Patents by Inventor Kanako Dowaki
Kanako Dowaki has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10148898Abstract: An image sensor driving apparatus extracts an image signal from an image sensor including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements two-dimensionally arrayed, and includes a conversion unit which converts the image signal into digital data by performing offset correction for the image signal. The apparatus obtains digital data corresponding to a first sampling count by causing the conversion unit to process a reference voltage signal in accordance with a synchronization signal which determines an imaging frame rate, and obtains digital data corresponding to a second sampling count by causing the conversion unit to process a reference voltage signal every time extracting an image signal from a photoelectric conversion element group obtained by dividing a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements. The apparatus generates a correction value used for offset correction based on the obtained digital data corresponding to the first and second sampling counts.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2016Date of Patent: December 4, 2018Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kanako Dowaki, Yuichi Naito, Kazumasa Matsumoto, Takashi Yamazaki
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Patent number: 9869774Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus, comprising a plurality of sensors and a driving unit, each sensor including a detection element, a sampling unit and a reset unit, wherein the driving unit performs an operation of causing the reset unit to initialize the detection element, an operation of causing the sampling unit to sample a signal from the detection element in accordance with radiation irradiation started after the operation of initializing, and an operation of outputting a signal sampled by the operation of sampling, and wherein the driving unit changes, in accordance with a frame rate, a timing of the operation of outputting while maintaining constant a time from the operation of initializing to the operation of sampling.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2015Date of Patent: January 16, 2018Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kanako Dowaki, Kazumasa Matsumoto
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Patent number: 9756267Abstract: An image sensor driving apparatus extracts an image signal from an image sensor including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements two-dimensionally arrayed, and includes a conversion unit which converts the image signal into digital data by performing offset correction for the image signal. The apparatus obtains digital data corresponding to a first sampling count by causing the conversion unit to process a reference voltage signal in accordance with a synchronization signal which determines an imaging frame rate, and obtains digital data corresponding to a second sampling count by causing the conversion unit to process a reference voltage signal every time extracting an image signal from a photoelectric conversion element group obtained by dividing a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements. The apparatus generates a correction value used for offset correction based on the obtained digital data corresponding to the first and second sampling counts.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2013Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kanako Dowaki, Yuichi Naito, Kazumasa Matsumoto, Takashi Yamazaki
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Patent number: 9578262Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus, comprising a plurality of sensors, a holding unit configured to hold a signal level of each sensor, a monitor unit configured to monitor the signal levels, and a control unit configured to control each sensor so as to detect radiation with a first sensitivity and a second sensitivity higher than the first sensitivity, wherein the control unit performs first control to cause the monitor unit to monitor signal levels with the second sensitivity, and performs second control to select some sensors out of the plurality of sensors based on monitoring results obtained in the first control.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2015Date of Patent: February 21, 2017Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Kanako Dowaki
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Patent number: 9565384Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus includes: a radiation detection unit in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion units to convert radiation signals into charge signals and store the charge signals is located; a storage control unit configured to control the storage of the charge signals executed by the plurality of photoelectric conversion units; a reading control unit configured to control reading of the charge signals stored by the plurality of photoelectric conversion units; and a control unit configured to fix an indefinite potential generated at the radiation detection unit while at least one of the storage control of the charge signals by the storage control unit and the reading control of the charge signals by the reading control unit is not carried out.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2015Date of Patent: February 7, 2017Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kanako Dowaki, Kazumasa Matsumoto, Hidehiko Saito, Takashi Yamazaki
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Publication number: 20170019617Abstract: An image sensor driving apparatus extracts an image signal from an image sensor including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements two-dimensionally arrayed, and includes a conversion unit which converts the image signal into digital data by performing offset correction for the image signal. The apparatus obtains digital data corresponding to a first sampling count by causing the conversion unit to process a reference voltage signal in accordance with a synchronization signal which determines an imaging frame rate, and obtains digital data corresponding to a second sampling count by causing the conversion unit to process a reference voltage signal every time extracting an image signal from a photoelectric conversion element group obtained by dividing a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements. The apparatus generates a correction value used for offset correction based on the obtained digital data corresponding to the first and second sampling counts.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2016Publication date: January 19, 2017Inventors: Kanako Dowaki, Yuichi Naito, Kazumasa Matsumoto, Takashi Yamazaki
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Patent number: 9482628Abstract: An imaging apparatus determines, based on a frame interval associated with imaging of the object, the number of output values to be measured, and inputs electric signals of a given value to amplifiers to measure the determined number of output values during a time after a readout circuit performs a readout operation for the photoelectric conversion elements of one line and before the readout circuit performs a readout operation for the photoelectric conversion elements of the next one line, calculates a difference between the measured output value and a predetermined reference value, and corrects a measurement value of one line of the object by increasing or decreasing the measurement value by the difference.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2013Date of Patent: November 1, 2016Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yuichi Naito, Kanako Dowaki, Kazumasa Matsumoto, Takashi Yamazaki
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Patent number: 9467631Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus comprising a sensor and a driving unit, the sensor including a detection element and a holding unit, wherein the driving unit drives the sensor so as to perform a first operation of making a first sampling unit sample a first signal corresponding to a voltage of the holding unit which has changed in accordance with a dose of radiation detected by the detection element after the holding unit holds a voltage corresponding to a signal from the detection element when a first reset unit resets the detection element, and a second operation, after the first operation, of making the first reset unit reset the detection element after a second sampling unit samples a second signal corresponding to a voltage of the reset holding unit while a second reset unit resets the holding unit.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2015Date of Patent: October 11, 2016Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kanako Dowaki, Kazumasa Matsumoto
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Patent number: 9354184Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a sensor including a plurality of pixels arranged in a two-dimensional pattern, a sample-hold unit configured to sample and hold a signal obtained from each pixel, and a reading unit configured to perform scanning in such a way as to perform a plurality of non-destructive reading operations for pixels of one row and as to read pixels of the next row, and to subsequently perform scanning in a row direction and a column direction to read the signal having been sampled and held by the sample-hold unit, an A/D conversion unit configured to perform analog/digital conversion processing on the signal read by the reading unit, an averaging processing unit configured to perform averaging processing on the signal converted by the A/D conversion unit, for each pixel, and a digital binning unit configured to perform binning processing using the signal processed by the averaging processing unit.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2013Date of Patent: May 31, 2016Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kanako Dowaki
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Publication number: 20150378034Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus, comprising a plurality of sensors and a driving unit, each sensor including a detection element, a sampling unit and a reset unit, wherein the driving unit performs an operation of causing the reset unit to initialize the detection element, an operation of causing the sampling unit to sample a signal from the detection element in accordance with radiation irradiation started after the operation of initializing, and an operation of outputting a signal sampled by the operation of sampling, and wherein the driving unit changes, in accordance with a frame rate, a timing of the operation of outputting while maintaining constant a time from the operation of initializing to the operation of sampling.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 17, 2015Publication date: December 31, 2015Inventors: Kanako Dowaki, Kazumasa Matsumoto
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Publication number: 20150296151Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus comprising a sensor and a driving unit, the sensor including a detection element and a holding unit, wherein the driving unit drives the sensor so as to perform a first operation of making a first sampling unit sample a first signal corresponding to a voltage of the holding unit which has changed in accordance with a dose of radiation detected by the detection element after the holding unit holds a voltage corresponding to a signal from the detection element when a first reset unit resets the detection element, and a second operation, after the first operation, of making the first reset unit reset the detection element after a second sampling unit samples a second signal corresponding to a voltage of the reset holding unit while a second reset unit resets the holding unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 26, 2015Publication date: October 15, 2015Inventors: Kanako Dowaki, Kazumasa Matsumoto
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Publication number: 20150204988Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus, comprising a plurality of sensors, a holding unit configured to hold a signal level of each sensor, a monitor unit configured to monitor the signal levels, and a control unit configured to control each sensor so as to detect radiation with a first sensitivity and a second sensitivity higher than the first sensitivity, wherein the control unit performs first control to cause the monitor unit to monitor signal levels with the second sensitivity, and performs second control to select some sensors out of the plurality of sensors based on monitoring results obtained in the first control.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 6, 2015Publication date: July 23, 2015Inventor: Kanako Dowaki
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Publication number: 20150156438Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus includes: a radiation detection unit in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion units to convert radiation signals into charge signals and store the charge signals is located; a storage control unit configured to control the storage of the charge signals executed by the plurality of photoelectric conversion units; a reading control unit configured to control reading of the charge signals stored by the plurality of photoelectric conversion units; and a control unit configured to fix an indefinite potential generated at the radiation detection unit while at least one of the storage control of the charge signals by the storage control unit and the reading control of the charge signals by the reading control unit is not carried out.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 11, 2015Publication date: June 4, 2015Inventors: Kanako Dowaki, Kazumasa Matsumoto, Hidehiko Saito, Takashi Yamazaki
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Patent number: 8988572Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus includes: a radiation detection unit in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion units to convert radiation signals into charge signals and store the charge signals is located; a storage control unit configured to control the storage of the charge signals executed by the plurality of photoelectric conversion units; a reading control unit configured to control reading of the charge signals stored by the plurality of photoelectric conversion units; and a control unit configured to fix an indefinite potential generated at the radiation detection unit while at least one of the storage control of the charge signals by the storage control unit and the reading control of the charge signals by the reading control unit is not carried out.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2011Date of Patent: March 24, 2015Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kanako Dowaki, Kazumasa Matsumoto, Hidehiko Saito, Takashi Yamazaki
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Patent number: 8836836Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit and an imaging control unit. The imaging control unit causes a switch unit, an accumulation unit, a removal unit, a holding unit, and an addition unit, which constitute a pixel circuit of the imaging unit, to operate at a timing before an imaging operation by the imaging unit so as to fix unstable voltages of the accumulation unit, the removal unit, the holding unit, and the addition unit to a predetermined voltage of a power supply connected via a switch unit.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2011Date of Patent: September 16, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takashi Yamazaki, Kazumasa Matsumoto, Hidehiko Saito, Kanako Dowaki
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Patent number: 8785870Abstract: An imaging apparatus including: a plurality of pixels including a photoelectric conversion element and a sample hold circuit; a plurality of signal lines configured to read from the plurality of pixels an electric signal held in the sample hold circuit therein; a imaging control unit configured to perform a first control for applying the held electric signal to the plurality of signal lines, and a second control for sequentially applying to the signal lines the electric signal obtained corresponding to light received by each of the plurality of pixels and reading the electric signal, after the first control has been performed; and a generation unit configured not to create image data based on the electric signal applied to the signal line by the first control but to create the image data based on the electric signal read via the signal line by the second control.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2011Date of Patent: July 22, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kazumasa Matsumoto, Kanako Dowaki, Yuichi Naito, Hidehiko Saito, Hiroaki Niwa, Takashi Yamazaki, Shigeo Kobayashi
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Publication number: 20140037056Abstract: An imaging apparatus determines, based on a frame interval associated with imaging of the object, the number of output values to be measured, and inputs an electric signals of a given value to amplifiers to measure the determined number of output values during a time after a readout circuit performs a readout operation for a photoelectric conversion elements of one line and before the readout circuit performs a readout operation for the photoelectric conversion elements of the next one line, calculates a difference between the measured output value and a predetermined reference value, and corrects a measurement value of one line of the object by increasing or decreasing the measurement value by the difference.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 18, 2013Publication date: February 6, 2014Inventors: Yuichi Naito, Kanako Dowaki, Kazumasa Matsumoto, Takashi Yamazaki
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Publication number: 20140036118Abstract: An image sensor driving apparatus extracts an image signal from an image sensor including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements two-dimensionally arrayed, and includes a conversion unit which converts the image signal into digital data by performing offset correction for the image signal. The apparatus obtains digital data corresponding to a first sampling count by causing the conversion unit to process a reference voltage signal in accordance with a synchronization signal which determines an imaging frame rate, and obtains digital data corresponding to a second sampling count by causing the conversion unit to process a reference voltage signal every time extracting an image signal from a photoelectric conversion element group obtained by dividing a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements. The apparatus generates a correction value used for offset correction based on the obtained digital data corresponding to the first and second sampling counts.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2013Publication date: February 6, 2014Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kanako Dowaki, Yuichi Naito, Kazumasa Matsumoto, Takashi Yamazaki
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Publication number: 20130001429Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an image sensor having an imaging area with a plurality of pixels arranged therein, each pixel having a photoelectric conversion unit and pixel amplifiers, a control unit configured to perform control for shifting the timing of activating the pixel amplifiers for each of sub areas in the imaging area, and control for reading an electrical signal from each pixel acquired via the activated pixel amplifiers, and a generation unit configured to generate an image based on the read electrical signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 21, 2012Publication date: January 3, 2013Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kanako Dowaki, Kazumasa Matsumoto
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Publication number: 20120104267Abstract: An imaging apparatus including: a plurality of pixels including a photoelectric conversion element and a sample hold circuit; a plurality of signal lines configured to read from the plurality of pixels an electric signal held in the sample hold circuit therein; a imaging control unit configured to perform a first control for applying the held electric signal to the plurality of signal lines, and a second control for sequentially applying to the signal lines the electric signal obtained corresponding to light received by each of the plurality of pixels and reading the electric signal, after the first control has been performed; and a generation unit configured not to create image data based on the electric signal applied to the signal line by the first control but to create the image data based on the electric signal read via the signal line by the second control.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2011Publication date: May 3, 2012Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kazumasa Matsumoto, Kanako Dowaki, Yuichi Naito, Hidehiko Saito, Hiroaki Niwa, Takashi Yamazaki, Shigeo Kobayashi