# US 12,114,064 B2 · Imaging apparatus, power control method, and power control program preliminary class > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,114,064 B2 - Document ID: US12114064B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/177,007 - Filed: 2023-03-01 - Published: 2023-06-29 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2020-09-09 - Assignees: FUJIFILM Corporation - Applicants: FUJIFILM Corporation - Inventors: Yoshinori Furuta - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12114064B2 ## CPC - H04N 23/65: Control of camera operation in relation to power supply - H04N 23/651: {for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera} - H04N 25/709: Circuitry for control of the power supply - H04N 25/772: comprising A/D, V/T, V/F, I/T or I/F converters - H04N 25/7795: {Circuitry for generating timing or clock signals} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract An imaging apparatus includes: an imaging element including a pixel array, a drive circuit of the pixel array, and a signal processing circuit as defined herein; a power supply; a power supply control circuit that controls electric power supplied to the imaging element from the power supply; and a processor, and the processor is configured to control the power supply control circuit to stop the supply of electric power to a part of circuits of the imaging element from the power supply at a first timing after completion of the readout of the signal, to resume the supply of electric power to the part of the circuits at a third timing before a second timing that is a start timing of the readout of the signal from the pixel array performed after the first timing, and to variably control an interval between the second timing and the third timing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An imaging apparatus comprising: an imaging element including a pixel array that includes a plurality of pixels which are two-dimensionally arranged, a drive circuit of the pixel array, and a signal processing circuit that processes a signal read out from the pixel array by driving of the drive circuit; a power supply; a power supply control circuit that controls electric power supplied to the imaging element from the power supply; and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to control the power supply control circuit to stop the supply of electric power to a part of circuits of the imaging element from the power supply at a first timing after completion of the readout of the signal, to resume the supply of electric power to the part of the circuits at a third timing before a second timing that is a start timing of the readout of the signal from the pixel array performed after the first timing, and to variably control an interval between the second timing and the third timing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to stop the supply of electric power to at least the signal processing circuit at the first timing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive circuit is capable of changing driving in units of frames, and the processor is configured to control the interval in accordance with the driving of the drive circuit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the interval in accordance with an amplification ratio of the signal in the imaging element. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pixel array includes a converter that converts the signal which is an analog signal and output from the pixel into a digital signal, and the amplification ratio includes an amplification ratio of the converter. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the amplification ratio includes an amplification ratio of the signal in the signal processing circuit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the interval in accordance with a signal level of the signal read out at the first timing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the interval in accordance with a current consumption of the imaging element. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the interval in accordance with a voltage input into the imaging element from the power supply. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the interval in accordance with electrostatic capacitance included in the power supply. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the interval in accordance with a voltage supplied to the power supply. ### Claim 12 A power control method for controlling a power supply supplying electric power to an imaging element including a pixel array that includes a plurality of pixels which are two-dimensionally arranged, a drive circuit of the pixel array, and a signal processing circuit that processes a signal read out from the pixel array by driving of the drive circuit, the power control method comprising: stopping the supply of electric power to a part of circuits of the imaging element from the power supply at a first timing after completion of the readout of the signal, resuming the supply of electric power to the part of the circuits at a third timing before a second timing that is a start timing of the readout of the signal from the pixel array performed after the first timing, and variably controlling an interval between the second timing and the third timing. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The power control method according to claim 12, wherein the supply of electric power to at least the signal processing circuit is stopped at the first timing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The power control method according to claim 12, wherein the drive circuit is capable of changing driving in units of frames, and the interval is controlled in accordance with the driving of the drive circuit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The power control method according to claim 12, wherein the interval is controlled in accordance with an amplification ratio of the signal in the imaging element. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The power control method according to claim 15, wherein the pixel array includes a converter that converts the signal which is an analog signal and output from the pixel into a digital signal, and the amplification ratio includes an amplification ratio of the converter. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The power control method according to claim 15, wherein the amplification ratio includes an amplification ratio of the signal in the signal processing circuit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The power control method according to claim 12, wherein the interval is controlled in accordance with a signal level of the signal read out at the first timing. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The power control method according to claim 12, wherein the interval is controlled in accordance with a current consumption of the imaging element. ### Claim 20 A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a power control program for controlling a power supply supplying electric power to an imaging element including a pixel array that includes a plurality of pixels which are two-dimensionally arranged, a drive circuit of the pixel array, and a signal processing circuit that processes a signal read out from the pixel array by driving of the drive circuit, the power control program causing a processor to execute a process comprising: stopping the supply of electric power to a part of circuits of the imaging element from the power supply at a first timing after completion of the readout of the signal; resuming the supply of electric power to the part of the circuits at a third timing before a second timing that is a start timing of the readout of the signal from the pixel array performed after the first timing; and variably controlling an interval between the second timing and the third timing.