Ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and method of operating same

Abstract

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and a method of operating the same are provided. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus connected with at least one wired ultrasound probe and at least one wireless ultrasound probe is provided. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes: at least one wired ultrasonic probe connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus via a cable; at least one wireless ultrasound probe connected to the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus by using wireless communication; and a wireless communication module configured to receive a pairing reception signal from the at least one wireless ultrasonic probe so as to connect with the at least one wireless ultrasonic probe by using a wireless communication method, and transmit a beamforming control signal to each of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe and receive ultrasound image data from each of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe; and a controller configured to detect the ultrasound probe being used by the user and activate the detected ultrasound probe.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with application date of April 12, 2018, application number 201880054443.5, and invention name “Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment and operation method thereof”. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an operating method thereof, and more particularly, to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including at least one wired ultrasonic probe and a plurality of wireless ultrasonic probes, and a method of operating the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. Background Art

[0003] The ultrasound system transmits an ultrasound signal generated by a transducer of an ultrasound probe to the internal part of an object and receives information about an echo signal reflected therefrom, thereby obtaining an image of the internal part of the object. Specifically, the ultrasound system is used for medical purposes, including observing the internal area of ​​an object, detecting foreign matter, diagnosing damage to an object, and imaging characteristics.

[0004] Nowadays, a wireless ultrasonic probe connected to an ultrasonic diagnostic device by using wireless communication is being developed in order to improve the operability of the ultrasonic probe by removing a communication cable for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic image data between the ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic diagnostic device and eliminating the inconvenience caused by the communication cable. However, currently, an ultrasonic diagnostic device including a wireless ultrasonic probe may include only one wireless ultrasonic probe, and only one wireless ultrasonic probe may be connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic device at a time. In addition, in the case of an ultrasonic diagnostic device including both a wired ultrasonic probe and a wireless ultrasonic probe, when a user stops using the wired ultrasonic probe and tries to use the wireless ultrasonic probe, the user suffers the inconvenience of having to manually pair the wireless ultrasonic probe to the ultrasonic diagnostic device and activate the paired wireless ultrasonic probe. Summary of the invention

[0005] Technical solutions to technical problems An ultrasonic diagnostic device is provided, the ultrasonic diagnostic device comprising at least one wired ultrasonic probe and at least one wireless ultrasonic probe and configured to: detect an ultrasonic probe being used by a user from among the at least one wired ultrasonic probe and the at least one wireless ultrasonic probe, and activate the detected ultrasonic probe. An ultrasonic diagnostic device for activating a wireless ultrasonic probe being used among at least one wireless ultrasonic probe paired using a wireless communication method is also provided.

[0006] Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments.

[0007] Advantageous Effects of the Invention The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes both at least one wired ultrasonic probe and at least one wireless ultrasonic probe, and is configured to detect an ultrasonic probe that a user is using to examine an object from among a first wired ultrasonic probe and a second wired ultrasonic probe and a first wireless ultrasonic probe and a second wireless ultrasonic probe, and directly activate the detected ultrasonic probe without a separate pairing process, thereby increasing user convenience. Specifically, even when the ultrasonic probe in use is switched from the wired ultrasonic probe to the wireless ultrasonic probe or vice versa, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can automatically detect the ultrasonic probe in use as a result of switching the probe and activate the detected ultrasonic probe to send an ultrasonic signal to the object and acquire ultrasonic image data from the object. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] These and / or other aspects will become apparent and more readily understood through the following description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example in which the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the embodiment detects an ultrasonic probe being used by a user from among wired ultrasonic probes and wireless ultrasonic probes and activates the detected ultrasonic probe; Figure 2 is a block diagram of a configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment; Figure 3 is a flowchart of a method of operating an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment; Figure 4 is a flow chart of a method for operating an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to another embodiment; Figure 5 is a block diagram of a configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to another embodiment; Figure 6 is a flow chart of a method for operating an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to another embodiment; Figure 7 is a block diagram of a configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including a wired ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment; Figure 8 is a block diagram of a configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic system including a wireless ultrasound probe according to an embodiment; and 9A to 9C is a diagram showing an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an ultrasonic diagnostic device includes: at least one wired ultrasonic probe, connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic device via a cable; at least one wireless ultrasonic probe, connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic device by using wireless communication; a wireless communication module, configured to receive a pairing reception signal from the at least one wireless ultrasonic probe, thereby connecting with the at least one wireless ultrasonic probe by using a wireless communication method, and sending a beamforming control signal to each of the at least one wireless ultrasonic probe and receiving ultrasonic image data from each of the at least one wireless ultrasonic probe; and a controller, configured to detect an ultrasonic probe that a user is using to examine an object from among the at least one wired ultrasonic probe and the at least one wireless ultrasonic probe, and activate the detected ultrasonic probe.

[0010] The ultrasonic diagnostic equipment may further include: a beamformer configured to generate a beamforming signal to be applied to each of the multiple transducers included in each of the at least one wired ultrasonic probe based on the positions and focuses of the multiple transducers included in the at least one wired ultrasonic probe; and a probe switching component configured to select a wired ultrasonic probe from the at least one wired ultrasonic probe and activate the selected wired ultrasonic probe.

[0011] The controller may be further configured to detect a first wired ultrasound probe being used from the at least one wired ultrasound probe, control the probe switching component to activate the detected first wired ultrasound probe, and control the beamformer to send the beamforming signal to the first wired ultrasound probe.

[0012] The controller may be further configured to stop the operations of the beamformer and the probe switching assembly when the ultrasound probe detected as being in use is switched from an activated wired ultrasound probe among the at least one wired ultrasound probe to one of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe.

[0013] The controller may be further configured to, when the ultrasound probe detected as being in use is switched from the wireless ultrasound probe to a first wired ultrasound probe, restore the operation of the beamformer and the probe switching component, control the probe switching component to activate the first wired ultrasound probe, and control the beamformer to send the beamforming signal to the first wired ultrasound probe.

[0014] The controller may be further configured to, when it is detected that the ultrasound probe being used is the first wireless ultrasound probe, control the wireless communication module to transmit a beamforming control signal for controlling a beamformer included in the first wireless ultrasound probe to the first wireless ultrasound probe.

[0015] The controller may be further configured to control the wireless communication module to receive status information from the at least one wireless ultrasound probe, wherein the status information includes identification information about each of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe, wireless communication frequency, connection type, executable application, wireless communication method, battery charging information, remaining battery capacity, remaining available time, and at least one of communication status.

[0016] The wireless communication module can be connected to the at least one wireless ultrasound probe by using at least one of the wireless communication methods, and the wireless communication methods include: wireless local area network (WLAN), wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, Zigbee, Wi-Fi Direct (WFD), infrared data association (IrDA), Bluetooth low energy (BLE), near field communication (NFC), wireless broadband Internet (WiBro), world interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), shared wireless access protocol (SWAP), wireless Gigabit Alliance (WiGig) and radio frequency (RF) communication.

[0017] The wireless communication module may be paired with the at least one wireless ultrasound probe simultaneously.

[0018] The controller may be further configured to check a wireless connection status between the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and the at least one wireless ultrasound probe at preset time intervals.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an ultrasonic diagnostic device includes: a wireless communication module, which is connected to each of a plurality of different wireless ultrasonic probes by using a wireless communication method; and a controller, which is configured to detect a wireless ultrasonic probe being used by a user from the plurality of different wireless ultrasonic probes, and control the wireless communication module to send an activation signal to the detected wireless ultrasonic probe.

[0020] The controller may be further configured to control the wireless communication module to transmit and receive a pairing signal to each of the plurality of different wireless ultrasound probes by using a wireless communication method.

[0021] The controller may be further configured to control the wireless communication module to receive status information from the multiple different wireless ultrasound probes, the status information including at least one of identification information, wireless communication frequency, connection type, executable application, wireless communication method, battery charging information, remaining battery capacity, remaining available time, and communication status about each of the multiple different wireless ultrasound probes.

[0022] The controller may be further configured to control the wireless communication module to transmit a beamforming control signal for controlling a beamformer included in the wireless ultrasound probe detected as being in use to the wireless ultrasound probe.

[0023] The wireless communication module can be paired with the multiple different wireless ultrasound probes simultaneously.

[0024] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for operating an ultrasound diagnostic device including at least one wired ultrasound probe and at least one wireless ultrasound probe includes: connecting the ultrasound diagnostic device with the at least one wireless ultrasound probe by using a wireless communication method; detecting an ultrasound probe that a user is using to examine an object from among the at least one wired ultrasound probe and the at least one wireless ultrasound probe; and activating the detected ultrasound probe.

[0025] The step of activating the detected ultrasound probe may include: detecting a first wired ultrasound probe being used from the at least one wired ultrasound probe; controlling a probe switching component included in the ultrasound diagnostic device to activate the first wired ultrasound probe; and sending a beamforming signal to the first wired ultrasound probe.

[0026] The method may further include stopping the operation of the probe switching component and the transmission of the beamforming signal when the ultrasound probe detected as being in use is switched from the first wired ultrasound probe to one of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe.

[0027] The method may further include: when the ultrasound probe detected as being in use is switched from the wireless ultrasound probe to a second wired ultrasound probe, restoring the operation of the probe switching component to activate the second wired ultrasound probe; and sending the beamforming signal to the second wired ultrasound probe.

[0028] The step of activating the detected ultrasound probe may include: detecting a first wireless ultrasound probe being used from the at least one wireless ultrasound probe; and sending a beamforming control signal for controlling a beamformer included in the first wireless ultrasound probe to the first wireless ultrasound probe.

[0029] The method may further include: after connecting the at least one wireless ultrasound probe to the ultrasound diagnostic device, receiving status information from the at least one wireless ultrasound probe, the status information including identification information about each of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe, wireless communication frequency, connection type, executable application, wireless communication method, battery charging information, remaining battery capacity, remaining available time, and at least one of communication status.

[0030] The step of connecting the at least one wireless ultrasound probe with the ultrasound diagnostic device may include connecting with the at least one wireless ultrasound probe by using at least one of wireless communication methods, the wireless communication methods including: wireless local area network (WLAN), wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, Zigbee, Wi-Fi Direct (WFD), infrared data association (IrDA), Bluetooth low energy (BLE), near field communication (NFC), wireless broadband Internet (WiBro), world interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), shared wireless access protocol (SWAP), wireless Gigabit Alliance (WiGig) and radio frequency (RF) communication.

[0031] The step of connecting the at least one wireless ultrasound probe with the ultrasound diagnostic device may include simultaneously pairing the ultrasound diagnostic device with each of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe.

[0032] The step of connecting the at least one wireless ultrasound probe to the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus may include checking a state of a wireless connection between the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and the at least one wireless ultrasound probe at preset time intervals.

[0033] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for operating an ultrasound diagnostic device including multiple wireless ultrasound probes includes: connecting the ultrasound diagnostic device with each of the multiple wireless ultrasound probes by using a wireless communication method; detecting a wireless ultrasound probe being used by a user from the multiple wireless ultrasound probes; and sending an activation signal to the detected wireless ultrasound probe.

[0034] The step of connecting the plurality of wireless ultrasonic probes with the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus may further include transmitting a pairing signal to each of the plurality of wireless ultrasonic probes and receiving a pairing signal from each of the plurality of wireless ultrasonic probes by using a wireless communication method.

[0035] The method may further include: after connecting the multiple wireless ultrasound probes to the ultrasound diagnostic device, receiving status information from the multiple wireless ultrasound probes, the status information including identification information about each of the multiple wireless ultrasound probes, wireless communication frequency, connection type, executable application, wireless communication method, battery charging information, remaining battery capacity, remaining available time and at least one of communication status.

[0036] The step of transmitting the activation signal may include transmitting a beamforming control signal for controlling a beamformer included in the wireless ultrasound probe detected as being in use to the wireless ultrasound probe.

[0037] The step of connecting the plurality of wireless ultrasound probes with the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus may include simultaneously pairing the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus with each of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe.

[0038] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable recording medium having a computer program recorded thereon includes instructions for performing the following operations: connecting the ultrasonic diagnostic device with multiple wireless ultrasonic probes by using a wireless communication method; detecting an ultrasonic probe that a user is using to examine an object from at least one wired ultrasonic probe and the multiple wireless ultrasonic probes; and activating the detected ultrasonic probe.

[0039] Invention Mode By referring to the following specific implementation and the accompanying drawings of the embodiment, it is easier to understand one or more embodiments of the present disclosure and to realize the advantages and features of the one or more embodiment methods. In this regard, the present embodiment may have different forms and should not be interpreted as being limited to the description proposed herein. More specifically, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and the concept of the present embodiment is fully conveyed to those of ordinary skill in the art, and the present disclosure will be limited only by the appended claims.

[0040] The terms used herein will now be briefly described, followed by a detailed description of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0041] All terms used herein (including descriptive terms or technical terms) should be interpreted as having meanings that are obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art. However, the terms may have different meanings depending on the intention of those of ordinary skill in the art, prior cases, or the emergence of new technologies. In addition, the applicant may arbitrarily select some terms, and in this case, the meaning of the selected terms will be described in detail in the specific embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, the terms used herein must be defined based on the meaning of the terms and the descriptions throughout the specification.

[0042] When a component "includes" or "contains" an element, unless there is a specific description to the contrary, the component may further include other elements without excluding other elements. In addition, the term "unit" in the embodiment of the present disclosure refers to a software component or a hardware component such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and performs a specific function. However, the term "unit" is not limited to software or hardware. A "unit" may be formed to be located in an addressable storage medium, or may be formed to operate one or more processors. Therefore, for example, the term "unit" may refer to a component (such as a software component, an object-oriented software component, a class component, and a task component), and may include a process, a function, an attribute, a process, a subroutine, a program code segment, a driver, a firmware, a microcode, a circuit, data, a database, a data structure, a table, an array, or a variable. The functions provided by components and "units" may be associated with a smaller number of components and "units", or may be divided into additional components and "units".

[0043] In this specification, an "object" may be a human, an animal, or a part of a human or an animal. For example, the object may be an organ (e.g., liver, heart, uterus, brain, chest, or abdomen), a blood vessel, or a combination thereof. In addition, the "object" may be a phantom. A phantom refers to a material having a density, an effective atomic number, and a volume that are approximately the same as those of a living organism. For example, a phantom may be a spherical phantom having properties similar to those of a human body.

[0044] Furthermore, in the present specification, a "user" may be, but is not limited to, a medical expert such as a doctor, a nurse, a medical laboratory technician, and a technician who repairs medical equipment.

[0045] Furthermore, in this specification, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used only to distinguish one component, element, object, image, pixel, or tile from another component, element, object, image, pixel, or tile. Therefore, these terms are not limited to representing an order or priority among elements or components. Expressions such as "at least one of..." when preceding a list of elements modify the entire list of elements and do not modify individual elements in the list.

[0046] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. In this regard, the present embodiments may have different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the descriptions set forth herein. In the following description, well-known functions or configurations are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the embodiments with unnecessary details.

[0047] Figure 11 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example in which the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 according to the embodiment detects an ultrasound probe that a user is using from among the wired ultrasound probes 111 and 112 and the wireless ultrasound probes 121 and 122 and activates the detected ultrasound probe.

[0048] Reference Figure 1 , the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 may be connected to at least one wired ultrasonic probe and at least one wireless ultrasonic probe. According to an embodiment, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 may be connected to a first wired ultrasonic probe 111 and a second wired ultrasonic probe 112 via a cable. In addition, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 may be connected to a plurality of wireless ultrasonic probes including a first wireless ultrasonic probe 121 and a second wireless ultrasonic probe 122 by using a wireless communication method. Figure 1 It is shown that the number of the wired ultrasound probes 111 and 112 and the number of the wireless ultrasound probes 121 and 122 are both two (2), but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0049] In an embodiment, the first wired ultrasound probe 111 and the second wired ultrasound probe 112 may be connected to each other via a probe switching assembly (PSA, Figure 3 160) is connected to the controller of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 ( Figure 3 of 140).

[0050] According to an embodiment, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 may be connected to the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasound probe 122 by using a wireless communication method. In this case, "connection" may refer to a state in which the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 is paired to use at least one of the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasound probe 122. Even when the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 is connected to the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasound probe 122, it does not mean that the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 can use all of the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasound probe 122 to transmit ultrasound signals to the object. As will be described below with reference to Figure 4 Described in more detail, "pairing" is conceptually different from "activation".

[0051] For example, the ultrasound diagnostic device 100 can be wirelessly connected to the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasound probe 122 by receiving a pairing reception signal from the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasound probe 122 using at least one of the data communication methods, wherein the data communication method includes: wireless local area network (WLAN), wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, Zigbee, Wi-Fi Direct (WFD), infrared data association (IrDA), Bluetooth low energy (BLE), near field communication (NFC), wireless broadband Internet (WiBro), world interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), shared wireless access protocol (SWAP), wireless Gigabit Alliance (WiGig) and radio frequency (RF) communication.

[0052] The first wireless ultrasonic probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasonic probe 122 may each transmit an ultrasonic signal to an object and receive an echo signal reflected from the object, thereby generating a received signal. The first wireless ultrasonic probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasonic probe 122 may each perform image processing on the received echo signal, thereby generating ultrasonic image data, and then transmit the generated ultrasonic image data to the controller ( Figures 2 to 4 of 140).

[0053] The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 may detect an ultrasound probe that the user 1 is using to examine an object from among the first wired ultrasound probe 111 and the second wired ultrasound probe 112 and the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasound probe 122. According to an embodiment, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 may detect an operation in which the user stops using the first wired ultrasound probe 111 and then switches the probe to use the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 instead. In addition, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 may detect an operation in which the user stops using the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and then switches the probe to use the first wired ultrasound probe 111.

[0054] The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 may detect an ultrasonic probe that a user is using to examine an object and activate the detected ultrasonic probe. In this case, "activation" may refer to operating the ultrasonic probe to transmit an ultrasonic signal to an object and receive an ultrasonic echo signal reflected from the object.

[0055] For example, when the ultrasound probe used by the user 1 is the first wired ultrasound probe 111, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 may be connected to the user 1 via the PSA ( Figure 3 160) selects a first wired ultrasound probe 111 and sends a beamforming signal to the selected first wired ultrasound probe 111. The first wired ultrasound probe 111 may then receive the beamforming signal to transmit an ultrasound signal to an object and receive an ultrasound signal reflected from the object.

[0056] As another example, when the ultrasound probe being used by the user 1 is the first wireless ultrasound probe 121, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 may activate the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and wirelessly transmit a beamforming control signal for controlling a beamformer included in the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 to the first wireless ultrasound probe 121. The first wireless ultrasound probe 121 may operate the beamformer based on the received beamforming control signal and transmit an ultrasound signal generated by the beamformer to the object.

[0057] For example, the following will refer to Figure 3 In more detail, when the user 1 switches the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 being used to the first wired ultrasound probe 111, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 may deactivate the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and Figure 3 160 ) selects the first wired ultrasound probe 111 and sends the beamforming signal to the first wired ultrasound probe 111 .

[0058] As another example, as will be referred to below Figure 4 Described in more detail, when the user 1 switches the first wired ultrasound probe 111 being used to use the first wireless ultrasound probe 121, the ultrasound diagnostic equipment 100 may deactivate the first wired ultrasound probe 111 and wirelessly send a beamforming control signal to the beamformer included in the first wireless ultrasound probe 121.

[0059] Conventionally, an ultrasound system including only a plurality of wired ultrasound probes or only one wireless ultrasound probe has been used. However, in some cases, it is necessary to alternately select the use of a wired ultrasound probe and a wireless ultrasound probe according to the characteristics of an object or a protocol necessary for diagnosing a disease of the object. A conventional ultrasound system including only a wired ultrasound probe or a wireless ultrasound probe cannot meet these requirements. In addition, even in the case of an ultrasound system including both a wired ultrasound probe and a wireless ultrasound probe, when a user quits using the wired ultrasound probe and attempts to use the wireless ultrasound probe, the user suffers the inconvenience of having to manually pair the wireless ultrasound probe and activate the paired wireless ultrasound probe.

[0060] The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 includes both at least one wired ultrasound probe (a first wired ultrasound probe 111 and a second wired ultrasound probe 112) and at least one wireless ultrasound probe (a first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and a second wireless ultrasound probe 122), and is configured to detect an ultrasound probe that a user 1 is using to examine an object from among the first wired ultrasound probe 111 and the second wired ultrasound probe 112 and the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasound probe 122, and directly activate the detected ultrasound probe without a separate pairing process, thereby increasing user convenience. Specifically, even when the ultrasound probe being used is switched from a wired ultrasound probe to a wireless ultrasound probe or vice versa, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 can automatically detect the ultrasound probe being used as a result of switching the probe and activate the detected ultrasound probe to transmit an ultrasound signal to the object and acquire ultrasound image data from the object.

[0061] Figure 2 is a block diagram of a configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 according to the embodiment.

[0062] Reference Figure 2 , the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 according to the embodiment may include first and second wired ultrasonic probes 111 and 112, first and second wireless ultrasonic probes 121 and 122, a wireless communication module 130, and a controller 140. Figure 2 The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 is shown to include two wired ultrasonic probes (a first wired ultrasonic probe 111 and a second wired ultrasonic probe 112), but this is only an example. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 may include at least one wired ultrasonic probe. Figure 2 It is shown that the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 includes two wireless ultrasound probes (a first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and a second wireless ultrasound probe 122 ), but this is only an example. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 may include at least one wireless ultrasound probe.

[0063] According to an embodiment, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 may further include a beam former ( Figure 4 of 150) and PSA ( Figure 4 of 160).

[0064] The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 may be implemented not only as a cart-type apparatus but also as a portable-type apparatus. Examples of portable ultrasound diagnostic apparatuses may include, but are not limited to, a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) viewer, a handheld cardiac ultrasound (HCU) device, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a tablet PC.

[0065] The first wired ultrasonic probe 111 and the second wired ultrasonic probe 112 may each include a plurality of transducers for transmitting an ultrasonic signal generated by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 to an object. The plurality of transducers included in each of the first wired ultrasonic probe 111 and the second wired ultrasonic probe 112 may receive an ultrasonic echo signal reflected from the object to generate a received signal. The first wired ultrasonic probe 111 and the second wired ultrasonic probe 112 may each transmit the reflected ultrasonic echo signal to the controller 140. The controller 140 may then perform analog-to-digital conversion on the received ultrasonic echo signal to generate ultrasonic image data and perform image processing on the ultrasonic image data to obtain an ultrasonic image of the object.

[0066] The first wireless ultrasonic probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasonic probe 122 may each be a different type of probe having different functions, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. The first wireless ultrasonic probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasonic probe 122 may each transmit an ultrasonic signal to an object and receive an ultrasonic echo signal reflected from the object to generate a reception signal.

[0067] The first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasound probe 122 may include beamformers 121a and 122a for generating ultrasound signals transmitted to the object, respectively. The beamformers 121a and 122a may each receive a beamforming control signal generated by the controller 140 via the wireless communication module 130, and generate ultrasound signals transmitted to the object based on the received beamforming control signal.

[0068] The first wireless ultrasonic probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasonic probe 122 may each perform analog-to-digital conversion on the received ultrasonic echo signal and perform image processing on the obtained signal, thereby generating ultrasonic image data about the object. The first wireless ultrasonic probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasonic probe 122 may each transmit the generated ultrasonic image data to the controller 140 via the wireless communication module 130.

[0069] The wireless communication module 130 may receive a pairing reception signal from the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasound probe 122, and may simultaneously connect to the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasound probe 122 using a wireless communication method based on the pairing reception signal. For example, the wireless communication module 130 may simultaneously wirelessly pair with the wireless ultrasound probes 121 and 122 by using at least one of wireless communication technologies including WLAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, WFD, IrDA, BLE, NFC, WiBro, WiMAX, SWAP, WiGig, and RF communication methods.

[0070] According to an embodiment, the wireless communication module 130 may wirelessly receive a plurality of pieces of status information about the first wireless ultrasonic probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasonic probe 122 based on a control signal from the controller 140. For example, the status information may include at least one of the following items: a wireless communication frequency, a wireless communication connection type, an executable application, a wireless communication method, a communication status, battery charging information, a remaining battery capacity, and a remaining available time about each of the first wireless ultrasonic probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasonic probe 122.

[0071] According to an embodiment, the wireless communication module 130 may perform data communication with the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasound probe 122 by using a 60 GHz millimeter wave (mmWave) local area communication method. The wireless communication module 130 may receive raw data by using a 60 GHz mmWave wireless communication method. In order to obtain raw data, the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasound probe 122 each transmit an ultrasound signal to an object, process the received ultrasound echo signal, and perform analog-to-digital conversion on the obtained signal.

[0072] In another embodiment, the first wireless ultrasonic probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasonic probe 122 may each perform analog-to-digital conversion on the received ultrasonic echo signal, and perform image processing on the analog-to-digital converted signal to generate ultrasonic image data. In this case, the wireless communication module 130 may receive ultrasonic image data from the first wireless ultrasonic probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasonic probe 122 via Wi-Fi, WLAN, or Bluetooth, respectively.

[0073] The controller 140 may control operations of the first wired ultrasonic probe 111, the second wired ultrasonic probe 112, and the wireless communication module 130. In detail, the controller 140 may activate a wired ultrasonic probe selected and used by a user from among the first wired ultrasonic probe 111 and the second wired ultrasonic probe 112. In this case, "activation" may refer to operating the ultrasonic probe to transmit an ultrasonic signal to an object and receive an ultrasonic echo signal reflected from the object.

[0074] In addition, the controller 140 may control the wireless communication module 130 to maintain wireless pairing with the first wireless ultrasonic probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasonic probe 122. In addition, the controller 140 may control the wireless communication module 130 to receive a plurality of pieces of status information from the first wireless ultrasonic probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasonic probe 122. According to an embodiment, the controller 140 may check the status of pairing with each of the first wireless ultrasonic probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasonic probe 122 at a preset time interval. In addition, the controller 140 may control the wireless communication module 130 to transmit a pairing signal for checking whether there is any other wireless ultrasonic probe to be wirelessly connected except the first wireless ultrasonic probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasonic probe 122 at a preset time interval. For example, the controller 140 may control the wireless communication module 130 to transmit a pairing signal for searching for connection of other wireless ultrasonic probes to an area near the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 at an interval of 1 minute or 30 seconds.

[0075] For example, the controller 140 may be formed as a hardware module including at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit, a random access memory (RAM), and a read-only memory (ROM). In an embodiment, the controller 140 may be implemented as an application processor (AP). The controller 140 may also be implemented as a hardware component such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the controller 140 may include components (such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components), processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, program code segments, drivers, firmware, microcodes, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables.

[0076] According to an embodiment, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 may further include a display configured to display a user interface (UI) indicating a plurality of pieces of status information regarding the first and second wireless ultrasound probes 121 and 122 wirelessly paired with the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 .

[0077] Now refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The following operations are described in detail: according to an embodiment, the controller 140 activates the operation of the ultrasound probe being used by the user from the first wired ultrasound probe 111 and the second wired ultrasound probe 112 and the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasound probe 122; and according to an embodiment, when the ultrasound probe being used is switched from a wired ultrasound probe to a wireless ultrasound probe or vice versa, the controller 140 activates the operation of the ultrasound probe being used as a result of the switching.

[0078] Figure 3 and Figure 4is a flowchart of a method of operating the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 according to an embodiment.

[0079] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 may include a first wired ultrasonic probe 111 and a second wired ultrasonic probe 112, a first wireless ultrasonic probe 121 and a second wireless ultrasonic probe 122, a wireless communication module 130, a controller 140, a beamformer 150, and a PSA 160. Since the first wired ultrasonic probe 111 and the second wired ultrasonic probe 112, the first wireless ultrasonic probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasonic probe 122, and the wireless communication module 130 correspond to the reference Figure 2 The corresponding parts of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 described above will be omitted here. Figure 2 Description already provided.

[0080] The beamformer 150 may generate a beamforming signal to be applied to the plurality of transducers based on the positions and focal points of the plurality of transducers included in each of the first wired ultrasound probe 111 and the second wired ultrasound probe 112. The beamformer 150 may transmit the beamforming signal to the selected wired ultrasound probe in response to a control signal from the controller 140.

[0081] The PSA 160 may select a wired ultrasound probe detected as being used by the user from the first wired ultrasound probe 111 and the second wired ultrasound probe 112. The wired ultrasound probe connected through the PSA 160 among the first wired ultrasound probe 111 and the second wired ultrasound probe 112 may receive a beamforming signal from the beamformer 150 and transmit an ultrasound signal to the object based on the received beamforming signal.

[0082] An operation of the controller 140 detecting the first wired ultrasound probe 111 being used by the user according to an embodiment will now be described.

[0083] The controller 140 detects the first wired ultrasound probe 111 being used (operation S310). In an embodiment, the controller 140 may detect the first wired ultrasound probe 111 being used based on a user input signal input via a user input device (such as a button) mounted on the first wired ultrasound probe 111. According to an embodiment, the controller 140 may detect the first wired ultrasound probe 111 being used by using a probe information recognition method based on RF identification (RFID) or the like.

[0084] In another embodiment, the controller 140 may detect the ultrasound probe being used via a sensor built into the ultrasound probe. The sensor may detect a user input of holding one of the first wired ultrasound probe 111 and the second wired ultrasound probe 112 and the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasound probe 122 in his or her hand. The sensor may then transmit the ID information of the detected first wired ultrasound probe 111 to the controller 140, and the controller 140 may identify the first wired ultrasound probe 111 being used based on the received ID information.

[0085] The controller 140 generates a beamforming signal by operating the beamformer 150 (operation S320). Since the first wireless ultrasonic probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasonic probe 122 include the beamformers 121a and 122a, respectively, when one of the first wireless ultrasonic probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasonic probe 122 is being used, the beamformer 150 may not operate and may be deactivated. The controller 140 may change the deactivated beamformer 150 to an activated state and control the beamformer 150 to generate a beamforming signal.

[0086] The controller 140 controls the beamformer 150 to transmit the generated beamformed signal to the first wired ultrasound probe 111 (operation S330). The controller 140 may control the beamformer 150 to transmit the beamformed signal to the first wired ultrasound probe 111 detected as being in use so that the first wired ultrasound probe 111 may transmit an ultrasound signal to the object.

[0087] The controller 140 controls the PSA 160 to select and activate the first wired ultrasound probe 111 (operation S340). The PSA 160 selects the first wired ultrasound probe 111 from the first wired ultrasound probe 111 and the second wired ultrasound probe 112 to connect the signal transmission line based on a control signal from the controller 140. The first wired ultrasound probe 111 connected by the PSA 160 may be activated to transmit an ultrasound signal to an object and receive an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object.

[0088] When performing operations S310, S320, S330, and S340, the controller 140 may control the wireless communication module 130 to maintain wireless pairing with the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasound probe 122, respectively. However, the controller 140 does not activate one of the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasound probe 122 to transmit an ultrasound signal to the object.

[0089] Operations S310, S320, S330, and S340 are part of a method for activating the first wired ultrasound probe 111, and may be applied when switching the ultrasound probe in use from one of the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasound probe 122 to the first wired ultrasound probe 111 in the same manner as when the first wired ultrasound probe 111 is initially selected and used.

[0090] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a method of operating the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 according to another embodiment.

[0091] Now refer to Figure 4 DETAILED DESCRIPTION The controller 140 according to an embodiment detects an operation of the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 that is being used by a user.

[0092] The controller 140 detects the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 being used (operation S410). In an embodiment, the controller 140 may detect the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 being used based on a user input signal input via a user input device (such as a button) installed on the first wireless ultrasound probe 121. According to an embodiment, the controller 140 may detect the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 being used by using a probe information recognition method based on RFID or the like.

[0093] In another embodiment, the controller 140 may detect the ultrasound probe being used via a sensor built into the ultrasound probe. The sensor may detect a user input of holding the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 of the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasound probe 122 in his or her hand. The sensor may then transmit the ID information of the detected first wireless ultrasound probe 121 to the controller 140, and the controller 140 may identify the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 being used based on the received ID information.

[0094] The controller 140 stops the operation of the beamformer 150 and the PSA 160 (operation S420). In an embodiment, the controller 140 may switch the beamformer 150 and the PSA 160 to an off state by deactivating them. When the beamformer 150 and the PSA 160 are deactivated, the operation of the first wired ultrasound probe 111 and the second wired ultrasound probe 112 may also be deactivated. After operation S420, no signal may be sent to the first wired ultrasound probe 111 and the second wired ultrasound probe 112.

[0095] The controller 140 controls the wireless communication module 130 to transmit a pairing signal to the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 detected as the ultrasound probe in use (operation S431 ). The wireless communication module 130 may transmit the pairing signal to the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 by using a wireless communication method based on a control signal from the controller 140 .

[0096] The first wireless ultrasound probe 121 may transmit a pairing signal to the wireless communication module 130 (operation S432 ).

[0097] In operations S431 and S432, the wireless communication module 130 may exchange a pairing signal with the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 by using at least one of wireless communication methods including WLAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, WFD, IrDA, BLE, NFC, WiBro, WiMAX, SWAP, WiGig, and RF communication.

[0098] The first wireless ultrasound probe 121 sends the status information to the wireless communication module 130 (operation S440). According to an embodiment, the controller 140 may control the wireless communication module 130 to receive status information including at least one of the following items from the first wireless ultrasound probe 121: ID information about the first wireless ultrasound probe 121, wireless communication frequency, connection type, executable application, wireless communication method, battery charging information, remaining battery capacity, remaining available time, and communication status. Figure 4 , but the controller 140 may also control the wireless communication module 130 to receive status information from the second wireless ultrasound probe 122 .

[0099] The controller 140 controls the wireless communication module 130 to transmit a beamforming control signal to the first wireless ultrasonic probe 121 (operation S450). The beamforming control signal may be a signal for controlling the beamformers 121a and 122b respectively included in the first wireless ultrasonic probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasonic probe 122 to perform beamforming. The controller 140 may generate a beamforming control signal for controlling the beamformers 121a and 122a, and control the wireless communication module 130 to transmit the beamforming control signal to the beamformer 121a included in the first wireless ultrasonic probe 121 detected as being in use.

[0100] Operations S410, S420, S431, S432, S440, and S450 are part of a method for activating the first wireless ultrasound probe 121, and may be applied when the ultrasound probe in use is switched from one of the first wired ultrasound probe 111 and the second wired ultrasound probe 112 to the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 in the same manner as when the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 is initially selected and used.

[0101] According to reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the described embodiment, the ultrasound diagnostic device 100 is configured to detect an ultrasound probe that a user is using to examine an object from among the first wired ultrasound probe 111 and the second wired ultrasound probe 112 and the first wireless ultrasound probe 121 and the second wireless ultrasound probe 122 and automatically activate the detected ultrasound probe, thereby eliminating the need to perform unnecessary processes (such as a separate wireless pairing process and pairing termination), thereby increasing user convenience.

[0102] Figure 5 is a block diagram of a configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 500 according to another embodiment.

[0103] Reference Figure 5 , the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 500 may include a first wireless ultrasonic probe 511, a second wireless ultrasonic probe 512, a third wireless ultrasonic probe 513, a fourth wireless ultrasonic probe 514, a wireless communication module 520, and a controller 530. Figure 2 The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 described is different. Figure 5 The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 500 does not include a wired ultrasonic probe, but includes the same components as the corresponding parts of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100. Therefore, the above description of Figure 2 Description already provided.

[0104] Despite Figure 5 A total of four (4) wireless ultrasonic probes including the first to fourth wireless ultrasonic probes 511 to 514 are shown in FIG. 5 , but this is merely an example, and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 500 may include a plurality of wireless ultrasonic probes.

[0105] The first wireless ultrasonic probe 511, the second wireless ultrasonic probe 512, the third wireless ultrasonic probe 513, and the fourth wireless ultrasonic probe 514 may include beamformers 511a, 512a, 513a, and 514a, respectively. The beamformers 511a to 514a may each generate a beamforming signal to be applied to a plurality of transducers based on the positions and focal points of the plurality of transducers included in each of the first wireless ultrasonic probe 511 to the fourth wireless ultrasonic probe 514.

[0106] The first wireless ultrasonic probe 511 to the fourth wireless ultrasonic probe 514 may each perform analog-to-digital conversion on the received ultrasonic echo signal and perform image processing on the analog-to-digital converted signal to generate ultrasonic image data. The first wireless ultrasonic probe 511 to the fourth wireless ultrasonic probe 514 may each send the generated ultrasonic image data to the controller 530 via the wireless communication module 520.

[0107] The first to fourth wireless ultrasound probes 511 to 514 may each be connected to the wireless communication module 520 by using a wireless communication method. For example, the first to fourth wireless ultrasound probes 511 to 514 may be wirelessly paired with the wireless communication module 520 by using at least one of wireless communication technologies including WLAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, WFD, IrDA, BLE, NFC, WiBro, WiMAX, SWAP, WiGig, and RF communication methods.

[0108] The wireless communication module 520 may be connected with the first to fourth wireless ultrasound probes 511 to 514 by using a wireless communication method. The wireless communication module 520 may wirelessly pair with the first to fourth wireless ultrasound probes 511 to 514 at the same time.

[0109] According to an embodiment, the wireless communication module 520 may wirelessly receive status information about each of the first to fourth wireless ultrasonic probes 511 to 514 based on a control signal from the controller 530. For example, the wireless communication module 520 may receive status information including at least one of the following items from the first wireless ultrasonic probe 511: ID information about the first wireless ultrasonic probe 511, wireless communication frequency, connection type, executable application, wireless communication method, battery charging information, remaining battery capacity, remaining available time, and communication status.

[0110] According to an embodiment, the wireless communication module 520 may perform data communication with each of the first to fourth wireless ultrasonic probes 511 to 514 by using a 60 GHz mmWave local area wireless communication method. The wireless communication module 520 may receive raw data by using a 60 GHz mmWave wireless communication method. In order to obtain raw data, each of the first to fourth wireless ultrasonic probes 511 to 514 transmits an ultrasonic signal to an object, processes the received ultrasonic echo signal, and performs analog-to-digital conversion on the obtained signal.

[0111] The controller 530 may detect the wireless ultrasonic probe being used by the user from the first to fourth wireless ultrasonic probes 511 to 514 wirelessly paired with the wireless communication module 520, and control the wireless communication module 520 to send an activation signal to the detected wireless ultrasonic probe. According to an embodiment, the controller 530 may detect the first wireless ultrasonic probe 511 being used based on a user input signal input via a user input device (such as a button) installed on the first wireless ultrasonic probe 511. According to an embodiment, the controller 530 may detect the first wireless ultrasonic probe 511 being used by using a probe information recognition method based on RFID or the like.

[0112] In another embodiment, the controller 530 may detect the ultrasound probe being used via a sensor built into the ultrasound probe. The sensor may detect a user input of holding the first wireless ultrasound probe 511 of the first to fourth wireless ultrasound probes 511 to 514 in his or her hand. The sensor may then transmit the ID information of the detected first wireless ultrasound probe 511 to the controller 530, and the controller 530 may detect the first wireless ultrasound probe 511 being used based on the received ID information.

[0113] The controller 530 may control the wireless communication module 520 to transmit a beamforming control signal for controlling the beamformer 511a included in the detected first wireless ultrasonic probe 511 to the first wireless ultrasonic probe 511. The first wireless ultrasonic probe 511, which has received the beamforming control signal from the controller 530, may generate an ultrasonic transmission signal via the beamformer 511a, and transmit the generated ultrasonic transmission signal to the object via a plurality of transducers included in the first wireless ultrasonic probe 511.

[0114] The controller 530 may be composed of a hardware module including at least one of a CPU, a microprocessor, a graphic processing unit, a RAM, a ROM, and an AP.

[0115] Although not in Figure 5 , but the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 500 may further include a display configured to display a UI indicating ID information and status information about each of the first to fourth wireless ultrasound probes 511 to 514.

[0116] The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 500 according to the embodiment may include a plurality of wireless ultrasonic probes (i.e., the first wireless ultrasonic probe 511 to the fourth wireless ultrasonic probe 514), and may be wirelessly paired with them simultaneously. In addition, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 500 is configured to detect the wireless ultrasonic probe being used from the paired first wireless ultrasonic probe 511 to the fourth wireless ultrasonic probe 514, and automatically transmit an activation signal to the detected wireless ultrasonic probe, thereby eliminating the need to perform an unnecessary pairing process, thereby increasing user convenience.

[0117] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a method of operating an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to another embodiment.

[0118] The ultrasonic diagnostic device is connected to a plurality of different wireless ultrasonic probes by using a wireless communication method (operation S610). According to an embodiment, the plurality of wireless ultrasonic probes may each be a different type of wireless ultrasonic probe having different functions, but is not limited thereto. The wireless ultrasonic probes may be wireless ultrasonic probes of the same type. In an embodiment, the ultrasonic diagnostic device may be wirelessly connected to the wireless ultrasonic probe by using at least one of the wireless communication methods including WLAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, WFD, IrDA, BLE, NFC, WiBro, WiMAX, SWAP, WiGig, and RF communication. In operation S610, "connection" may refer to a state in which the ultrasonic diagnostic device is paired to use at least one of the plurality of wireless ultrasonic probes. In an embodiment, the ultrasonic diagnostic device may be paired with a plurality of wireless ultrasonic probes at the same time.

[0119] The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus detects the wireless ultrasonic probe being used by the user from among the plurality of wireless ultrasonic probes (operation S620). The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus may detect the wireless ultrasonic probe being used based on a user input signal input via a user input device (such as a button) installed on each of the plurality of wireless ultrasonic probes. According to an embodiment, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus may detect the wireless ultrasonic probe being used by using a probe information recognition method based on RFID or the like.

[0120] The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus transmits an activation signal to the detected wireless ultrasonic probe (operation S630). In this case, "activation" is conceptually different from "connection" or "pairing" in operation S610, and refers to operating the detected wireless ultrasonic probe to transmit an ultrasonic signal to an object and receive an ultrasonic echo signal reflected from the object, thereby generating ultrasonic image data.

[0121] According to an embodiment, each of the plurality of wireless ultrasonic probes may include a beamformer. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus may generate a beamforming control signal for controlling the beamformer included in the wireless ultrasonic probe detected in operation S620, and transmit the generated beamforming control signal to the detected wireless ultrasonic probe. The wireless ultrasonic probe that has received the beamforming control signal may generate an ultrasonic transmission signal via the beamformer, and transmit the generated ultrasonic transmission signal to the object via a plurality of transducers included in the wireless ultrasonic probe.

[0122] According to an embodiment, the activated wireless ultrasound probe may perform analog-to-digital conversion and image processing on the ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object to generate ultrasound image data, and transmit the generated ultrasound image data to the ultrasound diagnostic device. In this case, the wireless ultrasound probe may transmit the ultrasound image data (i.e., ultrasound raw data) to the ultrasound diagnostic device by using a 60 GHz mmWave local area wireless communication method.

[0123] Figure 7 is a block diagram of a configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 700 including a wired ultrasound probe 710 according to an embodiment.

[0124] Reference Figure 7 , the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 700 may include a wired ultrasound probe 710 , an ultrasound transceiver 720 , a controller 730 , an image processor 740 , a display 750 , a memory 760 , a communicator 770 , and an input interface 780 .

[0125] The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 700 may be implemented not only as a cart type apparatus but also as a portable type apparatus. Examples of portable ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses may include, but are not limited to, a smartphone, a laptop computer, a PDA, and a tablet PC.

[0126] The wired ultrasonic probe 710 may include a plurality of transducers. The plurality of transducers may transmit ultrasonic signals to the object 10 in response to a transmission signal received from the transmitter 721. The plurality of transducers may receive ultrasonic signals reflected from the object 10 to generate reception signals. In addition, the wired ultrasonic probe 710 may be integrally formed with the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 700, or the wired ultrasonic probe 710 and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 700 may be separately formed but connected to each other by wire or wirelessly. In addition, according to an embodiment, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 700 may include one or more wired ultrasonic probes 710.

[0127] The controller 730 may control the transmitter 721 to generate transmission signals respectively applied to the plurality of transducers based on the positions and focal points of the plurality of transducers included in the wired ultrasound probe 710 .

[0128] The controller 730 may control the ultrasound receiver 722 to generate ultrasound data by performing analog-to-digital conversion on reception signals received from the wired ultrasound probe 710 based on the positions and focal points of the plurality of transducers and summing the analog-to-digital converted reception signals.

[0129] The image processor 740 may generate an ultrasound image by using ultrasound data generated by the ultrasound receiver 722 .

[0130] The display 750 may display the generated ultrasound image and various pieces of information processed by the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 700. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 700 may include one or more displays 750 according to a configuration implemented thereof. The display 750 may be combined with a touch panel to form a touch screen.

[0131] The controller 730 may control all operations of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 700 and the flow of signals between internal elements of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 700. The controller 730 may include a memory for storing programs or data for performing functions of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 700 and a processor for processing the programs or data. For example, the controller 730 may control the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 700 by receiving a control signal from the input interface 780 or an external device.

[0132] The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 700 may include a communicator 770 , and may be connected to an external apparatus (eg, a server, a medical apparatus, and a portable device such as a smart phone, a tablet PC, a wearable device, etc.) via the communicator 770 .

[0133] The communicator 770 may include at least one element capable of communicating with an external device. For example, the communicator 770 may include at least one of a local area communication module, a wired communication module, and a wireless communication module.

[0134] The communicator 770 may receive a control signal and data from an external device and transmit the received control signal to the controller 730 , so that the controller 730 may control the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 700 in response to the received control signal.

[0135] The controller 730 may also transmit a control signal to an external device via the communicator 770 , so that the external device may be controlled in response to the control signal from the controller 730 .

[0136] For example, the external device may process data of the external device in response to a control signal received from the controller 730 via the communicator 770 .

[0137] A program for controlling the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 700 may be installed in the external device. The program may include a command language for executing a part of the operation of the controller 730 or all of the operation thereof.

[0138] The program may be pre-installed in the external device, or may be installed by a user of the external device by downloading the program from a server providing the application. The server providing the application may include a recording medium storing the program.

[0139] The memory 760 may store various pieces of data or programs for driving and controlling the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 700 , inputting and / or outputting ultrasonic data, obtaining ultrasonic images, and the like.

[0140] The input interface 780 may receive a user input for controlling the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 700. For example, the user input may include an input for manipulating a button, a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, a jog switch, or a knob, an input for touching a touch pad or a touch screen, a voice input, a motion input, and a biometric information input such as iris recognition or fingerprint recognition, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0141] Figure 8 is a block diagram of a configuration of an ultrasound system 800 including a wireless ultrasound probe 810 according to an embodiment.

[0142] Reference Figure 8 , the ultrasonic diagnostic equipment 820 can be connected to the wireless ultrasonic probe 810 via the network N.

[0143] The wireless ultrasound probe 810 may include a transmitter 811, a receiver 812, a transducer 813, a controller 814, and a communicator 815. Figure 8 The wireless ultrasound probe 810 is shown to include both a transmitter 811 and a receiver 812 , but depending on the implemented configuration, the wireless ultrasound probe 810 may include some components of the transmitter 811 and the receiver 812 , and the ultrasound diagnostic device 820 may also include some components of the transmitter and the receiver.

[0144] The transducer 813 may include a plurality of transducer elements. The plurality of transducer elements may transmit ultrasound signals to the object 10 in response to the transmission signal received from the transmitter 811. The transducer elements may receive the ultrasound signals reflected from the object 10 to generate reception signals.

[0145] The controller 814 controls the transmitter 811 to generate transmission signals respectively applied to the transducer elements based on the positions and focal points of the transducer elements.

[0146] The controller 814 controls the receiver 812 to generate ultrasound data by performing analog-to-digital conversion on reception signals received from the transducer 813 based on the positions and focal points of the transducer elements and summing the analog-to-digital converted reception signals.

[0147] The communicator 815 may wirelessly transmit the generated ultrasound data or ultrasound image to the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 820 via a wireless network. Alternatively, the communicator 815 may receive a control signal and data from the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 820.

[0148] The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 820 may receive ultrasound data or an ultrasound image from the wireless ultrasound probe 810. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 820 may include a controller 821, an image processor 822, a display 823, a memory 824, a communicator 825, and an input interface 826.

[0149] The controller 821 may control all operations of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 820 and the flow of signals between the internal elements of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 820. The controller 821 may include a memory for storing a program or data for performing the functions of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 820 and a processor for processing the program or data. In addition, the controller 821 may control the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 820 by receiving a control signal from the input interface 826 or an external device.

[0150] The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 820 may include a communicator 825 , and may be connected to an external apparatus (eg, a server, a medical apparatus, and a portable device such as a smart phone, a tablet PC, a wearable device, etc.) via the communicator 825 .

[0151] The communicator 825 may include at least one element capable of communicating with an external device. For example, the communicator 825 may include at least one of a local area communication module, a wired communication module, and a wireless communication module.

[0152] The communicator 825 may receive a control signal and data from an external device and transmit the received control signal to the controller 821 so that the controller 821 may control the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 820 in response to the received control signal.

[0153] Alternatively, the controller 821 may transmit a control signal to an external device via the communicator 825 so that the external device is controlled in response to the control signal from the controller 821 .

[0154] For example, the external device may process data from the external device in response to a control signal received from the controller 821 via the communicator 825 .

[0155] A program for controlling the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 820 may be installed in the external device. The program may include a command language for executing a part of the operation of the controller 821 or all of the operation thereof.

[0156] The program may be pre-installed in the external device, or may be installed by a user of the external device by downloading the program from a server providing the application. The server providing the application may include a recording medium on which the program is stored.

[0157] The image processor 822 may generate an ultrasound image by using ultrasound data received from the wireless ultrasound probe 810 .

[0158] The display 823 may display an ultrasonic image received from the wireless ultrasonic probe 810 and an ultrasonic image generated by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 820. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 820 may include two or more displays 823 according to a configuration implemented therein. In addition, the display 823 may be combined with a touch panel to form a touch screen.

[0159] The memory 824 may store various pieces of data or programs for driving and controlling the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 820 , input and / or output ultrasound data, ultrasound images, and the like.

[0160] The input interface 826 receives user input for controlling the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 820. For example, the user input may include input for manipulating a button, a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, a toggle switch, or a knob, input for touching a touch pad or a touch screen, voice input, motion input, and biometric information input such as iris recognition or fingerprint recognition, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0161] Fig.9A , Fig. 9B and Fig. 9C is a diagram illustrating an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0162] Reference Fig.9A and Fig. 9B , the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 900a and 900b may include a main display 910 and a sub-display 920. At least one of the main display 910 and the sub-display 920 may include a touch screen. The main display 910 and the sub-display 920 may display ultrasound images and / or various information processed by the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 900a and 900b. The main display 910 and the sub-display 920 may provide a graphical user interface (GUI) to receive data input from a user for controlling the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 900a and 900b. For example, the main display 910 may display an ultrasound image, and the sub-display 920 may display a control panel for controlling the display of the ultrasound image as a GUI. The sub-display 920 may receive input of data for controlling the display of the image by displaying the control panel as a GUI. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 900a and 900b may control the display of the ultrasound image on the main display 910 by using the input control data.

[0163] Reference Fig. 9B , the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 900b may include a control panel 930. The control panel 930 may include a button, a trackball, a toggle switch, or a knob, and may receive data from a user to control the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 900b. For example, the control panel 930 may include a time gain compensation (TGC) button 941 and a freeze button 942. The TGC button 941 is used to set a TGC value for each depth of the ultrasonic image. In addition, when an input of the freeze button 942 is detected during scanning of the ultrasonic image, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 900b may keep displaying the frame image at that time point.

[0164] Buttons, a trackball, a toggle switch, and a knob included in the control panel 930 may be provided as a GUI to the main display 910 or the sub-display 920 .

[0165] Reference Fig. 9C , the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 900c may include a portable device. Examples of the portable ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 900c may include, for example, a smart phone including a probe and an application, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a tablet PC, but exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0166] The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 900c may include a probe 960 and a body 950. The probe 960 may be connected to one side of the body 950 by wire or wirelessly. The body 950 may include a touch screen 951. The touch screen 951 may display an ultrasonic image, various pieces of information processed by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 900c, and a GUI.

[0167] The embodiments of the present disclosure may be written as a computer program and may be implemented in a general-purpose digital computer that executes the program using a computer-readable recording medium. The above-mentioned embodiments of the present disclosure may be embodied in the form of a computer-readable recording medium for storing a computer-executable command language and data. The command language may be stored in the form of a program code, and certain operations may be performed by generating certain program modules when the command language is executed by a processor. Moreover, when the command language is executed by a processor, the command language may perform certain operations of the disclosed embodiments.

[0168] Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include magnetic storage media (eg, ROM, floppy disks, hard disks, etc.), optical recording media (eg, CD-ROMs, or DVDs), and the like.

[0169] Although the present disclosure has been specifically shown and described with reference to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, 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 present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Therefore, the above embodiments and all aspects thereof are merely examples and not limitations.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic device, comprising: at least one wired ultrasound probe connected to the ultrasound diagnostic device via a cable; at least one wireless ultrasound probe connected to the ultrasound diagnostic device by using wireless communication; a wireless communication module configured to: receive a pairing reception signal from the at least one wireless ultrasound probe, thereby pairing with the at least one wireless ultrasound probe by using a wireless communication method, and transmit a beamforming control signal to each of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe and receive ultrasound image data from each of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe; a first beamformer configured to generate a beamforming signal to be applied to each of the plurality of transducers included in each of the at least one wired ultrasound probe based on positions and focal points of the plurality of transducers; a probe switching component configured to select a wired ultrasound probe from the at least one wired ultrasound probe and activate the selected wired ultrasound probe; as well as a controller configured to receive a selection of an ultrasound probe to be used by a user to examine an object, from among the at least one wired ultrasound probe and the at least one wireless ultrasound probe, and activate the selected ultrasound probe, Wherein, the controller is configured as: In response to a first wired ultrasound probe among the at least one wired ultrasound probe being selected, the probe switching component is controlled to activate the first wired ultrasound probe, and while controlling the wireless communication module to maintain pairing with each of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe, the first beamformer is controlled to send the beamforming signal to the first wired ultrasound probe.

2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is further configured to stop operations of the first beamformer and the probe switching component when the ultrasound probe selected to be used is switched from an activated wired ultrasound probe among the at least one wired ultrasound probe to one of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe.

3. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: The controller is further configured to: when the ultrasound probe selected to be used is switched from the wireless ultrasound probe to the second wired ultrasound probe, restore the operation of the first beamformer and the probe switching component, control the probe switching component to activate the second wired ultrasound probe, and control the first beamformer to send the beamforming signal to the second wired ultrasound probe while controlling the wireless communication module to maintain pairing with each of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe.

4. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is further configured to, when the ultrasound probe selected to be used is the first wireless ultrasound probe, control the wireless communication module to transmit a beamforming control signal for controlling a beamformer included in the first wireless ultrasound probe to the first wireless ultrasound probe.

5. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is further configured to: control the wireless communication module to receive status information from the at least one wireless ultrasound probe, the status information including identification information about each of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe, wireless communication frequency, connection type, executable application, wireless communication method, battery charging information, remaining battery capacity, remaining available time and at least one of communication status.

6. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein: The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus further includes a display configured to display the status information received from the at least one wireless ultrasound probe.

7. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The wireless communication module is connected to the at least one wireless ultrasound probe by using at least one of the wireless communication methods, and the wireless communication methods include: wireless local area network, wireless fidelity, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Wi-Fi direct, infrared data association, Bluetooth low energy, near field communication, wireless broadband Internet, global interoperability for microwave access, shared wireless access protocol, wireless gigabit alliance and radio frequency communication.

8. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The wireless communication module is paired with a plurality of wireless ultrasound probes simultaneously.

9. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is further configured to check a wireless connection status between the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and the at least one wireless ultrasound probe at preset time intervals.

10. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one wireless ultrasound probe includes: a plurality of transducers configured to transmit ultrasound signals to an object and receive echo signals reflected from the object; a second beamformer configured to generate a beamforming signal to be applied to each of the plurality of transducers based on the positions and focal points of the plurality of transducers; at least one processor configured to generate ultrasound data based on the echo signals; and a communication module configured to pair with an ultrasonic diagnostic device, Wherein, when the communication module is paired with the ultrasonic diagnostic device, the at least one processor is further configured to: In response to receiving an activation signal from the ultrasonic diagnostic device, controlling the communication module to send the ultrasonic data to the ultrasonic diagnostic device; When the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus deactivates the at least one wireless ultrasound probe according to the selection of the at least one wired ultrasound probe, the communication module is controlled to stop transmitting the ultrasound data to the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus but maintain pairing with the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus.

11. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: When the communication module is paired with the ultrasound diagnostic device, the at least one processor is configured to control the second beamformer based on a beamforming control signal received from the ultrasound diagnostic device.

12. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: When the communication module is paired with the ultrasonic diagnostic device, the at least one processor is configured to control the plurality of transducers to transmit the ultrasonic signals in response to receiving the activation signal from the ultrasonic diagnostic device.

13. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: The at least one processor is configured to generate first ultrasound data by performing analog-to-digital conversion on the echo signal, and generate second ultrasound data by performing image processing on the first ultrasound data, and The communication module includes a first communication module configured to transmit the generated first ultrasound data to the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and a second communication module configured to transmit the generated second ultrasound data to the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus.

14. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein: The at least one processor is configured to: control the first communication module to send the generated first ultrasound data to the ultrasound diagnostic equipment, or control the second communication module to send the generated second ultrasound data to the ultrasound diagnostic equipment.

15. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: When the communication module is paired with the ultrasonic diagnostic device, the at least one processor is configured to: control the communication module to send status information to the ultrasonic diagnostic device, and the status information includes at least one of identification information about the at least one wireless ultrasonic probe, wireless communication frequency, connection type, executable application, wireless communication method, battery charging information, remaining battery capacity, remaining available time and communication status.

16. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: The at least one wireless ultrasound probe further includes a sensor, which is configured to detect user input of holding the at least one wireless ultrasound probe, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: in response to the sensor detecting the user input, control the communication module to send identification information of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe to the ultrasound diagnostic device.

17. A method of operating an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising at least one wired ultrasonic probe and at least one wireless ultrasonic probe, the method comprising: pairing the ultrasound diagnostic device with the at least one wireless ultrasound probe by using a wireless communication method; receiving a selection of an ultrasound probe, from among the at least one wired ultrasound probe and the at least one wireless ultrasound probe, to be used by a user to examine an object; as well as Activate the selected ultrasound probe, The step of activating the selected ultrasound probe includes: In response to a first wired ultrasound probe among the at least one wired ultrasound probe being selected, a probe switching component included in the ultrasound diagnostic device is controlled to activate the selected first wired ultrasound probe and send a beamforming signal to the first wired ultrasound probe while maintaining pairing with each of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: When the ultrasound probe selected to be used is switched from the first wired ultrasound probe to one of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe, the operation of the probe switching component and the transmission of the beamforming signal are stopped.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: When the ultrasound probe selected to be used is switched from the at least one wireless ultrasound probe to the second wired ultrasound probe, resuming the operation of the probe switching component to activate the second wired ultrasound probe; as well as The beamforming signal is transmitted to the second wired ultrasound probe while maintaining pairing with each of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe.

20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: When the ultrasound probe selected to be used is the first wireless ultrasound probe, a beamforming control signal for controlling a beamformer included in the first wireless ultrasound probe is transmitted to the first wireless ultrasound probe.

21. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: Status information is received from the at least one wireless ultrasound probe, the status information including at least one of identification information about each of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe, wireless communication frequency, connection type, executable application, wireless communication method, battery charging information, remaining battery capacity, remaining available time, and communication status.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising: The status information received from the at least one wireless ultrasound probe is displayed.

23. The method according to claim 17, wherein: The wireless communication method includes at least one of wireless local area network, wireless fidelity, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Wi-Fi direct, infrared data association, Bluetooth low energy, near field communication, wireless broadband Internet, global interoperability for microwave access, shared wireless access protocol, wireless gigabit alliance and radio frequency communication.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein: The step of pairing the ultrasonic diagnostic device with the at least one wireless ultrasonic probe by using the wireless communication method includes: pairing the ultrasonic diagnostic device with a plurality of wireless ultrasonic probes simultaneously. 25 . The method according to claim 17 , further comprising checking a status of a wireless connection between the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and the at least one wireless ultrasound probe at preset time intervals.

26. The method of claim 17, further comprising: In response to receiving an activation signal from the ultrasound diagnostic device, the at least one wireless ultrasound probe transmits ultrasound data to a paired ultrasound diagnostic device; as well as When the paired ultrasound diagnostic device deactivates the at least one wireless ultrasound probe according to the selection of the wired ultrasound probe, the at least one wireless ultrasound probe stops sending the ultrasound data to the paired ultrasound diagnostic device but maintains pairing with the paired ultrasound diagnostic device.

27. The method of claim 17, further comprising: A beamformer of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe is controlled by the at least one wireless ultrasound probe based on a beamforming control signal received from the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus.

28. The method of claim 17, further comprising: In response to receiving an activation signal from the paired ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, the at least one wireless ultrasound probe controls a plurality of transducers of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe to transmit ultrasound signals.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising: generating first ultrasound data by performing analog-to-digital conversion on the echo signal by the at least one wireless ultrasound probe; as well as generating second ultrasound data by performing image processing on the first ultrasound data by the at least one wireless ultrasound probe, The step of sending the ultrasound data to the paired ultrasound diagnostic equipment includes: transmitting the first ultrasound data by using a first communication module of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe; and The second ultrasound data is transmitted by using a second communication module of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe.

30. The method of claim 17, further comprising: detecting, by a sensor of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe, an input from a user holding the at least one wireless ultrasound probe; as well as In response to the sensor detecting the user input, the at least one wireless ultrasound probe sends identification information of the at least one wireless ultrasound probe to the ultrasound diagnostic device.

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