. That is, the ultrasound device 100 may sense an increase in pressure in the right-hand portion, indicated in black, at the 1-point input to position 945. Accordingly, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can adjust the setting value for the currently selected control item. The ultrasonic apparatus 100 may display the setting value 930 for the adjusted control item in the control window 915. [

Although the ultrasonic apparatus 100 receives the touch input for adjusting the set value of the control item through the user input unit, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may adjust the set value according to the user input sensed through the display unit have. In other words, the ultrasound device 100 may receive an input that adjusts a set value through at least one of a user input and a display.

9, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may be configured to receive a drag input for moving the position 922 to the position 924 on the user input unit 920, via the control window 915 of the display unit 910, Drag input may also be received. That is, when a touch input is received from the user to drag any one position (for example, the position on the control window 915) on the display unit 910 to the right direction after the control item is selected as the " Frame AVG " The ultrasonic apparatus 100 may increase the set value for the " Frame AVG " control item.

10 is a view for explaining a pressure operation related to an embodiment of the present invention. The pressure operation may mean a touch operation that changes the pressure of the touch input as described in Fig. The pressure operation for the 1-point input is shown in FIG. 9, and the pressure operation for the 2-point input is described in FIG. 7, respectively.

The ultrasonic apparatus 100 can sense the direction in which the pressure of the touch input increases and adjust the set value. That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 senses a three-point input touching the three positions 1011, 1012, and 1013 of the user input unit 1010, and senses a pressure operation in which the pressure of the three-point input changes . For example, if the pressure to the position 1013 of the three positions of the touch input increases, the ultrasonic device 100 may increase the set value. Conversely, when the pressure to the position 1011 increases, the ultrasonic device 100 may reduce the set value. The above description can be similarly applied to a 4-point input.

Meanwhile, when the ultrasonic device 100 senses the pressure operation, it is possible to determine the direction in which the pressure increases / decreases based on the center of the touch input. That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can determine the center of the touch input touched by the user input unit 1010, and can determine the direction of the pressure change by comparing the position where the pressure changes with the center of the touch input.

10, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can determine the direction of the pressure change based on the center point of the touch input that touches the position 1012 of the user input unit 1010. [ The ultrasonic apparatus 100 may determine that the pressure increases in the rightward direction when the pressure in the black portion increases and the pressure increases in the leftward direction when the pressure in the lightly marked portion increases.

11 is a diagram showing control items arranged in the horizontal direction in relation to an embodiment of the present invention. As described in Fig. 4, a plurality of parameters included in the control item are matched to a plurality of areas in the control area 1125, respectively. Fig. 11 shows an embodiment in which seven parameters are arranged in the horizontal direction, unlike Fig.

When the user touches a position corresponding to the " Power " parameter in the control area 1125 of the user input unit 1120, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 displays the control window 1115 indicating the currently selected control item 1130 on the display unit 1110).

12 is a diagram showing a control item arranged in a lattice pattern and a circular pattern in relation to an embodiment of the present invention. 12 shows control items arranged in a grid pattern in a control region 1215 of the user input unit 1210 and a control region 1225 of the user input unit 1220 on the right side of FIG. In a circle pattern.

As described above, the control items may be arranged in the user input unit in various forms and methods, and are not limited to the embodiments shown in Figs. 4, 11, and 12. Fig.

13 is a diagram showing a control window related to an embodiment of the present invention. The ultrasonic apparatus 100 may display on the display unit 1310 a control window 1320 for control items arranged in a lattice pattern or a control window 1330 for control items arranged in a circular pattern. The positions of the control window 1320 and the control window 1330 displayed on the lower left side of the display unit 1310 are merely examples for convenience of description and are not limited to the illustrated contents.

When the control items are arranged in a grid pattern and the currently selected control item is " Power ", the ultrasonic apparatus 100 sends eight control items arranged adjacent to the " Power " control item 1325 to the control window 1320 together Can be displayed. Similarly, when the control item is arranged in a circular pattern and the currently selected control item is " Frame AVG ", the ultrasonic apparatus 100 controls two control items arranged circularly adjacent to the " Frame AVG " control item 1335 And can be displayed together in the window 1330.

As described above with reference to Fig. 13, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can display, in the control window together with the currently selected control item, a control item in which the positions arranged in the control area are close to each other. At this time, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can display one or more control items on the control window based on the form and order in which the control items are arranged in the control area.

FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining contents of selecting a control item at a predetermined position, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may select not only the control item corresponding to the position of the sensed touch input, but also the control item corresponding to the predetermined position.

According to one embodiment, in step S310, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may acquire a control item corresponding to a predetermined position. That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can acquire a control item corresponding to a position previously stored internally in the ultrasonic apparatus 100, regardless of the position on the control region of the touch input.

Taking Fig. 14 as an example, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 senses a user input that touches the position 1425 of the user input unit 1420 to which the " Power " control item corresponds. The ultrasonic apparatus 100 according to the embodiment can select the " Frequency " control item, not the " Power " control item corresponding to the position of the touch input. The ultrasonic apparatus 100 may display the selected control item " Frequency " 1430 in the control window 1410 of the display unit 1410. [

That is, when the frequency at which the " Frequency " control item is selected is relatively higher than the other control items, the ultrasonic device 100 can select the " Frequency " control item regardless of the position when the touch input is detected. Alternatively, the user of the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may directly select a control item to be selected first.

Accordingly, the user of the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can be provided with an opportunity to quickly select a desired control item. That is, even if the user touches any position of the control area included in the user input unit 1420, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can acquire a predetermined " Frequency " control item.

Then, when the user drags the 1-point input for position 1425 downward and touches the position corresponding to the " Filter " control item, ultrasound device 100 displays the " Dynamic Range " "Control items can be obtained.

15 is a view for explaining an embodiment of sensing a touch input through a control window according to an embodiment of the present invention. 9, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may receive a touch input for adjusting a set value through a control window.

That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may display a control window 1515 on the display unit 1510 and sense a touch input to drag the position 1516, which is a position on the control window 1515, to the position 1517. [

When a touch input on the control window 1515 is sensed, the ultrasound device 100 can adjust the set value for the currently selected " Frame AVG " control item. That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can increase the set value of the " Frame AVG " control item and display the adjusted set value 1520 in the control window 1515. [

16 is a diagram illustrating various methods of receiving a touch input, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As described above, the display unit and the user input unit are separately implemented in FIGS. 5 to 15. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

16A, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may receive a touch input from the user through a user input unit 1615 provided on the control panel, in addition to the display unit 1610 that displays the ultrasonic image.

16B, when the display unit 1620 displaying the ultrasound image is a touch screen, the ultrasound device 100 may receive the touch input of the user through the display unit 1620. [ That is, the display unit 1620 can also function as a user input unit.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 16C, the ultrasonic device 100 may be implemented as a mobile terminal. For example, the ultrasound device 100 may be implemented as a portable terminal of various types such as a PACS viewer, a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, and a tablet PC. The display portion 1630 of the ultrasonic device 100 shown in FIG. 10C can also serve as a user input portion similarly to the embodiment shown in FIG. 10B. That is, the display unit 1630 of the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may be an input unit for sensing a touch input from a user.

The embodiment of the ultrasonic device 100 is not limited to that shown in FIGS. 16A, 16B and 16C, and the ultrasonic device 100 may display an ultrasonic image using various methods, User input can be received.

According to the ultrasonic apparatus and the information input method described above, the user of the ultrasonic apparatus can easily adjust parameters of the ultrasonic apparatus through the user input unit without having to grasp the position of the hardware device. Accordingly, the user can operate the ultrasonic apparatus while fixing the line of sight to the ultrasound image of the target object, and confirm the result immediately, so that the time of object diagnosis can be shortened and the accuracy can be improved.

On the other hand, the above-described method can be implemented in a general-purpose digital computer that can be created as a program that can be executed in a computer and operates the program using a computer-readable medium. Further, the structure of the data used in the above-described method can be recorded on a computer-readable medium through various means. Program storage devices that may be used to describe a storage device including executable computer code for carrying out the various methods of the present invention should not be understood to include transient objects such as carrier waves or signals do. The computer readable medium includes a storage medium such as a magnetic storage medium (e.g., ROM, floppy disk, hard disk, etc.), optical reading medium (e.g., CD ROM, DVD, etc.).

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Therefore, the disclosed methods should be considered in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. It is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims (37)

A method of inputting information in an ultrasound system including a user input unit for receiving a touch input,
Receiving a control item of the ultrasonic apparatus from a user through a control region included in the user input unit;
Displaying a control window representing the selected control item on a screen; And
And adjusting the set value of the control item based on the touch operation of the touch input received through the control area with respect to the selected control item. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the control item includes a plurality of parameters associated with the ultrasound image,
Wherein the plurality of parameters are matched to a plurality of areas arranged in the control area. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the step of displaying comprises displaying the control item in the control window together with the selected control item, the control item being matched with an area arranged adjacent to the selected control item in the control area. 2. The method of claim 1,
Sensing a position of a touch input to the control area of the user; And
And acquiring a control item corresponding to the sensed position. The method according to claim 1,
The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the adjusted set value in the control window. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the touch operation includes at least one of a pressure operation for changing a pressure of the touch input and a position operation for changing a position of the touch input. The method according to claim 6,
Wherein when the touch operation includes the pressure operation, the adjusting step includes increasing or decreasing the setting value in accordance with a direction in which the pressure of the touch input to the control area increases, . 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the direction in which the pressure increases is determined based on the center of the touch input. The method according to claim 6,
When the touch operation includes the position operation, the adjusting step includes increasing or decreasing the setting value in accordance with a direction in which the position of the touch input relative to the control area is changed . 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the direction in which the position changes is a direction in which the touch input is dragged. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the plurality of areas are arranged according to at least one of a horizontal axis direction of the control area, a vertical axis direction of the control area, a circular pattern, and a lattice pattern. 2. The method of claim 1,
Sensing touch input to the control area of the user; And
And obtaining a control item corresponding to a predetermined position in the control area. 13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the predetermined position is determined based on at least one of a frequency with which the control item is selected and a user input. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting the set value based on an acceleration of the touch operation that changes the touch input. The method according to claim 1,
The control item includes a frequency, a dynamic range, a frame average, a reject level, a power, a filter, and the like of a ultrasonic signal, which are parameters related to the operation of the ultrasonic apparatus. , And line density of the input information. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the control item includes at least one of a color, a brightness, a saturation, a sharpness, a contrast, and a resolution, which are parameters related to a video output of the ultrasonic apparatus. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the user input unit includes at least one of a touch screen, a touch panel, and a touch pad. An acquiring unit for acquiring ultrasound data from a target object;
A user input part including a control area and selecting a control item of the ultrasonic device from the user through the control area;
A display unit for displaying an ultrasound image based on the ultrasound data and displaying a control window representing the selected control item; And
And a control unit for adjusting a set value of the control item based on a touch operation of a touch input received through the control region with respect to the selected control item. 19. The method of claim 18,
Wherein the control item includes a plurality of parameters associated with the ultrasound image,
Wherein the plurality of parameters are matched to a plurality of regions arranged in the control region. 20. The method of claim 19,
Wherein the display unit displays a control item matched with an area arranged adjacent to the selected control item in the control area on the control window together with the selected control item. 19. The method of claim 18,
Wherein the user input unit senses a position of a touch input to the control area of the user and acquires a control item corresponding to the sensed position. 19. The method of claim 18,
Wherein the display unit displays the adjusted set value in the control window. 19. The method of claim 18,
Wherein the touch operation includes at least one of a pressure operation for changing a pressure of the touch input and a position operation for changing a position of the touch input. 24. The method of claim 23,
Wherein when the touch operation includes the pressure operation, the control unit increases or decreases the set value according to a direction in which the pressure of the touch input to the control area increases. 25. The method of claim 24,
Wherein an increasing direction of the pressure is determined based on a center of the touch input. 24. The method of claim 23,
Wherein when the touch operation includes the position operation, the controller increases or decreases the set value according to a direction in which the position of the touch input relative to the control area changes. 27. The method of claim 26,
Wherein the direction in which the position changes is a direction in which the touch input is dragged. 20. The method of claim 19,
Wherein the plurality of regions are arranged according to at least one of a horizontal axis direction of the control region, a longitudinal axis direction of the control region, a circular pattern, and a lattice pattern. The apparatus of claim 1,
Wherein the control unit senses a touch input to the control region of the user and acquires a control item corresponding to a predetermined position in the control region. 30. The method of claim 29,
Wherein the predetermined position is determined based on at least one of a frequency at which the control item is selected and a user input. 19. The method of claim 18,
Wherein the controller adjusts the set value based on an acceleration of the touch operation for changing the touch input. 19. The method of claim 18,
The control item includes a frequency, a dynamic range, a frame average, a reject level, a power, a filter, and the like of a ultrasonic signal, which are parameters related to the operation of the ultrasonic apparatus. , And line density of the ultrasonic wave. 19. The method of claim 18,
Wherein the control item includes at least one of a color, a brightness, a saturation, a sharpness, a contrast, and a resolution, which are parameters related to a video output of the ultrasound system. 19. The method of claim 18,
Wherein the user input unit includes at least one of a touch screen, a touch panel, and a touch pad. 17. A computer-readable recording medium on which a program for implementing the method of any one of claims 1 to 17 is recorded. A method of inputting information in an ultrasound system including a user input unit for receiving a touch input,
Receiving a control item of the ultrasonic apparatus from a user through a control region included in the user input unit;
Displaying a control window representing the selected control item on a screen; And
And adjusting a set value of the control item based on a touch operation of a touch input received through the control window for the selected control item. An acquiring unit for acquiring ultrasound data from a target object;
A user input part including a control area and selecting a control item of the ultrasonic device from the user through the control area;
A display unit for displaying an ultrasound image based on the ultrasound data and displaying a control window representing the selected control item; And
And a control unit for adjusting a set value of the control item based on a touch operation of a touch input received through the control window for the selected control item.

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