# US 9,435,667 B2 · Position detecting apparatus, and lens apparatus and image pickup apparatus including the position detecting apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,435,667 B2 - Document ID: US9435667B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/527,817 - Filed: 2014-10-30 - Published: 2015-04-30 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-10-30 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Junji Shigeta - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9435667B2 ## CPC - H04N 23/60: Control of cameras or camera modules - G01B 11/14: for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures (G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00) - G01D 5/24461: {by redundancy or plausibility} - G01D 5/34776: {Absolute encoders with analogue or digital scales} - G01D 5/34794: {Optical encoders using the Vernier principle, i.e. incorporating two or more tracks having a (n, n+1, ...) relationship} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A position detector, includes: a scale having pattern arrays formed in different cycles in a movement direction an obtaining unit which obtains signals in accordance with the pattern arrays; a first deriving unit which derives a temporal position of the scale relative to the obtaining unit based on the signals; a second deriving unit which derives a displacement amount of the scale relative to the obtaining unit based on one or more signals of the signals; and a determinates which determines a determined position of the scale relative to the obtaining unit based on the temporal position and the displacement amount, wherein the determinator determines the determined position based on a result of comparison between a difference between first and second temporal positions respectively calculated by the first and second deriving units at first and second positions and a displacement amount from the first position to the second position. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A position detecting apparatus, comprising: a seals comprising a plurality of pattern arrays formed in different cycles in a movement direction; an obtaining unit configured to obtain a plurality of signals in accordance with the plurality of pattern arrays; a first deriving unit configured to derive a temporal position of the scale with respect to the obtaining unit, based on the plurality of signals; a second deriving unit configured to derive a displacement amount of the scale with respect to the obtaining unit based on one or more signals of the plurality of signals; and a determinator configured to determine a determined position of the scale with respect to the obtaining unit based on the temporal position and the displacement amount, wherein the determinator determines the determined position based on a result of comparison between a difference between a first temporal position calculated by the first deriving unit at a first position and a second temporal position calculated by the first deriving unit at a second position and a displacement amount derived by the second deriving unit from the first position to the second position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A position detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the determinator determines that the difference and the displacement amount are different from each other, there is an error in any one of the first absolute position value and the second absolute position value based on the first absolute position value, the second absolute position value, and the displacement amount calculated by the relative position calculator from the first position to the second position, the determinator determines she determined position based on a third temporal position derived by the first deriving unit at a third position that is different from the first position and the second position, the first temporal position, the second temporal position, and the displacement amount between any two positions of the first position, the second position, and the third position calculated by the second deriving unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A position detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the error amount is larger than a predetermined value which is set based on a length of the scale in the movement direction in which the obtaining unit is capable of obtaining the plurality of signals simultaneously. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A position detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the error amount is larger than a predetermined value which is set based on a length of a predefined error occurring range in the movement direction on the scale. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A position detecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to control drive of the scale in the movement direction with respect to the obtaining unit, wherein the controller drives the scale in the movement direction until the determinator determines the determined position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A position detecting apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a unit configured to store the displacement amount derived by the second deriving unit at a time when the determinator starts processing of determining the determined position, wherein the controller drives the scale up to a position corresponding to the stored displacement amount after the determinator determines the determined position. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A position detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of pattern arrays comprises a plurality of reflective pattern arrays, and wherein the obtaining unit comprises a light source and a plurality of light receivers configured to receive each light emitted from the light source and reflected by the plurality of reflective pattern arrays. ### Claim 8 A lens apparatus, comprising: a movable optical member; and a position detecting apparatus serving as a position detecting apparatus for the movable optical member, the position detecting apparatus, comprising: a scale comprising a plurality of pattern arrays formed in different cycles in a movement direction; an obtaining unit configured to obtain a plurality of signals in accordance with the plurality of pattern arrays; a first deriving unit configured to derive a temporal position of the scale with respect to the obtaining, based on the plurality of signals; a second deriving unit configured to derive a displacement amount of the scale with respect to the obtaining unit based on one or more signals of the plurality of signals; and a determinator configured to determine a determined position of the scale with respect to the obtaining unit based on the temporal position and the displacement amount, wherein the determinator determines the determined position based on a result of comparison between a difference between a first temporal position calculated by the first deriving unit at a first position and a second temporal position calculated by the first deriving unit at a second position and a displacement amount derived by the second deriving unit from the first position to the second position. ### Claim 9 An image pickup apparatus, comprising: a lens apparatus comprising; a movable optical member; and a position detecting apparatus serving as a position detecting apparatus for the movable optical member, the position detecting apparatus, comprising: a scale comprising a plurality of pattern arrays formed in different cycles in a movement direction; an obtaining unit configured to obtain a plurality of signals in accordance with the plurality of pattern arrays; a first deriving unit configured to derive a temporal position of the scale with respect to the obtaining unit, based on the plurality of signals; a second deriving unit configured to derive a displacement amount of the scale with respect to the obtaining unit based on one or more signals of the plurality of signals; and a determinator configured to determine a determined position of the scale with respect to the obtaining unit based on the temporal position and the displacement amount, wherein the determinator determines the determined position based on a result of comparison between a difference between a first temporal position calculated by the first deriving unit at a first position and a second temporal position calculated by the first deriving unit at a second position and a displacement amount derived by the second deriving unit from the first position to the second position; and a camera apparatus.