IP Library Granted Patent US 8,482,182
Granted Patent B2
US 8,482,182 · App. 12/754,271 · Granted Jul 9, 2013

Driving apparatus, optical apparatus, and driving signal control circuit

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,482,182
App. No.
12/754,271
Granted
Jul 9, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A driving apparatus includes a piezoelectric element which undergoes expansion/contraction motion by a driving signal; a driving shaft which is mounted on the piezoelectric element, and undergoes reciprocating movement according to the expansion/contraction motion of the piezoelectric element; a first movement member which is friction-engaged with the driving shaft, and moves due to the reciprocating movement of the driving shaft; and a first control portion which applies driving signals to the piezoelectric element; the first control portion applies driving control pulse signals when the first movement member is to be moved, and applies stop control pulse signals when the stopped first movement member is not to be moved to put the first movement member into a vibration-arrested state. By this means, the stopped first movement member can be smoothly moved, and the first movement member in motion can be smoothly stopped.

Claims (29)

1. A driving apparatus, comprising:

an electromechanical transducing element which undergoes expansion/contraction motion by a driving signal;

a driving shaft which is mounted on the electromechanical transducing element, and undergoes reciprocating movement according to the expansion/contraction motion of the electromechanical transducing element;

a driven member which is friction-engaged with the driving shaft, and moves due to the reciprocating movement of the driving shaft; and

a driving signal control circuit which applies the driving signal to the electromechanical transducing element,

wherein the driving signal control circuit applies a first driving signal when the driven member is to be moved, and applies a second driving signal when the driven member is not to be moved to put the driven member into a vibration-arrested state,

wherein the second driving signal is a signal for which an interval from a forward-direction charging timing to a reverse-direction charging timing of the electromechanical transducing element, and an interval from the reverse-direction charging timing to the next forward-direction charging timing, are the same.

2. The driving apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first driving signal comprises a first pulse signal and a second pulse signal, and the second driving signal comprises the first pulse signal and a pulse signal obtained by delaying the second pulse signal by a time equal to substantially half the period of the first pulse signal.

3. The driving apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the driving signal control circuit applies the second driving signal for a prescribed interval immediately before the driven member is moved, and for a prescribed interval immediately after the driven member has been moved.

4. The driving apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the driving signal control circuit applies the second driving signal for a prescribed interval immediately before the driven member is moved, and for a prescribed interval immediately after the driven member has been moved.

5. The driving apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the driving signal control circuit applies the second driving signal such that the number of pulses of the second driving signal applied in the prescribed interval immediately after the driven member has been moved is greater than the number of pulses of the second driving signal applied in the prescribed interval immediately before the driven member is moved.

6. The driving apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the driving signal control circuit applies the second driving signal such that the number of pulses of the second driving signal applied in the prescribed interval immediately after the driven member has been moved is greater than the number of pulses of the second driving signal applied in the prescribed interval immediately before the driven member is moved.

7. The driving apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the driving signal control circuit applies the second driving signal only in the prescribed interval immediately after the driven member has been moved.

8. The driving apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the driving signal control circuit applies the second driving signal only in the prescribed interval immediately after the driven member has been moved.

9. An optical apparatus, comprising the driving apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein an optical element is linked with the driven member, and vibration prevention control is performed in which the optical element is moved in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis direction.

10. The driving apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second signal is applied to cause the driving member to be in the vibration-arrested state by making the electromechanical transducer perform the expansion/contraction motion at the same speed.

11. The optical apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the second signal is applied to cause the driving member to be in the vibration-arrested state by making the electromechanical transducer perform the expansion/contraction motion at the same speed.

12. A driving signal control circuit, which applies a driving signal to an electromechanical transducing element, which undergoes expansion/contraction motion by the driving signal, comprising:

a pulse generation circuit which generates a first driving signal applied when a driven member is to be moved, and a second driving signal applied when the driven member is not to be moved,

wherein the second driving signal is a signal for which an interval from a forward-direction charging timing to a reverse-direction charging timing of the electromechanical transducing element, and an interval from the reverse-direction charging timing to the next forward-direction charging timing, are the same.

13. The driving signal control circuit according to claim 12 , wherein the first driving signal comprises a first pulse signal and a second pulse signal, and the second driving signal comprises the first pulse signal and a pulse signal obtained by delaying the second pulse signal by a time equal to substantially half the period of the first pulse signal.

14. The driving signal control circuit according to claim 12 , wherein the driving signal control circuit applies the second driving signal for a prescribed interval immediately before the driven member is moved, and for a prescribed interval immediately after the driven member has been moved.

15. The driving signal control circuit according to claim 12 , wherein the driving signal control circuit applies the second driving signal such that the number of pulses of the second driving signal applied in the prescribed interval immediately after the driven member has been moved is greater than the number of pulses of the second driving signal applied in the prescribed interval immediately before the driven member is moved.

16. The driving signal control circuit according to claim 12 , wherein the driving signal control circuit applies the second driving signal only in the prescribed interval immediately after the driven member has been moved.

17. The driving signal control circuit according to claim 13 , wherein the driving signal control circuit applies the second driving signal only in the prescribed interval immediately after the driven member has been moved.

18. An optical apparatus, comprising the driving signal control circuit according to claim 12 ,

wherein an optical element is linked with the driven member, and vibration prevention control is performed in which the optical element is moved in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis direction.

19. The driving signal control circuit according to claim 12 , wherein the second signal is applied to cause the driving member to be in the vibration-arrested state by making the electromechanical transducer perform the expansion/contraction motion at the same speed.

Assignments (11)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL 038620, FRAME 0087 Recorded Jun 22, 2023
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC; FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064070/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 12, 2018
From: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 046337/0027 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE INCORRECT PATENT NUMBER 5859768 AND TO RECITE COLLATERAL AGENT ROLE OF RECEIVING PARTY IN THE SECURITY INTEREST PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 038620 FRAME 0087. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Aug 25, 2016
From: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 039853/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 15, 2016
From: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH
Reel/Frame 038620/0087 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT OF INCORRECT NUMBERS - 08670775,09040339,08895457,09149907,09766257,10201972,11001460,12352020,11885284,11918961,11918957,11921004,12393090,12438143 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 034285 FRAME 0006. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CORRECTIVE OF THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Feb 19, 2016
From: SANYO SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
To: SYSTEM SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 037887/0074 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNOR NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 033813 FRAME: 0420. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Jan 21, 2015
From: SYSTEM SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 034816/0510 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 17, 2014
From: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
To: SYSTEM SOLUTIONS CO., LTD
Reel/Frame 034531/0046 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE RECEIVING PARTY PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 034285 FRAME: 0006. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Dec 11, 2014
From: SANYO SEMICONDUCTOR CO. LTD.
To: SYSTEM SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 034598/0406 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 3, 2014
From: SANYO SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD
To: SYSTEM SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 034537/0044 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 1, 2014
From: SANYO SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
To: SYSTEMS SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 034285/0006 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 24, 2014
From: SANYO SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 033813/0420 →