DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Objections
Claim 19 is objected to because of the following informalities: please correct the end of line 3 to read “the method comprising:”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 2 recites language that is unintelligible and the scope of the claim cannot be reasonably ascertained. Clams 3-6 depend on claim 2.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2020/0166659 (Fujiyoshi).
Regarding claim 1, Fujiyoshi disclose a radiation imaging apparatus comprising:
a radiation detecting panel in which a plurality of pixels including a first kind of pixel ([0024], Fig. 1, imaging pixels 101) and a second kind of pixel ([0024], Fig. 1, detection pixels 104 used to monitor a radiation irradiation dose) are arranged in a matrix (Fig. 1);
a unit configured to obtain a cumulative dose information by performing dose detecting operation for reading charge of the second kind of pixel a plurality of times in a situation where radiation is irradiated and charge is accumulated in the first kind of pixel ([0032] and [0040]-[0043]);
a unit configured to perform processing of stopping the dose detecting operation and stopping the irradiation of radiation based on a combination of a first threshold condition and the cumulative dose information or a combination of a second threshold condition and the cumulative dose information ([0032] and [0040]-[0043]); and
a unit configured to read the charge of each of the first kind of pixel and the second kind of pixel and obtain a radiation image [0043].
Regarding claim 2, Fujiyoshi disclose the radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the second threshold condition increases with time; and relationship between the first threshold condition and the second threshold condition becomes from relationship in which the second threshold condition is equal to or smaller than the first threshold condition to relationship in which the second threshold condition is greater than the first threshold condition, with time ((Fig. 6, [0042], [0051], [0058]).
Regarding claim 3, Fujiyoshi disclose the radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second threshold condition is determined based on delay time from output of a stop signal for stopping the irradiation of radiation up to a stop of the irradiation of radiation (Fig. 6, [0042], [0051], [0058]).
Regarding claim 4, Fujiyoshi disclose the radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the delay time includes communication delay time of the stop signal and delay time for control of stopping the irradiation of radiation (Fig. 6, [0042], [0051], [0058]).
Regarding claim 5, Fujiyoshi disclose the radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second threshold condition increases with time based on start time of the irradiation of radiation (Fig. 6, [0042], [0051], [0058]).
Regarding claim 6, Fujiyoshi disclose the radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the start time of the irradiation of radiation is time at which the cumulative dose information is equal to or greater than a third threshold condition different from the first and second threshold conditions (Fig. 6, [0042], [0051], [0058]).
Regarding claim 7, Fujiyoshi disclose the radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the unit configured to perform the processing of stopping the irradiation of radiation: calculates waiting time until irradiated dose of the radiation exceeds the second threshold condition by using elapsed time at time when the dose detecting operation is stopped and the cumulative dose information; and performs the processing of stopping the irradiation of radiation if the waiting time has elapsed from the elapsed time (Fig. 6, [0042], [0051], [0058]).
Regarding claim 8, Fujiyoshi disclose the radiation imaging apparatus of claim 7, wherein the unit configured to perform the processing of stopping the irradiation of radiation: calculates the waiting time by further using target dose and delay time from output of a stop signal for stopping the irradiation of radiation up to a stop of the irradiation of radiation; and performs the processing of stopping the irradiation of radiation if the waiting time has elapsed from the elapsed time (Fig. 6, [0042], [0051], [0058]).
Regarding claim 9, Fujiyoshi disclose the radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the unit configured to perform the processing of stopping the irradiation of radiation determines whether waiting time until the processing of stopping the irradiation of radiation is performed has elapsed by using the cumulative dose information, elapsed time at time when the dose detecting operation is stopped, and the second threshold condition (Fig. 6, [0042], [0051], [0058]).
Regarding claim 10, Fujiyoshi disclose the radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the unit configured to perform the processing of stopping the irradiation of radiation: determines dose per one sampling time of the dose detection operation by using the cumulative dose information and the elapsed time; adds the dose per one sampling time to the cumulative dose information for each sampling time; determines that the waiting time has elapsed if the cumulative value of dose to which the dose per one sampling time is added is equal to or greater than the second threshold condition (Fig. 6, [0042], [0051], [0058]).
Regarding claim 11, Fujiyoshi disclose the radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a unit configured to change a threshold used for the processing of stopping the irradiation of radiation from the second threshold condition to the first threshold condition based on elapsed time from start of the irradiation of radiation (Fig. 6, [0042], [0051], [0058]).
Regarding claim 12, Fujiyoshi disclose the radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 11, wherein: the second threshold condition increases with time; relationship between the first threshold condition and the second threshold condition becomes from relationship in which the second threshold condition is equal to or smaller than the first threshold condition to relationship in which the second threshold condition is greater than the first threshold condition, with time; and the unit configured to change the threshold used for the processing of stopping the irradiation of radiation changes the threshold used for the processing of stopping the irradiation of radiation from the second threshold condition to the first threshold condition if the second threshold condition is greater than the first threshold condition at the elapsed time (Fig. 6, [0042], [0051], [0058]).
Regarding claim 13, Fujiyoshi disclose the radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first threshold condition is a threshold for accumulating charge used to generate the radiation image in the second kind of pixel (Fig. 6, [0042], [0051], [0058]).
Regarding claim 14, Fujiyoshi disclose the radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first threshold condition is determined based on a predetermined rate of target dose (Fig. 6, [0042], [0051], [0058]).
Regarding claim 15, Fujiyoshi disclose the radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first threshold condition is determined based on an absolute amount of dose required to generate the radiation image (Fig. 6, [0042], [0051], [0058]).
Regarding claim 16, Fujiyoshi disclose the radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first threshold condition decreases with time based on start time of the irradiation of radiation (Fig. 6, [0042], [0051], [0058]).
Regarding claim 17, Fujiyoshi disclose the radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: each of the plurality of pixels includes a detection element arranged to detect the radiation and a switch element arranged to switch output of a signal from the detection element, the unit configured to stop the dose detecting operation stops the reading of the charge from the second kind of pixel by turning off the switch element of the second kind of pixel (Fig. 6, [0042], [0051], [0058]).
Regarding claim 18, Fujiyoshi disclose a radiation imaging system comprising: a controlling apparatus configured to control a radiation generating apparatus arranged to generate radiation; and the radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1 (Fig. 6, [0042], [0051], [0058]).
Regarding claim 19, Fujiyoshi disclose a method of controlling a radiation imaging apparatus comprising a radiation detecting panel in which a plurality of pixels including a first kind of pixel and a second kind of pixel are arranged in a matrix, the method comprising:
obtaining a cumulative dose information by performing a dose detecting operation for reading charge of the second kind of pixel a plurality of times in a situation where radiation is irradiated and charge is accumulated in the first kind of pixel ([0032] and [0040]-[0043]);
performing processing of stopping the dose detecting operation and stopping the irradiation of radiation based on a combination of a first threshold condition and the cumulative dose information or a combination of a second threshold condition and the cumulative dose information ([0032] and [0040]-[0043]); and
reading the charge of each of the first kind of pixel and the second kind of pixel and obtain a radiation image [0043].
Regarding claim 20, Fujiyoshi disclose a radiation imaging apparatus comprising:
a radiation detecting panel in which a plurality of pixels including a first kind of pixel ([0024], Fig. 1, imaging pixels 101) and a second kind of pixel ([0024], Fig. 1, detection pixels 104 used to monitor a radiation irradiation dose) are arranged in a matrix (Fig. 1);
a unit configured to obtain a cumulative dose information by performing dose detecting operation for reading charge of the second kind of pixel a plurality of times in a situation where radiation is irradiated and charge is accumulated in the first kind of pixel ([0032] and [0040]-[0043]);
a unit configured to perform processing of stopping the dose detecting operation and stopping the irradiation of radiation based on a combination of a first threshold condition and the cumulative dose information or a combination of a second threshold condition and the cumulative dose information ([0032] and [0040]-[0043]);
a unit configured to perform processing of stopping the irradiation of radiation based on a second threshold condition and the cumulative dose information ([0032] and [0040]-[0043]); and
a unit configured to read the charge of each of the first kind of pixel and the second kind of pixel and obtain a radiation image [0043].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANI FOX whose telephone number is (571)272-3513. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9-5.
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/DANI FOX/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2884
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