US Patent 7595946 Imaging apparatus and portable apparatus

An imaging apparatus including a lens drive portion and an imaging lens. The lens drive portion, in response to a current signal moves the imaging lens to a position corresponding to the current signal in the optical axis direction. The imaging apparatus also includes a movement control portion that provides a current signal to the lens driving portion. The current signal is gradually changed from a first current signal corresponding to a first position before movement of the imaging lens, to a second current signal corresponding to a second position after movement.