Abstract: A focus control circuit is installed in an image pickup apparatus including a lens, a driver element for adjusting the position of the lens, and a position detecting element for detecting the position of the lens. An equalizer included in the focus control circuit generates a drive signal used to adjust the position of the lens to a position to be set, based on a difference between the position of the lens identified by the position detecting element and the set position. When an instruction to vary a target position of the lens is received externally, a position setting unit included in the focus control circuit sets sequentially a plurality of positions in a range covering a new target position and a previous target position, to the equalizer before the new target position is reached from the previous target position.

Abstract: In a control circuit for servo control of a piezoelectric actuator, it is possible to efficiently move a movement object toward a target position in each servo control cycle. A pulse generation circuit (26) generates a drive pulse a plurality of times within a servo control cycle. The ideal value of the amount of movement in one drive pulse is stored in a register (28), and is used to estimate the amount of movement required to reach the target position of a lens (8) each time a drive pulse is generated. It is possible to switch between coarse movement and fine movement by using two types of drive pulses that have mutually different duty ratios, and the lens (8) can be rapidly moved by coarse movement when the required amount of movement is large, and fine movement when the required amount of movement is small.

Abstract: A first terminal supplies the bias voltage to a high-potential-side input terminal of a hall element. A second terminal supplies the ground potential to a low-potential-side input terminal of the hall element. A P-channel type transistor is configured such that the source terminal is connected to the power supply potential and the drain terminal is connected to the first terminal. An operational amplifier differentially amplifies the voltage between a predetermined set voltage and the voltage at the first terminal so as to control the gate voltage of the P-channel type transistor.

Abstract: An equalizer generates a control signal for adjusting, based on a difference between a target value for the state of an object and an actual measured value thereof, the state of the object to match the target value. A PWM modulation unit generates a PWM signal corresponding to the control signal generated by the equalizer. An H-bridge drive unit generates a drive current for driving a drive element that changes the state of the object in accordance with the PWM signal generated by the PWM modulation unit. A slew-rate control unit changes the current driving capability of the H-bridge drive unit in accordance with the control signal.

Abstract: An image stabilization control circuit controls an optical element driving element configured to move an optical element provided in an imaging apparatus based on an output signal of a vibration detection element provided in the imaging apparatus. The image stabilization control circuit includes an analog-digital conversion circuit configured to receive an analog signal from a position detection element that detects the position of the optical element and convert the input analog signal into a digital signal, and a servo circuit configured to generate a correction signal for correcting the position of the optical element based on an output signal of the analog-digital conversion circuit and output the generated correction signal to the optical element driving element. The servo circuit includes a digital filter circuit and a register. The digital filter circuit performs filter processing based on a filter coefficient stored in the register.

Abstract: In a drive circuit for a piezoelectric actuator, it is possible to move a movement object to a target position rapidly and with good precision. Parameters for two types of drive pulses (PL1, PL2) having different duty ratios are stored in a register (28). A pulse generation circuit (26) is configured so as to be able to switch, based on a parameter stored in the register (28), between (PL1) having a large displacement step width of a lens (8), and (PL2) having a small displacement step width. The lens (8) can be rapidly moved through coarse movement by (PL1), and the lens (8) can be made to approach the target position with good precision through fine movement by (PL2).

Abstract: The present invention comprises: an analog/digital conversion means for converting vibration detection signals output from a vibration detection element that detects vibrations of an imaging device into digital signals; a gyro filter that obtains the amount of movement of the imaging device based on the vibration detection signals digitalized by the analog/digital conversion means; a rotation control means for generating an amount of rotary drive in a stepping motor based on both the current position and amount of movement of an optical component or an imaging element; and a stepping control means for generating and outputting pulse signals that drive the rotation of the stepping motor in each phase according to the amount of rotary drive, wherein the stepping control means enables pulse-width modulation of the ratio between the periods in which high-level pulse signals and low-level pulse signals are respectively applied to the same phase of the stepping motor.

Abstract: A fuel injection valve includes a needle for opening or closing an injection hole. The needle moves in response to a fuel pressure in a control chamber. The fuel injection valve includes an electromagnetic valve which opens or closes a discharge passage for changing pressure in the control chamber to actuate the needle. A narrow part is provided in the discharge passage. The narrow part is formed to shorten a length along a flow direction. The shortened narrow part can suppress pulsations. Therefore, it is possible to accurately control injection quantity, since a variation of closing speed of the armature caused by the pulsations can be suppressed.

Abstract: A focus control circuit is installed in an image pickup apparatus including a lens, a driver element for adjusting the position of the lens, and a position detecting element for detecting the position of the lens. An equalizer included in the focus control circuit generates a drive signal used to adjust the position of the lens to a position to be set, based on a difference between the position of the lens identified by the position detecting element and the set position. When an instruction to vary a target position of the lens is received externally, a position setting unit included in the focus control circuit sets sequentially a plurality of positions in a range covering a new target position and a previous target position, to the equalizer before the new target position is reached from the previous target position.

Abstract: An image stabilization control circuit comprises a plurality of vibration detecting elements for detecting vibration of an image pickup apparatus; a plurality of position detecting elements for detecting a position of an optical component; an analog/digital converter circuit for converting output signals of the plurality of vibration detecting elements and the plurality of position detecting elements to digital signals; and a logic circuit for generating a control signal for driving the optical component based on the output signals of the plurality of vibration detecting elements and the plurality of position detecting elements digitalized by the analog/digital converter circuit, wherein the analog/digital converter circuit digitalizes and outputs the output signal of the plurality of vibration detecting elements with respect to a plurality of axis directions, and successively digitalizes and outputs the output signal of the plurality of position detecting elements with respect to a plurality of axis directio

Abstract: In a drive circuit for a piezoelectric actuator, it is possible to move a movement object to a target position rapidly and with good precision. Parameters for two types of drive pulses (PL1, PL2) having different duty ratios are stored in a register (28). A pulse generation circuit (26) is configured so as to be able to switch, based on a parameter stored in the register (28), between (PL1) having a large displacement step width of a lens (8), and (PL2) having a small displacement step width. The lens (8) can be rapidly moved through coarse movement by (PL1), and the lens (8) can be made to approach the target position with good precision through fine movement by (PL2).

Abstract: In a control circuit for servo control of a piezoelectric actuator, it is possible to efficiently move a movement object toward a target position in each servo control cycle. A pulse generation circuit (26) generates a drive pulse a plurality of times within a servo control cycle. The ideal value of the amount of movement in one drive pulse is stored in a register (28), and is used to estimate the amount of movement required to reach the target position of a lens (8) each time a drive pulse is generated. It is possible to switch between coarse movement and fine movement by using two types of drive pulses that have mutually different duty ratios, and the lens (8) can be rapidly moved by coarse movement when the required amount of movement is large, and fine movement when the required amount of movement is small.

Abstract: A MCP semiconductor device with an “anti-shake” function includes a driver chip and a logic chip. The logic chip includes a correction signal processing unit which obtains a value for vibration of apparatus based on a vibration detection signal to generate a correction signal and a control signal output unit having a plurality of types of signal output sections which output a vibration control signal in accordance with the correction signal to a vibration correction control unit which executes vibration correction control for an optical component. The logic chip further includes a driver output terminal which outputs the vibration control signal to the driver chip, an external output terminal which outputs the control signal to an external circuit other than the driver chip, and also an output switch unit which connects one of the plurality of signal output sections with the driver output terminal or the external output terminal.

Abstract: An image stabilization control circuit comprises a plurality of vibration detecting elements for detecting vibration of an image pickup apparatus; a plurality of position detecting elements for detecting a position of an optical component; an analog/digital converter circuit for converting output signals of the plurality of vibration detecting elements and the plurality of position detecting elements to digital signals; and a logic circuit for generating a control signal for driving the optical component based on the output signals of the plurality of vibration detecting elements and the plurality of position detecting elements digitalized by the analog/digital converter circuit, wherein the analog/digital converter circuit digitalizes and outputs the output signal of the plurality of vibration detecting elements with respect to a plurality of axis directions, and successively digitalizes and outputs the output signal of the plurality of position detecting elements with respect to a plurality of axis directio

Abstract: An image stabilization control circuit controls an optical element driving element configured to move an optical element provided in an imaging apparatus based on an output signal of a vibration detection element provided in the imaging apparatus. The image stabilization control circuit includes an analog-digital conversion circuit configured to receive an analog signal from a position detection element that detects the position of the optical element and convert the input analog signal into a digital signal, and a servo circuit configured to generate a correction signal for correcting the position of the optical element based on an output signal of the analog-digital conversion circuit and output the generated correction signal to the optical element driving element. The servo circuit includes a digital filter circuit and a register. The digital filter circuit performs filter processing based on a filter coefficient stored in the register.

Abstract: A counter 11 continuously reads in the EFM signal from a binarizing circuit 4, resets its count value each time the polarity of the EFM signal changes, counts counter clocks higher in frequency than the EFM signal during each EFM period of the EFM signal, and transfers the count values to a FIFO 12 sequentially. The FIFO 12 temporarily stores the count values transferred, and writes a predetermined number of count values into a buffer RAM 7 in a batch each time the predetermined number of count values are stored.

Abstract: A motor control circuit for reducing current consumption. A stepping motor control circuit includes an A/B phase current setting signal generation circuit for generating an A/B phase current signal setting signals provided to a stepping motor driver to supply a stepping motor with a predetermined amount of drive current. Based on a switch signal, first and second switches selectively output an A/B phase current setting signal and an A/B phase reference signal, for reducing the drive current of the stepping motor more than the A/B phase current setting signal. An intermittent drive control circuit generates the switch signal. The stepping motor control circuit provides the motor driver with the A/B phase reference signal in accordance with the switch signal.

Abstract: A track jump control circuit performing control for an optical pickup to ump from a present scanning track position to a target scanning track position on an optical disc including a header portion and a data portion, through counting the number of pulses of a binarized tracking error signal, the track jump control circuit comprising: a counter configured to count in an edge interval of the binarized tracking error signal; a holding circuit configured to hold a count value obtained by the counter; a correction process circuit configured to generate a correction signal of the binarized tracking error signal, using a count value held in the holding circuit and the binarized tracking error signal; and a selector configured to select and output the binarized tracking error signal or the correction signal, corresponding to a header portion detection signal indicating passage of the optical pickup through the header portion.

Abstract: A data recording device for recording data on an optical disc by irradiating a laser pulse on the optical disc while controlling rotation of the optical disc at a constant angular velocity. The device includes a laser condition varying unit that changes a peak value of the laser pulse in accordance with a value relating to a linear velocity of the optical disc at a position at which the laser pulse is irradiated.

Abstract: A motor control circuit for reducing current consumption. A stepping motor control circuit includes an A/B phase current setting signal generation circuit for generating an A/B phase current signal setting signals provided to a stepping motor driver to supply a stepping motor with a predetermined amount of drive current. Based on a switch signal, first and second switches selectively output an A/B phase current setting signal and an A/B phase reference signal, for reducing the drive current of the stepping motor more than the A/B phase current setting signal. An intermittent drive control circuit generates the switch signal. The stepping motor control circuit provides the motor driver with the A/B phase reference signal in accordance with the switch signal.