Radiation imaging apparatus, processing method therefor, and radiation imaging system

1. An apparatus comprising:

an imaging unit configured to perform imaging by using a plurality of image capture elements for accumulating electric charges;

a storage unit configured to store a first image to be acquired by driving the image capture elements without causing the image capture elements to receive light, before imaging is performed by causing the image capture elements to receive light:

an acquisition unit configured to acquire a second offset image to be acquired by driving a smaller number of image capture elements than a number of image capture elements to be driven when the first image is acquired without causing the smaller number of image capture elements to receive light, according to imaging by causing the plurality of image capture elements to receive light;

a generation unit configured to generate an offset correction image to be used for correcting an image to be acquired by causing the plurality of image capture elements to receive light by combining the first image and the second image with a factor according to imaging information on the imaging by causing the plurality of image capture elements to receive light.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image capture elements correspond to pixels of the captured image on a one-to-one basis and a predetermined number of image capture elements are collected as a group.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 ,

wherein, at each time of imaging by using a part of the plurality of image capture elements without radiant-ray irradiation to obtain the second offset image, the imaging unit performs imaging by sequentially activating image capture elements in each of the image capture element groups.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 ,

wherein, when capturing an image by using the part of the plurality of image capture elements without radiant-ray irradiation to obtain the second offset image, the imaging unit activates image capture elements in the same order in each of horizontally arranged image capture element groups, and activates image capture elements in one of a plurality of orders in each of vertically arranged image capture element groups.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the image capture elements are two-dimensionally arranged.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein, at each time of imaging without radiant-ray irradiation, the imaging unit alternately selects one row in each image capture element group.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the generation unit acquires an average value from past data obtained as a result of imaging without radiant-ray irradiation, and updates the offset correction image by using an average value.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a correction processing unit configured to correct the radiation image by subtracting the offset correction image from the radiation image.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the storage unit stores the first offset image to be acquired before imaging a moving image is started, in case of imaging a moving image.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the acquisition unit repeatedly acquires the second image, and

wherein the generation unit updates the offset correction image based on the repeatedly acquired second image.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a calculation unit configured to calculate a correction factor according to a difference between imaging information on the first image and imaging information on imaging by causing the plurality of image capture elements to receive light.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first image and the second image are acquired by performing imaging without irradiating the plurality of image capture elements with a radiant ray, and

wherein an image of a subject is acquired by performing imaging by irradiating the plurality of image capture elements with a radiant ray.

13. A method for an imaging apparatus that performs imaging by using a plurality of image capture elements for accumulating electric charges, the method comprising:

acquiring a first offset image to be acquired by driving the image capture elements without causing the image capture elements to receive light, before imaging is performed by causing the image capture elements to receive light;

acquiring a second offset image to be acquired by driving a smaller number of image capture elements than a number of image capture elements to be driven when the first image is acquired without causing the smaller number of image capture elements to receive light, according to imaging by causing the plurality of image capture elements to receive light;

generating an offset correction image to be used for correcting an image to be acquired by causing the plurality of image capture elements to receive light by combining the first image and the second image with a factor according to imaging information on the imaging by causing the plurality of image capture elements to receive light; and

performing correction processing by correcting a captured image to be acquired when imaging is performed by the causing image capture element to receive light, based on the offset correction image.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the image capture elements correspond to pixels of the captured image on a one-to-one basis and a predetermined number of image capture elements are collected as a group.

15. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising, at each time of imaging by using a part of the plurality of image capture elements without radiant-ray irradiation to obtain the second offset image, performing imaging by sequentially activating image capture elements in each of the image capture element groups.

16. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising, when capturing an image by using the part of the plurality of image capture elements without radiant-ray irradiation to obtain the second offset image, activating image capture elements in the same order in each of horizontally arranged image capture element groups, and activating image capture elements in one of a plurality of orders in each of vertically arranged image capture element groups.

17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising, at each time of imaging without radiant-ray irradiation, alternately selecting one row in each image capture element group.

18. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising acquiring an average value from past data obtained as a result of imaging without radiant-ray irradiation, and updating the offset correction image by using an average value.

19. The method according to claim 13 further comprising correcting the radiation image by subtracting the offset correction image from the radiation image.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer-executable program of instructions for causing a computer to perform a method comprising:

acquiring a first offset image to be acquired by driving the image capture elements without causing the image capture elements to receive light, before imaging is performed by causing the image capture elements to receive light;

acquiring a second offset image to be acquired by driving a smaller number of image capture elements than a number of image capture elements to be driven when the first image is acquired without causing the smaller number of image capture elements to receive light, according to imaging by causing the plurality of image capture elements to receive light;

generating a offset correction image to be used for correcting an image to be acquired by causing the plurality of image capture elements to receive light by combining the first image and the second image with a factor according to imaging information on the imaging by causing the plurality of image capture elements to receive light; and

correcting a captured image to be acquired when imaging is performed by the causing image capture element to receive light, based on the offset correction image.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 20 , further comprising: at each time of imaging by using a part of the plurality of image capture elements without radiant-ray irradiation to obtain the second offset image, the performing imaging by sequentially activating image capture elements in each of the image capture element groups.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 20 , further comprising acquiring an average value from past data obtained as a result of imaging without radiant-ray irradiation, and updating the offset correction image by using an average value.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 20 , further comprising correcting the radiation image by subtracting the offset correction image from the radiation image.

24. An apparatus comprising:

an imaging unit configured to perform imaging by using a plurality of image capture elements for accumulating electric charges;

a storage unit configured to store a first image to be acquired by driving the image capture elements without causing the image capture elements to receive light, before imaging is performed by causing the image capture elements to receive light:

an acquisition unit configured to acquire a second offset image to be acquired by driving a smaller number of image capture elements than a number of image capture elements to be driven when the first image is acquired without causing the smaller number of image capture elements to receive light;

a generation unit configured to generate an offset correction image to be used for correcting an image to be acquired by causing the plurality of image capture elements to receive light based on the first image and the second image.