Method and system for providing a specialized computer input device

Abstract

A system and method for controlling a standalone computer through a separate touch screen input device.

1 . A method for controlling a standalone computer operating an interactive software program and a display, comprising:
 providing a touch screen input device in communication with the standalone computer, for controlling at least one function of the interactive software program operated by the standalone computer, the touch screen input device being a separate device from the standalone computer, the touch screen input device having a display;   providing a desktop, the desktop comprising a configurable layout of a plurality of interaction elements, the plurality of interaction elements controlling functions of the interactive software program;   defining the layout comprising the plurality of interaction elements according to at least one selection by a user, the layout defining a location and type of interaction elements in the desktop;   defining operation assignments between the interaction elements and functions of the interactive software program according to an operation assignment table, wherein the operation assignment table comprises a plurality of operation assignments for invoking a plurality of logical operations relevant to the interactive software program;   displaying the desktop to the user only on the display of the touch screen input device; and   controlling the interactive software program by the user through manipulation of one or more of the plurality of interaction elements on the desktop by,   (1) manipulating at least one interaction element on the desktop by the user,   (2) transmitting a command from the touch screen input device to the standalone computer according to the manipulated interaction element according to the operation assignment,   (3) invoking a function at the interactive software program according to the transmitted command, wherein the function is one of the plurality of logical operations defined according to the operation assignment, and   (4) causing the display of the standalone computer to display information to the user according to the invoking the function, wherein the information displayed on the display of the standalone computer is not displayed on the display of the touch screen input device, and wherein the desktop is not displayed on the display of the standalone computer.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the layout comprises a configurable layout, and the method further comprises configuring the configurable layout according to one or more requests of the user. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the layout comprises a specified layout, and the method further comprises specifying the specified layout according to one or more requests of the user. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising substituting a different layout for a current layout according to a request by the user. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the layout is determined according to a layout database. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein any changes to the layout are stored in the layout database. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the assigning the plurality of interaction elements further comprises creating an operations table featuring an assignment of each interaction element to a command to be sent to the standalone computer, wherein each command corresponds to an operation. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the interaction element comprises a button, trackball, track pad, mouse, other pointing device or a gestured command on a touch screen. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving information from the interactive software program by the touch screen input device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the touch screen input device comprises a microphone, the method further comprising: receiving verbal dictation from the user; and converting the verbal dictation to text. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the invoking the command at the interactive software program further comprises receiving the command by a translation module operated by the standalone computer; and
 translating the command for the interactive software program by the translation module.   
     
     
         12 . A method for controlling a standalone computer operating a medical imaging software program and a standalone computer display, comprising:
 providing a touch screen input device in communication with the standalone computer, the touch screen input device having a display, wherein the touch screen input device and the standalone computer are local;   providing a desktop, the desktop comprising a configurable layout of a plurality of interaction elements, the plurality of interaction elements controlling functions of the medical imaging software program;   in response to a request from the user, configuring the configurable layout according to the request of the user.   defining a layout comprising the plurality of interaction elements according to at least one selection by a user, the layout defining a location and type of interaction elements in the desktop;   defining operation assignments between the interaction elements and functions of the medical imaging software program according to an operation assignment table, wherein the operation assignment table comprises a plurality of operation assignments for invoking a plurality of logical operations relevant to the medical imaging software program, the plurality of logical operations including operations for manipulating medical images;   displaying the desktop to the user on the display of the touch screen input device; and   controlling the medical imaging software program by the user through manipulation of one or more of the plurality of interaction elements on the desktop by:
 (a) manipulating at least one interaction element on the desktop by the user, 
 (b) transmitting a command from the touch screen input device to the standalone computer according to the manipulated interaction element and according to the operation assignment, 
 (c) invoking a function at the medical imaging software program according to the transmitted command, wherein the function is one of the plurality of logical operations defined according to the operation assignment, and 
 (d) causing the display of the standalone computer to display information to the user according to the invoking the function, and 
   operating the interactive software program sequentially on a plurality of standalone computers, such that upon stopping sending commands to a first of the plurality of standalone computers, and starting to send commands to a second of the plurality of standalone computers, the touch screen input device invokes an operation of the interactive software program on the second of the plurality of standalone computers according to a last state of operation on the first of the plurality of standalone computers.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the layout comprises a specified layout, and the method further comprises specifying the specified layout according to one or more requests of the user. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising receiving information from the medical imaging software program by the touch screen input device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the touch screen input device comprises a microphone, further comprising: receiving verbal dictation from the user; and converting the verbal dictation to text. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the invoking the command at the interactive software program further comprises:
 receiving the command by a translation module operated by the standalone computer; and   translating the command for the interactive software program by the translation module.   
     
     
         17 . A method for controlling a standalone computer operating an interactive software program and a display, comprising:
 providing a touch screen input device in communication with the standalone computer, for controlling at least one function of the interactive software program operated by the standalone computer, the touch screen input device being a separate device from the standalone computer, the touch screen input device having a touch screen display;   providing a desktop, the desktop comprising a configurable layout of a plurality of interaction elements, the plurality of interaction elements controlling functions of the interactive software program;   defining the layout comprising the plurality of interaction elements according to at least one selection by a user, the layout defining a location and type of interaction elements in the desktop;   defining operation assignments between the interaction elements and functions of the interactive software program according to an operation assignment table, wherein the operation assignment table comprises a plurality of operation assignments for invoking a plurality of logical operations relevant to the interactive software program;   displaying the desktop to the user only on the touch screen display of the touch screen input device; and   controlling the interactive software program by the user by,   (1) transmitting a command from the touch screen input device to the standalone computer according to a manipulated interaction element, manipulated by the user, according to the operation assignment,   (2) receiving the command by a translation module operated by the standalone computer;   (3) translating the command for the interactive software program by the translation module;   (4) invoking a function at the interactive software program according to the transmitted command, wherein the function is one of the plurality of logical operations defined according to the operation assignment, and   (5) causing the display of the standalone computer to display information to the user according to the invoking the function, wherein the information displayed on the display of the standalone computer is not displayed on the touch screen display of the touch screen input device, and wherein the desktop is not displayed on the display of the standalone computer.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the layout comprises a configurable layout, and the method further comprises configuring the configurable layout by:
 (1) providing an interaction platform operated by said standalone computer for receiving one or more requests of the user, said interaction platform providing a user interface;   (2) receiving one or more requests of the user on the interaction platform through said user interface; and   (3) configuring the configurable layout according to said one or more requests.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said transmitting the command from the touch screen input device to the standalone computer comprises changing a mode of operation of said interactive software program. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said interactive software program comprises a PACS (picture archiving and communication system) viewer for viewing medical images and wherein said changing said mode of operation comprises changing a mode of viewing said medical images.