Imaging method comprising moving an image sensor along a first direction among a plurality of positions relative to a scene and capturing partial image of the scene respectively at the plurality of positions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12303316-B2
Application number	US-202318196004-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2023
Priority date	Nov 25, 2020
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method comprising: moving an image sensor along a first direction among a plurality of positions relative to a scene and capturing partial images of the scene respectively at the plurality of positions; forming an image of the scene from the partial images; wherein the image sensor has an active area and a dead zone; wherein the dead zone extends along a second direction; wherein the second direction is at an angle with the first direction; wherein each point in the scene falls on the dead zone no more than once when the image sensor is at the plurality of positions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
moving an image sensor along a first direction among a plurality of positions relative to a scene and capturing partial images of the scene respectively at the plurality of positions; and
forming an image of the scene from the partial images;
wherein the image sensor has an active area and a dead zone;
wherein the dead zone extends along a second direction;
wherein the second direction is at an angle with the first direction; and
wherein each point in the scene falls on the dead zone no more than once when the image sensor is at the plurality of positions.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dead zone extends across the active area.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dead zone divides the active area into multiple spatially discontinuous portions.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor comprises a plurality of radiation detectors.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of radiation detectors overlap one another.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the plurality of radiation detectors has an edge parallel to the first direction.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the plurality of radiation detectors comprises:
a radiation absorption layer comprising an electric contact;
a first voltage comparator configured to compare a voltage of the electric contact to a first threshold;
a second voltage comparator configured to compare the voltage to a second threshold;
a counter configured to register a number of particles of radiation incident on the radiation absorption layer;
a controller;
wherein the controller is configured to start a time delay from a time at which the first voltage comparator determines that an absolute value of the voltage equals or exceeds an absolute value of the first threshold;
wherein the controller is configured to activate the second voltage comparator during the time delay; and
wherein the controller is configured to cause at least one of the numbers of particles of radiation to increase by one, when the second voltage comparator determines that an absolute value of the voltage equals or exceeds an absolute value of the second threshold.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the image sensor further comprises an integrator electrically connected to the electric contact, wherein the integrator is configured to collect charge carriers from the electric contact.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to activate the second voltage comparator at a beginning or an expiration of the time delay.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to connect the electric contact to an electrical ground.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein a rate of change of the voltage is substantially zero at an expiration of the time delay.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the radiation absorption layer comprises single-crystalline silicon.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the image sensor does not comprise a scintillator.

14. The method of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of radiation detectors is arranged on a planar surface of a support, and wherein radiation-receiving surfaces of the plurality of radiation detectors are tilted relative to the planar surface of the support.

15. The method of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of radiation detectors comprises a first radiation detector and a second radiation detector, wherein the first radiation detector is arranged in a different orientation than the second radiation detector.

16. The method of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of radiation detectors comprises a first radiation detector and a second radiation detector, wherein the first radiation detector has an edge parallel to the first direction and the second radiation detector has an edge parallel to the second direction.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming projections of guard rings in the partial images.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor comprises a plurality of pixels; wherein the image sensor is configured to count numbers of particles of radiation incident on the plurality of pixels, within a period of time.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the particles of radiation are X-ray photons.

Assignees

• Shenzhen Xpectvision Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Liu Yurun
• Cao Peiyan

Classifications

• G01T1/24

  with semiconductor detectors · CPC title

• A61B6/4208 Primary

  characterised by using a particular type of detector · CPC title

• G01N23/04

  and forming images of the material · CPC title

• G01T1/2928

  using solid state detectors · CPC title

• G01T1/243

  Modular detectors, e.g. arrays formed from self contained units (constructional or manufacturing details H10W90/00) · CPC title