Apparatus for and method of controlling stepping motor

An apparatus for controlling a stepping motor used for moving a movable body from a first position to a second position, the apparatus comprising:

• a calculating device for calculating the total number of steps between the first position and the second position;
• a setting device for setting an acceleration area to accelerate the stepping motor and a deceleration area to decelerate the stepping motor, on the basis of the total number of steps;
• and
• a driving device for driving the stepping motor by a one-two-phase excitation method until the number of steps reaches a first predetermined number in the acceleration area, driving the stepping motor by a two-phase excitation method after the number of steps reaches the first predetermined number in the acceleration area, driving the stepping motor by the two-phase excitation method until the number of steps reaches a second predetermined number in the deceleration area, and driving the stepping motor by the one-two-phase excitation method after the number of steps reaches the second predetermined number in the deceleration area.

An apparatus for controlling a stepping motor used for moving a movable body from a first position to a second position, the apparatus comprising:

• a total number calculating device for calculating the total number of steps between the first position and the second position;
• a setting device for setting an acceleration area to accelerate the stepping motor and a deceleration area to decelerate the stepping motor, on the basis of the total number of steps;
• a step number calculating device for calculating the number of steps necessary for accelerating the stepping motor during the acceleration area;
• a driving pattern selecting device for selecting a first driving pattern wherein the stepping motor is driven by only a one-two-phase excitation method during the acceleration area and during the deceleration area, if the calculated number of steps necessary for accelerating is less than a first predetermined number, and selecting a second driving pattern wherein the stepping motor is driven by the one-two-phase excitation method until the number of steps reaches the first predetermined number in the acceleration area, driven by a two-phase excitation method after the number of steps reaches the first predetermined velocity in the acceleration area, driven by the two-phase excitation method until the number of steps reaches a second predetermined number in the deceleration area, and driven by the one-two-phase excitation method after the number of steps reaches the second predetermined number in the deceleration area, if the calculated number of steps necessary for accelerating is not less than the first predetermined number;
• and
• a driving device for driving the stepping motor by the selected driving pattern.

An apparatus for controlling a stepping motor used for moving a carriage from a first position to a second position, the carriage having a pickup to read information from a disc on which a plurality of tracks are formed, the apparatus comprising:

• a calculating device for calculating the total number of tracks between the first position and the second position;
• a setting device for setting an acceleration area to accelerate the stepping motor and a deceleration area to decelerate the stepping motor, on the basis of the total number of tracks;
• and
• a driving device for driving the stepping motor by a one-two-phase excitation method until the number of tracks reaches a first predetermined number in the acceleration area, driving the stepping motor by a two-phase excitation method after the number of tracks reaches the first predetermined number in the acceleration area, driving the stepping motor by the two-phase excitation method until the number of tracks reaches a second predetermined number in the deceleration area, and driving the stepping motor by the one-two-phase excitation method after the number of tracks reaches the second predetermined number in the deceleration area.

A method of controlling a stepping motor used for moving a movable body from a first position to a second position, the method comprising the processes of:

• calculating a moving distance between the first position and the second position;
• setting an acceleration area to accelerate the stepping motor and a deceleration area to decelerate the stepping motor, on the basis of the moving distance;
• driving the stepping motor by a one-two-phase excitation method until rotation velocity of the stepping motor increases to a predetermined velocity in the acceleration area;
• changing over the excitation method from the one-two excitation method to a two-phase excitation method when rotation velocity of the stepping motor increases to the predetermined velocity in the acceleration area;
• driving the stepping motor by the two-phase excitation method after rotation velocity of the stepping motor increases to the predetermined velocity in the acceleration area;
• further driving the stepping motor by the two-phase excitation method until rotation velocity of the stepping motor decreases to the predetermined velocity in the deceleration area;
• changing over the excitation method from the two-phase excitation method to the one-two-phase excitation method when rotation velocity of the stepping motor decreases to the predetermined velocity in the deceleration area;
• and
• driving the stepping motor by the one-two-phase excitation method after rotation velocity of the stepping motor decreases to the predetermined velocity in the deceleration area.

A method of controlling a stepping motor used for moving a movable body from a first position to a second position, the method comprising the processes of:

• calculating the total number of steps between the first position and the second position;
• setting an acceleration area to accelerate the stepping motor and a deceleration area to decelerate the stepping motor, on the basis of the total number of steps;
• driving the stepping motor by a one-two-phase excitation method until the number of steps reaches a first predetermined number in the acceleration area;
• changing over the excitation method from the one-two excitation method to a two-phase excitation method when the number of steps reaches the first predetermined number in the acceleration area;
• driving the stepping motor by the two-phase excitation method after the number of steps reaches the first predetermined number in the acceleration area;
• further driving the stepping motor by the two-phase excitation method until the number of steps reaches a second predetermined number in the deceleration area;
• changing over the excitation method from the two-phase excitation method to the one-two-phase excitation method when the number of steps reaches the second predetermined number in the deceleration area;
• and
• driving the stepping motor by the one-two-phase excitation method after the number of steps reaches the second predetermined number in the deceleration area.

A method of controlling a stepping motor used for moving a movable body from a first position to a second position, the method comprising the processes of:

• calculating the total number of steps between the first position and the second position;
• setting an acceleration area to accelerate the stepping motor and a deceleration area to decelerate the stepping motor, on the basis of the total number of steps;
• calculating the number of steps necessary for accelerating the stepping motor in the acceleration area;
• selecting a first driving pattern wherein the stepping motor is driven by only a one-two-phase excitation method during the acceleration area and during the deceleration area, if the calculated number of steps necessary for accelerating is less than a first predetermined number, and selecting a second driving pattern wherein the stepping motor is driven by the one-two-phase excitation method until the number of steps reaches the first predetermined number in the acceleration area, driven by a two-phase excitation method after the number of steps reaches the first predetermined velocity in the acceleration area, driven by the two-phase excitation method until the number of steps reaches a second predetermined number in the deceleration area, and driven by the one-two-phase excitation method after the number of steps reaches the second predetermined number in the deceleration area, if the calculated number of steps necessary for accelerating is not less than the first predetermined number;
• and
• driving the stepping motor by the selected driving pattern.

A method of controlling a stepping motor used for moving a carriage from a first position to a second position, the carriage having a pickup to read information from a disc on which a plurality of tracks are formed, the method comprising the processes of:

• calculating the total number of tracks between the first position and the second position;
• setting an acceleration area to accelerate the stepping motor and a deceleration area to decelerate the stepping motor, on the basis of the total number of tracks;
• driving the stepping motor by a one-two-phase excitation method until the number of tracks reaches a first predetermined number in the acceleration area;
• changing over the excitation method from the one-two excitation method to a two-phase excitation method when the number of tracks reaches the first predetermined number in the acceleration area;
• driving the stepping motor by the two-phase excitation method after the number of tracks reaches the first predetermined number in the acceleration area;
• further driving the stepping motor by the two-phase excitation method until the number of tracks reaches a second predetermined number in the deceleration area;
• changing over the excitation method from the two-phase excitation method to the one-two-phase excitation method when the number of tracks reaches the second predetermined number in the deceleration area;
• and
• driving the stepping motor by the one-two-phase excitation method after the number of tracks reaches the second predetermined number in the deceleration area.