Ultrasound diagnostic equipment

Abstract

The pointer's movement speed is controlled according to its position on the ultrasound diagnostic device's display screen. [Solution] The user sets the movement speed of the pointer 4 for each of the multiple display areas 52, 54, and 56 that constitute the patient information input screen 50 related to ultrasound diagnosis. The ultrasound diagnostic device moves the pointer 4 on the screen by operating the trackball. At this time, if the pointer 4 is located in display area 52 where a normal movement speed is set, the pointer 4 is moved at a normal speed. If the pointer 4 is located in display area 54 where a slower-than-normal movement speed is set, the pointer 4 is moved at a slow speed. If the pointer 4 is located in display area 56 where a faster-than-normal movement speed is set, the pointer 4 is moved at a fast speed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and more particularly to operation of a pointing device.

Background Art

[0002] An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus transmits ultrasonic waves into a subject using an ultrasonic probe and receives reflected waves thereof, thereby acquiring biological information of the subject. The acquired biological information is displayed as an ultrasonic image representing the state of the subject.

[0003] In managing information such as generated ultrasonic images and examination histories, it is necessary to input information related to the subject from a monitor and store the information in a database. The information related to the subject includes personal information such as a name and date of birth.

[0004] A console panel of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus used for inputting such information related to a subject is usually provided with a trackball as a pointing device. A user can move a pointer displayed on the monitor in the operation direction by performing an operation of rotating the trackball in a desired direction. The user can suppress the movement amount of the pointer by slowly rotating the trackball, that is, by suppressing the rotation amount. On the other hand, the user can move the pointer farther from the current position by rotating the trackball by a larger amount.

[0005] For example, when inputting information related to a subject from a subject information input screen, the user operates the trackball to move the pointer to a desired input field, and inputs predetermined item information from the input field at the position pointed to by the pointer.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

[0007] When a user moves the pointer to a desired position on the screen, they adjust the amount of input on the pointing device. The pointer's movement speed is constant regardless of its position on the screen. Of course, the pointer's movement speed may be adjustable. However, no matter where the pointer is located on the screen, it moves across the screen at a constant, adjusted speed.

[0008] Incidentally, users sometimes want to fine-tune the position of the pointer on the screen. In this case, the user needs to manipulate the pointing device by a small amount, but if the adjustment is not done correctly, the pointer will overshoot the desired position. On the other hand, there are times when users want to move a pointer from one end of the screen to the other end in one go. In this case, if the pointing device is a trackball, the user will try to move the pointer quickly by rotating the trackball rapidly, but even then, the pointer may not reach the desired position.

[0009] The purpose of this disclosure is to control the movement speed of a pointer according to its position on the display screen of an ultrasound diagnostic device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to this disclosure is characterized in that it includes a processor, and the processor controls the movement speed of the pointer according to the display position of the pointer, which moves when a pointing device is operated on a screen on which information related to ultrasound diagnosis is displayed.

[0011] Furthermore, the movement speed of the pointer may be set for each area that makes up the screen.

[0012] Furthermore, the processor may move the pointer according to the movement speed set by the user for each area from a predetermined settings screen.

[0013] Furthermore, the processor may control the movement speed of the pointer based on the attributes of the display elements present around the pointer's position.

[0014] Furthermore, the processor may control the movement speed of the pointer according to the result of comparing the position attribute of the pointer obtained from the attributes of the display element with a predetermined threshold. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to this disclosure, the movement speed of the pointer can be controlled according to the position of the pointer on the display screen of the ultrasound diagnostic device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the ultrasound diagnostic device in Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the display of the subject information input screen used to explain the movement of the pointer before applying the characteristic movement speed control in Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of a review screen display used to explain the control of movement speed according to the position of a characteristic pointer in Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the data structure of screen information in Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of the data structure of configuration information in Embodiment 2. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of the layout configuration of the pointer movement speed setting screen in the embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart showing the pointer movement control process in Embodiment 1. [Figure 8]This is a diagram showing a display example of a subject information input screen used for explaining pointer movement when the characteristic movement speed control in Embodiment 1 is applied. [Figure 9] This is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of display element information in Embodiment 2. [Figure 10] This is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of coefficient information in Embodiment 2. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart showing pointer movement control processing in Embodiment 2. [Modes for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0017] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0018] Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 in the present embodiment. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 in the present embodiment has an apparatus main body 20 and a probe 40. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 can also be referred to as an ultrasonic diagnostic system. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 has a function of executing ultrasonic diagnosis using the probe 40. The apparatus main body 20 is also called a "console". The probe 40 is a device that transmits and receives ultrasonic beams for ultrasonic diagnosis. A transducer array 42 configured by arranging a plurality of transducer elements is incorporated in the probe 40. Each individual transducer element performs mutual conversion between an electric signal and an ultrasonic signal by the piezoelectric effect.

[0019] The apparatus main body 20 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 in the present embodiment has a transmission / reception control unit 22, a phasing addition unit 24, a beam processing unit 26, a DSC (Digital Scan Converter) 28, an image synthesis unit 30, a user interface (UI) 32, a control unit 34, and a storage unit 36.

[0020] The transmit / receive control unit 22 controls the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves by each vibrating element in the probe 40. This control includes, for example, supplying electrical transmission signals to each vibrating element and amplifying electrical reception signals from each vibrating element. In supplying transmission signals, the transmit / receive control unit 22 forms an ultrasonic transmission beam by controlling the timing of supplying transmission signals to each vibrating element.

[0021] The phase-aligning summation unit 24 performs phase-aligning summation on the received signals from each vibrating element in the probe 40. This phase-aligning summation process forms a received beam. As a result of the phase-aligning summation process, the phase-aligning summation unit 24 outputs echo data obtained along the received beam.

[0022] The beam processing unit 26 performs various signal processing on the echo data output by the phase summing unit 24, including gain correction, logarithmic amplification, envelope detection, and filtering. This forms beam data corresponding to each echo data.

[0023] The Digital Scan Converter (DSC) 28 has coordinate transformation and interpolation functions and forms a display frame, i.e., an ultrasonic image, based on multiple beam data output from the beam processing unit 26. The beam data from the beam processing unit 26 is data in the coordinate system of the beam scan (hereinafter referred to as the "scanning coordinate system") and consists of multiple data points along the direction of the beam corresponding to the beam data. For example, the DSC 2 plots the signal value of each data point of the beam data at the position of that data point in the display coordinate system, i.e., the coordinate system of the ultrasonic image (generally a Cartesian coordinate system represented by a pair of x and y coordinates). This plotting is performed by writing data to an internal image memory that holds the signal value of each pixel according to the display coordinate system. Then, the DSC 112 interpolates the values ​​of pixels in the image memory that still have no value after the beam data has been written, from the values ​​of surrounding pixels. Through such coordinate transformation and interpolation, an ultrasonic image such as a B-mode tomography image is formed.

[0024] The image synthesis unit 30 synthesizes various informational images or characters onto the ultrasound image formed by the DSC 28 to form display screen data. The information synthesized onto the ultrasound image includes, for example, ROIs representing the display range of various display modes such as color Doppler mode, and lines indicating the sample volume and the beam where the sample volume is located in pulsed Doppler mode.

[0025] The user interface 32 corresponds to a console panel and has a display unit 322 and an operation unit 324. The display unit 322 is an image display device and is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel. The display unit 322 displays the display screen data formed by the image synthesis unit 30. The operation unit 324 is a device operated by an operator (hereinafter also referred to as "user") to input parameters and patient information in ultrasound diagnosis, and to control the display. The operation unit 324 is composed of various buttons and a trackball. A trackball is an example of a pointing device. When the trackball is operated by the user, the pointer displayed on the display unit 322 moves in the direction of the operation.

[0026] The control unit 34 controls the execution of the ultrasound diagnostic process by controlling the operation of each component included in the main body of the device 20. In this embodiment, the control unit 34 controls the movement of the pointer. The storage unit 36 ​​stores screen information and configuration information, which will be described later. Details of the various types of information used in this embodiment will be described later.

[0027] The functions provided by each component 22-34 in the main unit 20 are realized through the coordinated operation of a computer installed in the main unit 20 and a program running on a processor installed in the computer. The computer may be equipped with multiple processors and configured to appropriately distribute the functions provided by each component 22-34 among the processors. The multiple processors may include processors specialized for specific processing functions. The control unit 34 may be implemented with a single processor or multiple processors. The storage unit 36 ​​is implemented with a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) installed in the main unit 20. Alternatively, it may be implemented using an external storage device via a network.

[0028] The hardware configuration of the ultrasound diagnostic device 10 described above using Figure 1 may be basically the same as the previous hardware configuration.

[0029] Before describing the operation in this embodiment, the concept of controlling the movement speed according to the pointer position, which is a characteristic feature of this embodiment, will be explained using Figures 2 and 3. In this embodiment, a trackball will be used as an example of a pointing device.

[0030] Figure 2 shows an example of the subject information input screen 50. The subject information input screen 50 is displayed on the display unit 322 in response to user operations. In addition, a pointer 4 is superimposed on the subject information input screen 50 on the display unit 322.

[0031] The subject information input screen 50 is divided into three display areas 52, 54, and 56. Display area 52 displays the search screen. Display area 54 is located in the upper section and includes an area where information about the subject that will become the test results (hereinafter also referred to as "subject information") is displayed in a list, and an area located in the lower section that serves as an input screen for registering subject information. Display area 56 displays buttons.

[0032] As shown in Figure 2, suppose pointer 4 is at position P1 in the display area 54. The user has entered "Patient ID" and wants to move pointer 4 to the "Name" input field directly below it. In this case, the user operates the trackball to move pointer 4 downwards, but sometimes pointer 4 moves more than expected, passing the desired "Name" input field and going to position P2, i.e., overshooting. In Figure 2, the dashed line pointer indicates the pointer's position after the move. The same applies to Figures 3 and 8, which will be discussed later. On the other hand, suppose the user has entered "Patient ID" and wants to move pointer 4 to the "Data Management" button in the display area 56. In this case, the user operates the trackball to move pointer 4 diagonally downwards to the left, but sometimes, even if the trackball is rotated vigorously, it only moves to position P3. In this case, the user needs to rotate the trackball further in the same direction.

[0033] Figure 3 shows an example of the review screen 60. The review screen 60 is used to check ultrasound images obtained from imaging, etc., and is displayed on the display unit 322 according to user operation. In addition, the pointer 4 of the pointing device is superimposed on the review screen 60 on the display unit 322. Although two pointers 4 are shown in Figure 3 for the sake of explanation, only one pointer 4 is displayed at a time. The review screen 60 is composed of two display areas 62 and 64. Display area 62 is located in the upper section and includes an area where the search screen is displayed, an area in the middle section where the search results are displayed, and an area where information such as ultrasound images of a subject selected from the list of subject information that constitutes the search results is displayed. Buttons are displayed in a vertical row in display area 64.

[0034] As shown in Figure 3, suppose pointer 4 is at position P4 within the display area 62. The user has selected a subject from the list of subject information and wants to move pointer 4 to the position where they want to select the image to review located in the lower row. In this case, the user operates the trackball to move pointer 4 downwards, but sometimes pointer 4 moves more than expected, passing the display position of the desired image and going to position P5, i.e., overshooting. Alternatively, suppose pointer 4 is at position P6 within the display area 64. The user has selected the "Select All" button and wants to move pointer 4 to the "DVD-R Buffer (Copy)" button. In this case, the user operates the trackball to move pointer 4 upwards, but sometimes, even if the trackball is rotated vigorously, it only moves to position P7. In this case, the user needs to rotate the trackball further in the same direction.

[0035] As explained above, if the movement speed of the pointer 4 in response to trackball operation is kept constant, it may not be possible to position the pointer 4 at the desired location. Therefore, in this embodiment, the movement speed of the pointer 4 is controlled according to its position. In this embodiment, the movement speed is controlled for each display area that makes up the screen.

[0036] Incidentally, when a user performs the same operation on the trackball—that is, rotates it the same amount in the same amount of time—if the amount of movement of pointer 4 (which can also be called "distance moved") is relatively large, then the movement speed of pointer 4 is relatively fast. On the other hand, if the amount of movement of pointer 4 is relatively small, then the movement speed of pointer 4 is relatively slow.

[0037] Next, we will describe the information used to control the movement of pointer 4, which is a characteristic feature of this embodiment. The information described below is stored in the storage unit 36.

[0038] Figure 4 shows an example of the data structure of screen information in this embodiment. Screen information is information generated for each screen. Strictly speaking, "screen" here does not refer to a physical display device such as a liquid crystal panel, but rather to the content created by software that is displayed on the display unit 322.

[0039] Screen information is generated by associating screen identification information with display area information and movement speed. Note that information items not used in the description of this embodiment are omitted in Figure 4. Screen identification information is information for identifying the screen to be displayed and includes a screen ID and screen name to identify the screen. Display area information is set to information about the display area included in the screen. In this embodiment, the screen is composed of one or more display areas. Display area information includes an area ID to identify the display area, the display range of the display area on the screen, and configuration information. Assuming that the screen and display area are set in a rectangular shape, and the position on the screen is expressed in a 2D coordinate system with the screen's reference point, for example, the upper left corner as the origin, the display range of the display area can be expressed by the coordinates of the upper left corner and the lower right corner of the display area. Configuration information is set to information about the content included in the display area. Movement speed is set to the movement speed when the pointer is located in the display area. In this embodiment, the movement speed of pointer 4 is set manually by the user for each display area that makes up the screen.

[0040] Figure 5 shows an example of the data structure of configuration information in this embodiment. Configuration information is information set in the screen information in association with each display area, as shown in Figure 4. Configuration information is information about the display elements that constitute the display area. Configuration information is generated by associating the type, position information, and input items as attributes of the display element with an element ID that identifies the display element. The type is information that indicates the type of the display element. The position information is information that identifies the display position of the display element. Similar to the display range of the display area in the screen information, the upper left of the screen may be used as the reference point, or the upper left of the display area may be used as the reference point. The position information of the display element can be expressed as the range between the coordinates of the upper left corner and the lower right corner of the display area, with the reference point as the origin. The input items indicate the type of information item to be input if the display element requires some kind of information input.

[0041] Figure 6 shows an example of the layout configuration of the pointer movement speed setting screen 70 in this embodiment. The user displays the pointer movement speed setting screen 70 on the display unit 322 shown in Figure 1 and sets the movement speed for the display area of ​​each screen. Of course, if an initial value is set for the movement speed in advance and the movement speed set for a display area is acceptable as is, there is no need to set the movement speed for that display area from the pointer movement speed setting screen 70.

[0042] The pointer movement speed setting screen 70 includes a screen selection area 72 and a movement speed setting area 74. The screen selection area 72 is formed by a pull-down menu and displays the screen names of screens registered in the screen information for selection. The movement speed setting area 74 displays a display field 76 for the area ID of the display area included in the screen selected in the screen selection area 72, and a speed setting section 82 consisting of a slider 78 and a slider bar 80 for setting the movement speed for that display area, for each display area.

[0043] When the user selects a screen name to be set in the screen selection area 72, the control unit 34 refers to the screen information of the selected screen and displays the number of display fields 76 corresponding to the number of display areas of that screen, along with the speed setting unit 82 associated with each display field 76, in the movement speed setting area 74. The control unit then reads the movement speed set for each display area from the screen information and displays the slider 78 on the slider bar 80 at the position corresponding to the read movement speed. In the case of the initial setting, the slider 78 may be displayed at its initial value. The user then sets the movement speed for that display area by sliding the slider 78 to the desired movement speed position on the slider bar 80.

[0044] To save the settings you have configured, select the save button 84. This will update the movement speed displayed on the screen information according to the movement speed set on the pointer movement speed setting screen 70. If you do not want to save your settings, select the cancel button 86.

[0045] In this embodiment, the speed setting unit 82 is formed by a slider 78 and a slider bar 80, allowing the movement speed to be set steplessly. However, the user interface is not limited to this. For example, the movement speed may be set using a numerical value within an upper and lower limit range (e.g., 0 to 100). Alternatively, it may be possible to select between two levels, "fast" and "slow," using radio buttons, or to set it in three levels such as "fast," "normal," and "slow," or even more levels.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the movement speed can be set for all display areas included in a single screen at once from the pointer movement speed setting screen 70, but the user interface for setting the movement speed does not need to be limited to this. For example, when displaying the screen shown in Figure 2 or Figure 3, the movement speed for a display area can be set or reset by moving the pointer 4 to the display area for which the movement speed to be set or reset and performing a predetermined selection operation such as a right-click.

[0047] Next, the process for controlling the movement of pointer 4 in this embodiment will be explained using the flowchart shown in Figure 7. This process is executed by the control unit 34 or in cooperation with other components under the control of the control unit 34.

[0048] The control unit 34 constantly detects the position of the pointer 4 on the screen (step S101). At this time, the control unit 34 processes to obtain the coordinate position of the pointer 4 on the screen. When the user moves the pointer 4 by operating the trackball, the control unit 34 detects the movement of the pointer 4 (Y in step S102).

[0049] The movement speed of pointer 4 when movement is detected is the movement speed set in the display area corresponding to the current position detected in step S101, and is set by referring to screen information. The control unit 34 temporarily stores the coordinate position of pointer 4 and can detect the movement of pointer 4 by comparing the detected coordinate position with the coordinate position detected immediately before. Thus, in this embodiment, the control unit 34 functions as a pointer position detection unit. If no movement of pointer 4 is detected (N in step S102), the process returns to step S101.

[0050] When movement of pointer 4 is detected, the control unit 34 refers to the display range of each display area included in the screen information to determine which display area pointer 4 is located in (step S103). If no movement from the previously located display area to another display area is detected (N in step S104), that is, if there is no movement between display areas, there is no need to change the movement speed, and the process returns to step S101. Note that whether or not there is movement between display areas can be determined by comparing the display area identified in step S103 with the display area identified in the immediately preceding step S103.

[0051] When movement between display areas is detected (Y in step S140), the control unit 34 refers to the screen information to obtain the movement speed set for the identified display area (step S105), and from then on controls the pointer 4 to move at the obtained movement speed (step S106). In this way, the control unit 34 moves the pointer 4 according to the movement speed set for the display area by the user from a predetermined pointer movement speed setting screen 70.

[0052] Figure 8 shows an example of the same subject information input screen 50 as in Figure 2. In Figure 2, the movement of pointer 4 is shown before the application of the characteristic movement speed control in this embodiment, while in Figure 8, the movement of pointer 4 is shown when the characteristic movement speed control in this embodiment is applied. In Figure 8, the display areas R11, R12, and R13 shown in Figure 4 correspond to the display areas 52, 54, and 56 shown in Figure 8, respectively. Also, as shown in Figure 6, it is assumed that normal movement speed, slower-than-normal movement speed, and faster-than-normal movement speed are set for each area R11, R12, and R13, respectively.

[0053] Figure 8 schematically illustrates the movement speed of pointer 4, which is set by the lengths of arrows A1, A2, and A3. Even if the user performs the exact same operation on the trackball in each display area 52, 54, and 56, the amount of movement of pointer 4, i.e., the movement speed, indicated by the lengths of arrows A1, A2, and A3, will differ. In other words, the movement speed of pointer 4 in display area 54 is slower than that in display area 52, so the amount of movement is small. On the other hand, the movement speed in display area 56 is fast, so the amount of movement is large.

[0054] As explained above, according to this embodiment, the pointer 4 can be moved at the movement speed set in the display area including the current position of the pointer 4. As a result, even if the user performs the same operation on the trackball, the pointer 4 will move faster or slower depending on the position of the pointer 4. When the user rotates the trackball continuously in the same direction and the pointer 4 moves across multiple display areas with different set movement speeds, the pointer 4 will move faster or slower depending on its position. In other words, the pointer 4 will move while changing its movement speed.

[0055] Although the number of information items displayed on the screen (e.g., number of subjects, number of ultrasound images, etc.) may change, the layout of each screen is basically fixed, as explained using Figures 2 and 3. Specifically, the display area of ​​each screen, whether each display area contains display elements such as input fields, display fields, and selection buttons, and the display position of these elements are all predetermined.

[0056] If the user is familiar with the characteristics of each screen, such as the configuration of the display areas on each screen and the display elements that make up each display area, they can set the desired movement speed for each display area on each screen from the pointer movement speed setting screen 70 shown in Figure 6. Of course, since the user manually sets the desired movement speed for each display area, it is possible to set an arbitrary movement speed without considering the characteristics of the display area.

[0057] Furthermore, the information shown in Figures 4 and 5 may be displayed on the display unit 322 so that the user can refer to it when setting the movement speed.

[0058] Incidentally, even in the past, if a user rotated the trackball faster, the pointer might move faster as well. However, this is equivalent to increasing the amount of rotation by rotating the trackball faster, and the pointer simply moves faster and further by increasing the amount of rotation.

[0059] Changing the "movement speed" is equivalent to changing the amount the pointer moves in response to the input on the pointing device. Since the movement of a PC mouse cursor is controlled by setting the speed, in this embodiment, we have explained it by setting the movement speed rather than the amount of movement.

[0060] Furthermore, when setting movement speeds for each display area, it is not necessary to limit the method to associating movement speeds with the display area itself. For example, a "area attribute" could be created as a type of area. Then, a movement speed could be set for each area attribute. For example, three types of area attributes could be provided: Standard Zone, High Precision Zone, and Rapid Operation Zone. The Standard Zone is an area where normal operation is sufficient, and the pointer movement speed would be set to the normal setting, i.e., the same as the system's initial setting. The High Precision Zone is an area where precise operation is required, and therefore the pointer movement speed would be set slower than the Standard Zone. The Rapid Operation Zone is an area where rapid operation is possible, and therefore the pointer movement speed would be set faster than the Standard Zone.

[0061] The user then sets one of the three area attributes mentioned above for each display area. This setting may be essentially the same as setting one of the three movement speeds mentioned earlier: "fast," "normal," or "slow." However, for users familiar with the screen layout, setting area attributes for display areas may be easier than directly setting the movement speed. In this case, in the screen information shown in Figure 4, "area attribute" is set instead of "movement speed."

[0062] As mentioned above, in this embodiment, the movement speed is set for each display area that makes up the screen. However, the unit for setting the movement speed does not have to be limited to each display area. For example, one display area may be subdivided into multiple areas, and the movement speed may be set for each subdivided area. Even within a single display area, there may be areas where, for example, input fields are densely packed and therefore it is undesirable to move the pointer 4 far, and areas where there are not many input fields. This is because the screen itself is not always set up with consideration for the movement of the pointer 4 based on user operation. The user can set such a display area to be divided into multiple small areas and set the movement speed for each small area.

[0063] Furthermore, the user may divide the screen into arbitrary sub-regions, regardless of the display area that makes up the screen, and set a movement speed for each of the sub-regions.

[0064] In this embodiment, the movement speed of pointer 4 is controlled by referring to a display area according to the screen layout, so the user does not need to separately set an area to be used as the unit for setting the movement speed. However, as in the modified example described above, the movement speed of pointer 4 may be controlled for each arbitrary area by having the user set an area to be used as the unit for controlling the movement speed.

[0065] Embodiment 2. In Embodiment 1 described above, the user is allowed to set the movement speed for each display area from the pointer movement speed setting screen 70 shown in Figure 6. In this embodiment, the movement speed of the pointer is controlled according to the position of the pointer on the screen, and a key feature is that this movement speed is set automatically. The configuration of the ultrasound diagnostic device 10 in this embodiment may be the same as in Embodiment 1. In this embodiment, the content of the control in the control unit 34 and the information used differ slightly from those in Embodiment 1.

[0066] As one method for automatically setting the movement speed, in this embodiment, the movement speed of the pointer is controlled based on the type of display element present around the pointer's position. Specifically, the process is as follows:

[0067] Figure 9 shows an example of the data structure of display element information referenced when controlling pointer movement in this embodiment. Display element information is information about elements displayed on the screen, such as information input fields, selection buttons, and areas for displaying information in a list. In the subject information input screen 50 shown in Figure 2, the input fields for each item of subject information such as search keywords and "Name", the display area where information items such as subject information are displayed in a list that can be selected by the user, and the selection buttons that can be selected by the user, such as the "Data Management" button, are considered display elements.

[0068] Display element information is generated by associating the type, location information, and input items as attributes of the display element with an element ID that identifies the display element. The information items for type, location information, and input items are the same as those in the configuration information shown in Figure 5, so their explanation is omitted. The display element information is basically the same as the configuration information used in Embodiment 1, but it does not require association with the display area.

[0069] Figure 10 shows an example of the data structure of coefficient information used in this embodiment. The coefficient information contains coefficients that are referenced when calculating an evaluation value to evaluate the position attribute of pointer 4, specifically, the current position of pointer 4. The coefficient information is classified into basic coefficients and additional coefficients. Basic coefficients are coefficients that are set in correspondence with the item values ​​set in the type included in the display element information. Additional coefficients are coefficients that are set in correspondence with the item values ​​set in the input items included in the display element information. Both basic coefficients and additional coefficients are set in advance by the user. In this embodiment, a larger value indicates a higher evaluation, but the reverse is also possible.

[0070] In this embodiment, it is necessary to pre-set the movement speed to be used as the movement speed of pointer 4. For example, as described in Embodiment 1, three types of region attributes are prepared as region attributes: a normal region where the normal movement speed is used, a high-precision region where a slower movement speed than the normal region is used, and a high-speed operation region where a faster movement speed than the normal region is used. Of course, it is not necessary to limit it to three types of movement speeds; multiple movement speeds can be prepared. In this embodiment, the movement speed is set by determining which region attribute corresponds to the current position of pointer 4.

[0071] Next, the process for controlling the movement of pointer 4 in this embodiment will be explained using the flowchart shown in Figure 11. This process is executed in cooperation with other components under the control of the control unit 34 or the control unit 34. The same steps as in Embodiment 1 are assigned the same step numbers, and explanations are omitted as appropriate.

[0072] The control unit 34 constantly detects the position of the pointer 4 until it detects movement of the pointer 4 on the screen (N in steps S101 and S102). When the user moves the pointer 4 by operating the trackball, the control unit 34 detects the movement of the pointer 4 (Y in step S102).

[0073] When the movement of pointer 4 is detected, the control unit 34 extracts display elements located around the position of pointer 4 (step S201). To do this, the control unit 34 compares the current position coordinates of pointer 4 with the position information of each display element set in the display element information. Since the display elements have a range as indicated by the position information, the control unit 34 may also compare the current position coordinates of pointer 4 with, for example, the coordinates of the center point of the display element. Then, the control unit 34 sets a predetermined range centered on the current position of pointer 4, for example, within 10 pixels of the display unit 322 as the position vicinity, and extracts the display elements located around the position of pointer 4.

[0074] Next, the control unit 34 evaluates the positional attributes of pointer 4, that is, the current position of pointer 4. It calculates an evaluation value that objectively indicates the current position of pointer 4 as follows.

[0075] First, the control unit 34 refers to the display element information to extract the type of each extracted display element, and then calculates an evaluation value by referring to the extracted type and the coefficient information shown in Figure 10 (step S202).

[0076] To calculate the evaluation value, first calculate the evaluation value related to the base coefficient. Specifically, multiply the number of each type of display element by the coefficient set for that type. For example, if there are 5 display elements of type text boxes around the current position of pointer 4, the calculation for text boxes can be calculated as 5 × 1.0 = 5. The same calculation is performed for other types.

[0077] Furthermore, an evaluation value related to the additional coefficient is calculated. Specifically, the number of input items for each display element is multiplied by the coefficient set for that input item. For example, if there are 4 display elements around the current position of pointer 4 where the input item is the subject ID, then the calculation for the subject ID can be calculated as 4 × 1.5 = 6. The same calculation is performed for other input items.

[0078] The sum of the results calculated as described above is treated as the evaluation value. The control unit 34 then compares the calculated evaluation value with a predetermined threshold to determine the movement speed of the pointer 4.

[0079] In this embodiment, the movement speed of the pointer 4 is set to one of the following: a normal movement speed used in the normal domain, a slower movement speed than the normal domain used in the high-precision domain, or a faster movement speed than the normal domain used in the high-speed operation domain. Two thresholds are set in advance as predetermined thresholds. The movement speed to be set for the pointer 4 is then determined according to the result of comparing the evaluation value with the predetermined thresholds (step S203). For example, if the evaluation value is greater than or equal to the first threshold (e.g., 2.5), the slower movement speed used in the high-precision domain is determined. If the evaluation value is less than the first threshold (e.g., 2.5) and greater than the second threshold (e.g., 0.5), the normal movement speed used in the normal domain is determined. If the evaluation value is less than or equal to the second threshold, the faster movement speed used in the high-speed operation domain is determined. In this embodiment, the higher the evaluation value, the slower the movement speed of the pointer 4 is set.

[0080] For example, in the display area 54 shown in Figure 8, the position of pointer 4 is set to a slow movement speed because the input fields are densely packed. Also, in the display area 56 shown in Figure 8, the position of pointer 4 is set to a fast movement speed because the input fields are not densely packed.

[0081] Once the movement speed to be set for the movement of pointer 4 is determined as described above, the control unit 34 moves pointer 4 at that movement speed (step S204).

[0082] A high evaluation value means that there are, or a relatively large number of, display elements such as text boxes or dropdown lists around the position of pointer 4 that require the user to position pointer 4 to input or select information items. Therefore, the movement speed of pointer 4 is made relatively slower. Conversely, it means that there are, or a relatively small number of, display elements around the position of pointer 4 that require the user to input or select information. Therefore, movement distance is prioritized over pointer 4 positioning, and the movement speed of pointer 4 is made relatively faster.

[0083] According to this embodiment, the movement speed can be set according to the attributes of the display elements present around the current position of the pointer 4 and the number of each attribute.

[0084] The control of the pointer 4's movement speed, as described in each of the above embodiments, was explained in the context of its application to the user interface 32 of the ultrasound diagnostic device 10, but it can also be applied to other medical devices having a pointing device. Furthermore, it is not limited to medical devices; it can also be applied to general computers such as PCs that have a mouse or touchpad as a pointing device.

[0085] In this embodiment, each process is executed on any computer. Furthermore, any computer may execute these processes using a processor as hardware, a program as software, or a combination thereof. In that case, the processor is configured to work in cooperation with the program to execute the various processes in this embodiment, and can function as a unit or means in this embodiment. Also, the execution order of the processes by the processor is not limited to the order described and may be changed as appropriate. Any computer may be a general-purpose computer, a computer designed for a specific purpose, a workstation, or any other system capable of executing each process. A processor may consist of one or more hardware components, and the type of hardware is not limited. For example, a processor may consist of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a programmable logic device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a dedicated circuit for executing a specific process such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), or an NPU (Neural Processing Unit). Furthermore, the type of hardware may be a combination of different types of hardware. When multiple hardware components are configured to execute one or more processes of a processor, these components may reside in physically separate devices or in the same device. Also, in any embodiment, the order of each process performed by the processor is not limited to the order described above and may be changed as appropriate. Hardware is composed of electrical circuits (circuitry) that combine circuit elements such as semiconductor elements. Furthermore, the program may be firmware or software such as microcode. Alternatively, the program may be, for example, a group of program modules, each function of which may be implemented by a processor configured to perform its respective function. The program may be program code or multiple code segments stored on one or more non-temporary computer-readable media (e.g., storage media or other storage). The program may be divided and stored on multiple non-temporary computer-readable media located on physically separate devices. Program code or code segments may represent any combination of procedures, functions, subprograms, routines, subroutines, modules, software packages, classes, or instructions, data structures, or program statements. Program code or code segments may be connected to other code segments or hardware circuits by sending and receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents. The present invention is also applicable to programs and program products. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0086] 4 Pointer, 10 Ultrasound diagnostic device, 20 Device body, 22 Transmit / receive control unit, 24 Phase shaping / adding unit, 26 Beam processing unit, 28 DSC, 30 Image synthesis unit, 32 User interface (UI), 34 Control unit, 36 Memory unit, 40 Probe, 42 Vibration element array, 50 Patient information input screen, 52, 54, 56, 62, 64 Display area, 60 Review screen, 70 Pointer movement speed setting screen, 72 Screen selection area, 74 Movement speed setting area, 76 Display field, 78 Slider, 80 Slider bar, 82 Speed ​​setting unit, 84 Save button, 86 Cancel button, 322 Display unit, 324 Operation unit.

Claims

1. Equipped with a processor, The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus is characterized in that the processor controls the movement speed of the pointer according to the display position of the pointer, which moves when a pointing device is operated on a screen that displays information related to ultrasound diagnosis.

2. In the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is characterized in that the movement speed of the pointer is set for each area that constitutes the screen.

3. In the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2, The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus is characterized in that the processor moves the pointer according to the movement speed set by the user for each area from a predetermined settings screen.

4. In the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is characterized in that the processor controls the movement speed of the pointer based on the attributes of the display elements present around the position of the pointer.

5. In the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 4, The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is characterized in that the processor controls the movement speed of the pointer according to the result of comparing the position attribute of the pointer obtained from the attributes of the display element with a predetermined threshold.

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