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).
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Publication number: 20070080299Abstract: It is made possible that, in accordance with a plurality of radiographing modes such as the still image radiographing mode and the moving image radiographing mode, the outputs both in the irradiation period and in the non-irradiation period are made to fall within the dynamic range of the radiographing system, whereby an accurate, high-S/N-ratio X-ray radiographic image is obtained. For that purpose, in accordance with the plurality of radiographing modes, an arithmetic operation unit adjusts a power source to control voltage to be applied to a reading circuit unit or an Analogue-Digital conversion unit, such that, in each of the radiographing modes, both an electric signal in the X-ray irradiation period and an electric signal in the X-ray non-irradiation period fall within the dynamic ranges of the reading circuit unit and the Analogue-Digital conversion unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2006Publication date: April 12, 2007Applicant: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tadao Endo, Toshio Kameshima, Tomoyuki Yagi, Katsuro Takenaka, Keigo Yokoyama
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Publication number: 20070040099Abstract: A radiation image pickup apparatus which selectively executes a first reading operation driving a detection unit irradiated with the radiation to read a first signal value, a second reading operation driving the detection unit without being irradiated with any radiations before the first reading operation to read a second signal value, and a third reading operation driving the detection unit without being irradiated with any radiations after the first reading operation to read a third signal value, and subtracts a signal value produced by the processing of the second signal value and the third signal value from the first signal value, thereby reducing an offset component and random noises without lowering a frame rate and its control method are provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2006Publication date: February 22, 2007Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Keigo Yokoyama, Tadao Endo, Toshio Kameshima, Tomoyuki Yagi, Katsuro Takenaka
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Patent number: 7170042Abstract: A photoelectric converter includes a plurality of substrates, which are located adjacent to each other and on which a plurality of photoelectric conversion devices are two-dimensionally arranged, and either scan circuits or detection circuits 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: GrantFiled: November 10, 2003Date of Patent: January 30, 2007Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Isao Kobayashi, Noriyuki Kaifu, Shinichi Takeda, Kazuaki Tashiro, Tadao Endo, Toshio Kameshima
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Publication number: 20070009093Abstract: A computer-readable medium is encoded with a computer program for operating a computer to control a radiation detector and a display apparatus. The computer is operated to derive a processed image by subtraction processing of a first image derived by a first energy radiation having a first energy and transmitting through an object and a second image derived successively to the first image by a second energy radiation having a second energy different from the first energy and transmitting through the same object, among a plurality of images of successive frames detected by the radiation detector detecting as an electric signal the radiation transmitted through the object. The display is operated to display on the display apparatus successively a plurality of the processed images derived thereby.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2006Publication date: January 11, 2007Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: TADAO ENDO
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Publication number: 20060289774Abstract: A radiographic imaging apparatus includes a radiation detection circuit in which a plurality of conversion elements to convert radiation emitted from a radiation source and transmitted through an object into an electrical signal are arranged two-dimensionally, a driving mechanism which changes a positional relationship between the object and the radiation source and the radiation detection circuit, a memory which stores, as image data, the electrical signal detected by the radiation detection circuit, an imaging control unit which controls the radiation source to change energy of the radiation emitted from the radiation source between radiography of a first frame and radiography of a second frame different from the first frame and controls driving of the driving mechanism in capturing a plurality of continuous radiographic images of the object, and an image processing unit which executes subtraction processing of image data of the first frame and image data of the second frame stored in the memory to generateType: ApplicationFiled: June 12, 2006Publication date: December 28, 2006Applicant: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tadao Endo, Toshio Kameshima, Tomoyuki Yagi, Katsuro Takenaka
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Publication number: 20060289769Abstract: As to an electromagnetic radiation detecting apparatus, a radiation detecting apparatus, a radiation detecting system and a laser processing method, a TFT is disposed on an insulating substrate. A conversion element converting electromagnetic radiation into an electric signal is disposed over the TFT. A member for marking the position of the switching element is disposed on the conversion element. The position of a switching element having a defect can be located by means of the member on the conversion element. By radiating laser light to be focused on the member, it becomes possible to perform repair accurately.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2006Publication date: December 28, 2006Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tomoyuki Yagi, Tadao Endo, Toshio Kameshima, Katsuro Takenaka, Keigo Yokoyama
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Patent number: 7154099Abstract: A radiation image pick-up device which can restrain voltage fluctuations on GND and power supply lines, dispense with frame-by-frame wait periods, make possible stable and high speed moving image photographing, and are reduced in cost and dark current is to be provided. In pixels for detecting incident radiations, there are provided MIS-type conversion elements for converting the radiations into electric signals, source follower-type first TFTs for reading out the electric signals, second TFTs which so operate as to read out of the first TFTs the electric signals of the conversion elements selected by a drive circuit section on a row-by-row basis, and third TFTs which so operate as to reset or refresh on a row-by-row basis the conversion elements out of which reading by the first TFTs has been accomplished.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2006Date of Patent: December 26, 2006Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Tadao Endo
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Patent number: 7127031Abstract: A radiation detector includes radiation detection elements for detecting radiations which have penetrated an object as electric signals, with the elements arranged in a two-dimensional array, and an image display controller for producing a radiation image of the object detected as the electric signals with the radiation detector as continuous images including a plurality of frames. The image display controller switches a tube voltage of a radiation source for emitting the radiations between a first voltage at a time of producing odd images and a second voltage at a time of producing even images and controls a display device to continuously display a plurality of processed images as a dynamic image. Each of the processed images are obtained by performing a subtraction process between an odd image of the odd images and an even image of the even images, wherein the even image is derived in succession to the odd image.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2004Date of Patent: October 24, 2006Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Tadao Endo
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Patent number: 7113565Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 8, 2005Date of Patent: September 26, 2006Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Tadao Endo
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Patent number: 7109492Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 24, 2006Date of Patent: September 19, 2006Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Tadao Endo
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Patent number: 7098461Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 15, 2004Date of Patent: August 29, 2006Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Tadao Endo
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Publication number: 20060188061Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a radiography apparatus configured to have an offset reading period, where during the offset reading period an offset reading operation is performed without illumination by radiation (e.g., X-rays). The offset reading period can be different from a radiation (e.g., X-ray) reading period in timings of applying a gate pulse. During the offset reading period, a pixel addition can be performed such that the switching elements corresponding to two or more lines are concurrently turned on-off thus reducing the offset reading period.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 2, 2006Publication date: August 24, 2006Applicant: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Katsuro Takenaka, Tadao Endo, Toshio Kameshima, Tomoyuki Yagi
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Publication number: 20060180774Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 10, 2006Publication date: August 17, 2006Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Tadao Endo
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Publication number: 20060165219Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2006Publication date: July 27, 2006Inventor: Tadao Endo
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Patent number: 7081629Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 5, 2006Date of Patent: July 25, 2006Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Tadao Endo
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Patent number: 7075090Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 18, 2003Date of Patent: July 11, 2006Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Tadao Endo
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Publication number: 20060113484Abstract: A radiation image pick-up device which can restrain voltage fluctuations on GND and power supply lines, dispense with frame-by-frame wait periods, make possible stable and high speed moving image photographing, and are reduced in cost and dark current is to be provided. In pixels for detecting incident radiations, there are provided MIS-type conversion elements for converting the radiations into electric signals, source follower-type first TFTs for reading out the electric signals, second TFTs which so operate as to read out of the first TFTs the electric signals of the conversion elements selected by a drive circuit section on a row-by-row basis, and third TFTs which so operate as to reset or refresh on a row-by-row basis the conversion elements out of which reading by the first TFTs has been accomplished.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2006Publication date: June 1, 2006Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Tadao Endo
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Publication number: 20060115048Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: January 5, 2006Publication date: June 1, 2006Inventor: Tadao Endo
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Publication number: 20060104417Abstract: A correction process is performed using different gain correction signals (GSA, GSB) in accordance with radiographic modes (moving image radiographic mode/still image radiographic mode) set in an X-ray imaging apparatus, respectively. This makes it possible to acquire an image with decreased correction errors even when the X-ray imaging apparatus is configured using an imaging unit having different gain characteristics in the still image radiographic mode and moving image radiographic mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 27, 2005Publication date: May 18, 2006Inventors: Toshio Kameshima, Tadao Endo, Tomoyuki Yagi, Katsuro Takenaka
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Patent number: 7042980Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 21, 2003Date of Patent: May 9, 2006Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Tadao Endo