Patents by Inventor Tadao Endo

Tadao Endo 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).

  • Publication number: 20050087695
    Abstract: In a photoelectric conversion device, in order to suppress alteration of its properties during a long time use, lower the decrease of the S/N ratio due to a dark current output, and shorten image-pickup cycles, MIS type photoelectric conversion elements using an amorphous semiconductor material are connected with an electric power source for applying bias for photoelectric conversion, an electric power for resetting an accumulated electric charge, and a setting point for applying zero bias at the time of non-operation of the element through a switch. Emitted x-rays from an x-ray source, which is a first light source, come into collision against phosphor after being transmitted through an object body to be inspected and then are absorbed in the phosphor to be converted into visible light rays. The visible light rays from the phosphor are radiated to the photoelectric conversion elements. Prior to reading out of the x-ray image, an LED light source is lighted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2004
    Publication date: April 28, 2005
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tadao Endo
  • Publication number: 20050078785
    Abstract: To provide a radiation image pick-up device capable of obtaining a plurality of tomography images through single-time image pick-up, a radiation image pick-up method and a program. When a position controller moves an X-ray source to an optional tomography plane in an object to be detected in parallel and the X-ray source is present at geometric focuses set at equal interval, X rays are pulsatively generated by the X-ray source and detection of X rays by a radiation detector is performed by the total of n times. Moreover, a position controller moves the radiation detector in accordance with the movement of the X-ray source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Publication date: April 14, 2005
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tadao Endo
  • Publication number: 20050061955
    Abstract: In a photoelectric conversion device, in order to suppress alteration of its properties during a long time use, lower the decrease of the S/N ratio due to a dark current output, and shorten image-pickup cycles, MIS type photoelectric conversion elements using an amorphous semiconductor material are connected with an electric power source for applying bias for photoelectric conversion, an electric power for resetting an accumulated electric charge, and a setting point for applying zero bias at the time of non-operation of the element through a switch. Emitted x-rays from an x-ray source, which is a first light source, come into collision against phosphor after being transmitted through an object body to be inspected and then are absorbed in the phosphor to be converted into visible light rays. The visible light rays from the phosphor are radiated to the photoelectric conversion elements. Prior to reading out of the x-ray image, an LED light source is lighted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2004
    Publication date: March 24, 2005
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tadao Endo
  • Publication number: 20040247079
    Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus includes a radiation detecting unit and an image-display controlling unit. The radiation detecting unit has radiation detectors, arranged in a two-dimensional array, for detecting radiation transmitted through an object as electrical signals. The image-display controlling unit radiographs radiation images of the object, detected as the electrical signals by the radiation detecting unit, at a predetermined frame rate as continuous images in a plurality of frames and displays a processed image given by subtracting an m-th image from an (m+1)-th image in synchronous with either the m-th image or the (m+1)-th image that does not undergo the subtraction in a display, where m is a natural number.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2004
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tadao Endo
  • Patent number: 6818899
    Abstract: To provide a radiographic image pickup apparatus comprising a substrate, a plurality of pixels each of which is constituted by an MIS-type photoelectric conversion device and a switching device, the pixels being two-dimensionally arranged on the substrate, a plurality of control wirings connected to control electrodes of the switching devices, a plurality of signal wirings for reading signals from the MIS-type photoelectric conversion devices, and second switching unit for switching a bias for turning on the switching device to at least one of a first bias and a second bias.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tadao Endo
  • Publication number: 20040213377
    Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus includes: a radiation detection unit for detecting radiations which have penetrated an object as electric signals; and an image display control unit for producing a radiation image of the object detected as the electric signals as continuous images including a plurality of frames, the image display control unit switching a tube voltage of a radiation source between a voltage at a time of producing a (2m−1)th odd image and another voltage at a time of producing a 2mth even image, where m is a natural number, the image display control unit further controlling a display device to display a processed image as a dynamic image, the processed image being obtained by performing a subtraction process between the (2m−1)th odd image and the 2mth even image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2004
    Publication date: October 28, 2004
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tadao Endo
  • Patent number: 6787587
    Abstract: Disclosed are a process for the production of a low-molecular-weight allylamine polymer having a weight average molecular weight of 250 to 4,000 or an addition salt thereof, which comprises distilling a low-molecular-weight allylamine polymer solution to distill off unreacted monoallylamine, then, subjecting a residue to electrodialysis, and optionally carrying out acid treatment, a low-molecular-weight allylamine polymer having an ignition residue content of 5% by weight or less and a weight average molecular weight of 250 to 4,000, or an addition salt of a low-molecular-weight allylamine polymer having said properties, a water-resistance-imparting agent for use in an ink which comprises the above polymer or addition salt, and an ink composition comprising a colorant and the above water-resistance-imparting agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Nitto Boseki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Kato, Tadao Endo, Minoru Takeuchi, Mitsumasa Hashimoto, Yasuhiro Fujita, Ikuo Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20040114719
    Abstract: An object of this invention is to implement a radiographic apparatus which can stably obtain a moving image at a high speed by suppressing a voltage variation in GND or power supply line and omitting the standby period for each frame. To achieve this object, during a period after electrical signals from conversion elements (S1-1-S1-3) in one control interconnection (G1) are transferred and read for each row by a driving circuit section (SR1) before electrical signals in the next control interconnection are transferred and read, the read-accessed conversion elements are refreshed for each row, thereby eliminating the necessity for preparing a refresh period in acquiring continuous moving images. In addition, since the conversion elements are refreshed for each row, the dark current (transient current) in the refresh mode can be made small as compared to a case wherein all the conversion elements are refreshed at once. With this arrangement, the voltage variation in GND or power supply line is suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Inventor: Tadao Endo
  • Publication number: 20040108463
    Abstract: Disclosed is a photoelectric converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2003
    Publication date: June 10, 2004
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Isao Kobayashi, Noriyuki Kaifu, Shinichi Takeda, Kazuaki Tashiro, Tadao Endo, Toshio Kameshima
  • Publication number: 20040027472
    Abstract: In order to provide a photoelectric conversion apparatus, which is an apparatus excellent in reading speed, high S/N, high tone level, and low cost, the photoelectric conversion apparatus has a photoelectric conversion circuit section comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, switching elements, matrix signal wires, and gate drive wires arranged on a same substrate in order to output parallel signals, a driving circuit section for applying a driving signal to the gate drive wire, and a reading circuit section for converting the parallel signals transferred through the matrix signal wires to serial signals to output them, wherein the reading circuit section comprises at least one analog operational amplifier connected with each of the matrix signal wires, transfer switches for transferring output signals from the respective matrix signal wires, output through each amplifier, reading capacitors, and reading switches for successively reading the signals out of the reading capacitors in the for
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Publication date: February 12, 2004
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadao Endo, Noriyuki Kaifu, Toshiaki Sato, Masakazu Morishita
  • Publication number: 20040017891
    Abstract: A radiological imaging apparatus and method corrects fixed pattern noise (FPN) generated within the apparatus and suppresses increases in random noise attendant upon FPN correction to provide radiological imaging having improved reliability and image quality. The apparatus has a signal processing circuit that digitizes analog output from a read-out circuit, four FPN memories for storing four dark outputs, a light memory for storing a light output after X-ray exposure of a subject, a CPU for controlling the signal processing circuit as well as FPN and light memories, and a shift resister 7 controlled by the CPU. The method involves averaging multiple dark outputs and subtracting the FPN data average so obtained from the light output which includes the X-ray imaged to enhance picture quality. Since the FPN correction uses FPN data that has been averaged over multiple dark outputs, the method also suppresses random noise generated by the FPN correction for enhanced imaging accuracy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2003
    Publication date: January 29, 2004
    Inventor: Tadao Endo
  • Publication number: 20040008813
    Abstract: A radiological imaging apparatus and method allows an operator to select between moving-picture imaging and still-picture imaging modes using the same apparatus so to provide radiological imaging having a picture quality equal to that of conventional radiological film imaging techniques but with a smaller, lighter and more compact equipment configuration. The apparatus employs photoelectric converters arranged in a two-dimensional matrix array for converting radiation into electrical signals, a read-out circuit for reading the signal output from the photoelectric converters, variable gain amplifiers upstream of an analog multiplexer and a buffer amplifier downstream of the multiplexer for outputting serially converted signals. The method involves setting the moving-picture mode gain Gf so as to be greater than the still-picture mode gain Gs, in order to obtain sharper images without exposing the subject to unnecessarily high levels of radiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2003
    Publication date: January 15, 2004
    Inventor: Tadao Endo
  • Patent number: 6664527
    Abstract: According to the present invention, a photoelectric converter comprises a plurality of substrates, which are located adjacent to each other and on which a plurality of photoelectric conversion devices are two-dimensionally arranged, either scan circuits or detection circuits, at least, that are arranged on two opposing sides of the photoelectric converter, whereby scanning directions either from the scan circuits or from the detection circuits, which are arranged on the two opposing sides, are capable of being set so as to be performed in like directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Isao Kobayashi, Noriyuki Kaifu, Shinichi Takeda, Kazuaki Tashiro, Tadao Endo, Toshio Kameshima
  • Patent number: 6642494
    Abstract: In order to solve problems of degradation of image quality and decrease of yield because of cross-talk in other signal lines where wire trouble such as a discontinuity or the like of a matrix signal wire makes a photoelectric conversion signal output inappropriate, a photoelectric conversion apparatus is provided with a photoelectric conversion circuit unit 101 in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are arrayed in a matrix, and a plurality of matrix signal wires M1 to M3 for transferring parallel signals outputted from the photoelectric conversion circuit unit 101 to a reading circuit unit 107, and a matrix signal wire M2 with the wire trouble to output an abnormal signal is intentionally cut, out of the matrix signal wires arranged in a non photoelectric conversion region of the photoelectric conversion circuit unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tadao Endo
  • Publication number: 20030038242
    Abstract: To provide a radiographic image pickup apparatus comprising a substrate, a plurality of pixels each of which is constituted by an MIS-type photoelectric conversion device and a switching device, the pixels being two-dimensionally arranged on the substrate, a plurality of control wirings connected to control electrodes of the switching devices, a plurality of signal wirings for reading signals from the MIS-type photoelectric conversion devices, and second switching unit for switching a bias for turning on the switching device to at least one of a first bias and a second bias.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Publication date: February 27, 2003
    Inventor: Tadao Endo
  • Patent number: 6476867
    Abstract: In order to realize a photoelectric conversion apparatus capable of easily switching a mode requiring a wide dynamic range in obtaining a motion image and a mode requiring a reduction in noise in obtaining a still image, a mode switching means is used, when a refresh operation is performed for each photoelectric conversion element, to switch between a mode of setting the potential of one electrode of the photoelectric conversion element to be higher than the potential of the other electrode, and a mode of setting the potential of one electrode of the photoelectric conversion element to be lower than the potential of the other electrode, thereby arbitrarily changing the refresh voltage. With this operation, desired photoelectric conversion signals for a motion image and a still image can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Isao Kobayashi, Noriyuki Kaifu, Shinichi Takeda, Masakazu Morishita, Tadao Endo
  • Publication number: 20020101527
    Abstract: A radiation image pick-up apparatus includes a conversion element, accumulation element, read element, detection element, driving circuit, and controller. The conversion element converts radiation into an electrical signal. The accumulation unit accumulates the electrical signal converted by the conversion element. The read unit reads out the electrical signal accumulated in the accumulation unit. The detection element detects the start and end of irradiation of the radiation. The driving circuit accumulates the electrical signal in the accumulation element responsive to the detection of start of irradiation of the radiation, and drives the read element responsive to the detection of the end of irradiation of the radiation, based on the detection result of the detection element. The controller controls the driving circuit. A radiation image pick-up system is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2001
    Publication date: August 1, 2002
    Inventor: Tadao Endo
  • Patent number: 6352875
    Abstract: In a photoelectric conversion apparatus obtained by arranging and fixing a plurality of semiconductor element substrates onto a base with an adhesive, the levels of the upper surfaces of the substrates are adjusted with a desired thickness of the adhesive so as to set the upper surfaces within the same plane while the distance from the upper surface of the base to the semiconductor element surface of each substrate is kept to a design value, thereby realizing a photoelectric conversion apparatus constituted by a plurality of substrates arranged two-dimensionally, which eliminates level gaps between the substrates, and hence is free from problems such as a decrease in resolution, a deterioration in sensitivity, and peeling of a phosphor and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Hayashi, Akira Funakoshi, Akira Tago, Satoshi Okada, Shinichi Takeda, Eiichi Takami, Masakazu Morishita, Chiori Mochizuki, Tadao Endo, Toshikazu Tamura
  • Publication number: 20020024016
    Abstract: In a photoelectric conversion device, to suppress alteration of its properties during a long time use, lower decrease of S/N ratio due to a dark current output, and shorten image-pickup cycles. An MIS type photoelectric conversion elements using an amorphous semiconductor material are connected with an electric power source for applying bias (Vs) for photoelectric conversion, an electric power (VREF) for resetting an accumulated electric charge, and a setting point for applying zero bias (VGND) at the time of non-operation of the element through SW1. Emitted x-rays from an x-ray source, which is a first light source, come into collision against a phosphor after being transmitted through an object body to be inspected which is not illustrated in drawings and then are absorbed in the phosphor to be converted to visible light rays. The visible light rays from the phosphor are radiated to the photoelectric conversion elements. Prior to reading out of the x-ray image, an LED light source is lighted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2001
    Publication date: February 28, 2002
    Inventor: Tadao Endo
  • Publication number: 20010025916
    Abstract: Disclosed is a photoelectric converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2001
    Publication date: October 4, 2001
    Inventors: Isao Kobayashi, Noriyuki Kaifu, Shinichi Takeda, Kazuaki Tashiro, Tadao Endo, Toshio Kameshima