Abstract: A method and apparatus provides a service based on biometric information. A bioelectrical impedance of a user is measured at a first time point to obtain a first value representing biometric information of the user. At least one processor predicts the biometric information of the user at a third time point subsequent to the first time point to obtain a third value, based on the first value representing biometric information of the user at the first time point and a second value representing the biometric information at a second time point prior to the first time point. The processor calculates a difference between a fourth value representing a target related to the biometric information of the user, input by the user in advance, and the third value. Information regarding a health management service is output based on the difference between the fourth value and the third value.

Abstract: A respiratory rate measuring method and apparatus including a wearable device that utilizes a heartbeat signal to detect the respiratory rate without motion detection of a patient's body. The method includes extracting a heartbeat signal, extracting an amplitude modulation (AM) signal and a frequency modulation (FM) signal through AM and FM with respect to the extracted heartbeat signal, respectively, performing normalization on the AM signal and the FM signal. The normalized AM signal and the normalized FM signal are combined into a single combined normalized signal, and a respiratory rate is calculated by extracting a respiratory frequency band from the combined normalized signal.

Abstract: A method ana apparatus provides a service based on biometric information. A bioeiectrical impedance of a user is measured at a first time point to obtain a first value representing biometric information of the user. At least one processor predicts the biometric information of the user at a third time point, subsequent to the first time point to obtain a third value, based on the first value representing biometric information of the user at the first time point and a second value representing the biometric information at a second time point prior to the first time point. The processor calculates a difference between a fourth value representing a target related to the biometric information of the user, input by the user in advance, and the third value. Information regarding a health management service is output based on the difference between the fourth value and the third value.

Abstract: Embodiments for providing a strain image in an ultrasound system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processing unit sets windows on a pre-compression frame and a post-compression frame, and performs a correlation operation between the first and second frames within the windows to compute displacements for a third frame, wherein the processing unit selects at least one of previously set windows at an (N?i)th row by referring to current windows positioned at a Nth row in an axial direction, computes an initial displacement based on displacements corresponding to the selected at least one of windows, and determines a range for moving the current window on the second frame in the axial direction based on the computed initial displacement.

Abstract: Embodiments for providing an elastic image are disclosed. In one embodiment, an ultrasound system comprises: an ultrasound data acquisition unit configured to transmit and receive ultrasound signals to and from a living body to output ultrasound data corresponding to a plurality of frames while applying compression to the living body; and a processing unit configured to extract frames from a (n?1)th frame to a (n?i)th frame on a basis of a nth frame, wherein n indicates an integer larger than one and i indicates a positive integer, detect an optimal frame for forming an elastic image among the extracted frames by using first displacement between the nth frame and each of the extracted frames based on the ultrasound data, calculate second displacement between the optimal frame and the nth frame based on the ultrasound data, and form the elastic image based on the second displacement.

Abstract: Embodiments for correcting a dropout in a strain image in an ultrasound system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processing unit sets a first window on each of pre-compression ultrasound frame data and post-compression second ultrasound frame data, move the first window in a predetermined direction and compute a correlation between the pre-compression ultrasound frame data and the post-compression ultrasound frame data within the first window to obtain a displacement corresponding to a value of each pixel of target ultrasound frame data. The processing unit sets one of pixels of the target ultrasound frame data as a reference pixel, sets a second window to encompass predetermined numbers of pixels positioned around the reference pixel, checks whether a displacement computation error corresponding to a dropout occur based on the pixel values within the second window and resets, when the dropout occurs, the value of the reference pixel.

Abstract: Adaptive persistence processing on elastic images in an ultrasound system is disclosed. An ultrasound data acquisition unit sequentially acquires a plurality of ultrasound data frames based on ultrasound echo signals reflected from a target object by repeatedly applying and releasing stress to/from the target object. A processing unit calculates inter-frame displacements of the frames between the ultrasound data frames to form elastic images. The processing unit adaptively performs persistence processing on the elastic images in consideration of application or release of the stress to/from the target object.

Abstract: A processing unit is configured perform an image process upon an ultrasound image to thereby detect a center of a blood vessel from the ultrasound image. The processing unit is configured to set the center of the blood vessel as an optimal focal point position. The processing unit is configured to calculate a plurality of steering angles, a plurality of transmit (Tx) frequencies and a plurality of sound speeds. The processing unit is further configured to form a plurality of ultrasound images corresponding to each of the steering angles, the Tx frequencies and the sound speeds based on the ultrasound data, detect a signal to noise ratio (SNR), a number of edge points of the blood vessel and a contrast difference between pixels for each of the second ultrasound images to thereby detect an optimal steering angle, an optimal Tx frequency and an optimal sound speed.

Abstract: Embodiments for correcting a dropout in a strain image in an ultrasound system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processing unit sets a first window on each of pre-compression ultrasound frame data and post-compression second ultrasound frame data, move the first window in a predetermined direction and compute a correlation between the pre-compression ultrasound frame data and the post-compression ultrasound frame data within the first window to obtain a displacement corresponding to a value of each pixel of target ultrasound frame data. The processing unit sets one of pixels of the target ultrasound frame data as a reference pixel, sets a second window to encompass predetermined numbers of pixels positioned around the reference pixel, checks whether a displacement computation error corresponding to a dropout occur based on the pixel values within the second window and resets, when the dropout occurs, the value of the reference pixel.

Abstract: Embodiments for forming an elastic image in an ultrasound system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processing unit is configured to control an ultrasound data acquisition unit to perform the transmit/receive operation in a first state where compression is not applied to the target object to thereby obtain a first ultrasound frame data set, and to perform the transmit/receive operation in a second state where compression is applied to the target object to thereby obtain a second ultrasound frame data set. The processing unit is further configured to compute a first strain between the first and second ultrasound frame data sets, perform globally uniform stretching upon the second ultrasound frame data set based on the first strain, and compute a second strain between the first ultrasound frame data set and the stretched second ultrasound frame data set and form an elastic image based on the second strain.

Abstract: Embodiments for providing a strain image in an ultrasound system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processing unit sets windows on a pre-compression frame and a post-compression frame, and performs a correlation operation between the first and second frames within the windows to compute displacements for a third frame, wherein the processing unit selects at least one of previously set windows at an (N-i)th row by referring to current windows positioned at a Nth row in an axial direction, computes an initial displacement based on displacements corresponding to the selected at least one of windows, and determines a range for moving the current window on the second frame in the axial direction based on the computed initial displacement.

Abstract: Embodiments for providing an elastic image are disclosed. In one embodiment, an ultrasound system comprises: an ultrasound data acquisition unit configured to transmit and receive ultrasound signals to and from a living body to output ultrasound data corresponding to a plurality of frames while applying compression to the living body; and a processing unit configured to extract frames from a(n?1)th frame to a (n?i)th frame on a basis of a nth frame, wherein n indicates an integer larger than one and i indicates a positive integer, detect an optimal frame for forming an elastic image among the extracted frames by using first displacement between the nth frame and each of the extracted frames based on the ultrasound data, calculate second displacement between the optimal frame and the nth frame based on the ultrasound data, and form the elastic image based on the second displacement.

Abstract: Embodiments of setting an optimal image parameter for obtaining an optimal ultrasound image are disclosed. In one embodiment, by way of non-limiting example, a processing unit is configured perform an image process upon an ultrasound image to thereby detect a center of a blood vessel from the ultrasound image. The processing unit is configured to set the center of the blood vessel as an optimal focal point position. The processing unit is configured to calculate a plurality of steering angles, a plurality of transmit (Tx) frequencies and a plurality of sound speeds.

Abstract: An embodiment for adaptively performing persistence processing on elastic images in an ultrasound system is disclosed. An ultrasound data acquisition unit sequentially acquires a plurality of ultrasound data frames based on ultrasound echo signals reflected from a target object by repeatedly applying and releasing stress to/from the target object. A processing unit calculates inter-frame displacements of the frames between the ultrasound data frames to form elastic images. The processing unit adaptively performs persistence processing on the elastic images in consideration of application or release of the stress to/from the target object.