Patent ID: 7773352

Claim:
A motor drive device comprising: a drive unit which controls energization of a motor that is to be driven, based on a control signal instructing rotation of the motor the control signal being variable between a state to instruct stoppage of the motor and a state to instruct driving of the motor; a lock protection circuit which monitors a signal indicating a present rotational condition of the motor and stops energization of the motor, when rotation of the motor is stopped; a lock controller which has the lock protection circuit inactive, in cases in which the control signal continues to instruct stoppage of the motor for at least a predetermined first time-period the predetermined first time-period being measured from a time at which the control signal transitions from the state to instruct driving of the motor to the state to instruct stoppage of the motor; and a standby controller which starts time measurement at an occasion when the control signal has continued to instruct stoppage of the motor for at least the first time-period, and after a further predetermined second time-period has elapsed, stops at least part of the motor drive device, and makes the motor drive device transit to a standby mode.