IP Library Granted Patent US 12708928
Granted Patent B2
US 12708928 · App. 18/049,228 · Granted Aug 18, 2026

Vibration actuator controller

Inventors: Taiga Nagata (Kanagawa, JP); Akio Atsuta (Kanagawa, JP); Hiromitsu Morita (Saitama, JP)
Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
B06B1/0644H10N30/20H10N30/302
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12708928
App. No.
18/049,228
Granted
Aug 18, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vibration actuator controller is configured to control a vibration actuator that includes a vibrating member having an electromechanical energy conversion element and that includes a contact member in contact with the vibrating member. The contact member is configured to move relative to the vibrating member in response to a plurality of pulse signals. The vibration actuator controller includes a processor configured to control a relative movement speed, which is a speed at which the contact member moves relative to the vibrating member, by changing a pulse width of the plurality of pulse signals while maintaining a frequency of the plurality of pulse signals. When the relative movement speed is controlled, the frequency is shifted such that the pulse width and the relative movement speed satisfy a predetermined relationship.

Claims (13)

1 . A vibration actuator controller configured to control a vibration actuator that includes a vibrating member having an electromechanical energy conversion element and that includes a contact member in contact with the vibrating member, the contact member being configured to move relative to the vibrating member in response to a plurality of pulse signals, the vibration actuator controller comprising:

a processor configured to control a relative movement speed, which is a speed at which the contact member moves relative to the vibrating member, by changing a pulse width of the plurality of pulse signals while maintaining a frequency of the plurality of pulse signals,

wherein when the relative movement speed is controlled, the frequency is shifted such that the pulse width and the relative movement speed satisfy a predetermined relationship.

2 . The vibration actuator controller according to claim 1 , wherein

in the predetermined relationship, the pulse width corresponding to the relative movement speed is between a pulse width upper limit value that is set above a predetermined pulse width and a pulse width lower limit value that is set below the predetermined pulse width.

3 . The vibration actuator controller according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to control

when the pulse width corresponding to the relative movement speed is above the pulse width upper limit value, by decreasing the frequency by a preset magnitude of shift, the pulse width corresponding to the relative movement speed to be changed such that the pulse width falls between the pulse width upper limit value and the pulse width lower limit value, and

when the pulse width corresponding to the relative movement speed is below the pulse width lower limit value, by increasing the frequency by a preset magnitude of shift, the pulse width corresponding to the relative movement speed to be changed such that the pulse width rises between the pulse width upper limit value and the pulse width lower limit value.

4 . The vibration actuator controller according to claim 2 , wherein

the pulse width upper limit value is obtained by adding a tolerance to the predetermined pulse width, and

the pulse width lower limit value is obtained by subtracting the tolerance from the predetermined pulse width.

5 . The vibration actuator controller according to claim 1 , wherein

the predetermined relationship is based on a result obtained by providing driving under a preset condition.