Radiographic apparatus, radiographic system, information processing apparatus, control method of radiographic apparatus, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To know whether or not acquisition of information on a posture is necessary at an appropriate timing in a radiographic apparatus.SOLUTION: A radiographic apparatus for performing radiography based on an emitted radioactive ray includes: a radioactive ray detector for detecting a radioactive ray; a sensor part for outputting data that serves as a base of information on a posture of the radiographic apparatus; and a determination part for determining reliability of the information on a posture using a threshold on the reliability of the information on the posture acquired on the basis of the data output from the sensor and an evaluation value generated on the basis of the information on the radiographic apparatus including the information on the posture.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a radiation imaging apparatus, a radiation imaging system, an information processing apparatus, a control method for a radiation imaging apparatus, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, radiography devices using X-rays and other radiation for medical image diagnosis and non-destructive testing that have flat panel detectors (FPDs) made of semiconductor materials are in widespread use. Such radiography devices are combined with a radiation generator or the like that generates radiation and are also used as radiography systems.

[0003] As a function of such a radiation imaging system, a function has been put into practical use to derive the attitudes of the radiation generating device and the radiation imaging device and display them on a display unit, etc. These functions are used to support the alignment of the irradiation field surface of the radiation irradiated from the radiation generating device and the entrance surface of the radiation imaging device.

[0004] For example, an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor is used to derive the attitude or information about the attitude of the radiation generating device and the radiation imaging device. These sensors are provided in both devices, and the attitude (position, angle) of each device is derived from the acceleration, which is the output value of the acceleration sensor, and the angular velocity, which is the output value of the gyro sensor. However, the attitude of the device obtained from these sensors is the sum of the amount of change, and if the reference attitude before the change (hereinafter referred to as the reference attitude) is unknown, the current attitude of the device cannot be obtained correctly.

[0005] In order to avoid such problems, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a radiographic imaging system provided with an input unit for setting a reference posture in a radiographic imaging device and an alignment ruler that is a structure for determining a position. In this radiographic imaging system, when the radiographic imaging device is butted against the alignment ruler, the user can instruct the setting of the reference posture through the input unit, thereby setting the reference posture. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-045647 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in the radiation image capturing system disclosed in Patent Document 1, the user is required to appropriately determine the mutual attitude or to acquire information regarding the attitude of the radiation generating device and the radiation capturing device. Since the acceleration sensor and the gyro sensor obtain the accumulated amount of each attitude, there is a risk that the accumulated amount of change will differ depending on the timing at which the user attempts to obtain the attitude of these devices. This difference may cause a user to take a photograph by referring to information about a posture with a large error, which may lead to an error in taking a photograph.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of such phenomena, and has as one of its objects to determine, in a radiation imaging system, at an appropriate timing, whether or not it is necessary to acquire information regarding posture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problem, a radiation imaging apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: A radiation imaging apparatus for performing radiation imaging based on irradiated radiation, A radiation detection unit that detects the radiation; a sensor unit that outputs data that is a basis for information regarding the posture of the radiation imaging apparatus; a determination unit that determines reliability of the information regarding the posture using a threshold value regarding reliability of the information regarding the posture obtained based on data output from a sensor and an evaluation value generated based on information regarding the radiation imaging apparatus including the information regarding the posture; Equipped with. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, in a radiation imaging system, it is possible to know at an appropriate timing whether or not it is necessary to acquire information regarding posture. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a radiation imaging system according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a coordinate system of an attitude angle according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a flow of determining the reliability of information regarding a posture according to the first embodiment; [Figure 4] 1 is an example of a GUI display of a warning of a decrease in reliability according to the first embodiment; [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a flow of determining the reliability of information regarding a posture according to the second embodiment; [Figure 6] 13 is an example of a GUI display that prompts a user to reset the reference attitude according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a flow of determining the reliability of information related to a posture according to the third embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a flow of a method for correcting information regarding posture according to a fourth embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a flow of another correction method for information regarding posture according to the fourth embodiment; [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a flow of a method for correcting information regarding posture according to the fifth embodiment; [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a flow of a method for correcting information about the attitude in a ready state according to the fifth embodiment; [Figure 12] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a flow of a method for correcting information regarding posture according to the sixth embodiment; [Figure 13] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a flow of determining the reliability of information regarding the posture in a sleep state according to the sixth embodiment; [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating another example of the configuration of a radiation imaging system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the positions of components described in the following embodiments are arbitrary and can be changed according to the configuration of an apparatus to which the present disclosure is applied or various conditions. In addition, the same reference numerals are used in the drawings to indicate identical or functionally similar elements.

[0013] In the following embodiments, a radiography system using X-rays as an example of radiation will be described, but the radiography system according to the present disclosure may use other types of radiation. Here, the term radiation includes electromagnetic radiation such as X-rays and gamma rays, as well as particle radiation such as alpha rays, beta rays, particle beams, proton beams, heavy ion beams, and meson beams.

[0014] (First embodiment) A radiation imaging device, a radiation imaging system, an information processing device, a method for controlling a radiation imaging device, and an information processing method according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a radiation imaging system 1 according to this embodiment. The radiation imaging system 1 includes a radiation imaging device 10, a repeater 11, a radiation generating device 13, and a communication unit 14, which are arranged in an imaging room where an image of a subject (not shown) is captured. The radiation imaging system 1 further includes a control device 12 arranged in an operation room where imaging is operated. Note that, although shown here as separate entities, the control unit 100 of the radiation imaging device 10 and the control device 12 may be integrated.

[0015] The radiation imaging apparatus 10 includes a control unit 100, a radiation detection unit 101, a sensor unit 102, a posture derivation unit 103, a storage unit 104, a communication unit 105, a power generation unit 106, a secondary battery 107, and a posture reliability determination unit 108. The radiation imaging apparatus 10 communicates with the communication unit 14, and can communicate with the control device 12 via a repeater 11. Note that, although FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which the radiation imaging apparatus 10 performs wireless communication, it is also possible for the radiation imaging apparatus 10 to perform wired communication. In that case, the radiation imaging apparatus 10 is connected to the repeater 11 by wire, not via the communication unit 14.

[0016] The radiation detection unit 101 has a function of detecting radiation that is emitted from the radiation generation device 13 and passes through a subject (not shown) and generating digital data relating to a radiation image of the subject. The radiation detection unit 101 may use an indirect conversion type radiation detector that converts radiation into light by a phosphor and then converts this into an electric charge, or may use a direct conversion type radiation detector that directly converts radiation into an electric charge.

[0017] The sensor unit 102 acquires acceleration and angular velocity as data for deriving the attitude angle of the radiation imaging apparatus 10. In this embodiment, the sensor unit 102 is configured with a 6-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU) including, for example, an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor. Note that the 6-axis IMU is an example, and any configuration including an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor, such as a 9-axis IMU including a geomagnetic sensor, can be used as the sensor unit 102. In addition, when a geomagnetic sensor is also included, the output of the geomagnetic sensor can be used to derive the attitude angle of the radiation imaging apparatus 10. The radiation imaging apparatus 10 can obtain information for deriving the attitude angle and position of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 from the sensor unit 102 and output it. For example, the attitude is derived using a gyro sensor by accumulating (integrating) the angular velocity in a short time obtained from the gyro sensor. Moreover, the attitude is derived using an acceleration sensor by integrating the acceleration obtained from the acceleration sensor once to derive the velocity at a certain time, and then integrating the velocity once more to derive the displacement (position). In the following explanation, the attitude angle and position information are collectively referred to as "information about the attitude".

[0018] The attitude derivation unit 103 derives information about the attitude of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 using the acceleration and angular velocity acquired from the sensor unit 102. The information about the attitude is derived from the attitude angle and position of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 at a certain point in time (hereinafter referred to as a reference attitude) and data such as the acceleration and angular velocity acquired from the sensor unit 102.

[0019] The control unit 100 performs overall control of the entire system of the radiation imaging apparatus 10, such as drive control of the radiation detection unit 101, conversion of digital data obtained by the radiation detection unit 101 into an image, correction processing, and control of the communication unit 105. The control unit 100 is configured, for example, with a circuit board having a CPU, GPU, FPGA, etc. Note that the control unit 100 may be configured to assume the function of the attitude derivation unit 103, or the functions of the control unit 100 and the attitude derivation unit 103 may be realized in different functional areas of the same unit.

[0020] The storage unit 104 includes a non-volatile memory capable of storing a control program, image data, control parameters, and an operation log of the radiation imaging apparatus 10. Note that, although a non-volatile memory is given here as an example of the storage unit 104, the storage unit 104 is not limited thereto and may be a volatile memory.

[0021] The communication unit 105 has a function for communicating with other devices arranged independently of the radiation imaging apparatus 10. The communication unit 105 can transmit and receive various information to and from other devices through wired or wireless communication. The power generation unit 106 generates various power supply voltages and currents required for the operation of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 from power supplied from the secondary battery 107, and supplies power to each unit. The secondary battery 107 functions as a power source for operating each unit described above. The secondary battery 107 may be detachable, or may be built into the housing of the radiation imaging apparatus 10. For example, a lithium ion battery or an electric double layer capacitor can be used as the secondary battery 107.

[0022] The posture reliability determination unit 108 determines the accuracy of the posture information calculated by the posture derivation unit 103. Since the posture information is derived from the reference posture and the time integral value of the acceleration and angular velocity acquired by the sensor unit 102, there is a possibility that errors will accumulate due to various factors and reliability will decrease. In this case, it is necessary to reset the reference posture to reset the accuracy. The posture reliability determination unit 108 determines whether the reliability of the posture information calculated by the posture derivation unit 103 is sufficient for performing radiation imaging.

[0023] The repeater 11 has a switching hub function, and in this embodiment, for example, connects the radiation imaging apparatus 10, the control device 12, and the radiation generation apparatus 13 to a network. The repeater 11 also has a relay function for transmitting operation information of the radiation generation apparatus 13 to the radiation imaging apparatus 10, and for example, for exchanging signals related to control of the timing of radiation exposure and detection.

[0024] The control device 12 includes a control unit 120, a communication unit 121, a storage unit 122, a display unit 123, and an operation unit 124. The control unit 120 has a display control function for controlling the display of the display unit 123. The control unit 120 also controls the communication unit 121, which receives operation information from the operation unit 124 and performs a function of displaying the information on the display unit 123 and transmitting and receiving signals to control the radiation imaging apparatus 10. The communication unit 121 has a function for communicating with other devices such as the radiation imaging apparatus 10. The communication unit 121 transmits and receives various information such as operation information and captured images to and from other devices through wired or wireless communication.

[0025] The storage unit 122 is capable of storing the control program, captured image data, control parameters, operation logs, etc. of the control device 12, and is provided with a non-volatile memory. Note that, although a non-volatile memory is given here as an example, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a volatile memory may be used. The display unit 123 is provided with a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for operating the radiation imaging device 10, and a user can operate the GUI by an operation unit 124. Note that, under the control of the control unit 120, the display unit 123 can display information such as errors and warnings to the user, display posture information calculated by the posture derivation unit 103, and the like.

[0026] The control device 12 has a function of acquiring information indicating the state of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 at a predetermined timing and displaying the information on a display unit 123 including a display or the like to inform the user. In addition, the control device 12 can control the state of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 from within the above-mentioned operation room, for example, by using a GUI of the display unit 123.

[0027] The radiation generating device 13 controls the irradiation of radiation from a radiation source (not shown) under preset radiation irradiation conditions. The irradiation of radiation from the radiation source can also be executed by the radiation generating device 13 in response to a user's instruction via a GUI using a display or a touch panel or by pressing a radiation irradiation switch.

[0028] One example of a method for photographing a subject is a method in which the radiation generating device 13 and the radiation imaging device 10 are synchronized. In this case, input information input via a switch or the like is transmitted to the radiation imaging device 10 by the repeater 11. The radiation generating device 13 then irradiates radiation after receiving irradiation permission information from the radiation imaging device 10. The radiation generating device 13 can also receive information on the attitude of the radiation imaging device 10 and information on the position angle relative to the radiation source from the control device 12 or the radiation imaging device 10, and display the information on a display device such as a display unit 123, such as a display or a touch panel.

[0029] The communication between the above-mentioned devices may be based on a communication standard such as RS232C, USB, or Ethernet (registered trademark), or may be communication using a dedicated signal line. Moreover, this communication may be wired communication or wireless communication.

[0030] Next, the operation of each part when imaging is performed using the radiation imaging system 1 will be described. The user turns on the power of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 to make it ready for imaging. Next, the user adjusts the position of the subject and the irradiation area of ​​the radiation irradiated from the radiation source. Information on the attitude angle of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 and information on the relative position and angle with respect to the radiation source are used as auxiliary information for the position adjustment. This information can be displayed on the display unit 123 of the control device 12.

[0031] The radiation generating device 13 controls the radiation source to irradiate radiation toward the radiation imaging device 10 in response to, for example, pressing the radiation irradiation switch described above. The radiation irradiated from the radiation source passes through the subject and then enters the radiation imaging device 10. The radiation imaging device 10 generates image data corresponding to the incident radiation by the control unit 100, and transmits this image data to the control device 12 in the operation room via the communication unit 105. The control device 12 displays the received image data on the display unit 123. The user of the radiation imaging system 1 can check the image displayed on the display unit 123 and determine whether or not re-imaging is required. If the user determines that the displayed image is normal, he or she prepares to image another subject using the same procedure.

[0032] Next, an outline of a method for deriving information on the attitude of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 by the attitude derivation unit 103 using information obtained from the sensor unit 102 will be described. Fig. 2 shows an example of a method for expressing an attitude angle based on the direction of gravity. If the x and y axes of the sensor of the sensor unit 102 are perpendicular to gravity and the z axis is parallel to it, the attitude angle is expressed as roll, pitch, and yaw, respectively, as rotations around the orthogonal x, y, and z axes.

[0033] The attitude angle is calculated using a Madgwick filter for acceleration and angular velocity. The Madgwick filter is a calculation method that enables highly accurate calculation using quaternions from acceleration and angular velocity information. However, since the yaw angle does not provide rotation direction information from acceleration information, angle information that serves as a reference attitude for starting attitude calculation is required. The roll angle and pitch angle can be calculated from acceleration information based on the direction of gravity, so they can be calculated even if there is no reference angle. Note that, although an example of using a Madgwick filter has been described in this embodiment, the filter is not limited to this, and a complementary filter, a Kalman filter, or the like may be used.

[0034] Furthermore, the attitude angle may be calculated by performing the calculation shown in the following formula 1 using only the angular velocity without using a filter. Formula 1 performs a calculation by adding an amount of movement equal to the integrated value of the angular velocity to a reference angle. Here, the angle is θ(0), the time interval for measuring the angular velocity for the angle at time t after the reference angle is set is Δt, and the number of measurements is n (the relationship is t = n × Δt). In this case, the roll, pitch, and yaw angles at time t can be found by performing the calculation of formula 1 for each of the x, y, and z axes.

number

[0035] The position information of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 can be obtained by calculating the moving speed from the time integral of the acceleration as shown in the following formula 2, and further performing the time integration of the moving speed shown in formula 3 for each of the x, y, and z axes.

number

number

[0036] Since the sensor unit 102 rotates, it is necessary to perform calculations by correcting the x, y, and z directions with the rotation information at the attitude angle obtained above. Also, v(0) is 0 when starting from a stopped state, but it is necessary to set a reference position for the start. The reference position is obtained by setting relative coordinates with the radiation generating device 13 so that the distance (SID) between the radiation generating device 13 and the radiation imaging device 10 can be determined. It is to be noted that the reference position may be obtained by directly setting relative coordinates with the radiation generating device 13, but it is also possible to provide a relative position with respect to an arbitrary object or a specific location in the examination room as the reference position.

[0037] The reference attitude can be manually input and set by the user through the operation unit 124. Alternatively, a location where the position and rotation information is known may be stored in the storage unit 104 as a home position, and the reference attitude may be set when the radiation imaging apparatus 10 is placed at the home position. Alternatively, when power can be supplied from the outside to the radiation imaging apparatus 10, the reference attitude may be set assuming that the radiation imaging apparatus 10 is placed at the home position when power supply from the outside is detected. Furthermore, when an imaging means such as a camera is attached to the radiation generation apparatus 13, and relative attitude information between the radiation imaging apparatus 10 and the radiation generation apparatus 13 can be analyzed from an image of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 acquired by the camera, the reference attitude may be set based on the relative attitude information. Note that the method for setting the reference attitude is not limited to one of these, and any of these methods or a combination of these methods may be used.

[0038] Next, the posture reliability determination unit 108 will be described. In this embodiment, the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines whether the reliability of the information on the posture obtained from the posture derivation unit 103 has decreased below a threshold (hereinafter referred to as a reliability decrease). For example, the reliability decrease can be determined based on the elapsed time since the reference posture was last set. When calculating the information on the posture, the calculation process includes a time integral calculation, so that the amount of calculation increases as time passes and errors accumulate. Therefore, in order to determine the allowable error range in advance, a maximum allowable elapsed time is set in advance as a threshold, and this is stored in the storage unit 104. For example, when the maximum allowable elapsed time is set to one hour, if one hour has passed since the reference posture was last set, the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines that the reliability has decreased. Here, the maximum allowable elapsed time of one hour is one example, and is a value that can be arbitrarily set by the user.

[0039] The reliability degradation can also be determined based on the sum of the movement amount and rotation amount of the sensor unit 102 since the reference posture was last set. The calculation process of the information on the posture is the sum of the time integral from the reference posture, so that the calculation amount increases as the movement amount and rotation amount increase, and the allowable accumulated error becomes larger. Therefore, in order to determine the allowable error range in advance, the allowable calculated movement amount and rotation amount are set as thresholds and stored in the storage unit 104. When the movement amount and rotation amount calculated by the posture derivation unit 103 exceed the values, the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines that the reliability is decreased. The values ​​set in the storage unit 104 can be set, for example, to a movement amount of 1 m and a rotation amount of 360 degrees. However, the values ​​of the movement amount and rotation amount are only examples and can be arbitrarily set by the user. In addition, although the movement amount and rotation amount are exemplified here, they may be treated as the change amount of the posture and position of the radiation imaging device 10 related to them. In this case, the sum of the change amount of the posture and position may be set as the threshold.

[0040] Furthermore, the reliability degradation can also be determined based on the average value of at least one of the acceleration and angular velocity output from the sensor unit 102 since the reference posture was last set. When the output values ​​of the acceleration and angular velocity are small, the output values ​​are easily affected by data noise, etc., and if calculations are continued in this state, the error tends to increase. Therefore, in order to determine the allowable error range in advance, a minimum allowable output average value is set in advance as a threshold value, which is stored in the storage unit 104. Then, when the output average value of the sensor unit 102 since the reference posture was last set falls below that value, the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines that the reliability has decreased.

[0041] Furthermore, the reliability degradation can be determined based on the presence or absence of an impact on the sensor unit 102 since the reference posture was last set. The acceleration and angular velocity output by the sensor may be significantly deviated or fluctuated due to an external impact. Therefore, an acceptable impact value is set in advance, and at least one of the acceleration and angular velocity corresponding thereto, for example, a fluctuation value, is stored in the storage unit 104 as a threshold value. Then, when at least one of the acceleration and angular velocity detected after the reference posture was last set exceeds that value, the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines that the reliability is degraded. Here, the acceptable impact value is obtained based on, for example, the square root of the sum of the squares of the x, y, and z axes, and the presence or absence of an impact can be determined based on whether or not the value of the square root exceeds 10G. However, the impact value of 10G is an example, and is a value that can be arbitrarily set by the user. The calculation method of the impact value is also an example, and it may be determined that an impact exists when the output of each value of the acceleration and angular velocity of each axis exceeds a predetermined value, for example.

[0042] Here, the threshold value used to determine the reliability degradation set in the storage unit 104 can be changed depending on the photography technique. For example, in the case of a photography technique that requires angle precision, such as skyline photography, the threshold value for determining the reliability degradation can be set strict so that the user can be notified of the reliability degradation at an early stage.

[0043] The method of determining the reliability degradation is not limited to the above-mentioned methods. For example, these methods may be used in combination, and by selecting one or more of the methods, the reliability degradation can be determined more accurately.

[0044] Next, a method for calculating information about posture and determining the reliability of the calculated value, and an example of how the determination result is used will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 3. When the calculation of posture information is started, first, in step S300, the posture reliability determination unit 108 sets a reference posture for calculating posture information. Information about a posture that is determined in advance at the home position of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 is set as the reference posture. When the reference posture is set, the posture reliability determination unit 108 transitions the flow to step S301.

[0045] In step S301, the posture derivation unit 103 calculates information about the posture of the radiation imaging apparatus 10. The calculated posture information is passed to the control device 12 via the communication unit 105, and the control device 12 controls the display unit 123 as a display control unit to display the obtained posture information on the display unit 123. After displaying the posture information, the posture reliability determination unit 108 transitions the flow to step S302.

[0046] In step S302, posture reliability determination unit 108 determines the reliability of the information on the posture calculated by posture derivation unit 103. The reliability determination is performed by any of the methods described above or a combination of some of these methods. When the determination result is obtained, posture reliability determination unit 108 transitions the flow to step S303.

[0047] In step S303, the flow changes its destination depending on the result of the determination of the reliability of the information on the posture. If the posture reliability determination unit 108 does not determine that the reliability has decreased, the flow returns to step S301, and the posture information is calculated and displayed again. Note that the interval for calculating the posture information during this period can be set arbitrarily by the user. If the reliability has been determined to have decreased, the posture reliability determination unit 108 transmits the determination result to the control device 12, and the flow proceeds to step S304.

[0048] In step S304, the control device 12 displays a message shown in FIG. 4(a) on the display unit 123 as, for example, a GUI display, in order to notify the user of a warning that the accuracy of posture calculation has decreased and the need for resetting. FIG. 4(a) is a diagram illustrating one example of a message displayed on the display screen of the display unit 123. When the warning message is displayed, the posture reliability determination unit 108 transitions the flow to step S305. Note that the manner of notifying the user of the warning is not limited to displaying such a message, and may be, for example, by a warning sound such as a buzzer or a voice announcement. In this embodiment, the display unit 123 functions as a notification unit that notifies the user of a warning or the like in this disclosure.

[0049] In step S305, the posture reliability determination unit 108 checks whether the reference position has been reset. If the reference position has been reset, the flow returns to step S301. Then, in step S301, posture-related information is calculated again and the calculation result is displayed. If the reference position has not been reset, the flow proceeds to step S306.

[0050] In step S306, the calculated information on the posture is in a state of reduced reliability, and it is assumed that appropriate radiation imaging cannot be performed in this state. Therefore, in step S306, future posture calculation is stopped, and the information on the posture is hidden on the display unit 123. FIG. 4(b) shows an example of a GUI display in this case. Here, as described above, the pitch angle and roll angle can be calculated from the acceleration and angular velocity information, and a reference posture is not necessarily required, so that a decrease in reliability does not occur. For this reason, in the example shown in FIG. 4(b), these displays are left, but the display example is not limited to this, and it is sufficient if the user can recognize that the reliability is reduced, such as by hiding all the information. When the process of step S306 is completed, a series of processes for the calculation of the information on the posture and the use of the results are completed.

[0051] In this embodiment, for example, resetting of the reference attitude in response to the warning in step S304 is performed by placing the radiation imaging apparatus 10 in a home position where external power can be supplied. However, the method of resetting the reference attitude is not limited to this, and for example, the user may manually input using the operation unit 124. Furthermore, if an imaging means such as a camera is attached to the radiation generation device 13, the control device 12 may automatically obtain an image of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 using the camera, and calculate information regarding the attitude of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 from the image.

[0052] By performing the above-mentioned processing, the posture reliability determination unit 108 can determine the reliability of the posture information derived by the posture derivation unit 103. In addition, by displaying the derived posture information on the display unit 123 and displaying a decrease in reliability due to the determination, the posture information calculated by the posture derivation unit 103 can be notified to the user, including whether it is correct or not.

[0053] As described above, the radiation imaging apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment performs radiation imaging of a subject based on irradiated radiation. The radiation imaging apparatus 10 includes a radiation detection unit 101, a sensor unit 102, and a determination unit. As described above, the radiation detection unit 101 detects radiation used for radiation imaging. The sensor unit 102 outputs data that is the basis of information on the posture of the radiation imaging apparatus 10, such as the acceleration and angular velocity. The posture reliability determination unit 108 in this embodiment functions as the determination unit in the present disclosure. The determination unit determines the reliability of the posture information using a threshold value related to the reliability of the posture information output from the sensor unit 102 and an evaluation value generated based on the posture information. In this embodiment, the posture reliability determination unit 108 can be connected to a notification unit that notifies a user of the decrease in reliability when the evaluation value exceeds the threshold value and the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines that the reliability of the posture information has decreased. In this embodiment, the display control unit (control unit 120) that causes the display unit 123 to display a message informing the user of the decrease in reliability functions as the notification unit in the present disclosure. Note that the notification unit may also be disposed in the radiation imaging apparatus 10 itself.

[0054] In this embodiment, the evaluation value can be calculated based on the information on the posture and the reference posture set for the radiation imaging apparatus 10. When the evaluation value exceeds a threshold and the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines that the reliability of the posture information has decreased, the notification unit can notify the user that the reference posture needs to be reset. This decrease in reliability can be displayed on the display unit 123 by the control unit 120 to notify the user. The notification unit can notify the user of information on the posture and position of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 generated as information based on the posture information (angular velocity, etc.) output from the sensor unit 102. In this embodiment, when the evaluation value exceeds a threshold and the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines that the reliability of the posture information has decreased, the notification unit stops notifying the user of the generated information on the posture and position of the radiation imaging apparatus 10. In this embodiment, the information on the posture is exemplified by information on the rotation angle of each of three orthogonal axial directions (x, y, z axes) including the rotation angle of an axis (z axis) parallel to gravity.

[0055] In this embodiment, the evaluation value and threshold value may include a sum of changes in the attitude and position of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 after a reference attitude is set, which are calculated based on information about the attitude, and a threshold value for the sum of changes. Furthermore, the evaluation value and threshold value may include an average value of at least one of the acceleration and angular velocity of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 after a reference attitude is set, which are calculated based on information about the attitude, and a threshold value for the average value. Furthermore, the evaluation value and threshold value may include information about an impact value or a fall applied to the radiation imaging apparatus 10 after a reference attitude is set, which is calculated based on information about the attitude, and a threshold value for the impact value or the fall information. Furthermore, the attitude reliability determination unit 108 can determine the reliability of the information about the attitude from at least one of these evaluation values ​​and threshold values, or a combination of these.

[0056] As described above, according to this embodiment, the control device 12 can control the notification of posture information to the user depending on the reliability of the calculated posture information. Specifically, the control device 12 can not notify the user of posture information with low accuracy, or can notify the user of the decrease in accuracy and prompt the user to reset the reference position. This allows the user to know at an appropriate time whether or not it is necessary to obtain posture information. Furthermore, since it is possible to avoid performing imaging using inappropriate posture information, it is possible to prevent errors in radiation imaging in advance.

[0057] Second embodiment In this embodiment, the contents determined by the posture reliability determination unit 108 are different from those in the first embodiment. Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. Note that the configuration of the radiation imaging system used in this embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted here.

[0058] In this embodiment, the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines whether or not to issue a notification to prompt the user to reset the reference posture to improve reliability. In the first embodiment, the degree of reliability degradation is determined using a threshold, and if the reference posture is not reset, calculation and display of posture-related information is stopped. In contrast, in this embodiment, the possibility of reliability degradation is detected in advance and the user is prompted to reset the reference posture, but calculation and display of posture-related information are not stopped. As a more specific example, the second embodiment assumes a case where, for example, the imaging room is changed and the same radiation imaging apparatus 10 is used in a different imaging room.

[0059] In this embodiment, the determination of whether or not to notify the resetting of the reference posture can be performed based on the presence or absence of a change in patient information. In X-ray photography, patient information is input before photography and then X-ray photography is performed, thereby linking the patient information to the photographed image. In portable photography that requires information about the posture of the radiation imaging device 10, a change in the patient is synonymous with a high possibility that the photography location, such as a change in the hospital room, has been significantly moved. In such a case, it is highly likely that errors have accumulated in the calculated value of the posture derivation unit 103. In addition, when the photography location has changed, it is necessary to change the reference posture. That is, when the photography location has changed, the reference posture is set in an incorrect posture, and the derived posture information is not correct, and it is necessary to reset the reference posture in the correct posture. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the posture reliability determination unit 108 detects a change in the patient information after the last reference posture was set, it determines that a resetting notification of the reference posture is necessary.

[0060] In addition, the check-in of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 can also be referred to in determining whether or not a notification of resetting of the reference posture is necessary. In the check-in, a PC at the imaging location is linked to the radiation imaging apparatus 10, and wireless communication information such as an access point used at the imaging location can be reset. In other words, a change in the wireless communication settings is synonymous with an increased possibility that the imaging location has changed, and it is considered that resetting of the reference posture is necessary. At the same time, since it is highly likely that the posture information has changed significantly, it is also highly likely that errors have accumulated in the calculated value of the posture derivation unit 103. Therefore, when the posture reliability determination unit 108 detects that a check-in has been performed after the last reference posture was set, it determines that a notification of resetting of the reference posture is necessary.

[0061] Furthermore, the necessity of notification of resetting of the reference posture can be determined by referring to whether or not the communication method of the communication unit 105 of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 is switched between wired and wireless. The radiation imaging apparatus 10 can be portable, and in this case, the radiation imaging apparatus 10 may be switched between wired and wireless depending on the imaging environment of the user. In other words, when the wired and wireless modes are switched, it is highly likely that the imaging location has changed, and it is assumed that the reference posture needs to be reset, and it is highly likely that errors have accumulated in the calculated value of the posture derivation unit 103. Therefore, when the posture reliability determination unit 108 detects a switch between wired and wireless communication after the last reference posture is set, it determines that a notification of resetting of the reference posture is necessary.

[0062] Furthermore, the determination of whether or not a notification of resetting of the reference posture is necessary can also refer to the execution of a process of transitioning to a ready state when the radiation imaging apparatus 10 is ready for imaging. When not used for imaging, the radiation imaging apparatus 10 goes into a sleep state to reduce power consumption. Then, immediately before imaging, the radiation imaging apparatus 10 transitions to a ready state, and radiation imaging is then performed. When the patient is changed, the radiation imaging apparatus 10 is returned to a sleep state once, and transitions to a ready state after changing the patient information. In other words, transitioning to a ready state is considered to be synonymous with a high possibility that the patient has been changed or the imaging location has been moved. In such a case, it is assumed that resetting of the reference posture is necessary, and it is also considered that there is a high possibility that errors have accumulated in the calculated value of the posture derivation unit 103. Therefore, the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines that a notification of resetting of the reference posture is necessary when the radiation imaging apparatus transitions to a ready state after the reference posture was last set.

[0063] Furthermore, when determining whether or not a notification of resetting of the reference posture is required, the above conditions can be relaxed and set for each item of the threshold used to determine the reliability decrease described in the first embodiment. For example, when elapsed time is used as a determination item, one hour is set as the threshold for determining the reliability decrease in the first embodiment, but in this embodiment, it can be determined that a reset notification is required when 30 minutes have elapsed. In this way, in this embodiment, the posture reliability determination unit 108 is set so as to determine that a reset notification is required before the determination result of reliability decrease is output.

[0064] The posture reliability determination unit 108 in this embodiment determines the reliability of the posture information using a threshold value related to the reliability of the posture information and an evaluation value generated based on information related to the radiation imaging apparatus 10 including the posture information. Examples of the information related to the radiation imaging apparatus 10 include whether or not there is a change in patient information, whether or not there is a change in the communication format, whether or not there is a change in the wireless communication settings, whether or not there is a change from a sleep state to a ready state, and the like. In this case, the communication format is the format of the communication means (communication units 14, 105) that connects the radiation imaging apparatus 10 to an external device (11, 12) that is arranged independently of the radiation imaging apparatus 10, and includes at least one of a wired format and a wireless format. The wireless communication settings include the settings of wireless communication performed between the communication unit 105 and the communication unit 14 that function as wireless communication means between the external device (11, 12) that is arranged independently of the radiation imaging apparatus 10. In addition, the change from the sleep state to the ready state includes a change in the state of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 from the sleep state to the ready state. When at least one of the above-mentioned changes in patient information, communication format, settings, and state occurs as an evaluation value, the posture reliability determination unit 108 can determine that the reliability has decreased beyond a threshold value. In addition, in this embodiment, the posture reliability determination unit 108 can be connected to a notification unit (123) that notifies the user that the reference posture of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 needs to be reset when the reliability is determined to be decreased.

[0065] The above-mentioned determination of the posture reliability determination unit 108 in this embodiment as to whether or not to notify resetting of the reference posture can be made by combining the above-mentioned determinations. By selecting one or more of the above conditions and setting them as the determination criterion in this embodiment, it is possible to determine whether or not to notify resetting of the reference posture.

[0066] Next, each process executed for calculating posture-related information in this embodiment and determining reliability based on the calculated value will be described with reference to Fig. 5. In this embodiment, in steps S500, S501, and S502, the same processes as in steps S300, S301, and S302 in the first embodiment are performed. Specifically, setting of a reference posture, calculation of posture-related information and display of the calculated information, and reliability determination of the obtained posture-related information are performed in this order. After the reliability determination is completed, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S503.

[0067] In step S503, the posture reliability determination unit 108 checks whether or not the result of the determination made in step S502 indicates the need to reset the reference posture. If it is determined that resetting is not necessary, the flow returns to step S501. Then, in step S501, calculation of information related to the posture and display of the calculation result are performed again. If it is determined that resetting is necessary, the posture reliability determination unit 108 transitions the flow to step S504.

[0068] In step S503, it is determined that the reference attitude needs to be reset in the current state in order to prevent the reliability of the calculated attitude information from actually decreasing. Therefore, in step S504, the control device 12 causes the display unit 123 to display a message prompting the user to reset the reference attitude as shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a message displayed on the display screen of the display unit 123. After the display unit 123 notifies the user that resetting is necessary, the flow returns to step S501, and calculations related to the attitude and display of the calculation results are continued regardless of whether resetting is performed or not.

[0069] By performing the above-mentioned processing, it is possible to notify the user that it is necessary to reset the reference posture, based on the result of the posture reliability determination unit 108's determination of information related to the posture.

[0070] As described above, according to this embodiment, the control device 12 can control the notification to the user of the necessity of resetting the reference posture according to the reliability of the calculated posture information. That is, the user can know the necessity of acquiring posture information at an appropriate timing. In this way, by notifying the user of the need for resetting at a stage before the deterioration of reliability is confirmed, the state of calculation of posture information with high accuracy can be maintained, and the need to redo posture control immediately before radiography of the subject can be prevented. In addition, the user can be prevented from performing radiography using inappropriate posture information, and radiography errors can be prevented in advance.

[0071] Third embodiment In this embodiment, the reliability of the posture information is determined by combining the determinations described in the first and second embodiments. Hereinafter, the determination of the reliability of the posture information performed in this embodiment and the information related to the reliability notified to the user will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 7. Note that the configuration of the radiation imaging system used in this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted here.

[0072] In this embodiment, the reliability of the information on the attitude is judged by both judging whether or not the reference attitude needs to be reset and judging whether the reliability of the information on the attitude has decreased. Note that the judgment criteria for each judgment are the same as those described in the first and second embodiments.

[0073] Next, each process executed for calculating posture-related information in this embodiment and determining reliability based on the calculated value will be described with reference to Fig. 7. In this embodiment, in steps S700, S701, and S702, the same processes as in steps S300, S301, and S302 in the first embodiment are performed. Specifically, setting of a reference posture, calculation of posture-related information, display of the calculated information, and reliability determination of the obtained posture-related information are performed in this order. After completing the reliability determination, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S703.

[0074] In step S703, the posture reliability determination unit 108 checks whether the result of the determination made in step S702 indicates that the reliability has decreased. If the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines that the reliability has not decreased, the flow proceeds to step S705. In step S705, similarly to step S503 in the second embodiment, it is confirmed whether the determination result indicates that the reference posture needs to be reset. If the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines that the reference posture does not need to be reset, the flow returns to step S701. Then, in step S701, the posture-related information is calculated again and the calculation result is displayed. If it is determined that resetting is necessary, the posture reliability determination unit 108 causes the flow to proceed to step S706.

[0075] In step S705, it is determined that the reference attitude needs to be reset in the current state in order to prevent the reliability of the calculated attitude information from actually decreasing. Therefore, in step S706, the control device 12 causes the display unit 123 to display a message prompting the user to reset the reference attitude as shown in Fig. 6. After the display unit 123 notifies the user that the reference attitude needs to be reset, the flow returns to step S701 regardless of whether the attitude information is reset or not, and the calculation of the attitude information and the display of the calculation result are continued.

[0076] In step S703, if the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines that the reliability has decreased, the flow proceeds to step S704. In step S704, the control device 12 causes the display unit 123 to display a message shown in FIG. 4(a), for example as a GUI display, in order to notify the user of the decrease in accuracy of posture calculation and the need for resetting. When the warning message is displayed, the posture reliability determination unit 108 causes the flow to proceed to step S707. Note that the manner of notifying the user of the warning is not limited to displaying such a message, and may be, for example, a warning sound such as a buzzer or a voice announcement.

[0077] In step S707, the posture reliability determination unit 108 checks whether the reference position has been reset, and if the reference position has been reset, the flow returns to step S701. Then, in step S701, posture-related information is calculated again and the calculation result is displayed. If the reference position has not been reset, the flow proceeds to step S708.

[0078] In step S707, it is determined that the reliability of the calculated posture information has decreased and appropriate radiation imaging cannot be performed in this state. Therefore, in step S708, future posture calculation is stopped and the posture information is hidden on the display unit 123.

[0079] By performing the above-mentioned process, it is possible to notify the user that it is necessary to reset the reference posture based on the posture information determination result by the posture reliability determination unit 108. In addition, it is possible to determine the reliability of the posture information derived by the posture derivation unit 103. Then, by displaying the derived posture information on the display unit 123 and displaying the decrease in reliability due to the determination, it is possible to notify the user of the posture information calculated by the posture derivation unit 103, including its suitability.

[0080] As described above, according to this embodiment, the control device 12 can control a request to the user to reset the reference posture according to the reliability of the calculated posture information. In this way, by notifying the user of the stage before the reliability decrease is confirmed or the possibility that the shooting location has changed, the state of calculation of posture information with high accuracy can be maintained. In addition, it is possible to not notify the user of information on posture with low accuracy, or to notify the user of the decrease in accuracy and prompt the user to reset the reference position. This allows the user to know at an appropriate time whether or not it is necessary to obtain posture information. Furthermore, since it is possible to avoid performing imaging using information on an incorrect posture, it is possible to prevent errors in radiation imaging in advance.

[0081] (Fourth embodiment) Here, in radiography, after the reference posture is set, it may be assumed that the sensor output value temporarily increases due to an impact caused by the contact of the radiography apparatus with the radiography gantry or the subject when preparing for radiography. Such a large change in the sensor output may cause the posture of the apparatus derived from the sensor output to differ from the actual posture. In this embodiment, it is intended to assume such a case and deal with it. Specifically, in this embodiment, a method for determining the presence or absence of an impact in determining the reliability of information about the posture and correcting the acceleration and angular velocity output by the sensor unit 102 or the information about the posture calculated by the posture derivation unit 103 will be described. Note that the configuration of the radiography system used in this embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment, and therefore the description here will be omitted.

[0082] A method for determining the presence or absence of an impact and correcting information relating to the posture will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.

[0083] An example of an embodiment for determining the presence or absence of an impact and correcting information about the posture will be described with reference to Fig. 8. When the posture information correction process is started, first, in step S800, the posture reliability determination unit 108 sets a reference posture for calculating posture information. Information about a posture determined in advance at the home position of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 is set as the reference posture. When the reference posture is set, the posture reliability determination unit 108 transitions the flow to step S801.

[0084] In step S801, the posture reliability determination unit 108 acquires the accelerations (ax, ay, az) of the x-, y-, and z-axes and the angular velocities (gx, gy, gz) from the sensor unit 102. Upon acquiring the accelerations and angular velocities, the posture reliability determination unit 108 transitions the flow to step S802.

[0085] In step S802, the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines whether or not an impact has been applied to the radiation imaging apparatus 10 based on the acquired acceleration (ax, ay, az) and angular velocity (gx, gy, gz). The determination of whether or not an impact has been applied can be performed, for example, by comparing the output of each value of the acceleration and angular velocity of each axis with a predetermined value for determining the presence or absence of an impact that can be arbitrarily set by the user. For example, if the output value exceeds the predetermined value, it can be determined that an impact has been applied. If it is determined that no impact has been applied, the posture reliability determination unit 108 transitions the flow to step S804, and if it is determined that an impact has been applied, the series of processes related to posture determination and correction is terminated.

[0086] In step S803, the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines whether the acquired angular velocities (gx, gy, gz) are within a predetermined threshold. The predetermined threshold can be set arbitrarily, for example, for each threshold of the angular velocity of each axis, in order to remove the influence of vibration or noise. If it is determined that the acquired angular velocities are within the predetermined threshold, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S804, and if it is determined that the acquired angular velocities are not within the predetermined threshold, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S805.

[0087] In step S804, the posture derivation unit 103 sets the values ​​of the angular velocities (gx, gy, gz) to (0, 0, 0). When the setting of the angular velocities is completed, the posture reliability determination unit 108 transitions the flow to step S805. Note that in this embodiment, the posture derivation unit 103 functions as a correction unit that corrects information related to the posture in step S804 and step S805 described later. However, a functional area that performs such a correction process may be provided as a part of the posture derivation unit 103 or separately from the posture derivation unit 103.

[0088] In step S805, the attitude derivation unit 103 calculates information about the attitude from the new acceleration (ax, ay, az) and angular velocity (gx, gy, gz) obtained based on the set angular velocity. The calculated information about the attitude is transmitted to the control device 12, and the information about the attitude is displayed on the display unit 123 by the control unit 120. When the display of the information about the attitude is finished, a series of processes related to the attitude determination and correction is finished.

[0089] Next, another example of a method for determining whether or not an impact has been applied to the radiation imaging apparatus 10 and correcting information related to the posture, using a method different from that shown in FIG. 8, will be described with reference to FIG.

[0090] In the method illustrated in FIG. 9, the acceleration and angular velocity data acquired at time [t] is (ax[t], ay[t], az[t]), and the angular velocity is (gx[t], gy[t], gz[t]). The acceleration at time [t-1] acquired one time before time [t] is (ax[t―1], ay[t―1], az[t-1]), and the angular velocity acquired at time [t-1] one time before time [t] is (gx[t―1], gy[t―1], gz[t-1]). In addition, the acceleration acquired at time [t-2] two times before time [t] is (ax[t―2], ay[t―2], az[t-2]), and the angular velocity acquired at time [t-2] two times before time [t] is (gx[t―2], gy[t―2], gz[t-2]). In the initial state, all acceleration and angular velocity data are set to 0.

[0091] When the correction process of the information on the posture is started, first, in step S900, the posture reliability determination unit 108 sets a reference posture for calculating posture information. Information on a posture determined in advance at the home position of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 is set as the reference posture. When the reference posture is set, the posture reliability determination unit 108 transitions the flow to step S901.

[0092] In step S901, the posture reliability determination unit 108 acquires the accelerations (ax[t], ay[t], az[t]) of the x-, y-, and z-axes and the angular velocities (gx[t], gy[t], gz[t]) from the sensor unit 102. Upon acquiring the accelerations and angular velocities, the posture reliability determination unit 108 transitions the flow to step S902.

[0093] In step S902, the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines whether or not an impact has occurred based on the acceleration and angular velocity at time [t]. The determination of whether or not an impact has occurred can be performed, for example, by comparing the output of each value of the acceleration and angular velocity of each axis with a predetermined value for determining the presence or absence of an impact that can be arbitrarily set by the user. For example, it can be determined that an impact has occurred when the output value exceeds the predetermined value. If it is determined that an impact has occurred, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S903, and if it is determined that no impact has occurred, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S904.

[0094] In step S903, the posture derivation unit 103 estimates and calculates the acceleration and angular velocity at time [t] from the gradients of the acceleration and angular velocity at time [t-1] and time [t-2]. For example, the x-component of the acceleration ax[t] is calculated by adding the difference between the acceleration ax[t-1] and the acceleration ax[t-2] to the acceleration ax[t-1]. The acceleration and angular velocity of other components can be calculated from the acceleration and angular velocity at time [t-1] and time [t-2] in the same manner. After the calculation of the acceleration and angular velocity at time [t] is completed, the posture reliability determination unit 108 moves the flow to step S904.

[0095] In step S904, the posture derivation unit 103 calculates posture-related information from the estimated accelerations (ax[t], ay[t], az[t]) and angular velocities (gx[t], gy[t], gz[t]). The calculated posture-related information is transmitted to the control device 12, and the posture-related information is displayed on the display unit 123 by the control unit 120. When the display of the posture-related information is completed, the posture reliability determination unit 108 moves the flow to step S905.

[0096] In step S905, the posture reliability determination unit 108 sets the acceleration and angular velocity data at time [t-1] to the acceleration and angular velocity data at time [t-2], and sets the acceleration and angular velocity data at time [t] to the acceleration and angular velocity data at time [t-1]. When the data setting is completed, a series of processes related to posture determination and correction is completed.

[0097] In this embodiment, the presence or absence of an impact is estimated from the acceleration and angular velocity data, and the output of the sensor unit 102 is corrected. However, the method of estimating the presence or absence of an impact is not limited to the example described here, and it can also be estimated from the results of posture information roll, pitch, and yaw calculated from the acceleration and angular velocity, instead of the acceleration and angular velocity. In such a case, the posture information roll, pitch, and yaw used when calculating the posture information can be used to correct the output of the sensor unit 102.

[0098] As described above, according to this embodiment, the control device 12 can correct the acceleration and angular velocity output by the sensor unit 102 or the information about the attitude obtained based on the output, depending on the presence or absence of an impact. In other words, after the reference attitude is set, it is possible to obtain information about an accurate attitude of the radiation imaging apparatus that is not affected by an impact due to contact with the imaging gantry or a subject when preparing for imaging.

[0099] Fifth embodiment In this embodiment, the reliability of the information relating to the posture is determined according to the state of the radiation imaging apparatus, and the information relating to the posture output by the sensor unit 102 is corrected. Hereinafter, a method for determining the presence or absence of an impact and correcting the information relating to the posture output by the sensor unit 102 will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in Fig. 10 and Fig. 11. Note that the configuration of the radiation imaging system used in this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0100] When not in use for imaging, the radiation imaging apparatus 10 goes into a sleep state to reduce power consumption. Then, immediately before imaging, the radiation imaging apparatus 10 transitions to a ready state, and radiation imaging is then performed. When the radiation imaging apparatus 10 transitions to the ready state and prepares for imaging, for example, if the radiation imaging apparatus 10 comes into contact with an imaging stand or a subject, it may be assumed that the output value of the sensor unit 102 will not be stable due to the impact caused by the contact. For this reason, in the sleep state, a notification is issued to prompt the user to reset the reference attitude by the reliability determination process described in the first embodiment, and in the ready state, a correction process for information regarding the attitude is performed, and the determination process is switched depending on the state of the apparatus.

[0101] Next, a method of determining the presence or absence of an impact and correcting information about the posture will be described with reference to Fig. 10. When the posture information correction process is started, first, in step S1000, the posture reliability determination unit 108 sets a reference posture for calculating posture information. Information about a posture determined in advance at the home position of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 is set as the reference posture. When the reference posture is set, the posture reliability determination unit 108 transitions the flow to step S1001.

[0102] In step S1001, the posture reliability determination unit 108 acquires the acceleration and angular velocity from the sensor unit 102. Upon acquiring the acceleration and angular velocity, the posture reliability determination unit 108 transitions the flow to step S1002.

[0103] In step S1002, the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines whether the apparatus state of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 is a sleep state or a ready state. If the apparatus state is determined to be a sleep state, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S1003. If the apparatus state is determined to be a ready state, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S1005.

[0104] In step S1003, the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines whether or not an impact has been applied to the radiation imaging apparatus 10 based on the acceleration and angular velocity. The determination of whether or not an impact has been applied can be performed, for example, by comparing the output of each value of the acceleration and angular velocity of each axis with a predetermined value for determining the presence or absence of an impact that can be arbitrarily set by the user. For example, it can be determined that an impact has been applied when the output value exceeds the predetermined value. If it is determined that an impact has been applied, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S1004, and if it is determined that no impact has been applied, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S1006.

[0105] In step S1004, the control device 12 issues a warning to the user that the accuracy of the attitude calculation has decreased and that resetting is necessary. When the warning message is issued, a series of processes related to the attitude determination and correction are completed. Note that details regarding the warning message have already been described in the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0106] In step S1005, the attitude correction process is performed in the ready state shown in Fig. 11. When the attitude correction process is performed, a series of processes related to attitude determination and correction is completed.

[0107] In step S1006, the attitude is calculated from the acceleration and angular velocity, and the calculation result is displayed on the display unit 123. When the display of the attitude information is completed, a series of processes related to the attitude determination and correction is completed. Note that details regarding the attitude information displayed on the display unit 123 have already been described in the first embodiment, so description thereof will be omitted here.

[0108] Next, the posture correction process in the ready state performed in step S1005 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. When the posture correction process is started, first in step S1100, the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines whether or not an impact has been applied to the radiation imaging apparatus 10 from the acceleration and angular velocity. If it is determined that an impact has been applied, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S1101, and if it is determined that no impact has been applied, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S1104.

[0109] In step S1101, the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines whether the radiation imaging apparatus 10 and the radiation generation apparatus 13 face each other within a predetermined angle range based on the posture information of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 and the radiation generation apparatus 13. For example, if the predetermined angle range is ±5 degrees, it is determined that the radiation imaging apparatus 10 and the radiation generation apparatus 13 face each other within the predetermined angle range if the detection surface (radiation detection surface) of the radiation detection unit 101 in the radiation imaging apparatus 10 is within a range of ±5 degrees from 90 degrees with respect to the incident direction of radiation irradiated from the radiation generation apparatus 13. If it is determined that the radiation imaging apparatus 10 and the radiation generation apparatus 13 face each other, the posture reliability determination unit 108 causes the flow to proceed to step S1102, and if it is determined that the radiation imaging apparatus 10 and the radiation generation apparatus 13 do not face each other, the posture reliability determination unit 108 causes the flow to proceed to step S1104.

[0110] In step S1102, the attitude derivation unit 103 corrects the acceleration and angular velocity used in attitude calculation. At this time, the correction can be performed by setting the acceleration and angular velocity to 0 as described in the fourth embodiment, or by interpolating with previous and subsequent data. After correcting the acceleration and angular velocity used in attitude calculation, the attitude reliability determination unit 108 transitions the flow to step S1103.

[0111] In step S1103, the attitude derivation unit 103 calculates information about the attitude from the acceleration and angular velocity, and the calculation result is displayed on the display unit 123. When the attitude display ends, a series of processes related to attitude determination and correction ends.

[0112] In step S1104, the control device 12 issues a warning to the user that the accuracy of the attitude calculation has decreased and that resetting is necessary. When the warning message is issued, a series of processes related to the attitude determination and correction is completed.

[0113] As described above, according to this embodiment, when preparing for imaging, it is possible to obtain information regarding the accurate posture of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 that is not affected by impacts due to contact with the imaging gantry or the subject. Furthermore, by referring to the apparatus state and opposing information, it is possible to grasp the state of imaging preparation, realize appropriate posture correction and warning notification, and reduce the burden of imaging preparation and the burden on the subject.

[0114] Sixth embodiment In this embodiment, information about the posture at the time of the occurrence of an impact is corrected according to the deterioration in reliability of the reference posture for the radiation imaging apparatus 10 and the magnitude of the impact. Hereinafter, a method of determining the presence or absence of an impact and correcting the information about the posture will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in Figures 12 and 13. Note that the configuration of the radiation imaging system used in this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0115] In this embodiment, the determination of whether or not an impact has occurred can be made based on, for example, each value of the acceleration and angular velocity of each axis output by the sensor unit 102. In the fourth and fifth embodiments, one predetermined value is used to determine the presence or absence of an impact, but in this embodiment, the user can arbitrarily set two predetermined values, large and small, as thresholds to be used for the determination. Hereinafter, the larger of these two thresholds will be referred to as the large threshold, and the smaller of the two thresholds will be referred to as the small threshold. The posture reliability determination unit 108 can determine that a large impact has occurred when the output values ​​of the acceleration and angular velocity exceed a predetermined large threshold, and that a small impact has occurred when they exceed a predetermined small threshold.

[0116] In this embodiment, the decrease in the reliability of the attitude information can also be determined based on the sum of the movement amount and rotation amount of the sensor unit 102 since the reference attitude was last set. In this case, the thresholds of the movement amount and rotation amount used to determine the magnitude of the movement amount and rotation amount can be set by the user in two predetermined types, large and small, in the same way as the impact threshold.

[0117] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the reliability of the posture information can be judged to have decreased based on the time that has elapsed since the reference posture was last set. In this case, the threshold value used to judge the reliability of the elapsed time can be set by the user in two types of predetermined threshold values, a large threshold value and a small threshold value.

[0118] A method of determining the presence or absence of an impact and correcting information related to the posture will be described with reference to Fig. 12. When the posture correction process is started, first, in step S1200, the posture reliability determination unit 108 sets a reference posture for calculating posture information. Information related to a posture determined in advance at the home position of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 is set as the reference posture. When the reference posture is set, the posture reliability determination unit 108 transitions the flow to step S1201.

[0119] In step S1201, the posture reliability determination unit 108 acquires the acceleration and angular velocity from the sensor unit 102. Upon acquiring the acceleration and angular velocity, the posture reliability determination unit 108 transitions the flow to step S1202.

[0120] In step S1202, the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines whether the apparatus state of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 is a sleep state or a ready state. If the apparatus state is determined to be a sleep state, the posture reliability determination unit 108 transitions the flow to step S1203. If the apparatus state is determined to be a ready state, the posture reliability determination unit 108 transitions the flow to step S1204.

[0121] In step S1203, a posture calculation process in a sleep state is performed, the details of which are shown in Fig. 13. When the posture calculation process shown in Fig. 13 is performed and the calculated posture is displayed, etc., a series of processes related to posture determination and correction in this embodiment is completed.

[0122] In step S1204, the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines whether a large impact or a drop of the radiation imaging apparatus 10 has occurred. Specifically, the presence or absence of a large impact or a drop is determined based on whether the output value exceeds the predetermined threshold value by comparing the output value corresponding to the above-mentioned predetermined threshold value. If it is determined that a large impact or a drop has occurred, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S1208, and if it is determined that no large impact has occurred, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S1205.

[0123] In step S1205, the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines whether or not a small shock has occurred. Specifically, the presence or absence of a small shock is determined based on whether or not the output value exceeds the predetermined threshold value by comparing the corresponding output value used in step S1204 with the above-mentioned predetermined threshold value. If it is determined that a small shock has occurred, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S1206, and if it is determined that a small shock has not occurred, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S1207.

[0124] In step S1206, the acceleration and angular velocity used to calculate the information related to the posture are corrected. The correction described here may be performed, for example, by using the previous and next data as described in the fourth embodiment. After the correction of the acceleration and angular velocity used to calculate the information related to the posture is completed, the posture reliability determination unit 108 moves the flow to step S1207.

[0125] In step S1207, the attitude derivation unit 103 calculates information about the attitude from the acceleration and angular velocity. The calculated information about the attitude is transmitted to the control device 12, and the information about the attitude is displayed on the display unit 123 by the control unit 120. When the display of the information about the attitude is finished, a series of processes related to the attitude determination and correction is finished.

[0126] In step S1208, the control device 12 issues a warning to the user that the accuracy of the attitude calculation has decreased and that resetting is necessary. When the warning message is issued, a series of processes related to the attitude determination and correction are completed. Note that details regarding the warning message have already been described in the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0127] Next, the calculation process of information related to the posture in the sleep state, which is performed in step S1203, will be described with reference to Fig. 13. When the correction process of the information related to the posture is started, first, in step S1300, the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines whether the elapsed time since the reference posture was last set exceeds a predetermined threshold value. If it is determined that the elapsed time exceeds the predetermined threshold value, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S1307, and if it is determined that the elapsed time does not exceed the predetermined threshold value, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S1301.

[0128] In step S1301, the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines whether the elapsed time since the reference posture was last set exceeds a predetermined threshold value. If it is determined that the elapsed time exceeds the predetermined threshold value, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S1302, and if it is determined that the elapsed time does not exceed the predetermined threshold value, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S1307.

[0129] In step S1302, the posture reliability determination unit 108 changes the threshold value for determining whether or not an impact has occurred, which is used in steps S1204 and S1205. In this embodiment, the changed threshold value can also be arbitrarily set by the user, but it may be set in advance, or may be set by the posture reliability determination unit 108 according to the difference between the threshold value and the corresponding evaluation value. In this case, if it is expected that the reliability of the information regarding the posture has decreased due to the sleep state, the threshold value for a large impact (large threshold value) can be set smaller than normal to notify a warning. After changing the threshold value, the posture reliability determination unit 108 transitions the flow to step S1303.

[0130] In step S1303, the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines whether the amount of movement and the amount of rotation since the reference posture was last set exceed a predetermined threshold value. If it is determined that the amount of movement or the amount of rotation exceeds the predetermined threshold value, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S1307, and if it is determined that the amount of movement or the amount of rotation does not exceed the predetermined threshold value, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S1304.

[0131] In step S1304, the posture reliability determination unit 108 determines whether the amount of movement and the amount of rotation since the reference posture was last set exceed a predetermined threshold value. That is, it determines whether the sum of the amount of change in the position and the posture calculated based on the information on the posture since the reference posture was set exceeds a threshold value for the sum. If it is determined that the amount of movement or the amount of rotation exceeds the predetermined threshold value, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S1305, and if it is determined that the amount of movement or the amount of rotation does not exceed the predetermined threshold value, the posture reliability determination unit 108 shifts the flow to step S1306.

[0132] In step S1305, similarly to step 1302, the threshold value for determining whether or not an impact has occurred, which is used in steps S1204 and S1205, is changed. Also, in this step, the resolution of the sensor unit may be changed. In this case, it is preferable to change the settings so that when there are few error components, the resolution of the sensor unit is increased and the output range is narrowed to increase the accuracy of the sensor output, and when there are many error components, the resolution of the sensor unit is increased and the output range is widened. After changing the threshold value and the resolution, the posture reliability determination unit 108 transitions the flow to step S1306.

[0133] In step S1306, the attitude derivation unit 103 calculates information about the attitude from the acceleration and angular velocity. The calculated information about the attitude is transmitted to the control device 12, and the information about the attitude is displayed on the display unit 123 by the control unit 120. When the display of the division related to the attitude is completed, the series of processes related to the calculation of the attitude is completed.

[0134] In step S1307, the control device 12 issues a warning to the user that the accuracy of the attitude calculation has decreased and that resetting is necessary. When the warning message is issued, a series of processes related to the calculation of the attitude is terminated. Note that details regarding the warning message have already been described in the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0135] As described above, according to this embodiment, the control device 12 can control the notification to the user as to whether or not the reference posture needs to be reset, depending on the reliability of the calculated posture-related information. That is, the user can know at an appropriate timing whether or not the posture-related information needs to be acquired. Furthermore, by performing a correction process when an impact is detected, depending on the reliability, it is possible to obtain accurate posture information that is not affected by the impact of the radiation imaging apparatus contacting the imaging gantry or the subject when preparing for imaging.

[0136] (Modification) In the embodiment described above, the posture derivation unit 103 and the posture reliability determination unit 108 are arranged inside the radiation imaging apparatus 10. However, the arrangement of these components is not limited to the example of the above embodiment. A modified example in which these components are arranged outside the radiation imaging apparatus 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a radiation imaging system according to a modified example of the present disclosure.

[0137] In this modification, as shown in FIG. 14, the radiographic imaging apparatus 1410 and the control device 1412 are different. More specifically, as configurations corresponding to the orientation derivation unit and the orientation reliability determination unit described in the first embodiment, an orientation derivation unit 1403 and an orientation reliability determination unit 1408 are arranged inside the control device 1412. In this configuration, the sensor unit 102 transmits information such as acceleration, angular velocity, and quaternion to the control device 12 via communication, and the orientation derivation unit 1403 arranged in the control device 1412 calculates information about the orientation. Then, the orientation reliability determination unit 1408 determines the orientation reliability based on the calculated information about the orientation. Note that other configurations in this modification are the same as those described in FIG. 1, and therefore will not be described here.

[0138] Furthermore, the orientation derivation units 103, 1403 and the orientation reliability determination units 108, 1408 may be arranged, for example, in separate devices, rather than being arranged in the same device. For example, the orientation calculation unit may be arranged in the radiation generation device, and the reliability determination unit may be arranged in the control device. Alternatively, these configurations may include the orientation calculation unit and the reliability determination unit in any of the other configurations included in the imaging system connected by communication.

[0139] In addition, the present disclosure can also configure, as an information processing device, a control device 1412 that processes information acquired from a radiation imaging device that performs radiation imaging based on irradiated radiation. In this case, the radiation imaging device 1410 includes a radiation detection unit 101 that detects radiation, and a sensor unit 102 that outputs data that is the basis of information regarding the posture of the radiation imaging device. The information processing device (1412) is connected to this radiation imaging device 1410. In this aspect, the control unit 120 functions as an acquisition unit that acquires the information regarding the posture output from the sensor unit 102 via the communication unit 121. The posture reliability determination unit 1408 determines the reliability of the information regarding the posture using a threshold value regarding the reliability of the information regarding the posture and the evaluation value exemplified in the first and second embodiments.

[0140] In the above embodiment, the sensor unit 102 is provided with an acceleration sensor and an angular velocity sensor, and the posture derivation unit 103 uses the outputs of these sensors to calculate posture information. However, the sensor unit 102 may output information from a geomagnetic sensor to calculate posture information. When a geomagnetic sensor is used, it can be used to calculate angle information of the radiation imaging device. In this case, calibration of the reference geomagnetic direction is required first, and the geomagnetic direction obtained by this calibration is used as the reference direction to set the reference position required for the geomagnetic sensor. The reliability determination of this embodiment can also be performed on the setting of this reference direction. This allows the user to know whether or not it is necessary to obtain posture information at an appropriate time.

[0141] (Other embodiments) The present disclosure can also be realized by a process in which a program for realizing one or more functions of the above-mentioned embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) for realizing one or more functions. In addition, various recording media can be used, such as a flexible disk, an optical disk (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD-ROM), a magneto-optical disk, a magnetic tape, a non-volatile memory (e.g., USB memory), a ROM, etc. In addition, a program for implementing the above-mentioned functions may be downloaded via a network and executed by a computer.

[0142] In addition, the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments are not limited to being realized only by a computer executing the read program code, but also include cases where an operating system (OS) running on a computer performs part or all of the actual processing based on instructions from the program code, thereby realizing the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0143] Furthermore, the program code read from the recording medium may be written to a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into a computer or a function expansion unit connected to a computer. This also includes cases where a CPU or the like provided in the function expansion board or function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program code, thereby realizing the above-mentioned functions.

[0144] The above disclosure includes the following configurations, methods, and programs. (Configuration 1) A radiation imaging apparatus for performing radiation imaging based on irradiated radiation, a determination unit that determines reliability of information regarding the posture of the radiation imaging apparatus using a threshold value related to reliability of the information regarding the posture of the radiation imaging apparatus obtained based on data output from a sensor and an evaluation value generated based on information regarding the radiation imaging apparatus including the information regarding the posture; A radiation imaging apparatus comprising: (Configuration 2) 2. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit is connected to a notification unit that notifies a user of the decrease in reliability when the evaluation value exceeds the threshold and the determination unit determines that reliability of the information regarding the posture has decreased. (Configuration 3) 3. The radiation imaging apparatus according to configuration 2, wherein the notification unit includes a display control unit that causes a display unit to perform a display notifying a user of the decrease in reliability. (Configuration 4) 4. The radiation imaging apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein the evaluation value is calculated based on information about the posture and a reference posture set for the radiation imaging apparatus. (Configuration 5) 5. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the determination unit is connected to a notification unit that notifies a user that the reference posture needs to be reset when the evaluation value exceeds the threshold and the determination unit determines that reliability of the information regarding the posture has decreased. (Configuration 6) 6. The radiation imaging apparatus according to configuration 5, wherein the notification unit includes a display control unit that causes a display unit to perform at least one of a display notifying a user of the decrease in reliability and a display notifying a user that the resetting is required. (Configuration 7) the determination unit is connected to a notification unit that notifies a user of information based on information about the posture, The radiation imaging apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein when the evaluation value exceeds the threshold and the judgment unit judges that the reliability of the information regarding the posture has decreased, the notification unit stops notifying the user of information based on the information regarding the posture. (Configuration 8) 8. The radiation imaging apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, wherein the information relating to the posture is information relating to each of rotation angles in three orthogonal axial directions including a rotation angle about an axis parallel to gravity. (Configuration 9) The radiation imaging device according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, wherein the evaluation value and the threshold value include at least one of a sum of amounts of change in the attitude and position of the radiation imaging device since the reference attitude was set and a threshold for the sum of amounts of change, which are calculated based on information about the attitude; an average value of at least one of the acceleration and angular velocity of the radiation imaging device since the reference attitude was set and a threshold for the average value, which are calculated based on information about the attitude; and information regarding an impact value or a fall applied to the radiation imaging device since the reference attitude was set and a threshold for the information about the impact value or the fall, which are calculated based on information about the attitude. (Configuration 10) The information about the radiation imaging apparatus includes at least any one of the following: whether or not there is a change in patient information for performing the radiation imaging; whether or not there is a change in the communication format between the radiation imaging apparatus and an external device that is arranged independently of the radiation imaging apparatus and is connected to the radiation imaging apparatus by a communication format including at least one of a wired format and a wireless format; whether or not there is a change in wireless communication settings in the wireless communication means between the radiation imaging apparatus and an external device that is arranged independently of the radiation imaging apparatus and is connected to the radiation imaging apparatus by a wireless communication means; and whether or not there is a change in the state of the radiation imaging apparatus from a sleep state to a ready state. 10. The radiation imaging apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, wherein the determination unit determines that the reliability has decreased beyond the threshold value when there is at least one of a change in the patient information, a change in the communication format, a change in the settings, and a change in the state as the evaluation value. (Configuration 11) The radiation imaging device according to configuration 10, wherein the determination unit is connected to an alarm unit that notifies a user that a reference attitude of the radiation imaging device, which is set for use in generating information about the attitude, needs to be reset when the determination unit determines that the reliability has decreased. (Configuration 12) A radiation detection unit that detects the radiation; 12. The radiation imaging apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 11, further comprising: a sensor unit that outputs data that is a basis for the information regarding the posture. (Configuration 13) 2. The radiation imaging apparatus according to configuration 1, wherein when the evaluation value exceeds the threshold and the determining unit determines that reliability of the information regarding the posture has decreased, the information regarding the posture is corrected. (Configuration 14) 14. The radiographic imaging apparatus according to configuration 13, further comprising: a radiation detection unit that detects the radiation; and a sensor unit that outputs data that is a basis for information regarding the posture. (Configuration 15) The radiation imaging apparatus of configuration 13, wherein the threshold value is a threshold value for at least one of acceleration and angular velocity data output by the sensor unit, the evaluation value is an output value of the acceleration sensor unit corresponding to the threshold value, and the information to be corrected is an output value of the sensor unit. (Configuration 16) 14. The radiation imaging apparatus according to configuration 13, wherein the information relating to the posture is corrected when a radiation detection surface of a radiation detection unit that detects the radiation faces within a predetermined angle range with respect to a direction of incidence of the radiation. (Configuration 17) the reliability threshold includes a threshold regarding reliability of information regarding an attitude of the radiation imaging apparatus in a sleep state and a threshold regarding reliability of information regarding an attitude of the radiation imaging apparatus in a ready state; 14. The radiation imaging apparatus according to configuration 13, wherein the determination unit changes a threshold value relating to the reliability of the ready state in accordance with a determination result relating to the reliability of the sleep state. (Configuration 18) the threshold value in the sleep state includes an elapsed time since a reference orientation of the radiation imaging apparatus is set and a threshold value of the elapsed time, a sum of amounts of change in the orientation and position of the radiation imaging apparatus since the reference orientation is set, the sum of amounts of change being calculated based on information about the orientation, and a threshold value of the sum of amounts of change, 18. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the threshold value in the ready state is information regarding an impact value or a fall applied to the radiation imaging apparatus after the reference attitude is set and a threshold value for the information regarding the impact value or the fall. (Configuration 19) A radiation generating device that generates radiation; A control device for controlling the radiation generating device; A radiographic imaging apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 18, A radiation imaging system comprising: (Configuration 20) An information processing device connected to a radiation imaging device that performs radiation imaging based on irradiated radiation, an acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the attitude of the radiation imaging apparatus; a determination unit that determines reliability of the information regarding the posture using a threshold value related to reliability of the information regarding the posture and an evaluation value generated based on information regarding the radiation imaging apparatus including the acquired information regarding the posture; An information processing device comprising: (Method 1) 1. A method for controlling a radiation imaging apparatus that performs radiation imaging based on irradiated radiation, comprising: determining reliability of the information regarding the posture of the radiation imaging device using a threshold value regarding reliability of the information regarding the posture of the radiation imaging device obtained based on data output from a sensor and an evaluation value generated based on information regarding the radiation imaging device including the information regarding the posture; A method for controlling a radiation imaging apparatus comprising: (Method 2) 1. An information processing method for processing information acquired from a radiation imaging apparatus that performs radiation imaging based on irradiated radiation, comprising: acquiring information regarding the attitude of the radiation imaging apparatus; determining reliability of the information regarding the posture using a threshold value regarding reliability of the information regarding the posture and an evaluation value generated based on information regarding the radiation imaging apparatus including the acquired information regarding the posture; An information processing method comprising: (program) A program which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to execute the control method according to method 1 or the information processing method according to method 2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0145] 1,1401: Radiography system 10,1410: Radiation imaging device 12,1412: Control device 102: Sensor section 103,1403: Posture derivation part 108,1408: Attitude reliability judgment unit

Claims

1. A radiation imaging apparatus for performing radiation imaging based on irradiated radiation, a determination unit that determines reliability of information regarding the posture of the radiation imaging apparatus using a threshold value related to reliability of the information regarding the posture of the radiation imaging apparatus obtained based on data output from a sensor and an evaluation value generated based on information regarding the radiation imaging apparatus including the information regarding the posture; A radiation imaging apparatus comprising:

2. 2. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit is connected to a notification unit that notifies a user of a decrease in reliability when the determination unit determines that the reliability of the information regarding the posture has decreased because the evaluation value has exceeded the threshold value.

3. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the notification unit includes a display control unit that causes a display unit to perform a display notifying a user of the decrease in reliability.

4. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation value is calculated based on information about the posture and a reference posture set for the radiation imaging apparatus.

5. 5. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the determination unit is connected to a notification unit that notifies a user that the reference posture needs to be reset when the evaluation value exceeds the threshold and the determination unit determines that reliability of the information regarding the posture has decreased.

6. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the notification unit includes a display control unit that causes a display unit to perform at least one of a display notifying a user of the decrease in reliability and a display notifying a user that the resetting is required.

7. the determination unit is connected to a notification unit that notifies a user of information based on information about the posture; 2. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the evaluation value exceeds the threshold and the determination unit determines that reliability of the information regarding the posture has decreased, the notification unit stops notifying the user of information based on the information regarding the posture.

8. 8. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the information relating to the posture is information relating to each of rotation angles in three orthogonal axial directions including a rotation angle about an axis parallel to gravity.

9. 5. The radiation imaging device according to claim 4, wherein the evaluation value and the threshold value include at least any of: a sum of amounts of change in attitude and position of the radiation imaging device since the reference attitude was set, calculated based on information about the attitude, and a threshold value for the sum of amounts of change; an average value of at least one of acceleration and angular velocity of the radiation imaging device since the reference attitude was set, calculated based on information about the attitude, and a threshold value for the average value; and information regarding an impact value or a fall applied to the radiation imaging device since the reference attitude was set, calculated based on information about the attitude, and a threshold value for the information about the impact value or the fall.

10. The information about the radiation imaging apparatus includes at least any one of the following: whether or not there is a change in patient information for performing the radiation imaging; whether or not there is a change in the communication format between the radiation imaging apparatus and an external device that is arranged independently of the radiation imaging apparatus and is connected to the radiation imaging apparatus by a communication format including at least one of a wired format and a wireless format; whether or not there is a change in wireless communication settings in the wireless communication means between the radiation imaging apparatus and an external device that is arranged independently of the radiation imaging apparatus and is connected to the radiation imaging apparatus by a wireless communication means; and whether or not there is a change in the state of the radiation imaging apparatus from a sleep state to a ready state.

2. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines that the reliability has decreased beyond the threshold value when at least one of a change in the patient information, a change in the communication format, a change in the settings, and a change in the state occurs as the evaluation value.

11. 11. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the determination unit is connected to a notification unit that notifies a user that a reference posture of the radiation imaging apparatus that is set for use in generating information about the posture needs to be reset when the determination unit determines that the reliability has decreased.

12. A radiation detection unit that detects the radiation; The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a sensor unit that outputs data on which the information regarding the posture is based.

13. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when the evaluation value exceeds the threshold and the determining unit determines that reliability of the information about the posture has decreased, the information about the posture is corrected.

14. A radiation detection unit that detects the radiation; The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 13 , further comprising: a sensor unit that outputs data that is a basis for the information regarding the posture.

15. 15. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the threshold value is a threshold value related to at least one of acceleration and angular velocity data output from the sensor unit, the evaluation value is an output value of the sensor unit corresponding to the threshold value, and the information to be corrected is an output value of the sensor unit.

16. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the information relating to the posture is corrected when a radiation detection surface of a radiation detection unit that detects the radiation faces within a predetermined angle range with respect to a direction in which the radiation is incident.

17. the reliability threshold includes a threshold regarding reliability of information regarding an attitude of the radiation imaging apparatus in a sleep state and a threshold regarding reliability of information regarding an attitude of the radiation imaging apparatus in a ready state; The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the determination unit changes a threshold value relating to the reliability of the ready state in accordance with a result of the determination regarding the reliability of the sleep state.

18. the threshold value in the sleep state includes an elapsed time since a reference orientation of the radiation imaging apparatus is set and a threshold value of the elapsed time, a sum of amounts of change in the orientation and position of the radiation imaging apparatus since the reference orientation is set, the sum of amounts of change being calculated based on information about the orientation, and a threshold value of the sum of amounts of change, 18. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the threshold value in the ready state is information related to an impact value or a fall applied to the radiation imaging apparatus after the reference attitude is set and a threshold value of the information related to the impact value or the fall.

19. A radiation generating device that generates radiation; A control device for controlling the radiation generating device; A radiographic imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 18, A radiation imaging system comprising:

20. An information processing device connected to a radiation imaging device that performs radiation imaging based on irradiated radiation, an acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the attitude of the radiation imaging apparatus; a determination unit that determines reliability of the information regarding the posture using a threshold value related to reliability of the information regarding the posture and an evaluation value generated based on information regarding the radiation imaging apparatus including the acquired information regarding the posture; An information processing device comprising:

21. 1. A method for controlling a radiation imaging apparatus that performs radiation imaging based on irradiated radiation, comprising: determining reliability of the information regarding the posture of the radiation imaging device using a threshold value regarding reliability of the information regarding the posture of the radiation imaging device obtained based on data output from a sensor and an evaluation value generated based on information regarding the radiation imaging device including the information regarding the posture; A method for controlling a radiation imaging apparatus comprising:

22. 1. An information processing method for processing information acquired from a radiation imaging apparatus that performs radiation imaging based on irradiated radiation, comprising: acquiring information regarding the attitude of the radiation imaging apparatus; determining reliability of the information regarding the posture using a threshold value regarding reliability of the information regarding the posture and an evaluation value generated based on information regarding the radiation imaging apparatus including the acquired information regarding the posture; An information processing method comprising:

23. A program which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to execute the control method according to claim 21 or the information processing method according to claim 22.

Images