Radiation imaging system, method for radiation imaging system, and computer-readable storage medium

• US 8,675,624 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2010
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tachikawa, Hirohide, Iijima, Tadahiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Brian D
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TOAN D
• Application Number:
  US12/939,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20110116486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/338, 370/350, 382/128, 455/41.2, 455/187.1, 455/525
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4494 Means for identifying the diagnostic device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/548 Remote control of the apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/563 involving image data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A radiation imaging system comprises: a radiation imaging apparatus; an entry apparatus which is associated with a radiation generator; wherein the entry apparatus is configured, in response to a request received from the radiation imaging apparatus via a close proximity wireless communication connection, to send information to the radiation imaging apparatus via the close proximity wireless communication connection for connecting the radiation imaging apparatus to a wireless LAN; wherein the close proximity wireless communication connection has a communication range shorter than that of a wireless LAN; and a control unit for controlling the radiation generator and the radiation imaging apparatus, which has connected to the wireless LAN based on the information which has been sent from the entry apparatus via the close proximity wireless communication connection.

Claims

1. A radiation imaging system comprising:

a radiation imaging apparatus;

an entry apparatus which is associated with a radiation generator,

wherein said entry apparatus is configured, in response to a request received from said radiation imaging apparatus via a close proximity wireless communication connection, to send information to said radiation imaging apparatus via the close proximity wireless communication connection for connecting said radiation imaging apparatus to a wireless LAN, and

wherein the close proximity wireless communication connection has a communication range shorter than that of a wireless LAN; and

a control unit configured to control the radiation generator and said radiation imaging apparatus, which has connected to the wireless LAN based on the information which has been sent from said entry apparatus via the close proximity wireless communication connection,

wherein said control unit and said entry apparatus are connected to each other via a wired connection, and

wherein said control unit is configured to transmit the information to said radiation imaging apparatus via said entry apparatus, and said control unit is configured to receive a radiation image generated in said radiation imaging apparatus via the wireless LAN,

wherein said entry apparatus comprises an association unit configured to associate said radiation imaging apparatus with the radiation generator, and

wherein said control unit is configured to perform synchronous control of emission of radiation by the radiation generator associated by said association unit and driving of said radiation imaging apparatus.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said control unit is configured to perform control to synchronize driving of said radiation imaging apparatus, which has connected to the wireless LAN based on said information which has been sent from said entry apparatus via the close proximity wireless communication connection, with emission of radiation by the radiation generator which is associated with said entry apparatus.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said entry apparatus is configured to relay information between said radiation imaging apparatus and the wireless LAN for obtaining parameter information from the wireless LAN for establishing a wireless communication connection between said radiation imaging apparatus and the wireless LAN.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said entry apparatus is configured, when the parameter information of the wireless LAN has been updated, to re-establish the wireless communication connection between said radiation imaging apparatus and the wireless LAN based on the updated parameter information.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said control unit is configured, when a plurality of radiation imaging apparatuses are available for connection to the wireless LAN, to perform control to shift the radiation imaging apparatus which is currently connected to the wireless LAN to a power save mode, and to synchronize said radiation generator with a different one of said radiation imaging apparatuses which has requested entry to the wireless LAN via said entry apparatus.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said entry apparatus is configured to receive identification information for identifying said radiation imaging apparatus from said plurality of imaging apparatuses via the close proximity wireless communication connection, wherein said entry apparatus is configured to send the received identification information to the wireless LAN, and

wherein said entry apparatus is also configured to receive parameter information from the wireless LAN based on the identification information received from said radiation imaging apparatus which is used to establish the wireless communication connection by a first wireless communication unit between said radiation imaging apparatus and the wireless LAN, and

wherein said entry apparatus is also configured to send the parameter information to said radiation imaging apparatus, and

wherein said first wireless communication unit is configured to establish the wireless communication connection between said radiation imaging apparatus and the wireless LAN based on the parameter information.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said association unit associates said imaging apparatus with the radiation generator based on association information further communicated by the close proximity wireless communication connection.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said first wireless communication unit is configured, when the parameter information is updated, to re-establish the wireless communication connection between said radiation imaging apparatus and the wireless LAN based on the updated parameter information.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said first wireless communication unit is configured, only when the parameter information is updated and changed, to re-establish the wireless communication connection between said radiation imaging apparatus and the wireless LAN based on the updated parameter information, only when the parameter information is updated and changed.

10. The system according to claim 8, further comprising an input unit configured to establish the close proximity wireless communication connection between said entry apparatus and said radiation imaging apparatus, and

a determination unit configured, when said input unit initializes close proximity wireless communication connection processing while a previous wireless communication connection is currently established by said first wireless communication unit, to determine whether identification information of said radiation imaging apparatus, which is requesting entry to the wireless LAN through said entry apparatus by initializing the close proximity wireless communication processing, matches identification information of said radiation imaging apparatus to which wireless communication is currently established,

wherein said determination unit is configured, when said determination unit determines that the identification information matches, to terminate processing of re-establishing the wireless communication connection by said first wireless communication unit.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said control unit is configured, when wireless communication connection is re-established between said radiation imaging apparatus and the wireless LAN, to issue an instruction to shift said radiation imaging apparatus which is connected to the wireless LAN before re-establishment of the wireless communication connection to one of a communication pause mode, a communication disconnection mode, and a low power consumption mode, and

said radiation imaging apparatus to which wireless communication connection has been established before wireless communication connection is re-established is configured to execute processing of shifting to one of a communication pause mode, a communication disconnection mode, and a low power consumption mode based on the instruction.

12. A method for a radiation imaging system comprising:

in response to a request received from a radiation imaging apparatus via a close proximity wireless communication connection, sending information from an entry apparatus associated with a radiation generator to the radiation imaging apparatus via the close proximity wireless communication connection for connecting the radiation imaging apparatus to a wireless LAN,

wherein the close proximity wireless communication connection has a communication range shorter than that of a wireless LAN; and

causing a control unit to controlling said the radiation generator and the imaging apparatus which has connected to the wireless LAN based on the information which has been sent from the entry apparatus via the close proximity wireless communication connection,

wherein the control unit and the entry apparatus are connected to each other via a wired connection;

causing the control unit to transmit the information to the radiation imaging apparatus via the entry apparatus, and to receive a radiation image generated in the radiation imaging apparatus via the wireless LAN;

causing an association unit to associate the radiation imaging apparatus with the radiation generator; and

causing the control unit to perform synchronous control of emission of radiation by the radiation generator associated with the radiation generator by the association unit and driving of the radiation imaging apparatus.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program for causing a computer to execute the method according to claim 12.

14. A radiation imaging system comprising:

a radiation imaging apparatus;

an entry apparatus which is associated with a radiation generator,

wherein said entry apparatus is configured, in response to a request received from said radiation imaging apparatus via a close proximity wireless communication connection, to send information to said radiation imaging apparatus via the close proximity wireless communication connection for connecting said radiation imaging apparatus to a wireless LAN, and

wherein the close proximity wireless communication connection has a communication range shorter than that of a wireless LAN; and

a control unit configured to control the radiation generator and said radiation imaging apparatus, which has connected to the wireless LAN based on the information which has been sent from said entry apparatus via the close proximity wireless communication connection,

wherein said entry apparatus comprises an association unit configured to associate said radiation imaging apparatus with the radiation generator, and

said control unit is configured to perform synchronous control of emission of radiation by the radiation generator associated by said association unit and driving of said radiation imaging apparatus.