Patent ID: 7620305

Claim:
An actuator comprising: a fixed member; a movable member; movable member supporting means for supporting the movable member so as to permit the movable member to move to an arbitrary position in a plane in parallel with the fixed member; at least three actuating coils attached to either one of the fixed member and the movable member, the at least three actuating coils driving the movable member; actuating magnets attached to the remaining one of the fixed member and the movable member in positions corresponding to the actuating coils so as to apply magnetic force to the corresponding actuating coils to affect each other when current flows in the actuating coils; position sensing means for detecting a relative position of the movable member to the fixed member; and control means for producing coil position command signals on the basis of a command signal for instructing the at least three actuating coils where the movable member is to be moved, and for independently controlling the drive current to flow in each of the actuating coils in response to the coil position command signal and the position data detected by the position sensing means.