Image pickup apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9635244-B2
Application number	US-201615045964-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2016
Priority date	May 19, 2015
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus includes: a lens holding frame; a fixed frame; driving magnets arranged at the fixed frame such that magnetic poles are alternately reversed along an optical axis; driving coils arranged at the lens holding frame so as to be opposed respectively to the driving magnets; first detection portions that detect a position of the lens holding frame by detecting a change of a magnetic force of the respective driving magnets; a second detection portion, wherein when it is detected that the lens holding frame has reached a predetermined position, an output signal from the second detection portion at the time of the detection is set as a reference position, and position detection of the lens holding frame after the detection is performed based on the output signal from the second detection portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:
a lens holding frame configured to hold a lens and to be movable in a direction along an optical axis of the lens;
a fixed frame at which the lens holding frame is arranged so as to be movable in the direction along the optical axis of the lens;
a plurality of driving magnets arranged at the fixed frame such that an N-pole and an S-pole are alternately reversed along the optical axis of the lens;
a plurality of driving coils arranged at the lens holding frame so as to be opposed respectively to the plurality of driving magnets, the plurality of driving coils being located at positions where cycles of magnetic poles of the plurality of driving magnets are shifted in the direction along the optical axis;
a plurality of first detection portions mounted to the lens holding frame and configured to detect a position of the lens holding frame with respect to the fixed frame by detecting a change of a magnetic force of the plurality of driving magnets;
a second detection portion configured to detect the position of the lens holding frame with respect to the fixed frame;
a third detection portion configured to detect an absolute position of the lens holding frame with respect to the fixed frame; and
a memory that stores mapping data in which data related to a state set based on output from the first detection portions and data set based on an output from the second detection portion and related to a switching position of the state are stored,
wherein the lens holding frame is driven based on the output from the first detection portions at a time of initial driving, and when it is detected the third detection portion detects that the lens holding frame reaches a reference position with respect to the fixed frame, an output signal from the second detection portion at the time of the detection is set as the reference position, and the lens holding frame is driven based on a current value calculated from the mapping data stored in the memory and the output signal from the second detection portion.

2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of driving coils include two driving coils arranged at the lens holding frame at positions where the cycles of the magnetic poles of the plurality of driving magnets are shifted by ¼ cycle or ¾ cycle.

3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first detection portions are hall elements that detect the magnetic poles of the plurality of driving magnets,
the second detection portion includes a magnetism detecting element mounted to one of the fixed frame and the lens holding frame, and a magnet for position detection mounted so as to be opposed to the magnetism detecting element at one of the lens holding frame and the fixed frame, and
the third detection portion is a photo-interrupter.

4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the magnetism detecting element is a GMR element.

5. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a driving control section that controls currents to be applied to the plurality of driving coils,
wherein:
before the lens holding frame reaches the reference position, the driving control section calculates the state based on output signals from the first detection portions and calculates a relation between the state and signs of the currents to be applied to the plurality of driving coils, and
the driving control section controls the currents to be applied to the plurality of driving coils based on the sign of the current at the switching position of the state.

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Inoue Yosuke

Classifications

• H04N23/55 Primary

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• H04N23/50 Primary

  Constructional details · CPC title

• H04N23/672

  based on the phase difference signals · CPC title

• G03B3/10 Primary

  Power-operated focusing · CPC title

• H04N23/673

  based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method · CPC title