# US 12,224,060 B2 · Modality controlling apparatus and non-volatile computer-readable storage medium storing therein display controlling program

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- Number: US 12,224,060 B2
- Document ID: US12224060B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/048,894
- Filed: 2022-10-24
- Published: 2023-05-04
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2021-10-28
- Assignees: Canon Medical Systems Corporation
- Applicants: Canon Medical Systems Corporation
- Inventors: Sho Kawajiri; Kensuke Shinoda; Motohiro Miura; Masaaki Yamanaka; Shinya Ozawa; Kazuya Tanoue
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12224060B2

## CPC

- G16H 40/63: for local operation
- G16H 40/67: for remote operation
- G16H 30/20: for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
- H04N 7/181: {for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources}
- H04N 7/188: {Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position (signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253)}
- G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

A modality controlling apparatus according to an embodiment includes a display and a processing circuitry. The display is configured to display an input object for inputting an instruction for controlling a first modality and a status object indicating a status related to a second modality. The processing circuitry is configured to display the input object in a first section of the display and to display the status object in a second section of the display which is a section smaller than the first section.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A modality controlling apparatus, comprising:
a display configured to display an input object for inputting an instruction for controlling one of a plurality of first modalities and a status object indicating a status related to a second modality; and
processing circuitry configured to display the input object in a first section of the display and to display the status object in a second section of the display, which is a section smaller than the first section,
wherein in response to a user log-in, the processing circuitry is further configured to display the input object in the first section of the display to allow the user to input an instruction for controlling a particular first modality, which is one of a first modality associated with an ID of the user, a first modality positioned closest to the modality controlling apparatus and a first modality that was operated by the modality controlling apparatus before a log-out from the modality controlling apparatus.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The modality controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the status object includes information indicating progress in an imaging process performed by the second modality, and
the processing circuitry is further configured to change the status object in accordance with the progress.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The modality controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the processing circuitry is further configured to display, in the second section, a status object including information indicating progress in an imaging process performed by the particular first modality, and
in accordance with the progress in the imaging process performed by the particular first modality, the processing circuitry is further configured to change the status object having the information indicating the progress in the imaging process performed by the particular first modality.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The modality controlling apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the status denotes at least one of: a state of an imaging process performed by at least one of the particular first modality and the second modality, an examination room interior image related to at least one of a first examination room in which the particular first modality is provided and a second examination room in which the second modality is provided, environment information in at least one of the first examination room and the second examination room, examined subject information of at least one of a first examined subject imaged by the particular first modality and a second examined subject imaged by the second modality, and administrators or workers of the particular first modality and the second modality.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The modality controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the processing circuitry is further configured to display, in the second section, a plurality of status objects indicating statuses related to a plurality of modalities including the particular first modality and the second modality, by using a display mode corresponding to the plurality of modalities, and
the processing circuitry is further configured to perform at least one of: displaying, in a third section of the display which is a section smaller than the first section, a first task history of tasks performed in the first section, while using the display mode, displaying, in a fourth section of the display which is a section smaller than the first section, a second task history of tasks performed in relation to the plurality of modalities, while using the display mode, and displaying, in a fifth section of the display which is a section smaller than the first section, appointment statuses of examinations to be performed by the plurality of modalities, while using the display mode.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The modality controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
in response to an operation performed on the status object, the processing circuitry is further configured to display, in the first section, an authentication object for causing an input object of the second modality to be displayed in the first section, and
in response to an operation performed on the authentication object, the processing circuitry is further configured to display, in the first section, the input object for inputting an instruction for controlling the second modality.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The modality controlling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a memory configured to store therein a system ID of the first modality associated with the ID of the user so as to be kept in association with the ID of the user, and to store therein the input object for inputting the instruction for controlling the first modality,
wherein in response to the user logging in, the processing circuitry is further configured to display, in the first section, the input object for inputting the instruction for controlling the first modality associated with the ID of the user.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The modality controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
in response to receiving an emergency signal from the second modality, the processing circuitry is further configured to disable operations performed on the input object used for inputting the instruction for controlling the particular first modality, and
in response to the receiving of the emergency signal, the processing circuitry is further configured to display an event related to the emergency signal in the first section.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The modality controlling apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, in response to the receiving of the emergency signal, the processing circuitry is further configured to further display, in the first section, at least one of: an input object for inputting an instruction for controlling the second modality, risk information indicating a level of a risk of the event, an instruction to eliminate the risk for the second modality, an examination room interior image of a second examination room in which the second modality is provided; or a contact button for contacting one or both of a worker and an examined subject in the second examination room.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The modality controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in response to a state of the second modality having transitioned into a state requiring a user operation, the processing circuitry is further configured to display, in the first section, a recommendation object that recommends inputting an instruction for controlling the second modality.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The modality controlling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a communication interface configured to wirelessly communicate with each of a plurality of modalities including the particular first modality and the second modality, at predetermined time intervals, wherein
when the wireless communication with any of the plurality of modalities is disrupted for a predetermined time period, the processing circuitry is further configured to perform at least one of: displaying that the wireless communication is disrupted in the first section, and changing, in the second section, a display mode of the status object of any of the modalities related to the disruption of the wireless communication.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The modality controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, based on appointment statuses of a plurality of examinations related to a plurality of modalities including the particular first modality and the second modality and specifics of each of the plurality of examinations, the processing circuitry is further configured to display, in another section different from the first section and the second section or in the second section, an operation prearrangement indicating the plurality of examinations in order of importance.

### Claim 13

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing therein a display controlling program that causes a computer to perform a method comprising:
displaying, in a first section of a display, an input object for inputting an instruction for controlling one of a plurality of first modalities; and
displaying, in a second section of the display which is a section smaller than the first section, a status object indicating a status related to a second modality,
wherein the step of displaying the input object comprises, in response to a user log-in, displaying the input object in the first section of the display to allow the user to input an instruction for controlling a particular first modality, which is one of a first modality associated with an ID of the user, a first modality positioned closest to the modality controlling apparatus, and a first modality that was operated by the modality controlling apparatus before a log-out from the modality controlling apparatus.

### Claim 14

A modality controlling apparatus, comprising:
a display configured to display an input object for inputting an instruction for controlling one of a plurality of first modalities and a status object indicating a status related to a second modality; and
processing circuitry configured to display the input object in a first section of the display and to display the status object in a second section of the display, which is a section smaller than the first section,
wherein, in response to a state of the second modality having transitioned into a state requiring a user operation, the processing circuitry is further configured to display, in the first section, a recommendation object that recommends inputting an instruction for controlling the second modality.