WO2020144969A1

WO2020144969A1 - Control device, lens barrel, and imaging device

Info

Publication number: WO2020144969A1
Application number: PCT/JP2019/046714
Authority: WO
Inventors: 高橋　和夫
Original assignee: ソニー株式会社
Priority date: 2019-01-08
Filing date: 2019-11-29
Publication date: 2020-07-16
Also published as: JP7435474B2; JPWO2020144969A1

Abstract

Provided is a control device comprising a control unit that controls driving of a motor that generates power provided to a gearbox, controlling same on the basis of temperature information for the gearbox which comprises a power transmission mechanism using traction force.

Description

Control device, lens barrel, and imaging device

The present disclosure relates to a control device, a lens barrel, and an imaging device.

In recent years, various technologies have been developed for transmissions equipped with a power transmission mechanism that uses traction force. For example, in Patent Document 1 below, a cylindrical member having a small linear expansion coefficient (coefficient of thermal expansion) is arranged between the planetary rotation shaft and the insertion hole of the planetary rotation shaft, so that the insertion hole can be inserted even in a low temperature environment. There is disclosed a technique for preventing the planetary rotation shaft from being tightened by contracting the diameter of. As a result, the planetary roller can continue to rotate even in a low temperature environment.

JP, 2017-201192, A

However, with the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 and the like, it was not possible to maintain the transmission having a power transmission mechanism using traction force at an appropriate temperature.

Therefore, the present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a new and improved control device capable of maintaining a transmission having a power transmission mechanism that uses a traction force at a more appropriate temperature, A lens barrel and an imaging device are provided.

According to the present disclosure, there is provided a control device that includes a control unit that controls driving of a motor that generates power provided to the transmission based on temperature information of the transmission that includes a power transmission mechanism that uses a traction force. To be done.

Further, according to the present disclosure, a control unit that controls driving of a motor that generates power provided to the transmission based on temperature information of the transmission that includes a power transmission mechanism that uses a traction force, and the power transmission. A lens barrel is provided that includes a lens group in which at least one lens is driven by using power transmitted through the mechanism.

Further, according to the present disclosure, a control unit that controls driving of a motor that generates power provided to the transmission based on temperature information of the transmission that includes a power transmission mechanism that uses a traction force, and the power transmission. An image pickup device including: a lens group in which at least one lens is driven by using power transmitted through a mechanism; and an image pickup device that converts a subject image formed by the lens group into an electrical signal. A device is provided.

It is a graph which shows the phase difference of the drive signal applied to A phase and B phase of an ultrasonic motor, and the relationship of the rotation speed of an ultrasonic motor. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the amount of vibrations of an ultrasonic motor, and the amount of heat generation. It is a graph which shows the control mode of the conventional ultrasonic motor. 6 is a graph showing a control mode of the ultrasonic motor according to the present embodiment and a change in temperature of a transmission device (including a traction drive) provided with power from the ultrasonic motor. It is a block diagram showing an example of composition of a lens barrel and a camera body (in other words, an imaging device) concerning this embodiment. It is a flow chart which shows an example of a processing flow when a control part concerning this embodiment sets up and changes a mode. 7 is a graph showing a control mode of an ultrasonic motor according to a first modification and a change in temperature of a transmission device provided with power from the ultrasonic motor. 7 is a graph showing a control mode of an ultrasonic motor according to a first modification and a change in temperature of a transmission device provided with power from the ultrasonic motor. 8 is a graph showing a control mode of an ultrasonic motor according to a second modification and a change in temperature of a transmission device provided with power from the ultrasonic motor. 9 is a graph showing a control mode of an ultrasonic motor according to a second modification and a change in temperature of a transmission device provided with power from the ultrasonic motor. It is a figure which shows the specific example of a reference table in case the fall of the rotation speed of an ultrasonic motor by control of the phase difference of a drive signal is compensated by a drive voltage. It is a figure which shows the specific example of the reference table in case the fall of the rotation speed of an ultrasonic motor by control of the phase difference of a drive signal is compensated by a drive frequency. It is a schematic diagram which shows the hardware structural example of the ultrasonic motor and the transmission which concern on this embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the specific example of the path|route at the time when the heat generated by the ultrasonic motor which concerns on this embodiment is transmitted to a transmission. It is a figure which shows an example of a schematic structure of an endoscopic surgery system. FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the camera head and CCU shown in FIG. 15. It is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic structure of a vehicle control system. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the installation position of a vehicle exterior information detection part and an imaging part.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, constituent elements having substantially the same functional configuration are designated by the same reference numerals, and a duplicate description will be omitted.

The description will be given in the following order.
1. Outline 2. Configuration example 3. Example of processing flow 4. Modification 5. Example of hardware configuration 6. Application example 7. Conclusion

<1. Overview>
First, the outline of this embodiment will be described.

As mentioned above, in recent years, various technologies have been developed for transmissions including a power transmission mechanism that uses traction force. Hereinafter, a "traction drive" will be described as an example of a power transmission mechanism that uses traction force (note that the power transmission mechanism that uses traction force is not necessarily limited to a traction drive). The "traction drive" is a mechanism for transmitting the rotational force of the sun roller to the planetary roller by interposing oil or grease between two types of pressure-contacted rollers (referred to as "sun roller" and "planetary roller"). Is. One of the features of the traction drive is that there is no backlash because no gears are used and no noise is generated due to backlash. Taking advantage of this feature, a transmission equipped with a traction drive is used in various products (for example, printers).

Here, in many cases, transmissions currently used for focusing an image pickup apparatus (for example, a camera) are provided with gears, and a drive sound due to backlash is generated. Further, the drive sound is reduced by using the transmission including the traction drive for the focus of the image pickup apparatus.

On the other hand, the traction drive may not be able to operate properly due to changes in the temperature environment. More specifically, for example, in a low temperature environment, the power transmission efficiency (or traction coefficient) may be reduced by changing the properties of oil or grease used in the traction drive (for example, increasing viscosity). descend. Also, due to contraction of each component of the traction drive in a low temperature environment and expansion in a high temperature environment, the contact surface pressure between the sun roller and the planetary roller changes, resulting in a decrease in power transmission efficiency. Or power transmission may become impossible. When the transmission equipped with the traction drive is applied to a device used in various temperature environments such as an imaging device (for example, a camera), the traction drive is appropriate due to the change in the temperature environment. It is not desirable to be unable to work.

The presenter of the present case has created the technology related to the present disclosure in view of the above circumstances. A control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure controls drive of a motor that generates power provided to a transmission based on temperature information of a transmission that includes a traction drive (power transmission mechanism that uses traction force). To do. Particularly in a low-temperature environment, the control device according to the present embodiment controls the drive of the motor and causes the motor to generate heat when it determines that the temperature of the transmission is equal to or lower than a predetermined value based on the temperature information. warm. As a result, the control device according to the present embodiment can maintain the transmission at a more appropriate temperature by using the heat generated by driving the motor.

Here, the “motor” used in the present embodiment may be of any type as long as it can control the heat generated during its driving, and its type does not matter. In this document, a case where an ultrasonic motor is used as the "motor" will be described as an example.

Ultrasonic motors are piezoelectric actuators that use a piezoelectric element to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. The principle is to generate ultrasonic vibrations in a vibrating body (hereinafter referred to as “stator”) by a piezoelectric element, and drive a moving body (hereinafter referred to as “rotor”) via frictional force. .. More specifically, a piezoelectric element is bonded to the stator, and the piezoelectric element is provided with independent two-phase (hereinafter referred to as “A phase” and “B phase”) electrodes. When a drive signal near the resonance frequency (natural frequency) of the stator is applied to the A-phase and B-phase electrodes, the stator vibrates violently.

At that time, when the phases of the drive signals applied to the A-phase and B-phase electrodes are shifted, the vibration of the stator forms a traveling wave, and this traveling wave rotates the rotor in the traveling wave direction (in other words, The sonic motor rotates). FIG. 1 is a graph showing the relationship between the phase difference between the drive signals applied to the A-phase and B-phase electrodes and the speed at which the ultrasonic motor rotates (denoted as “rotation speed” in the figure). As shown in FIG. 1, when the phase difference between the drive signals applied to the A-phase and B-phase electrodes is +90 [deg] (or -90 [deg]), the rotation speed of the ultrasonic motor is clockwise. Maximum (or maximum counterclockwise). When the phase difference between the drive signals applied to the A-phase and B-phase electrodes is 0 [deg] (or +180 [deg], -180 [deg]), the stator vibration is a standing wave (waveform progresses. The rotor does not rotate to form a wave that seems to oscillate without stopping.

▽ Here, the ultrasonic motor has the property of generating heat when the stator vibrates at high speed due to the action of the piezoelectric element. FIG. 2 is a graph showing the relationship between the vibration amount and the heat generation amount of the ultrasonic motor for each drive frequency. The heat generated by the ultrasonic motor is affected more by the vibration of the piezoelectric element than by the friction between the stator and the rotor or the driving current. As shown in FIG. 2, the vibration amount and the heat generation amount of the ultrasonic motor have a positive correlation. Have. The amount of heat generated by the ultrasonic motor does not depend on whether a traveling wave or a standing wave is formed by vibration.

Based on the above, the control device according to the present embodiment is applied to the ultrasonic motor in the case where the transmission is warmed by controlling the drive of the ultrasonic motor to heat the ultrasonic motor and in the case where it is not. Change (control) the voltage pattern. More specifically, the control device according to the present embodiment changes (controls) at least one of the phase difference, the drive frequency, and the drive voltage of the drive signal applied to the ultrasonic motor as a voltage pattern. ).

A control mode of the ultrasonic motor according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a graph showing a control mode of a conventional ultrasonic motor. More specifically, FIG. 3A shows a change in temperature of the conventional ultrasonic motor, FIG. 3B shows a change in phase difference of a drive signal applied to the ultrasonic motor, and FIG. A change in frequency (note that the broken line indicates the resonance frequency), a change in the drive voltage in D of FIG. 3 (the drive voltage that is normally applied is referred to as a “basic voltage”), E shows the change in the rotation speed of the ultrasonic motor (the normal rotation speed is referred to as the "reference speed"). As shown in FIG. 3B, the phase difference of the drive signals is not changed from +90 [deg] (or -90 [deg]) when the ultrasonic motor is driven.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing a control mode of the ultrasonic motor according to the present embodiment and a change in temperature of a transmission (provided with a traction drive) provided with power from the ultrasonic motor. More specifically, FIG. 4A shows a change in temperature of the transmission according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 4B shows a change in phase difference between drive signals applied to the ultrasonic motor according to the present embodiment. 4C shows a change in drive frequency, FIG. 4D shows a change in drive voltage, and E in FIG. 4 shows a change in rotation speed of the ultrasonic motor. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, when the temperature of the transmission is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, the control device according to the present embodiment sets the phase difference of the drive signal to 0 [deg], and thus the ultrasonic motor is controlled. Generate a standing wave. Thereby, as shown in E of FIG. 4, the control device can heat the ultrasonic motor by the standing wave (vibration) while setting the rotation speed of the ultrasonic motor to 0 [r/min].

A transmission equipped with a traction drive can heat the heat generated by an ultrasonic motor. Then, as shown in A and B of FIG. 4, when the temperature of the transmission including the traction drive becomes higher than a predetermined value, the control device according to the present embodiment causes the phase difference of the drive signals to be approximately +90 [deg] ( Alternatively, the traveling wave is generated in the ultrasonic motor by setting it to about −90 [deg]), and the ultrasonic motor is rotated. As a result, the control device according to the present embodiment can properly operate the transmission including the traction drive even in a low temperature environment in which the performance during operation deteriorates.

Here, an operation state in which the control device according to the present embodiment controls the drive of the ultrasonic motor to heat the ultrasonic motor to heat the transmission is referred to as a “heat generation mode”. That is, when the control device according to the present embodiment determines that the temperature of the transmission is equal to or lower than the predetermined value, the control device changes the mode to the heat generation mode and warms the transmission. On the other hand, an operating state in which the ultrasonic motor is rotating (normal operating state) is called a "rotational drive mode". That is, when the control device according to the present embodiment determines that the temperature of the transmission has become higher than a predetermined value, the control device changes the mode from the heat generation mode to the rotary drive mode and rotates the ultrasonic motor as usual.

The “predetermined value” used for the mode switching control is assumed to be, for example, about −20 [° C.], but is not necessarily limited to this value. The predetermined value is set to an appropriate value based on the characteristics of the oil or grease used in the traction drive, or the type and application of the control device according to the present embodiment.

The “control device according to the present embodiment” can be realized by the control unit 150 of the lens barrel 100, the control unit 250 of the camera body 200, or the like, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 5 and the like. More specifically, the “control device according to the present embodiment” can be realized by an IC chip that functions as the control unit 150 of the lens barrel 100 or the control unit 250 of the camera body 200 (of course, the IC chip is Not limited). The “control device according to the present embodiment” may be realized by combining the control unit 150 of the lens barrel 100 or the control unit 250 of the camera body 200 with another configuration. The details of this embodiment will be described below.

<2. Configuration example>
A configuration example of the device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the lens barrel 100 and the camera body 200 according to the present embodiment. The lens barrel 100 and the camera body 200 form an imaging device 300.

(2.1. Configuration example of lens barrel 100)
As shown in FIG. 5, the lens barrel 100 includes an ultrasonic motor 110, a transmission device 120, an encoder 130, a temperature sensor 140, a control unit 150, a storage unit 160, a lens driving unit 170, and a lens. The group 180 and the communication unit 190 are provided.

The ultrasonic motor 110 is driven by being controlled by the control unit 150, and generates the power provided to the transmission 120. The operation principle and the like of the ultrasonic motor 110 are as described above.

The transmission 120 is configured to transmit the power provided from the ultrasonic motor 110 to the lens driving unit 170 using a traction drive. The principle of power transmission by the traction drive is as described above. A hardware configuration example of the ultrasonic motor 110 and the transmission 120 will be described later in detail.

The encoder 130 is configured to output information such as the rotation amount and rotation direction of the input shaft of the transmission 120 or the rotation amount and rotation direction of the output shaft of the transmission 120. The encoder 130 provides the output information to the control unit 150. The type and installation mode of the encoder 130 are not particularly limited.

The temperature sensor 140 is configured to output temperature information of the transmission 120 including the traction drive. Here, the “temperature information of the transmission 120 including the traction drive” may refer to the temperature information of a part of the traction drive or the temperature information of a part of the transmission 120. It is desirable that the temperature sensor 140 be arranged in a manner capable of outputting temperature information of oil or grease used for the traction drive. For example, it is desirable that the temperature sensor 140 is arranged so as to come into contact with oil or the like of the traction drive or at a position close to the oil or the like. As described above, due to changes in temperature, the properties of the oil used in the traction drive change, and the components of the traction drive (sun roller, planetary roller, etc.) contract and expand, making the traction drive appropriate. It may not work properly. Since the temperature sensor 140 outputs the temperature information of oil or the like, the control unit 150 described later controls the drive of the ultrasonic motor 110 based on the temperature information and adjusts the temperature of the transmission 120, The traction drive can operate properly.

Note that the “temperature information” output by the temperature sensor 140 refers to some information regarding the temperature. For example, the temperature information may be numerical information indicating the temperature (for example, 0 [° C.], −20 [° C.], etc.), or indicates that the temperature is equal to or lower than the temperature at which the heat generation mode and the rotation drive mode are switched. It may be information (or information indicating that the temperature is higher than the temperature). Of course, the content of the temperature information is not limited to these.

The control unit 150 is configured to integrally control the processing regarding each component of the lens barrel 100. For example, the control unit 150 controls the drive of the ultrasonic motor 110 based on the temperature information of the transmission 120 including the traction drive, which is provided from the temperature sensor 140. Particularly in a low temperature environment, the control unit 150 controls the drive of the ultrasonic motor 110 to cause the ultrasonic motor 110 to generate heat when it is determined that the temperature of the transmission 120 is equal to or lower than a predetermined value based on the temperature information. Warm transmission 120.

The control unit 150 changes the voltage pattern applied to the ultrasonic motor 110 depending on whether the transmission 120 is warmed by controlling the driving of the ultrasonic motor 110 to heat the ultrasonic motor 110 or not. More specifically, the control unit 150 changes at least one of the phase difference of the drive signal applied to the ultrasonic motor 110, the drive frequency, and the drive voltage as the voltage pattern. For example, when the temperature of the transmission 120 is equal to or lower than a predetermined value and the mode is changed to the heat generation mode to heat the transmission 120, the control unit 150 causes the phase difference of the drive signals to be approximately 0 [deg] or approximately 180 [deg]. ] (Synonymous with −180 [deg]). As a result, the control unit 150 can heat the ultrasonic motor 110 by the standing wave (vibration) and warm the transmission 120 while setting the rotation speed of the ultrasonic motor 110 to 0 [r/min]. The controller 150 may also change the drive frequency or drive voltage as appropriate. For example, when the temperature of the transmission 120 is lower, or when it is necessary to raise the temperature rapidly, the control unit 150 makes the drive frequency closer to the resonance frequency (natural frequency) or raises the drive voltage. Alternatively, the amount of heat generated by the ultrasonic motor 110 may be increased.

When the temperature of the transmission 120 becomes higher than a predetermined value, the control unit 150 causes the mode to transit from the heat generation mode to the rotation drive mode and causes the ultrasonic motor 110 to rotate normally. The control by the control unit 150 may be realized by the control unit 250 of the camera body 200.

The storage unit 160 is configured to store various types of information. For example, the storage unit 160 stores information (for example, programs and parameters) used in various processes of the control unit 150 and the like, information output by various processes, and the like. The storage unit 160 may also store various information transmitted from the communication unit 270 of the camera body 200. The information stored in the storage unit 160 is not limited to these.

The lens driving unit 170 is configured to drive at least one lens (for example, a focusing lens) included in the lens group 180 using the power transmitted via the traction drive. The configuration and driving principle of the lens driving unit 170 are not particularly limited.

The lens group 180 includes a plurality of lenses such as a front lens, a focusing lens, and a blur correction lens, and at least one lens (for example, a focusing lens) is driven by using power transmitted through a traction drive. It is a configuration. The front lens is the lens closest to the subject side among the plurality of lenses, the focusing lens is a lens for controlling the focus position of the subject image, and the blur correction lens is for correcting the image blur of the subject image. It is a lens. The type, number, and shape of the lenses included in the lens group 180 are not particularly limited.

The communication unit 190 is configured to communicate with the communication unit 270 of the camera body 200. For example, the communication unit 190 transmits various kinds of information to the communication unit 270 of the camera body 200 or receives various kinds of information from the communication unit 270 of the camera body 200 under the control of the control unit 150. The content of information communicated by the communication unit 190 is not particularly limited. Further, the communication unit 190 may communicate with a unit other than the communication unit 270 of the camera body 200.

(2.2. Configuration example of camera body 200)
As shown in FIG. 5, the camera body 200 includes a shutter 210, a filter 220, an image sensor 230, a signal processing unit 240, a control unit 250, a storage unit 260, and a communication unit 270.

The shutter 210 is configured to control the exposure state of the image sensor 230. As shown in FIG. 5, the shutter 210 is arranged in the rear stage of the lens group 180 and in the front stage of the filter 220, and controls the exposure state of the image sensor 230 by opening and closing the optical path under the control of the control unit 250.

The filter 220 has a configuration for transmitting only light of a desired wavelength. The filter 220 may be, for example, an optical low pass filter or an infrared cut filter, but is not necessarily limited thereto. As shown in FIG. 5, the filter 220 is arranged in the rear stage of the shutter 210 and in the front stage of the image sensor 230.

The image sensor 230 is configured to include a plurality of pixels on the image forming surface, and each pixel converts the subject image formed by the lens group 180 into an electrical signal (pixel signal). The pixel signal is read from each pixel under the control of the control unit 250 and provided to the signal processing unit 240. The image sensor 230 may be, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor array, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor array, or the like, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

The signal processing unit 240 is configured to perform various types of processing on the pixel signal provided from the image sensor 230. For example, the signal processing unit 240 may perform noise removal, gain adjustment, waveform shaping, A/D conversion, white balance adjustment, brightness adjustment, contrast value adjustment, sharpness (edge enhancement) adjustment, color correction, or for pixel signals. Perform blur correction. The various processes implemented by the signal processing unit 240 are not limited to these.

The control unit 250 is configured to centrally control the processing related to each configuration of the camera body 200. For example, the control unit 250 controls various processes such as the shutter 210 and the signal processing unit 240 based on an input to an input unit (not shown) that receives a user input, and the signal processing unit 240 performs various processes. The pixel signal is displayed on the display unit (not shown). Further, as described above, the control unit 250 may instead realize the control by the control unit 150 of the lens barrel 100. For example, the control unit 250 may control the driving of the ultrasonic motor 110 based on the temperature information of the transmission 120 including the traction drive. In this case, information used for processing by the control unit 250, such as temperature information acquired by the temperature sensor 140, is assumed to be communicated by the communication unit 190 of the lens barrel 100 and the communication unit 270 of the camera body 200.

The storage unit 260 is configured to store various types of information. For example, the storage unit 260 stores information (for example, programs and parameters) used for various processes of the control unit 250 and the like, information output by various processes, and the like. The storage unit 260 may also store various information transmitted from the communication unit 190 of the lens barrel 100. The information stored in the storage unit 260 is not limited to these.

The communication unit 270 is configured to communicate with the communication unit 190 of the lens barrel 100. For example, the communication unit 270 transmits various information to the communication unit 190 of the lens barrel 100 or receives various information from the communication unit 190 of the lens barrel 100 under the control of the control unit 250. The content of information communicated by the communication unit 270 is not particularly limited. Further, the communication unit 270 may communicate with a unit other than the communication unit 190 of the lens barrel 100.

The configuration example of the device according to the present embodiment has been described above with reference to FIG. The configuration described above with reference to FIG. 5 is merely an example, and the configurations of the lens barrel 100 and the camera body 200 are not limited to the example. For example, the lens barrel 100 and the camera body 200 do not necessarily have to include all of the configurations shown in FIG. 5, or may have configurations other than the configurations shown in FIG. The configurations of the lens barrel 100 and the camera body 200 can be flexibly deformed according to specifications and operation.

<3. Process flow example>
In the above, the configuration example of each device according to the present embodiment has been described. Subsequently, an example of a processing flow of the control unit 150 of the lens barrel 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing flow example when the control unit 150 according to the present embodiment sets or changes the mode.

In step S1000, control unit 150 acquires the temperature information of transmission 120 output by temperature sensor 140. In step S1004, control unit 150 determines whether the temperature of transmission 120 is equal to or lower than a predetermined value based on the temperature information. When it is determined that the temperature of the transmission 120 is higher than the predetermined value (step S1004/No), the control unit 150 sets the mode to the rotation drive mode in step S1008. This allows the user to operate the imaging device 300 to perform focusing and imaging.

When it is determined in step S1004 that the temperature of the transmission 120 is equal to or lower than the predetermined value (step S1004/Yes), the control unit 150 sets the mode to the heat generation mode in step S1012. Then, in step S1016, control unit 150 sets the phase difference of the drive signals to approximately 0 [deg] (or approximately 180 [deg]), and drives ultrasonic motor 110. As a result, the control unit 150 can heat the ultrasonic motor 110 by the standing wave (vibration) and warm the transmission 120 while setting the rotation speed of the ultrasonic motor 110 to 0 [r/min]. Then, the process returns to step S1000, and the control unit 150 heats the ultrasonic motor 110 to heat the transmission 120 until the temperature of the transmission 120 is at least higher than a predetermined value (a temperature higher than the predetermined value is kept constant. May be warmed to temperature).

The timing and frequency at which the series of processes shown in FIG. 6 are performed are not particularly limited. For example, the series of processes shown in FIG. 6 may be performed at the timing when the image capturing apparatus 300 is activated, and then at predetermined time intervals, or immediately before image capturing.

<4. Modification>
The example of the processing flow of the control unit 150 according to the present embodiment has been described above. Subsequently, a modified example according to the present embodiment will be described.

(4.1. First modified example)
First, a first modified example according to this embodiment will be described.

The ultrasonic motor 110 may slightly rotate in the heat generation mode described above. For example, the ultrasonic motor 110 may slightly rotate due to the influence of a standing wave (vibration) or an error in the phase difference of the drive signal applied to the ultrasonic motor 110.

Therefore, in the first modification, when the rotation of the ultrasonic motor 110 is detected in the heat generation mode based on the information such as the rotation amount output from the encoder 130, the control unit 150 causes at least the voltage pattern to be detected. The rotation of the ultrasonic motor 110 is stopped by controlling the phase difference between the drive signals.

A specific example will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. When the rotation of the ultrasonic motor 110 is detected in the heat generation mode, for example, as illustrated in B of FIG. 7, the control unit 150 sets the phase difference of the drive signal to around 0 [deg] (or around 180 [deg]). By adjusting, the rotation speed of the ultrasonic motor 110 may be maintained at 0 [r/min] as shown in E of FIG. 7. Alternatively, when the rotation of the ultrasonic motor 110 is detected in the heat generation mode, the control unit 150 adjusts the phase difference and the drive frequency of the drive signal as illustrated in B and C of FIG. The rotation speed of the ultrasonic motor 110 may be maintained at 0 [r/min] as indicated by E.

Although not shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the control unit 150 may maintain the rotation speed of the ultrasonic motor 110 at 0 [r/min] by also adjusting the drive voltage. Further, the control unit 150 may correct the rotation of the ultrasonic motor 110 by switching the mode from the heat generation mode to the rotary drive mode for a short time.

In the first modified example, the configuration other than the control unit 150 may be the same as that described in the above embodiment, and thus a separate description is omitted. In addition, an example of the processing flow of the control unit 150 according to the first modification will be described. The control unit 150 drives the ultrasonic motor 110 in step S1016 of FIG. Information such as is acquired from the encoder 130, and it is confirmed whether or not the ultrasonic motor 110 is rotating. Then, when the rotation of the ultrasonic motor 110 is detected, the control unit 150 adjusts the phase difference of the drive signal, the drive frequency, and the like in order to stop the rotation of the ultrasonic motor 110.

According to the first modification, the control unit 150 can appropriately prevent a malfunction due to the rotation of the ultrasonic motor 110 in the heat generation mode.

(4.2. Second Modification)
Then, the 2nd modification concerning this embodiment is explained.

In the heat generation mode described above, the control unit 150 heats the transmission 120 by causing the ultrasonic motor 110 to generate heat without rotating. On the other hand, in the second modified example according to the present embodiment, the control unit 150 controls the voltage pattern applied to the ultrasonic motor 110, thereby causing the ultrasonic motor 110 to generate heat while rotating, and the transmission 120. Warm up.

More specifically, in the rotary drive mode, the phase difference of the drive signals is normally set to +90 [deg] (or -90 [deg]). However, the control unit 150 according to the second modification is The phase difference of the drive signal is a value between 0 [deg] and 90 [deg], a value between 0 [deg] and -90 [deg], a value between 90 [deg] and 180 [deg], or Set to set to a value between -90 [deg] and -180 [deg]. Accordingly, the control unit 150 according to the second modification can rotate the ultrasonic motor 110 by generating a traveling wave by vibrating the ultrasonic motor 110 while sufficiently heating the ultrasonic motor 110 to generate heat. When the phase difference of the drive signal is deviated from +90 [deg] (or -90 [deg]), the rotation speed of the ultrasonic motor 110 is reduced. , Or at least one of the drive voltages is controlled to compensate for the decrease in the rotation speed of the ultrasonic motor 110 due to the control of the phase difference of the drive signals.

Here, an operating state in which the control unit 150 heats the transmission 120 while rotating the ultrasonic motor 110 to heat the transmission 120 is referred to as a "heat generation rotation drive mode". Further, hereinafter, when it is determined that the temperature of the transmission 120 is equal to or lower than the predetermined value, the control unit 150 sets the mode to the heat generation rotational drive mode (not the heat generation mode) as an example. The condition for setting the rotation drive mode is not necessarily limited to this. For example, when it is determined that the temperature of the transmission 120 is equal to or lower than the predetermined value, the control unit 150 normally drives the ultrasonic motor 110 in the heat generation mode as in the above-described embodiment, and the ultrasonic motor 110 rotates. The ultrasonic motor 110 may be driven by transitioning the mode to the heat generation rotation drive mode only when is required.

Next, a specific example will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. For example, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, when the temperature of the transmission 120 including the traction drive is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, the control unit 150 sets the mode to the heat generation rotary drive mode and sets the phase difference of the drive signals. Is a value between 0 [deg] and 90 [deg] (or a value between 0 [deg] and -90 [deg], a value between 90 [deg] and 180 [deg], -90 [deg]) To -180 [deg])). Then, as shown in D of FIG. 9, the control unit 150 compensates for the decrease in the rotation speed of the ultrasonic motor 110 by setting the drive voltage higher than the reference voltage in the heating rotation drive mode. Thereby, as shown in E of FIG. 9, the control unit 150 can warm the transmission 120 while maintaining the rotation speed of the ultrasonic motor 110 at the reference speed.

Further, as shown in A and B of FIG. 10, when the temperature of the transmission 120 including the traction drive is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, the control unit 150 sets the mode to the heat generation rotary drive mode and sets the phase difference of the drive signals. Is a value between 0 [deg] and 90 [deg] (or a value between 0 [deg] and -90 [deg], a value between 90 [deg] and 180 [deg], -90 [deg]) To -180 [deg])). Then, as shown in C of FIG. 10, the control unit 150 compensates for the decrease in the rotation speed of the ultrasonic motor 110 by bringing the drive frequency close to the resonance frequency (natural frequency) in the heat generation rotation drive mode. Thereby, as shown in E of FIG. 10, the control unit 150 can warm the transmission 120 while maintaining the rotation speed of the ultrasonic motor 110 at the reference speed.

Here, a reference table is provided in which the temperature information of the transmission 120 and the voltage pattern applied to the ultrasonic motor 110 are associated with each other, and the control unit 150 causes the control unit 150 to obtain the temperature information of the transmission 120 acquired from the temperature sensor 140. , And the drive of the ultrasonic motor 110 may be controlled based on the reference table.

A concrete example will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a specific example of the reference table in the case where the decrease in the rotation speed of the ultrasonic motor 110 due to the control of the phase difference of the drive signal is compensated by the drive voltage. On the other hand, FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a specific example of the reference table in the case where the decrease in the rotation speed of the ultrasonic motor 110 due to the control of the phase difference of the drive signal is compensated by the drive frequency. In the examples of FIGS. 11 and 12, combinations of the phase difference of the drive signal, the drive voltage, and the drive frequency to be set are shown for each of the plurality of thresholds related to the temperature of the transmission 120. Further, in the examples of FIGS. 11 and 12, the reference voltage is shown as “VM” and the resonance frequency (natural frequency) is shown as “F(Tc)”.

In the example of FIG. 11, the temperature of the transmission 120 is “higher than 0 [° C.]”, “−10 [° C.] to 0 [° C.]”, “−20 [° C.] to −10 [° C.]”, “− 30[° C.]−−20[° C.]”, “lower than −30[° C.]”, the control unit 150 causes the phase difference of the drive signals to be 90[deg], 60[deg], 55[]. The heat generation amount of the ultrasonic motor 110 is increased by changing the temperature to deg], 50 [deg], and 45 [deg]. Then, the control unit 150 maintains the drive frequency at F(Tc)×1.05 and sets the drive voltage at VM, VM×1.3, VM×1.5, VM×1.7, VM×2. By increasing the temperature according to the temperature of the transmission 120, the decrease in the rotation speed of the ultrasonic motor 110 is compensated.

In the example of FIG. 12, the temperature of the transmission 120 is “higher than 0 [° C.]”, “−10 [° C.] to 0 [° C.]”, “−20 [° C.] to −10 [° C.]”, “−” 30[° C.]−−20[° C.]”, “lower than −30[° C.]”, the control unit 150 causes the phase difference of the drive signals to be 90[deg], 60[deg], 55[]. The heat generation amount of the ultrasonic motor 110 is increased by changing the temperature to deg], 50 [deg], and 45 [deg]. Then, the control unit 150 keeps the drive voltage at VM and sets the drive frequency to F(Tc)×1.05, F(Tc)×1.03, F(Tc)×1.025, F(Tc). The decrease in the rotation speed of the ultrasonic motor 110 is compensated by approaching the resonance frequency (natural frequency) according to the temperature of the transmission 120 such as ×1.020 and F(Tc)×1.015.

In this way, by setting the setting values suitable for each temperature in the reference table, the control unit 150 does not need to calculate the setting values suitable for each temperature, and thus the processing load on the control unit 150 is reduced. It Further, the manufacturer, user, or the like of the image pickup apparatus 300 can easily change the setting by changing the reference table.

It should be noted that, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, that the setting values suitable for each temperature are shown in the reference table is equivalent to that the algorithm reflecting the setting values suitable for each temperature is shown in the reference table. Please note. Further, other setting values not shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 may be added to the reference table, or any of the setting values shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 may be omitted. Good. Further, the reference table may be provided not only for the heat generation rotation drive mode but also for the heat generation mode and the rotation drive mode.

<5. Hardware configuration example>
In the above, the modified example according to the present embodiment has been described. Subsequently, a hardware configuration example of the ultrasonic motor 110 and the transmission 120 according to the present embodiment will be described.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the ultrasonic motor 110 and the transmission 120 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13, a connection unit 10 that connects the ultrasonic motor 110 and the transmission 120 to each other is provided. The ultrasonic motor 110 and the transmission 120 are wholly or partially integrated with each other by being covered with the housing case 11. In the example of FIG. 13, all or part of the ultrasonic motor 110, the transmission 120, and the connecting portion 10 are covered with the housing case 11 to be integrated. With this, the heat generated by the ultrasonic motor 110 is more efficiently transferred to the transmission 120 without escaping to the outside.

As shown in FIG. 13, the ultrasonic motor 110 includes a piezoelectric element 111, a stator 112, a rotor 113, a rotating shaft 114, and a case 115. When a drive signal is applied to the two-phase electrodes provided on the piezoelectric element 111, the stator 112 vibrates and the rotor 113 pressed by the stator 112 rotates due to frictional force (in FIG. 13, the stator 112 and the rotor 112 are rotated). The contact part of 113 is described as "sliding part of ultrasonic motor". The rotating shaft 114 is connected to the rotor 113 and the sun roller 121 of the transmission 120, and transmits power to the sun roller 121 by rotating together with the rotor 113.

As shown in FIG. 13, the transmission 120 includes a sun roller 121, a plurality of planet rollers 122 (four planet rollers 122 in the example of FIG. 13 ), a planet roller rotation shaft 123, an output shaft 124, and The stationary ring 125 (or the outer ring) and the case 126 are provided. The sun roller 121 is rotated by the power transmitted from the rotary shaft 114 of the ultrasonic motor 110. The plurality of planet rollers 122 rotate on the inner peripheral surface of the fixed ring 125 by the traction force by being pressed against the sun roller 121. The planetary roller rotation shaft 123 functions as a shaft when the planetary roller 122 rotates and rotates together with the planetary roller 122 to transmit power to the output shaft 124. After that, the output shaft 124 transmits the power to the lens driving unit 170. Accordingly, the lens driving unit 170 can drive the lens using the transmitted power.

The hardware configuration example of the ultrasonic motor 110 and the transmission 120 according to the present embodiment has been described above with reference to FIG. The hardware configuration described above with reference to FIG. 13 is merely an example, and the hardware configurations of the ultrasonic motor 110 and the transmission 120 are not limited to the example. For example, the ultrasonic motor 110 and the transmission 120 do not necessarily have to have all of the hardware configurations shown in FIG. 13, or may have hardware configurations other than the configurations shown in FIG. The hardware configurations of the ultrasonic motor 110 and the transmission 120 can be flexibly modified according to specifications and operation.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a specific example of a path when heat generated by the ultrasonic motor 110 is transmitted to the transmission 120. As shown in FIG. 14, the heat generated by the piezoelectric element 111 is transmitted in the order of the piezoelectric element 111, the case 115, the connecting portion 10, the case 126, and the fixed ring 125 (in the example of FIG. 1), and heats the transmission 120 (particularly oil and grease). In addition, as shown in FIG. 14, the heat generated by the piezoelectric element 111 is transmitted in the order of the piezoelectric element 111, the stator 112, the rotor 113, the rotating shaft 114, and the sun roller 121 (in the example of FIG. The “second heat transfer path”) and the transmission 120 (particularly oil and grease) are warmed.

At this time, the members arranged on the first heat transfer path and the second heat transfer path may have higher thermal conductivity than the members arranged on the outer periphery of these paths. More specifically, the members arranged on the first heat transfer path and the second heat transfer path include ceramics having high thermal conductivity, such as silicon carbide, aluminum nitride, sapphire, alumina, silicon nitride, Alternatively, a member formed of cermet or the like may be used (note that the member is not limited to a member formed of ceramics, and a member formed of various metals, a heat transfer sheet or the like (for example, a graphite sheet or the like) may be used. Good). This makes it possible to transfer the heat generated by the ultrasonic motor 110 to the transmission 120 in a shorter time. The members arranged on the outer periphery of the first heat transfer path and the second heat transfer path are ceramics having lower thermal conductivity than the above-mentioned ceramics, such as steatite, zirconia, cordierite, forsterite, and mullite. Alternatively, a material formed of yttria or the like may be used (not limited to a member formed of ceramics, a member formed of various resins or a heat insulating sheet may be used, or a gas such as air may be used therein. A double structure including may be formed). As a result, the heat generated by the ultrasonic motor 110 and transferred to the transmission 120 is less likely to be transferred to the outside (outside the ultrasonic motor 110 and the transmission 120), so that the external components malfunction due to the heat. It is prevented from causing.

<6. Application example>
(6.1. First application example)
The technology according to the present disclosure can be applied to various products. For example, the technology according to the present disclosure may be applied to an endoscopic surgery system.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an endoscopic surgery system 5000 to which the technology according to the present disclosure can be applied. FIG. 15 illustrates a situation in which an operator (doctor) 5067 is performing an operation on a patient 5071 on a patient bed 5069 by using the endoscopic operation system 5000. As shown in the figure, the endoscopic surgery system 5000 includes an endoscope 5001, other surgical tools 5017, a support arm device 5027 for supporting the endoscope 5001, and various devices for endoscopic surgery. And a cart 5037 on which is mounted.

In endoscopic surgery, instead of cutting the abdominal wall to open the abdomen, multiple tubular perforation devices called trocars 5025a to 5025d are punctured in the abdominal wall. Then, the barrel 5003 of the endoscope 5001 and other surgical tools 5017 are inserted into the body cavity of the patient 5071 from the trocars 5025a to 5025d. In the illustrated example, a pneumoperitoneum tube 5019, an energy treatment tool 5021, and forceps 5023 are inserted into the body cavity of the patient 5071 as other surgical tools 5017. The energy treatment tool 5021 is a treatment tool that performs incision and peeling of tissue, sealing of blood vessels, and the like by high-frequency current or ultrasonic vibration. However, the surgical instrument 5017 shown in the figure is merely an example, and various surgical instruments generally used in endoscopic surgery, such as a concentrator and a retractor, may be used as the surgical instrument 5017.

An image of the surgical site in the body cavity of the patient 5071 taken by the endoscope 5001 is displayed on the display device 5041. The surgeon 5067 uses the energy treatment tool 5021 and the forceps 5023 while performing real-time viewing of the image of the surgical site displayed on the display device 5041, and performs a procedure such as excising the affected site. Although not shown, the pneumoperitoneum tube 5019, the energy treatment tool 5021, and the forceps 5023 are supported by an operator 5067, an assistant, or the like during surgery.

(Support arm device)
The support arm device 5027 includes an arm portion 5031 that extends from the base portion 5029. In the illustrated example, the arm portion 5031 includes

joint portions

5033a, 5033b, 5033c and

links

5035a, 5035b, and is driven by the control from the arm control device 5045. The endoscope 5001 is supported by the arm portion 5031, and its position and posture are controlled. As a result, stable fixation of the position of the endoscope 5001 can be realized.

(Endoscope)
The endoscope 5001 includes a lens barrel 5003 into which a region having a predetermined length from the distal end is inserted into the body cavity of the patient 5071, and a camera head 5005 connected to the base end of the lens barrel 5003. In the illustrated example, the endoscope 5001 configured as a so-called rigid endoscope having the rigid barrel 5003 is illustrated, but the endoscope 5001 is configured as a so-called flexible mirror having the flexible barrel 5003. Good.

An opening in which the objective lens is fitted is provided at the tip of the lens barrel 5003. A light source device 5043 is connected to the endoscope 5001, and the light generated by the light source device 5043 is guided to the tip of the lens barrel by a light guide extending inside the lens barrel 5003, and the objective The observation target in the body cavity of the patient 5071 is irradiated through the lens. Note that the endoscope 5001 may be a direct-viewing endoscope, a perspective mirror, or a side-viewing endoscope.

An optical system and an image pickup device are provided inside the camera head 5005, and the reflected light (observation light) from the observation target is focused on the image pickup device by the optical system. The observation light is photoelectrically converted by the imaging element, and an electric signal corresponding to the observation light, that is, an image signal corresponding to the observation image is generated. The image signal is transmitted as RAW data to a camera control unit (CCU: Camera Control Unit) 5039. The camera head 5005 has a function of adjusting the magnification and the focal length by appropriately driving the optical system.

It should be noted that the camera head 5005 may be provided with a plurality of image pickup elements in order to cope with, for example, stereoscopic vision (3D display). In this case, a plurality of relay optical systems are provided inside the barrel 5003 in order to guide the observation light to each of the plurality of image pickup devices.

(Various devices mounted on the cart)
The CCU 5039 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and the like, and controls the operations of the endoscope 5001 and the display device 5041 in a centralized manner. Specifically, the CCU 5039 performs various image processing such as development processing (demosaic processing) on the image signal received from the camera head 5005 for displaying an image based on the image signal. The CCU 5039 provides the image signal subjected to the image processing to the display device 5041. The CCU 5039 also transmits a control signal to the camera head 5005 to control the driving thereof. The control signal may include information regarding imaging conditions such as magnification and focal length.

The display device 5041 displays an image based on an image signal subjected to image processing by the CCU 5039 under the control of the CCU 5039. When the endoscope 5001 is compatible with high-resolution imaging such as 4K (horizontal pixel number 3840×vertical pixel number 2160) or 8K (horizontal pixel number 7680×vertical pixel number 4320), and/or 3D display In the case where the display device 5041 corresponds to the display device 5041, a device capable of high-resolution display and/or a device capable of 3D display can be used as the display device 5041. If the display device 5041 is compatible with high-resolution shooting such as 4K or 8K, a more immersive feeling can be obtained by using a display device 5041 having a size of 55 inches or more. Further, a plurality of display devices 5041 having different resolutions and sizes may be provided depending on the application.

The light source device 5043 is composed of a light source such as an LED (light emitting diode), and supplies irradiation light to the endoscope 5001 when the surgical site is imaged.

The arm control device 5045 is configured by a processor such as a CPU, for example, and operates according to a predetermined program to control driving of the arm portion 5031 of the support arm device 5027 according to a predetermined control method.

The input device 5047 is an input interface for the endoscopic surgery system 5000. The user can input various information and instructions to the endoscopic surgery system 5000 via the input device 5047. For example, the user inputs various kinds of information regarding the surgery, such as the physical information of the patient and the information regarding the surgical procedure, through the input device 5047. In addition, for example, the user uses the input device 5047 to instruct to drive the arm unit 5031 or to change the imaging conditions (type of irradiation light, magnification, focal length, etc.) of the endoscope 5001. , An instruction to drive the energy treatment tool 5021 is input.

The type of the input device 5047 is not limited, and the input device 5047 may be various known input devices. As the input device 5047, for example, a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, a switch, a foot switch 5057 and/or a lever can be applied. When a touch panel is used as the input device 5047, the touch panel may be provided on the display surface of the display device 5041.

Alternatively, the input device 5047 is a device worn by the user, such as a glasses-type wearable device or an HMD (Head Mounted Display), and various inputs are made according to the user's gesture or line of sight detected by these devices. Is done. Further, the input device 5047 includes a camera capable of detecting the movement of the user, and various inputs are performed according to the gesture or the line of sight of the user detected from the video imaged by the camera. Further, the input device 5047 includes a microphone capable of collecting the voice of the user, and various inputs are performed by voice through the microphone. As described above, since the input device 5047 is configured to be able to input various information in a contactless manner, a user (for example, a surgeon 5067) who belongs to a clean area can operate a device that belongs to a dirty area in a contactless manner. Is possible. In addition, since the user can operate the device without releasing his/her hand from the surgical tool, the convenience of the user is improved.

The treatment instrument control device 5049 controls driving of the energy treatment instrument 5021 for cauterization of tissue, incision, sealing of blood vessel, or the like. The pneumoperitoneum device 5051 uses a gastrointestinal tube 5019 to inject a gas into the body cavity of the patient 5071 in order to inflate the body cavity of the patient 5071 for the purpose of securing a visual field by the endoscope 5001 and a working space for the operator. Send in. The recorder 5053 is a device capable of recording various information regarding surgery. The printer 5055 is a device capable of printing various information regarding surgery in various formats such as text, images, and graphs.

Below, a particularly characteristic configuration of the endoscopic surgery system 5000 will be described in more detail.

(Support arm device)
The support arm device 5027 includes a base portion 5029, which is a base, and an arm portion 5031 extending from the base portion 5029. In the illustrated example, the arm section 5031 is composed of a plurality of

joint sections

5033a, 5033b, 5033c and a plurality of

links

5035a, 5035b connected by the joint section 5033b, but in FIG. The configuration of the arm portion 5031 is illustrated in a simplified manner. Actually, the shapes, the numbers, and the arrangements of the joints 5033a to 5033c and the

links

5035a and 5035b, the directions of the rotation axes of the joints 5033a to 5033c, and the like are appropriately set so that the arm 5031 has a desired degree of freedom. obtain. For example, the arm portion 5031 can be preferably configured to have 6 or more degrees of freedom. Accordingly, the endoscope 5001 can be freely moved within the movable range of the arm portion 5031, so that the lens barrel 5003 of the endoscope 5001 can be inserted into the body cavity of the patient 5071 from a desired direction. It will be possible.

An actuator is provided in each of the joint portions 5033a to 5033c, and the joint portions 5033a to 5033c are configured to be rotatable about a predetermined rotation axis by driving the actuator. The drive of the actuator is controlled by the arm control device 5045, whereby the rotation angles of the joints 5033a to 5033c are controlled and the drive of the arm 5031 is controlled. Thereby, control of the position and orientation of the endoscope 5001 can be realized. At this time, the arm control device 5045 can control the drive of the arm unit 5031 by various known control methods such as force control or position control.

For example, the surgeon 5067 appropriately performs an operation input via the input device 5047 (including the foot switch 5057), and the arm controller 5045 appropriately controls the drive of the arm portion 5031 according to the operation input. The position and orientation of the endoscope 5001 may be controlled. By this control, the endoscope 5001 at the tip of the arm portion 5031 can be moved from any position to any position, and then fixedly supported at the position after the movement. The arm portion 5031 may be operated by a so-called master slave method. In this case, the arm unit 5031 can be remotely operated by the user via the input device 5047 installed at a place apart from the operating room.

Further, when force control is applied, the arm control device 5045 receives the external force from the user and operates the actuators of the joint parts 5033a to 5033c so that the arm part 5031 smoothly moves according to the external force. You may perform what is called a power assist control which drives. Accordingly, when the user moves the arm unit 5031 while directly touching the arm unit 5031, the arm unit 5031 can be moved with a comparatively light force. Therefore, the endoscope 5001 can be moved more intuitively and with a simpler operation, and the convenience of the user can be improved.

In general, in endoscopic surgery, a doctor called a scoopist supported the endoscope 5001. On the other hand, by using the support arm device 5027, the position of the endoscope 5001 can be fixed more reliably without manual operation, and thus an image of the surgical site can be stably obtained. It becomes possible to perform surgery smoothly.

The arm control device 5045 does not necessarily have to be provided on the cart 5037. Further, the arm control device 5045 does not necessarily have to be one device. For example, the arm control device 5045 may be provided in each of the joint parts 5033a to 5033c of the arm part 5031 of the support arm device 5027, and the plurality of arm control devices 5045 cooperate with each other to drive the arm part 5031. Control may be realized.

(Light source device)
The light source device 5043 supplies the endoscope 5001 with irradiation light for imaging a surgical site. The light source device 5043 is composed of, for example, an LED, a laser light source, or a white light source configured by a combination thereof. At this time, when the white light source is configured by the combination of the RGB laser light sources, the output intensity and the output timing of each color (each wavelength) can be controlled with high accuracy, so that the white balance of the captured image in the light source device 5043. Can be adjusted. In this case, the laser light from each of the RGB laser light sources is time-divided onto the observation target, and the drive of the image pickup device of the camera head 5005 is controlled in synchronization with the irradiation timing, so that each of the RGB colors is supported. It is also possible to take the captured image in a time division manner. According to this method, a color image can be obtained without providing a color filter on the image sensor.

Further, the drive of the light source device 5043 may be controlled so as to change the intensity of the output light at predetermined time intervals. By controlling the driving of the image sensor of the camera head 5005 in synchronism with the timing of changing the intensity of the light to acquire images in a time-division manner and synthesizing the images, it is possible to obtain a high dynamic image without so-called underexposure and overexposure. An image of the range can be generated.

Further, the light source device 5043 may be configured to be able to supply light in a predetermined wavelength band corresponding to special light observation. In special light observation, for example, by utilizing the wavelength dependence of absorption of light in body tissues, by irradiating a narrow band of light as compared with the irradiation light (that is, white light) during normal observation, the mucosal surface layer The so-called narrow band imaging (Narrow Band Imaging) is performed in which high-contrast images of specific tissues such as blood vessels are captured. Alternatively, in the special light observation, fluorescence observation in which an image is obtained by fluorescence generated by irradiating the excitation light may be performed. In fluorescence observation, the body tissue is irradiated with excitation light to observe the fluorescence from the body tissue (autofluorescence observation), or a reagent such as indocyanine green (ICG) is locally injected into the body tissue and the body tissue is injected into the body tissue. For example, one that irradiates excitation light corresponding to the fluorescence wavelength of the reagent to obtain a fluorescence image can be used. The light source device 5043 can be configured to be capable of supplying narrowband light and/or excitation light compatible with such special light observation.

(Camera head and CCU)
The functions of the camera head 5005 and the CCU 5039 of the endoscope 5001 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the camera head 5005 and CCU 5039 shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 16, the camera head 5005 has, as its functions, a lens unit 5007, an image pickup section 5009, a drive section 5011, a communication section 5013, and a camera head control section 5015. Further, the CCU 5039 has, as its functions, a communication unit 5059, an image processing unit 5061, and a control unit 5063. The camera head 5005 and the CCU 5039 are bidirectionally connected by a transmission cable 5065.

First, the functional configuration of the camera head 5005 will be described. The lens unit 5007 is an optical system provided at a connecting portion with the lens barrel 5003. The observation light taken in from the tip of the lens barrel 5003 is guided to the camera head 5005 and enters the lens unit 5007. The lens unit 5007 is configured by combining a plurality of lenses including a zoom lens and a focus lens. The optical characteristics of the lens unit 5007 are adjusted so that the observation light is condensed on the light receiving surface of the image pickup element of the image pickup section 5009. Further, the zoom lens and the focus lens are configured so that their positions on the optical axis can be moved in order to adjust the magnification and focus of the captured image.

The image pickup section 5009 is composed of an image pickup element, and is arranged in the latter stage of the lens unit 5007. The observation light that has passed through the lens unit 5007 is condensed on the light receiving surface of the image sensor, and an image signal corresponding to the observation image is generated by photoelectric conversion. The image signal generated by the imaging unit 5009 is provided to the communication unit 5013.

As the image pickup device constituting the image pickup unit 5009, for example, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) type image sensor, which has a Bayer array and is capable of color image pickup is used. It should be noted that as the image pickup device, for example, a device capable of capturing a high-resolution image of 4K or higher may be used. By obtaining the image of the surgical site with high resolution, the surgeon 5067 can grasp the state of the surgical site in more detail, and can proceed with the surgery more smoothly.

Further, the image pickup device constituting the image pickup unit 5009 is configured to have a pair of image pickup devices for respectively obtaining the image signals for the right eye and the left eye corresponding to 3D display. The 3D display enables the operator 5067 to more accurately grasp the depth of the living tissue in the operation site. When the image pickup unit 5009 is configured by a multi-plate type, a plurality of lens unit 5007 systems are provided corresponding to each image pickup element.

The image pickup unit 5009 does not necessarily have to be provided on the camera head 5005. For example, the imaging unit 5009 may be provided inside the lens barrel 5003 immediately after the objective lens.

The drive unit 5011 is composed of an actuator, and moves the zoom lens and the focus lens of the lens unit 5007 by a predetermined distance along the optical axis under the control of the camera head control unit 5015. Accordingly, the magnification and focus of the image captured by the image capturing unit 5009 can be adjusted appropriately.

The communication unit 5013 is composed of a communication device for transmitting and receiving various information to and from the CCU 5039. The communication unit 5013 transmits the image signal obtained from the image capturing unit 5009 as RAW data to the CCU 5039 via the transmission cable 5065. At this time, it is preferable that the image signal is transmitted by optical communication in order to display the captured image of the surgical site with low latency. During the surgery, the surgeon 5067 performs the surgery while observing the state of the affected area by the captured image. Therefore, for safer and more reliable surgery, the moving image of the surgery area is displayed in real time as much as possible. Is required. When optical communication is performed, the communication unit 5013 is provided with a photoelectric conversion module that converts an electric signal into an optical signal. The image signal is converted into an optical signal by the photoelectric conversion module and then transmitted to the CCU 5039 via the transmission cable 5065.

The communication unit 5013 also receives a control signal for controlling the driving of the camera head 5005 from the CCU 5039. The control signal includes, for example, information specifying a frame rate of a captured image, information specifying an exposure value at the time of capturing, and/or information specifying a magnification and a focus of the captured image. Contains information about the condition. The communication unit 5013 provides the received control signal to the camera head control unit 5015. The control signal from the CCU 5039 may also be transmitted by optical communication. In this case, the communication unit 5013 is provided with a photoelectric conversion module that converts an optical signal into an electric signal, and the control signal is converted into an electric signal by the photoelectric conversion module and then provided to the camera head control unit 5015.

Note that the imaging conditions such as the frame rate, the exposure value, the magnification, and the focus described above are automatically set by the control unit 5063 of the CCU 5039 based on the acquired image signal. That is, the so-called AE (Auto Exposure) function, AF (Auto Focus) function, and AWB (Auto White Balance) function are installed in the endoscope 5001.

The camera head control unit 5015 controls driving of the camera head 5005 based on the control signal from the CCU 5039 received via the communication unit 5013. For example, the camera head control unit 5015 controls the driving of the image pickup device of the image pickup unit 5009 based on the information indicating the frame rate of the captured image and/or the information indicating the exposure at the time of image capturing. Further, for example, the camera head control unit 5015 appropriately moves the zoom lens and the focus lens of the lens unit 5007 via the driving unit 5011 based on the information indicating that the magnification and the focus of the captured image are designated. The camera head controller 5015 may further have a function of storing information for identifying the lens barrel 5003 and the camera head 5005.

By disposing the lens unit 5007, the imaging unit 5009, and the like in a hermetically sealed structure that is highly airtight and waterproof, the camera head 5005 can be made resistant to autoclave sterilization.

Next, the functional configuration of the CCU 5039 will be described. The communication unit 5059 is composed of a communication device for transmitting/receiving various information to/from the camera head 5005. The communication unit 5059 receives the image signal transmitted from the camera head 5005 via the transmission cable 5065. At this time, as described above, the image signal can be preferably transmitted by optical communication. In this case, the communication unit 5059 is provided with a photoelectric conversion module that converts an optical signal into an electrical signal in response to optical communication. The communication unit 5059 provides the image signal converted into the electric signal to the image processing unit 5061.

Also, the communication unit 5059 transmits a control signal for controlling the driving of the camera head 5005 to the camera head 5005. The control signal may also be transmitted by optical communication.

The image processing unit 5061 performs various kinds of image processing on the image signal that is the RAW data transmitted from the camera head 5005. As the image processing, for example, development processing, high image quality processing (band emphasis processing, super-resolution processing, NR (Noise reduction) processing and/or camera shake correction processing, etc.), and/or enlargement processing (electronic zoom processing) Etc., various known signal processings are included. The image processing unit 5061 also performs detection processing on the image signal for performing AE, AF, and AWB.

The image processing unit 5061 is configured by a processor such as a CPU or a GPU, and the image processing and the detection processing described above can be performed by the processor operating according to a predetermined program. Note that when the image processing unit 5061 is configured by a plurality of GPUs, the image processing unit 5061 appropriately divides information related to the image signal, and the plurality of GPUs perform image processing in parallel.

The control unit 5063 performs various controls regarding imaging of the surgical site by the endoscope 5001 and display of the captured image. For example, the control unit 5063 generates a control signal for controlling the driving of the camera head 5005. At this time, when the imaging condition is input by the user, the control unit 5063 generates a control signal based on the input by the user. Alternatively, when the endoscope 5001 is equipped with the AE function, the AF function, and the AWB function, the control unit 5063 controls the optimum exposure value, focal length, and focal length according to the result of the detection processing by the image processing unit 5061. The white balance is appropriately calculated and a control signal is generated.

Further, the control unit 5063 causes the display device 5041 to display the image of the surgical site based on the image signal subjected to the image processing by the image processing unit 5061. At this time, the control unit 5063 recognizes various objects in the surgical region image using various image recognition techniques. For example, the control unit 5063 detects a surgical instrument such as forceps, a specific body part, bleeding, a mist when the energy treatment instrument 5021 is used, by detecting the shape and color of the edge of the object included in the surgical image. Can be recognized. When displaying the image of the surgical site on the display device 5041, the control unit 5063 superimposes and displays various types of surgical support information on the image of the surgical site using the recognition result. By displaying the surgery support information in a superimposed manner and presenting it to the operator 5067, it becomes possible to proceed with the surgery more safely and reliably.

A transmission cable 5065 connecting the camera head 5005 and the CCU 5039 is an electric signal cable compatible with electric signal communication, an optical fiber compatible with optical communication, or a composite cable of these.

Here, in the illustrated example, wired communication is performed using the transmission cable 5065, but communication between the camera head 5005 and the CCU 5039 may be performed wirelessly. When the communication between the two is performed wirelessly, it is not necessary to lay the transmission cable 5065 in the operating room, so that the situation in which the movement of the medical staff in the operating room is hindered by the transmission cable 5065 can be solved.

The example of the endoscopic surgery system 5000 to which the technology according to the present disclosure can be applied has been described above. Although the endoscopic surgery system 5000 is described here as an example, the system to which the technology according to the present disclosure can be applied is not limited to this example. For example, the technology according to the present disclosure may be applied to a flexible endoscope system for inspection and a microscopic surgery system.

The technology according to the present disclosure can be suitably applied to the camera head control unit 5015 among the configurations described above. More specifically, the drive unit 5011 has a transmission including a power transmission mechanism that uses a traction force, and the camera head controller 5015 is provided to the transmission based on temperature information of the transmission. It controls the drive of the motor that produces power. As a result, the camera head control unit 5015 can maintain the transmission at a more suitable temperature by using the heat generated by driving the motor, and thus appropriately adjusts the position of the lens unit 5007 even in a low temperature environment. be able to.

(6.2. Second application example)
The technology according to the present disclosure can be applied to various products. For example, the technology according to the present disclosure can be applied to any type of movement of an automobile, an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, a motorcycle, a bicycle, a personal mobility, an airplane, a drone, a ship, a robot, a construction machine, an agricultural machine (tractor), and the like. It may be realized as a device mounted on the body.

FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a vehicle control system 7000 which is an example of a mobile body control system to which the technology according to the present disclosure can be applied. The vehicle control system 7000 includes a plurality of electronic control units connected via a communication network 7010. In the example shown in FIG. 17, the vehicle control system 7000 includes a drive system control unit 7100, a body system control unit 7200, a battery control unit 7300, a vehicle exterior information detection unit 7400, a vehicle interior information detection unit 7500, and an integrated control unit 7600. .. The communication network 7010 connecting these plural control units complies with any standard such as CAN (Controller Area Network), LIN (Local Interconnect Network), LAN (Local Area Network) or FlexRay (registered trademark). It may be an in-vehicle communication network.

Each control unit includes a microcomputer that performs arithmetic processing according to various programs, a storage unit that stores a program executed by the microcomputer or parameters used in various arithmetic operations, and a drive circuit that drives various controlled devices. Equipped with. Each control unit is equipped with a network I/F for communicating with other control units via the communication network 7010, and also by wire communication or wireless communication with devices or sensors inside or outside the vehicle. A communication I/F for performing communication is provided. In FIG. 17, as the functional configuration of the integrated control unit 7600, a microcomputer 7610, a general-purpose communication I/F 7620, a dedicated communication I/F 7630, a positioning unit 7640, a beacon receiving unit 7650, an in-vehicle device I/F 7660, an audio image output unit 7670, An in-vehicle network I/F 7680 and a storage unit 7690 are illustrated. Similarly, the other control units also include a microcomputer, a communication I/F, a storage unit, and the like.

The drive system control unit 7100 controls the operation of devices related to the drive system of the vehicle according to various programs. For example, the drive system control unit 7100 includes a drive force generation device for generating a drive force of a vehicle such as an internal combustion engine or a drive motor, a drive force transmission mechanism for transmitting the drive force to wheels, and a steering angle of the vehicle. It functions as a steering mechanism for adjusting and a control device such as a braking device for generating a braking force of the vehicle. The drive system control unit 7100 may have a function as a control device such as ABS (Antilock Brake System) or ESC (Electronic Stability Control).

A vehicle state detection unit 7110 is connected to the drive system control unit 7100. The vehicle state detection unit 7110 includes, for example, a gyro sensor that detects the angular velocity of the shaft rotational movement of the vehicle body, an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration of the vehicle, an accelerator pedal operation amount, a brake pedal operation amount, or a steering wheel steering operation. At least one of sensors for detecting an angle, an engine speed, a wheel rotation speed, and the like is included. The drive system control unit 7100 performs arithmetic processing using the signal input from the vehicle state detection unit 7110 to control the internal combustion engine, drive motor, electric power steering device, brake device, or the like.

The body system control unit 7200 controls the operation of various devices mounted on the vehicle body according to various programs. For example, the body system control unit 7200 functions as a keyless entry system, a smart key system, a power window device, or a control device for various lamps such as a head lamp, a back lamp, a brake lamp, a winker, or a fog lamp. In this case, the body system control unit 7200 may receive radio waves or signals of various switches transmitted from a portable device that substitutes for a key. The body system control unit 7200 receives the input of these radio waves or signals and controls the vehicle door lock device, the power window device, the lamp, and the like.

The battery control unit 7300 controls the secondary battery 7310 that is the power supply source of the drive motor according to various programs. For example, to the battery control unit 7300, information such as the battery temperature, the battery output voltage, or the remaining capacity of the battery is input from the battery device including the secondary battery 7310. The battery control unit 7300 performs arithmetic processing using these signals to control the temperature adjustment of the secondary battery 7310 or the cooling device provided in the battery device.

The exterior information detection unit 7400 detects information outside the vehicle equipped with the vehicle control system 7000. For example, at least one of the image capturing unit 7410 and the vehicle exterior information detection unit 7420 is connected to the vehicle exterior information detection unit 7400. The imaging unit 7410 includes at least one of a ToF (Time Of Flight) camera, a stereo camera, a monocular camera, an infrared camera, and other cameras. The outside-vehicle information detection unit 7420 detects, for example, an environment sensor for detecting current weather or weather, or another vehicle around the vehicle equipped with the vehicle control system 7000, an obstacle, a pedestrian, or the like. At least one of the ambient information detection sensors of.

The environmental sensor may be, for example, at least one of a raindrop sensor that detects rainy weather, a fog sensor that detects fog, a sunshine sensor that detects the degree of sunshine, and a snow sensor that detects snowfall. The ambient information detection sensor may be at least one of an ultrasonic sensor, a radar device, and a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) device. The imaging unit 7410 and the vehicle exterior information detection unit 7420 may be provided as independent sensors or devices, or may be provided as a device in which a plurality of sensors or devices are integrated.

Here, FIG. 18 shows an example of installation positions of the imaging unit 7410 and the vehicle exterior information detection unit 7420. The

imaging units

7910, 7912, 7914, 7916, 7918 are provided at at least one of the front nose of the vehicle 7900, the side mirrors, the rear bumper, the back door, and the upper part of the windshield inside the vehicle. The image capturing unit 7910 provided on the front nose and the image capturing unit 7918 provided on the upper part of the windshield in the vehicle interior mainly acquire an image in front of the vehicle 7900. The

imaging units

7912 and 7914 provided in the side mirrors mainly acquire images of the side of the vehicle 7900. The imaging unit 7916 provided on the rear bumper or the back door mainly acquires an image of the rear of the vehicle 7900. The imaging unit 7918 provided on the upper part of the windshield in the vehicle interior is mainly used for detecting a preceding vehicle, a pedestrian, an obstacle, a traffic signal, a traffic sign, a lane, or the like.

Note that FIG. 18 shows an example of the shooting ranges of the respective

image pickup units

7910, 7912, 7914, 7916. The imaging range a indicates the imaging range of the imaging unit 7910 provided on the front nose, the imaging ranges b and c indicate the imaging ranges of the

imaging units

7912 and 7914 provided on the side mirrors, and the imaging range d is The imaging range of the imaging part 7916 provided in the rear bumper or the back door is shown. For example, by overlaying the image data captured by the

image capturing units

7910, 7912, 7914, and 7916, a bird's-eye view image of the vehicle 7900 viewed from above can be obtained.

The vehicle exterior

information detection units

7920, 7922, 7924, 7926, 7928, 7930 provided on the front, rear, sides, corners of the vehicle 7900 and on the windshield inside the vehicle may be ultrasonic sensors or radar devices, for example. The vehicle exterior

information detection units

7920, 7926, 7930 provided on the front nose, rear bumper, back door, and upper windshield of the vehicle 7900 may be LIDAR devices, for example. These vehicle exterior information detection units 7920 to 7930 are mainly used to detect a preceding vehicle, a pedestrian, an obstacle, or the like.

Return to FIG. 17 to continue the explanation. The vehicle exterior information detection unit 7400 causes the image capturing unit 7410 to capture an image of the vehicle exterior and receives the captured image data. In addition, the vehicle exterior information detection unit 7400 receives detection information from the vehicle exterior information detection unit 7420 connected thereto. When the vehicle exterior information detection unit 7420 is an ultrasonic sensor, a radar device, or a LIDAR device, the vehicle exterior information detection unit 7400 transmits ultrasonic waves, electromagnetic waves, or the like, and receives information on the received reflected waves. The vehicle exterior information detection unit 7400 may perform an object detection process or a distance detection process such as a person, a car, an obstacle, a sign, or characters on the road surface based on the received information. The vehicle exterior information detection unit 7400 may perform environment recognition processing for recognizing rainfall, fog, road surface conditions, or the like based on the received information. The vehicle exterior information detection unit 7400 may calculate the distance to an object outside the vehicle based on the received information.

The vehicle exterior information detection unit 7400 may also perform image recognition processing or distance detection processing for recognizing a person, a car, an obstacle, a sign, characters on the road surface, or the like based on the received image data. The vehicle exterior information detection unit 7400 performs processing such as distortion correction or position adjustment on the received image data, combines the image data captured by different image capturing units 7410, and generates an overhead image or a panoramic image. Good. The vehicle exterior information detection unit 7400 may perform viewpoint conversion processing using image data captured by different image capturing units 7410.

The in-vehicle information detection unit 7500 detects in-vehicle information. The in-vehicle information detection unit 7500 is connected with, for example, a driver state detection unit 7510 that detects the state of the driver. The driver state detecting unit 7510 may include a camera for capturing an image of the driver, a biometric sensor for detecting biometric information of the driver, a microphone for collecting voice in the vehicle interior, or the like. The biometric sensor is provided on, for example, a seat surface or a steering wheel, and detects biometric information of an occupant sitting on a seat or a driver who holds the steering wheel. The in-vehicle information detection unit 7500 may calculate the degree of fatigue or concentration of the driver based on the detection information input from the driver state detection unit 7510, or determine whether the driver is asleep. You may. The in-vehicle information detection unit 7500 may perform processing such as noise canceling processing on the collected audio signal.

The integrated control unit 7600 controls overall operations in the vehicle control system 7000 according to various programs. An input unit 7800 is connected to the integrated control unit 7600. The input unit 7800 is realized by a device that can be input and operated by a passenger, such as a touch panel, a button, a microphone, a switch or a lever. Data obtained by voice recognition of voice input by a microphone may be input to the integrated control unit 7600. The input unit 7800 may be, for example, a remote control device that uses infrared rays or other radio waves, or may be an external connection device such as a mobile phone or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) that supports the operation of the vehicle control system 7000. May be. The input unit 7800 may be, for example, a camera, in which case the passenger can input information by gesture. Alternatively, data obtained by detecting the movement of the wearable device worn by the passenger may be input. Furthermore, the input unit 7800 may include, for example, an input control circuit that generates an input signal based on information input by a passenger or the like using the input unit 7800 and outputs the input signal to the integrated control unit 7600. A passenger or the like operates the input unit 7800 to input various data or instruct a processing operation to the vehicle control system 7000.

The storage unit 7690 may include a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores various programs executed by the microcomputer, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that stores various parameters, calculation results, sensor values, and the like. The storage unit 7690 may be realized by a magnetic storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disc Drive), a semiconductor storage device, an optical storage device, a magneto-optical storage device, or the like.

The general-purpose communication I/F 7620 is a general-purpose communication I/F that mediates communication with various devices existing in the external environment 7750. The general-purpose communication I/F 7620 is a cellular communication protocol such as GSM (registered trademark) (Global System of Mobile communications), WiMAX (registered trademark), LTE (registered trademark) (Long Term Evolution), or LTE-A (LTE-Advanced). , Or a wireless LAN (also referred to as Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or other wireless communication protocol may be implemented. The general-purpose communication I/F 7620 is connected to a device (for example, an application server or a control server) existing on an external network (for example, the Internet, a cloud network or a network unique to a business operator) via a base station or an access point, for example. You may. In addition, the general-purpose communication I/F 7620 uses, for example, P2P (Peer To Peer) technology, and is a terminal existing in the vicinity of the vehicle (for example, a driver, a pedestrian or a shop terminal, or an MTC (Machine Type Communication) terminal). May be connected with.

The dedicated communication I/F 7630 is a communication I/F that supports a communication protocol formulated for use in a vehicle. The dedicated communication I/F 7630 uses a standard protocol such as WAVE (Wireless Access in Vehicle Environment), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications), or a cellular communication protocol, which is a combination of a lower layer IEEE 802.11p and an upper layer IEEE 1609, for example. May be implemented. The dedicated communication I/F 7630 is typically a vehicle-to-vehicle communication, a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, a vehicle-to-home communication, and a vehicle-to-pedestrian communication. ) Perform V2X communications, a concept that includes one or more of the communications.

The positioning unit 7640 receives, for example, a GNSS signal from a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellite (for example, a GPS signal from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite) to perform positioning, and the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the vehicle. Generate position information including. Note that the positioning unit 7640 may specify the current position by exchanging signals with the wireless access point, or may acquire position information from a terminal such as a mobile phone, PHS, or smartphone having a positioning function.

The beacon receiving unit 7650 receives, for example, a radio wave or an electromagnetic wave transmitted from a wireless station or the like installed on the road, and acquires information such as the current position, traffic jam, traffic closure, or required time. The function of beacon reception unit 7650 may be included in dedicated communication I/F 7630 described above.

The in-vehicle device I/F 7660 is a communication interface that mediates a connection between the microcomputer 7610 and various in-vehicle devices 7760 existing in the vehicle. The in-vehicle device I/F 7660 may establish a wireless connection using a wireless communication protocol such as wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC (Near Field Communication) or WUSB (Wireless USB). Further, the in-vehicle device I/F 7660 is connected to a USB (Universal Serial Bus), HDMI (registered trademark) (High-Definition Multimedia Interface, or MHL (Mobile High) via a connection terminal (and a cable if necessary) not shown. -Definition Link) etc. The wired device 7760 may include, for example, at least one of a mobile device or a wearable device that the passenger has, or an information device that is carried in or attached to the vehicle. Further, the in-vehicle device 7760 may include a navigation device that searches for a route to an arbitrary destination.The in-vehicle device I/F 7660 is a control signal with the in-vehicle device 7760. Or exchange data signals.

The in-vehicle network I/F 7680 is an interface that mediates communication between the microcomputer 7610 and the communication network 7010. The in-vehicle network I/F 7680 transmits and receives signals and the like according to a predetermined protocol supported by the communication network 7010.

The microcomputer 7610 of the integrated control unit 7600 passes through at least one of a general-purpose communication I/F 7620, a dedicated communication I/F 7630, a positioning unit 7640, a beacon receiving unit 7650, an in-vehicle device I/F 7660, and an in-vehicle network I/F 7680. The vehicle control system 7000 is controlled according to various programs based on the information acquired by the above. For example, the microcomputer 7610 calculates a control target value of the driving force generation device, the steering mechanism or the braking device based on the acquired information on the inside and outside of the vehicle, and outputs a control command to the drive system control unit 7100. Good. For example, the microcomputer 7610 realizes the functions of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) including collision avoidance or impact mitigation of a vehicle, follow-up traveling based on an inter-vehicle distance, vehicle speed maintenance traveling, vehicle collision warning, vehicle lane departure warning, etc. You may perform the coordinated control aiming at. In addition, the microcomputer 7610 controls the driving force generation device, the steering mechanism, the braking device, and the like based on the acquired information about the surroundings of the vehicle, so that the microcomputer 7610 automatically travels independently of the driver's operation. You may perform cooperative control for the purpose of driving etc.

Information acquired by the microcomputer 7610 via at least one of a general-purpose communication I/F 7620, a dedicated communication I/F 7630, a positioning unit 7640, a beacon receiving unit 7650, an in-vehicle device I/F 7660, and an in-vehicle network I/F 7680. Based on the above, three-dimensional distance information between the vehicle and surrounding objects such as structures and people may be generated, and local map information including peripheral information of the current position of the vehicle may be created. In addition, the microcomputer 7610 may generate a warning signal by predicting a danger such as a vehicle collision, a pedestrian or the like approaching a road or a closed road, based on the acquired information. The warning signal may be, for example, a signal for generating a warning sound or lighting a warning lamp.

The voice image output unit 7670 transmits an output signal of at least one of a voice and an image to an output device capable of visually or audibly notifying information to a passenger of the vehicle or the outside of the vehicle. In the example of FIG. 17, an audio speaker 7710, a display unit 7720, and an instrument panel 7730 are illustrated as output devices. The display unit 7720 may include at least one of an onboard display and a head-up display, for example. The display unit 7720 may have an AR (Augmented Reality) display function. The output device may be a device other than these devices, such as headphones, a wearable device such as a glasses-type display worn by a passenger, a projector, or a lamp. When the output device is a display device, the display device displays results obtained by various processes performed by the microcomputer 7610 or information received from another control unit in various formats such as text, images, tables, and graphs. Display it visually. When the output device is an audio output device, the audio output device converts an audio signal composed of reproduced audio data, acoustic data, or the like into an analog signal and outputs it audibly.

Note that in the example shown in FIG. 17, at least two control units connected via the communication network 7010 may be integrated as one control unit. Alternatively, each control unit may be composed of a plurality of control units. Further, the vehicle control system 7000 may include another control unit not shown. Further, in the above description, some or all of the functions of one of the control units may be given to another control unit. That is, if the information is transmitted and received via the communication network 7010, the predetermined arithmetic processing may be performed by any of the control units. Similarly, a sensor or device connected to one of the control units may be connected to another control unit, and a plurality of control units may send and receive detection information to and from each other via the communication network 7010. ..

Note that a computer program for realizing each function such as the control unit 150 (or the control unit 250 of the camera body 200) of the lens barrel 100 according to the present embodiment described with reference to FIG. Etc. can be implemented. It is also possible to provide a computer-readable recording medium in which such a computer program is stored. The recording medium is, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a flash memory, or the like. Further, the above computer program may be distributed, for example, via a network without using a recording medium.

In the vehicle control system 7000 described above, the control unit 150 of the lens barrel 100 (or the control unit 250 of the camera body 200) according to the present embodiment described with reference to FIG. 5 is the integration of the application examples shown in FIG. It can be applied to the control unit 7600. For example, when the vehicle control system 7000 has a transmission that includes a power transmission mechanism that uses a traction force (a transmission that is used to drive the lens unit or a transmission that is used for other purposes) may be used. The integrated control unit 7600 controls driving of a motor that generates power provided to the transmission based on the temperature information of the transmission. As a result, the integrated control unit 7600 can maintain the transmission at a more appropriate temperature by using the heat generated by driving the motor, so that the vehicle control system 7000 can properly function even in a low temperature environment. it can.

Further, at least a part of the functions of the control unit 150 (or the control unit 250 of the camera body 200) of the lens barrel 100 according to the present embodiment described with reference to FIG. 5 is the same as that of the integrated control unit 7600 shown in FIG. Module (for example, an integrated circuit module composed of one die). Alternatively, the control unit 150 (or the control unit 250 of the camera body 200) of the lens barrel 100 according to the present embodiment described with reference to FIG. 5 is realized by the plurality of control units of the vehicle control system 7000 shown in FIG. May be done.

<7. Conclusion>
As described above, the control device according to the present embodiment (device that can be realized by the control unit 150 and the like of the lens barrel 100) is based on the temperature information of the transmission device 120 including the traction drive. The driving of the ultrasonic motor 110 that generates the power provided to the motor 120 is controlled. Particularly in a low temperature environment, when the control device according to the present embodiment determines that the temperature of the transmission 120 is equal to or lower than a predetermined value based on the temperature information, the control device controls the drive of the ultrasonic motor 110 to control the ultrasonic motor 110. By generating heat, the transmission 120 is warmed. With this, the control device according to the present embodiment can maintain the transmission 120 at a more appropriate temperature. Further, since it is not necessary to provide a new mechanism (for example, a heater) for warming the transmission 120, the device can be downsized and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Further, the gear shift performed by the traction drive reduces noise generated during driving.

The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is obvious that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field of the present disclosure can come up with various changes or modifications within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims. Of course, it is understood that the invention also belongs to the technical scope of the present disclosure.

For example, although the case where the present disclosure is applied to the imaging device 300 (or the lens barrel 100 or the camera body 200) such as a camera has been described above as an example, the application target of the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the present disclosure is applicable to a device used in an environment in which the temperature changes drastically (or the temperature is low) such as a robot, a vehicle, or an aircraft.

Also, the effects described in the present specification are merely explanatory or exemplifying ones, and are not limiting. That is, the technique according to the present disclosure may have other effects that are apparent to those skilled in the art from the description of the present specification, in addition to or instead of the above effects.

The following configurations also belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure.
(1)
A control unit that controls the drive of a motor that generates power provided to the transmission based on temperature information of the transmission that includes a power transmission mechanism that uses traction force;
Control device.
(2)
When the control unit determines that the temperature of the transmission is lower than or equal to a predetermined value based on the temperature information, the drive is controlled to heat the motor to heat the transmission.
The control device according to (1) above.
(3)
The motor is an ultrasonic motor,
The control unit controls the drive by controlling a voltage pattern applied to the ultrasonic motor,
The control device according to (2) above.
(4)
The control unit controls, as the voltage pattern, at least one of a phase difference of a drive signal applied to the ultrasonic motor, a drive frequency, and a drive voltage.
The control device according to (3) above.
(5)
The control unit changes the voltage pattern depending on whether the transmission is warmed by controlling the drive to heat the motor, or not.
The control device according to (4) above.
(6)
The control unit controls the voltage pattern to generate heat without rotating the ultrasonic motor,
The control device according to (5) above.
(7)
The control unit sets the phase difference to approximately 0 [deg] or approximately 180 [deg],
The control device according to (6) above.
(8)
When rotation of the ultrasonic motor is detected, the control unit stops the rotation by controlling at least the phase difference of the voltage pattern,
The control device according to (7) above.
(9)
The control unit controls the voltage pattern to generate heat while rotating the ultrasonic motor,
The control device according to (5) above.
(10)
The control unit sets the phase difference to a value between 0 [deg] and 90 [deg], a value between 0 [deg] and -90 [deg], and a value between 90 [deg] and 180 [deg]. Value or set to a value between -90 [deg] and -180 [deg],
The control device according to (9).
(11)
The controller controls at least one of the drive frequency and the drive voltage to compensate for a decrease in the rotation speed of the ultrasonic motor due to the control of the phase difference,
The control device according to (10).
(12)
Further comprising a reference table in which the temperature information and the voltage pattern are associated with each other,
The control unit controls the drive based on the temperature information and the reference table,
The control device according to any one of (3) to (11).
(13)
All or part of the motor and the transmission are covered by a case,
The control device according to any one of (1) to (12).
(14)
As the member arranged on the path when the heat generated by the motor is transmitted to the transmission, one having a higher thermal conductivity than the member arranged on the outer periphery of the path is used.
The control device according to any one of (1) to (13).
(15)
A control unit that controls driving of a motor that generates power provided to the transmission based on temperature information of the transmission that includes a power transmission mechanism that uses traction force;
A lens group in which at least one lens is driven by using the power transmitted through the power transmission mechanism,
Lens barrel.
(16)
A control unit that controls driving of a motor that generates power provided to the transmission based on temperature information of the transmission that includes a power transmission mechanism that uses traction force;
A lens group in which at least one lens is driven using power transmitted through the power transmission mechanism;
An image sensor for converting an object image formed by the lens group into an electrical signal,
Imaging device.
(17)
Controlling drive of a motor for generating power provided to the transmission based on temperature information of the transmission including a power transmission mechanism using traction force,
A control method executed by a computer.

100 lens barrel 110 ultrasonic motor 120 transmission device 130 encoder 140 temperature sensor 150 control unit 160 storage unit 170 lens drive unit 180 lens group 190 communication unit 200 camera body 210 shutter 220 filter 230 image sensor 240 signal processing unit 250 control unit 260 Storage unit 270 Communication unit 300 Imaging device

Claims

A control unit that controls the drive of a motor that generates power provided to the transmission based on temperature information of the transmission that includes a power transmission mechanism that uses traction force;
Control device.
When the control unit determines that the temperature of the transmission is equal to or lower than a predetermined value based on the temperature information, the drive is controlled to heat the motor to heat the transmission.
The control device according to claim 1.
The motor is an ultrasonic motor,
The control unit controls the drive by controlling a voltage pattern applied to the ultrasonic motor,
The control device according to claim 2.
The control unit controls, as the voltage pattern, at least one of a phase difference of a drive signal applied to the ultrasonic motor, a drive frequency, and a drive voltage.
The control device according to claim 3.
The control unit changes the voltage pattern depending on whether the transmission is warmed by controlling the drive to heat the motor, or not.
The control device according to claim 4.
The control unit controls the voltage pattern to generate heat without rotating the ultrasonic motor,
The control device according to claim 5.
The control unit sets the phase difference to approximately 0 [deg] or approximately 180 [deg],
The control device according to claim 6.
When rotation of the ultrasonic motor is detected, the control unit stops the rotation by controlling at least the phase difference of the voltage pattern,
The control device according to claim 7.
The control unit controls the voltage pattern to generate heat while rotating the ultrasonic motor,
The control device according to claim 5.
The control unit sets the phase difference to a value between 0 [deg] and 90 [deg], a value between 0 [deg] and -90 [deg], and a phase difference between 90 [deg] and 180 [deg]. Value or set to a value between -90 [deg] and -180 [deg],
The control device according to claim 9.
The controller controls at least one of the drive frequency and the drive voltage to compensate for a decrease in the rotation speed of the ultrasonic motor due to the control of the phase difference,
The control device according to claim 10.
Further comprising a reference table in which the temperature information and the voltage pattern are associated with each other,
The control unit controls the drive based on the temperature information and the reference table,
The control device according to claim 3.
All or part of the motor and the transmission are covered by a case,
The control device according to claim 1.
As the member arranged on the path when the heat generated by the motor is transmitted to the transmission, one having higher thermal conductivity than the member arranged on the outer periphery of the path is used.
The control device according to claim 1.
A control unit that controls driving of a motor that generates power provided to the transmission based on temperature information of the transmission that includes a power transmission mechanism that uses traction force;
A lens group in which at least one lens is driven by using the power transmitted through the power transmission mechanism,
Lens barrel.
A control unit that controls driving of a motor that generates power provided to the transmission based on temperature information of the transmission that includes a power transmission mechanism that uses traction force;
A lens group in which at least one lens is driven using power transmitted through the power transmission mechanism;
An image sensor for converting an object image formed by the lens group into an electrical signal,
Imaging device.