Method and computing device for window width and window level adjustment utilizing a multitouch user interface

1. A method comprising:

receiving a user input provided via a multitouch user interface, wherein the user input comprises an indication of respective positions of first and second fingers upon the multitouch user interface;

adjusting, with processing circuitry, a window width of an image for controlling contrast of the image based upon a change in spacing between the first and second fingers of the user input upon the multitouch user interface;

adjusting, with the processing circuitry, a window level of the image for controlling brightness of the image based upon a change in location of a reference point, wherein the reference point is defined along a line defined by the respective positions of the first and second fingers of the user input upon the multitouch user interface,

wherein the reference point is changed by movement of the first and second fingers by different distances from the reference point or by sliding both of the first and second fingers in the same direction, and as a result of the change in location of the reference point, the window level of the image is alternatively increased or decreased depending upon a direction along the line in which the location of the reference point moved,

wherein the reference point is not changed by movement of the first and second fingers by equal distances from the reference point, and as a result, the reference point between the respective positions of the first and second fingers of the user input remains the same and the window level of the image is not changed, and

adjusting, with the processing circuitry, both the window width and the window level of the image based upon the user input in which both the spacing between the first and second fingers of the user input is changed while concurrently changing the location of the reference point by movement of the first and second fingers by different distances from the reference point or by sliding both of the first and second fingers in the same direction such that both the window width and the window level of the image are adjusted in response to a same movement of the first and second fingers of the user input upon the multitouch user interface.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the reference point is a midpoint between the respective positions of the first and second fingers of the user input upon the multitouch user interface.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein adjusting the window width of the image comprises adjusting the window width such that the window width of the image has a direct relationship to the change in spacing between the first and second fingers of the user input upon the multitouch user interface.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein receiving the indication of user input comprises receiving the indication of user input provided via a dedicated region of the multitouch user interface, wherein the dedicated region can be positioned vertically alongside the image, either at the right or left of the image, or the dedicated region can be positioned horizontally alongside the image, either below or above of the image.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein receiving the indication of user input comprises receiving the indication of user input provided at a location overlying the image presented on the multitouch user interface.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein receiving the indication of user input comprises requiring a respective position of at least one of the first or second fingers of the user input to change by more than a predefined threshold prior to recognizing the change in position as the user input.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein receiving an indication of user input comprises:

detecting that the first and second fingers of the user input that have been removed from the multitouch user interface are returned into contact with the multitouch user interface within a predefined period of time following removal of the first and second fingers of the user input from the multitouch user interface; and

treating the first and second fingers of the user input that have returned into contact with the multitouch user interface as a continuation of the user input that was begun prior to the removal of the first and second fingers of the user input from the multitouch user interface.

8. A computing device comprising processing circuitry having a processor, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

receive a user input provided via a multitouch user interface, wherein the user input comprises an indication of respective positions of first and second fingers upon the multitouch user interface;

adjust a window width of an image for controlling contrast of the image based upon a change in spacing between the first and second fingers of the user input upon the multitouch user interface;

adjust a window level of the image for controlling brightness of the image based upon a change in location of a reference point, wherein the reference point is defined along a line defined by the respective positions of the first and second fingers of the user input upon the multitouch user interface,

wherein the reference point is changed by movement of the first and second fingers by different distances from the reference point or by sliding both of the first and second fingers in the same direction, and as a result of the change in location of the reference point, the window level of the image is alternatively increased or decreased depending upon a direction along the line in which the location of the reference point moved,

wherein the reference point is not changed by movement of the first and second fingers by equal distances from the reference point, and as a result, the reference point between the respective positions of the first and second fingers of the user input remains the same and the window level of the image is not changed, and

adjust both the window width and the window level of the image based upon the user input in which both the spacing between the first and second fingers of the user input is changed while concurrently changing the location of the reference point by movement of the first and second fingers by different distances from the reference point or by sliding both of the first and second fingers in the same direction such that both the window width and the window level of the image are adjusted in response to a same movement of the first and second fingers of the user input upon the multitouch user interface.

9. A computing device according to claim 8 wherein the reference point is a mid-point between the respective positions of the first and second fingers of the user input upon the multitouch user interface.

10. A computing device according to claim 8 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to adjust the window width of the image by adjusting the window width such that the window width of the image has a direct relationship to the change in spacing between the first and second fingers of the user input upon the multitouch user interface.

11. A computing device according to claim 8 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to receive the indication of user input by receiving the indication of user input via the multitouch user interface of a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) viewer, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to adjust the window width and the window level of a medical image.

12. A computing device according to claim 8 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to receive an indication of user input by:

detecting that the first and second fingers of the user input that have been removed from the multitouch user interface are returned into contact with the multitouch user interface within a predefined period of time following removal of the first and second fingers of the user input from the multitouch user interface; and

treating the first and second fingers of the user input that have returned into contact with the multitouch user interface as a continuation of the user input that was begun prior to the removal of the first and second fingers of the user input from the multitouch user interface.

13. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising program code instructions for:

receiving a user input provided via a multitouch user interface, wherein the user input comprises an indication of respective positions of first and second fingers upon the multitouch user interface;

adjusting a window width of an image for controlling contrast of the image based upon a change in spacing between the first and second fingers of the user input upon the multitouch user interface;

adjusting a window level of the image for controlling brightness of the image based upon a change in location of a reference point, wherein the reference point is defined along a line defined by the respective positions of the first and second fingers of the user input upon the multitouch user interface,

wherein the reference point is changed by movement of the first and second fingers by different distances from the reference point or by sliding both of the first and second fingers in the same direction, and as a result of the change in location of the reference point, the window level of the image is alternatively increased or decreased depending upon a direction along the line in which the location of the reference point moved,

wherein the reference point is not changed by movement of the first and second fingers by equal distances from the reference point, and as a result, the reference point between the respective positions of the first and second fingers of the user input remains the same and the window level of the image is not changed, and

adjusting both the window width and the window level of the image based upon the user input in which both the spacing between the first and second fingers of the user input is changed while concurrently changing the location of the reference point by movement of the first and second fingers by different distances from the reference point or by sliding both of the first and second fingers in the same direction such that both the window width and the window level of the image are adjusted in response to a same movement of the first and second fingers of the user input upon the multitouch user interface.

14. A computer program product according to claim 13 wherein the reference point is a mid-point between the respective positions of the first and second fingers of the user input upon the multitouch user interface.

15. A computer program product according to claim 13 wherein the program code instructions for adjusting the window width of the image comprise program code instructions for adjusting the window width such that the window width of the image has a direct relationship to the change in spacing between the first and second fingers of the user input upon the multitouch user interface.

16. A computer program product according to claim 13 wherein the program code instructions for receiving an indication of user input comprise program code instructions for:

detecting that the first and second fingers of the user input that have been removed from the multitouch user interface are returned into contact with the multitouch user interface within a predefined period of time following removal of the first and second fingers of the user input from the multitouch user interface; and

treating the first and second fingers of the user input that have returned into contact with the multitouch user interface as a continuation of the user input that was begun prior to the removal of the first and second fingers of the user input from the multitouch user interface.