Providing user interface in ultrasound system

Abstract

There are provided embodiments for providing a user interface for performing a filtering process upon a vector Doppler image. In one embodiment, by way of non-limiting example, an ultrasound system comprises: a processing unit configured to form vector information of a target object based on ultrasound data corresponding to the target object and form a user interface for performing the filtering process upon the vector Doppler image based on the vector information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ultrasound system, comprising:
 a processing unit configured to form vector information of a target object based on ultrasound data corresponding to the target object, the processing unit being further configured to form a user interface for performing a filtering process upon a vector Doppler image based on the vector information.   
     
     
         2 . The ultrasound system of  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to form the vector information corresponding to a velocity and a direction of the target object in consideration of at least one transmission direction and at least one reception direction corresponding to the at least one transmission direction based on the ultrasound data. 
     
     
         3 . The ultrasound system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface includes an interface mapping the vector information to colors. 
     
     
         4 . The ultrasound system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a user input unit configured to receive input information for setting at least one region on the user interface from a user.   
     
     
         5 . The ultrasound system of  claim 4 , wherein the processing unit is configured to:
 set a region of interest including the at least one region with respect to a center of the user interface; and   perform the filtering process upon the vector Doppler image based on vector information corresponding to the region of interest.   
     
     
         6 . The ultrasound system of  claim 5 , wherein the processing unit is configured to perform the filtering process for representing vector information corresponding to the region of interest upon the vector Doppler image. 
     
     
         7 . The ultrasound system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an ultrasound data acquiring unit configured to transmit ultrasound signals to a living body including the target object in at least one transmission direction, the ultrasound data acquiring unit being further configured to receive ultrasound echo signals from the living body in at least one reception direction to acquire the ultrasound data corresponding to the at least one reception direction.   
     
     
         8 . The ultrasound system of  claim 7 , wherein the ultrasound data acquiring unit is configured to:
 transmit the ultrasound signals to the living body in a first transmission direction; and   receive the ultrasound echo signals from the living body in a first reception direction and a second reception direction to acquire the ultrasound data corresponding to the respective first and second reception directions.   
     
     
         9 . The ultrasound system of  claim 7 , wherein the ultrasound data acquiring unit is configured to:
 transmit the ultrasound signals to the living body in a first transmission direction and a second transmission direction; and   receive the ultrasound echo signals from the living body in a first reception direction to acquire the ultrasound data corresponding to the first reception direction of the respective first and second transmission directions.   
     
     
         10 . The ultrasound system of  claim 7 , wherein the ultrasound data acquiring unit is configured to:
 transmit the ultrasound signals to the living body in a first transmission direction and a second transmission direction; and   receive the ultrasound echo signals from the living body in a first reception direction and a second reception direction to acquire the ultrasound data corresponding to the respective first and second reception directions.   
     
     
         11 . The ultrasound system of  claim 7 , wherein the ultrasound data acquiring unit is configured to transmit the ultrasound signals in an interleaved transmission scheme. 
     
     
         12 . The ultrasound system of  claim 7 , wherein the ultrasound signals include plane wave signals or focused signals. 
     
     
         13 . A method of providing a user interface, comprising:
 a) forming vector information of a target object based on ultrasound data corresponding to the target object; and   b) forming a user interface for performing a filtering process upon a vector Doppler image based on the vector information.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the step a) comprises:
 forming the vector information corresponding to a velocity and a direction of the target object in consideration of at least one transmission direction and at least one reception direction corresponding to the at least one transmission direction based on the ultrasound data.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the user interface includes an interface mapping the vector information to colors. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 c) receiving input information for setting at least one region on the user interface from a user.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 setting a region of interest including the at least one region with respect to a center of the user interface; and   performing the filtering process upon the vector Doppler image based on vector information corresponding to the region of interest.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the step of performing the filtering process comprises:
 performing the filtering process for representing vector information corresponding to the region of interest upon the vector Doppler image.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 transmitting ultrasound signals to a living body including the target object in at least one transmission direction and receiving ultrasound echo signals from the living body in at least one reception direction to acquire the ultrasound data corresponding to the at least one reception direction, prior to performing the step a).   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the step of acquiring the ultrasound data comprises:
 transmitting the ultrasound signals to the living body in a first transmission direction; and   receiving the ultrasound echo signals from the living body in a first reception direction and a second reception direction to acquire the ultrasound data corresponding to the respective first and second reception directions.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the step of acquiring the ultrasound data comprises:
 transmitting the ultrasound signals to the living body in a first transmission direction and a second transmission direction; and   receiving the ultrasound echo signals from the living body in a first reception direction to acquire the ultrasound data corresponding to the first reception direction of the respective first and second transmission directions.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the step of acquiring the ultrasound data comprises:
 transmitting the ultrasound signals to the living body in a first transmission direction and a second transmission direction; and   receiving the ultrasound echo signals from the living body in a first reception direction and a second reception direction to acquire the ultrasound data corresponding to the respective first and second reception directions.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the ultrasound signals are transmitted in an interleaved transmission scheme. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the ultrasound signals include plane wave signals or focused signals.