Photographic lens drive control apparatus, drive control method for same, and imaging apparatus including same

A drive control method for a photographic lens drive control apparatus comprising a collapsible lens barrel incorporating a photographic lens and moving from a non-photographable contained position to a photographable standby position, a lens barrel drive section driving the lens barrel, and a lens barrel movement detection section detecting an amount of movement of the lens barrel, the method comprising:

• a cap detection step of determining that a lens cap is attached to the lens barrel when the lens barrel movement detection section does not detect the movement amount of the lens barrel while the lens barrel drive section allows the lens barrel to move from the contained position to the standby position;
• and
• a cap detection control step of performing a series of control over the lens barrel drive section to move the lens barrel from the contained position to the standby position and to stop the lens barrel from moving when the cap detection section determines that the lens cap is attached to the lens barrel, wherein
• in a movement area of the lens barrel from the contained position to the standby position, an area where the lens barrel moves from the contained position within a predetermined movement amount is set to be a cap detection area.

An imaging apparatus comprising

• a case having a detachable lens cap mounted to cover a front of a photographic lens and including an image capturing section, and a photographic lens drive control apparatus comprising a collapsible lens barrel incorporating a photographic lens and moving from a non-photographable contained position to a photographable standby position;
• a lens barrel drive section driving the lens barrel, and a lens barrel movement detection section detecting an amount of movement of the lens barrel;
• a cap detection section which determines that a lens cap is attached to the lens barrel when the lens barrel movement detection section does not detect the movement amount while the lens barrel drive section allows the lens barrel to move from the contained position to the standby position;
• and a cap detection control section which performs a series of control over the lens barrel drive section to move the lens barrel from the contained position to the standby position and to stop the lens barrel from moving when the cap detection section determines that the lens cap is attached to the lens barrel, wherein in a movement area of the lens barrel from the contained position to the standby position, an area where the lens barrel moves from the contained position within a predetermined movement amount is set to be a cap detection area.