Selectively controllable heads-up display system

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for displaying data on a head's-up display screen. Multiple forms of data can be selectively displayed on a semi-transparent screen mounted in the user's normal field of view. The screen can either be mounted on the user's head, or mounted on a moveable implement and positioned in front of the user. A user interface is displayed on the screen including a moveable cursor and a menu of computer control icons. An eye-tracking system is mounted proximate the user and is employed to control movement of the cursor. By moving and focusing his or her eyes on a specific icon, the user controls the cursor to move to select the icon. When an icon is selected, a command computer is controlled to acquire and display data on the screen. The data is typically superimposed over the user's normal field of view.

1 - 55 . (canceled)  
     
     
         56 . A method of using a heads-up display system for medical purposes, comprising: 
 (a) supporting from the head of a medical technician components of a computer-controlled heads-up display system, including (i) a projection device, (ii) an eye-tracking device, and (iii) a transparent display screen;    (b) positioning the transparent display screen such that the medical technician can see only through the transparent display screen;    (c) activating the projection device to project onto the transparent display screen a plurality of vital-sign icons;    (d) tracking eye movement of the medical technician with the eye-tracking device and further activating the projection device to project onto the transparent display screen a cursor, at a position on the screen corresponding to the direction of gaze of the medical technician; and    (e) generating vital-sign information, concerning a patient who is closest to the medical technician, corresponding to the vital-sign icon at which the eye is focused when (i) the eye of the medical technician is focused on one of the plurality of vital-sign icons, and (ii) the computer-controlled heads-up display system detects that the medical technician has issued an activation command.