US Patent 7980470 Adaptive power management in imaging systems

An imaging system for, and a method of, electro-optically reading targets, utilize an energizable illuminator for illuminating an illuminated target with illumination light, a solid-state, energizable imager having an array of image sensors for capturing return light from the illuminated target over a field of view, and for generating electrical signals indicative of the captured return light, and a controller for energizing the illuminator and the imager to process the electrical signals into data indicative of the illuminated target. A power reducer is operatively connected to the controller, for adaptively reducing electrical power consumption of the illuminator and/or the controller based on system usage.