Lens position control device and optical apparatus with driving and controlling of first and second lenses

A lens position control device comprising:

• a first lens arranged to be movable along an optical axis;
• first lens position detecting means for detecting a position of said first lens in the direction of the optical axis;
• a second lens arranged to be movable along the optical axis;
• second lens position detecting means for detecting a position of said second lens in the direction of the optical axis;
• and
• driving control means for driving and controlling said first and second lenses, said driving control means including a storing part and a position setting part,
• wherein, in said storing part, is stored information related to positions of said second lens at which an in-focus state is retained respectively for a plurality of object distances with respect to each of a plurality of positions of said first lens, and
• wherein said position setting part is arranged to determine limit positions of a moving range of said first lens in the direction of the optical axis, to set as a reference a position (TB) of said second lens where an in-focus state is retained for a predetermined object distance when said first lens is located at one limit position (Ta) of the moving range, to move said second lens from the reference to a position of said second lens stored in said storing part, and to cause a position of said first lens where an in-focus state is retained with the stored position of said second lens to correspond to a stored position of said first lens.

A lens position control device comprising:

• a first lens arranged to be movable along an optical axis;
• first lens position detecting means for detecting a position of said first lens in the direction of the optical axis;
• a second lens arranged to be movable along the optical axis;
• second lens position detecting means for detecting a position of said second lens in the direction of the optical axis;
• and
• driving control means for driving and controlling said first and second lenses, said driving control means including a storing part and a position setting part,
• wherein, in said storing part, is stored information related to positions of said second lens at which an in-focus state is retained respectively for a plurality of object distances with respect to each of a plurality of positions of said first lens, and
• wherein said position setting part is arranged to determine limit positions of a moving range of said first lens in the direction of the optical axis, to set at least one limit position (Ta) of the moving range to such a position of said first lens that a maximum value of difference between a position of said second lens where an in-focus state is retained for a predetermined object distance when said first lens is located at the one limit position (Ta) of the moving range and a position of said second lens where an in-focus state is retained for the predetermined object distance when said first lens is located at another position (Za) within the moving range coincides with a maximum value of contents stored in said storing part, and to set as another limit position (Wa) of the moving range of said first lens a position to which said first lens has moved a predetermined moving amount from the one limit position (Ta).

An apparatus for controlling a position of a lens, said apparatus comprising:

• a variator lens;
• a focus lens;
• drive control means for driving and controlling positions of said variator lens and said focus lens in an optical axis direction, said drive control means including a memory part and a position setting part,
• wherein said memory part stores information about positions of said focus lens which maintain an in-focus state relative to distances of plural objects, the information being stored in every one of plural divided zones of a total movement range of said variator lens, the movement range being divided into the plural divided zones by plural positions of said variator lens, and
• wherein said position setting part performs a setting operation including (a) moving said variator lens to a position (Za) where the movement amount of said focus lens becomes largest relative to a telephoto end on the basis of predetermined values of said zoom lens, (b) moving said focus lens, with said variator lens being stopped at the position (Za), so as to focus on an object of a predetermined distance, (c) moving said focus lens by a predetermined amount from an in-focus position relative to the object of the predetermined distance with said variator lens being stopped at the position (Za), (d) moving said variator lens toward the telephoto end on the basis of predetermined values of said zoom lens, with said focus lens being stopped after movement of the predetermined amount, so as to store in said memory part a position (Ta) of said variator lens in-focus relative to the object of the predetermined distance, and (e) coinciding the dividing pitch in each of the divided zones in the movement range from the position (Za) to the position (Ta) to the dividing pitch in each of the divided zones in the movement range from the position (Za) to the telephoto end on the basis of predetermined values of said zoom lens.

An apparatus for controlling a position of a lens, said apparatus comprising:

• a variator lens;
• a focus lens;
• drive control means for driving and controlling positions of said variator lens and said focus lens in an optical axis direction, said drive control means including a memory part and a position setting part,
• wherein said memory part stores information about positions of said focus lens which maintains an in-focus state relative to distances of plural objects, the information being stored in every one of plural divided zones of a total movement range of said variator lens, the movement range being divided into the plural divided zones by plural positions of said variator lens, and
• wherein said position setting part performs a setting operation including (a) moving said variator lens to a position (Za) where the movement amount of said focus lens becomes largest relative to a telephoto end on the basis of predetermined values of said zoom lens, (b) moving said focus lens with said variator lens being stopped at the position (Za) to focus on an object of a predetermined distance, (c) moving said focus lens to a position (TB) from the in-focus position relative to the object of the predetermined distance, (d) moving said variator lens toward the telephoto end on the basis of predetermined values of said zoom lens, with said focus lens being stopped at the position (TB), to store in said memory part a position (Ta) of said variator lens in-focus relative to the object at the predetermined distance, (e) moving said focus lens to a predetermined position different from the in-focus position relative to the object of the predetermined distance at the position (Za) from the position (TB), and (f) moving said variator lens toward the wide end on the basis of predetermined values of said zoom lens, with said focus lens being stopped at the predetermined position, to store in said memory part a position of said variator lens in-focus relative to the object of the predetermined distance.