Voice coil motor actuator and method

An actuator driver for a voice coil motor (VCM), comprising:

• a digital converter configured to convert a VCM driving control code into a plurality of conversion codes including at least a first to nth conversion codes, during a predetermined period of time;
• a diqital-to-analoq converter configured to sequentially generate an analog signal according to each of the plurality of conversion codes during the predetermined time to actuate a VCM actuator to a target position;
• and
• a current amplifier configured amplify the analog signal to generate a driving signal and provide the driving signal to the VCM actuator,
• wherein the sequential generation of the analog signal includes increasing a level of the analog signal in response to one of the conversion codes and decreasing a level of the analog signal in response to another one of the conversion codes, and
• wherein the digital converter is further configured to convert the VCM driving control code into the starting conversion code when the VCM driving control code is maintained from a previous actuation, and configured to convert the VCM driving control code into the first to nth conversion codes when the VCM driving control code changes,
• where each of the first to nth conversion codes has a code value different from a code value of the starting conversion code.

An actuator driver for a voice coil motor (VCM), comprising:

• a digital converter configured to convert a VCM driving control code into a plurality of conversion codes including at least a first to nth conversion codes, during a predetermined period of time;
• a digital-to-analog converter configured to sequentially generate an analog signal according to each of the plurality of conversion codes to finally actuate a VCM actuator to a target position within the predetermined time, where the first conversion code corresponds to an initial analog signal generated by the digital-to-analog converter to actuate the VCM actuator;
• and
• a current amplifier configured amplify the analog signal to generate a driving signal and provide the driving signal to the VCM actuator,
• wherein the sequential generation of the analog signal includes increasing a level of the analog signal in response to one of the conversion codes and decreasing a level of the analog signal in response to another one of the conversion codes, and
• wherein the predetermined period of time is a period of a natural vibration of the VCM actuator.

A method of driving a VCM actuator, comprising:

• converting a VCM driving control code into a plurality of conversion codes including at least first through nth conversion codes, during a predetermined period of time;
• sequentially generating an analog signal according to each of the plurality of -conversion codes during the predetermined period of time to actuate a VCM actuator to a target position;
• and
• providing a driving signal to the VCM actuator after the driving signal is generated by an amplifying of the analog signal to generate the driving signal,
• wherein the sequential generation of the analog signal includes increasing a level of the analog signal in response to one of the conversion codes and decreasing a level of the analog signal in response to another one of the conversion codes, where at least two decreases of the level of the analog signal are decreases of different amounts.

An actuator driver for a voice coil motor (VCM), comprising:

• a digital-to-analog converter configured to, in response to a VCM current control value, sequentially generate an analog signal according to each of a plurality of VCM driving current values respectively derived based on the VCM current control value, during a predetermined time to actuate a VCM actuator to a target position;
• and
• a current amplifier configured amplify the analog signal to generate a driving signal and provide the driving signal to the VCM actuator,
• wherein, the sequential generation of the analog signal includes increasing a level of the analog signal in response to one of the VCM driving current values and decreasing a level of the analog signal in response to another of the VCM driving current values during the predetermined time, where at least two decreases of the level of the analog signal are decreases of different amounts.