Image collecting system

A method adapted to an imaging system, the method comprising the steps of:

• inputting information from an input unit;
• changing, with a first control unit, a state of an image pickup unit between an active state and an inactive state in accordance with an input of information from the input unit;
• determining, with a second control unit, the state of the image pickup unit on the basis of a drive notification signal from the image pickup unit, and sending an irradiation permission signal to X-ray irradiation means when the image pickup unit is determined to be in the active state;
• irradiating an object with an X-ray with the X-ray irradiation means when the irradiation permission signal is received by the X-ray irradiation means;
• and
• acquiring an image of the object with the image pickup unit.

A computer-readable storage medium storing a program code for performing a method adapted to an imaging system, the method comprising the steps of:

• inputting information from an input unit;
• changing, with a first control unit, a state of an image pickup unit between an active state and an inactive state in accordance with an input of information from the input unit;
• determining, with a second control unit, the state of the image pickup unit on the basis of a drive notification signal from the image pickup unit, and sending an irradiation permission signal to X-ray irradiation means when the image pickup unit is determined to be in the active state;
• irradiating an object with an X-ray with the X-ray irradiation means when the irradiation permission signal is received by the X-ray irradiation means;
• and
• acquiring an image of the object with the image pickup unit.

A system comprising:

• X-ray irradiating means for irradiating an X-ray;
• an image pickup unit for acquiring an image of an object by receiving the X-ray which has been irradiated onto the object and transmitted through the object;
• an input unit for inputting information identifying an image of the object to be acquired by said image pickup unit;
• a first control unit for changing a state of said image pickup unit between an active and an inactive state in accordance with the information from said input unit;
• and
• a second control unit for determining the state of said image pickup unit on the basis of a drive notification signal from said image pickup unit, and for sending an irradiation permission signal to said X-ray irradiating means when said image pickup unit is determined to be in the active state.