Hall-effect based linear motor controller

• US 9,784,594 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allegro Microsystems Incorporated (Sanken Electric Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Allegro Microsystems Incorporated (Sanken Electric Company Limited)
• Inventors: David, Paul, Milano, Shaun D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laballe, Clayton E
• Assistant Examiner(s): REISNER, NOAM S
• Application Number:
  US13/240,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20120008929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,210 Days
• Field of Search: 396 66, 396128, 348353
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/145 influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields see G01R33/06
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/102 controlled by a microcomputer cameras with interchangeable lenses G03B17/14
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/36 Autofocus systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/215 Magnetic effect devices, e.g. Hall-effect or magneto-resistive elements
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 41/0352 Unipolar motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 25/034 Voice coil motors voice coil motors driven by DC H02P7/025
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 25/06 Linear motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 25/066 of the stepping type
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/006 Controlling linear motors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/673 based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method

Abstract

A linear motion control device for use in a linear control system is presented. The linear motion control device includes a coil driver to drive a coil that, when driven, effects a linear movement by a motion device having a magnet. The linear motion control device also includes a magnetic field sensor to detect a magnetic field associated with the linear movement and an interface to connect an output of the magnetic field sensor and an input of the coil driver to an external controller. The interface includes a feedback loop to relate the magnetic field sensor output signal to the coil driver input.

Claims

1. A method of focusing a lens in a camera module having a voice coil actuator to effect displacement of the lens, comprising:

determining a displacement range value for the lens;

determining a per-frame value based on the displacement range value for the lens and a desired number of frames;

using the per-frame value and a current frame number to determine a value corresponding to a desired displacement of the lens; and

providing a request comprising the value corresponding to the desired displacement of the lens as an input to a device that adjusts a drive current supplied to a coil of the voice coil actuator according to the value corresponding to the desired displacement of the lens and an internal feedback loop in the device until the desired displacement of the lens has been effected by the voice coil actuator.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing capture of an image projected by the lens in a frame;

determining if the frame is a maximum frame; and

if the frame is determined not to be a maximum frame, incrementing the current frame number and returning to the step of using the per-frame value and the current frame number to determine a value corresponding to a desired displacement of the lens.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

if the frame is determined to be the maximum frame, determining which frame is in focus;

selecting the frame that is determined to be in focus;

causing the lens to be moved to a position for the selected frame; and

causing a picture to be taken for the selected frame.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein causing the lens to be moved to a position for the selected frame comprises:

providing a request to the device that causes the device to adjust the drive current supplied to the coil according to the request and the internal feedback loop in the device until the lens has been moved to the position for the selected frame.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the displacement range value comprises:

obtaining a value corresponding to a position of the lens when no current is supplied to the coil;

obtaining a second value corresponding to a second position of the lens when a maximum drive current is supplied to the coil, wherein obtaining the second value comprises providing a maximum current drive request to the device that causes the maximum drive current to be supplied to the coil; and

determining a difference between the first value and the second value.

6. A method of focusing a lens in a camera module having a voice coil actuator to effect displacement of the lens, comprising:

determining a displacement range value for the lens by obtaining a value corresponding to a position of the lens when no current is supplied to a coil of the voice coil actuator, Obtaining a second value corresponding to a second position of the lens when a maximum drive current is supplied to the coil, wherein obtaining the second value comprises providing a maximum current drive request to a device that causes the maximum drive current to be supplied to the coil, and determining a difference between the first value and the second value;

determining a value corresponding to a desired displacement of the lens based on the displacement range value;

providing a request comprising the value corresponding to a desired displacement of the lens based on the displacement range value to the device, causing the device to adjust a drive current supplied to the coil according to the value and an internal feedback loop in the device until the desired displacement of the lens has been effected by the voice coil actuator.

7. A method of focusing a lens in a camera module, comprising:

determining a displacement range for the lens;

using the displacement range to request a desired displacement of the lens; and

providing the request to a device that causes displacement of the lens by a voice coil actuator, by using an internal control loop comprising a magnetic field sensor to adjust a drive current supplied to a coil of the voice coil actuator.