Method for controlling power consumption, electronic equipment and storage medium

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of ultrasonic imaging, and discloses a method for controlling power consumption, electronic equipment and a storage medium, and the method comprises the steps: determining the communication signal intensity when a handheld ultrasonic probe communicates with ultrasonic imaging equipment; determining whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is held or not according to the change condition of the communication signal intensity; under the condition that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not held, the handheld ultrasonic probe is adjusted to be in a low-power-consumption state. Whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is held or not can be simply determined, and then when the handheld ultrasonic probe is not held, the handheld ultrasonic probe is controlled to operate in the low-power-consumption state, so that the power consumption of the handheld ultrasonic probe can be reduced, self-adaptive power consumption control is achieved, useless power consumption can be effectively avoided, and the endurance time is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of ultrasonic imaging, and particularly relates to a method for controlling power consumption, an electronic device, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Traditional ultrasonic devices mainly include an ultrasonic main unit and an ultrasonic probe. The ultrasonic probe is a device that emits and receives ultrasonic waves during the detection process. The ultrasonic main unit can process ultrasonic data and display the processed ultrasonic data in the form of an ultrasonic image on a display as a basis for clinical detection. However, traditional ultrasonic devices have various problems such as large volume, high price, heavy weight, and inconvenient movement, and cannot meet the application requirements in mobile scenarios such as outdoors and ambulances. Therefore, handheld ultrasonic devices have emerged.

[0003] The handheld ultrasonic probe integrates some functions of the traditional ultrasonic main unit into the probe, that is, the handheld ultrasonic probe can process ultrasonic data and then upload the processed ultrasonic data to a mobile terminal such as a tablet computer or a mobile phone, and use the mobile terminal as a device for realizing ultrasonic imaging, so that the corresponding ultrasonic image can be displayed on the mobile terminal. The handheld ultrasonic probe plus a tablet computer or a mobile phone can obtain an ultrasonic image, which greatly reduces the overall weight and volume and is convenient to carry, and has a wide market prospect in mobile medical fields such as outdoors and ambulances.

[0004] Currently, the general handheld ultrasonic probe is provided with an independent power supply. Limited by the power supply, the current power supply capacity of the handheld ultrasonic probe is generally poor and the battery life is short. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a method for controlling power consumption, an electronic device, and a storage medium to solve the problem of short battery life of the handheld ultrasonic probe.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for controlling power consumption, including:

[0007] Determine the communication signal strength when the handheld ultrasonic probe communicates with the ultrasonic imaging device;

[0008] Determine whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is held according to the change of the communication signal strength;

[0009] When the handheld ultrasonic probe is not held, adjust the handheld ultrasonic probe to a low power consumption state.

[0010] In some optional embodiments, the determining whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is held according to the change of the communication signal strength includes:

[0011] In the case where the increase value of the communication signal strength exceeds the first threshold, it is determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not being held;

[0012] In the case where the decrease value of the communication signal strength exceeds the second threshold, it is determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is being held.

[0013] In some alternative embodiments, determining whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is being held according to the change of the communication signal strength includes:

[0014] In the case where the increase value of the communication signal strength exceeds the first threshold and the increase rate exceeds the first rate, it is determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not being held;

[0015] In the case where the decrease value of the communication signal strength exceeds the second threshold and the decrease rate exceeds the second rate, it is determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is being held.

[0016] In some alternative embodiments, the method further includes:

[0017] After adjusting the handheld ultrasonic probe to the low-power state, determining the duration for which the handheld ultrasonic probe enters the low-power state in a timing manner;

[0018] As the duration for which the handheld ultrasonic probe enters the low-power state increases, gradually reduce the power consumption of the handheld ultrasonic probe.

[0019] In some alternative embodiments, the gradually reducing the power consumption of the handheld ultrasonic probe as the duration for which the handheld ultrasonic probe enters the low-power state increases includes:

[0020] In the case where the duration for which the handheld ultrasonic probe enters the low-power state falls within the duration range corresponding to the target low-power sub-state, adjusting the handheld ultrasonic probe to the target low-power sub-state;

[0021] Wherein, the low-power state includes multiple low-power sub-states, and there is a negative correlation between the median value of the duration range corresponding to the low-power sub-state and the power consumption in the low-power sub-state; the target low-power sub-state is one of the low-power sub-states.

[0022] In some alternative embodiments, the method further includes:

[0023] In the case where the handheld ultrasonic probe is being held, adjusting the handheld ultrasonic probe to the normal power state.

[0024] In some alternative embodiments, the method further includes: determining whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured;

[0025] Adjusting the handheld ultrasonic probe to a normal power consumption state includes:

[0026] When the handheld ultrasonic probe is not in contact with the object to be measured, adjusting the handheld ultrasonic probe to a medium power consumption state;

[0027] When the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured, adjusting the handheld ultrasonic probe to a normal power consumption state; the power consumption in the normal power consumption state is greater than the power consumption in the medium power consumption state.

[0028] In some alternative embodiments, determining whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured includes:

[0029] Judging whether there is a frequency shift according to the echo signal received by the handheld ultrasonic probe;

[0030] When there is a frequency shift, it is determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured; when there is no frequency shift, it is determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not in contact with the object to be measured.

[0031] In some alternative embodiments, determining whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured includes:

[0032] Determining the echo signal intensity of the handheld ultrasonic probe;

[0033] When the echo signal intensity is greater than a preset intensity threshold, it is determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured; when the echo signal intensity is less than the preset intensity threshold, it is determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not in contact with the object to be measured.

[0034] In a second aspect, the present invention provides an electronic device, including: a memory and a processor, which are communicatively connected to each other. The memory stores computer instructions, and the processor executes the computer instructions to execute the method for controlling power consumption according to the first aspect or any corresponding embodiment thereof.

[0035] In a third aspect, the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium, on which computer instructions are stored, and the computer instructions are used to cause a computer to execute the method for controlling power consumption according to the first aspect or any corresponding embodiment thereof.

[0036] According to the change of the communication signal strength between the handheld ultrasound probe and the ultrasound imaging device, the present invention can relatively simply determine whether the handheld ultrasound probe is held. Furthermore, when it is not held, the handheld ultrasound probe is controlled to operate in a low-power state, thereby reducing the power consumption of the handheld ultrasound probe, achieving adaptive power control, effectively avoiding the consumption of useless power, and prolonging the battery life. Moreover, in the low-power state, the heat release can also be reduced, which is beneficial to the heat dissipation of the handheld ultrasound probe.

[0037] Moreover, by determining whether the increase value / decrease value of the communication signal strength exceeds the corresponding threshold, and further determining whether its change rate exceeds the corresponding rate threshold, it can be more accurately determined whether the handheld ultrasound probe is held. By further determining whether the handheld ultrasound probe is in contact with the object to be measured, the operation of the handheld ultrasound probe can be controlled with finer granularity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the related art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the specific embodiments or the related art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0039] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a handheld ultrasound probe according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 2 is a schematic flowchart of a method for controlling power consumption according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of another method for controlling power consumption according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the division of multiple low-power sub-states according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of yet another method for controlling power consumption according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of realizing power control based on sensor signals according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 7 is a schematic flowchart of still another method for controlling power consumption according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 8 is a schematic structural diagram of an ultrasound imaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 9 is a structural block diagram of a device for controlling power consumption according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0049] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Apparently, the described embodiments are some, but not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0050] A handheld ultrasonic probe, which can also be referred to as a portable ultrasonic probe, a palm ultrasonic probe, etc., can convert ultrasonic signals into ultrasonic data and send them to ultrasonic imaging devices such as a tablet computer, a mobile phone, a personal computer, a laptop computer, etc.; the ultrasonic imaging device can further optimize the ultrasonic data and finally display the corresponding ultrasonic image. The structure of the handheld ultrasonic probe can be referred to Figure 1 as shown.

[0051] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a handheld ultrasonic probe. As Figure 1 shown, the handheld ultrasonic probe includes: a main controller 101, a transmitting module 102, a sound head 103, a receiving module 104, a supporting circuit 105, and a wireless communication module 106.

[0052] Among them, the main controller 101 can be used for transmission / reception delay control, beam synthesis, processing in different modes such as B / C / D, etc. Specifically, when ultrasonic imaging is required, the main controller 101 can control the transmitting module 102 to transmit ultrasonic signals.

[0053] The transmitting module 102 can generate transmitting waveforms of different frequencies and can generate high-voltage transmitting pulses of a specific frequency under the control of the main controller 101. Among them, the handheld ultrasonic probe can include one transmitting module 102 or multiple transmitting modules 102.

[0054] The sound head 103 is a device for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves during the ultrasonic detection process. The sound head 103 can convert the electrical signals provided by the transmitting module 102 into ultrasonic signals, receive the corresponding echoes, and form echo signals. The sound head 103 can specifically be of different types such as a linear array, a convex array, a phased array, etc., and their basic working principles are the same.

[0055] The receiving module 104 is used to receive the ultrasonic echo electrical signal output by the acoustic head 103, that is, the echo signal, and send the echo signal to the main controller 101. After receiving the echo signal, the main controller 101 can process it to generate corresponding ultrasonic data. Among them, the handheld ultrasonic probe may include one receiving module 104 or multiple receiving modules 104.

[0056] The supporting circuit 105 may specifically include a power supply circuit, an external interface circuit, a battery charging management circuit, etc. The supporting circuit can be connected to the wireless communication module 106 and communicate with the ultrasonic imaging device based on the wireless communication module 106, so as to upload the ultrasonic data to the ultrasonic imaging device (tablet computer, mobile phone, personal computer, laptop computer, etc.); and, it can also receive the control instructions issued by the ultrasonic imaging device through the wireless communication module 106 to achieve the control of the handheld ultrasonic probe. Among them, the wireless communication module 106 can specifically communicate with the ultrasonic imaging device through wireless signals such as WiFi signals and Bluetooth signals. Generally, the wireless communication module 106 communicates with the ultrasonic imaging device through WiFi signals.

[0057] During the working process of the handheld ultrasonic probe, its acoustic head 103 will frequently emit ultrasonic waves and receive corresponding echo signals, which will cause more power consumption and result in a shorter battery life of the handheld ultrasonic probe. Therefore, the power consumption control of the handheld ultrasonic probe is extremely important for the battery life of the device.

[0058] The current methods for controlling the power consumption of the handheld ultrasonic probe mostly set an automatic freeze time to limit the continuous working time of the handheld ultrasonic probe. For example, it is forced to stop working every 10 minutes. This method is very clumsy and may affect the detection efficiency. Some solutions will reduce the number of channels and reduce the performance; although this method can reduce the power consumption, it will also reduce the imaging quality and cannot meet the mid - to - high - end clinical requirements.

[0059] The embodiment of the present invention provides a method for controlling power consumption. By using the change in the communication signal strength between the handheld ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic imaging device, it can be determined whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is held. Furthermore, when it is not held, the handheld ultrasonic probe is controlled to operate in a low - power state, so as to reduce the power consumption of the handheld ultrasonic probe and achieve the effect of extending the battery life.

[0060] According to the embodiment of the present invention, an embodiment of a method for controlling power consumption is provided. It should be noted that the steps shown in the flowchart of the accompanying drawings can be executed in a computer system such as a set of computer - executable instructions, and although the logical order is shown in the flowchart, in some cases, the steps shown or described can be executed in a different order than here.

[0061] In this embodiment, a method for controlling power consumption is provided, which can be applied to the above-mentioned handheld ultrasonic probe and can also be applied to an ultrasonic imaging device capable of communicating with the handheld ultrasonic probe, such as a smartphone, a tablet computer, a personal computer, a laptop computer, etc. Figure 2 is a flowchart of the method for controlling power consumption according to an embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 2 shown, the process includes the following steps.

[0062] Step S201, determine the communication signal strength when the handheld ultrasonic probe communicates with the ultrasonic imaging device.

[0063] In this embodiment, when the handheld ultrasonic probe communicates with the ultrasonic imaging device, the communication signal strength between the two can be determined. Specifically, when the method is executed by the handheld ultrasonic probe, it can determine the communication signal strength when communicating with the ultrasonic imaging device; when the method is executed by the ultrasonic imaging device, it can also determine the communication signal strength when communicating with the handheld ultrasonic probe. Generally, the working state of the handheld ultrasonic probe is controlled by the ultrasonic imaging device, so the method provided in this embodiment can be executed by the ultrasonic imaging device.

[0064] Among them, the handheld ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic imaging device are generally connected through WiFi, so the WiFi signal strength between the two can be used as the communication signal strength.

[0065] Step S202, determine whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is held according to the change of the communication signal strength.

[0066] In this embodiment, when the handheld ultrasonic probe is held by the user's hand, due to reasons such as hand occlusion, it will affect the signal strength between the handheld ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic imaging device, that is, the communication signal strength, resulting in a decrease in the communication signal strength; on the contrary, when the user puts down the handheld ultrasonic probe, due to the absence of hand occlusion, this will make the communication signal strength between the handheld ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic imaging device return to normal, that is, the communication signal strength increases.

[0067] Moreover, during the process of using a handheld ultrasound probe, the ultrasound imaging device itself is generally not affected by the user. For example, if the ultrasound imaging device is a tablet computer (or a laptop computer, etc.), the user generally places the tablet computer at a fixed position and does not hold the tablet computer, that is, the user's operation will not cause signal changes on the tablet computer side. If the ultrasound imaging device is a mobile phone, the user generally also places the mobile phone at a fixed position or holds it throughout the scanning process, that is, the user's operation generally will not cause signal changes on the mobile phone side. Therefore, if the communication signal strength between the handheld ultrasound probe and the ultrasound imaging device changes, it can be considered that the user holds or puts down the handheld ultrasound probe. Therefore, according to the change situation of the communication signal strength between the two, it can be determined whether the handheld ultrasound probe is held.

[0068] Specifically, if the communication signal strength becomes smaller, it can indicate that the user has put down the handheld ultrasound probe, that is, the handheld ultrasound probe is not held. If the communication signal strength becomes larger, it can indicate that the user has picked up the handheld ultrasound probe, that is, the handheld ultrasound probe is held.

[0069] Step S203, when the handheld ultrasound probe is not held, adjust the handheld ultrasound probe to a low-power state.

[0070] In this embodiment, if the handheld ultrasound probe is not held, it means that the handheld ultrasound probe does not need to perform scanning imaging at present. Therefore, at this time, the handheld ultrasound probe can be adjusted to a low-power state so that the handheld ultrasound probe operates in a low-power state, thereby reducing the power consumption of the handheld ultrasound probe in a timely manner, increasing the usage time after one charge, and extending the battery life. Moreover, in the low-power state, heat release can also be reduced, which is beneficial to device heat dissipation. Further, the imaging quality of traditional handheld ultrasound probes is generally relatively poor. The method provided in this embodiment can extend the battery life and support the handheld ultrasound probe to perform ultrasound imaging with higher imaging quality, such as using a higher number of channels, which is beneficial to improving the imaging quality.

[0071] Specifically, when it is necessary to adjust the handheld ultrasound probe to a low-power state, the scanning parameters and / or imaging parameters of the handheld ultrasound probe can be reduced. The scanning parameters can include at least one of the scanning frame rate, scanning speed, and pulse repetition frequency (PRF). The imaging parameters can include at least one of the number of emission lines, emission voltage, and imaging depth.

[0072] Among them, when the method is implemented by a handheld ultrasonic probe, the handheld ultrasonic probe can determine whether it needs to be adjusted to a low power state (i.e., determine that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not held), and when it needs to be adjusted to a low power state, directly adjust itself to a low power state. Alternatively, when the method is implemented by an ultrasonic imaging device, the ultrasonic imaging device determines whether it needs to adjust the handheld ultrasonic probe to a low power state, and when adjustment is required, the ultrasonic imaging device can send a low power control instruction to the handheld ultrasonic probe, and the handheld ultrasonic probe enters a low power state after receiving the low power control instruction.

[0073] The method for controlling power consumption provided in this embodiment can relatively simply determine whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is held according to the change in the communication signal strength between the handheld ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic imaging device, and then control the handheld ultrasonic probe to operate in a low power consumption state when it is not held, thereby reducing the power consumption of the handheld ultrasonic probe, realizing adaptive power consumption control, effectively avoiding the consumption of useless power consumption, and extending the battery life. In addition, heat release can also be reduced in the low power consumption state, which is beneficial to the heat dissipation of the handheld ultrasonic probe.

[0074] In this embodiment, a method for controlling power consumption is provided, which can be applied to the above-mentioned handheld ultrasound probe, and can also be applied to ultrasound imaging devices that can communicate with the handheld ultrasound probe, such as smart phones, tablet computers, personal computers, laptops, etc. Figure 3 is a flow chart of a method for controlling power consumption according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 As shown, the process includes the following steps.

[0075] Step S301, determining the communication signal strength between the handheld ultrasound probe and the ultrasound imaging device.

[0076] For details, see Figure 2 Step S201 of the illustrated embodiment will not be described in detail here.

[0077] Step S302: determining whether the handheld ultrasound probe is being held according to changes in the communication signal strength.

[0078] In this embodiment, whether the handheld ultrasound probe is held is determined based on the change in the communication signal strength; and corresponding thresholds (the first threshold and the second threshold described below) are pre-set to avoid misjudgment due to signal strength fluctuations. Specifically, the above step S302 may include the following steps S3021 to S3022, and steps S3023 to S3024.

[0079] Step S3021, determining whether the increase value of the communication signal strength exceeds a first threshold.

[0080] Step S3022: When the increase value of the communication signal strength exceeds the first threshold, it is determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not being held.

[0081] In this embodiment, if the communication signal strength increases, the increase value of the communication signal strength is determined, and it is judged whether this increase value exceeds the first threshold. If this increase value exceeds the first threshold, it can be considered that the increase in the communication signal strength is effective, and it can be considered that the user has put down the handheld ultrasonic probe, that is, the handheld ultrasonic probe is not being held; if this increase value does not exceed the first threshold, it indicates that the increase in the communication signal strength at this time may be caused by signal fluctuations or other reasons. Therefore, the detected increase value of the communication signal strength can be discarded without performing other operations, that is, the working state of the handheld ultrasonic probe remains unchanged. For example, the handheld ultrasonic probe is still in the normal power consumption state.

[0082] Among them, judging based on the increase value of the communication signal strength is essentially to judge whether the user has put down the handheld ultrasonic probe; therefore, when the user holds the handheld ultrasonic probe, the above-mentioned step S3021 is used for judgment; in other words, if it is previously determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is being held (or the handheld ultrasonic probe is operating in the normal power consumption state), then it is further judged whether the increase value of the communication signal strength exceeds the first threshold to determine whether it is necessary to adjust the handheld ultrasonic probe from the normal power consumption state to the low power consumption state.

[0083] In some optional embodiments, the above step S3022 may specifically be: when the increase value of the communication signal strength exceeds the first threshold and the increase rate exceeds the first rate, it is determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not being held.

[0084] Since there are various factors that can affect the communication signal strength between the handheld ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic imaging device. For example, the distance between the handheld ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic imaging device also affects the communication signal strength. In this embodiment, in order to accurately judge whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is being held, it is known that when the user holds or puts down the handheld ultrasonic probe, it is a short-term state change, and the action of the user holding or putting down the handheld ultrasonic probe will cause the communication signal strength to change rapidly. Therefore, further judgment is made based on this.

[0085] Specifically, in this embodiment, in addition to judging whether the increase value of the communication signal strength exceeds the first threshold, it can also be further judged whether the increase rate of this increase value exceeds the first rate; if the increase value of the communication signal strength exceeds the first threshold and the increase rate exceeds the first rate, it indicates that the degree of increase in the communication signal strength is relatively large in a short time. At this time, it can be considered that this is caused by the user putting down the handheld ultrasonic probe. That is, at this time, the user has put down the handheld ultrasonic probe. Therefore, it can be determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not being held.

[0086] For example, it can be determined whether the increase value of the communication signal strength exceeds a first threshold within a certain preset time, which can be a relatively small value, such as 100 ms, 200 ms, etc.; if the increase value of the communication signal strength exceeds the first threshold within the preset time, it can be considered that the increase rate of the increase value is large enough and exceeds the first rate. At this time, it can be considered that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not being held.

[0087] Step S3023: Determine whether the decrease value of the communication signal strength exceeds a second threshold.

[0088] Step S3024: When the decrease value of the communication signal strength exceeds the second threshold, determine that the handheld ultrasonic probe is being held.

[0089] In this embodiment, if the communication signal strength decreases, the decrease value of the communication signal strength is determined, and it is judged whether the decrease value exceeds the second threshold. If the decrease value exceeds the second threshold, it can be considered that the decrease of the communication signal strength is effective, and it can be considered that the user has picked up the handheld ultrasonic probe, that is, the handheld ultrasonic probe is being held; if the decrease value does not exceed the second threshold, it indicates that the decrease of the communication signal strength at this time may be caused by signal fluctuations or other reasons. Therefore, the detected decrease value of the communication signal strength can be discarded and no other operations are performed, that is, the working state of the handheld ultrasonic probe remains unchanged. For example, the handheld ultrasonic probe is still in the low-power state.

[0090] Among them, judging based on the decrease value of the communication signal strength is essentially to judge whether the user has picked up the handheld ultrasonic probe; therefore, when the handheld ultrasonic probe is not being held, the above step S3023 is used for judgment again; in other words, if it is previously determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not being held (or the handheld ultrasonic probe is operating in the low-power state), then it is judged whether the decrease value of the communication signal strength exceeds the second threshold to determine whether it is necessary to adjust the handheld ultrasonic probe from the low-power state to the normal power state.

[0091] In some alternative embodiments, the above step S3024 can specifically be: when the decrease value of the communication signal strength exceeds the second threshold and the decrease rate exceeds the second rate, determine that the handheld ultrasonic probe is being held.

[0092] Similar to the above process of determining that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not being held, in this embodiment, in addition to judging whether the decrease value of the communication signal strength exceeds the second threshold, it can further be judged whether the decrease rate of the decrease value exceeds the second rate; if the decrease value of the communication signal strength exceeds the second threshold and the decrease rate exceeds the second rate, it indicates that the degree of decrease of the communication signal strength is large within a short time. At this time, it can be considered that this is caused by the user holding the handheld ultrasonic probe, so it can be determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is being held.

[0093] For example, it can be determined whether the decrease value of the communication signal strength exceeds a second threshold within a certain preset time, and the preset time can be a relatively small value, such as 100 ms, 200 ms, etc.; if the decrease value of the communication signal strength exceeds the second threshold within the preset time, it can be considered that the decrease rate of the decrease value is large enough and exceeds the second rate, and at this time, it can be considered that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not being held.

[0094] Among them, the first threshold and the second threshold may be the same or different; the first rate and the second rate may be the same or different.

[0095] Step S303, when the handheld ultrasonic probe is not being held, adjust the handheld ultrasonic probe to a low power consumption state.

[0096] In this embodiment, if the handheld ultrasonic probe is not being held, that is, after the above step S3022, step S303 is executed; for example, the handheld ultrasonic probe is adjusted from the normal power consumption state to the low power consumption state. Among them, for details, please refer to Figure 2 Step S203 of the illustrated embodiment, which will not be elaborated here.

[0097] In some optional embodiments, after the above step S303, that is, after the handheld ultrasonic probe is adjusted to the low power consumption state, the power consumption of the handheld ultrasonic probe can be further reduced based on the duration of entering the low power consumption state. Specifically, the method may further include the following steps A1 to step A2.

[0098] Step A1, after the handheld ultrasonic probe is adjusted to the low power consumption state, determine the duration of the handheld ultrasonic probe entering the low power consumption state by timing.

[0099] Step A2, as the duration of the handheld ultrasonic probe entering the low power consumption state increases, gradually reduce the power consumption of the handheld ultrasonic probe.

[0100] In this embodiment, after the handheld ultrasonic probe is adjusted to the low power consumption state, timing can be started to determine the duration of the handheld ultrasonic probe entering the low power consumption state; the longer the duration of the handheld ultrasonic probe entering the low power consumption state, the longer the time the user has left the handheld ultrasonic probe stationary, so the power consumption of the handheld ultrasonic probe can be gradually reduced again until the power consumption of the handheld ultrasonic probe is reduced to 0; for example, the handheld ultrasonic probe goes into sleep or shuts down automatically.

[0101] Since it is possible for the user to pick up the handheld ultrasound probe again and use it after putting it down, in order to enable the handheld ultrasound probe to quickly enter the normal power consumption state, the power consumption is gradually reduced instead of directly reducing it to 0, so that when the user uses the handheld ultrasound probe again, the handheld ultrasound probe can quickly switch from a non-zero low power consumption state to the normal power consumption state; moreover, the longer the handheld ultrasound probe enters the low power consumption state, the less likely the user is to use the handheld ultrasound probe again. Gradually reducing the power consumption of the handheld ultrasound probe can further avoid generating more useless power consumption and save more power.

[0102] Optionally, step A2 of "gradually reducing the power consumption of the handheld ultrasound probe as the duration of the handheld ultrasound probe entering the low power consumption state increases" may specifically include the following steps A21.

[0103] Step A21, when the duration of the handheld ultrasound probe entering the low power consumption state falls within the duration range corresponding to the target low power consumption sub-state, adjust the handheld ultrasound probe to the target low power consumption sub-state. Among them, the low power consumption state includes multiple low power consumption sub-states, and there is a negative correlation between the median value of the duration range corresponding to the low power consumption sub-state and the power consumption in the low power consumption sub-state; the target low power consumption sub-state is one of the low power consumption sub-states.

[0104] In this embodiment, the low power consumption state is specifically divided into multiple low power consumption sub-states, and each low power consumption sub-state corresponds to a corresponding power consumption; moreover, each low power consumption sub-state also corresponds to a duration range, and the larger the median value of this duration range, the lower the power consumption corresponding to the low power consumption sub-state.

[0105] Specifically, multiple threshold times can be set for the duration of the handheld ultrasound probe entering the low power consumption state, and the duration range between two adjacent threshold times corresponds to the corresponding low power consumption sub-state. See Figure 4 As shown, multiple threshold times t i are set for the duration t of the handheld ultrasound probe entering the low power consumption state, where i = 0, 1,..., n; among them, t i-1 < t i ; generally, t 0 = 0. The size of each threshold time t i can be the system default value or set by the user. Based on these threshold times t i , the low power consumption state can be successively divided into n low power consumption sub-states: low power consumption sub-state 1, low power consumption sub-state 2, low power consumption sub-state 3,..., low power consumption sub-state n (n is an integer greater than 0); it can be understood that the duration range corresponding to the low power consumption sub-state i is (t i-1 , t i ). Moreover, the power consumption corresponding to the low power consumption sub-state i - 1 is higher than the power consumption corresponding to the low power consumption sub-state i.

[0106] Therefore, when the duration t of the handheld ultrasonic probe entering the low-power state is less than the threshold time t 1 (t 1 ≥0), the low-power sub-state 1 is the corresponding target low-power sub-state, and the handheld ultrasonic probe can be controlled to enter the low-power sub-state 1; when the duration t of the handheld ultrasonic probe entering the low-power state is greater than or equal to the threshold time t 1 and less than the threshold time t 2 (t 2 >t 1 ), the low-power sub-state 2 is the corresponding target low-power sub-state, and the handheld ultrasonic probe can be controlled to enter the low-power sub-state 2... and so on; when the duration t of the handheld ultrasonic probe entering the low-power state exceeds the threshold time t n , the handheld ultrasonic system can be controlled to continue to maintain the low-power sub-state n or enter the sleep state.

[0107] In this embodiment, the longer the duration of the handheld ultrasonic probe entering the low-power state, the lower the power consumption corresponding to the entered low-power sub-state. This way of gradually reducing power consumption can not only further reduce power consumption, but also enable the handheld ultrasonic probe to quickly switch to the normal power state when needed.

[0108] Step S304, when the handheld ultrasonic probe is held, adjust the handheld ultrasonic probe to the normal power state.

[0109] In this embodiment, if the handheld ultrasonic probe is held, that is, after the above step S3024, the handheld ultrasonic probe is adjusted to the normal power state; for example, the handheld ultrasonic probe is adjusted from the low-power state to the normal power state.

[0110] The method for controlling power consumption provided in this embodiment can more accurately determine whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is held by judging whether the increase value / decrease value of the communication signal strength exceeds the corresponding threshold, and further judging whether its change rate exceeds the corresponding rate threshold (i.e., the first rate and the second rate). After the handheld ultrasonic probe enters the low-power state, the power consumption is gradually reduced as the duration increases. This can not only further reduce the power consumption of the handheld ultrasonic probe, but also enable the handheld ultrasonic probe to quickly switch to the normal power state when needed.

[0111] In this embodiment, a method for controlling power consumption is provided, which can be applied to the above-mentioned handheld ultrasonic probe, and can also be applied to an ultrasonic imaging device capable of communicating with the handheld ultrasonic probe, such as a smart phone, a tablet computer, a personal computer, a laptop computer, etc. Figure 5 is a flowchart of the method for controlling power consumption according to an embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 5 shown, and this process includes the following steps.

[0112] Step S501: Determine the communication signal strength when the handheld ultrasonic probe communicates with the ultrasonic imaging device.

[0113] For details, please refer to Figure 2 Step S201 of the illustrated embodiment, which will not be elaborated here.

[0114] Step S502: Determine whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is held according to the change of the communication signal strength.

[0115] For details, please refer to Figure 2 Step S202 of the illustrated embodiment, which will not be elaborated here.

[0116] Step S503: When the handheld ultrasonic probe is not held, adjust the handheld ultrasonic probe to a low power consumption state.

[0117] For details, please refer to Figure 2 Step S203 of the illustrated embodiment, which will not be elaborated here.

[0118] Step S504: When the handheld ultrasonic probe is held, adjust the handheld ultrasonic probe to a normal power consumption state.

[0119] Specifically, step S504 of "adjusting the handheld ultrasonic probe to a normal power consumption state" may include the following steps S5041 to S5043.

[0120] Step S5041: Determine whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured.

[0121] In this embodiment, when the handheld ultrasonic probe is held by the user, it is not necessarily scanning the object to be measured, which is generally a human body. To better control the power consumption of the handheld ultrasonic probe, it can be further determined whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured. If the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured, it can be explained that the handheld ultrasonic probe is currently being used for scanning, and at this time, the handheld ultrasonic probe needs to work normally; if the handheld ultrasonic probe is not in contact with the object to be measured, it can be explained that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not currently being used for scanning. For example, the user just picks up the handheld ultrasonic probe but does not perform scanning. Therefore, at this time, the handheld ultrasonic probe can also be controlled to operate at a relatively low state.

[0122] Among them, a sensor can be set on the sound head of the handheld ultrasonic probe, and based on this sensor, it is detected whether it is in contact with the object to be measured. This sensor can generally be installed on the surface of the sound head to detect whether the sound head is in contact with the object to be measured (such as a human body). The number of this sensor can be one or more.

[0123] For example, the sensor can be a pressure sensor, a photosensitive sensor, a temperature sensor, a Hall sensor, a humidity sensor, a capacitive sensor, a radar sensor, etc., as long as it can detect whether it is in contact with the object being measured. Specifically, the pressure sensor determines whether the sound head and the human body are in contact by detecting changes in pressure; the photosensitive sensor determines whether the sound head and the human body are in contact by detecting changes in light intensity; the temperature sensor determines whether the sound head and the human body are in contact by detecting changes in temperature; the Hall sensor determines whether the sound head and the human body are in contact by detecting changes in the sensor output voltage; the humidity sensor determines whether the sound head and the human body are in contact by detecting changes in humidity; the capacitive sensor determines whether the sound head and the human body are in contact by detecting changes in capacitance; the radar sensor determines whether the sound head and the human body are in contact by detecting the distance between the sound head and the human body.

[0124] In this embodiment, the supporting circuit of the handheld ultrasound probe may also include a filter circuit, an amplifier circuit, etc. Figure 6 As shown, the signal collected by the sensor 601 can be sent to the amplifier circuit 602; the amplifier circuit 602 amplifies the sensor signal; the filter circuit 603 filters the amplified sensor signal and sends it to the main controller 604 of the handheld ultrasound probe. The main controller 604 may include an ADC module 6041, i.e., an analog-to-digital conversion module, which can convert the received sensor signal into a digital signal, and then determine whether it is in contact with the human body based on the digital signal.

[0125] Among them, the main controller 604 can also include a judgment module 6042 and a power consumption control module 6043; the judgment module 6042 judges whether the sound head is in contact with the human body through the signal sent back by the sensor; the power consumption control module 6043 can perform corresponding power consumption control based on the judgment result; for example, if the sound head is not in contact with the human body, the handheld ultrasonic probe is controlled to operate in a low power consumption state.

[0126] Although the sensor can detect whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object being measured, the handheld ultrasonic probe integrates multiple circuits and chips, and the handheld ultrasonic probe is generally lightweight and flexible, resulting in a very limited internal space. Adding components such as sensors to the handheld ultrasonic probe will occupy the internal space of the probe, increase its volume and weight, and increase the cost of the equipment. In addition, the power supply device of the handheld ultrasonic probe is usually a battery, and the added components such as sensors also consume a certain amount of electricity, which is not conducive to improving the battery life. Therefore, this embodiment also provides a method for realizing detection without adding new components.

[0127] In some alternative embodiments, it is possible to detect whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured by determining whether there is a frequency shift. Specifically, the above step S5041 "determine whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured" may include the following steps B1 to B2.

[0128] Step B1, based on the echo signal received by the handheld ultrasonic probe, determine whether there is a frequency shift.

[0129] Step B2, when there is a frequency shift, determine that the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured; when there is no frequency shift, determine that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not in contact with the object to be measured.

[0130] In this embodiment, since the object to be measured detected by the handheld ultrasonic probe is generally a biological tissue (for example, the human body), and there is movement in the blood or heart in the biological tissue, when the handheld ultrasonic probe detects the biological tissue, there is a frequency shift in the echo signal it receives. Therefore, when detecting whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured, it is possible to detect whether there is a frequency shift in the echo signal; if there is a frequency shift, it can be explained that the handheld ultrasonic probe is currently in contact with the measured biological tissue; on the contrary, if there is no frequency shift, it can be considered that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not currently in contact with the biological tissue, that is, it is not in contact with the object to be measured.

[0131] Optionally, it is also possible to detect whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured by the magnitude of the echo signal intensity. Specifically, the above step S5041 "determine whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured" may include the following steps C1 to C2.

[0132] Step C1, determine the echo signal intensity of the handheld ultrasonic probe.

[0133] Step C2, when the echo signal intensity is greater than the preset intensity threshold, determine that the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured; when the echo signal intensity is less than the preset intensity threshold, determine that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not in contact with the object to be measured.

[0134] In this embodiment, since the echo signal collected by the handheld ultrasonic probe is the signal reflected by the object to be measured after the ultrasonic wave is emitted to the object to be measured; the closer the handheld ultrasonic probe is to the object to be measured, the stronger the echo signal intensity it collects. Therefore, if the echo signal intensity is greater than the preset intensity threshold, it can be considered that the handheld ultrasonic probe is close enough to the object to be measured, that is, the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured; on the contrary, if the echo signal intensity is less than the preset intensity threshold, it can be considered that the handheld ultrasonic probe is far from the object to be measured and the handheld ultrasonic probe is not in contact with the object to be measured.

[0135] In the above embodiments, by determining whether there is a frequency shift in the echo signal or whether the echo signal intensity is greater than a preset intensity threshold, it is possible to simply determine whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured without adding an additional sensor. Since there is no need to add additional components such as sensors, the volume, weight, cost, etc. of the handheld ultrasonic probe do not increase, and there is no additional power consumption caused by adding components. The implementation method is simple and the cost is low.

[0136] Step S5042: When the handheld ultrasonic probe is not in contact with the object to be measured, adjust the handheld ultrasonic probe to a medium power consumption state.

[0137] Step S5043: When the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured, adjust the handheld ultrasonic probe to a normal power consumption state; the power consumption in the normal power consumption state is greater than the power consumption in the medium power consumption state.

[0138] In this embodiment, if the handheld ultrasonic probe is held but not in contact with the object to be measured, it indicates that the user may currently have the possibility of using the handheld ultrasonic probe. Therefore, the handheld ultrasonic probe can be adjusted to a medium power consumption state; for example, adjusting the handheld ultrasonic probe from a low power consumption state to a medium power consumption state.

[0139] If the handheld ultrasonic probe is held and in contact with the object to be measured, it indicates that the user currently needs to normally use the handheld ultrasonic probe for scanning and imaging. Therefore, at this time, the handheld ultrasonic probe can be controlled to operate in a normal power consumption state so that the handheld ultrasonic probe can normally perform scanning and imaging.

[0140] Among them, the "low power consumption state" and the "medium power consumption state" in this embodiment are two relative states. The power consumption corresponding to the low power consumption state is less than or equal to the power consumption corresponding to the medium power consumption state; generally, the power consumption corresponding to the low power consumption state is less than the power consumption corresponding to the medium power consumption state. And the power consumption in the normal power consumption state is greater than the power consumption in the medium power consumption state, that is, when the handheld ultrasonic probe is held but not in contact with the object to be measured, the handheld ultrasonic probe does not need to operate at a large power consumption (for example, smaller than the power consumption in the normal power consumption state) to minimize power consumption.

[0141] For example, assume that in clinical applications of a handheld ultrasound probe, the time the probe head is in contact with the human body within one hour accounts for 20%, and the user does not use the handheld ultrasound probe during the other 80% of the time (for example, the user just holds the handheld ultrasound probe or places it aside), but instead screens, organizes, and outputs inspection reports for ultrasound images. That is, 80% of the power consumption of the handheld ultrasound probe is useless power consumption. Assume that the working power of the handheld ultrasound probe is 5 watts. If power consumption control is not performed, the power consumption within one hour is 5 watts * 1 hour = 5 watt-hours. If power consumption control is performed, assume that the power of the handheld ultrasound probe when it enters the medium power consumption state or the low power consumption state is 1 watt. Then the power consumption within one hour is 5 watts * 1 hour * 20% + 1 watt * 1 hour * 80% = 1.8 watt-hours. In comparison, the power consumption of the handheld ultrasound probe with power consumption control is only 36% of that before. Thus, it can be seen that by controlling the handheld ultrasound probe to enter the low power consumption state, etc., the average power consumption of the handheld ultrasound probe can be effectively reduced, and the battery life can be extended; moreover, a small-capacity battery can be used, and the working duration of the device can still be ensured; lower power consumption also allows for an increase in the number of channels, enabling the handheld ultrasound probe to output high-quality ultrasound images and improving product performance.

[0142] In this embodiment, a method for controlling power consumption is provided, which can be applied to the above-mentioned handheld ultrasound probe, and can also be applied to an ultrasound imaging device capable of communicating with the handheld ultrasound probe, such as a smartphone, a tablet computer, a personal computer, a laptop computer, etc. Figure 7 It is a flowchart of the method for controlling power consumption according to an embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 7 shown, and this process includes the following steps.

[0143] Step S701, power on the handheld ultrasound probe.

[0144] Among them, after the user presses the power-on button, the power supply of the handheld ultrasound probe is turned on and it is in a powered-on state, thereby achieving power-on.

[0145] Step S702, determine the communication signal strength between the handheld ultrasound probe and the ultrasound imaging device.

[0146] Among them, for details, please refer to Figure 2 step S201 of the embodiment shown, which will not be elaborated here.

[0147] Step S703, determine whether the handheld ultrasound probe is being held. If the handheld ultrasound probe is being held, execute step S704; otherwise, execute step S708.

[0148] Among them, for details, please refer to Figure 2 step S202 of the embodiment shown, which will not be elaborated here.

[0149] Step S704: Determine whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured. If the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured, proceed to step S705; otherwise, proceed to step 707.

[0150] Step S705: Adjust the handheld ultrasonic probe to the normal power consumption state.

[0151] Step S706: The handheld ultrasonic probe scans and generates an image.

[0152] Step S707: Adjust the handheld ultrasonic probe to the medium power consumption state.

[0153] Step S708: Adjust the handheld ultrasonic probe to the low power consumption state.

[0154] Among them, after step S706, step S707, and step S708, it is still possible to determine in real time whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is being held and / or whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured, so as to be able to timely adjust the power consumption state of the handheld ultrasonic probe. For example, after step S705 or step S706, step S704 can be continued to determine whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured, and when it is not in contact with the object to be measured, switch from the normal power consumption state to the medium power consumption state.

[0155] For the method of controlling power consumption provided in this embodiment, only when the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with an object to be measured such as a human body, it is in the normal power consumption state, that is, the handheld ultrasonic probe works normally only when the user needs to scan an image; when the handheld ultrasonic probe is not in contact with the human body or not being held, the handheld ultrasonic probe enters the corresponding medium power consumption state or low power consumption state, thereby effectively reducing the average power consumption of the handheld ultrasonic probe and increasing the battery life of the handheld ultrasonic probe.

[0156] In addition, traditional handheld ultrasonic probes use a freeze / thaw button (this button can be a physical button or a virtual button in the human-computer interaction interface) to manually control the working state of the handheld ultrasonic probe; the method provided in this embodiment can achieve automatic power consumption control, can cancel this freeze / thaw button, and does not require the user to frequently operate the freeze / thaw button, simplifying the process of the user operating the handheld ultrasonic probe.

[0157] In this embodiment, an ultrasonic imaging system is provided. Refer to Figure 8 As shown, the ultrasonic imaging system may include: a handheld ultrasonic probe 801 and an ultrasonic imaging device 802; the handheld ultrasonic probe 801 is communicatively connected to the ultrasonic imaging device 802. Among them, the handheld ultrasonic probe 801 or the ultrasonic imaging device 802 is configured to execute any one of the methods of controlling power consumption provided in the above embodiments to achieve power consumption control of the handheld ultrasonic probe 801.

[0158] Among them, a structure of the handheld ultrasonic probe 801 can be referred to Figure 1 As shown, the ultrasonic imaging device 802 can specifically be a device capable of implementing ultrasonic imaging such as a smart phone, a tablet computer, a PC (personal computer), a laptop computer, etc., which will not be elaborated in this embodiment.

[0159] In this embodiment, a device for controlling power consumption is further provided. This device is used to implement the above-mentioned embodiments and preferred implementation manners, and those that have been described will not be repeated. As used hereinafter, the term "module" can be a combination of software and / or hardware that can implement a predetermined function. Although the devices described in the following embodiments are preferably implemented in software, implementation in hardware, or a combination of software and hardware is also possible and contemplated.

[0160] This embodiment provides a device for controlling power consumption, as Figure 9 shown, including:

[0161] A signal strength determination module 901, configured to determine the communication signal strength when the handheld ultrasonic probe communicates with the ultrasonic imaging device;

[0162] A grip determination module 902, configured to determine whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is gripped according to the change of the communication signal strength;

[0163] A control module 903, configured to adjust the handheld ultrasonic probe to a low power consumption state when the handheld ultrasonic probe is not gripped.

[0164] In some optional implementation manners, the grip determination module 902 determines whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is gripped according to the change of the communication signal strength, including:

[0165] When the increase value of the communication signal strength exceeds a first threshold, it is determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not gripped;

[0166] When the decrease value of the communication signal strength exceeds a second threshold, it is determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is gripped.

[0167] In some optional implementation manners, the grip determination module 902 determines whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is gripped according to the change of the communication signal strength, including:

[0168] When the increase value of the communication signal strength exceeds a first threshold and the increase rate exceeds a first rate, it is determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not gripped;

[0169] When the decrease value of the communication signal strength exceeds a second threshold and the decrease rate exceeds a second rate, it is determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is gripped.

[0170] In some alternative embodiments, the control module 903 is further configured to:

[0171] After adjusting the handheld ultrasonic probe to the low power consumption state, determine the duration for which the handheld ultrasonic probe enters the low power consumption state in a timing manner;

[0172] As the duration for which the handheld ultrasonic probe enters the low power consumption state increases, gradually reduce the power consumption of the handheld ultrasonic probe.

[0173] In some alternative embodiments, the control module 903 gradually reduces the power consumption of the handheld ultrasonic probe as the duration for which the handheld ultrasonic probe enters the low power consumption state increases, including:

[0174] When the duration for which the handheld ultrasonic probe enters the low power consumption state falls within the duration range corresponding to the target low power consumption sub-state, adjust the handheld ultrasonic probe to the target low power consumption sub-state;

[0175] Wherein, the low power consumption state includes multiple low power consumption sub-states, and there is a negative correlation between the median value of the duration range corresponding to the low power consumption sub-state and the power consumption in the low power consumption sub-state; the target low power consumption sub-state is one of the low power consumption sub-states.

[0176] In some alternative embodiments, the control module 903 is further configured to:

[0177] When the handheld ultrasonic probe is held, adjust the handheld ultrasonic probe to the normal power consumption state.

[0178] In some alternative embodiments, the device further includes a contact determination module for determining whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured;

[0179] The control module 903 adjusts the handheld ultrasonic probe to the normal power consumption state, including:

[0180] When the handheld ultrasonic probe is not in contact with the object to be measured, adjust the handheld ultrasonic probe to the medium power consumption state;

[0181] When the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured, adjust the handheld ultrasonic probe to the normal power consumption state; the power consumption in the normal power consumption state is greater than the power consumption in the medium power consumption state.

[0182] In some alternative embodiments, the control module 903 determines whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured, including:

[0183] Based on the echo signal received by the handheld ultrasonic probe, determine whether there is a frequency shift;

[0184] In the presence of a frequency shift, it is determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured; in the absence of a frequency shift, it is determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not in contact with the object to be measured.

[0185] In some alternative embodiments, the control module 903 determines whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured, including:

[0186] Determine the echo signal strength of the handheld ultrasonic probe;

[0187] In the case where the echo signal strength is greater than a preset strength threshold, it is determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured; in the case where the echo signal strength is less than the preset strength threshold, it is determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not in contact with the object to be measured.

[0188] The further function descriptions of the above-mentioned various modules and units are the same as those in the corresponding foregoing embodiments, and will not be elaborated herein.

[0189] The device for controlling power consumption in this embodiment is presented in the form of functional units. Here, the unit refers to an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) circuit, a processor and a memory that execute one or more software or fixed programs, and / or other devices that can provide the above functions.

[0190] This embodiment of the present invention also provides an electronic device having the above-mentioned Figure 9 shown device for controlling power consumption. The electronic device may specifically be a handheld ultrasonic probe or an ultrasonic imaging device.

[0191] Please refer to Figure 10 , Figure 10 is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device provided by an alternative embodiment of the present invention. As Figure 10 shown, the electronic device includes: one or more processors 10, a memory 20, and interfaces for connecting various components, including a high-speed interface and a low-speed interface. Each component communicates with each other using different buses and can be installed on a common main board or installed in other ways as needed. The processor can process instructions executed within the electronic device, including instructions stored in the memory or on the memory to display graphical information of a GUI on an external input / output device (such as a display device coupled to the interface). In some alternative embodiments, if necessary, multiple processors and / or multiple buses can be used together with multiple memories and multiple memories. Similarly, multiple electronic devices can be connected, and each device provides some necessary operations (for example, as a server array, a set of blade servers, or a multi-processor system). Figure 10Take a processor 10 as an example.

[0192] The processor 10 can be a central processing unit, a network processor, or a combination thereof. Among them, the processor 10 can further include a hardware chip. The above-mentioned hardware chip can be an application-specific integrated circuit, a programmable logic device, or a combination thereof. The above-mentioned programmable logic device can be a complex programmable logic device, a field programmable gate array, a generic array logic, or any combination thereof.

[0193] Among them, the memory 20 stores instructions that can be executed by at least one processor 10, so that the at least one processor 10 executes the method shown in the above embodiments.

[0194] The memory 20 can include a program storage area and a data storage area. Among them, the program storage area can store an operating system and application programs required for at least one function; the data storage area can store data created according to the use of the electronic device, etc. In addition, the memory 20 can include a high-speed random access memory, and can also include a non-transitory memory, such as at least one disk storage device, a flash memory device, or other non-transitory solid-state storage devices. In some alternative embodiments, the memory 20 can optionally include a memory remotely set relative to the processor 10, and these remote memories can be connected to the electronic device through a network. Examples of the above-mentioned network include but are not limited to the Internet, an enterprise intranet, a local area network, a mobile communication network, and combinations thereof.

[0195] The memory 20 can include a volatile memory, such as a random access memory; the memory can also include a non-volatile memory, such as a flash memory, a hard disk, or a solid-state drive; the memory 20 can also include a combination of the above types of memories.

[0196] The electronic device further includes an input device 30 and an output device 40. The processor 10, the memory 20, the input device 30, and the output device 40 can be connected through a bus or other means. Figure 10 Take the connection through the bus as an example.

[0197] The input device 30 can receive input digital or character information, and generate key signal inputs related to the user settings and function controls of the electronic device, such as a touch screen, a keypad, a mouse, a trackpad, a touchpad, a pointing stick, one or more mouse buttons, a trackball, a joystick, etc. The output device 40 can include a display device, an auxiliary lighting device (such as an LED), and a tactile feedback device (such as a vibration motor), etc. The above-mentioned display device includes but is not limited to a liquid crystal display, a light-emitting diode, a display, and a plasma display. In some alternative embodiments, the display device can be a touch screen.

[0198] Embodiments of the present invention also provide a computer-readable storage medium. The method according to the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in hardware, firmware, or be implemented as computer code that can be recorded on a storage medium, or be implemented as computer code that is originally stored in a remote storage medium or a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium and downloaded through a network and will be stored in a local storage medium, so that the method described herein can be stored as such software processing on a storage medium using a general-purpose computer, a dedicated processor, or programmable or dedicated hardware. Among them, the storage medium can be a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a read-only memory, a random access memory, a flash memory, a hard disk, or a solid-state drive, etc.; further, the storage medium can also include a combination of the above-mentioned types of memories. It can be understood that a computer, a processor, a microprocessor controller, or programmable hardware includes a storage component that can store or receive software or computer code. When the software or computer code is accessed and executed by the computer, the processor, or the hardware, the method shown in the above embodiments is implemented.

[0199] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and such modifications and variations all fall within the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for controlling power consumption, characterized in that, the method includes: determining the communication signal strength when communicating between a handheld ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic imaging device; determining whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is held according to the change of the communication signal strength; when the handheld ultrasonic probe is not held, adjusting the handheld ultrasonic probe to a low power consumption state.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the determining whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is held according to the change of the communication signal strength includes: when the increase value of the communication signal strength exceeds a first threshold, determining that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not held; when the decrease value of the communication signal strength exceeds a second threshold, determining that the handheld ultrasonic probe is held.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, the determining whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is held according to the change of the communication signal strength includes: when the increase value of the communication signal strength exceeds a first threshold and the increase rate exceeds a first rate, determining that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not held; when the decrease value of the communication signal strength exceeds a second threshold and the decrease rate exceeds a second rate, determining that the handheld ultrasonic probe is held.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, further includes: after adjusting the handheld ultrasonic probe to a low power consumption state, determining the duration of the handheld ultrasonic probe entering the low power consumption state in a timing manner; as the duration of the handheld ultrasonic probe entering the low power consumption state increases, gradually reducing the power consumption of the handheld ultrasonic probe.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, the gradually reducing the power consumption of the handheld ultrasonic probe as the duration of the handheld ultrasonic probe entering the low power consumption state increases includes: when the duration of the handheld ultrasonic probe entering the low power consumption state falls within the duration range corresponding to a target low power consumption sub-state, adjusting the handheld ultrasonic probe to the target low power consumption sub-state; wherein, the low power consumption state includes multiple low power consumption sub-states, and there is a negative correlation between the median value of the duration range corresponding to the low power consumption sub-state and the power consumption in the low power consumption sub-state; the target low power consumption sub-state is one of the low power consumption sub-states.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, further includes: when the handheld ultrasonic probe is held, adjusting the handheld ultrasonic probe to a normal power consumption state.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, further includes: judging whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with a measured object; the adjusting the handheld ultrasonic probe to a normal power consumption state includes: when the handheld ultrasonic probe is not in contact with the measured object, adjusting the handheld ultrasonic probe to a medium power consumption state; when the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the measured object, adjusting the handheld ultrasonic probe to a normal power consumption state; the power consumption in the normal power consumption state is greater than the power consumption in the medium power consumption state.

8. The method according to claim 7, It is characterized in that the determination of whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured includes: judging whether there is a frequency shift according to the echo signal received by the handheld ultrasonic probe; when there is a frequency shift, it is determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured; when there is no frequency shift, it is determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not in contact with the object to be measured.

9. The method according to claim 7, It is characterized in that the determination of whether the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured includes: determining the echo signal intensity of the handheld ultrasonic probe; when the echo signal intensity is greater than a preset intensity threshold, it is determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is in contact with the object to be measured; when the echo signal intensity is less than the preset intensity threshold, it is determined that the handheld ultrasonic probe is not in contact with the object to be measured.

10. An electronic device, It is characterized in that including: a memory and a processor, the memory and the processor are communicatively connected to each other, the memory stores computer instructions, and the processor executes the computer instructions to execute the method for controlling power consumption according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A computer-readable storage medium, It is characterized in that the computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions for causing a computer to execute the method for controlling power consumption according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images