Ultrasound probe and operating method thereof

An ultrasound probe that is wirelessly connected to an ultrasound image providing apparatus, the ultrasound probe comprising:

• an ultrasound transceiver configured to transmit an ultrasound signal toward an object, and to receive an echo signal reflected from the object;
• a signal processor configured to process the received echo signal and generate ultrasound image data by using the processed echo signal;
• a communicator configured to transmit the ultrasound image data to the ultrasound image providing apparatus;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• control the communicator to wirelessly connect the ultrasound probe to the ultrasound image providing apparatus by using a first communication scheme,
• determine at least one parameter value that relates to a quality of an ultrasound image, based on a user input,
• control the signal processor to generate the ultrasound image data that relates to the object, based on the determined at least one parameter value,
• search for pre-stored data with respect to a transmission speed of the ultrasound image data associated with the quality of the ultrasound image, and
• determine a transmission speed that corresponds to the determined at least one parameter value by mapping the at least one parameter value to the searched pre-stored data,
• wherein the at least one parameter value comprises at least one selected from among number of scan lines that constitutes one frame of the ultrasound image, number of sampling points which are set on each of the scan lines, and number of bits which are generated by quantizing the ultrasound image data acquired from the sampling points,
• wherein, when the transmission speed is lower than a predetermined threshold speed, the controller is further configured to control the communicator to:
• wirelessly connect the ultrasound probe to the ultrasound image providing apparatus by using a second communication scheme, and
• transmit the ultrasound image data to the ultrasound image providing apparatus by using the second communication scheme in place of the first communication scheme.

An ultrasound probe that is wirelessly connected to an ultrasound image providing apparatus, the ultrasound probe comprising:

• an ultrasound transceiver configured to transmit an ultrasound signal toward an object, and to receive an echo signal reflected from the object;
• a signal processor configured to process the received echo signal;
• a controller configured to:
• acquire capability information of the ultrasound image providing apparatus from the ultrasound image providing apparatus, wherein the capability information includes information indicating at least one of types of data which are to be processed by the ultrasound image providing apparatus, a quality of ultrasound image data capable of being supported by the ultrasound image providing apparatus, wireless communication schemes capable of being supported by the ultrasound image providing apparatus, a bandwidth available to the ultrasound image providing apparatus, communication channels capable of being supported by the ultrasound image providing apparatus,
• determine a transmission speed for transmitting ultrasound image data, based on the acquired capability information of the ultrasound image providing apparatus,
• determine at least one parameter value that relates to a quality of an ultrasound image, based on the determined transmission speed, and
• control the ultrasound transceiver and the signal processor to generate ultrasound image data that relates to the object, based on the determined at least one parameter value;
• and
• a communicator configured to transmit the ultrasound image data to the ultrasound image providing apparatus at the determined transmission speed,
• wherein the at least one parameter value comprises at least one selected from among number of scan lines that constitutes one frame of the ultrasound image, number of sampling points which are set on each of the scan lines, and number of bits which are generated by quantizing the ultrasound image data acquired from the sampling points.

An ultrasound probe comprising:

• an ultrasound transceiver configured to transmit an ultrasound signal toward an object and to receive an echo signal reflected from the object;
• a signal processor configured to process the received echo signal in order to generate ultrasound image data;
• a controller configured to:
• acquire capability information of an ultrasound image providing apparatus that is wirelessly connected to the ultrasound probe, wherein the capability information includes information indicating at least one of types of data which are to be processed by the ultrasound image providing apparatus, a quality of ultrasound image data capable of being supported by the ultrasound image providing apparatus, wireless communication schemes capable of being supported by the ultrasound image providing apparatus, a bandwidth available to the ultrasound image providing apparatus, communication channels capable of being supported by the ultrasound image providing apparatus, and
• determine a transmission speed of the generated ultrasound image data, based on the acquired capability information of the ultrasound image providing apparatus;
• and
• a communicator configured to transmit the generated ultrasound image data to the ultrasound image providing apparatus at the determined transmission speed.