# US 10,503,244 B2 · Operation of a detector facility > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,503,244 B2 - Document ID: US10503244B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/585,521 - Filed: 2017-05-03 - Published: 2017-11-09 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2016-05-09 - Assignees: Siemens Healthcare GmbH - Applicants: Siemens Healthcare GmbH - Inventors: Alfons Eismann; Alexander Graf; Michael Grafberger; Stefan Hartmann; Thomas Hilderscheid; Thomas Reichel - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10503244B2 ## CPC - G06F 1/3296: by lowering the supply or operating voltage - A61B 6/00: Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis; Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis combined with radiation therapy equipment (instruments measuring radiation intensity for application in the field of nuclear medicine, e.g. in vivo counting, G01T1/161) - A61B 6/03: Computed tomography [CT] - A61B 6/42: Arrangements for detecting radiation specially adapted for radiation diagnosis - A61B 6/4233: {using matrix detectors} - A61B 6/4266: {characterised by using a plurality of detector units (A61B6/4014 takes precedence)} - A61B 6/54: {Control of apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis} - A61B 6/56: {Details of data transmission or power supply, e.g. use of slip rings} - A61B 6/58: Testing, adjusting or calibrating thereof - A61B 6/582: {Calibration} - A61B 6/585: {Calibration of detector units} - G06F 1/26: Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C) - G06F 1/266: {Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips} - G06F 1/32: Means for saving power - G06F 1/3206: Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality - G06F 1/3243: {Power saving in microcontroller unit} - G06F 1/325: {Power saving in peripheral device} - G06F 1/3287: by switching off individual functional units in the computer system - H04N 23/30: for generating image signals from X-rays - H04N 25/00: Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof - A61B 6/032: {Transmission computed tomography [CT]} - H04N 25/709: Circuitry for control of the power supply - Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management - Y02D 30/50: in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract A detector facility for a medical imaging system is described. The detector facility has a plurality of individual detectors and at least one detector controller. The detector facility is embodied such that it can be switched to at least one power-saving mode, in which at least one portion of the components of the individual detectors is deactivated and concurrently at least one portion of the components of the detector controller is not deactivated. A medical imaging system, in particular a computed tomography system, having such a detector facility; and a corresponding method for operating a detector facility of a medical imaging system are also described. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A detector facility, comprising: a plurality of individual detectors, each of the plurality of individual detectors including a plurality of first components; and at least one detector controller including a plurality of second components, the at least one detector controller configured to switch the detector facility to at least one power-saving mode in which at least one portion of the plurality of first components are deactivated, and at least one portion of the plurality of second components are not deactivated, switch the detector facility away from the at least one power-saving mode such that the at least one portion of the plurality of first components are reactivated, and transfer detector operating data to the plurality of individual detectors from a memory external to the plurality of individual detectors after the detector facility has been switched away from the at least one power-saving mode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The detector facility of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of second components not used in the at least one power-saving mode, are deactivated in the at least one power-saving mode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The detector facility of claim 1, wherein each respective individual detector among the plurality of individual detectors includes a deactivation device configured to deactivate one or more components among the at least one portion of the plurality of first components in the respective individual detector. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The detector facility of claim 1, further comprising: a voltage supply arrangement including at least one switching mechanism configured to implement a first switching state corresponding to the power-saving mode by, interrupting a voltage supply to the plurality of individual detectors, and permitting a voltage supply to the detector controller. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The detector facility of claim 4, wherein the at least one switching mechanism is integrated in the at least one detector controller. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The detector facility of claim 4, wherein the at least one switching mechanism comprises at least one switch unit and a switch controller configured to control the at least one switch unit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The detector facility of claim 6, wherein the at least one switching mechanism is configured to permit at least a voltage supply for the at least one switch unit and the switch controller in the first switch state. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The detector facility of claim 6, wherein the voltage supply arrangement includes at least one power supply unit including at least one supply voltage input, an integrated switch unit, a supply voltage output, and a deactivation signal input, the deactivation signal input connected to the switch controller. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The detector facility of claim 4, wherein the at least one detector controller is configured to transfer the detector operating data from the plurality of individual detectors to the memory before switching the detector facility to the at least one power-saving mode. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A medical imaging system, comprising the detector facility of claim 1. ### Claim 11 A method performed by at least one detector controller included in a detector facility of a medical imaging system, the at least one detector controller configured to switch the detector facility to a power-saving mode and switch the detector facility away from the power-saving mode, the detector facility including a plurality of individual detectors, the method comprising: deactivating at least one portion of a plurality of first components of the plurality of individual detectors based on switching the detector facility to the power-saving mode, at least one portion of a plurality of second components of the at least one detector controller not being deactivated based on switching the detector facility to the power-saving mode; reactivating the at least one portion of the plurality of first components based on switching the detector facility away from the power-saving mode; and transferring detector operating data to the plurality of individual detectors from a memory external to the plurality of individual detectors after the reactivating. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the deactivating deactivates the at least one portion of the plurality of first components using at least one deactivation device included in one or more of the plurality of individual detectors. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the deactivating deactivates the at least one portion of the plurality of first components by interrupting a voltage supply to one or more of the plurality of individual detectors while permitting a voltage supply to the at least one portion of the plurality of second components. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the power-saving mode is a standby mode in which a voltage supply to the plurality of individual detectors is interrupted, and the deactivating deactivates the at least one portion of the plurality of first components using at least one deactivation device in response to termination of data acquisition by the medical imaging system, and initiation of switchover to the standby mode in response to an external command. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: transferring detector operating data from the plurality of individual detectors to the memory before the deactivating. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The detector facility of claim 2, wherein each respective individual detector among the plurality of individual detectors includes a deactivation device configured to deactivate one or more components among the at least one portion of the plurality of first components in the respective individual detector. ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) The detector facility of claim 2, further comprising: a voltage supply arrangement including at least one switching mechanism configured to implement a first switching state corresponding to the power-saving mode by, interrupting a voltage supply to the plurality of individual detectors, and permitting a voltage supply to the detector controller. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The detector facility of claim 17, wherein the at least one switching mechanism is integrated in the at least one detector controller. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The detector facility of claim 17, wherein the at least one switching mechanism comprises at least one switch unit and a switch controller configured to control the at least one switch unit. ### Claim 20 (depends on 5) The detector facility of claim 5, wherein the at least one switching mechanism comprises at least one switch unit and a switch controller configured to control the at least one switch unit. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The detector facility of claim 1, wherein the detector operating data is calibration data. ### Claim 22 (depends on 4) A medical imaging system, comprising the detector facility of claim 4. ### Claim 23 (depends on 10) The medical imaging system of claim 10, wherein the medical imaging system is a computed tomography system. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The medical imaging system of claim 22, wherein the medical imaging system is a computed tomography system. ### Claim 25 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the deactivating deactivates the at least one portion of the plurality of first components by interrupting a voltage supply to one or more of the plurality of individual detectors while permitting a voltage supply to the at least one portion of the plurality of second components. ### Claim 26 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the power-saving mode is a standby mode in which a voltage supply to the plurality of individual detectors is interrupted, and the deactivating deactivates the at least one portion of the plurality of first components using at least one deactivation device in response to termination of data acquisition by the medical imaging system, and initiation of switchover to the standby mode in response to an external command. ### Claim 27 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the detector operating data is calibration data.