Ultrasound System Gesture Control via Pattern Recognition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ultrasound systems require users to adopt uncomfortable postures and are difficult to manipulate when the system is far away, due to limited mobility of the control panel, which hampers efficient operation.
Innovation Solution
An ultrasound system that captures user actions through an image acquisition unit, processes these images using a pattern recognition unit to generate training sets associated with specific instructions, and controls the diagnostic unit based on recognized patterns, allowing for remote and comfortable operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the control panel is mounted on the ultrasound system with limited mobility, then the system structure remains simple and stable, but the user cannot operate the system comfortably when far away or in different positions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical control panel with a camera-based gesture recognition system. Instead of requiring physical contact with movable control panels, the system captures images of user hand gestures and translates them into control commands through pattern recognition and processing, eliminating the need for mechanical mobility mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an image acquisition unit and pattern recognition unit as intermediaries between the user and the ultrasound diagnostic unit. The camera captures gestures, the processor recognizes patterns, and translates them into control commands, serving as a non-contact intermediary that resolves the contradiction between operation ease and device complexity
2Adaptability or versatility
If the control panel is positioned far from the user, then the system layout becomes flexible, but it becomes difficult to manipulate the control panel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the need for proximity-based control panel manipulation with remote gesture recognition. The camera-based system allows users to control the ultrasound system from a distance through hand gestures, maintaining system layout flexibility while improving accessibility regardless of user position
3Productivity
If the user must be in close proximity to the control panel, then control precision is maintained, but user comfort and operational efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes mechanical control panel interaction with optical gesture recognition. Users can perform examinations in comfortable standing positions without bending or reaching, while the system maintains control precision through accurate pattern recognition of hand gestures, thereby improving both productivity and user comfort
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention is directed to an ultrasound system. The ultrasound system of the present invention includes an ultrasound diagnostic unit (150), a storage unit (130), an image acquisition unit (110), a pattern recognition unit (120), and a control unit (140). The ultrasound diagnostic unit forms an ultrasound image representative of a target object. The storage unit stores training sets in association with respective instructions for operating the ultrasound diagnostic unit. Each of the training sets includes pattern samples associated with a particular action of a user. The image acquisition unit acquires an action of a user to form an action image. The pattern recognition unit recognizes an action pattern from the action image. The control unit retrieves the training sets stored in the storage unit to find a pattern sample having a match with the recognized action pattern. The control unit controls an operation of the ultrasound diagnostic unit based on an instruction associated with the training set including the found pattern sample.