X-ray imaging system, information processing apparatus, methods for controlling x-ray imaging system and information processing apparatus, and recording medium

• US 9,501,430 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2013
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Midkiff, Anastasia
• Application Number:
  US13/895,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20130329860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: 378/91, 378/92, 378/98.8, 378114-116, 700/1, 700/3, 710/100, 710/110, 712/28, 712/30, 712/31
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 said wireless slave device;

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

a second identification information communication unit that is associated with said 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 about said wireless slave device or about said wireless master device in a case in which said identification information intermediating unit is in the vicinity of one of said first and the second identification information communication units, and to transmit the identification information in a case in which said identification information intermediating unit is in the vicinity of the other one of said first and the second identification information communication units,

wherein the identification information intermediating unit is constituted as a different body from the first identification information communication unit and from the second identification information communication unit, and

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

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

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

said wireless master device comprises:

a verification unit configured to verify whether the identification information received from said wireless slave device matches the identification information about said wireless slave device that was acquired through said second identification information communication unit in a state in which said identification information intermediating unit intermediates, and

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

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

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

wherein said 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 said first identification information communication unit in a state in which said identification information intermediating unit intermediates,

said wireless master device comprises:

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

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

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

4. The X-ray imaging system according to claim 1, wherein said second identification information communication unit is provided in the vicinity of said X-ray tube.

5. The X-ray imaging system according to claim 1, wherein said identification information intermediating unit is configured to be worn or carried by an operator.

6. The X-ray imaging system according to claim 1, wherein said identification information intermediating unit and said first or the second identification information communication unit are configured to communicate with each other using near field wireless communication.

7. The X-ray imaging system according to claim 1, wherein said identification information intermediating unit and said first or the second identification information communication unit are configured to communicate with each other using contact-type communication, in which a human body is a communication path.

8. The X-ray imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the identification information includes a class code indicating a device class of said wireless slave device or said wireless master device, and a password that is unique to the device in question.

9. The X-ray imaging system according to claim 8, wherein if said 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, said identification information intermediating unit updates the identification information.

12. The X-ray imaging system according to claim 1, wherein said near field wireless communication is communication of at least one of TransferJet, infrared data communication and NFC.

13. The X-ray imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the first identification information communication unit and the second identification information communication unit are respectively disposed at positions where a Near Field Communication is not available.

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 first communication unit configured to communicate with said first identification information communication unit and a second identification information communication unit associated with an X-ray generating unit, upon said first identification information communication unit and the second identification information communication unit coming into sufficient proximity with each other;

a second communication unit that is different from said first communication unit and is able to communicate with said first identification information communication unit and the second identification information communication unit by a communication protocol; and

a selecting unit configured to select a set including said X-ray imaging device and the X-ray generating unit in accordance with communication by said first communication unit or said second communication unit.

11. 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 said wireless slave device;

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

a second identification information communication unit that is associated with the said 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 about said wireless slave device or about said wireless master device in a case in which said identification information intermediating unit is in the vicinity of one of said first and the second identification information communication units, and configured to transmit the identification information in a case in which said identification information intermediating unit is in the vicinity of the other one of said first and the second identification information communication units, in a case where said first identification information communication unit and said second identification information communication unit are disposed at positions relative each other such that near field wireless communication therebetween is impossible,

wherein the identification information intermediating unit is constituted as a different body from the first identification information communication unit and from the second identification information communication unit, and

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