# US 11,122,228 B2 · Imaging apparatus, method for controlling the same, and storage medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,122,228 B2 - Document ID: US11122228B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/742,664 - Filed: 2020-01-14 - Published: 2020-07-23 - Granted: 2021-09-14 - Earliest claimed: 2019-01-23 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Yuuzou Aoyama - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11122228B2 ## CPC - H04N 25/42: by switching between different modes of operation using different resolutions or aspect ratios, e.g. switching between interlaced and non-interlaced mode - H04N 25/709: Circuitry for control of the power supply - H04N 25/00: Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof - H04N 25/40: Extracting pixel data from image sensors by controlling scanning circuits, e.g. by modifying the number of pixels sampled or to be sampled - H04N 25/76: Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors - H04N 25/7795: {Circuitry for generating timing or clock signals} - H04N 25/78: Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters - H04N 25/79: Arrangements of circuitry being divided between different or multiple substrates, chips or circuit boards, e.g. stacked image sensors - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract An imaging apparatus includes an image sensor and a controller. The image sensor has a plurality of pixels and simultaneously reads out a first image signal acquired by a first pixel group among the plurality of pixels and a second image signal acquired by a second pixel group among the plurality of pixels. The controller performs operations including controlling. A vertical synchronization signal is controlled to synchronize the vertical synchronization signal with a readout cycle of an image signal corresponding to a high frame rate when the first image signal and the second image signal are simultaneously read out from the image sensor. Where low power consumption control regarding the image sensor is performed, the vertical synchronization signal is controlled to increase a period during which the image sensor is kept in a low power consumption state when only the first image signal is read out from the image sensor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An imaging apparatus comprising: an image sensor including a plurality of pixels and configured to simultaneously read out a first image signal acquired by a first pixel group among the plurality of pixels and a second image signal acquired by a second pixel group among the plurality of pixels; and a controller having a processor to execute instructions stored in a memory to perform operations including: controlling a vertical synchronization signal to synchronize the vertical synchronization signal with a readout cycle of an image signal corresponding to a high frame rate when the first image signal and the second image signal are simultaneously read out from the image sensor, and controlling, in a case where low power consumption control regarding the image sensor is performed, the vertical synchronization signal to increase a period during which the image sensor is kept in a low power consumption state when only the first image signal is read out from the image sensor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein controlling includes controlling, in the case where the low power consumption control regarding the image sensor is performed, the vertical synchronization signal to maximize the period during which the image sensor is kept in the low power consumption state when only the first image signal is read out from the image sensor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first image signal is an image signal read out from the image sensor every time the vertical synchronization signal is input a plurality of times, and wherein, in a case where one frame period of the first image signal is longer than a time taken to read out the first image signal from the image sensor, controlling includes performing the low power consumption control regarding the image sensor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a frame rate of the second image signal is higher than a frame rate of the first image signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second image signal is an image signal read out from the image sensor every time the vertical synchronization signal is input. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first image signal is an image signal used for a live view display, and the second image signal is an image signal used for automatic focus control. ### Claim 7 A method for controlling an imaging apparatus, wherein the imaging apparatus includes an image sensor having a plurality of pixels and is configured to simultaneously read out a first image signal acquired by a first pixel group among the plurality of pixels and a second image signal acquired by a second pixel group among the plurality of pixels, the method comprising: controlling a vertical synchronization signal to synchronize the vertical synchronization signal with a readout cycle of an image signal corresponding to a high frame rate when the first image signal and the second image signal are simultaneously read out from the image sensor; and controlling, in a case where low power consumption control regarding the image sensor is performed, the vertical synchronization signal to increase a period during which the image sensor is kept in a low power consumption state when only the first image signal is read out from the image sensor. ### Claim 8 A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to perform a method for controlling an imaging apparatus, wherein the imaging apparatus includes an image sensor having a plurality of pixels and is configured to simultaneously read out a first image signal acquired by a first pixel group among the plurality of pixels and a second image signal acquired by a second pixel group among the plurality of pixels, the method comprising: controlling a vertical synchronization signal to synchronize the vertical synchronization signal with a readout cycle of an image signal corresponding to a high frame rate when the first image signal and the second image signal are simultaneously read out from the image sensor; and controlling, in a case where low power consumption control regarding the image sensor is performed, the vertical synchronization signal to increase a period during which the image sensor is kept in a low power consumption state when only the first image signal is read out from the image sensor.