Digital camera and method for slowing, delay and/or suspending advanced processing during low battery conditions to conserve battery charge

摘要

An electronic camera has a battery, a battery charge-monitor circuit for monitoring battery charge, an embedded image-processing system, and a nonvolatile memory coupled to the embedded image-processing system for recording compressed images. The camera is capable of performing an initial compression and of performing advanced processing of images. The camera is capable of saving partially processed and/or intermediate images on nonvolatile memory, and suspending advanced processing, when the battery charge-monitor circuit detects that battery charge is less than a minimum or a reserve level. In an alternative embodiment, the camera is capable of reducing a clock rate at which advanced processing is performed to conserve battery charge.