Vibration driven motor apparatus

Claim 2

A vibration driven motor or actuator apparatus, comprising: a vibration member; an electro-mechanical energy converting element provided at the vibration member, for generating a vibration in the vibration member in response to an applied electrical signal having a driving frequency, the vibration being used as a driving force; speed detection means for detecting a driving speed of the apparatus; instruction means for setting an instruction for changing the driving frequency; and driving frequency changing means including a circuit for changing the driving frequency in response to a frequency change instruction from said instruction means, said driving frequency changing means determining a rate of change of the driving frequency in accordance with the driving speed detected by said speed detection means.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said driving frequency changing means controls a shift amount of the frequency per unit time in accordance with the detected speed.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said driving frequency changing means changes the driving frequency at a first rate of change when the detected driving speed is less than a predetermined value, and changes the driving frequency at a second rate of change smaller than the first rate of change when the detected driving speed is equal to or greater than the predetermined value.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said driving frequency changing means changes the driving frequency by a first shift amount when the detected driving speed is less than a predetermined value, and changes the driving frequency by a second shift amount smaller than the first shift amount when the detected driving speed is equal to or greater than the predetermined value.

Claim 6

A vibration driven motor or actuator apparatus, comprising: a vibration member; an electro-mechanical energy converting element provided at the vibration member, for generating a vibration in the vibration member in response to an applied electrical signal having a driving frequency, the vibration being used as a driving force; speed detection means for detecting a driving speed of the apparatus; instruction means for setting an instruction for changing the driving frequency; driving state detecting means for detecting an amount of shift from a resonance drive state of the apparatus; a driving frequency changing circuit for changing the driving frequency of the applied electrical signal in response to a frequency change instruction from said instruction means, and operable in a first mode and a second mode, wherein in the first mode said driving frequency changing circuit changes the driving frequency at a rate corresponding to the amount of shift from the resonance state detected by said driving state detection means, and wherein in the second mode said driving frequency changing circuit changes the driving frequency at a rate corresponding to a driving speed detected by said speed detection means; and a mode selection circuit for selecting one of the first and second modes.

Claim 7

A vibration driven motor or actuator apparatus, comprising: a vibration member; an electro-mechanical energy converting element provided at the vibration member, for generating a vibration in the vibration member in response to an applied electrical signal having a driving frequency, the vibration being used as a driving force; speed detection means for detecting a driving speed of the apparatus; instruction means for setting an instruction for changing the driving frequency; driving state detecting means for detecting an amount of shift from a resonance drive state of the apparatus; a driving frequency changing circuit for changing the driving frequency of the applied electrical signal in response to a frequency change instruction from said instruction means, and operable in a first mode and a second mode, wherein in the first mode said driving frequency changing circuit changes the driving frequency at a rate corresponding to the amount of shift from the resonance state detected by said driving state detection means, and wherein in the second mode said driving frequency changing circuit changes the driving frequency at a rate corresponding to a driving speed detected by said speed detection means; and a mode selection circuit for selecting one of the first and second modes.

Claim 8

An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said mode selection circuit selects one of the first mode and the second mode in accordance with the detected driving speed.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said mode selection circuit selects the first mode when the detected driving speed is greater than a predetermined value, and selects the second mode when the detected driving speed is equal to or less than the predetermined value.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said mode selection circuit selects one of the first mode and the second mode in accordance with a residual amount to a target driving amount of a movable member driven by said apparatus.

Claim 11

An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said mode selection circuit selects the first mode when the residual amount is greater than a predetermined value, and selects the second mode when the residual amount is equal to or less than the predetermined value.

Claim 12

A vibration driven apparatus, comprising: a vibration member; an electro-mechanical energy converting element provided at said vibration member, for generating a vibration in the vibration member in response to an applied electrical signal having a driving frequency, the vibration being used as a driving force; speed detection means for detecting a driving speed of the apparatus; driving state detection means for detecting an amount of a shift from a resonance drive state of the apparatus; instruction means for setting an instruction for changing the driving frequency; a driving frequency changing circuit for changing the driving frequency of the applied electrical signal in response to a frequency change instruction from said instruction means, and operable in a first mode and a second mode, wherein in the first mode said driving frequency changing circuit changes the driving frequency at a rate corresponding to the amount of shift from the resonance state detected by said driving state detection means, and wherein in the second mode said driving frequency changing circuit changes the driving frequency at a rate corresponding to a driving speed detected by said speed detection means; and mode selection means for selecting the first mode or the second mode in accordance with a speed detected by said speed detection means.

Claim 13

A vibration driven apparatus, comprising: a vibration member; an electro-mechanical energy converting element provided at said vibration member, for generating a vibration in the vibration member in response to an applied electrical signal having a driving frequency, the vibration being used as a driving force; speed detection means for detecting a driving speed of the apparatus; driving state detection means for detecting an amount of a shift from a resonance drive state of the apparatus; instruction means for setting an instruction for changing the driving frequency; a driving frequency changing circuit for changing the driving frequency of the applied electrical signal in response to a frequency change instruction from said instruction means, and operable in a first mode and a second mode, wherein in the first mode said driving frequency changing circuit changes the driving frequency at a rate corresponding to the amount of shift from the resonance state detected by said driving state detection means, and wherein in the second mode said driving frequency changing circuit changes the driving frequency at a rate corresponding to a driving speed detected by said speed detection means; and mode selection means for selecting the first mode or the second mode in accordance with a speed detected by said speed detection means.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said mode selection means selects the first mode when the detected driving speed is greater than a predetermined value, and selects the second mode when the detected driving speed is equal to or less than the predetermined value.

Claim 15

An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said drive frequency changing circuit changes the driving frequency at a rate corresponding to a detected shift from the resonance drive.

Claim 16

An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said mode selection circuit selects one of the first mode and the second mode in accordance with a residual amount to a target driving amount of a movable member driven by said apparatus.

Claim 17

An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said mode selection means selects the first mode when the residual amount is greater than a predetermined value, and selects the second mode when the residual amount is equal to or less than the predetermined value.

Claim 18

An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said drive frequency changing circuit changes the driving frequency at a rate corresponding to a detected shift from the resonance drive.

Claim 19

A vibration driven apparatus, comprising: a vibration member; an electro-mechanical energy converting element provided at said vibration member, for generating a vibration in the vibration member in response to an applied electrical signal having a driving frequency, the vibration generated in the vibration member being used as a driving force; a detection circuit for detecting an amount remaining between a present driving amount and a target driving amount; a vibration state detector for detecting a vibration state of the vibration member; a frequency adjusting circuit, operable in a first mode and a second mode, for adjusting the driving frequency of the applied electrical signal, wherein in the first mode said frequency adjusting circuit adjusts the driving frequency of the applied electrical signal based on a detected vibration state of the vibration member, and wherein in the second mode said frequency adjusting circuit adjusts the driving frequency of the applied electrical signal independently of the detected vibration state of the vibration member; and a selection circuit for selecting one of the first mode and the second mode based on the amount detected by said detection circuit.

Claim 20

A vibration driven apparatus, comprising: a vibration member; an electro-mechanical energy converting element provided at said vibration member, for generating a vibration in the vibration member in response to an applied electrical signal having a driving frequency, the vibration generated in the vibration member being used as a driving force; a detection circuit for detecting an amount remaining between a present driving amount and a target driving amount; a vibration state detector for detecting a vibration state of the vibration member; a frequency adjusting circuit, operable in a first mode and a second mode, for adjusting the driving frequency of the applied electrical signal, wherein in the first mode said frequency adjusting circuit adjusts the driving frequency of the applied electrical signal based on a detected vibration state of the vibration member, and wherein in the second mode said frequency adjusting circuit adjusts the driving frequency of the applied electrical signal independently of the detected vibration state of the vibration member; and a selection circuit for selecting one of the first mode and the second mode based on the amount detected by said detection circuit.

Claim 21

A vibration driven apparatus, comprising: a vibration member; an electro-mechanical energy converting element provided at said vibration member, for generating a vibration in the vibration member in response to an applied electrical signal having a driving frequency, the vibration generated in the vibration member being used as a driving force; a detection circuit for detecting an amount remaining between a present driving amount and a target driving amount; a frequency adjusting circuit, operable in a first mode and a second mode, for adjusting the driving frequency of the applied electrical signal, wherein in said first mode said frequency adjusting circuit performs a first frequency adjusting operation, and in said second mode said frequency adjusting circuit performs a second frequency adjusting operation different from said first frequency adjusting operation; and a selection circuit for selecting either the first mode or the second mode based on the amount detected by said detection circuit.

Claim 22

A vibration driven apparatus, comprising: a vibration member; an electro-mechanical energy converting element provided at said vibration member, for generating a vibration in the vibration member in response to an applied electrical signal having a driving frequency, the vibration generated in the vibration member being used as a driving force; a detection circuit for detecting an amount remaining between a present driving amount and a target driving amount; a frequency adjusting circuit, operable in a first mode and a second mode, for adjusting the driving frequency of the applied electrical signal, wherein in said first mode said frequency adjusting circuit performs a first frequency adjusting operation, and in said second mode said frequency adjusting circuit performs a second frequency adjusting operation different from said first frequency adjusting operation; and a selection circuit for selecting either the first mode or the second mode based on the amount detected by said detection circuit.