Touch-Based Region of Interest Annotation for Medical Images

The patent replaces traditional mouse-based control point manipulation with touch-based gestures. Users can create, select, and manipulate annotation regions directly by touching and dragging on the display screen, eliminating the need for precise control point handling with external devices. This substitution of interaction mechanism directly improves ease of operation while maintaining annotation functionality.

The patent introduces virtual discs as intermediary elements between the user's touch input and the final annotation region. When a user touches the screen, a virtual disc appears at that location, serving as a mediator that translates the touch gesture into a selectable annotation region. This intermediary simplifies the interaction by providing a visual feedback mechanism that guides users through the annotation process without requiring knowledge of complex control point systems.

The patent performs preliminary actions by automatically creating a default annotation region (virtual disc) at the user's touch location before any further manipulation is needed. This preliminary region creation eliminates the time required to manually define annotation boundaries from scratch. Users can immediately begin selecting and adjusting pre-created regions, significantly reducing the time required for annotation tasks compared to traditional methods where each annotation must be constructed step-by-step.

The patent implements dynamic manipulation of annotation regions through touch-based dragging. Users can select an annotation region and drag it to reposition, resize, or reshape it in real-time based on their needs. This dynamic interaction allows users to quickly adapt annotation regions without deleting and recreating them, improving annotation efficiency by enabling fluid, continuous adjustments during the workflow.

The patent uses color changes and visual transformations of the virtual disc to indicate different states and selection statuses. When a user touches and drags to create a selection, the virtual disc changes appearance to show it is selected and ready for manipulation. Visual feedback through color and appearance changes makes the interface more intuitive by clearly communicating system state without requiring users to understand complex control point mechanics.

The patent segments the annotation creation process into distinct phases: touch initiation, virtual disc creation, selection confirmation, and manipulation. Each phase has its own visual indicators and interaction patterns. This segmentation makes the overall process more intuitive by breaking down the complex task of creating precise annotations into manageable, visually distinct steps that users can follow naturally.