Abstract: A gimbal configured to stabilize a supported unit in a predetermined attitude includes an acceleration sensor configured to detect an acceleration of the supported unit, a first calculator configured to calculate attitude information of the supported unit using the acceleration, a rotator including a rotor member rotatable relative to a stator member, an angle detecting sensor configured to detect a rotation angle of the rotator, and a second calculator configured to calculate a correction value for the angle information using the attitude information and the angle information of the rotator based on the rotation angle.

Abstract: A reflection type sensor includes a light emitting element configured to emit light, a light receiving element configured to receive reflected light from a scale having a pattern, and a transparent member configured to cover the light emitting element and the light receiving element. A predetermined condition is satisfied.

Abstract: A stage apparatus for a microscope includes a first stage provided on a mirror base of the microscope and fixed to a stage member that moves in an optical axis direction, a second stage that relatively moves over a surface of the first stage in a first direction, a third stage that relatively moves over a surface of the second stage in a second direction, the third stage having a placement portion for placing a microscope slide, and an exterior cover for covering at least a portion of the second stage and the third stage, the exterior cover being fixed to the first stage or the stage member. The exterior cover provides a space for the second stage and the third stage to move, and exposes the placement portion of the third stage.

Abstract: An encoder comprises first and second sensors which reads first and second tracks, the first and second sensors being arranged in a radial direction to face each other, and a processor which generates a first position signal based on first and second periodic signals based on a signal obtained by reading the first and second tracks by the first sensor, and generates a second position signal based on third and fourth periodic signals based on a signal obtained by reading the first and second tracks by the second sensor, wherein the processor generates an absolute position signal indicating an absolute position of at least one of the scale, the first sensor, or the second sensor based on the first and second position signals and the first and third periodic signals.

Abstract: An encoder includes a scale having a pattern column with patterns periodically changing a physical characteristic, a detection element array disposed movable relatively to the scale and including detection elements configured to detect light from the pattern column are arranged in a moving direction, a signal processor configured to convert an output signal from the detection element array into position information. The detection element array includes first to fourth detection elements are arranged in order of the first detection elements, the second detection elements, the first detection elements, the second detection elements, the third detection elements, the fourth detection elements, the third detection elements, and the fourth detection elements. The signal processor generates a first signal based on an output signal from the first and third detection elements and a second signal based on an output signal from the second and fourth detection elements.

Abstract: An encoder includes a scale, a detector, and a processor. The processor executes a second process while executing a first process, calculates a first relative position of one of the scale and the detector to the other of the scale and the detector when a calculation of a relative position between them starts, and then calculates a second relative position of the one to the other based on a relative displacement amount between them and the first relative position.

Abstract: An encoder includes a scale having a continuous part where physical characteristics varies and a discontinuous part that interrupts the continuous part, a detector that be relatively displaced with respect to the scale and that detects the physical characteristics of the scale, and a processor that detects an origin of the scale on the basis of a signal for displacement detection output from the detector. The detector includes a sensitive part having sensitivity contributing to the signal for displacement detection and an insensitive part having no sensitivity contributing to the signal for displacement detection. The processor detects the origin on the basis of signal intensity of each of signals for displacement detection that the detector outputs when the sensitive and insensitive parts detect physical characteristics of the discontinuous part.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a rotary scale to be fixed to a rotating shaft of a rotating member includes a first step of forming, on a scale substrate, a scale pattern and a mark indicating an outer shape of the rotating shaft positioned such that a center axis of the rotating shaft coincides with a center axis of the scale pattern, a second step of cutting a first area of the scale substrate including the mark and having a first width, and a third step of cutting a second area including the mark that remains after the cutting of the first area, having a length in a circumferential direction of the scale substrate shorter than that in the first area and having a second width narrower than the first width.

Abstract: An origin detector includes detecting element groups having a first to a fourth detector, is configured so that a first signal sensitivity of the detectors of a center is larger than a second signal sensitivity of the detectors of a periphery, reads an origin detecting pattern including an origin pattern having a length along a detecting direction of a part having a physical characteristic different from an origin peripheral part larger than a length along the detecting direction of each detecting element group, and outputs a first signal using the first and third detectors, and a second signal using the second and fourth detectors. A processor acquires a third signal from the first signal and a first threshold, and a fourth signal from the second signal and a second threshold, and outputs a fifth signal using the third and fourth signals as an origin signal.

Abstract: An encoder includes a scale including an origin detecting pattern, an origin detector, and a processor. The origin detector includes a plurality of detecting element groups including a first, second, third, and fourth detectors. The first and second detectors and the third and fourth detectors are symmetrically arranged to a center of each detecting element group, respectively. A part of the origin detecting pattern having a physical characteristic different from an origin peripheral part is shorter than each detecting element group. The origin detector outputs a first signal from the first and third detectors, and a second signal from the second and fourth detectors. The processor outputs a fifth signal based on a third signal from the first signal and a first threshold, and a fourth signal from the second signal and a second threshold as an origin signal.

Abstract: The encoder includes a scale provided with multiple periodic patterns having mutually different periods, a sensor outputting, with a relative movement between the scale and the sensor, multiple periodic signals periodically changing respectively corresponding to the periods of the periodic patterns, and a signal processor calculating a detected movement amount as a detected relative movement amount between the scale and the sensor. The signal processor calculates, by using each of the periodic signals, an accumulated movement amount which is an accumulated value of the relative movement amount between the scale and the sensor in units of one over an integer of the period of the periodic pattern corresponding to the periodic signal used, unifies the units of the accumulated movement amounts calculated by using the respective periodic signals, and calculates the detected movement amount from the accumulated movement amounts with the unified units.

Abstract: The motor speed detection apparatus detects rotational speed of a motor. The apparatus includes an FG coil (21) and a magnet (22) to be relatively moved with rotation of the motor, the FG coil outputting an alternating-current signal to be sampled by the apparatus, an A/D converter (1) to convert the alternating-current signal into a digital signal, an integrator (2) to perform time integration on the digital signal, a first determiner (3, 9) to determine which one of plural threshold ranges includes an integration value obtained by the integrator, a second determiner (3, 8) to determine whether change of the integration value is increase or decrease, and a logical product calculator (3, 10) to produce a binary signal showing a logical product of determination results of the first and second determiners. The apparatus calculates the rotational speed based on a production cycle of the binary signal.

Abstract: A motor drive apparatus that can be used to drive a wide range of brushless motors without any limit to a magnetic pole number of a rotor magnet. One rotational period T of the rotor magnet is obtained, and one period S of the sine wave drive signal according to a mathematical expression of S=T/(n/2). The one period S of the sine wave drive signal is updated at intervals of one period of the output signal from one magnetic pole detecting element among the three magnetic pole detecting elements.

Abstract: Provided is a rotary encoder, including: a rotary scale, which has a predetermined pattern including continuous patterns and a rotational angle original point formed thereon with reference to a pattern center, has a polygonal outer shape, and has the rotational angle original point defined with reference to at least one side of sides of the polygonal outer shape; a hub, which includes projections for abutting the sides of the polygonal outer shape of the rotary scale and positioning the rotary scale; a rotating shaft, which is press-fitted into the hub and rotates coaxially with the pattern center of the rotary scale; and detecting units for irradiating the rotary scale with light and detecting the light reflected by the rotary scale.

Abstract: The motor speed detection apparatus detects rotational speed of a motor. The apparatus includes an FG coil (21) and a magnet (22) to be relatively moved with rotation of the motor, the FG coil outputting an alternating-current signal to be sampled by the apparatus, an A/D converter (1) to convert the alternating-current signal into a digital signal, an integrator (2) to perform time integration on the digital signal, a first determiner (3, 9) to determine which one of plural threshold ranges includes an integration value obtained by the integrator, a second determiner (3, 8) to determine whether change of the integration value is increase or decrease, and a logical product calculator (3, 10) to produce a binary signal showing a logical product of determination results of the first and second determiners. The apparatus calculates the rotational speed based on a production cycle of the binary signal.

Abstract: A motor drive apparatus that can be used to drive a wide range of brushless motors without any limit to a magnetic pole number of a rotor magnet. One rotational period T of the rotor magnet is obtained, and one period S of the sine wave drive signal according to a mathematical expression of S=T/(n/2). The one period S of the sine wave drive signal is updated at intervals of one period of the output signal from one magnetic pole detecting element among the three magnetic pole detecting elements.

Abstract: A method of driving a vibration wave motor enables proper frequency control of an AC voltage applied to the motor according to the rotational speed difference between the actual and target rotational speeds of the motor, even if frequency-rotational speed characteristics are not stored in advance. A target rotational speed of a moving member is set. A ratio of an amount of increase or decrease in a rotational speed of the moving member to an amount of update of a frequency of the AC voltage and a rotational speed difference between the target rotational speed and an actual rotational speed of the moving member are calculated. The amount of update of the frequency is calculated by dividing the calculated rotational speed difference by the calculated ratio. The frequency of the AC voltage is updated by using the calculated amount of update of the frequency.

Abstract: Provided is a rotary encoder, including: a rotary scale, which has a predetermined pattern including continuous patterns and a rotational angle original point formed thereon with reference to a pattern center, has a polygonal outer shape, and has the rotational angle original point defined with reference to at least one side of sides of the polygonal outer shape; a hub, which includes projections for abutting the sides of the polygonal outer shape of the rotary scale and positioning the rotary scale; a rotating shaft, which is press-fitted into the hub and rotates coaxially with the pattern center of the rotary scale; and detecting units for irradiating the rotary scale with light and detecting the light reflected by the rotary scale.

Abstract: A coreless motor able to be downsized and easy to be assembled and to ensure the concentricity between a motor shaft, a magnet, and an outer cylinder. The coreless motor includes an outer cylinder gear unit having an output shaft and a speed-reducer mechanism incorporated into a field assembly having a magnet fitted on an inner yoke and an outer cylinder fitted on an outer periphery of the magnet, a motor shaft unit having an inner lid rotatably supporting a motor shaft via ball bearings, a rotor unit having a circular plate attached with a commutator electrically connected to a coil, an outer lid unit having an outer lid mounted with brushes. The inner lid is incorporated in the inner yoke, the coil is incorporated in between the outer cylinder and the magnet, and the outer lid unit is attached to the rotor unit and the outer cylinder.

Abstract: A method of driving a vibration wave motor, which enables proper frequency control of an AC voltage applied to the motor according to the rotational speed difference between the actual and target rotational speeds of the motor, even if frequency-rotational speed characteristics are not stored in advance. A target rotational speed of a moving member is set. A ratio of an amount of increase or decrease in a rotational speed of the moving member to an amount of update of a frequency of the AC voltage and a rotational speed difference between the target rotational speed and an actual rotational speed of the moving member are calculated. The amount of update of the frequency is calculated by dividing the calculated rotational speed difference by the calculated ratio. The frequency of the AC voltage is updated by using the calculated amount of update of the frequency.