X-RAY IMAGING SYSTEM, INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, METHODS FOR CONTROLLING X-RAY IMAGING SYSTEM AND INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20130329860A1
• Filed: 05/16/2013
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nonaka, Hideki
• Granted Patent: US 9,501,430 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/91
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4283 characterised by a detector unit being housed in a cassette
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4411 the apparatus being modular A61B6/4283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4494 Means for identifying the diagnostic device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5294 involving using additional data, e.g. patient information, image labeling, acquisition parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/545 involving automatic set-up of acquisition parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/548 Remote control of the apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/14 Handling requests for interconnection or transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2662 Arrangements for Wireless System Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/269 Master/slave synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/00 Arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter synchronisation of generators of electric oscillations or pulses H03L7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 1/56 Switching-on; Switching-off

Abstract

An X-ray imaging system comprises: an x-ray sensor including a wireless slave device and a first identification information communication unit that is associated with the wireless slave device; a wireless master device configured to wirelessly connect to the wireless slave device; a second identification information communication unit that is associated with the wireless master device and an x-ray tube that irradiates x-rays; and an identification information intermediating unit configured to receive and store identification information of the wireless slave device or on the wireless master device upon approaching one of the first and the second identification information communication units, and to transmit the identification information upon approaching the other one of the first and the second identification information communication units, wherein the wireless master device and the wireless slave device establish wireless connection based on the identification information.

Claims

1. An X-ray imaging system comprising:

an x-ray sensor including a wireless slave device and a first identification information communication unit that is associated with the wireless slave device;

a wireless master device configured to wirelessly connect to the wireless slave device;

a second identification information communication unit that is associated with the wireless master device and an x-ray tube that irradiates x-rays; and

an identification information intermediating unit configured to receive and store identification information of the wireless slave device or on the wireless master device upon approaching one of the first and the second identification information communication units, and to transmit the identification information upon approaching the other one of the first and the second identification information communication units,

wherein the wireless master device and the wireless slave device establish wireless connection based on the identification information.

2. The X-ray imaging system according to claim 1,

wherein the wireless slave device comprises a connection request transmission unit configured to transmit a wireless connection request that includes identification information of the wireless slave device,

the wireless master device comprises:

a verification unit configured to verifies if the identification information received from the wireless slave device matches the identification information of the wireless slave device that was acquired through the second identification information communication unit in a state where the identification information intermediating unit intermediates, and

a connection information transmission unit configured to transmit wireless connection information to the wireless slave device if it is confirmed by the verification unit that the identification information received from the wireless slave device is identical to the identification information of the wireless slave device acquired through the second identification information communication unit,

wherein the wireless master device and the wireless slave device establish wireless connection by the wireless slave device setting the wireless connection information received from the wireless master device in the wireless slave device.

3. The X-ray imaging system according to claim 1,

wherein the wireless slave device comprises a connection request transmission unit configured to transmit a wireless connection request that includes identification information of the wireless master device acquired through the first identification information communication unit in a state where the identification information intermediating unit intermediates,

the wireless master device comprises:

a verification unit configured to verify if identification information of the wireless master device matches the identification information of the wireless master device received from the wireless slave device; and

a connection information transmission unit configured to transmit wireless connection information to the wireless slave device if it is confirmed by the verification unit that the identification information of the wireless master device is identical to the identification information of the wireless master device received from the wireless slave device,

wherein the wireless master device and the wireless slave device establish wireless connection by the wireless slave device setting the wireless connection information received from the wireless master device in the wireless slave device.

4. The X-ray imaging system according to claim 1,

wherein the second identification information communication unit is provided in the vicinity of the x-ray tube.

5. The X-ray imaging system according to claim 1,

wherein the identification information intermediating unit is worn or carried by an operator.

6. The X-ray imaging system according to claim 1,

wherein near field wireless communication is used in communication between the identification information intermediating unit and the first or the second identification information communication unit.

7. The X-ray imaging system according to claim 1,

wherein contact-type communication, in which a human body is a communication path, is used in communication between the identification information intermediating unit and the first or the second identification information communication unit.

8. The X-ray imaging system according to claim 1,

wherein the identification information includes a class code indicating a device class of the wireless slave device or the wireless master device, and a password that is unique to the device.

9. The X-ray imaging system according to claim 8,

wherein if the identification information intermediating unit receives identification information including the same class code as the class code included in the identification information that is currently stored therein, and also including a password that is different from the password included in the identification information currently stored therein, the identification information intermediating unit updates the identification information.

10. An X-ray imaging system comprising:

an x-ray imaging device including a first identification information communication unit; and

a mobile terminal including a communication unit configured to communicate with the first identification information communication unit and a second identification information communication unit associated with an x-ray generating unit, and a selecting unit configured to select a set including the x-ray imaging device and the x-ray generating unit in accordance with communication by the communication unit.

11. An X-ray imaging system comprising:

an x-ray sensor including a wireless communication unit and a first identification information communication unit that is associated with the wireless communication unit,

a second identification information communication unit that is associated with a wireless master device wirelessly connected to the wireless slave device and with an x-ray tube configured to irradiate x-rays, and

an identification information intermediating unit configured to receive and store identification information of the wireless slave device or on the wireless master device upon approaching the wireless master device and one of the first and the second identification information communication units, and to transmit the identification information upon approaching the other one of the first and the second identification information communication units,

wherein the wireless slave device establishes wireless connection based on the identification information.

12. A method for controlling an X-ray imaging system including an x-ray sensor having a wireless slave device and a first identification information communication unit that is associated with the wireless slave device, a wireless master device configured to wirelessly connect to the wireless slave device, a second identification information communication unit that is associated with the wireless master device and with an x-ray tube that irradiates x-rays, and an identification information intermediating unit, the method comprising:

an identification information intermediating step in which the identification information intermediating unit receives and stores identification information of the wireless slave device or on the wireless master device upon approaching one of the first and the second identification information communication units, and transmits the identification information upon approaching the other one of the first and the second identification information communication units, and

an establishing step in which the wireless master device and the wireless slave device establish wireless connection based on the identification information.

13. An information processing apparatus comprising:

an identification information intermediating unit configured to receive and store identification information of a wireless slave device included in an x-ray sensor or on a wireless master device upon approaching one of a first identification information communication unit that is associated with the wireless slave device and a second identification information communication unit that is associated with the wireless master device and with an x-ray tube that irradiates x-rays, and configured to transmit the identification information upon approaching the other one of the first and the second identification information communication units.

14. A method for controlling an information processing apparatus including an identification information intermediating unit, the method comprising:

an identification information intermediating step in which the identification information intermediating unit receives and stores identification information of a wireless slave device or of a wireless master device upon approaching one of a first identification information communication unit that is associated with the wireless slave device included in an x-ray sensor and a second identification information communication unit that is associated with the wireless master device and with an x-ray tube that irradiates x-rays, and transmits the identification information upon approaching the other one of the first and the second identification information communication units.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to execute the steps of the method for controlling an information processing apparatus according to claim 14.