Imaging device, control method thereof, program, and storage medium

By dynamically switching operation modes based on calculated voltage values and considering battery impedance and load duration, the imaging device enhances its functional capabilities while preventing unnecessary restrictions.

JP7664994B1Active Publication Date: 2025-04-18CANON KK
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2023187896
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-11-01
Publication Date
2025-04-18
Estimated Expiration
2043-11-01

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing battery-powered imaging devices restrict operations based on battery impedance without considering the duration of the load, leading to unnecessary operational restrictions during high-load functions like high-speed continuous shooting.

Method used

The imaging device includes switching means for multiple operation modes, acquiring means for battery impedance based on temperature and load duration, calculation means for determining operational voltage, and control means for dynamically switching operation modes based on calculated voltage values.

Benefits of technology

This solution allows for a greater number of functions to be used based on battery conditions, preventing unnecessary operational restrictions while enabling high-load functions when feasible.

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Abstract

To provide an imaging device capable of increasing the number of usable functions as much as possible according to the state of a battery. [Solution] An imaging device powered by a battery, comprising: a switching unit that switches between multiple operating modes of the imaging device, each of which has a different load current and duration of the load current; an acquisition unit that receives from the battery an impedance of the battery acquired based on the battery temperature and duration of the load current; a calculation unit that calculates an operating voltage value of the battery when the imaging device operates in an operating mode corresponding to the load current based on the load current, the impedance, and the voltage value of the battery in an unloaded state; and a control unit that controls the switching of the operating mode by the switching unit based on the operating voltage value.
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery-powered imaging device. [Background technology]

[0002] Battery-powered electronic devices, such as imaging devices, may be configured to perform a battery check before using a function that involves a large load. Specifically, for example, the internal impedance and open circuit voltage of the battery are calculated beforehand before the electronic device operates, and if the voltage drop when a specified current is applied is below a specified level, the electronic device prohibits operation. By performing a battery check, it is possible to prevent inconveniences such as the battery running out of power midway through an operation that involves a large load, such as high-speed continuous shooting, when the battery is low and the battery runs out of power and data cannot be recorded.

[0003] However, even if the battery is sufficiently charged and the open circuit voltage is high, if the environmental temperature is low and the internal impedance of the battery is increased, it may be determined that operation should be prohibited and the imaging device may stop.

[0004] As one method for solving this problem, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which the current limit value for determining whether to stop operation is adjusted while observing the current state of the battery, rather than setting the current value for determining whether to stop operation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6790290 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the technology disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration the duration of the load. Therefore, when an operation that imposes a high load even for a short period of time, such as high-speed continuous shooting with an imaging device, is attempted, the operation is restricted based on the high load, and there is a possibility that the operation will stop even if it is actually possible.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an imaging device that can increase the number of usable functions as much as possible depending on the battery state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The imaging device of the present invention is an imaging device powered by a battery, and is characterized in that it comprises a switching means for switching between multiple operating modes of the imaging device, each of which has a different load current and a duration of the load current; an acquisition means for receiving from the battery an impedance of the battery acquired based on the temperature of the battery and the duration of the load current; a calculation means for calculating an operating voltage value of the battery when the imaging device is operating in an operating mode corresponding to the load current based on the load current, the impedance, and a voltage value of the battery in an unloaded state; and a control means for controlling the switching of the operating mode by the switching means based on the operating voltage value. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to increase the number of usable functions as much as possible depending on the battery state. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an imaging device and a battery according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the imaging apparatus. [Figure 2B] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the imaging apparatus. [Diagram 3]3A to 3C are diagrams showing operation modes of the imaging apparatus. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the relationship between load and time for each operation. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a graph showing the relationship between battery temperature, time, and impedance. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe a number of features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an image capture device 100 and a battery 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] In FIG. 1, the imaging device 100 is configured to include a battery connection section 101, a display section 106 consisting of an LCD or the like, a control section 112 consisting of a microcomputer or the like, a non-volatile memory 114 consisting of a ROM or the like, a volatile memory 116 consisting of a RAM or the like, a power supply section 118, and a load section 120.

[0014] The control unit 112 controls the entire imaging device 100 by expanding a control program stored in the non-volatile memory 114 into the volatile memory 116 and executing the control program. In addition, the control unit 112 executes the control program to realize each of the modules of the battery state detection unit 102, the mode transition determination unit 103, the mode transition execution unit 104, the mode transition time prediction unit 107, the elapsed time measurement unit 108, and the load detection unit 108.

[0015] In this embodiment, each module described in the block of the control unit 112 is realized by the control unit 112, but each module may be configured as an independent circuit. In that case, the control unit 112 sends commands to the circuits that realize each module to control those circuits.

[0016] The power supply unit 118 receives power from the battery 200 and supplies the necessary power to each unit of the image capture device 100 .

[0017] The imaging device 100 also has functional units related to imaging, such as an imaging element, an image processing unit, a recording unit, etc. In FIG.

[0018] In FIG. 1, a battery connection unit 101 of the imaging device 100 is used as a path for receiving power from a battery 200 and a path for communication with the battery 200.

[0019] The load information storage unit 105 is composed of, for example, a ROM, and stores a set of the load magnitude and load time for each operation as shown in FIG.

[0020] The display unit 106 is configured with an LCD or the like, and displays images and text to notify the user of information.

[0021] The battery state detection unit 102 detects the state of the battery based on signals from the temperature detection unit 201 and the voltage detection unit 203 of the battery 200. As a detection method, the battery state detection unit 102 may detect the temperature or analog voltage level of the battery 200, or the values ​​detected by the temperature detection unit 201 and the voltage detection unit 203 may be acquired by communication.

[0022] The mode transition determination unit 103 determines whether or not to change the operation mode based on the impedance value of the battery 200, the battery state detected by the battery state detection unit 102, and the load information including at least the magnitude of the load from the load information storage unit 105. Here, the operation mode means, in this embodiment, four operation modes as shown in Fig. 3 described later.

[0023] When the mode transition determination unit 103 determines that the operation mode is to be changed, the mode transition execution unit 104 performs a mode transition process (mode change process).

[0024] The mode transition time prediction unit 107 predicts and calculates the time until the mode transition from the history of the battery temperature detected by the battery state detection unit 102.

[0025] The elapsed time measurement unit 108 is a timer that measures the time from the initial startup of the imaging device 100 and the time from the start of the loop that begins with step S102 in FIG. 2A.

[0026] The load detection unit 109 detects the load consumed by optional functions other than the four operations shown in FIG. 4, such as WiFi communication.

[0027] On the other hand, the battery 200 is configured to include a camera connection unit 201 , a temperature detection unit 202 , a voltage detection unit 203 , an impedance calculation unit 204 , and a battery cell 206 .

[0028] The camera connection unit 201 is used as a path for supplying power to the image capture device 100 and as a path for communication with the image capture device 100 .

[0029] The temperature detection unit 202 is configured by, for example, a thermistor, and detects the temperature inside the battery 200. The voltage detection unit 203 detects the output voltage of the battery 200.

[0030] The impedance calculation unit 204 receives the battery state including at least the temperature and the load information including at least the load time from the image capture device 100, and transmits the impedance value of the battery 200 under those conditions to the image capture device 100. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the impedance calculation unit 204 stores an impedance table corresponding to the temperature and the load time as shown in Fig. 5.

[0031] The battery cell 206 is, for example, a rechargeable battery cell such as a lithium ion battery, and includes one or more battery cells. When the battery 200 is connected to the image capture device 100, power from the battery cell 206 is supplied to the power supply unit 118 of the image capture device 100 via the camera connection unit 201 and the battery connection unit 101.

[0032] Next, the operation of imaging device 100 will be described with reference to the flowcharts of Figures 2A and 2B and Figures 3 to 5. The operation of the flowcharts of Figures 2A and 2B is realized by control unit 112 expanding a program stored in non-volatile memory 114 into volatile memory 116 and executing it.

[0033] In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the imaging device 100 has four operation modes shown in Fig. 3. Mode 1 is a mode in which all operations are possible, mode 2 is a mode in which high-speed continuous shooting is not possible, mode 3 is a mode in which neither high-speed continuous shooting nor low-speed continuous shooting is possible, and mode 4 is a mode in which only live view operation is possible.

[0034] Moreover, Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the magnitude of the load and time for each operation shown in Fig. 3. In Fig. 4(a), the vertical axis shows the magnitude of the load (current) for each operation, and the horizontal axis shows the time that the load continues. Fig. 4(b) shows the change in the voltage of the battery 200 when the load shown in Fig. 4(a) continues for the duration shown on the horizontal axis.

[0035] As already explained, among the four operation modes shown in Fig. 3, mode 1 is a mode in which all operations are possible. Among the operations performed in mode 1, the operation with the highest load is high-speed continuous shooting as shown in Fig. 4(a), so the load in mode 1 is regarded as the load of high-speed continuous shooting. In mode 1, no load greater than the load when high-speed continuous shooting is performed is generated.

[0036] Moreover, in mode 2, high-speed continuous shooting is not possible, but low-speed continuous shooting is possible, and among the operations performed in mode 2, the operation with the highest load is low-speed continuous shooting, as shown in Fig. 4(a). Therefore, as in the case of mode 1, the load in mode 2 is regarded as the load of low-speed continuous shooting.

[0037] Moreover, in mode 3, high-speed and low-speed continuous shooting are not possible, but still image shooting is possible, and the operation with the highest load among the operations performed in mode 3 is still image shooting, as shown in Fig. 4(a). Therefore, as in modes 1 and 2, the load in mode 3 is regarded as the load for still image shooting.

[0038] Furthermore, mode 4 is a mode in which only live view is possible, and among the operations performed in mode 4, the operation with the highest load is live view shooting. Therefore, similar to modes 1 to 3, the load in mode 4 is regarded as the load of live view shooting. Note that for live view, the load time is set to ∞ because it is configured so that the same load continues indefinitely when the user sets this operation.

[0039] In this manner, in this embodiment, the load in each operation mode is estimated as the maximum load of the operation executed in that mode, thereby making it possible to prevent the load from exceeding the expected load.

[0040] The operation of the flowcharts in FIGS. 2A and 2B will be described below.

[0041] In step S101, control unit 112 assigns operation mode number n to n=4. Operation mode number n changes as the battery state changes, but is initially set to n=4, which is the operation mode number with the smallest load.

[0042] In step S102, the control unit 112 uses the battery state detection unit 102 to obtain the battery temperature from the temperature detection unit 202 in the battery 200.

[0043] In step S103, the control unit 112 uses the battery state detection unit 102 to transmit the battery temperature acquired in step S102 to the impedance calculation unit 204 in the battery 200.

[0044] In step S104, the control unit 112 causes the load information storage unit 105 to transmit the load time (∞ in this case) of mode 4 obtained from FIG.

[0045] In step S105, the control unit 112 uses the mode transition determination unit 103 to obtain an impedance value from the impedance calculation unit 204. In this embodiment, the impedance calculation unit 204 has an impedance table corresponding to the battery temperature and the load time as shown in Fig. 5. However, it is not necessarily required to have an impedance table, and the impedance value may be calculated by calculation.

[0046] In step S106, the control unit 112 uses the mode transition determination unit 103 to obtain the open circuit voltage value of the battery from the battery state detection unit 102.

[0047] In step S107, the control unit 112 uses the mode transition determination unit 103 to obtain the load current value of mode n from the load information storage unit 104. Since n=4 at present, the load current value of 1 A corresponding to mode 4 shown in FIG.

[0048] In step S108, the control unit 112 uses the mode transition determination unit 103 to calculate the battery voltage Vb during operation of the imaging device 100 using the following calculation formula (1). In formula (1), Vo is the open circuit voltage in a state where no load is applied, obtained in step S106, Il is the load current value obtained in step S107, and Io is the load current value consumed by an optional function such as WiFi detected by the load detection unit 109. Furthermore, Rl is the impedance value obtained in step S105, and Rp is the path resistance (resistance component other than impedance) between the battery 200 and the imaging device 100. Since Rp varies depending on whether the battery is inserted directly into the imaging device or inserted via an accessory such as a battery grip, the mode transition determination unit 103 determines the battery insertion method and sets Rp.

[0049] Vb = Vo-(Il+Io) × (Rl+Rp) …(1) In steps S109 to S112, control unit 112 uses mode transition determination unit 103 to perform conditional branching based on the relationship between battery voltage Vb calculated in step S108 and release threshold Vth1 and restriction threshold Vth2.

[0050] In step S109, if the battery voltage Vb>release threshold Vth1, the control unit 112 advances the process to step S110 to shift the operation mode in the direction of releasing the function restriction. Also, in step S111, if the battery voltage Vb≦restriction threshold Vth2 (threshold or less), the control unit 112 advances the process to step S112 to shift the mode in the direction of further restricting the function. Also, if the release threshold Vth1≧battery voltage Vb>restriction threshold Vth2, the control unit 112 determines that a mode shift is not necessary and advances the process to step S114.

[0051] In step S110, control unit 112 determines whether or not the operation mode is already the least restrictive mode, n = 1. If n = 1, control unit 112 proceeds to step S114, and if not, proceeds to step S113.

[0052] In step S113, the control unit 112 shifts the operation mode to mode n-1, which is one step less restrictive on the operation mode.

[0053] In step S112, control unit 112 determines whether or not the operation mode is already the most restrictive mode, n = 4. If n = 4, control unit 112 proceeds to step S114, and if not, proceeds to step S115.

[0054] In step S115, the control unit 112 shifts the operation mode to mode n+1, which is an operation mode with one-stage stricter restrictions.

[0055] In step S114, the control unit 112 sets the operation mode to n and maintains the current operation mode.

[0056] In this way, by separately providing the release threshold Vth1 and the restriction threshold Vth2, it is possible to prevent repeated mode transitions when the battery voltage Vb is close to the threshold.

[0057] In step S116, the variable n is overwritten so that the current mode set in steps S113 to S115 is n. For example, if it is determined in step S109 that Vb>Vth1, in step S113, mode=n-1=4-1=3 Therefore, in step S116, Current mode=n=3 Reset it to .

[0058] In step S117, the control unit 112 notifies the user of the current mode n via the display unit 106. This allows the user to know up to which functions are currently available for use.

[0059] In step S118, the control unit 112 uses the elapsed time measurement unit 108 to determine whether or not a predetermined time T1 has elapsed since step S102, which is the start of the loop. If the predetermined time T1 has elapsed, the control unit 112 advances the process to step S119, and repeats the loop from step S102. This repeats the mode transition determination process at intervals of the predetermined time T1. If the predetermined time has not elapsed, step S118 is repeated, and the control unit 112 waits until the predetermined time T1 has elapsed.

[0060] Here, the predetermined time T1 is not a fixed value, but may be changed according to the time from startup or the temperature of the battery. For example, in the early stages of startup, it is set to a short time in order to quickly find the optimal operating mode. Also, as the battery temperature rises, the rate of temperature rise also changes, so T1 may be changed accordingly.

[0061] In step S119, control unit 112 uses elapsed time measurement unit 108 to determine whether or not a predetermined time T2 has elapsed since step S101 at startup. If the predetermined time T2 has elapsed, control unit 112 determines that enough battery temperature history data has been accumulated to enable prediction and calculation of the time until mode transition, and proceeds to step S120. If the predetermined time T2 has not elapsed, the loop from step S102 is repeated.

[0062] By repeating the loop of steps S101 to S119 at predetermined intervals T1, an appropriate operating mode can be selected according to the battery condition at that time, making it possible to increase the number of usable functions compared to conventional methods while avoiding inconveniences such as operation shutdowns.

[0063] In step S120, control unit 112 compares the battery temperature rise curve stored in advance in mode transition time prediction unit 107 with the history data of the actual battery temperature, and predicts and calculates the time until the next mode transition.

[0064] In step S121, the control unit 112 notifies the user of the time until the next mode transition, calculated in step S120, using the display unit 106. This allows the user to know how much time remains before a high-load operation such as mode 1 can be performed.

[0065] As described above, according to the above embodiment, by making a mode transition determination taking into consideration the load time, it is possible to increase the number of usable functions while stopping operations when necessary.

[0066] In the above embodiment, for example, the battery state detection unit 102 detects the battery temperature and voltage from the temperature detection unit 201 and voltage detection unit 203 of the battery 200. However, the voltage may be detected inside the imaging device 100 instead of from the battery 200, and information other than the temperature and voltage may be acquired.

[0067] Also, in the above explanation, the mode is changed one step at a time in steps S113 to S115, but if certain conditions are met, the mode may be changed by multiple steps at once, such as from mode 4 to mode 2.

[0068] The disclosure of this specification includes the following imaging apparatus, its control method, program, and storage medium.

[0069] (Item 1) An imaging device powered by a battery, a switching means for switching between a plurality of operation modes of the imaging device, each of which has a different load current and a different duration of the load current; an acquisition means for receiving from the battery an impedance of the battery acquired based on a temperature of the battery and a duration of the load current; a calculation means for calculating a voltage value of the battery during operation when the imaging device operates in an operation mode corresponding to the load current, based on the load current, the impedance, and a voltage value of the battery in a state where no load is applied; a control means for controlling the switching of the operation mode by the switching means based on the voltage value during the operation; An imaging device comprising:

[0070] (Item 2) 2. The imaging device according to item 1, further comprising a storage unit that stores the load current and the duration of the load current in the plurality of operation modes.

[0071] (Item 3) 3. The imaging device according to item 1 or 2, wherein the impedance is acquired using a table showing a relationship between the temperature of the battery, the duration of the load current, and the impedance.

[0072] (Item 4) 4. The imaging device according to any one of items 1 to 3, further comprising a detection unit for detecting the temperature of the battery and the voltage of the battery in an unloaded state.

[0073] (Item 5) 5. The imaging device according to item 4, wherein the control means changes the time until a decision is made to switch the operation mode depending on the battery state detected by the detection means.

[0074] (Item 6) 6. The imaging device according to item 4 or 5, further comprising a prediction unit that predicts the time until the switching unit changes the operation mode based on a history of the temperature of the battery detected by the detection unit.

[0075] (Item 7) 7. The imaging device according to item 6, wherein the control means causes a display means to display the time until the switching means changes the operation mode, as predicted by the prediction means.

[0076] (Item 8) The imaging device described in any one of items 1 to 7, characterized in that when the operating voltage value of the battery is greater than a first threshold value, the control means controls the switching means to switch the operating mode of the imaging device to an operating mode with a larger load current.

[0077] (Item 9) The imaging device described in item 8, characterized in that when the operating voltage value of the battery is equal to or lower than a second threshold value that is lower than the first threshold value, the control means controls the switching means to switch the operating mode of the imaging device to an operating mode with a smaller load current.

[0078] (Item 10) The imaging device described in item 9, characterized in that the control means controls the switching means to maintain the operating mode of the imaging device in a current operating mode when the operating voltage value of the battery is equal to or less than the first threshold value and greater than the second threshold value.

[0079] (Item 11) The imaging device described in any one of items 1 to 10, characterized in that the calculation means adds a second load current consumed by an optional function of the imaging device to the load current, and calculates an operating voltage value of the battery when the imaging device operates in an operating mode corresponding to the load current.

[0080] (Item 12) The imaging device described in any one of items 1 to 11, characterized in that the calculation means adds a resistance component other than the impedance in the imaging device to the impedance to calculate a voltage value during operation of the battery when the imaging device operates in an operation mode corresponding to the load current.

[0081] (Item 13) 13. The imaging device according to any one of items 1 to 12, wherein the control means causes a display means to display a current operation mode of the imaging device.

[0082] (Item 14) 1. A method for controlling a battery-powered imaging device, comprising: a switching step of switching between a plurality of operation modes of the imaging device, each of which has a different load current and a different duration of the load current; acquiring an impedance of the battery based on a temperature of the battery and a duration of the load current; a calculation step of calculating a voltage value of the battery during operation when the imaging device operates in an operation mode corresponding to the load current, based on the load current, the impedance, and a voltage value of the battery in a state where no load is applied; a control step of controlling the switching of the operation mode in the switching step based on a voltage value during the operation; 13. A method for controlling an imaging apparatus comprising:

[0083] (Item 15) Item 15. A program for causing a computer to execute each step of the control method according to item 14.

[0084] (Item 16) A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute each step of the control method described in item 14.

[0085] (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program for realizing one or more functions of the above-mentioned embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) for realizing one or more functions.

[0086] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 100: imaging device, 101: battery connection section, 105: load information storage section, 106: display section, 112: control section, 114: non-volatile memory, 116: volatile memory, 200: battery, 201: camera connection section, 202: temperature detection section, 203: voltage detection section, 204: impedance calculation section

Claims

1. An imaging device powered by a battery, a switching means for switching between a plurality of operation modes of the imaging device, each of which has a different load current and a different duration of the load current; an acquisition means for receiving from the battery an impedance of the battery acquired based on a temperature of the battery and a duration of the load current; a calculation means for calculating a voltage value of the battery during operation when the imaging device operates in an operation mode corresponding to the load current, based on the load current, the impedance, and a voltage value of the battery in a state where no load is applied; a control means for controlling the switching of the operation mode by the switching means based on the voltage value during the operation; An imaging device comprising:

2. 2. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit that stores the load current and the duration of the load current in each of the plurality of operation modes.

3. 2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the impedance is obtained using a table showing a relationship between the temperature of the battery, the duration of the load current, and the impedance.

4. 2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a detection unit for detecting a temperature of the battery and a voltage of the battery in an unloaded state.

5. 5. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control means changes the time until a decision is made to switch the operation mode depending on the battery state detected by the detection means.

6. 5. The imaging device according to claim 4, further comprising a predicting unit that predicts the time until the switching unit changes the operation mode based on a history of the temperature of the battery detected by the detecting unit.

7. 7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control means causes a display means to display the time until the switching means changes the operation mode, as predicted by the prediction means.

8. 2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls the switching means to switch the operating mode of the imaging device to an operating mode with a larger load current when the operating voltage value of the battery is greater than a first threshold value.

9. 9. The imaging device according to claim 8, wherein the control means controls the switching means to switch the operating mode of the imaging device to an operating mode with a smaller load current when the operating voltage value of the battery is equal to or lower than a second threshold value that is lower than the first threshold value.

10. 10. The imaging device according to claim 9, wherein the control means controls the switching means to maintain the operating mode of the imaging device in a current operating mode when the operating voltage value of the battery is equal to or lower than the first threshold value and is greater than the second threshold value.

11. The imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that the calculation means adds a second load current consumed by an optional function of the imaging device to the load current to calculate an operating voltage value of the battery when the imaging device operates in an operating mode corresponding to the load current.

12. 2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the calculation means adds a resistance component other than the impedance in the imaging device to the impedance to calculate a voltage value of the battery during operation when the imaging device operates in an operation mode corresponding to the load current.

13. 2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means causes a display means to display a current operation mode of said image pickup apparatus.

14. 1. A method for controlling a battery-powered imaging device, comprising: a switching step of switching between a plurality of operation modes of the imaging device, each of which has a different load current and a different duration of the load current; receiving from the battery an impedance of the battery that is obtained based on a temperature of the battery and a duration of the load current; a calculation step of calculating a voltage value of the battery during operation when the imaging device operates in an operation mode corresponding to the load current, based on the load current, the impedance, and a voltage value of the battery in a state where no load is applied; a control step of controlling the switching of the operation mode in the switching step based on a voltage value during the operation; 13. A method for controlling an imaging apparatus comprising:

15. A program for causing a computer to execute each step of the control method according to claim 14.

16. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute each step of the control method according to claim 14.

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