Patents by Inventor Kentaro Fujiyoshi

Kentaro Fujiyoshi 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).

  • Patent number: 11368640
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a pixel region including a plurality of pixels, and bias wiring laid on a light incident side of pixels to supply a bias from a power supply to the pixels in the pixel region via a second side defining the pixel region. The bias wiring includes first wiring portions and second wiring portions laid around the pixels. The first wiring portions are laid in a Y direction away from the second side, and the second wiring portions are laid in an X direction orthogonal to the Y direction. The first wiring portions include a light non-transmissive member. A resistance of the first wiring portion per pixel is smaller than that of the second wiring portion per pixel. A loss of light due to the second wiring portion is smaller than that of the light incident due to the first wiring portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masato Ofuji, Jun Kawanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Sho Sato
  • Patent number: 11294078
    Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus comprises at least one first detection element including a first conversion element configured to convert radiation into an electrical signal and a first switch configured to connect an output from the first conversion element to a first signal line, at least one second detection element including a second conversion element configured to convert radiation into an electrical signal and a second switch configured to connect an output from the second conversion element to a second signal line, a readout unit configured to read out signals appearing on the first signal line and the second signal line, and a signal processing circuit configured to process a signal read out from the readout unit. A sensitivity of the first conversion element for the radiation is set to be different from a sensitivity of the second conversion element for the radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryosuke Miura, Minoru Watanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi
  • Patent number: 11280919
    Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a substrate in which conversion elements are arranged and which transmits light beams, a first scintillator arranged on a first surface side of the substrate, and a second scintillator arranged on a second surface side opposite to the first surface. The conversion elements include first conversion elements and second conversion elements. The first conversion elements are arranged so as to receive light beams from the first scintillator and the second scintillator. A light-shielding layer is arranged between the first scintillator and each of the second conversion elements so as to set light amounts of the second conversion elements from the first scintillator smaller than those of the first conversion elements from the first scintillator, and the second conversion elements are arranged to receive a light beam from the second scintillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuro Takenaka, Shoshiro Saruta, Atsushi Iwashita, Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Keiichi Nomura, Kazumi Nagano, Yohei Ishida, Tomoki Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20220075085
    Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus comprising a first scintillator, a second scintillator which receives radiation transmitted through the first scintillator, conversion elements and a controller is provided. The conversion elements include first conversion elements and second conversion elements with different sensitivities for detecting light emitted from at least one of the first scintillator or the second scintillator. During radiation irradiation, the controller obtains, from a signal output from one or more measuring element configured to measure a dose of incident radiation, a first signal corresponding to light converted from radiation by the second scintillator, and outputs, based on the first signal, a stop signal configured to stop the radiation irradiation, and after the radiation irradiation, the controller causes the first conversion elements and the second conversion elements to output signals configured to generate an energy subtraction image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2021
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Inventors: Jun Kawanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi
  • Patent number: 11243314
    Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus includes a first pixel, and a second pixel whose sensitivity for radiation is lower than sensitivity of the first pixel; and a decision unit configured to execute a reset operation of resetting charges in the pixels and a decision operation of deciding a radiation dose during irradiation to the apparatus. In the decision operation, the decision unit reads out signals from the first and second pixels at least once, and decides first and second correction values based on the signal read out from the first and second pixel respectively, and reads out signals from the first and second pixels after receiving a radiation irradiation start request, and decides the radiation dose during irradiation to the apparatus using values of the signals read out from the first and second pixels and the first and second correction values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Minoru Watanabe, Ryosuke Miura
  • Publication number: 20220011452
    Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus includes pixels arranged to form pixel rows and pixel columns. The pixels include first pixels and second pixels whose sensitivity to radiation is lower than the first pixels. The apparatus further includes a signal lines arranged to correspond to the pixel columns, a readout circuit configured to read out a signal from the pixels via the signal lines, and a processing unit configured to decide a correction value using signals read out from the second pixels and correct signals read out from the first pixels using the correction value. An internal structure of the readout circuit has a period. The second pixels are arranged such that there are two or more types of remainders of column numbers of pixel columns that include the second pixels divided by the period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Inventors: Takuya Ryu, Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Ryosuke Miura
  • Patent number: 11157059
    Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus comprising an imaging unit configured to generate a radiation image, a detector configured to detect radiation to monitor an incident dose, a processor including an amplifier and configured to perform processing of reading out signals from the imaging unit and the detector and outputting a signal based on the readout signals, and a controller configured to control the processor is provided. The controller causes the processor to operate in a first power consumption mode before radiation irradiation and perform a reset operation, and causes the processor to operate in a second power consumption mode with higher power consumption than the first power consumption mode in accordance with information indicating a start of radiation irradiation, and causes the processor to start outputting a signal for monitoring an incident dose based on a signal read out from the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keigo Yokoyama, Minoru Watanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi
  • Patent number: 11090018
    Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises: an imaging region in which a plurality of conversion elements are arranged, wherein the plurality of conversion elements includes a first conversion element configured to obtain a radiation image and a second conversion element configured to obtain irradiation information of incident radiation during radiation irradiation; a storage unit configured to store correction data for correcting a signal output from the first conversion element; and a control unit. The control unit determines a period to cause the first conversion element to perform an accumulation operation in accordance with the irradiation information, determines a correction amount corresponding to the period based on the correction data, and generates a radiation image signal by correcting a signal output from the first conversion element in accordance with the correction amount after the radiation irradiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Minoru Watanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Sho Sato
  • Patent number: 11083430
    Abstract: The present invention provides a technique advantageous in suitably determining the irradiation end timing in a radiation imaging apparatus that can perform AEC. The radiation imaging apparatus comprises a sensor configured to detect radiation and a control unit, wherein the control unit generates, after the start of radiation irradiation, an evaluation value indicating the stability of a radiation irradiation intensity based on a sensor signal from the sensor, and the control unit outputs, in response to the evaluation value satisfying a predetermined condition, a signal indicating that the radiation irradiation intensity has stabilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Sho Sato, Minoru Watanabe, Keigo Yokoyama, Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Jun Kawanabe
  • Publication number: 20210243389
    Abstract: A radiation image capturing apparatus includes, as a plurality of pixels two-dimensionally arranged in an image capturing area, a plurality of image pixels configured to output electric signals for acquiring a radiation image and a plurality of detection pixels configured to output electric signals for detecting information about irradiation of the image capturing area with the irradiation. The plurality of detection pixels is arranged as a line-shaped detection pixel group in the image capturing area, and a plurality of detection driving lines is connected to the line-shaped detection pixel group. A readout circuit reads out, at different timings, the electric signals group by group to each of which a different one of the plurality of detection driving lines is connected in the line-shaped detection pixel group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Inventors: Satoru Sawada, Kentaro Fujiyoshi
  • Patent number: 11067706
    Abstract: A radiation image sensing apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises an image sensing area where conversion elements are arranged and used in an image sensing operation of acquiring a radiation image, a detection element configured to detect a radiation dose of radiation entering the image sensing area, a readout unit and a controller. The controller corrects a detection signal read out from the detection element by the readout unit during incidence of radiation in a second image sensing operation performed next to a first image sensing operation, based on a correction amount acquired based on a correction signal read out from the detection element by the readout unit after an end of the incidence of the radiation in the first image sensing operation, and detects a dose of incident radiation in the second image sensing operation based on the corrected detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuya Furumoto, Minoru Watanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi
  • Patent number: 11045160
    Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises: an imaging region in which a plurality of conversion elements are arranged, wherein the plurality of conversion elements includes a first conversion element configured to obtain a radiation image and a second conversion element configured to obtain irradiation information of incident radiation during radiation irradiation; a storage unit configured to store correction data for correcting a signal output from the first conversion element; and a control unit. The control unit determines a period to cause the first conversion element to perform an accumulation operation in accordance with the irradiation information, determines a correction amount corresponding to the period based on the correction data, and generates a radiation image signal by correcting a signal output from the first conversion element in accordance with the correction amount after the radiation irradiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Minoru Watanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Sho Sato
  • Publication number: 20210141105
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises a plurality of pixels each including a conversion element and a switch, a driving circuit configured to control the switches via drive lines, a bias power supply unit configured to supply a bias potential to the conversion element via a bias line, column signal lines to which signals are output from the plurality of pixels, and a detection unit. The plurality of pixels include a first pixel and a second pixel, which are adjacent to each other in the row direction and are connected to a common column signal line. The switch of the first pixel and the switch of the second pixel are connected to drive lines different from each other. The detection unit determines presence/absence of radiation irradiation based on a current flowing to the bias line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventors: Masato Ofuji, Jun Kawanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Minoru Watanabe, Kai Suzuki, Hideyuki Okada
  • Patent number: 10921466
    Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus includes a first detection pixel including a first switch element, a second detection pixel including a second switch element and having sensitivity which is different from that of the first detection pixel, a first signal line, a second signal line, a reading circuit which performs a first operation of reading first and second signals which appear in the first and second signal lines in a state in which the first and second switch elements are in a non-conductive state while the radiation imaging apparatus is irradiated with a radial ray and a second operation of reading third and fourth signals which appear in the first and second signal lines when the first and second switch elements are brought into a conductive state, and an information processing circuit which performs a process of generating information based on the first to fourth signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryosuke Miura, Minoru Watanabe, Keigo Yokoyama, Masato Ofuji, Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Jun Kawanabe, Sho Sato, Kazuya Furumoto
  • Patent number: 10914849
    Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus includes a pixel portion in which a plurality of pixels, each pixel including a conversion element configured to convert radiation into charge, are arranged in a matrix, a driving circuit configured to drive a plurality of driving lines and a processing unit configured to process a signal from the pixel portion. The driving circuit performs a reset operation in which the conversion elements of the plurality of pixels are repetitively reset. The pixel portion includes rows in which the pixels have been divided into a plurality of groups. The conversion elements of the plurality of groups are reset at different timings in the reset operation, and the processing unit corrects, by using a signal of a pixel of another group, a signal of a pixel of a group with data deficiency caused by the reset operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Ofuji, Minoru Watanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Sho Sato
  • Publication number: 20200371259
    Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus comprises at least one first detection element including a first conversion element configured to convert radiation into an electrical signal and a first switch configured to connect an output from the first conversion element to a first signal line, at least one second detection element including a second conversion element configured to convert radiation into an electrical signal and a second switch configured to connect an output from the second conversion element to a second signal line, a readout unit configured to read out signals appearing on the first signal line and the second signal line, and a signal processing circuit configured to process a signal read out from the readout unit. A sensitivity of the first conversion element for the radiation is set to be different from a sensitivity of the second conversion element for the radiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Ryosuke Miura, Minoru Watanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi
  • Publication number: 20200348424
    Abstract: An imaging region including a plurality of detection elements each including a conversion element configured to convert radiation into an electric signal, a first signal line, and a signal processing circuit configured to process a signal output via the first signal line, wherein the plurality of detection elements include a first detection element and a second detection element which are connected to the first signal line, a sensitivity of the first detection element to radiation is set to be different from a sensitivity of the second detection element to radiation, and the signal processing circuit generates information related to irradiation of radiation to the imaging region based on signals from the first detection element and the second detection element which are connected to the first signal line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: Minoru Watanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Ryosuke Miura
  • Patent number: 10729393
    Abstract: A radiographic imaging apparatus includes a pixel, a readout unit, and a signal processing unit. The pixel includes a switch configured to connect a conversion element configured to convert radiation into an electric signal to a signal line. The readout unit is configured to perform a first operation of reading out a first signal appearing in the signal line when the switch is not in a conductive state and a second operation of reading out a second signal appearing in the signal line when the switch is in a conductive state. The read out unit is configured to perform the first operation before performing the second operation a plurality of times consecutively. The signal processing unit is configured to perform signal processing for outputting information indicating irradiation of the radiographic imaging apparatus by the radiation based on the first signal and the second signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Minoru Watanabe, Keigo Yokoyama, Masato Ofuji, Jun Kawanabe, Sho Sato, Kazuya Furumoto, Ryosuke Miura
  • Publication number: 20200213543
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a pixel region including a plurality of pixels, and bias wiring laid on a light incident side of pixels to supply a bias from a power supply to the pixels in the pixel region via a second side defining the pixel region. The bias wiring includes first wiring portions and second wiring portions laid around the pixels. The first wiring portions are laid in a Y direction away from the second side, and the second wiring portions are laid in an X direction orthogonal to the Y direction. The first wiring portions include a light non-transmissive member. A resistance of the first wiring portion per pixel is smaller than that of the second wiring portion per pixel. A loss of light due to the second wiring portion is smaller than that of the light incident due to the first wiring portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Masato Ofuji, Jun Kawanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Sho Sato
  • Publication number: 20200166659
    Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus includes a first pixel, and a second pixel whose sensitivity for radiation is lower than sensitivity of the first pixel; and a decision unit configured to execute a reset operation of resetting charges in the pixels and a decision operation of deciding a radiation dose during irradiation to the apparatus. In the decision operation, the decision unit reads out signals from the first and second pixels at least once, and decides first and second correction values based on the signal read out from the first and second pixel respectively, and reads out signals from the first and second pixels after receiving a radiation irradiation start request, and decides the radiation dose during irradiation to the apparatus using values of the signals read out from the first and second pixels and the first and second correction values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Minoru Watanabe, Ryosuke Miura