Patent ID: 7154208

Claim:
A control apparatus for a vibration type actuator including a contact member in press contact with a vibration member having an electro-mechanical energy conversion element in which a driving alternating signal is applied to the electro-mechanical energy conversion element to generate driving vibration in the vibration member, thereby effecting relative movement between the vibration member and the contact member, said control apparatus comprising: a detecting circuit that detects a vibration of the vibration member and outputs a corresponding signal; and a control circuit that detects a vibration of the vibration member and outputs a corresponding signal; and a control circuit that applies an excitation signal to the electro-mechanical energy conversion element in an operation of decelerating or reversing or stopping a relative movement between the vibration member and the contact member, the excitation signal being controlled so as to excite the vibration in the vibration member in a direction that cancels free vibration in the vibration member, according to the signal output from the detecting circuit, wherein in an operation of reversing a moving direction of the relative movement between the vibration member and the contact member, the moving direction is reversed after application of the excitation signal for a period of a predetermined time or a time determined according to a velocity or amplitude of the vibration immediately before a start of a stop operation.