JP7071092B2 - Drives, optics and imaging devices - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a drive device, an optical device and an image pickup device.

An optical device such as a camera or a lens device is equipped with a device for reducing (or correcting) image blur caused by shake of the optical device such as camera shake.
The image blur reduction device reduces image blur by, for example, shifting an element such as an optical element or an image pickup element in a direction different from the optical axis direction (for example, a direction orthogonal to the optical axis) according to the shake of the optical device. Let me.

Then, when the image blur reduction device is not allowed to shift the element or the power of the optical device is turned off, a predetermined position (for example, the center (optical axis) of the element and optics) are used. A locking mechanism for locking the element is provided at a position (position aligned with the optical axis of the device).
The lock mechanism may include a lock member that is movable between a locked state that locks the image blur correction element and an unlocked state that releases the lock, and an actuator that drives the lock member. When a stepping motor is used as an actuator, the lock member can be held in a locked state or an unlocked state without using electric power due to the self-holding force (detent torque) at the stable position.

Patent Document 1 proposes a drive device using a stepping motor, which can drive a lock member that is not in a predetermined initial state (initial angle) to a target state.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-293335

In the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above, since the stepping motor repeats idling after the lock member hits the drive end, abnormal noise may occur due to step-out of the stepping motor.

It is an object of the present invention to provide, for example, a drive device which is advantageous in terms of quietness.

In order to achieve the above object, the drive device of the present invention includes a lock member having a movable range, a first drive unit for driving the lock member, a movable member for holding an image blur correction element, and the movable member. The movable member has a second driving unit, a detecting unit for detecting the position of the movable member, and a control unit, and the movable member is a first unit from one end to the first position in the movable range. The movement is restricted by the lock member in the range, and the control unit sets the drive amount of the lock member corresponding to the first range to Δ2, and the second position outside the first range from the first position. When the drive amount of the lock member smaller than the drive amount Δ2 up to is set to Δ1 and the movable member is driven by a command in which the drive amount of the movable member from a predetermined position exceeds the threshold value corresponding to the second position. When the drive amount of the movable member exceeds the threshold value, the lock member is driven by the drive amount Δ2 in the first direction in which the movable range of the movable member becomes smaller until the drive amount of the movable member does not exceed the threshold value. The lock member is driven within the first range by driving the lock member in the first direction by the drive amount Δ1, and the movable member is driven by the command. When the drive amount of the movable member does not exceed the threshold value, the lock member is driven by the drive amount Δ1 in the second direction opposite to the first direction, and then the movable member is driven by the command. When the drive amount of the movable member does not exceed the threshold value when driven, the lock member is driven within the first range by driving the lock member by the drive amount Δ1 in the first direction. It is characterized by performing control to drive.

According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to provide a drive device which is advantageous in terms of quietness.

The block diagram of the image blur correction apparatus in Example 1. FIG. The figure which shows the relationship between the lock ring and the shift lens in Example 1. FIG. The graph which shows the relationship between the lock ring and the shift lens in Example 1. FIG. The flowchart which shows the initialization operation in Example 1. FIG. The flowchart which shows the lock ring position estimation process in Example 1. FIG. The figure which shows the initialization operation in Example 1. FIG. A flowchart showing an unlocking operation in the first embodiment. The flowchart which shows the lock operation in Example 1. FIG. The figure which shows the lock operation in Example 1. FIG. The graph which shows the relationship between the lock ring and the shift lens in Example 2. FIG. The flowchart which shows the initialization operation in Example 2. The flowchart which shows the lock ring position estimation process in Example 2. A table that stores the estimated position of the lock ring in Example 2. The figure which shows the initialization operation in Example 2. FIG.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, the driving device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. In this embodiment, as a drive device, an image blur correction device (optical device) included in the lens device and reducing image blur due to vibration by moving the optical system in a direction having a component perpendicular to the optical axis. ) As an example.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the image blur correction device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
The image blur correction device 10 of the present invention has a lock mechanism, and the image blur correction element is placed in a predetermined position (when the image blur correction element is not shifted or when the power of the optical device is turned off. For example, it has a function of holding the center of the image blur correction element at a position (position that coincides with the optical axis of the optical device). The lock ring (first movable member) 101 is a lock member that limits the movable range of the shift lens (second movable member) 103. Details will be described later.
The lock ring driving means (first driving unit) 102 is an actuator for driving the lock ring 101, and is a stepping motor in this embodiment.

The shift lens 103 is an optical element for correcting image blur, and the movable range changes according to the position of the lock ring 101.
The shift lens driving means (second driving unit) 104 is an actuator for driving the shift lens 103, and is a voice coil motor (VCM) in this embodiment.
The shift lens position detecting means (detection unit) 105 is a position detecting means for detecting the position of the shift lens 103, and is an optical position sensor (PSD) in this embodiment.

The shake detecting means 106 is a detecting means for detecting the shake of the image blur correction device 10, and is an angular velocity sensor in this embodiment.
The valid / invalid switching means 107 is a switching means for switching between execution and stop of the image blur correction function by the image blur correction device 10, and is an alternate switch in this embodiment.

The control means (control unit) 108 is a means for controlling the image blur correction device 10, and is a lock ring drive means 102 and a shift based on the information of the shift lens position detection means 105, the shake detection means 106, and the valid / invalid switching means 107. It drives the lens driving means 104. Details of control by the control means 108 will be described later.
The shift lens driving means 104, the shift lens position detecting means 105, and the runout detecting means 106 are configured in each of the two axial directions on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis. The shift lens driving means 104 drives the shift lens 103 so as to have a component in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the shift lens 103 (lens device).

Subsequently, the relationship between the lock ring 101 and the shift lens 103 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the structure of the lock ring 101 and the shift lens 103.
The lock ring 101 is arranged on the circumference of the shift lens 103, and can be rotated in the circumferential direction with respect to the shift lens 103 by the lock ring driving means 102 described above.
Recesses 201 are formed at four locations on the inner circumference of the lock ring 101, while the shift lens 103 has a lens holding frame 202, and convex portions 203 are formed at four locations on the outer periphery of the lens holding frame 202. It is formed.

As shown in FIG. 2A, when the concave portion 201 is rotated so that the concave portion 201 is located in a different phase with respect to the convex portion 203 of the lens holding frame 202, the convex portion 203 is the lock ring 101. It engages with a region other than the region where the recess 201 is provided on the inner peripheral surface. As a result, the shift lens 103 is held in the neutral position, and the shift is prevented. This state is called the locked state.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2C, when the lock ring 101 is rotated to a position where the convex portion 203 of the lens holding frame 202 is inserted into the concave portion 201, the shift lens 103 is allowed to shift. The shift lens 103 in this state is equal to or larger than the movable range required for the image blur correction device 10 to appropriately perform image blur. This state is called the unlocked state.
Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, there is a state in which the shift lens 103 is not held in the neutral position and the image blur correction device 10 is less than the movable range required for properly performing image blur. .. This state is called a lock unstable state.

The lock ring driving means 102 is composed of a stepping motor, and uses electric power only when switching between a locked state and an unlocked state. That is, when the lock ring 101 is held, the lock ring 101 can be held in the locked state or the unlocked state without using electric power by utilizing the self-holding force at the stable position due to the detent torque.

Further, when the lock ring 101 is driven in the counterclockwise direction from the locked state, the lock ring 101 changes to the unlocked state via the locked unstable state. Here, the image blur correction device 10 has a lock ring restricting portion (not shown), and when the lock ring 101 is driven clockwise from the locked state, the lock ring restricting portion is reached and the lock becomes unstable or unlocked. Has a structure that does not change. Similarly, even if the lock ring 101 is driven counterclockwise from the unlocked state, the drive is restricted by the lock ring restricting unit.
Further, at this time, if the motor is continuously energized for driving even after reaching the lock ring restricting portion, the stepping motor of the lock ring driving means 102 repeats step-out, and an abnormal noise that does not occur in normal driving is generated. ..

FIG. 3 is a graph showing the position of the lock ring 101 and the movable range (second movable range) of the shift lens 103 that changes according to the position of the lock ring 101.
The vertical axis represents the movable range of the shift lens 103, and shows the amount of movement from the center of the shift lens in the X-axis direction shown in FIG.

L1 is a movable range required for the image blur correction device 10 to appropriately perform image blur, that is, a lower limit of the movable range of the shift lens 103 in the unlocked state.
L2 is the movable range of the shift lens 103 in the locked state.
L3 is a threshold value for estimating the position of the lock ring 101. The details of the lock ring position estimation process will be described later.

The horizontal axis indicates the position (rotation angle) of the lock ring 101. The lock ring 101 has a movable range of rotation (first movable range), the drive end E1 is the drive end (one end) on the lock position side by the lock ring restricting portion, and the drive end E2 is on the unlock position side. Drive end (the other end).

The position P1 is a position where the movable range of the shift lens 103 changes from L2, that is, a position where the shift lens 103 changes from the locked state to the locked unstable state.
The position P2 is a position where the movable range of the shift lens 103 is L1, that is, a position where the shift lens 103 changes from the locked unstable state to the unlocked state.

The range R1 (first region) is a lock position range, which is a range in which the lock ring 101 is driven by the initialization operation and the lock operation. Further, the position P3 is the boundary on the unlock side of the range R1. The details of the initialization operation and the details of the lock operation will be described later.

The position P3 needs to be on the lock side of the position P1. This is due to the fact that the self-holding force at the stable position due to the detent torque of the stepping motor, which is the lock ring driving means 102, is used to hold the lock ring 101. That is, the lock ring 101 is locked with a margin at the position so that the lock ring 101 does not move and the movable range of the shift lens 103 does not expand due to a load equal to or larger than the detent torque due to an impact on the image blur correction device 10. This is to make it a state.

It is desirable that the width between the position P3 and the position P1 is equal to or larger than the width of the position of the lock ring 101 due to the interval between the stable positions due to the detent torque of the stepping motor, but in addition, the detent torque of the stepping motor and the assumed width. It is good to set in consideration of impact.

The range R2 (fourth area) is the unlock position range, which is the range in which the lock ring 101 is driven by the unlock operation. Further, the position P4 is the boundary on the lock side of the range R2. The details of the unlock operation will be described later.
The position P4 needs to be equal to or closer to the unlock side than the position P2. This is because the shift lens 103 needs to satisfy the movable range required for the image blur correction device 10 to properly perform image blur after the unlock operation.

Further, in order to realize the locking operation and the unlocking operation described later, the widths of the range R1 and the range R2 need to be the same. In this embodiment, since the width that can be set as the range R1 is narrower than the width that can be set as the range R2, the width of the range R2 is made equal to the width of the range R1.

The position P5 is a boundary value (lock threshold value) for estimating the position of the lock ring 101, and is a position where the movable range of the shift lens 103 is L3. The details of the lock ring position estimation process will be described later.
The range R3 (second region) is the range between positions P3 and P5, and the range R4 (third region) is the range between positions P5 and P4.

Subsequently, the control by the control means 108 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 9.
First, the initialization operation of the lock ring 101 by the control means 108 is performed using FIGS. 4 to 6.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation flow of the initialization operation in the control means 108 of this embodiment. The initialization operation is an operation performed when the power is turned on, and is an operation for moving the position of the lock ring 101 to the range R1 without hitting the lock ring 101 against the lock ring restricting portion.

S401 is the start of processing and proceeds to S402.
In S402, the lock ring position estimation process is performed, and the process proceeds to S403. The details of the lock ring position estimation process will be described later.
In S403, it is determined whether the estimated lock ring 101 is on the lock side from the position P5, and if it is on the lock side, it proceeds to S404, and if it is not on the lock side, it proceeds to S405.

In S404, the lock ring 101 is driven in the unlock direction (second direction) by the drive amount Δ1 and proceeds to S406. The drive amount Δ1 is a value equal to the width of the range R3.
In S405, the lock ring 101 is driven in the lock direction (direction opposite to the first direction and the second direction) by the drive amount Δ2, and proceeds to S406. The drive amount Δ2 is a value equal to the width of the range R1.
In S406, the lock ring position estimation process is performed, and the process proceeds to S407.

In S407, it is determined whether the estimated lock ring 101 is on the lock side from the position P5, and if it is on the lock side, it proceeds to S408, and if it is not on the lock side, it proceeds to S405.
In S408, the lock ring 101 is driven in the lock direction by the drive amount Δ1 and proceeds to S409.
S409 is the end of processing.

Subsequently, the lock ring position estimation process in S402 and S406 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

S501 is the start of processing, and proceeds to S502.
In S502, the shift lens driving means 104 drives the shift lens 103 from the center by a displacement larger than L3, and proceeds to S503. Note that L3 is a threshold value for estimating the position of the lock ring 101, and is a value sufficiently larger than the movable range L2 of the shift lens 103 in the locked state.

In S503, it is determined whether the position (first drive amount) of the shift lens 103 detected by the shift lens position detecting means 105 is inside the L3, and if it is inside, the process proceeds to S504, and if it is not inside, the process proceeds to S505. .. Even if the drive command is a drive command to the outside of the movable range regulated by the lock ring 101, the shift lens 103 can actually be driven only within the range regulated by the position of the lock ring 101.

In S504, it is determined that the lock ring 101 is on the lock side of the position P5, and the process proceeds to S506.
In S505, it is determined that the lock ring 101 is not on the lock side of the position P5, and the process proceeds to S506.
S506 drives the shift lens 103 toward the center and proceeds to S507.
S507 is the end of processing.

Here, in the range R4, since the position of the lock ring 101 and the movable range of the shift lens 103 have a one-to-one correspondence, the lock ring can be set by detecting the maximum displacement amount of the shift lens 103. The rotation position can be obtained.
With the above flow, the shift lens 103 can be driven and the position of the lock ring 101 can be estimated from the movable range thereof.

Subsequently, the details of the effect in the initialization operation will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 6A is a diagram showing an initialization operation when the position of the lock ring 101 before the initialization operation is within the range R1.

When the position of the lock ring 101 before the initialization operation is within the range R1, since it is on the lock side from the position P5, the branch of S403 proceeds to S404. Further, since the lock ring 101 when driven by the drive amount Δ1 in the unlock direction in S404 is also on the lock side from the position P5, the branch of S407 proceeds to S408.

At this time, since the lock ring 101 is driven by the drive amount Δ1 in the unlock direction and then returned by the drive amount Δ1 in the lock direction, it does not hit the drive end (end of the movable range) E1 during the initialization operation. Further, the position after the initialization operation is equal to the position before the initialization operation, and is always within the range R1.

FIG. 6B is a diagram showing an initialization operation when the position of the lock ring 101 before the initialization operation is in the range R2 or the range R4.
When the position of the lock ring 101 before the initialization operation is the range R2 or the range R4, since it is not on the lock side of the position P5, the branch of S403 proceeds to S405. Then, the lock ring 101 returns to S405 by the branch of S407 until the lock ring 101 is on the lock side of the position P5, and is driven by the drive amount Δ2.

At the end of the initialization operation, it is estimated in S407 that it is not on the lock side of the position P5, then it is driven by the drive amount Δ2 in S405, then it is estimated that it is on the lock side of the position P5 in S407, and the drive amount Δ1 is in S408. Only drive. Here, since the drive amount Δ1 is equal to the width of the range R3 and the drive amount Δ2 is equal to the width of the range R1, when driving by Δ1 + Δ2 from a position not on the lock side of the position P5, the collision with the drive end E1 does not occur. There is no. Further, since the drive amount Δ1 is equal to the width of the range R3, when the drive amount Δ1 is driven from the position on the lock side of the position P5, it can always be driven from the position of the position P3 to the lock side.

FIG. 6C is a diagram showing an initialization operation when the position of the lock ring 101 before the initialization operation is inside the range R3.

When the position of the lock ring 101 before the initialization operation is inside the range R3, since it is on the lock side from the position P5, the branch of S403 proceeds to S404. Here, since the drive amount Δ1 is equal to the width of the range R3, when the drive amount Δ1 is driven in the unlock direction, the drive amount Δ1 always moves to a position other than the lock side of the position P5. After that, it is estimated in S407 that it is not on the lock side of the position P5, then it is driven by the drive amount Δ2 in S405, then it is estimated that it is on the lock side of the position P5 in S407, and it is driven by the drive amount Δ1 in S408. Here, since the drive amount Δ1 is equal to the width of the range R3 and the drive amount Δ2 is equal to the width of the range R1, when driving by Δ1 + Δ2 from a position not on the lock side of the position P5, the collision with the drive end E1 does not occur. There is no. Further, since the drive amount Δ1 is equal to the width of the range R3, when the drive amount Δ1 is driven from the position on the lock side of the position P5, it can always be driven from the position of the position P3 to the lock side.

As described above, regardless of the position of the lock ring 101 before the initialization operation, the lock ring 101 can always be within the range R1 without colliding with the drive end E1.

Subsequently, with reference to FIG. 7, the unlocking operation in the normal operation after the initialization operation will be described in detail.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation flow of the unlock operation.

S701 is the start of processing and proceeds to S702. The process is started when the valid / invalid switching means 107 is instructed to enable the image blur correction operation after the initialization operation.
In S702, the shift lens 103 is driven to the center and proceeds to S703.
In S703, the lock ring 101 is driven in the unlock direction by the drive amount Δ3, and the process proceeds to S704.
S704 is the end of processing.

Here, the drive amount Δ3 will be described.
The drive amount Δ3 is a drive amount for fitting the lock ring 101 located in the range R1 into the range R2 without colliding with the drive end E2, and is the width of the range R1, the width of the range R3, and the width of the range R4. Is the value obtained by adding.

Since it is guaranteed that the lock ring 101 is always located in the range R1 in the initialization operation described above, it can always be contained in the range R2 by driving only the drive amount Δ3 in the open loop. Further, since the range R2 is set to the same range as the range R1, even if the drive amount Δ3 is driven in the unlock direction from the position of the range R1, it does not collide with the drive end E2.
After the unlocking operation in the normal operation, the image blur correction device 10 performs the image blur correction, but since the image blur correction process is not directly related to the present invention, the description thereof will be omitted.

Subsequently, with reference to FIG. 8, the locking operation in the normal operation after the initialization operation will be described in detail.

In the lock operation, if the drive amount is driven in the lock direction by the same amount as the drive amount Δ3 driven during the unlock operation, it should normally fall within the range R1. However, unlike the unlock operation, stepping motor step-out occurs in the lock operation, and it cannot be guaranteed that the lock ring 101 moves by a specified drive amount. Specifically, if the shift lens 103 moves from the center due to vibration or the like during the locking operation, the convex portion 203 of the lens holding frame 202 and the edge of the concave portion 201 of the lock ring 101 interfere with each other, and the lock ring driving means 102 A stepping motor may step out. If the stepping motor goes out of step, the actual amount of movement is less than the specified amount of drive, and it cannot be guaranteed that the lock ring 101 is located in the range R1 after the lock operation.
Therefore, by performing the locking operation using the flow described below, the vehicle can be driven into the range R1 without colliding with the drive end E1.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an operation flow of the lock operation. The same processing as in FIG. 4 is designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

S801 is the start of processing, and proceeds to S802. The processing is started when the valid / invalid switching means 107 is instructed to invalidate the image blur correction operation.
In S802, the shift lens 103 is driven to the center and proceeds to S803.
In S803, the lock ring 101 is driven in the lock direction by the drive amount Δ4, and the process proceeds to S406.
S406 to S409 are the same processes as those in FIG. 4, and the description thereof will be omitted.

Here, the drive amount Δ4 will be described.
The drive amount Δ4 is a drive amount for driving to a position where the lock ring position estimation process is performed, and is a value obtained by adding the width of the range R2 and the width of the range R4.

Subsequently, the details of the effect in the locking operation will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 9A is a diagram showing a locking operation in a normal state, that is, when the stepping motor does not step out during the locking operation.

When the drive amount Δ4 is driven from the range R2, the position P5 is always exceeded, and the process proceeds from S407 to S408 in FIG. In this case, the driving amount from the range R2 is Δ4 + Δ1. The drive amount Δ4 is a value obtained by adding the width of the range R2 and the width of the range R4, and the drive amount Δ1 is the same value as the width of the range R3. It can be driven to the range R1 without colliding with E1.

On the other hand, if the stepping motor is out of step during the locking operation, it cannot be moved by the drive amount Δ4 and stops before the position where it should be moved. In that case, when the stop position of the lock ring 101 when performing S406 is on the lock side of the position P5, the operation proceeds in the same step as in the normal time shown in FIG. 9A. In this case, since the drive amount Δ1 is driven from the position on the lock side of the position P5, it can always be driven to the position on the lock side of the position P3. Further, since the driving amount from the range R2 is less than Δ4 + Δ1 due to the occurrence of step-out, the driving amount can be driven to the range R1 without colliding with the driving end E1.

Further, FIG. 9B shows an operation when the stop position of the lock ring 101 when performing S406 is on the unlock side of the position P5 due to the step-out occurring during the lock operation. In this case, the process proceeds from S407 to S405 in FIG. 8, driven to the lock side by the driving amount Δ2, and then returned to S406.
That is, from the position where the step-out occurs and stops, the operation is the same as that of FIG. 6B of the initialization operation, and the vehicle can be driven to the range R1 without colliding with the drive end E1.
As described above, even in the unlock operation and the lock operation in the normal operation after the initialization operation, the vehicle can be driven to the range R1 without colliding with the drive end E1.

After the unlocking operation in the normal operation, the image blur correction device 10 performs the image blur correction, but when it is determined that the movable range required for properly performing the image blur during the image blur correction is not satisfied. , The lock ring 101 may be driven to the unlock side by the drive amount Δ2.

Specifically, the signal to the shift lens driving means 104 for performing image blur correction is compared with the signal of the shift lens position detecting means 105, and it is necessary when the shift lens 103 cannot follow the drive signal. It can be determined that the movable range is not satisfied.

Further, even if the lock operation in the normal operation is performed in the same flow as the initialization operation, it is possible to drive to the lock position. However, since the lock ring position estimation process shown in FIG. 5 drives the shift lens 103, it affects the image. In the lock operation described in this embodiment, the lock ring position estimation process is performed in S406 of FIG. 8, but in the normal state shown in FIG. 9 (a), at the time of performing this process, the lock ring position is on the lock side of the position P5. positioned. That is, at this time, the drive range of the shift lens 103 is L3 or less, and the influence on the image can be minimized.

If the stepping motor, which is the lock ring driving means 102, repeatedly steps out during the initialization operation of the lock ring 101 and cannot go to the lock side from the position P5, the sequence of returning from S407 to S405 in FIG. 4 is performed. It will be repeated. However, a counter may be provided in this return sequence, and if the number of times exceeds a certain level, error processing may be started. Specifically, the power supply to the lock ring driving means 102 and the shift lens driving means 104 is cut off, and an abnormality notification is given to the user by an LED (not shown) or the like. Further, in order to minimize the influence on shooting, the shift lens driving means 104 may be controlled so as to hold the shift lens 103 in the center without interrupting the power supply to the shift lens driving means 104. The same applies to the sequence of returning from S407 to S405 in FIG. 8 in the locking operation.

Hereinafter, the control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 14. In this embodiment, an initialization operation different from that of the first embodiment is provided.

FIG. 10 is a graph showing the position of the lock ring 101 and the movable range of the shift lens 103 in the second embodiment.
The same reference numerals as those shown in FIG. 3 of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

L3 is a threshold value on the lock side for estimating the position of the lock ring 101, and L4 is a threshold value on the unlock side for estimating the position of the lock ring 101. The details of the lock ring position estimation process will be described later.

The position P5 is a boundary value on the lock side for estimating the position of the lock ring 101, and is a position where the movable range of the shift lens 103 is L3. Further, the position P6 is a boundary value (unlock threshold value) on the unlock side for estimating the position of the lock ring 101, and is a position where the movable range of the shift lens 103 is L4. The details of the lock ring position estimation process will be described later.

Here, the movable range of the shift lens 103 is in the range of L3 to L4, and the position of the lock ring 101 is in the range of the position P5 to the position P6, which can be roughly estimated. The method of calculating the estimated position of the lock ring 101 from the movable range of the shift lens 103 will be described later.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an operation flow of the initialization operation of the image blur correction device in the second embodiment. The same processing as in FIG. 4 or FIG. 8 in the first embodiment is designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In S1102, the lock ring position estimation process different from that in S402 is performed, and the process proceeds to S403. The details of the lock ring position estimation process in this embodiment will be described later.
In S1110, it is determined from the position P6 whether the estimated lock ring 101 is on the unlock side, and if it is on the unlock side, the process proceeds to S1111, and if it is not the unlock side, the process proceeds to S1112.

In S1111, the lock ring 101 is driven in the lock direction by the drive amount Δ5, and the process proceeds to S1106. The drive amount Δ5 is a value equal to the width between the position P6 and the position P3.
In S1112, the drive amount Δn (third drive amount) is calculated based on the estimated position Pn (second drive amount) of the lock ring 101, and then the process proceeds to S1113. The method of calculating the estimated position Pn and the drive amount Δn will be described later.

In S1113, the lock ring 101 is driven in the lock direction by a drive amount Δn, and the process proceeds to S1106.
Similar to S1102, S1106 performs a lock ring position estimation process different from that of S402, and proceeds to S407.

Subsequently, the lock ring position estimation process in the second embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 12 to 13.
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the lock ring position estimation process in the second embodiment. The same processing as in FIG. 5 in the first embodiment is designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In S1202, the shift lens 103 is driven to the drive end of the shift lens, and the process proceeds to S503. The drive end of the shift lens is a position regulated by the lock ring 101, and changes according to the position of the lock ring 101. Therefore, the shift lens driving means 104 outputs a control command that sufficiently exceeds the driving end of the shift lens.

In S1208, it is determined whether or not the position (second drive amount) of the shift lens 103 detected by the shift lens position detecting means 105 is outside of L4, and if it is outside, the process proceeds to S1209, and if it is not outside, the process proceeds to S1210. ..
In S1209, it is determined that the lock ring 101 is on the unlock side of the position P6, and the process proceeds to S506.
In S1210, the estimated position Pn of the lock ring 101 is calculated from the drive amount of the shift lens 103, and the process proceeds to S506.

The calculation method of the estimated position Pn shown in S1210 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a table showing the relationship between the movable range of the shift lens 103 and the estimated position of the lock ring 101.

When the shift lens 103 is driven by S1202, the movable range of the shift lens 103 is measured depending on the position to which the shift lens 103 is driven, and the estimated position of the lock ring 101 is calculated from the movable range using the table shown in FIG. Specifically, for example, when the movable range of the shift lens 103 is larger than Lb and smaller than Lc, the elements of the table are approximated by a straight line according to the position between Lb and Lc, and estimated from the ratio of the position Pb and the position Pc. The position may be calculated.

The table of FIG. 13 is measured and determined before shipment, and is stored in a storage unit (not shown). Specifically, the stepping motor of the lock ring driving means 102 is driven step by step from the locked state, and the movable range of the shift lens 103 at that time is measured. Then, the table is determined by storing the number of steps at the time when the movable range of the shift lens 103 on the table is exceeded.

As described above, the position of the lock ring 101 can be estimated by driving the shift lens 103 to the drive end of the shift lens and measuring the movable range of the shift lens 103.

Subsequently, a method for calculating the drive amount Δn in S1112 will be described.
Taking the drive amount from the estimated position Pn to the drive end E1 on the lock side as (E1-Pn), it is considered that the target position after the initialization operation is the center of the range R1 and that only the drive amount Δ1 is driven in S408. Then, the drive amount Δn in S1113 is expressed by the following equation 1.
Δn = (E1-Pn)-(R1 × 1/2) −Δ1 (Equation 1)
That is, when the drive amount Δn is driven from the estimated position Pn before the initialization operation, the drive amount Δ1 is driven from the center of the range R1 to the unlocked position.

As described above, the drive amount Δn for the initialization operation of the lock ring 101 can be calculated from the movable range of the shift lens 103.

Subsequently, the effect of the initialization operation in the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
When the position before the initialization operation is within the range R1, the operation is the same as the operation shown in FIG. 6A of the first embodiment, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 14A is a diagram showing an initialization operation when the lock ring 101 before the initialization operation is between the positions P5 and P6.

When the lock ring 101 before the initialization operation is between the position P5 and the position P6, it is not the lock side from the position P5 and is not the unlock side from the position P6, so that the process proceeds from S403 to S1110 and S1112 in FIG. Then, when the lock ring 101 is driven by the drive amount Δn in the lock direction in S1113, the lock ring 101 moves from the center of the range R1 to the position P7 which is the position on the unlock side by the drive amount Δ1. Since the position P7 is on the lock side of the position P5, it always proceeds to S408 in the subsequent S407, and by driving only the drive amount Δ1, it can be driven to the center of the range R1 without colliding with the drive end E1. ..
As described above, when the lock ring 101 before the initialization operation is between the positions P5 and P6, the initialization operation can be performed correctly.

FIG. 14B is a diagram showing an initialization operation when the lock ring 101 before the initialization operation is on the unlock side of the position P6.

When the lock ring 101 before the initialization operation is on the unlock side from the position P6, it is not the lock side from the position P5 but the unlock side from the position P6, so that the process proceeds from S403 to S1110 and S1111 in FIG. .. Then, the lock ring 101 is driven in the lock direction by the drive amount Δ5 in S1111. Here, since the drive amount Δ5 is a value equal to the width between the position P6 and the position P3, when the drive amount Δ5 is driven, the lock ring 101 moves to the unlock side from the position P3.
When this position is located inside the range R3 as shown in FIG. 14 (b), it can proceed from S407 to S408 and move into the range R1 without colliding with the drive end E1.

On the other hand, when the lock ring 101 is located outside the range R3, that is, on the unlock side of the position P5, the lock ring 101 shown in FIG. 14A returns from S407 to S1110, so that the lock ring 101 shown in FIG. 14A is between the positions P5 and P6. It will be the same as the operation when there is.
As described above, even when the lock ring 101 before the initialization operation is on the unlock side of the position P6, the initialization operation can be performed correctly.

FIG. 14C is a diagram showing an initialization operation when the position of the lock ring 101 before the initialization operation is inside the range R3.
When the position of the lock ring 101 before the initialization operation is inside the range R3, since it is on the lock side from the position P5, the process proceeds from S403 to S404 in FIG.

Here, since the drive amount Δ1 is equal to the width of the range R3, when the drive amount Δ1 is driven in the unlock direction, the drive amount Δ1 always moves to a position other than the lock side of the position P5. After that, it is presumed that the lock ring side is not on the lock side of the position P5 in S407, and then returns to S1110, which is equivalent to the operation when the lock ring 101 shown in FIG. 14A is between the positions P5 and P6. become.
As described above, even when the position of the lock ring 101 before the initialization operation is inside the range R3, the initialization operation can be performed correctly.

As shown above, in the initialization operation of the second embodiment, the vehicle can be driven to the range R1 without colliding with the drive end E1. Even if the stepping motor, which is the lock ring driving means 102, is out of step during the initialization operation, the initialization operation can be reliably performed by the sequence of returning to S1110 in S407 of FIG.

Further, in the first embodiment, when the position of the lock ring 101 before the initialization operation is located on the unlock side, the flow of returning from S407 to S405 shown in FIG. 4 is repeated several times. However, in the second embodiment, the movable range of the shift lens 103 is measured and the position of the lock ring 101 is estimated, so that the lock ring is driven by the drive amount Δn or the drive amount Δ5 at once, so that the lock ring is compared with the first embodiment. The number of position estimation processes can be reduced. That is, the time for the initialization operation can be shortened. Further, when the movable range of the shift lens 103 can be detected with high accuracy by the shift lens position detecting means 105, the lock ring 101 can be positioned with high accuracy by the initialization operation.

In the process of estimating the position of the lock ring 101 using the table of FIG. 13, a method of approximating between the elements of the table with a straight line from the position of the movable range of the shift lens was used. However, of course, the present invention is not limited to this, and the position Pc farther from the range R1 may be calculated as the estimated position of the lock ring. When the farther position is calculated as the estimated position, the possibility of collision with the drive end E1 due to the miscalculation of the lock ring estimated position calculation can be eliminated. Further, when the estimated position is far from the actual position and the drive amount Δn by S1113 is not on the lock side from the position P5, the transition from S407 to S1110 is performed and the drive is performed again, so that the range R1 is surely stored. be able to.

If the detection error of the movable range of the shift lens 103 by the shift lens position detecting means 105 is large, it is possible that the shift lens 103 collides with the drive end E1 in the initialization operation and the lock operation. Therefore, when the error is large, the drive amount Δn and the drive amount Δ5 may be reduced according to the error amount, stopped before the original target position, and then driven to the range R1 by the method of the first embodiment. good. By doing so, the operating time is increased, but it is possible to avoid collision with the drive end E1.

To configure an image pickup device having a lens device having an image blur correction device (optical device) having the drive device of the present invention exemplified in the above embodiment, and an image pickup element for receiving an optical image formed by the lens device. Therefore, it is possible to provide an image pickup device that enjoys the effects of the present invention.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and modifications can be made within the scope of the gist thereof.

101 ... Lock ring (first movable member)
102 ... Lock ring drive means (first drive unit)
103 ... Shift lens (second movable member)
104 ... Shift lens drive means (second drive unit)
105 ... Shift lens position detecting means (position detecting means)
108 ... Control means

Claims (9)

A lock member with a movable range and
The first drive unit that drives the lock member and
A movable member that holds the image stabilization element,
A second drive unit that drives the movable member,
A detection unit that detects the position of the movable member, and
Has a control unit
The movable member is restricted in movement by the lock member in the first range from one end to the first position in the movable range.
The control unit
The drive amount of the lock member corresponding to the first range is Δ2, and the drive amount of the lock member smaller than the drive amount Δ2 from the first position to the second position outside the first range is Δ1. When the movable member is driven by a command in which the drive amount of the movable member from a predetermined position exceeds the threshold value corresponding to the second position, the drive amount of the movable member exceeds the threshold value. After driving the lock member by the drive amount Δ2 in the first direction in which the movable range of the movable member becomes smaller until the drive amount of the movable member does not exceed the threshold value, only the drive amount Δ1 is driven in the first direction. By driving the lock member, the lock member is driven within the first range.
When the movable member is driven by the command and the drive amount of the movable member does not exceed the threshold value, the lock member is driven by the drive amount Δ1 in the second direction opposite to the first direction. Then, when the movable member is driven by the command and the drive amount of the movable member does not exceed the threshold value, the lock member is driven by the drive amount Δ1 in the first direction. , A driving device characterized in that control for driving the lock member within the first range is performed. A lock member with a movable range and
The first drive unit that drives the lock member and
A movable member that holds the image stabilization element,
A second drive unit that drives the movable member,
A detection unit that detects the position of the movable member, and
Has a control unit
The movable member is restricted in movement by the lock member in the first range from one end to the first position in the movable range.
The control unit
The drive amount of the lock member corresponding to the first range is Δ2, and the drive amount of the lock member smaller than the drive amount Δ2 from the first position to the second position outside the first range is Δ1. When the movable member is driven by a command in which the drive amount of the movable member from a predetermined position exceeds the first threshold value corresponding to the second position, the drive amount of the movable member is the first threshold value. When the above value is exceeded, the driving amount of the movable member when the movable member is driven again by the command is the first threshold value and the first threshold value based on the driving amount exceeding the first threshold value. The drive amount of the lock member in the first direction in which the movable range of the movable member is reduced so as to be the drive amount between the second threshold value corresponding to the position of is estimated, and the estimated drive amount is obtained. When the lock member is driven by an amount and the movable member is driven by the command and the drive amount of the movable member does not exceed the first threshold value, the lock is performed by the drive amount Δ1 in the first direction. A driving device characterized in that the lock member is controlled to be driven within the first range by driving the member. The control unit has a storage unit that stores the relationship between the drive amount of the movable member and the drive amount of the lock member that exceeds the first threshold value, and the control unit has the lock based on the relationship. The drive device according to claim 2, wherein the drive amount of the member is estimated . The image stabilization element and
An optical device including the drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The image shake correction element includes a lens and includes a lens.
The optical device according to claim 4, wherein the first drive unit includes a stepping motor. The direction in which the second driving unit drives the movable member has a component orthogonal to the optical axis of the lens.
The lock member surrounds the movable member around the optical axis.
The optical device according to claim 5, wherein the first drive unit causes the lock member to rotate about the optical axis. The optical device according to claim 6, wherein the first drive unit causes the lock member to rotate, and the lock member restricts the movement of the movable member. The optical device according to any one of claims 4 to 7.
An image pickup device comprising an image pickup device that receives an image formed by the optical device. The imaging device according to claim 8, wherein the optical device reduces blurring of the image by driving the movable member by the second driving unit.

Images