Patent ID: 9645259
Date: 2017-05-09
CPC Classifications: G01T,H01L,H04N

Claim:
1. A radiation image pickup apparatus comprising: a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged to form a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows and configured to convert a radiant ray into analog signals, the plurality of pixels each including a conversion element configured to convert a radiant ray into a charge and a switch element configured to output an analog signal according to the charge; a driving unit configured to drive the pixel array so as to bring the switch elements of the plurality of pixels from a non-conductive state into a conductive state on a column-by-column basis so that the analog signals are output from the plurality of pixels in parallel on the column-by-column basis; signal processors configured to output serial digital signals obtained in accordance with the analog signals output from the pixel array in parallel, the signal processors including a plurality of readout circuits, the plurality of readout circuits each including a plurality of amplification circuits configured to amplify the analog signals output from the pixel arrays in parallel, a plurality of S/H (sample-and-hold) circuits configured to sample and hold the analog signals amplified by the plurality of amplification circuits in parallel, a multiplexer unit configured to convert the analog signals sampled and held by the plurality of S/H circuits in parallel into serial analog signals, and an A/D converter configured to convert the serial analog signals converted by the multiplexer into the serial digital signals, a radiation image being obtained based on the serial digital signals; and a controller configured to control the driving unit and the signal processors, wherein, after irradiation of a radiant ray to the pixel array is terminated, the controller is configured to cause the signal processors to enter a second power consumption state in which power consumption is higher than power consumption of a first power consumption state, and to cause the signal processors to perform a preparation operation for operating the plurality of amplification circuits, the plurality of S/H circuits, the multiplexer and the A/D converter, without causing the driving unit to drive the pixel array, after the signal processors enter the second power consumption state, and to cause the driving unit to drive the pixel array and the signal processors to output the serial digital signals after the signal processors are caused to perform the preparation operation.