Ultrasonic device and method for adjusting user interaction unit thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides an ultrasound device, which includes a user interaction unit for interacting with a user and sensing the user's movements, and a control unit electrically connected to the user interaction unit and outputting a control signal based on the user's movements sensed by the user interaction unit to control the user interaction unit to move to a corresponding position. The present invention also provides a method for adjusting the user interaction unit of an ultrasound device, controlling the user interaction unit to move to a corresponding position based on the user's movements, and a computer storage medium storing a program related to the adjustment method. The ultrasound device and the adjustment method of the user interaction unit of the ultrasound device provided by the present invention can enable the user to conveniently adjust the ultrasound device to an appropriate position, meet the operational requirements of different users, increase ease of use, and improve the inspection efficiency in the ultrasound inspection process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasound device, and more particularly to an ultrasound device with an adjustable user interaction unit, a method for adjusting the user interaction unit, and a computer-readable storage medium for executing the method. Background Art

[0002] Ultrasound equipment is widely used in many departments of hospitals. It can be fixed in the ultrasound examination room for use or pushed to the patient's bedside for operation. In daily use, a single ultrasound device is often operated by multiple physicians. Each physician has different usage habits, some prefer to use it while standing, while others prefer to use it while sitting. Taking into account factors such as height, each physician has their own "comfort position" when operating the user interface unit. When a patient undergoes an ultrasound examination, they generally lie on the bed. In some cases, the physician needs to twist the user interface unit to an angle or height that the patient can observe.

[0003] U.S. Patent No. 9,504,447 B2 discloses an ultrasound device with a user interface unit. In actual use, physicians must manually push the handle to adjust the user interface unit to their preferred height or angle, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive, reducing the efficiency of the entire ultrasound examination and increasing the patient's consultation time.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to propose an ultrasound device capable of conveniently adjusting a user interaction unit and a corresponding adjustment method. Summary of the Invention

[0005] A first aspect of the present invention provides an ultrasound device, which includes a user interaction unit for interacting with a user and sensing the user's movements, and a control unit electrically connected to the user interaction unit and outputting a control signal based on the user's movements sensed by the user interaction unit to control the user interaction unit to move to a corresponding position.

[0006] Preferably, the ultrasound device further comprises a storage unit, and the corresponding position of the user interaction unit is pre-stored in the storage unit.

[0007] Preferably, the ultrasound device further comprises a record button, and when the record button senses the user's pressing action, the current position information of the user interaction unit is stored in the storage unit.

[0008] Preferably, the user interaction unit includes a control button. When the button senses a pressing action of the user, the control unit outputs the control signal according to the pressing action to control the user interaction unit to move to a corresponding position.

[0009] Preferably, the control button includes a first button and a second button. When the first button senses the user's first pressing action, the control unit outputs a first control signal according to the first pressing action to control the user interaction unit to move to the first position. When the second button senses the user's second pressing action, the control unit outputs a second control signal according to the second pressing action to control the user interaction unit to move to the second position.

[0010] Preferably, the user interaction unit includes a camera, which captures the user's movements. The control unit outputs the control signal according to the user's movements captured by the camera, so as to control the user interaction unit to move to a corresponding position.

[0011] Preferably, the camera captures information of the user's face, and the control unit outputs the control signal to control the user interaction unit to move to a corresponding position based on the information of the user's face.

[0012] Preferably, the corresponding positions include corresponding heights.

[0013] Preferably, the corresponding position includes a corresponding rotation angle.

[0014] Preferably, the user interaction unit comprises at least one of a display and a control panel.

[0015] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for adjusting a user interaction unit of an ultrasound device, comprising: step one: the user interaction unit senses the user's movements; step two: outputting a control signal according to the user's movements, the control signal being used to control the user interaction unit to move to a corresponding position.

[0016] Preferably, the method further includes the step of storing the corresponding position in a storage unit of the ultrasound device before step 1.

[0017] Preferably, step one includes: sensing the user's pressing action by pressing a button.

[0018] Preferably, step one includes: photographing the user's actions through a camera.

[0019] Preferably, in the method, the corresponding positions include corresponding heights.

[0020] Preferably, in the method, the corresponding position includes a corresponding rotation angle.

[0021] Preferably, in the method, the user interaction unit includes at least one of a display and a control panel.

[0022] Another aspect of the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium configured to store one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are configured to execute the above-mentioned method for adjusting a user interaction unit of an ultrasound device.

[0023] Other features and aspects will become apparent from the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The present invention may be better understood by describing exemplary embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0025] Figure 1 Shown is a module schematic diagram of an embodiment of the ultrasound device of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 Shown is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the ultrasound device of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 Shown is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the ultrasound device of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 Shown is a flow chart of an embodiment of a method for adjusting a user interaction unit of an ultrasound device according to the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The specific embodiments of the present application will be described below. It should be noted that in the specific description of these embodiments, in order to provide a concise description, this specification cannot provide a detailed description of all the features of the actual embodiments. It should be understood that in the actual implementation of any embodiment, just as in the process of any engineering project or design project, in order to achieve the specific goals of the developer and to meet system-related or business-related restrictions, various specific decisions are often made, and this will also change from one embodiment to another. In addition, it can also be understood that although the efforts made in this development process may be complex and lengthy, for ordinary technicians in the field related to the content disclosed by the present invention, some changes in design, manufacturing or production based on the technical content disclosed in this disclosure are just conventional technical means and should not be understood as the content of this disclosure being insufficient.

[0030] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in the claims and description shall have the usual meaning understood by persons of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the invention belongs. The words "first", "second" and similar terms used in the description and claims of the patent application of the present invention do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. Words such as "one" or "a" do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the existence of at least one. Words such as "include" or "comprising" mean that the elements or objects appearing before "include" or "comprising" cover the elements or objects listed after "include" or "comprising" and their equivalent elements, and do not exclude other elements or objects. Words such as "connected" or "connected" and similar terms are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, nor are they limited to direct or indirect connections.

[0031] Figure 1 The module diagram of the ultrasonic device of the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown, the ultrasound device 1 includes a user interaction unit 10 and a control unit 11. The user interaction unit 10 can exchange information with the user 2, including sensing the user's movements, receiving input information from the user 2, and outputting information to the user 2. The user interaction unit 10 includes a display and / or a control panel.

[0032] The control unit 11 is electrically connected to the user interaction unit 10 via a wired or wireless method, receives the motion information sensed by the user interaction unit 10, and outputs a control signal S11 based on the motion. The control signal S11 is used to control the display and / or control panel of the user interaction unit 10 to move to a corresponding position. The corresponding position refers to the user's "comfortable position", including but not limited to a certain height of the display and / or control panel, a certain horizontal rotation angle of the display and / or control panel, and a certain vertical rotation angle. Specifically, the control signal S11 is sent to a driver, which is composed of a drive motor, a hydraulic rod, a rotating gear and other mechanisms. The driver further drives the user interaction unit 10 to move to the corresponding position. In this way, the ultrasonic device of the present invention can autonomously adjust the position of the user interaction unit 10 according to the user's motion to meet the user's needs.

[0033] The control unit 11 typically utilizes a microprocessor, including but not limited to various electronic devices such as FPGAs, DSPs, and MCUs. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 utilizes a single processor architecture. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that multiple processors can be employed to coordinate and implement the control functions of the control unit 11. The control unit 11 includes a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more programs related to the adjustment method, such as a program for executing the command to send the control signal S11. The computer-readable storage medium may be any of a hard disk, a ROM, a DVD, a Flash, or the like.

[0034] Preferably, the ultrasound device 10 may further include a storage unit, in which the corresponding position information of the user interaction unit 10 to be moved is pre-stored. The storage unit may be any of ROM, Flash, hard disk, DVD, USB flash drive, etc. The corresponding position is the optimal position for the user to operate in different postures. Specifically, for example, when the user operates the ultrasound device in a standing position, the distance between the control panel and the user's arm plane is fixed at 8 cm, or when the user operates the ultrasound device in a sitting position, the distance between the display and the user's eyes is 25 cm. These values ​​can be calculated based on ergonomic theory or obtained through statistical or big data analysis. When the user interaction unit 10 senses a user action, including but not limited to pressing a button, sitting, standing, lying down, speaking, etc., the control unit 11 queries the storage unit for the position corresponding to the action based on the action, and then generates a control signal S11 to drive the user interaction unit 10 to move to the corresponding position.

[0035] Furthermore, the ultrasound device 1 may also include a recording button, which includes but is not limited to a physical button or a virtual button on the touch screen. When the user presses the recording button, the pressing action is captured and sensed by the recording button. Preferably, the ultrasound device 1 may also include one or more sensors, such as a gyroscope, a position sensor, etc., to record the current position information of the user interaction unit 10. If the user is not satisfied with the current position of the user interaction unit 10, the user can manually adjust the user interaction unit 10 to a satisfactory position, and then press the recording button. The position information of the manually adjusted user interaction unit is recorded in the storage unit for easy retrieval next time, and can also be used for subsequent statistical analysis by equipment manufacturers.

[0036] Preferably, the ultrasound device 1 may also include an identity recognition system for identifying the current user's information, including but not limited to the doctor's work ID, the patient's case number, and other information. This information can be obtained through a password, a command, or a card swiping device. When a user manually adjusts the user interaction unit 10 to a desired position and presses the record button, the current position information is stored in the storage unit along with the corresponding user information. Since each user's desired position is different, this allows for customized operation of the same ultrasound device to meet the needs of different users, facilitating subsequent use by multiple users.

[0037] Figure 2 FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an ultrasound device of the present invention. The ultrasound device 1 includes a user interaction unit 10 and a control unit 11. In this embodiment, the user interaction unit 10 includes a display 101 and a control panel 102. The display 101 is used to display ultrasound images and other information to the user 2. The control panel 102 includes multiple buttons or virtual buttons on the touch screen to sense the pressing actions of the user 2. Figure 2 As shown, user 2 sits in front of the ultrasound device 1 to operate it. The control panel 102 is equipped with a control button 103. When user 2 operates the ultrasound device 1 in a standing position, user 2 can press the control button 103. The control button 103 senses the pressing action of user 2. The control unit 11 sends a control signal based on the pressing action of user 2 to control the user interaction unit 10 to move to the corresponding position of user 2 standing. Specifically, the bottom of the control panel 102 is equipped with an electric drive unit 105. In other embodiments, other types of drive methods can be used. The electric drive unit 105 drives the control panel 102 to lift a certain height or rotate left and right to a certain angle according to the control signal. The support part 106 of the display 101 is also equipped with a lifting mechanism and a rotating mechanism to lift or lower the display 101 to a certain height, or rotate the display 101 up and down and left and right to a certain angle. The control unit 11 may send only a control signal to adjust the display 101 to a corresponding height and / or rotation angle, or may send only a control signal to adjust the control panel 102 to a corresponding height and / or rotation angle, or may send a control signal to adjust both the display 101 and the control panel 102 simultaneously. When user 2 sits down to operate again, user 2 presses the control button 103 again. Control button 103 senses user 2's pressing action, and the control unit 11 sends a control signal based on user 2's pressing action, causing the user interaction unit 10 to move to the position corresponding to user 2's sitting operating state.

[0038] Optionally, the control panel 102 further includes another control button 104. Control button 103 is adjusted to a position corresponding to the user's standing operating state, and control button 104 is adjusted to a position corresponding to the user's sitting operating state. In different operating states, user 2 presses different buttons, and the ultrasound device 1 adjusts the user interaction unit 10 to different positions. It is understood that the number of buttons and the corresponding positions of the buttons can be multiple, for example, three or more, corresponding to multiple different positions. Each button can be provided with a logo or have different button shapes to facilitate user operation.

[0039] In certain application scenarios, users 2 include a physician and a patient. The physician operates the ultrasound device 1 facing the front, while the patient typically lies on a bed, typically located to the left or right of the ultrasound device 1 and at an approximately 90° angle to the physician. To display the ultrasound image to the patient, the physician needs to twist the display 101 approximately 90° and then secure it. In this embodiment, the control panel 102 includes a first button and a second button. The first button adjusts the position of the user interface unit 10 for the physician, while the second button adjusts the position of the user interface unit 10 for the patient. When the physician presses the first button, the first button senses the user's pressing action, and the control unit 11 outputs a first control signal to the electric drive unit 105 of the control panel 102, thereby driving the control panel 102 to be raised or lowered to a certain height or rotated to a certain angle. When the physician presses the second button, the second button senses the user's pressing action, and the control unit 11 outputs a second control signal to the support unit 106 of the display 101, thereby driving the display 106 to be raised or lowered to a certain height or rotated to a certain angle, such as rotating it 90° to the right so that the patient can see the display image in the bed. The physician can control the user interaction unit 10 to the appropriate position through simple and convenient button operation according to the needs of the operation process, increasing ease of use, saving the physician's time, and improving efficiency.

[0040] Optionally, the ultrasound device 1 may also include a microphone, which senses the conversation between the physician and the patient and identifies the sound content using a sound recognition algorithm. The control unit 11 sends a control signal based on the identified content and adjusts the user interaction unit 10 to the corresponding position. Such a design can further improve operational efficiency.

[0041] Figure 3FIG2 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present invention. An ultrasound device 3 includes a user interaction unit 30 and a control unit 31. The user interaction unit 30 includes not only a display 301 and a control panel 302, but also a camera 33. The camera 33 can be located on top of the display 301 or elsewhere to capture user 2's actions, including but not limited to user 2 sitting down or standing up. When the camera 33 captures user 2 sitting down or standing up, the control unit 31 sends a control signal to the support portion 303 of the display 301 and / or the electric drive portion 304 of the control panel 302 based on the user 2's actions, thereby driving the display 301 and / or the control panel 302 to positions corresponding to the sitting or standing operating state. It is understood that the principles for other user 2 actions, such as gestures, are consistent with the principles for adjusting the corresponding standing and sitting operating states, and will not be further elaborated here.

[0042] Preferably, the camera 33 can also capture information about the face of user 2, which includes facial position information, etc. In some embodiments, the facial position information is used as a reference to determine the corresponding position to which the user interaction unit 30 is to be adjusted. For example, when user 2 changes from a sitting operation state to a standing operation state, the camera 33 captures the position information of the face of user 2. The control unit 31 calculates the height that needs to be adjusted based on the position information, and then sends a control signal to the support portion 303 of the display 301 to move the display 301 to a height consistent with the height of user 2's face. Similarly, the corresponding rotation angle can also be determined by the facial position information of user 2. This embodiment further simplifies the user's operation, uses the camera to achieve automatic position adjustment, and increases the precision and accuracy of the adjustment.

[0043] It is understandable that Figure 2 and Figure 3 The buttons and camera settings on the ultrasound device in the illustrated embodiments can be used in combination. For example, in some embodiments, the camera is used to identify actions, and the buttons are used to receive user press operations. The combination of the two can achieve more diverse adjustments to the user interaction unit.

[0044] Figure 4The figure shows a flow chart of an embodiment of the method for adjusting the user interaction unit of the ultrasonic device of the present invention. First, in step one S1, the ultrasonic device senses the user's action. There are many ways to sense the user's action, such as sensing the user's pressing action through a button, sensing the user's standing or sitting action through a camera, sensing the user's speaking action through a microphone, etc. Then, in step two S2, the ultrasonic device outputs a control signal according to the user's action. The control signal is used to control the user interaction unit to move to a corresponding position, which includes a height and / or a rotation angle. The corresponding position of the ultrasonic device is generally pre-stored in a storage unit. In some embodiments, the ultrasonic device can determine the target height and / or target rotation angle to be adjusted in real time, such as by capturing a signal of a human face through a camera. According to the needs of the adjustment method, one or more computer programs designed are stored in a computer-readable storage medium of the ultrasonic device so that the ultrasonic device can call and execute them at any time.

[0045] The method for adjusting the user interaction unit of an ultrasound device of the present invention can simplify the user's operating steps and improve the user's usage efficiency, and is particularly suitable for application scenarios in which multiple users use the same ultrasound device and each user has different usage habits.

[0046] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not limiting. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present invention may be modified or replaced by equivalents without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ultrasound device comprising a user interaction unit for interacting with a user and sensing the user's movements, and A control unit is electrically connected to the user interaction unit and outputs a control signal based on the user's movement sensed by the user unit to control the user interaction unit to move to a corresponding position, wherein the corresponding position refers to a comfortable position for the user, wherein the interaction between the user and the user interaction unit is performed in a short-range manner, and the user interaction unit includes a control panel. 2 . The ultrasound apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage unit, wherein the corresponding position of the user interaction unit is pre-stored in the storage unit.

3. The ultrasound device as described in claim 2, wherein the user interaction unit includes a recording button, and when the recording button senses the user's pressing action, the control unit outputs a storage signal to store the current position information of the user interaction unit in the storage unit.

4. The ultrasound device as described in claim 2, wherein the user interaction unit includes a control button, and when the control button senses the user's pressing action, the control unit outputs the control signal according to the pressing action to control the user interaction unit to move to a corresponding position.

5. The ultrasound device according to claim 4, wherein the control button includes a first button and a second button, and when the first button senses a first pressing action of the user, the control unit outputs a first control signal according to the first pressing action to control the user interaction unit to move to a first position; when the second button senses a second pressing action of the user, the control unit outputs a second control signal according to the second pressing action to control the user interaction unit to move to a second position.

6. The ultrasound device according to claim 1, wherein the user interaction unit comprises a camera, the camera captures the user's movements, and the control unit outputs the control signal according to the user's movements captured by the camera to control the user interaction unit to move to a corresponding position.

7. The ultrasound device according to claim 6, wherein the camera captures information of the user's face, and the control unit outputs the control signal based on the information of the user's face to control the user interaction unit to move to a position corresponding to the information of the user's face. The ultrasound apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the corresponding positions comprise corresponding heights.

9. The ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein the corresponding positions comprise corresponding rotation angles.

10. The ultrasound device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the user interaction unit further comprises a display.

11. A method for adjusting a user interaction unit of an ultrasound device, comprising: Step 1: The user interaction unit senses the user's action; Step 2: Output a control signal based on the user's action sensed by the user unit, wherein the control signal is used to control the user interaction unit to move to a corresponding position, wherein the corresponding position refers to a comfortable position for the user, wherein the interaction between the user and the user interaction unit is performed in a close-range manner, and the user interaction unit includes a control panel.

12. The method for adjusting the user interaction unit of an ultrasound device as claimed in claim 11, further comprising the step of storing the corresponding position in a storage unit of the ultrasound device before step 1.

13. The method for adjusting the user interaction unit of an ultrasound device according to claim 11, wherein step 1 comprises: The pressing action of the user is sensed by a key.

14. The method for adjusting the user interaction unit of an ultrasound device according to claim 11, wherein step 1 comprises: The user's actions are captured by a camera. 15 . The method for adjusting a user interaction unit of an ultrasound device according to claim 11 , wherein the corresponding positions include corresponding heights. 16 . The method for adjusting a user interaction unit of an ultrasound device according to claim 11 , wherein the corresponding position comprises a corresponding rotation angle. 17 . The method for adjusting a user interaction unit of an ultrasound device according to claim 11 , wherein the user interaction unit further comprises a display. 18 . A computer-readable storage medium configured to store one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are configured to execute the method according to claim 11 .

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