A) TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention generally relates to a patient monitoring system and more particularly relates to a single touch hot key used for selecting different screens in medical devices like patient monitoring system such as ECG device, blood pressure monitoring system etc.
B) BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Generally the various physiological parameters of an individual are measured using monitors known as, "vital sign parameter bed side monitor" or " vital sign monitoring systems", to measure heart rate level, blood pressure, artery pressure etc. The one of the important vital signs measured by the healthcare providers is electrocardiography (ECG), impedance cardio vasography, and non-invasive cardiac output. The monitored parameters are displayed at a central nursing station to enable medical personnel like doctors, nursing assistants, medical attendants to monitor patients under critical conditions or under intensive care to take immediate remedial care during emergency conditions.
[0003] Patient monitoring system (PMS) has different screens to provide an efficient and convenient way to display the real-time patient related data as well as trend data of different patients. The primary function of the CNS is to enable the constant monitoring of all the patients connected to the CNS. The CNS is provided with two display windows. The vital parameters such as ECG, heart rate etc., of all the patients under observation are displayed individually in one display window through several split screens. All the measured physiological parameters of a specific selected patient are displayed in the display window.

The different screens in the PMS help to display the patient related data as well as to assist the user to make required settings in the PMS.
[0004] The patient monitoring system (PMS) has different screens such as multi Para screen and multi bed screen to display the measured physiological parameters of an individual patient and to display the measured parameters of all patients. At present a user has to navigate several keys to display a desired screen. The normal sequence of operations executed at present for selecting one screen using an optical encoder (OE) is as follows. The user has to scroll and to select MENU option in the displayed main menu using an optical encoder (OE). A Menu with a list of available options is displayed on the screen based on the selection of MENU option in the main menu list. When the user selects Pat INFO (patient information) option in the displayed MENU list, another window pops up with options to enter new patient or to change mode or to clear patient data. When a CLEAR PAT option is selected to delete the patient data, a combo box will give a list of patients. When the user wants to clear all the information related to a patient, the user has to Scroll to the last option and to select ALL. Then a confirmation window is displayed to OK or CANCEL the patient data deletion operation. The entire patient information will be deleted, when the OK option is selected by the user.
[0005] Thus the user has to navigate several keys and to spend considerable amount of time to select a desired screen and option. Moreover the health care personnel like doctors, nursing assistants, medical attendants etc, have to access and acquire specific screen data of a patient during emergency or critical care conditions quickly. At present they have to press several keys before acquiring a specific data and to spend considerable amount time before collecting the required specific screen data. As a result, the medical doctors are not able to collect the required screen data of the patient quickly and instantly during the emergency conditions.

Hence there is a need to develop a short cut access or approach or single touch hot key to select and directly view specific screen information.
C) OBJECT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0006] The primary object of the present invention is to provide a single touch hot key such as "GOTO" key to select and directly view specific screen information easily and quickly.
[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a single touch hot key such as "GOTO" key to enable the user to make required settings in the patient monitoring system easily, efficiently and quickly.
[0008] Another object of the invention is to develop and provide a single touch hot key such as "GOTO" key to in an infrared (IR) remote controller to acquire desired screen information easily and efficiently.
[0009] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a single touch hot key such as "GOTO" key to enable medical service personnel to acquire a required screen data of a patient quickly and easily during emergency and critical care conditions easily and quickly.
[0010] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a single touch hot key such as "GOTO" key to enable the user to move to specific or desired options to select and display the parameter details and settings in the PMS easily and quickly to enable the medical professional to provide efficient, quick medical treatment to the patients.

[0011] These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
D) SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0012] The abovementioned shortcomings, disadvantages and problems are addressed herein and which will be understood by reading and studying the following specification.
[0013] The various embodiments of the present invention provide a single touch hot key such as "GOTO" KEY for selecting and viewing a desired screen information quickly and easily. The single touch hot key is provided either in the panel or in a remote infrared controller to enable the user to select a desired display screen easily and efficiently using a single touch operation to display the desired parameter details and the settings easily and quickly. The single touch hot key enables the user to move to specific options in the PMS quickly and easily.
[0014] The present invention provides a single touch hot key in the panel of a medical device such as patient monitoring system or in an infrared remote controller to select a desired screen information. According to one embodiment of the present invention the system interfaces a remote keyboard and a panel keyboard, which have a hot key to select and directly view specific screen information.
[0015] The hot key is especially useful, when the user needs to view specific screen data or make any change in the settings for any particular parameter. The single touch hot key also

helps the medical personnel to acquire a specific screen data of a patient quickly and easily during emergency and critical care conditions. A single touch hot key press operation may enable the user to directly view a menu with a list of options, which can be activated, thereby avoiding the different keyboard entries that are otherwise required to go to each of the available options in the GOTO Menu. The patient monitoring system (PMS) has a single touch hot key such as "GOTO" key provided either at the panel of the monitoring unit or at an infrared remote controller to access a desired screen data easily and quickly. The user however has the option to traverse through the menus on the thin film transistor (TFT) display and to select the respective options.
[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided to select and to display the parameter details and settings by invoking specific hardware unit and software processing. The present invention provides the user with one touch solution to move to specific options in the PMS.
[0017] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the user may press the single touch hot key provided in the panel of the PMS. A display list containing the available options is displayed on the monitor based on the activation of the single touch hot key such as "GOTO" key. Then the user has to select the required option from the displayed options list on the monitor. Thus the user is able to select and view the required screen data easily and quickly without having the need to navigate through several key operations.
[0018] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the user may press the single touch hot key provided in the IR remote controller provided to operate a PMS. A GOTO MENU with a list of available options is displayed on the monitor based on the activation of

the single touch hot key arranged in the IR remote controller. The user has to select a required option from the available options displayed on the menu list. If the user wants to select CLEAR ALL option from the displayed options list in the menu window to delete all the patient information, then the CLEAR ALL option is selected. A confirmation window is displayed based on the selection of the CLEAR ALL option to get the confirmation of the user before deleting all the patient data. The user has to select OK option to confirm the deletion of all patient data.
[0019] The IR remote decoding algorithm is implemented in the Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD). The IR detector is interfaced with the CPLD. Whenever a key input from the infrared remote controller is detected, the CPLD generates an interrupt to the microprocessor. The processor reads the data from CPLD through the 8 bit data bus and queues it, to be read by an application software. The application software reads this queue at periodic intervals, through the keyboard driver, identifies the patient data to be deleted, retrieves the details of the next display screen and writes the details to the TFT display, through the TFT display driver.
[0020] The panel key inputs are directly interfaced to the controller through read buffers and queued up. The Application software is executed to read the queue at periodic intervals through the keyboard driver, to identify the GOTO key selected and to write the details to the TFT display, through the TFT display driver, to bring up a menu on the screen. Further the selected options are decoded in the same way and the respective fiinction corresponding to the selected option is invoked by executing the application software.

[00021] Thus the user presses either the single touch hot key provided in the panel of the PMS or in the IR remote controller to select and view a desired option or screen data quickly and easily thereby avoiding the several key operations which are required in a conventional system to view and access a desired screen data. The present invention also helps the medical personnel such as doctors, the nursing assistants, medical attendants, etc., to acquire the desired specific screen data of a patient quickly and easily during emergency and critical care conditions.
[0022] These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
E) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] The other objects, features and advantages will occur to those skilled in the art from the following description of the preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings in which:
[0024] FIG. 1 illustrates a sequence of operations performed using the single touch hot key provided in a patient monitoring system of the present invention, to view a desired screen data according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[0025] FIG. 2 illustrates a flow chart explaining the sequence operations performed to delete all patient data using the single touch hot key provided in a patient monitoring system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of patient monitoring system provided with a single touch hot key according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[0027] FIG. 4 illustrates functional block diagram of a patient monitoring system provided with a single touch hot key according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[0028] Although specific features of the present invention are shown in some drawings and not in others. This is done for convenience only as each feature may be combined with any or all of the other features in accordance with the present invention.
F) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0029] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which the specific embodiments that may be practiced is shown by way of illustration. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and it is to be understood that the logical, mechanical and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the embodiments. The following detailed description is therefore not to be taken in a limiting sense.
[0030] The various embodiments of the present invention provide a single touch hot key such as "GOTO" KEY for selecting and viewing a desired screen information quickly and easily. The single touch hot key is provided either in the panel or in a remote infrared controller to enable the user to select a desired display screen easily and efficiently using a single touch operation to display the desired parameter details and the settings easily and quickly. The

single touch hot key enables the user to move to specific options in the PMS quickly and easily.
[0031] The present invention provides a single touch hot key in the panel of a medical device such as patient monitoring system or in an infrared remote controller to select a desired screen information. According to one embodiment of the present invention the system interfaces a remote keyboard and a panel keyboard, which have a hot key to select and directly view specific screen information.
[0032] The hot key is especially useful, when the user needs to view specific screen data or make any change in the settings for any particular parameter. The single touch hot key also helps the medical personnel to acquire a specific screen data of a patient quickly and easily during emergency and critical care conditions. A single touch hot key press operation may enable the user to directly view a menu with a list of options, which can be activated, thereby avoiding the different keyboard entries that are otherwise required to go to each of the available options in the GOTO Menu. The patient monitoring system (PMS) has a single touch hot key such as "GOTO" key provided either at the panel of the monitoring unit or at an infrared remote controller to access a desired screen data easily and quickly. The user however has the option to traverse through the menus on the thin film transistor (TFT) display and to select the respective options.
[0033] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided to select and to display the parameter details and settings by invoking specific hardware unit and software processing. The present invention provides the user with one touch solution to move to specific options in the PMS.

[0034] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the user may press the single touch hot key provided in the panel of the PMS. A display list such as "GOTO" menu with the list of available options is displayed on the monitor based on the activation of the single touch hot key such as "GOTO" key. Then the user has to select the required option from the displayed options list on the monitor. For example, when the user wants to delete all patient data, the user has to press the "GOTO" key first. Then the "GOTO" menu including all the available options is displayed. Then the user has to select "CLEAR ALL" from the menu, if the user wants to clear all patient data. After the selection of the clear all option from the available list by pressing the enter key, a confirmation window is displayed to check whether the user is really interested in clearing the patient data. When the user presses the enter key to confirm the deletion operation of the patient data, the selected patient data is deleted. Thus the user is able to select and view the required screen data easily and quickly without having the need to navigate through several key operations.
[0035] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the user may press the single touch hot key provided in the IR remote controller provided to operate a PMS. A GOTO MENU with a list of available options is displayed on the monitor based on the activation of the single touch hot key arranged in the IR remote controller. The user has to select a required option from the available options displayed on the menu list. If the user wants to select CLEAR ALL option from the displayed options list in the menu window to delete all the patient information, then the CLEAR ALL option is selected. A confirmation window is displayed based on the selection of the CLEAR ALL option to get the confirmation of the user before deleting all the patient data. The user has to select OK option to confirm the deletion of all patient data.

[0036] In one embodiment, the "GOTO" hot key provided in the remote controller is pressed and a key/ infrared decoder detects the pressing of the key to output a corresponding signal to a key board driver. An infra red (IR) remote decoding algorithm is implemented in the Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD). The IR detector is interfaced with the CPLD. Whenever a key input from the infrared remote controller is detected, the CPLD generates an interrupt to the microprocessor. The processor reads the data from CPLD through the 8 bit data bus and queues it, to be read by application software. The application software reads this queue at periodic intervals, through the keyboard driver, identifies the patient data to be deleted and writes the details to the TFT display, through the TFT display driver.
[0037] According to another embodiment, the hot key such as "GOTO" key provided in a panel key is pressed to provide an input directly to the controller through read buffers and the inputs are queued up. The Application software is executed to read the queue at periodic intervals through the keyboard driver, to identify the selection of GOTO key and to write the details to the TFT display, through the TFT display driver and the TFT controller to bring up a menu on the screen. Further the selected options are decoded in the same way and the respective ftmction corresponding to the selected option is invoked by executing the application software. The selected options and the operation to be executed based on the selection operation are stored in an extended data output random access memory (EDO RAM).
[0038] Thus the user presses either the single touch hot key provided in the panel of the PMS or in the IR remote controller to select and view a desired option or screen data quickly and easily thereby avoiding the several key operations which are required in a conventional system to view and access a desired screen data. The present invention also helps the medical personnel such as doctors, the nursing assistants, medical attendants, etc., to acquire the desired

specific screen data of a patient quickly and easily during emergency and critical care conditions.
[0039] FIG. 1 illustrates a sequence of operations performed using the single touch hot key provided in a patient monitoring system of the present invention, to view a desired screen data according to one embodiment of the present invention. With respect to FIG.l, the user may press the single touch hot key provided in the panel of the PMS or in the remote controller. A display list such as "GOTO" menu with the list of available options is displayed on the monitor based on the activation of the single touch hot key such as "GOTO" key. Then the user has to select the required option from the displayed options list on the monitor. For example, when the user wants to delete all patient data, the user has to press the "GOTO" key first. Then the "GOTO" menu including all the available options is displayed. Then the user has to select "CLEAR ALL" from the menu, if the user wants to clear all patient data. After the selection of the clear all option from the available list by pressing the enter key, a confirmation window is displayed to check whether the user is really interested in clearing the patient data. When the user presses the enter key to confirm the deletion operation of the patient data, the selected patient data is deleted. Thus the user is able to select and view the required screen data easily and quickly without having the need to navigate through several key operations.
[0040] FIG. 2 illustrates a flow chart explaining the sequence operations performed to delete all patient data using the single touch hot key provided in a patient monitoring system according to one embodiment of the present invention. With respect to the FIG.2, the user may press the single touch hot key provided in the IR remote controller provided to operate a PMS or in the panel of the PMS. A key board interface or an IR decoder detects the pressing operation of the single touch hot key in panel of the PMS or in the remote controller

respectively to output a corresponding signal to a controller through a key board driver, when the "GOTO" key is not pressed, the system will exit. On the other hand, when the "GOTO" key is pressed, the display controller mode is switched to output a display change signal to the TFT display screen through a TFT display driver to display a "GOTO" menu including a list of options. The user has to select a required option from the available options displayed on the menu list. If the user wants to select "CLEAR ALL", option from the displayed options list in the menu window to delete all the patient information, then the CLEAR ALL option is selected. Then the TFT display driver is activated to control the TFT display screen to exhibit a confirmation window for delete operation. When the enter key is pressed to confirm the deletion of the patient data, all the patient data stored in EDO RAM is deleted. The confirmation window is displayed based on the selection of the CLEAR ALL option to get the confirmation of the user before deleting all the patient data. The user has to select OK option to confirm the deletion of all patient data. When the "CLEAR ALL" option is not selected, then the "GOTO" menu list including the options is displayed to enable the user to select a desired option.
[0041] FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of patient monitoring system provided with a single touch hot key according to one embodiment of the present invention. With respect to FIG.3, The single touch hot key such as "GOTO" KEY provided in the panel of the PMS is pressed to generate an input key command. The generated key command is read with an optical encoder and the read command is stored in the read buffer. The received key command is passed to a micro controller through a data bus, an address bus and UART. The microcontroller regulated the display driver based on the activation of the "GOTO" key to display a menu list including several options.

[0042] Similarly the single touch hot key such as "GOTO" key provided in the IR remote controller is pressed to display a GOTO menu list comprising several options. The key signal command received from the infrared remote controller is received with an IR receiver and is decoded using a key command decoder or an infrared decoder. The key signal command is output to a microcontroller through the key/infrared decoder to activate a display driver to project a GOTO menu including several options. The microcontroller outputs a signal to the TFT display through a TFT controller to display the GOTO menu on the TFT display screen.
[0043] The IR remote decoding algorithm is implemented in the Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD). The IR detector is interfaced with the CPLD. Whenever the key input from the IR remote controller is detected, the CPLD generates an interrupt to the microprocessor. The microcontroller reads the data from CPLD through the data bus and queues it, to be read by the application software. The Application software reads this queue at preset regular interval of time through the keyboard driver. The microcontroller identifies the command received from the CPLD to output an activation signal to the TFT display driver to display "GOTO" menu list on the TFT display screen,
[0044] The displayed 'GOTO" menu includes a list of options. The user has to select a required option from the available options displayed on the menu list. If the user wants to select "CLEAR ALL", option from the displayed options list in the menu window to delete all the patient information, then the CLEAR ALL option is selected. Then the TFT display driver is activated to control the TFT display screen to exhibit a confirmation window for delete operation. When the enter key is pressed to confirm the deletion of the patient data, all the patient data stored in EDO RAM is deleted.

[0045] FIG. 4 illustrates functional block diagram of a patient monitoring system provided with a single touch hot key according to one embodiment of the present invention. With respect to FIG.4, the single touch hot key such as "GOTO" KEY provided in the panel of the PMS is pressed to generate an input key command. The generated key command is read with an optical encoder and the read command is stored in the read buffer. The received key command is passed to a micro controller through a key board driver.
[0046] Similarly when the GOTO key provided in the remote controller is pressed to generate a key command, the generated command is decoded with a key board interface or IR decoder to generate a display command signal to the microcontroller through the key board driver. Application software is executed in the microcontroller to analyse the received key command signal and the display command signal to out put an activation signal to the TFT driver. A display command signal is output to the TFT display controller from the TFT driver to display a GOTO menu including a list of options on the TFT display.
[0047] The displayed 'GOTO" menu includes a list of options. The user has to select a required option from the available options displayed on the menu list. If the user wants to select "CLEAR ALL", option from the displayed options list in the menu window to delete all the patient information, then the CLEAR ALL option is selected. Then the TFT display driver is activated to control the TFT display screen to exhibit a confirmation window for delete operation. When the enter key is pressed to confirm the deletion of the patient data, all the patient data stored in memory such as EDO RAM is deleted.
[0048] Thus the various embodiments of the present invention provide a single touch hot key such as "GOTO" KEY for selecting and viewing a desired screen information quickly and

easily. The single touch hot key is provided either in the panel or in a remote infrared controller to enable the user select a desired display screen easily and efficiently using a single touch operation to display the desired parameter details and the settings easily and quickly. The single touch hot key enables the user to move to specific options in the PMS quickly and easily.
[0049] The user presses either the single touch hot key provided in the panel of the PMS or in the IR remote controller to select and view a desired option or screen data quickly and easily thereby avoiding the several key operations which are required in a conventional system to view and access a desired screen data. The present invention also helps the medical persormel such as doctors, the nursing assistants, medical attendants, etc., to acquire the desired specific screen data of a patient quickly and easily during emergency and critical care conditions.
G) ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0050] The various embodiments of the present invention provides a single touch hot key in the panel of the patient monitoring system or in the IR remote controller to access and view the desired screen data quickly and easily. The present invention also enables the medical personnel such as doctors, nursing assistants, medical attendants, etc., to acquire the desired screen data of a patient quickly and easily during emergency and critical care conditions.
[0051] Although the invention is described with various specific embodiments, it will be obvious for a person skilled in the art to practice the invention with modifications. However, all such modifications are deemed to be within the scope of the claims.

[0052] It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the present invention described herein and all the statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said to fall there between.

CLAIMS
WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A single touch hot key device for selecting display screen in patient monitoring system
(PMS), the device comprising:
A GOTO key to output menu list for selecting a desired option upon activation; and A microcontroller to receive a command upon activation of the GOTO key to execute the selected option.
2. The key device according to claim 1, wherein the GOTO key is provided in panel of the PMS.
3. The key device according to claim 1, wherein the GOTO key is provided in an infrared remote controller.
4. The key device according to claim 1, wherein the GOTO key is pressed to display a GOTO menu list on a display screen in the PMS.
5. The key device according to claim 1, wherein the GOTO menu list is displayed to provide plurality of options.

6. The key device according to claim 5, wherein each option correspond to the execution of a specified task in the PMS.
7. The key device according to claim 6, wherein the task includes deletion of patient data.
8. The key device according to claim 1, further comprises an enter key to select a desired option from the available options displayed in the GOTO menu list.
9. The key device according to claim 1, the microcontroller receives the key command generated corresponding to the selected option to execute the task corresponding to the selected option after receiving a confirmation from user.
10. A display screen selection method in Patient Monitoring System (PMS), the method comprising:
Activating a GOTO key to display a GOTO menu list including plurality of options;
Selecting a desired option from the GOTO menu list;
Confirming the selected option by pressing ENTER key;
Wherein a microcontroller receives and processes the key command generated due to
the activation of GOTO key to execute the desired task.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the GOTO KEY provided in the panel of the PMS is activated to display GOTO menu list.
12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the GOTO KEY provided in the infra red remote controller is activated to display the GOTO menu list.

13. The method according to claim 10, the each option in the GOTO menu list corresponds
to the execution of a specified task in the PMS.
14. The method according to claim 13, the task includes the deletion of patient data.
15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the display of a confirmation screen upon the selection of a specified task.
16. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the activation of ENTER key to
confirm the selection of the specified task.
17. The method according to claim 10, wherein the microcontroller receives and analyses
the command generated due to the activation of the GOTO KEY and enter key to
execute the selected task.