Abstract: An imaging system comprises: a plurality of pixels each for converting light, converted from radiation by a conversion unit, into an electrical signal; an extracting unit that extracts, based on an image formed based on output signals from the pixels, a pixel with noise generated by the radiation that has transmitted through the conversion unit to arrive at the pixels; and a correcting unit that performs correction to remove the noise with respect to an output signal from the extracted pixel, wherein the extracting unit extracts the pixel with the noise by performing division between first and second images, the first image being formed based on the output signals from the pixels in accordance with the radiation to the conversion unit during a first period, the second image being formed based on these output signals in accordance with that radiation during a second period after the first period.

Abstract: A radiation image pickup system includes a correction coefficient calculation unit that calculates a correction coefficient using pixel output values of a plurality of pixels, and a correction unit that corrects pixel output values of a plurality of pixels using the correction coefficient. A drive control unit repeatedly resets an electric charge caused by a dark current of a plurality of pixels until a detection unit detects a start of radiation exposure. The reset operation is performed simultaneously for n rows that are not adjacent to each other, where n is an integer equal to or greater than 2. The correction coefficient calculation unit calculates the correction coefficient using pixel output values of pixels in a row subjected to the reset operation in a period from a start of radiation exposure to a start detection time and pixel output values of pixels in an adjacent row.

Abstract: A radiation image pickup apparatus includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and configured to convert a radiant ray into electric signals, signal processors configured to output digital signals obtained in accordance with the electric signals output from the pixel array in parallel, and a controller configured to operate the signal processors after the signal processors enter a second power consumption state in which power consumption is higher than that of a first power consumption state from the first power consumption state after irradiation of a radiant ray to the pixel array is terminated, and to cause the signal processors to output digital signals after the signal processors are operated.

Abstract: An imaging operation includes a first imaging operation for outputting image data according to irradiation to the detector with radiation or light in an irradiation field A corresponding to a part of the plurality of pixels, and a second imaging operation for outputting image data according to irradiation to the detector 104 with radiation or light in an irradiation field B wider than the irradiation field A, wherein, responsive to a changing from irradiation in the irradiation field A to irradiation in the irradiation field B, an operation of the detector is controlled so that the detector performs an initializing operation for initializing conversion elements during a period between the first and second imaging operations.

Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus includes a pixel array having pixels including conversion elements and switching elements, a bias line for supplying a bias potential to the conversion elements; driving lines for supplying a signal to control the switching elements, a driving unit for performing an initialization operation of supplying a driving signal to each driving line group, switching each driving signal from an OFF voltage to an ON voltage, and then returning the driving signal to the OFF voltage; an acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of times in each driving cycle a signal value representing a current flowing through the bias line; a calculation unit configured to calculate radiation information based on the signal values; and a determination unit configured to determine whether irradiation of the pixel array with radiation is present based on the radiation information.

Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus includes a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels which detects radiation are arrayed to form a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, a detection circuit which detects information having correlation to a radiation dose to the pixel array and output a detection signal corresponding to the information, and a control unit which detects radiation irradiation to the pixel array based on a plurality of integrated values obtained by integrating one of the detection signal and a result of processing applied to the detection signal in a plurality of integral intervals and control the pixel array in accordance with the detection.

Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus includes a pixel array having pixels, a bias line applying a bias potential to converters of the pixels, a detection circuit which detects a current flowing to the bias line, and a control unit which detects a start of radiation irradiation to the pixel array based on an output from the detection circuit and controls a charge accumulation operation of the pixels in accordance with the detection. The detection circuit includes a differential amplifier circuit and a feedback path, and applies a potential corresponding to a reference bias potential to the bias line. The differential amplifier circuit includes a first input terminal receiving the reference bias potential, a second input terminal connected to the bias line, and an output terminal, and the feedback path connects the output terminal and the second input terminal.

Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus, comprising a pixel array on which a plurality of pixels are arrayed, a readout unit configured to read out a signal from the pixel array, a first unit configured to specify a portion of the signal read out by the readout unit, at which a saturated signal whose value has reached a saturation level of an output by the readout unit and a non-saturated signal whose value has not reached the saturation level are mixed, and a second unit configured to correct, based on the non-saturated signal, the saturated signal at the portion specified by the first unit.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a control unit and a detector that includes multiple pixels and that performs an image capturing operation to output image data corresponding to emitted radiation or light. The image capturing operation includes a first image capturing operation in which the detector is scanned in a first scanning area corresponding to part of the multiple pixels to output image data in the first scanning area and a second image capturing operation in which the detector is scanned in a second scanning area larger than the first scanning area to output image data in the second scanning area. The control unit causes the detector to perform an initialization operation to initialize the conversion element during a period between the first image capturing operation and the second image capturing operation in accordance with switching from the first scanning area to the second scanning area.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a conversion unit including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, each pixel including a conversion element, an output switch element, and an initialization switch element; an output drive circuit controls an output operation; an initialization drive circuit controls an initialization operation; and a readout circuit performs a signal sample-and-hold operation and a reset operation. A control unit performs termination of the output operation of a certain row and start of the output operation of another row after the termination of the reset operation, the start of the signal sample-and-hold operation after the termination of the output operation of the certain row and the start of the output operation of the other row, the start of the reset operation and the initialization operation after the termination of the signal sample-and-hold operation, and the termination of the reset operation after the termination of the initialization operation.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a transmitting path to transmit the output electric signal, and a read-out circuit performing a sampling and holding operation for holding the electric signal read out through the transmitting path, and performing a reset operation to reset the transmitting path, and includes a control unit for controlling an outputting drive circuit and a read-out circuit so as to perform the sampling and holding operation row by row after a start of the output operation, to perform the reset operation after the sampling and holding operation, and to terminate the output operation after the reset operation. This can reduce the frame time without reducing the S/N ratio of the image signal.

Abstract: In an image pickup apparatus, a calculation unit calculates an amount of noise and an amount of afterimage that can be included in an electric signal or image data in an image pickup operation, based on output characteristic information indicating a manner in which the amount of noise and the amount of after image change as a function of an elapsed time since a voltage is applied to a detection unit, a temperature of the detection unit detected by a temperature detection unit, the voltage supplied to the conversion elements from a power supply unit, and an image pickup operation start time indicating a time elapsed since the supplying of the voltage to the detection unit is started until the image pickup operation is started to output the electric signal corresponding to an electric charge generated by the conversion element in the detection unit.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus is provided, which improves correction accuracy at the time of pixel addition reading and scarcely deteriorates in resolution of the image data. This apparatus comprises: a conversion unit comprising a plurality of unit-pixels and converting an incident radiation or a light into pixel information; a signal processing unit capable of reading the pixel information for each unit-pixel, or capable of reading additional added pixel information for a plurality of unit-pixels, based on a control from a control unit for controlling a driving of the conversion unit according to a plurality of operation modes; a storage unit for storing a plurality of correction information according to the plurality of operating modes; and a correction unit for performing the correction of the pixel information based on the correction information extracted from the plurality of correct information according to the operation mode.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus has an AEC function that can prevent irregularities in photographed images, without being increased in size. The imaging apparatus comprises a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix shape, each of the plurality of pixels including a conversion element for converting radiation or light into an electric charge, a plurality of lines that are connected to the plurality of pixel units and that extend in different directions to each other, a current monitor circuit that monitors currents flowing in the plurality of lines, and an arithmetic unit that calculates a two-dimensional distribution by performing back-projection processing with respect to the currents flowing in the plurality of lines monitored by the current monitor circuit.

Abstract: A read out operation for reading out image data from a conversion circuit irradiated with a radiation, and a read out operation for reading out offset image data from the conversion circuit without irradiated with a radiation are selectively conducted, a control is conducted to repeat at a plurality of times the operation for reading out the offset image data, offset data corresponding to each pixel is extracted from one of the plurality of the offset image data to generate corrective offset image data such that offset data corresponding to all the pixels in a row of the matrix is not extracted from one of the plurality of offset image data, and the corrective offset image data is subtracted from the image data to perform an offset correction to render line noise less noticeable, for an offset correction without line noise by a simple signal processing to be provided.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus comprises: a detecting unit 101 having a plurality of pixels 201 arranged in a matrix, each including a conversion element and a switch element for outputting a photoelectric conversion signal; a drive circuit unit 102 controlling the switching element such that the switching elements at least in one row are in the conducting state, and the switching elements in non-continuous rows are simultaneously in the conducting state; a signal processing unit 106 generating a detection signal 115 by adding or averaging the electrical signals output by the switch elements in non-continuous rows; a comparing unit 501 comparing the detection signal 115 with a threshold to determine whether the irradiation of radiation or light is started or ended; and a control circuit unit 108 controlling the drive circuit unit 102 or the signal processing unit 106 based on the determination of the comparing unit 501.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a control unit and a detector that includes multiple pixels and that performs an image capturing operation to output image data corresponding to radiation or light that is emitted. The image capturing operation includes a first image capturing operation in a first scanning area corresponding to part of the multiple pixels to output image data in the first scanning area and a second image capturing operation in a second scanning area larger than the first scanning area to output image data in the second scanning area. The control unit causes the detector to perform an accumulation operation in the second image capturing operation in a time determined so that an image artifact caused by the scanning area is lower than a predetermined allowable value on the basis of information about the amount of integration of accumulation times in the first image capturing operation.

Abstract: To provide a radiation imaging apparatus and a radiation imaging system that can detect radiation with high accuracy, the radiation imaging apparatus includes: a detection unit in which conversion elements that convert radiation into an electric signal are arranged in a matrix shape; a radiation detection unit configured to detect an irradiation state of radiation; a drive circuit configured to drive the detection unit in accordance with the irradiation state detected by the radiation detection unit; and a radiographing kind setting unit configured to set a radiographing kind, wherein the radiation detection unit changes a radiation detection capability in accordance with the radiographing kind set by the radiographing kind setting unit.

Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus, comprising a sensor array configured to output a signal in accordance with irradiated radiation, a driving unit configured to output a signal from the sensor array by driving the sensor array, a detecting unit configured to detect irradiated radiation, a control unit configured to control the driving unit to perform first readout to read out a signal corresponding to charge accumulated in the sensor array from the sensor array and perform second readout to further read out a signal from the sensor array at least in a case where the first readout has started during irradiation of radiation, and a processing unit configured to correct the signal obtained by the first readout based on the signal obtained by the second readout.

Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus, comprising a sensor array in which a plurality of sensors configured to output signals corresponding to irradiated radiation, a detection unit configured to detect radiation, a driving unit configured to drive the sensor array, so as to initialize the plurality of sensors for each row repeatedly at least until the detection unit detects irradiation of radiation and to read out signals from the plurality of sensors for each row sequentially, and a processing unit configured to process signals from the sensor array, so as to correct a signal from the sensor on a row, of the plurality of sensors, which has been initialized during the irradiation of radiation, based on a timing of the initialization.