US6358204B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Ultrasonic system and method for storing data
Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc
•
Filing: 1999-07-15
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Granted: 2002-03-19
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Expires: 2019-07-15
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus and method for processing ultrasound data is provided. The apparatus includes an interface operatively connected to a memory, a programmable single instruction multiple data processor (or two symmetric processors), a source of acoustic data (such as a data bus) and a system bus. The memory stores data from the processor, ultrasound data from the source, and data from the system bus. The processor has direct access to the memory. Alternatively, the system bus has direct access to the memory. The interface device translates logically addressed ultrasound data to physically addressed ultrasound data for storage in a memory. The translation is the same for data from both the processor and the source for at least a portion of a range of addresses. The memory stores both ultrasound data and various of: beamformer control data, instruction data for the processor, display text plane information, control plane data, and a table of memory addresses. One peripheral connects to the ultrasound apparatus. An interface adapter, powered from the ultrasound apparatus, translates information transferred between the peripheral and the ultrasound apparatus. The adapter connects non-standard peripherals to various standard interfaces on the ultrasound apparatus.
Inventors
- 👤 David J. Finger
- 👤 Ismayil M. Guracar
- 👤 D. Grant Fash, III
- 👤 Shahrokh Shakouri
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 17:13
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01S; G01S7/00; G01S7/52; G01S7/52017; G01S7/52023; A; A61; A61B; A61B8/00; G01S7/52034; G01S7/52053; G01S7/52057; G01S7/5206
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 60
Claim 1
Independent Claim
75 words
A method for operating an ultrasound system, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing user input to a processor; (b) controlling operation of the ultrasound system with the processor; (c) providing ultrasound image data in response to at least one control instruction from the processor; (d) storing in a memory the ultrasound image data; (e) processing the ultrasound image data with the processor; and (f) storing in the memory the processed ultrasound image data.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
75 words
A method for operating an ultrasound system, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing user input to a processor; (b) controlling operation of the ultrasound system with the processor; (c) providing ultrasound image data in response to at least one control instruction from the processor; (d) storing in a memory the ultrasound image data; (e) processing the ultrasound image data with the processor; and (f) storing in the memory the processed ultrasound image data.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step (e) comprises processing selected from the group consisting of: temporal filtering, spatial filtering, thresholding, weighting and combinations thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step (g) of decompressing with the processor compressed ultrasound image data.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step (g) of compressing the ultrasound image data.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step (g) of constructing with the processor a three-dimensional representation.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
77 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step (g) of providing system component control instructions selected from the group of: user interface control, a communications interface control, a data transfer bus controller control, an interface device control, a physical address generator control, a beamformer control, an ultrasound image data path control, a physio module control, a filter control, a digital signal processor control, a multiplexer control, a scan converter control, a peripheral control and combinations thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step (c) comprises processing the ultrasound image data with a programmable single instruction multiple data processor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of allocating memory with the processor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of: generating a table of physical addresses indexed by logical addresses associated with the memory; and storing the table in the memory.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step (e) comprises directly accessing the ultrasound image data from the memory.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of storing instruction code data in the memory, the processor responsive to the instruction code data.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step (e) comprises the step of accessing the ultrasound image data through an interface device, the interface device operatively connected to the processor and a data bus.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) or (b), respectively comprises the step (i) of providing control instructions selected from the group consisting of: beamformer control, detector control, filter control, digital signal processor control, multiplexer control, and combinations thereof.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the step (i) comprises providing initializing control data.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the steps (b) and (e), respectively, comprise the steps of: (i) providing with one of two symmetric processors control instructions; and (ii) processing with the one of the two symmetric processors the ultrasound image data.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
38 words
The method of 15 wherein the steps (i) and (ii) comprise: (a) providing with a second of the two symmetric processor control instructions; and (c) processing with the second of the two symmetric processors the ultrasound image data.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
38 words
The method of 15 wherein the steps (i) and (ii) comprise: (a) providing with a second of the two symmetric processor control instructions; and (c) processing with the second of the two symmetric processors the ultrasound image data.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the steps (b) and (e) respectively, comprise the steps of: (i) providing with a first of two symmetric processors control instructions; and (ii) processing with a second of the two symmetric processors the ultrasound its image data.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of providing the two symmetric processors with input/output symmetry.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of providing the two symmetric processors with memory symmetry.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of calculating with the processor a quantity from the ultrasound image data.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
57 words
An ultrasound system for generating image data, the system comprising: a data bus; a system bus for providing user input; a processor for receiving the user input, for controlling operation of the ultrasound system and for processing ultrasound image data from the data bus; and a memory for storing the processed ultrasound image information from the processor.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
57 words
An ultrasound system for generating image data, the system comprising: a data bus; a system bus for providing user input; a processor for receiving the user input, for controlling operation of the ultrasound system and for processing ultrasound image data from the data bus; and a memory for storing the processed ultrasound image information from the processor.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system of claim 21 wherein the processor is operable to perform processing selected from the group consisting of: temporal filtering, spatial filtering, thresholding, weighting and combinations thereof.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 21 further comprising a display comprising an ultrasound image responsive to the processed ultrasound image data.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
67 words
The system of claim 21 wherein the processor for controlling operation comprises a processor for providing control instructions selected from the group consisting of: user interface instructions, communications interface instructions, data transfer controller instructions, scan converter instructions, peripheral instructions, interface device instructions, physical address generator instructions, beamformer instructions, ultrasound image data path instructions, physio module instructions, filter instructions, digital signal processor instructions, multiplexer instructions, and combinations thereof.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 21 wherein the processor comprises a programmable single instruction multiple data capable processor.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 25 wherein the processor comprises a multi-media extension processor.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 21 wherein the memory stores a table of physical memory addresses indexed by logical memory addresses.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 21 wherein the memory stores instruction code data and the processor is responsive to the instruction code data.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 21 further comprising an interface device operatively connected to the processor, the data bus and the system bus.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of claim 29 wherein the interface device provides direct access to the memory by the processor, the data bus and the system bus.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system of claim 21 wherein processor comprises two input/output symmetric processors.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 21 wherein the processor comprises two memory symmetric processors.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
76 words
An ultrasound system with data storage capabilities, the system comprising: a memory comprising at least one memory component for storing ultrasound image data and processor instruction code data; a memory access device operatively connected to the memory, the access device for controlling the transfer of ultrasound image data from or to the memory; and a processor operatively connected to the access device, the processor operable to execute at least some of the processor instruction code data.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
76 words
An ultrasound system with data storage capabilities, the system comprising: a memory comprising at least one memory component for storing ultrasound image data and processor instruction code data; a memory access device operatively connected to the memory, the access device for controlling the transfer of ultrasound image data from or to the memory; and a processor operatively connected to the access device, the processor operable to execute at least some of the processor instruction code data.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 33 wherein the memory stores the ultrasound image data and processed ultrasound image data from the processor.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 33 wherein the memory access device provides direct access to the memory by the processor.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
43 words
The system of claim 33 wherein: the memory comprises a plurality of physically addressed memory components; the ultrasound data is logically addressed; and the memory access device stores ultrasound image data in the physically addressed memory components in response to the logical addresses.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
31 words
The system of claim 33 wherein the memory access device provides access to the memory by the processor and a source of the ultrasound data with a same logical address scheme.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 37 wherein the memory access device provides direct access by the processor and the source to the memory.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 33 wherein the memory access device comprises a quad port interface device.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 37 wherein the memory is operable to store a table of addresses.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 33 wherein the processor comprises a single instruction multiple data system processor.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 33 wherein the memory is operable to store text plane information.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
53 words
The system of claim 33 wherein the ultrasound image data comprises image data selected from the group consisting of: acoustic line data, video data, B-mode data, M-mode data processed image data, spectral Doppler data, color Doppler data, compressed image data, uncompressed image data, beamformer output data, processed beamformer acoustic data, and combinations thereof.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
50 words
The system of claim 33 wherein the memory is further operable to store data selected from the group consisting of: audio data, ECG data, pressure data, respiration data, DC-A data, DC-B data, DC-C data, DC-D data, communication data, interface data, interprocessor communication data, waveform data, quantity data, and combinations thereof.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 33 wherein the processor is operable to provide control signals in response to the processor instruction code data.
Claim 50
Independent Claim
60 words
A method for storing data in an ultrasound system, the method comprising the steps of: (a) storing ultrasound image data and processor instruction code data in a memory comprising at least one memory component; (b) controlling with an access device the transfer of data from or to a memory; and (c) executing with a processor the processor instruction code data.
Claim 51
Independent Claim
60 words
A method for storing data in an ultrasound system, the method comprising the steps of: (a) storing ultrasound image data and processor instruction code data in a memory comprising at least one memory component; (b) controlling with an access device the transfer of data from or to a memory; and (c) executing with a processor the processor instruction code data.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 46 wherein the step (b) comprises providing direct access to the memory by the processor.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 46 further comprising the step (d) of storing in the memory processed ultrasound image data from the processor.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 46 wherein the memory comprises a plurality of physically addressed memory components and the ultrasound image data is logically addressed; and wherein the step (b) comprises storing the ultrasound data in the physically addressed memory components in response to the logical addresses.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 46 wherein the step (b) comprises providing direct access to the memory by the processor and a source of the ultrasound image data with a same logical address scheme.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 49 further comprising the step (d) of storing a table of addresses in the memory.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 46 further comprising the step (d) of storing text plane information in the memory.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 46 wherein the step (a) comprises storing ultrasound image data selected from the group consisting of: acoustic line data, video data, B-mode data, M-mode data, processed image data, spectral Doppler data, color Doppler data, compressed image data, uncompressed image data, and combinations thereof.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of claim 46 further comprising the step (d) of storing in the memory data selected from the group consisting of: audio data, ECG data, pressure data, respiration data, DC-A data, DC-B data, DC-C data, DC-D data, communication data, interface data, interprocessor communication data, waveform data, quantity data, and combinations thereof.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 46 further comprising the step (d) of providing with the processor control signals in response to the processor instruction code data.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-03-18 | 2005-09-17 | 2006-03-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-03-18 | 2009-09-17 | 2010-03-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-03-18 | 2013-09-17 | 2014-03-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |