EXTERNAL CONTROLLER FOR AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE WITH DUAL MICROCONTROLLERS FOR IMPROVED GRAPHICS RENDERING
FIG6 shows in flow chart form a technique for processing telemetry data in an external controller with dual microcontrollers according to one embodiment
FIG6 summarizes the technique as discussed so far in flow chart form. The external controller 400 receives telemetry data from the implantable device, or user input from the user interface, at the low speed microcontroller 410 (step 630). The low speed microcontroller 410 then converts the received data into commands in accordance with a command protocol (step 640). The commands are then transmitted from the low speed microcontroller 410 to the high speed microcontroller 420 via the control bus 427(step 650). Once the high speed microcontroller 420 receives the commands, it interprets the commands, and retrieves the corresponding image files from the storage device 430 (step 660). The high speed microcontroller 420 then renders the images on the display screen 440 (block 670). Therefore, in another embodiment of the technique, data received at the low speed microcontroller 410 is assessed to determine whether it requires further processing prior to command generation and rendering on the display 440. If so, i.e., if the telemetered data is relatively complicated and requires significant processing prior to rendering onto the display 440, such as with the resistance values discussed above, such data is sent by the low speed microcontroller 410 to the high speed microcontroller 420 for such processing, which processed data is then sent back to the low speed microcontroller 410 to be converted into graphical commands. By contrast, if the received data is relatively simple and is ready to be displayed to the patient with only minimal processing, such as IPG battery status, the low speed microcontroller 410 processes the data pursuant to the flow of FIG6 discussed above. The data transmitted to the high speed microcontroller 420 is then processed (step 730), and transmitted back to the low speed microcontroller 410 via the data bus (step 740). At this point, it can be combined with any received data held at the low speed microcontroller 410 and converted to a graphics command (640); transmitted to the high speed microcontroller 420 (650); used to retrieve images at the high speed microcontroller 420 (660); and rendered on the display 440 (670), as described above with respect to FIG6. In the resistance value example discussed earlier, location data would comprise attributes accompanying the graphics command at step 640.
in flowchart flowchart form
640
command
6
disclosed in U.S. Patent
['1. A method for rendering graphics on a display (440) of an external medical device (400), comprising: (a) receiving at a first microcontroller (410) input data telemetered from an implantable medical device, the input data indicative of at least one graphic to be rendered on the display; (b) transmitting at least a first part of the input data from the first microcontroller to a second microcontroller (420); (c) processing the at least first part of the input data at the second microcontroller; (d) transmitting the processed data to the first microcontroller; (e) converting at least the processed data to a graphics command at the first microcontroller; (f) transmitting the graphics command to the second microcontroller; (g) retrieving at least one image file from a storage device using the graphics command; and (h) using the second microcontroller to render the at least one image file on the display.']