# US 2014/0191691 A1 · Control apparatus of vibration-type actuator and control method of vibration-type actuator

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- Number: US 2014/0191691 A1
- Document ID: US20140191691A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/203,393
- Filed: 2014-03-10
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2010-06-07
- Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Shinya Kudo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191691A1

## CPC

- H02N 2/06: Drive circuits; Control arrangements {or methods}
- H02N 2/0015: {using only bending modes}
- H02N 2/008: {Means for controlling vibration frequency or phase, e.g. for resonance tracking}
- H02N 2/026: {by pressing one or more vibrators against the driven body}
- H02N 2/062: {Small signal circuits; Means for controlling position or derived quantities, e.g. for removing hysteresis}
- H02N 2/103: {by pressing one or more vibrators against the rotor}
- H02N 2/142: {Small signal circuits; Means for controlling position or derived quantities, e.g. speed, torque, starting, stopping, reversing}
- H02N: ELECTRIC MACHINES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

Provided is a control apparatus of a vibration-type actuator for generating an elliptical motion of contact portions by a common alternating current including a frequency determining unit for setting a frequency of the alternating current. The frequency determining unit sets the frequency of the alternating current for changing an ellipticity of the elliptical motion, within a frequency range such that ellipticity changing frequency ranges set for the vibrators are overlapped, and the ellipticity changing frequency ranges are set for the vibrators as frequency ranges between an upper limit and a lower limit, such that the lower limit is a maximum resonant frequency at a time of changing the ellipticity, and the upper limit is larger than the lower limit and is a maximum frequency for the relative movement of the driving member.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A control apparatus for a vibration-type actuator, wherein
the vibration-type actuator includes a plurality vibrators each having a contact portion contacting an object to be driven, such that, responsive to a common alternating current signal to the plurality vibrators, the plurality vibrators move, through the contact portions, the object relative to the vibrators, to generate an elliptical motion of the object, wherein
the control apparatus comprises a frequency determining unit for setting a frequency of the alternating current signal, and
the frequency determining unit sets the frequency of the alternating current signal for changing an ellipticity of the elliptical motion, within an overlapping frequency range in which frequency ranges of ellipticity changing each set for each of the plurality of vibrators are overlapped, and
the frequency ranges of changing the ellipticity are set for the vibrators as a frequency ranges between an upper limit and a lower limit, such that the lower limit is a maximum resonant frequency in all case of changing the ellipticity, and the upper limit is larger than the lower limit and is a maximum frequency for the relative movement of the driving member.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the alternating current signal is a two-phase alternating current signal, and
the control apparatus further comprises an ellipticity determining unit for determining the ellipticity, and for determining a phase difference between the two phases of the two-phase alternating current signal based on the ellipticity determined.

### Claim 3

The control method for a vibration-type actuator, wherein
the vibration-type actuator includes a plurality vibrators each having a contact portion contacting an object to be driven, such that, responsive to a common alternating current signal to the plurality vibrators, the plurality vibrators move, through the contact portions, the object relative to the vibrators, to generate an elliptical motion of the object, wherein
the control method comprises a step for setting a frequency of the alternating current signal, and,
in the step frequency determining, the frequency of the alternating current signal is set for changing an ellipticity of the elliptical motion, within an overlapping frequency range in which frequency ranges of ellipticity changing each set for each of the plurality of vibrators are overlapped, and
the frequency ranges of changing the ellipticity are set for the vibrators as a frequency ranges between an upper limit and a lower limit, such that the lower limit is a maximum resonant frequency in all case of changing the ellipticity, and the upper limit is larger than the lower limit and is a maximum frequency for the relative movement of the driving member.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The control method according to claim 3, further comprising:
a step for detecting the upper and lower limits, and for calculating the frequency ranges of ellipticity changing each to be set for each of the vibrators, based on the upper and lower limits detected.