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).
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Patent number: 11368640Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 10, 2019Date of Patent: June 21, 2022Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masato Ofuji, Jun Kawanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Sho Sato
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Patent number: 11294078Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 10, 2020Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Ryosuke Miura, Minoru Watanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi
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Patent number: 11280919Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 19, 2019Date of Patent: March 22, 2022Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Katsuro Takenaka, Shoshiro Saruta, Atsushi Iwashita, Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Keiichi Nomura, Kazumi Nagano, Yohei Ishida, Tomoki Komatsu
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Publication number: 20220075085Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 12, 2021Publication date: March 10, 2022Inventors: Jun Kawanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi
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Patent number: 11243314Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 18, 2019Date of Patent: February 8, 2022Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Minoru Watanabe, Ryosuke Miura
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Publication number: 20220011452Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2021Publication date: January 13, 2022Inventors: Takuya Ryu, Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Ryosuke Miura
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Patent number: 11157059Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 17, 2019Date of Patent: October 26, 2021Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Keigo Yokoyama, Minoru Watanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi
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Patent number: 11090018Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 16, 2019Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Minoru Watanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Sho Sato
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Patent number: 11083430Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 4, 2019Date of Patent: August 10, 2021Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Sho Sato, Minoru Watanabe, Keigo Yokoyama, Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Jun Kawanabe
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Publication number: 20210243389Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 19, 2021Publication date: August 5, 2021Inventors: Satoru Sawada, Kentaro Fujiyoshi
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Patent number: 11067706Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 7, 2019Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kazuya Furumoto, Minoru Watanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi
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Patent number: 11045160Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 16, 2019Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Minoru Watanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Sho Sato
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Publication number: 20210141105Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2020Publication date: May 13, 2021Inventors: Masato Ofuji, Jun Kawanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Minoru Watanabe, Kai Suzuki, Hideyuki Okada
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Patent number: 10921466Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 28, 2019Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Ryosuke Miura, Minoru Watanabe, Keigo Yokoyama, Masato Ofuji, Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Jun Kawanabe, Sho Sato, Kazuya Furumoto
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Patent number: 10914849Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 5, 2018Date of Patent: February 9, 2021Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masato Ofuji, Minoru Watanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Sho Sato
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Publication number: 20200371259Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2020Publication date: November 26, 2020Inventors: Ryosuke Miura, Minoru Watanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi
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Publication number: 20200348424Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2020Publication date: November 5, 2020Inventors: Minoru Watanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Ryosuke Miura
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Patent number: 10729393Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 20, 2017Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Minoru Watanabe, Keigo Yokoyama, Masato Ofuji, Jun Kawanabe, Sho Sato, Kazuya Furumoto, Ryosuke Miura
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Publication number: 20200213543Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2019Publication date: July 2, 2020Inventors: Masato Ofuji, Jun Kawanabe, Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Sho Sato
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Publication number: 20200166659Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 18, 2019Publication date: May 28, 2020Inventors: Kentaro Fujiyoshi, Minoru Watanabe, Ryosuke Miura