IP Library Granted Patent US 12677063
Granted Patent B2
US 12677063 · App. 18/824,302 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Imaging device

Inventors: Kazuyuki Ohashi (Osaka, JP); Kazuhiro Ogawa (Osaka, JP); Tomonori Kono (Osaka, JP); Takashi Suzuki (Osaka, JP); Tetsuya Takeda (Nara, JP)
Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
H04N23/65H04N23/667
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12677063
App. No.
18/824,302
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An imaging device includes: a mechanical shutter; a shutter driver that operates the mechanical shutter in a continuous shooting mode and a single shooting mode; a driving electric power supplier; and an undercut controller (undercut/driving electric power controller) that stops operation of the imaging device when a power supply voltage becomes lower than a predetermined undercut voltage. In the single shooting mode, the driving electric power supplier lowers a driving electric power and the undercut controller stops operation of the imaging device at a lower undercut voltage.

Claims (21)

1 . An imaging device comprising:

a mechanical shutter that is located between an optical system and an imaging sensor and controls light exposure and light shielding of the imaging sensor;

a shutter driver that drives the mechanical shutter and operates the mechanical shutter in a continuous shooting mode in which the imaging sensor is repeatedly exposed to light and a single shooting mode in which the imaging sensor is exposed to light for each shot;

a driving electric power supplier that supplies driving electric power to the shutter driver with electric power supplied from a power supply; and

an undercut controller that stops operation of the imaging device when the power supply voltage supplied from the power supply becomes lower than a predetermined undercut voltage, wherein

in the single shooting mode, the driving electric power supplier supplies a driving electric power lower than that for each shot in the continuous shooting mode, and

in the single shooting mode, the undercut controller stops operation of the imaging device at an undercut voltage lower than that in the continuous shooting mode.

2 . The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

in the single shooting mode, the driving electric power supplier supplies a driving current lower than that for each shot in the continuous shooting mode.

3 . The imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein

the driving electric power supplier lowers a driving voltage to be supplied to the shutter driver by a predetermined amount from start of operation of the mechanical shutter until a predetermined time has elapsed and sets the predetermined time longer in the single shooting mode than in the continuous shooting mode.

4 . The imaging device according to claim 3 , wherein

the power supply is a battery,

the imaging device further comprises a remaining capacity detector that detects a remaining capacity of the battery, and

the driving electric power supplier also sets the predetermined time based on the remaining capacity.

5 . An imaging device comprising:

an imaging sensor that captures an object image through an optical system and generates image data;

a mechanical shutter that is located between the optical system and the imaging sensor and controls light exposure and light shielding of the imaging sensor;

a shutter driver that drives the mechanical shutter and operates the mechanical shutter in a continuous shooting mode in which the imaging sensor is repeatedly exposed to light and a single shooting mode in which the imaging sensor is exposed to light for each shot; and

a driving electric power supplier that supplies driving electric power to the shutter driver with electric power supplied from a power supply, wherein

the driving electric power supplier lowers a driving voltage to be supplied to the shutter driver by a predetermined amount from start of operation of the mechanical shutter until a predetermined time has elapsed and sets the predetermined time longer in the single shooting mode than in the continuous shooting mode.