Method and Apparatus for Controlling Stopping of Vibration Generating Stepping Motor

An apparatus for controlling stopping of a vibration generating stepping motor, comprising:

• a control unit that executes a procedure of a program to output a necessary signal;
• a switching circuit that receives the signal output from the control unit and switches a current to a coil of the stepping motor;
• a low-voltage power supply and a high-voltage power supply that are connected to a feeding path to the coil;
• a power supply cut-off circuit that receives the output signal from the control unit and cuts off the low-voltage power supply and the high-voltage power supply from the feeding path;
• and
• a current chopper circuit that receives the output signal from the control unit, and cuts off the high-voltage power supply from the feeding path and executes a constant-current control in the feeding path,
• the stopping of the stepping motor being controlled by the control unit,
• wherein
• the procedure of the program executed by the control unit comprises:
• stopping a supply of a driving pulse to the vibration generating stepping motor while applying a driving voltage to the vibration generating stepping motor;
• applying the driving voltage to the stepping motor, which does not completely stop, for an optimum braking time according to a motor configuration of the stepping motor, so as to brake the stepping motor;
• and
• stopping the applying of the driving voltage to the stepping motor which is rotating under inertia after the elapse of the optimum braking time.