# US 12,015,870 B2 · X-ray onset detector for intraoral dental sensor

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- Number: US 12,015,870 B2
- Document ID: US12015870B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/817,146
- Filed: 2022-08-03
- Published: 2024-02-08
- Granted: 2024-06-18
- Earliest claimed: 2022-08-03
- Assignees: BAE Systems Imaging Solutions Inc.
- Applicants: BAE Systems Imaging Solutions Inc.
- Inventors: Glen L. Collier; Stephen W. Mims; George Y. Wang; Kun Zhao; Stanley K. Searing
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12015870B2

## CPC

- H04N 25/30: for transforming X-rays into image signals
- A61B 6/4233: {using matrix detectors}
- A61B 6/512: {Intraoral means}
- H04N 25/46: by combining or binning pixels
- H04N 25/50: Control of the SSIS exposure
- H04N 25/706: Pixels for exposure or ambient light measuring
- H04N 25/75: Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

Techniques are provided for x-ray onset detection for an intraoral dental sensor. A methodology implementing the techniques according to an embodiment includes calculating a plurality of superpixel values for each of a plurality of rows of detector pixels of a sensor. Each of the superpixel values is based on a sum of pixel values of a set of pixels associated with the superpixel value, the set of pixels selected from the detection row of a current frame of the sensor. The method also includes calculating a difference between each of the superpixel values and a corresponding stored superpixel value generated from a previous sensor frame and determining if the differences exceed a superpixel threshold value. The method further includes incrementing a hit counter in response to the determination and generating a detection signal if the hit counter exceeds a hit count threshold, otherwise proceeding to process the next detection row.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An x-ray detector comprising:
an accumulator circuit configured to calculate a plurality of superpixel values, each of the superpixel values based on a sum of pixel values of a set of pixels associated with the superpixel value, the set of pixels selected from a detection row of a current frame of a sensor, wherein the set of pixels associated with each of the plurality of superpixel values is selected as a set of the pixels of the detection row that are interleaved with pixels associated with another of the plurality of superpixels values;
a comparator circuit configured to calculate a difference between each of the plurality of superpixel values and a corresponding stored superpixel value generated from a previous frame of the sensor;
a thresholding circuit configured to determine if the differences exceed a superpixel threshold value and to increment a hit counter in response to the determination; and
a detection circuit configured to generate a detection signal in response to a determination that the hit counter exceeds a hit count threshold.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The x-ray detector of claim 1, wherein the detection row is a first detection row, and the x-ray detector is configured to process a second detection row, of a plurality of detection rows, in response to a determination that the hit counter does not exceed the hit count threshold.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The x-ray detector of claim 2, wherein the plurality of detection rows comprises eight detection rows.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The x-ray detector of claim 1, wherein the plurality of superpixels comprises four superpixels and the hit count threshold is in the range of zero to three.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The x-ray detector of claim 1, wherein the frame of the sensor comprises a number of non-detection rows in the range of 1000 to 2000, and the detection rows are selected to avoid impaired pixels.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The x-ray detector of claim 5, wherein the detection rows are interleaved with the non-detection rows and the detection rows are distributed more densely near a central region of the sensor.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The x-ray detector of claim 1, wherein the detection signal is employed to trigger an integration and readout of the values of the pixels of the detection rows and values of pixels of non-detection rows of the current frame of the sensor.

### Claim 8

A computer program product including one or more non-transitory machine-readable mediums encoded with instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause a process to be carried out for intraoral x-ray detection, the process comprising:
calculating a plurality of superpixel values, each of the superpixel values based on a sum of pixel values of a set of pixels associated with the superpixel value, the set of pixels selected from a detection row of a current frame of a sensor, wherein selecting the set of pixels associated with each of the plurality of superpixel values as a set of the pixels of the detection row that are interleaved with pixels associated with another of the plurality of superpixels values;
calculating a difference between each of the plurality of superpixel values and a corresponding stored superpixel value generated from a previous frame of the sensor;
determining if the differences exceed a superpixel threshold value;
incrementing a hit counter in response to the determination; and
generating a detection signal in response to a determination that the hit counter exceeds a hit count threshold.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the detection row is a first detection row, and the process further comprises repeating the process on a second detection row, of a plurality of detection rows, in response to a determination that the hit counter does not exceed the hit count threshold.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the plurality of detection rows comprises eight detection rows.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the plurality of superpixels comprises four superpixels and the hit count threshold is in the range of zero to three.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the frame of the sensor comprises a number of non-detection rows in the range of 1000 to 2000 and the detection rows are interleaved with the non-detection rows and the detection rows are distributed more densely near a central region of the sensor.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the process further comprises triggering an integration and readout of the values of the pixels of the detection rows and values of pixels of non-detection rows of the current frame of the sensor, in response to the detection signal.

### Claim 14

A method for intraoral x-ray detection, the method comprising:
calculating, by a processor-based system, a plurality of superpixel values, each of the superpixel values based on a sum of pixel values of a set of pixels associated with the superpixel value, the set of pixels selected from a detection row of a current frame of a sensor;
selecting the set of pixels associated with each of the plurality of superpixel values as a set of the pixels of the detection row that are interleaved with pixels associated with another of the plurality of superpixels values;
calculating, by the processor-based system, a difference between each of the plurality of superpixel values and a corresponding stored superpixel value generated from a previous frame of the sensor;
determining, by the processor-based system, if the differences exceed a superpixel threshold value;
incrementing, by the processor-based system, a hit counter in response to the determination; and
generating, by the processor-based system, a detection signal in response to a determination that the hit counter exceeds a hit count threshold.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the detection row is a first detection row, and the method further comprises repeating the process on a second detection row, of a plurality of detection rows, in response to a determination that the hit counter does not exceed the hit count threshold.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of superpixels comprises four superpixels and the hit count threshold is in the range of zero to three.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising triggering an integration and readout of the values of the pixels of the detection rows and values of pixels of non-detection rows of the current frame of the sensor, in response to the detection signal.