Method and apparatus for displaying function of button of ultrasound apparatus on the button

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10031666-B2
Application number	US-201213665017-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2012
Priority date	Apr 26, 2012
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

A method of displaying a function of a button of an ultrasound apparatus on the button includes displaying information about one or more functions provided by the ultrasound apparatus, selecting one from among the one or more functions which have been displayed, determining a button in which the selected function is to be set based on an external input signal for matching the selected function to the button in which the selected function is to be set; and displaying information about the selected function on the determined button.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
displaying, on a touch screen display of an ultrasound apparatus that operates as a control panel of the ultrasound apparatus, labels describing a plurality of functions of the ultrasound apparatus;
selecting, in response to a single touch input to the touch screen display, a respective label describing a respective function of the plurality of functions, from the displayed labels;
displaying, on the touch screen display, a plurality of markings corresponding to a plurality of positions, respectively, on the touch screen display at which a virtual key with the selected label is positionable;
selecting, in response to the single touch input to, and a drag-and-drop input to, the touch screen display, a respective marking of the plurality of markings displayed on the touch screen display; and
displaying, on the touch screen display,
a virtual trackball, and
a virtual key with the selected label at the position to which the selected marking corresponds,
wherein the displayed virtual key is operable to cause the ultrasound apparatus to perform the respective function.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the labels describing the plurality of functions comprise at least one of letters, numbers, symbols, and images, and
the method further comprises performing enlargement of the at least one of the letters, numbers, symbols, and images based on an external input signal.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the displayed virtual key is rotatable.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
when the displayed virtual key rotates,
obtaining rotation information related to rotation of the displayed virtual key; and
rotating the label displayed on the displayed virtual key, relative to the displayed virtual key, according to the obtained rotation information.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein
the rotating rotates the label displayed on the displayed virtual key in a direction opposite to a rotation direction of the displayed virtual key.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
measuring an illumination in the area around the ultrasound apparatus; and
changing an intensity based on the measured illumination;
wherein the displaying displays the selected label on the displayed virtual key at the changed intensity.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having embodied thereon a program for executing the method of claim 1 .

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the labels describing the plurality of functions comprise at least one of letters, numbers, symbols, and images, and
the method further comprises performing reduction of the at least one of the letters, numbers, symbols, and images based on an external input signal.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the labels describing the plurality of functions are displayed in a first area on the touch screen display,
the plurality of markings are displayed in a second area on the touch screen display, and
after the virtual key with the selected label is displayed at the position to which the selected marking corresponds, the selected label is no longer displayed in the first area.

10. An ultrasound apparatus comprising:
a touch screen control panel that displays labels describing a plurality of functions of the ultrasound apparatus;
at least one memory storing instructions; and
at least one processor which executes the stored instructions to cause the following to be performed:
selecting, in response to a single touch input to the touch screen control panel, a respective label describing a respective function of the plurality of functions, from the displayed labels;
displaying, on the touch screen control panel, a plurality of markings corresponding to a plurality of positions, respectively, on the touch screen control panel at which a virtual key with the selected label is positionable;
selecting, in response to the single touch input to, and a drag-and-drop input to, the touch screen control panel, a respective marking of the plurality of markings displayed on the touch screen control panel; and
displaying, on the touch screen control panel,
a virtual trackball, and
a virtual key with the selected label at the position to which the selected marking corresponds,
wherein the displayed virtual key is operable to cause the ultrasound apparatus to perform the respective function.

11. The ultrasound apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the displaying variably displays the selected label on the displayed virtual key according to an external environment of the ultrasound apparatus.

12. The ultrasound apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the displaying displays the selected label on the displayed virtual key with a variable orientation that is based on an orientation of the ultrasound apparatus.

13. The ultrasound apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the variable orientation rotates in a direction opposite of a direction of rotation of the ultrasound apparatus.

14. The ultrasound apparatus of claim 10 , wherein
the displayed virtual key is rotatable, and
the at least one processor executes the stored instructions to further cause the following to be performed:
obtaining rotation information relating to displayed virtual key when the displayed virtual key rotates, and
rotating the label displayed on virtual key, relative to the displayed virtual key, based on the obtained rotation information.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein
the rotation information comprises at least one of a rotation direction and a rotation angle related to rotation of the displayed virtual key, and
the at least one processor executes the stored instructions to further cause the selected label to be displayed on the displayed virtual key and to rotate in a direction opposite to the rotation direction according to the rotation angle.

16. The ultrasound apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor executes the stored instructions to further cause the following to be performed:
measuring an illumination in the area around the ultrasound apparatus,
changing an intensity based on the measured illumination, and displaying the selected label on the displayed virtual key at the changed intensity.

17. The ultrasound apparatus of claim 10 , wherein
the displayed labels comprise at least one of letters, numbers, symbols, and images, and
the at least one processor executes the stored instructions to further cause enlargement of the at least one of letters, numbers, symbols, and images to be performed based on an external input signal.

18. The ultrasound apparatus of claim 10 , wherein
the displayed labels comprise at least one of letters, numbers, symbols, and images, and
the at least one processor executes the stored instructions to further cause reduction of the at least one of letters, numbers, symbols, and images to be performed based on an external input signal.

19. The ultrasound apparatus of claim 10 , wherein
the labels describing the plurality of functions are displayed in a first area on the touch screen control panel,
the plurality of markings are displayed in a second area on the touch screen control panel, and
the at least one processor executes the stored instructions to cause the selected label to no longer be displayed in the first area after the virtual key with the selected label is displayed at the position to which the selected marking corresponds.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ahn Chi-Young
• Kwon Jong-Chan
• Kim Ki-Soo
• Kim Jung-Hoon
• Hyun Sang-Min

Classifications

• A61B8/467

  characterised by special input means · CPC title

• G06F3/04886 Primary

  by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus · CPC title

• A61B8/461

  Displaying means of special interest · CPC title

• G01S7/52084

  related to particular user interfaces (special user input means for ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/467) · CPC title

• A61B8/00 Primary

  Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves · CPC title