Abstract
A sensor licensing system for an intraoral sensor includes an on/off mechanism, a driver, and a sensor. The on/off mechanism is coupled to the intraoral sensor and has an encrypted licensing code so that the on/off mechanism turns on and off the intraoral sensor. The driver processes the encrypted license code stored in the sensor memory and determines if license code is expired based on the computer clock, exposure counter or other desired limits. The sensor periodically checks an online server for an updated encrypted license code and stores new license code in sensor memory. The updated license code is created and stored on the server when a new periodic subscription payment is made. The sensor periodically checks and downloads any updated license code. Failure to make a payment will result in no encrypted license code update being created and eventual expiration of the old encrypted license code.
Claims
1. A control center and licensing management system for an intraoral sensor wherein said control center and licensing management system comprises: an on/off mechanism coupled to the intraoral sensor; and a driver coupled to said on/off mechanism wherein said on/off mechanism has an encrypted licensing code and whereby said on/off mechanism turns on and off the intraoral sensor and wherein said driver processes said encrypted license code stored in a sensor memory and determines if license code is expired based on the computer clock, exposure counter or other desired limits whereby the intraoral sensor periodically checks an online server for an updated encrypted license code and stores new license code in said sensor memory.
2. A control center and licensing management system for an intraoral sensor according to claim 1 wherein said control center and licensing management system monitors performance of the intraoral sensor during use and notifies the user of problems.
3. A control center and licensing management system for an intraoral sensor according to claim 1 wherein said driver controls operation of the intraoral sensor on a computer and uses software which operates on said computer not only in real time, but also in the background so that said control center and licensing management system controls image acquisition and settings for the intraoral sensor so that it can be used with almost any dental imaging software on the market.
4. A control center and licensing management system for an intraoral sensor according to claim 1 wherein an updated license code is created and stored on the server when a new periodic subscription payment is made and wherein the intraoral sensor periodically checks and downloads any updated license code so that failure to make a payment will result in no license code update being created and eventual expiration of the old license code.
5. A control center and licensing management system for an intraoral sensor according to claim 1 wherein said sensor licensing system includes a dose optimization tool coupled to the intraoral sensor.
6. A control center and licensing management system for an intraoral sensor according to claim 5 wherein said dose optimization tool guides user to perform initial exposure measurements of an x-ray head for optimal signal level to minimize patient exposure to ionized radiation thereby insuring optimal image quality while insuring that the lowest possible x-ray generator settings to achieve diagnosable x-ray images.
7. A control center and licensing management system for an intraoral sensor according to claim 1 said control center and licensing management system requires periodic connection of the intraoral sensor to the internet for license checks.
8. A control center and licensing management system for an intraoral sensor according to claim 1 wherein said encrypted licensing code incorporates date and image counter checking to prevent tampering.
9. A control center and licensing management system for an intraoral sensor according to claim 8 wherein said control center and licensing management system includes a mechanism which detects potential expiration of sensor license and which notifies user of need to either update license or connect sensor to a server to check/update licensing status.
10. A control center and licensing management system for an intraoral sensor according to claim 8 wherein dental image acquisition software acts as the primary driver for the intraoral sensor and interfaces with other imaging applications to acquire and serve up images for processing and display wherein said dental image acquisition software interfaces with other applications via either an SDK driver or a TWAIN driver whereby said dental image acquisition software can perform preprocessing on the image before transferring to an imaging application, including but not limited noise filtering, sharpening, contrast enhancement or histogram equalization.
11. A control center and licensing management system for an intraoral sensor according to claim 6 wherein said dose optimization tool recommends ideal dose/time settings for use based on adult/child and different x-ray energies.
12. A control center and licensing management system for an intraoral sensor according to claim 11 wherein said dose optimization tool includes a real-time signal monitor which monitors image level and will continue to monitor exposure of every image and notify the operator if signal is too high or low immediately after images acquisition during clinical use.
13. A control center and licensing management system for an intraoral sensor according to claim 12 wherein said real-time monitor operates in the background thereby allowing it to be used independent of the imaging application software being used.
14. A control center and licensing management system for an intraoral sensor according to claim 12 wherein said real-time monitor counts sensor usage and records data such as total exposures.
15. A control center and licensing management system for an intraoral sensor according to claim 3 wherein said control center and licensing management system saves and stores recent images to allow for remote review and diagnosis of sensor issues during debugging.
16. A control center and licensing management system for an intraoral sensor according to claim 15 wherein said control center and licensing management system provides integrated support which is live with built-in support tools operating in the background, independent of the imaging application.
17. A control center and licensing management system for an intraoral sensor according to claim 15 wherein said control center and licensing management system monitors real time for software or sensor firmware updates.
18. A control center and licensing management system for an intraoral sensor wherein said control center and licensing management system comprises: an on/off mechanism coupled to the intraoral sensor; and a driver coupled to said on/off mechanism wherein said on/off mechanism has an encrypted licensing code and whereby said on/off mechanism turns on and off the intraoral sensor and wherein said driver processes said encrypted license code stored in a sensor memory and determines if license code is expired based on the computer clock, exposure counter or other desired limits whereby the intraoral sensor periodically checks an online server for an updated encrypted license code and stores new license code in said sensor memory and whereby said control center and licensing management system monitors performance of the intraoral sensor during use and notifies the user of problems.
19. A control center and licensing management system for an intraoral sensor wherein said control center and licensing management system comprises: an on/off mechanism coupled to the intraoral sensor; and a driver coupled to said on/off mechanism wherein said on/off mechanism has an encrypted licensing code and whereby said on/off mechanism turns on and off the intraoral sensor and wherein said driver processes said encrypted license code stored in a sensor memory and determines if license code is expired based on the computer clock, exposure counter or other desired limits whereby the intraoral sensor periodically checks an online server for an updated encrypted license code and stores new license code in said sensor memory and whereby said control center and licensing management system provides integrated support which is live with built-in support tools operating in the background, independent of the imaging application.
20. A control center and licensing management system for an intraoral sensor according to claim 19 whereby said control center and licensing management system monitors performance of the intraoral sensor during use and notifies the user of problems.
Description
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0061] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a dental x-ray system including an x-ray source, an intraoral sensor located in a patient's mouth and a computer connected to the intraoral sensor according to U.S. Pat. No. 9,259,197.
[0062] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective drawing of an intraoral sensor which has electronic components, both in its head side and its tail side, for operating a control center according to the present invention.
[0063] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of electronic components both at the intraoral sensor's head side consisting an Analog Front End (AFE) IC, a FGPA, clock drivers, a Flash memory, and a power regulation circuits.
[0064] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of electronic components both at the intraoral sensor's head side and at the USB's tail side consisting of a USB controller IC, a FPGA, Flash memory, SDRAM, and power regulation circuits.
[0065] FIG. 5 is a conceptual schematic diagram of a networking system according to U.S. Pat. No. 9,462,082.
[0066] FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of a system for acquiring image data from multiple sources according to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0304740.
[0067] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a control center which manages licenses, licensing data, tamper protection, x-ray dose optimization, exposure monitoring and other information for use with the intraoral sensor of FIG. 2 according to the present invention.
[0068] FIG. 8 is an overview of the involved parties required to handle the x-ray sensor license distribution and enforcement in the form of a schematic drawing of a licensing management system of the control center of FIG. 7 which includes a plurality of control centers, a plurality of intraoral sensors, an FTP license server, a license database server with a memory containing licenses, a licensing client and a payment system according to the present invention.
[0069] FIG. 9 is a diagram of the interaction of at least one of the control centers, at least one of the intraoral sensors, the FTP license server, a license database server with a memory containing licenses, the licensing client and the payment system of the licensing management system of FIG. 8.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0070] Referring to FIG. 1 a dental x-ray system 10, which U.S. Pat. No. 9,259,197 teaches, includes an x-ray source 12. The x-ray source 12 is located on an end 13 of a mechanical arm 15. When activated, the x-ray source 12 generates an x-ray stream 16 that has a generally circular cross-section. The x-ray source 12 is positioned by an operator so that the x-ray stream 16 is directed to an intraoral sensor 20. The intraoral sensor 20 is placed in the mouth of a patient 21. The intraoral sensor 20 may include a scintillator that coverts x-ray radiation to visible light. The intraoral sensor 20 is configured to convert x-rays into electric charge, which in turn are converted to digital signals. These digital signals are provided to a processor 32 which is connected to memory 36, ROM and RAM, and an input-output interface 34. Image data captured by the intraoral sensor 20 and processed by the computer 30 is sent to a display 38 and viewed as image 40.
[0071] Still referring to FIG. 1 in the dental x-ray system 10 capturing an image depends on at least two factors activation of the x-ray source 12 and activation of the intraoral sensor 20. What constitutes activation of the intraoral sensor 20 can vary based upon the type of intraoral sensor 20 used, but in most cases activation occurs when the intraoral sensor 20 detects the x-ray exposure and then automatically starts image capture which is the integration of the image. It would be advantageous if the automatic activation of the intraoral sensor 20 could be prohibited depending on the licensing status.
[0072] Referring to FIG. 2 critical components for the intraoral sensor and their functions are a CMOS Sensor, a Scintillator, a Fiber Optic, Sensor PCB, a Cable, a Tail PCB. The intraoral sensor is a CMOS imager containing pixels that covert visible photons into electrons. The Scintillator converts x-ray energy into visible photons and is deposited directly onto the fiber optic. The Fiber Optic directs visible photons to the CMOS sensor and blocks the majority of direct x-ray energy that passes through the scintillator. The intraoral sensor's PCB has electronics that generates voltages and timing to detect the onset of x-ray/light, begins CMOS integration and converts charge from the CMOS Sensor during readout into digital signals. The Cable is a multi-conductor cable that transmits digital signals from the intraoral sensor's PCB to the Tail PCB. The Tail PCB has electronics that receives digital data from the intraoral sensor's PCB and transfers it to a host computer USB interface. The Connector provides a USB, Type A connection to communicate with the host computer. The Housings is a set of hermetically sealed, plastic parts that protect sensor components from mechanical and environmental conditions. The fiber optic is attached to the CMOS sensor with optical epoxy. The CMOS sensor is glued to the Sensor PCB with epoxy and electrically connected with aluminum wire-bonds. A flex circuit connects the Sensor PCB to the cable. Conductors on the opposite end of the cable are soldered to the Tail PCB. The cable is a custom cable made of 13 wires made up of 2 twisted pairs, 8 single conductors, and 1 ground conductor all within a shielded braid. The cable diameter is 3.0 mm. The cable jacket material is polyurethane.
[0073] The intraoral sensor has an x-ray imager (CMOS) that creates a digital image from x-ray doses perceptible by the sensor. The digital image created is immediately visible on the screen of a personal computer connected to the intraoral sensor through the standard USB port. With imaging software, acquired images can be optimized for specific diagnostic tasks, archived as image files and printed out on a suitable printer.
[0074] The intraoral sensor utilizes standard USB 2.0, with 5.00.5V VDC input per the USB specification. The sensor typically draws less than 200 mA current with a maximum of 350 mA. The intraoral sensor can filter power supply noise of up to 50 mV peak to peak and operate within these levels. The Intraoral sensor can operate continuously.
[0075] Software provides utilities for optimizing viewing and printing of images. The intraoral sensor captures x-ray images suitable for recognition of normal anatomical structures, dental pathologies and abnormal conditions. Inadequate images may result in misdiagnosis, subjecting the patient to incorrect or unnecessary dental procedures that would present an unacceptable risk to the patient.
[0076] The intraoral sensor may be aligned with the x-ray source for imaging the desired anatomy. Inadequate alignment may result in repeated x-ray exposures thereby subjecting the patient to additional ionizing radiation that would present an unacceptable risk to the patient. The intraoral sensor can be used either in combination with special positioning devices to facilitate positioning and alignment with the x-ray beam or it may also be positioned by hand with the assistance of the patient. There is no electrical or physical connection between the intraoral sensor and the x-ray generator.
[0077] Referring to FIG. 3 in conjunction with FIG. 4 the overall system has electronic components both at the intraoral sensor's head side and at the USB's tail side. The major components in the intraoral sensor's head side consists of an Analog Front End (AFE) IC, a FGPA, clock drivers, Flash memory, and power regulation circuits. The major components in the USB Tail side consists of USB controller IC, a FPGA, Flash memory, SDRAM, and power regulation circuits. Sensor image is readout in an alternating row readout scheme (top row, bottom row, top row, bottom row). After the last row is readout, the sensor goes back to the flush mode waiting for the next detection trigger. In the intraoral sensor's head electronics, the analog CMOS output feeds into the Analog Front-End (AFE) which controls the CMOS timing and converts the data into 12-bit digital pixel data. From there the data is serialized and is sent to the USB Tail board. The USB tail board receives the serialized image data from the intraoral sensor's headboard via the LVDS clock and data lines and converts this into image/pixel data. The image data is sent into a dedicated FIFO channel in the USB controller and will eventually be read by the PC-side software. The USB Tail board also has additional SDRAM to buffer at least one image if the PC is unable to receive the image data immediately. However, this is only set up as an option and normal operation will have the data directly downloaded to the PC.
[0078] The intraoral sensor's operations with x-ray exposure in the range of 50-70 kV. The steps to achieve an exposure are as follows:
[0079] The intraoral sensor is initialized when plugged into a computer. The intraoral sensor remains inactive until armed, at which point the intraoral sensor continuously monitors for x-ray in the form of visible photons. When photons are detected the intraoral sensor integrates for a fixed duration of 750 ms and then begins image readout through the electronics and to the computer. The readout time will depend on USB bandwidth with the host computer but is nominally 2.2 seconds. After readout, the intraoral sensor re-arms itself within 1 ms as it restarts the cycle. The x-ray absorber is Cesium Iodide, deposited directly onto a 1.5 mm thick fiber optic faceplate with packed 6 um fibers and interstitial light absorbing fibers for improved contrast. The scintillator contains a reflector to direct light into the CMOS Sensor. The scintillator and reflector are covered with layers of parylene to protect them from the environment. The energy conversion mechanism is a set of processes that involve energy conversion (x-ray to visible to signal).
[0080] In Step 1 an x-ray interacts within scintillator and x-ray energy is generated by the source. After penetrating the patient anatomy, housing and cushion, the x-ray energy hits the scintillator. The x-ray photons interact with the scintillator and some of them are converted into visible photons. The x-ray absorption in the scintillator is a function of x-ray energy and the scintillator thickness.
[0081] In Step 2 a Visible light photons existing scintillator. The visible photons generated from the scintillator are collimated by the natural crystal structure of deposited CsI. A light reflector layer on the top of the scintillator reflects light back into the crystal structure and to the CMOS sensor.
[0082] In Step 3 the Visible light is focused by the Fiber Optic and enters the top fiber optic surface, largely collimated by the CsI structure. Light not collimated by CsI as well as light undergoing crosstalk within the fiber optic is absorbed by interstitial absorbers within the fiber optic. This absorption increases overall scintillator/FOP modulation transfer function (MTF).
[0083] In Step 4 the CMOS Imager converts light into an electrical signal. The CMOS imager consists of array of pixels with a fill factor of 1.0, which describes the ratio between the photon sensitive area to the pixel total area. The CMOS imager converts light exiting the fiber optic into electrical charge.
[0084] The CMOS Sensor, when active, continuously detects for X-ray events by flushing the entire CMOS array. During flushing, the electronics monitors for increases in electrical charge caused by visible photons. The detection method also flushes built up charge the CMOS array that naturally occurs. When detection is made, the sensor resets and begins integrating ongoing visible photons. The time to detect visible photons and begin integration has been measured to be less than 1 ms. After the Integration state, the system automatically transitions into the CMOS Readout state. The full CMOS Pixel Array will be readout by the AFE and transferred to the Tail board. The Tail board will forward the de-serialized Pixel Data onto the USB controller FIFO and the PC application will be able to acquire the image. After end of the CMOS readout the camera automatically switches the AFE back to Sweep Mode and the camera returns to the Idle state. The data clock is 12 Mhz and a full frame is readout within 2.83 seconds.
[0085] Referring to FIG. 2 an intraoral sensor 120 which includes an imaging sensor 121, a fiber optic 122, a scintillator 121, a sensor printed circuit board (Head side PCB) 125, a multi-conductor cable 124, an interface printed circuit board (Tail side PCB) 126, a connector 127 and housings 128. The imaging sensor 121 converts x-ray energy into digital signals. The multi-conductor cable transmits digital signals from the Head side PCB 125 to the Tail side PCB 126. The Tail side PCB 126 includes electronics that receives digital data from the Head side PCB 125 and transfers it to a host computer USB interface. A Type C USB connector 129 communicates with a host computer via replaceable USB-C to USB-A extension cable. The housings 128 are a set of hermetically sealed, plastic parts that protect sensor components from mechanical and environmental conditions.
[0086] Still referring to FIG. 2, the major components in the Tail side PCB consists of USB controller IC, a FPGA, a flash memory, and power regulation circuits. In the sensor head electronics, digital imager data is serialized and is sent to the Tail board. Communication and data transfer from the sensor to the host computer is handled by a controller chip located in the tail PCB and handles communication via a USB protocol. Some/all functions located in the Tail Side may alternatively be housed on the Sensor Head.
[0087] Referring to FIG. 7 a control center and licensing management system for an intraoral sensor includes a sensor licensing system and a dose optimization tool. The sensor licensing system includes an on/off mechanism and a driver. The on/off mechanism is coupled to the intraoral sensor. The driver is coupled to the on/off mechanism. The on/off mechanism has an encrypted licensing code so that the on/off mechanism turns on and off the intraoral sensor.
[0088] Still referring to FIG. 7 the driver is dental image acquisition software which acts as the primary driver for the intraoral sensor and interfaces with other imaging applications to acquire and serve up images for processing and display wherein the dental image acquisition software interfaces with other applications via either an SDK driver or a TWAIN driver whereby the dental image acquisition software can perform preprocessing on the image before transferring to an imaging application, including but not limited noise filtering, sharpening, contrast enhancement or histogram equalization. The driver processes the encrypted license code stored in a sensor memory and determines if license code is expired based on the computer clock, exposure counter or other desired limits so that the intraoral sensor periodically checks an online server for an updated encrypted license code and stores new license code in the sensor memory. The driver also controls operation of the intraoral sensor on a computer and uses software which operates on the computer not only in real time, but also in the background so that the control center and licensing management system controls image acquisition and settings for the intraoral sensor so that it can be used with almost any dental imaging software on the market. An updated license code is created and stored on the server when a new periodic subscription payment is made. The intraoral sensor periodically checks and downloads any updated license code so that failure to make a payment will result in no license code update being created and eventual expiration of the old license code. The sensor licensing system requires periodic connection of the intraoral sensor to the internet for license checks. The encrypted licensing code incorporates date and image counter checking to prevent tampering and includes a mechanism which detects potential expiration of sensor license and notifies user of need to either update license or connect sensor to a server to check/update licensing status. The control center for an intraoral sensor monitors performance of the intraoral sensor during use and notifies the user of problems.
[0089] Still further referring to FIG. 7 the dose optimization tool guides user to perform initial exposure measurements of an x-ray head for optimal signal level to minimize patient exposure to ionized radiation thereby insuring optimal image quality while insuring that the lowest possible x-ray generator settings to achieve diagnosable x-ray images. The dose optimization tool recommends ideal dose/time settings for use based on adult/child and different x-ray energies and includes a real-time signal monitor which monitors image level and will continue to monitor exposure of every image and notify the operator if signal is too high or low immediately after images acquisition during clinical use. The real-time monitor operates in the background thereby allowing it to be used independent of the imaging application software being used. The real-time monitor counts sensor usage and records data such as total exposures. The control center and licensing management system not only saves and stores recent images to allow for remote review and diagnosis of sensor issues during debugging, but also provides integrated support which is live with built-in support tools operating in the background, independent of the imaging application and monitors real time for software or sensor firmware updates.
[0090] Referring to FIG. 7 in conjunction with FIG. 2 the control center and licensing management system 520 manages licenses, licensing data, tamper protection, x-ray dose optimization, exposure monitoring and other information for use with the intraoral sensor 120. The control center and licensing management system for dental imaging operates in both real time and the background to control image acquisition and settings for the intraoral sensor 120 so that it can be used with almost any imaging software on the market. The control center and licensing management system 520 for dental imaging also monitors the sensor performance during use and notifies the user of problems. Image acquisition software acts as the primary driver for the intraoral sensor 120 and interfaces with other imaging applications to acquire and serve up images for processing and display. The interface with other applications can either be direct using a software development kit (SDK) or using a TWAIN data source. The software can perform pre-processing on the image before transferring to the imaging application, including noise filtering, sharpening, histogram equalization.
[0091] Referring to FIG. 8 in conjunction with FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 the control center and licensing management system 520 includes at least one intraoral sensor 120, at least one control center 520, an FTP license server 1010, a license database server 1020 with a memory 1021 containing licenses, a licensing client 1030 and a payment system 1040. These are the involved parties required to handle the x-ray sensor license distribution and enforcement.
[0092] Referring to FIG. 9 in conjunction with FIG. 8 the interaction of at least one intraoral sensor 120, at least one control center 520, the FTP license server 1010, the license database server 1020 with a memory 1021 containing licenses, the licensing client 1030 and the payment system 1040 is as described below. The FTP license file server 1010 has a processor and license file storage coupled to the processor. When the intraoral sensor 120 is connected to the computer, the control center and licensing management system 520 reads the encrypted license from the flash memory. The intraoral sensor 120 is switched ON or OFF depending on license contents. When the control center and licensing management system 520 reads the license from the intraoral sensor 120, the control center and licensing management system 520 periodically requests encrypted licenses from the FTP license file server 1010 and determines whether it has been updated compared to the license read from the intraoral sensor 120. The payment module 1040 is sent a scheduled payment. When the scheduled payment is received, the license will be extended. The FTP license file server 1010 receives new encrypted license. The control center and licensing management system 520 requests and receives the updated encrypted license file and determines that the encrypted license file has changed. The new encrypted license is stored inside the flash memory inside the intraoral sensor 120. The control center and licensing management system 520 periodically reads the encrypted license file from the FTP license file server 1010 and determines whether it has been updated compared to the license read from the intraoral sensor 120.
[0093] Referring still to FIG. 5 in conjunction with FIG. 4 the sensor licensing system 1000 of the control center and licensing management system 520 provides live license control of the intraoral sensor 120 with no user interaction by contacting a server for an encrypted licensing code which incorporates date and image counter checking to prevent tampering. This allows the intraoral sensor 120 to be turned on/off remotely if a periodic subscription payment is not made. This requires that license checks be made requiring periodic connection of the intraoral sensor and computer to the internet. The sensor licensing system 1000 includes an on/off mechanism, a driver, and a sensor. The on/off mechanism is coupled to the intraoral sensor and has an encrypted licensing code so that the on/off mechanism turns on and off the intraoral sensor. The driver processes the encrypted license code stored in the sensor memory and determines if license code is expired based on the computer clock, exposure counter or other desired limits. The sensor periodically checks an online server for an updated encrypted license code and stores new license code in sensor memory. The single control may be located on a plurality of individual computers and can handle licensing of multiple intraoral sensors 120. The updated license code is created and stored on the server when a new periodic subscription payment is made. The sensor periodically checks and downloads any updated license code. Failure to make a payment will result in no encrypted license code update being created and eventual expiration of the old encrypted license code. License updates are created upon receiving subscription renewal payments and the transfer and storage of the updated license files involves encryption of the license information to prevent tampering with the license file contents. Since the x-ray sensor subscription plans typically involves setting and maintaining an expiration date for the license then it is of utmost importance that the licensing supervision system in the control center continuously verifies that the system time is correct and not being tampered with. This involves checking the PC's real time clock against an external clock source (network time via NTP) as well as utilizing the x-ray sensors non-volatile memory to keep track of the last time the sensor was used. The primary concern is to make sure no one adjust the time backwards to extend the valid license period so the basis for the tamper protection is to verify that the system time is always moving forward and never jumps back.
[0094] Referring still further to FIG. 9 in conjunction with FIG. 8 the control center and licensing management system 520 includes a driver, software including dental image acquisition software, a monitor and a dose optimization tool. The driver controls operation of the intraoral sensor on a computer. The software of the control center and licensing management system operates on the computer not only in real time, but also in the background in order for the control center and licensing management system 520 to control image acquisition and settings for the intraoral sensor so that it can be used with almost any dental imaging software on the market. The software of the control center and licensing management system 520 acts as the primary driver for the intraoral sensor and interfaces with other imaging applications to acquire and serve up images for processing and display. The control center software interfaces with other applications via either an SDK driver or a TWAIN driver. The software of the control center and licensing management system 520 can perform preprocessing on the image before transferring to an imaging application, including but not limited to noise filtering, sharpening, contrast enhancement or histogram equalization. A monitor checks performance of the intraoral sensor during use and notifies the user of problems. The dose optimization tool guides user to perform initial exposure measurements of an x-ray head for optimal signal level to minimize patient exposure to ionized radiation thereby insuring optimal image quality while insuring that the lowest possible x-ray generator settings to achieve diagnosable x-ray images. The control center 520 saves and stores recent images to allow for remote review and diagnosis of sensor issues during debugging. The control center provides integrated support which is live with built-in support tools operating in the background, independent of the imaging application. The software of the control 520 monitors real time for software or sensor firmware updates.
[0095] The control center and licensing management system 520 involves the handling of license distribution and license enforcement for intraoral x-ray sensors so that it is kept generic to the various integrations of x-ray sensor products into 3rd party imaging software applications. The license distribution and enforcement are centered round a control center application that runs as a background service. The primary function of the control center and licensing management system 520 is to enforce and renew the licenses and to serve as a single point of integration for third party applications. Since the control center and licensing management system 520 is always required then it can perform background tasks such as image pre-processing and supervision of the image exposure level without any manual intervention by the end-users. The control center and licensing management system 520 serves as a convenient tool to be used for troubleshooting any issues that are reported from the field.
[0096] Referring again to FIG. 8 the dose calibration tool of the control center and licensing management system 520 guides user to perform initial measurement of each individual x-ray heads for optimal dose without exposing the patient to ionized radiation. The dose optimization tool also ensures an optimal image quality while ensuring that the lowest possible x-ray generator settings are set, avoiding overdosing of patients. The dose optimization tool further recommends ideal dose/time settings for use base on Adult/Child selections for different anatomic regions (like anterior, posterior) since the density of the bones and teeth varies accordingly. A real time dose monitor, after dose optimization, will continue to monitor exposure of every image and notify the operator if dose is too high or low immediately after images acquisition during clinical use. This is currently done by competitive imaging applications, but the subject dose optimization tool operates in the background thereby allowing it to be used independent of the imaging application being used. An exposure monitor counts sensor usage and records data such as total exposures and dose. A recent image storage system saves recent images to allow for remote review and diagnosis of sensor issues during debugging. An integrated support system includes live, built in support tools operating in the background, independent of the imaging application. The intraoral sensor receives updates and monitors real time for software or sensor firmware updates.
[0097] Referring to FIG. 9 in conjunction with FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 the control center and licensing management system 520 for an intraoral sensor includes an on/off mechanism which is coupled to the intraoral sensor and a driver which is coupled to the on/off mechanism. The on/off mechanism has an encrypted licensing code so that the on/off mechanism turns on and off the intraoral sensor. The driver processes the encrypted license code stored in a sensor memory and determines if license code is expired based on the computer clock, exposure counter or other desired limits so that the intraoral sensor periodically checks an online server for an updated encrypted license code and stores new license code in the sensor memory. The control center and licensing management system monitors performance of the intraoral sensor during use and notifies the user of problems. The driver controls operation of the intraoral sensor on a computer and uses software which operates on the computer not only in real time, but also in the background so that the control center and licensing management system controls image acquisition and settings for the intraoral sensor so that it can be used with almost any dental imaging software on the market. An updated license code is created and stored on the server when a new periodic subscription payment is made so that the intraoral sensor periodically checks and downloads any updated license code so that failure to make a payment will result in no license code update being created and eventual expiration of the old license code.
[0098] The on/off mechanism has an encrypted licensing code and whereby the on/off mechanism turns on and off the intraoral sensor and wherein the driver processes the encrypted license code stored in a sensor memory and determines if license code is expired based on the computer clock, exposure counter or other desired limits whereby the intraoral sensor periodically checks an online server for an updated encrypted license code and stores new license code in the sensor memory and whereby the control center and licensing management system monitors performance of the intraoral sensor during use and notifies the user of problems. The on/off mechanism also turns on and off the intraoral sensor so that the driver processes the encrypted license code stored in a sensor memory and determines if license code is expired based on the computer clock, exposure counter or other desired limits whereby the intraoral sensor periodically checks an online server for an updated encrypted license code and stores new license code in the sensor memory and whereby the control center and licensing management system provides integrated support which is live with built-in support tools operating in the background, independent of the imaging application
[0099] The control center and licensing management system also includes a dose optimization tool coupled to the intraoral sensor and a real-time monitor. The dose optimization tool guides user to perform initial exposure measurements of an x-ray head for optimal signal level to minimize patient exposure to ionized radiation thereby insuring optimal image quality while insuring that the lowest possible x-ray generator settings to achieve diagnosable x-ray images. The dose optimization tool recommends ideal dose/time settings for use based on adult/child and different x-ray energies. The dose optimization tool includes a real-time signal monitor which monitors image level and will continue to monitor exposure of every image and notify the operator if signal is too high or low immediately after images acquisition during clinical use. The real-time monitor operates in the background thereby allowing it to be used independent of the imaging application software being used so that the real-time monitor counts sensor usage and records data such as total exposures. The control center and licensing management system saves and stores recent images to allow for remote review and diagnosis of sensor issues during debugging so that the control center and licensing management system provides integrated support which is live with built-in support tools operating in the background, independent of the imaging application. The control center and licensing management system also monitors real time for software or sensor firmware updates.
[0100] The control center and licensing management system requires periodic connection of the intraoral sensor to the internet for license checks. The encrypted licensing code incorporates date and image counter checking to prevent tampering.
[0101] The control center and licensing management system includes a mechanism which detects potential expiration of sensor license and which notifies user of need to either update license or connect sensor to a server to check/update licensing status so that dental image acquisition software acts as the primary driver for the intraoral sensor and interfaces with other imaging applications to acquire and serve up images for processing and display. The dental image acquisition software interfaces with other applications via either an SDK driver or a TWAIN driver so that the dental image acquisition software can perform preprocessing on the image before transferring to an imaging application, including but not limited noise filtering, sharpening, contrast enhancement or histogram equalization.
[0102] From the foregoing, it is seen that a control center and licensing management system which manages licenses, licensing data, tamper protection, x-ray dose optimization, exposure monitoring, and other information has been described.
[0103] Accordingly, it is intended that the foregoing disclosure and n showing made in the drawing shall be considered only as an illustration of the principle of the present invention.
