Anti-shake apparatus

• US 7,692,687 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2005
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PENTAX RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD.
• Original Assignee: Hoya Corporation
• Inventors: Seo, Shuzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz; David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trehan; Akshay
• Application Number:
  US11/140,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20050270379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,770 Days
• Field of Search: 348/208.4, 348/208.5, 348/208.7, 348/208.13
• US Class Current: 348/208.5
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/687 by shifting the lens or sensor position

Abstract

An anti-shake apparatus of a photographing apparatus comprises a movable unit and a fixed unit. The movable unit has an imaging device and can be moved and rotated on a plane which is perpendicular to an optical axis of a camera lens of the photographing apparatus. The fixed unit supports the movable unit in a movable and rotatable situation on the plane. The movable unit and fixed unit have a moving apparatus that moves and rotates the movable unit. A number of points that receive a first force in a first direction by the moving apparatus, is equal to or more than 1. The first direction is perpendicular to the optical axis. A number of points that receive a second force in a second direction by the moving apparatus, is equal to or more than 2. The second direction is perpendicular to the optical axis and the first direction.

Claims

1. An anti-shake apparatus of a photographing apparatus, comprising:

a movable unit that has an imaging device that can be moved and rotated on a plane which is perpendicular to an optical axis of a camera lens of the photographing apparatus; and

a fixed unit that supports said movable unit to be movable and rotatable on said plane;

said movable unit and said fixed unit having a moving apparatus that moves and rotates said movable unit;

a number of points on said movable unit that receive a first force in a first direction by said moving apparatus, being equal to or more than 1, and said first direction being perpendicular to the optical axis;

a number of points on said movable unit that receive a second force in a second direction by said moving apparatus, being equal to or more than 2, and said second direction being perpendicular to the optical axis and to said first direction;

said points on said movable unit that receive said first force in said first direction being on a first line which is parallel to or extends in said second direction; and

said points on said movable unit that receive said second force in said second direction being on a second line which is parallel to or extends in said first direction

wherein one of said movable unit and said fixed unit has a coil unit that has one or more coils that move said movable unit in said first direction as said moving apparatus, and has two or more coils that move said movable unit in said second direction as said moving apparatus; and

another of said movable unit and said fixed unit has a driving magnet unit that has said one or more magnets that move said movable unit in said first direction as said moving apparatus, and has said two or more magnets that move said movable unit in said second direction as said moving apparatus, and

wherein a coil pattern of said coil that moves said movable unit in said first direction, has a line segment which is parallel to said second direction, before said movable unit is rotated, and a coil pattern of said coil that moves said movable unit in said second direction, has a line segment which is parallel to said first direction, before said movable unit is rotated; and

an N pole and S pole of said magnet that moves said movable unit in said first direction, are arranged in said first direction, and an N pole and S pole of said magnet that moves said movable unit in said second direction, are arranged in said second direction.

2. The anti-shake apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an urging member that urges said movable unit in a further direction which is parallel to said optical axis;

said movable unit comprising at least three balls;

said fixed unit comprising at least three ball bearings in contact with said balls; and

a number of said balls being equal to a number of said ball bearings.

3. An anti-shake apparatus of a photographing apparatus, comprising:

a movable unit that has an imaging device that can be moved and rotated on a plane which is perpendicular to an optical axis of a camera lens of the photographing apparatus; and

a fixed unit that supports said movable unit to be movable and rotatable on said plane;

said movable unit and said fixed unit having a moving apparatus that moves and rotates said movable unit;

a number of points on said movable unit that receive a first force in a first direction by said moving apparatus, being equal to or more than 1, and said first direction being perpendicular to the optical axis;

a number of points on said movable unit that receive a second force in a second direction by said moving apparatus, being equal to or more than 2, and said second direction being perpendicular to the optical axis and to said first direction;

said points on said movable unit that receive said first force in said first direction being on a first line which is parallel to or extends in said second direction; and

said points on said movable unit that receive said second force in said second direction being on a second line which is parallel to or extends in said first direction;

wherein one of said movable unit and said fixed unit has a coil unit that has one or more coils that move said movable unit in said first direction as said moving apparatus, and has two or more coils that move said movable unit in said second direction as said moving apparatus; and

another of said movable unit and said fixed unit has a driving magnet unit that has said one or more magnets that move said movable unit in said first direction as said moving apparatus, and has said two or more magnets that move said movable unit in said second direction as said moving apparatus,

wherein said coil unit has first and second coils that move said movable unit in said second direction, and a third coil that moves said movable unit in said first direction; and

said driving magnet unit has a first driving magnet which faces said first coil, a second driving magnet which faces said second coil, and a third driving magnet which faces said third coil.

4. The anti-shake apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the optical axis is located between said first and second coils in said first direction;

and

a distance between a center of said imaging device and a center of said first coil is the same as a distance between said center of said imaging device and a center of said second coil.

5. The anti-shake apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said second force is an electro-magnetic force having a first electro-magnetic force produced in response to a current of said first coil and a magnetic-field of said first driving magnet, and having a second electro-magnetic force produced in response to a current of said second coil and a magnetic-field of said second driving magnet;

when said movable unit is moved in said second direction, a direction of said first electro-magnetic force is the same as a direction of said second electro-magnetic force and a quantity of said first electro-magnetic force is the same as a quantity of said second electro-magnetic force;

when said movable unit is rotated on said plane, said direction of said first electro-magnetic force is opposite to said direction of said second electro-magnetic force and said quantity of said first electro-magnetic force is the same as said quantity of said second electro-magnetic force; and

when said movable unit is moved in said second direction and rotated on said plane, said direction of said first electro-magnetic force is the same as said direction of said second electro-magnetic force and said quantity of said first electro-magnetic force is different from said quantity of said second electro-magnetic force.

6. The anti-shake apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said coil unit has a fourth coil that moves said movable unit in said first direction;

and

said driving magnet unit has a fourth driving magnet which faces said fourth coil.

7. The anti-shake apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the optical axis is located between said first and second coils in said first direction, and is located between said third and fourth coils in said second direction;

a distance between a center of said imaging device and a center of said first coil is the same as a distance between said center of said imaging device and a center of said second coil; and

a distance between said center of said imaging device and a center of said third coil is the same as a distance between said center of said imaging device and a center of said fourth coil.

8. The anti-shake apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said second force is an electro-magnetic force having a first electro-magnetic force produced in response to a current of said first coil and a magnetic-field of said first driving magnet, and having a second electro-magnetic force produced in response to a current of said second coil and a magnetic-field of said second driving magnet;

said first force is an electro-magnetic-force having a third electro-magnetic force produced in response to a current of said third coil and a magnetic-field of said third driving magnet, and having a fourth electro-magnetic force produced in response to a current of said fourth coil and a magnetic-field of said fourth driving magnet;

when said movable unit is moved in said second direction, a direction of said first electro-magnetic force is the same as a direction of said second electro-magnetic force and a quantity of said first electro-magnetic force is the same as a quantity of said second electro-magnetic force;

when said movable unit is moved in said first direction, a direction of said third electro-magnetic force is the same as a direction of said fourth electro-magnetic force and a quantity of said third electro-magnetic force is the same as a quantity of said fourth electro-magnetic force;

when said movable unit is rotated on said plane, said direction of said first electro-magnetic force is opposite to said direction of said second electro-magnetic force and said quantity of said first electro-magnetic force is the same as said quantity of said second electro-magnetic force, or said direction of said third electro-magnetic force is opposite to said direction of said fourth electro-magnetic force and said quantity of said third electro-magnetic force is the same as said quantity of said fourth electro-magnetic force;

when said movable unit is moved in said second direction and rotated on said plane, said direction of said first electro-magnetic force is the same as said direction of said second electro-magnetic force and said quantity of said first electro-magnetic force is different from said quantity of said second electro-magnetic force; and

when said movable unit is moved in said first direction and rotated on said plane, said direction of said third electro-magnetic force is the same as said direction of said fourth electro-magnetic force and said quantity of said third electro-magnetic force is different from said quantity of said fourth electro-magnetic force.

9. The anti-shake apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said movable unit and said fixed unit have a position-detecting apparatus that detects first position-information in said first direction of said movable unit and second position-information in said second direction of said movable unit;

a number of points on said movable unit at which one of said first position-information and said second position-information is detected by said position-detecting apparatus, is equal to or more than 2; and

a number of points on said movable unit at which another of said first position-information and said second position-information is detected by said position-detecting apparatus, is equal to or more than 1.

10. The anti-shake apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising an urging member that urges said movable unit in a further direction which is parallel to the optical axis;

said movable unit comprising at least three balls;

said fixed unit comprising at least three ball bearings in contact with said three balls; and

a number of said balls being equal to a number of said ball bearings.

11. An anti-shake apparatus of a photographing apparatus, comprising:

a movable unit that has an imaging device that can be moved and rotated on a plane which is perpendicular to an optical axis of a camera lens of the photographing apparatus; and

a fixed unit that supports said movable unit to be movable and rotatable on said plane;

said movable unit and said fixed unit having a moving apparatus that moves and rotates said movable unit;

a number of points on said movable unit that receive a first force in a first direction by said moving apparatus, being equal to or more than 1, and said first direction being perpendicular to the optical axis;

a number of points on said movable unit that receive a second force in a second direction by said moving apparatus, being equal to or more than 2, and said second direction being perpendicular to the optical axis and to said first direction;

said points on said movable unit that receive said first force in said first direction being on a first line which is parallel to or extends in said second direction; and

said points on said movable unit that receive said second force in said second direction being on a second line which is parallel to or extends in said first direction, and an urging member that urges said movable unit in a third direction which is parallel to the optical axis with respect to which said movable unit is movable and rotatable on said plane;

said movable unit having three or more balls;

said fixed unit having three or more ball bearings that contact with said balls; and

a number of said balls being the same as a number of said ball bearings.

12. The anti-shake apparatus according to claim 11, wherein one of said movable unit and said fixed unit has a coil unit that has one or more coils that move said movable unit in said first direction as said moving apparatus, and has two or more coils that move said movable unit in said second direction as said moving apparatus;

and

another of said movable unit and said fixed unit has a driving magnet unit that has said one or more magnets that move said movable unit in said first direction as said moving apparatus, and has said two or more magnets that move said movable unit in said second direction as said moving apparatus.

13. The anti-shake apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a coil pattern of said coil that moves said movable unit in said first direction, has a line segment which is parallel to said second direction, before said movable unit is rotated, and a coil pattern of said coil that moves said movable unit in said second direction, has a line segment which is parallel to said first direction, before said movable unit is rotated;

and

an N pole and S pole of said magnet that moves said movable unit in said first direction, are arranged in said first direction, and an N pole and S pole of said magnet that moves said movable unit in said second direction, are arranged in said second direction.

14. An anti-shake apparatus of a photographing apparatus, comprising:

a movable unit that has an imaging device that can be moved and rotated on a plane which is perpendicular to an optical axis of a camera lens of the photographing apparatus; and

a fixed unit that supports said movable unit to be movable and rotatable on said plane;

said movable unit and said fixed unit having a moving apparatus that moves and rotates said movable unit;

a number of points on said movable unit that receive a first force in a first direction by said moving apparatus, being equal to or more than 1, and said first direction being perpendicular to the optical axis;

a number of points on said movable unit that receive a second force in a second direction by said moving apparatus, being equal to or more than 2, and said second direction being perpendicular to the optical axis and to said first direction;

said points on said movable unit that receive said first force in said first direction being on a first line which is parallel to or extends in said second direction; and

said points on said movable unit that receive said second force in said second direction being on a second line which is parallel to or extends in said first direction,

wherein said movable unit and said fixed unit have a position-detecting apparatus that detects first position-information in said first direction of said movable unit and second position-information in said second direction of said movable unit;

a number of points on said movable unit at which one of said first position-information and said second position-information is detected by said position-detecting apparatus, is equal to or more than 2; and

a number of points on said movable unit at which another of said first position-information and said second position-information is detected by said position-detecting apparatus, is equal to or more than 1,

wherein one of said movable unit and said fixed unit has a magnetic-field change-detecting unit that has two or more magnetic-field change-detecting elements which are used for detecting one of said first position-information and said second position-information as said position-detecting apparatus, and has one or more magnetic-field change-detecting elements which are used for detecting another of said first position-information and said second position-information as said position-detecting apparatus;

another of said movable unit and said fixed unit has a position-detecting magnet unit that has two or more position-detecting magnets which are used for detecting one of said first position-information and said second position-information as said position-detecting apparatus, and has one or more position-detecting magnets which are used for detecting another of said first position-information and said second position-information as said position-detecting apparatus;

a number of said magnetic-field change-detecting elements which are used for detecting one of said first position-information and said second position-information is the same as a number of said position-detecting magnets which are used for detecting one of said first position-information and said second position-information; and

a number of said magnetic-field change-detecting elements which are used for detecting another of said first position-information and said second position-information is the same as a number of said position-detecting magnets which are used for detecting another of said first position-information and said second position-information.

15. The anti-shake apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said magnetic-field change-detecting elements are hall elements.

16. The anti-shake apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a location of said movable unit which includes a rotation angle of said movable unit on said plane, is specified on the basis of output signals of said two or more magnetic-field change-detecting elements which are used for detecting one of said first position-information and said second position-information, and of output signals of said one or more magnetic-field change-detecting elements which are used for detecting another of said first position-information and second position-information.

17. An anti-shake apparatus of a photographing apparatus, comprising:

a movable unit that has an imaging device and that can be moved in a first direction which is perpendicular to an optical axis of a camera lens of said photographing apparatus, and can be rotated on a plane which is perpendicular to the optical axis; and

a fixed unit that supports said movable unit to be movable in said first direction and rotatable on said plane;

said movable unit and said fixed unit having a plurality of moving apparatuses that move said movable unit in said first direction and rotate said movable unit on said plane; and

a number of points on said movable unit that receive a force in said first direction by said plurality of moving apparatuses, being equal to or more than 2;

said points of said movable unit that receive said force in said first direction being on a line which is parallel to or extends in a second direction; and

said second direction being perpendicular to said first direction and the optical axis,

further comprising an urging member that urges said movable unit in a further direction which is parallel to said optical axis;

said movable unit comprising at least three balls;

said fixed unit comprising at least three ball bearings in contact with said balls; and

a number of said balls being equal to a number of said ball bearings.

18. The anti-shake apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said number of points are two;

and

said two plurality of moving apparatuses are arranged in a symmetric position centering around the optical axis, and arranged in said second direction before said movable unit is rotated.

19. An anti-shake apparatus of a photographic apparatus, comprising;

a movable unit that includes an imaging device and that can be rotated on a plane which is perpendicular to an optical axis of a camera lens of the photographic apparatus; and

a fixed unit that supports said movable unit so as to be rotatable within the plane;

said movable unit and said fixed unit having a rotating apparatus that rotates said movable unit within the plane; and

a number of points on said movable unit that receive a force in a first direction that is perpendicular to the optical axis, by said moving apparatus, being equal to or more than two;

said points of said movable unit that receive said force in said first direction extend along a line which is parallel to or extends in a second direction;

said second direction being perpendicular to said first direction and to the optical axis, and

further comprising an urging member that urges said movable unit in a further direction which is parallel to the optical axis;

said movable unit comprising at least three balls;

said fixed unit comprising at least three ball bearings in contact with said three balls; and

a number of said balls being equal to a number of said ball bearings.