Abstract: The present invention relates to apparatus achieving improvement in operation characteristics in the operation of stopping or reversing the direction of or decelerating movement of a vibrating wave actuator constructed to apply an alternating voltage to an electro-mechanical energy conversion element to vibrate a vibration member to obtain a driving force. In the operation of stopping the vibrating wave actuator, it is necessary to cancel the vibration to stop the actuator, in order to stop the actuator in good response. The present invention has achieved the above object by applying an excitation signal, which excites vibration in a direction to cancel free vibration in the vibration member, to the electro-mechanical energy conversion element in the stop operation or the like.

Abstract: This invention relates to an arrangement for detecting the driven state of a vibration wave actuator apparatus and provides an apparatus in which a waveform signal having an amplitude corresponding to a vibration state is generated by a monitor circuit, and this waveform signal is level-detected by a comparing circuit having a predetermined threshold so as to form a signal having a pulse width corresponding to the amplitude of the waveform signal, thereby detecting a vibration state from the pulse width.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to improve electro-mechanical energy conversion efficiency and reduce generation of noises in a vibration type actuator. To achieve the above object of the present invention, each of plural switching elements is operated by a switching pulse generated by a drive control circuit of the motor. As a result, the drive control circuit selects a width of the generated switching pulse such that the amplitude of a base wave frequency component (“base wave”) among frequency components of a voltage applied to an inductance element may be larger than a total amplitude of higher harmonic wave frequency components (“whole higher harmonic wave”).

Abstract: This invention relates to a driving device for a vibration type actuator. In this device, since the characteristics of the actuator change depending on temperature and the like, control characteristics must be optimized. This invention is designed to determine a control gain based on the ratio of the change amount of the frequency of a driving signal that causes the speed change to the change amount of the speed when the driving speed changes a predetermined amount upon driving of the actuator, thereby performing appropriate control.

Abstract: Disclosed is an inspection method for inspecting the electrical characteristics of a device by bringing an inspecting probe into electrical contact with an inspection electrode. An insulating film formed on the surface of the inspection electrode is broken by utilizing a fritting phenomenon so as to bring the inspection electrode into electrical contact with the inspection electrode.

Abstract: A driving apparatus is provided with an evaluating device for evaluating a wear state in a friction surface between a vibration member and a movable member in a vibration type actuator apparatus. The evaluating device accurately and automatically evaluating the wear state of the friction surface by detecting a fluctuation amount of a driving speed under driving conditions of the vibration type actuator apparatus selected so as to achieve a fixed speed.

Abstract: A pulse forming circuit for a vibration type actuator apparatus. This circuit forms pulses by shifting an output from a frequency dividing circuit while changing the shift amount of a time delaying circuit using a ring oscillator for shifting an output from the frequency dividing circuit every time an output is generated by a frequency dividing circuit. With this arrangement, the actuator can be driven by using high-resolution pulse signals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a control device for vibration type actuator and, particularly, to an arrangement for forming a driving signal by using a pulse signal. In the invention, a periodic pulse is formed by integral multiplying of a period of a reference pulse, analog signals of first and second values are formed at each period of the periodic pulse, an analog signal of third value between the first and second values is formed in a short time, the analog signals are input to a low-pass filter so as to convert the signals to pulse signals by comparing the outputs of the low-pass filter with reference valves, and thereby the formed driving signal includes frequencies at higher resolution than that of the reference pulse so that the control device provides a drive with higher precision.

Abstract: A control apparatus for a vibration type actuator includes a first integral means for integrating a difference between a detected driving speed state of the actuator and a target speed state of the actuator, and a second integral means for integrating the integral value of the first integral means, where a drive operation of the actuator is controlled with a periodic signal varied in accordance with the sum of the integral values of the first and second integral means, thereby accurately controlling the target speed and position of a moving member driven by the actuator.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus for simultaneously driving a plurality of vibration type motors. The frequency of a cyclic signal at which the motors exhibit the same speed is detected from the driving characteristics obtained upon application of the cyclic signal to each motor. When the motors are simultaneously driven, a cyclic signal having the detected frequency for each motor is applied to each motor to make the speeds of the motors equal to each other.

Abstract: This invention relates to a driving apparatus for a vibration type actuator device which obtains a driving force by applying a frequency signal to an electro-mechanical energy conversion element.This invention provides, as the driving apparatus, a vibration type actuator device which changes the frequency of the frequency signal until the driving speed reaches a speed higher than a target speed upon driving control to the target speed, and thereafter, switches the control to the target speed to amplitude control of the frequency signal, so that the driving speed can be quickly changed to the target speed, and the subsequent target speed control can be appropriately performed.

Abstract: The driving control of a vibration type motor for driving, for example e.g., the drum of a copying apparatus is controlled wherein, in a printing operation, the driving control of the motor is effected by amplitude control, and in the initial operation after the closing of a power source switch (i.e., during the start-up), the driving control of the motor is effected by frequency control, whereby appropriate driving control is effected in accordance with the type of work performed by the apparatus.

Abstract: An actuator apparatus for applying an electrical signal to an electro-mechanical energy conversion element to form a vibration, and for driving a moving body based on the vibration.When the moving speed of a moving body moved by the actuator apparatus is monitored by, e.g., an encoder, the apparatus detects the encoder output at a timing corresponding to the vibrating state of the actuator, so that an encoder output free from the influence of the vibration can be precisely detected.

Abstract: A position control device for driving a movable member by a motor to a target position prevents a re-start of the motor by the vibration after stopping of the movable member. A re-start operation is forcedly inhibited during a predetermined period after a stopping operation of the movable member at the target position, and is permitted, only after the predetermined period, is entered by the position of the movable member is different from the target position.

Abstract: This invention relates to a vibration type actuator device, which obtains a driving force by applying alternating signals to an electro-mechanical energy conversion element.In particular, this invention relates to an actuator device system, which forms position information of a movable member by counting pulses from an encoder using a counter upon execution of moving amount control of the movable member using the actuator device, and performs driving control of the actuator device on the basis of this count value.In this system, a memory for storing the count value of the counter obtained when the actuator device is stopped is provided, and when the actuator device is restarted, the count value stored in the memory is transferred to the counter. When the actuator device is stopped, even if power supply to a control circuit portion such as the counter is stopped as well, precise control based on the count value of the counter can be performed upon restarting of the actuator device.

Abstract: A vibration type actuator device, and particularly a vibration type actuator device is heated for a predetermined time at the starting of the actuator device, and is operated thereafter.

Abstract: A vibration type actuator device having a wave speed control range, wherein the driving voltage of a driving signal of the actuator device is controlled in accordance with the difference between a target speed and an actual speed, so that it increases if the actual speed is lower than the target speed, or decreases if the actual speed is higher than the target speed. The frequency of the driving signal also is controlled to decrease if the driving voltage is higher than a predetermined value, or to increase if the driving voltage is lower than the predetermined value.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a vibration member having an upper surface, a bottom surface, an inner circumferential portion and an outer circumferential portion, and further having a first portion in press contact with the sheet being fed and a second portion substantially out of contact with the sheet while the sheet is being fed. An electromechanical energy conversion element is provided on the bottom surface of the vibration member and generates a vibration wave in the first portion of the vibration member in response to an applied electrical signal, the vibration wave creating a driving force for moving the sheet.

Abstract: There are disclosed a signal processing method, and a displacement information measuring apparatus utilizing such method, capable of providing highly reliable binary signals even in the presence of a time-dependent variation in the light emission intensity of the light source, a variation in the emission intensity resulting from a variation in the external temperature, or a variation in the optical transmittance resulting from smear on the optical scales, thereby enabling highly precise detection of the displacement information of the movable member.

Abstract: A vibration type motor system obtains the drive force by supplying frequency signals to electro-mechanical energy conversion elements provided on a vibration member. The motor system adopts a specific configuration to include a pair of lines and others structured by twisting the connection lines for applying frequency signals from the drive circuit to the conversion elements.