Patents by Inventor Atsushi Tanahashi

Atsushi Tanahashi has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9849977
    Abstract: A site management system includes an unmanned airplane being switchable between an airplane mode for high speed flight and a VTOL mode for low speed flight, a working vehicle working in a civil construction site, a shape detection sensor provided in the unmanned airplane to detect a shape of the civil construction site, and an external control apparatus that controls flight of the unmanned airplane, driving of the working vehicle, and driving of the shape detection sensor. The external control apparatus moves the unmanned airplane to an observation area by performing the high speed flight. Further, the external control apparatus detects a shape of the observation area by driving the shape detection sensor while performing the high speed flight or by driving the shape detection sensor while performing low speed flight by switching from the airplane mode to the VTOL mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha TOPCON
    Inventor: Atsushi Tanahashi
  • Patent number: 9709993
    Abstract: A wide area sensor system includes an unmanned airplane being switchable between an airplane mode for high speed flight and a VTOL mode for low speed flight, a state detection sensor provided in the unmanned airplane, the state detection sensor being driven to detect a state of a detection target, and an external control apparatus that controls flight of the unmanned airplane and driving of the state detection sensor. The external control apparatus performs high speed sensing by driving the state detection sensor while performing the high speed flight of the unmanned airplane in the airplane mode. The control apparatus performs low speed sensing by driving the state detection sensor while performing the low speed flight of the unmanned airplane in the VTOL mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha TOPCON
    Inventor: Atsushi Tanahashi
  • Publication number: 20170001723
    Abstract: A site management system includes an unmanned airplane being switchable between an airplane mode for high speed flight and a VTOL mode for low speed flight, a working vehicle working in a civil construction site, a shape detection sensor provided in the unmanned airplane to detect a shape of the civil construction site, and an external control apparatus that controls flight of the unmanned airplane, driving of the working vehicle, and driving of the shape detection sensor. The external control apparatus moves the unmanned airplane to an observation area by performing the high speed flight. Further, the external control apparatus detects a shape of the observation area by driving the shape detection sensor while performing the high speed flight or by driving the shape detection sensor while performing low speed flight by switching from the airplane mode to the VTOL mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2015
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha TOPCON
    Inventor: Atsushi Tanahashi
  • Publication number: 20170003690
    Abstract: A wide area sensor system includes an unmanned airplane being switchable between an airplane mode for high speed flight and a VTOL mode for low speed flight, a state detection sensor provided in the unmanned airplane, the state detection sensor being driven to detect a state of a detection target, and an external control apparatus that controls flight of the unmanned airplane and driving of the state detection sensor. The external control apparatus performs high speed sensing by driving the state detection sensor while performing the high speed flight of the unmanned airplane in the airplane mode. The control apparatus performs low speed sensing by driving the state detection sensor while performing the low speed flight of the unmanned airplane in the VTOL mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2015
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha TOPCON
    Inventor: Atsushi Tanahashi
  • Patent number: 8473166
    Abstract: The blade on an earthmoving machine is controlled by a semiautomatic method comprising a combination of a manual operational mode and an automatic operational mode. An operator first enters the manual operational mode and manually sets the height of the blade. The operator then enters the automatic mode and sets a reference pitch angle and an initial control point. The height of the blade is automatically controlled based on pitch angle measurements received from pitch angle sensors. Automatic control is effective over a particular range of soil conditions. When the automatic control range is exceeded, the operator manually shifts the control point, and automatic control resumes about the new control point. Blade slope is automatically controlled based on roll angle measurements received from roll angle sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexey Zhdanov, Atsushi Tanahashi, Vernon Joseph Brabec
  • Patent number: 8412418
    Abstract: An industrial machine comprises an industrial machine main unit, a construction working implement installed on the industrial machine main unit, two cameras each mounted at a known position with respect to a machine center of the industrial machine main unit, at least three targets being installed on the working implement so that the targets are within visual field of each of the two cameras, and an arithmetic processing device. The arithmetic processing device is used for extracting the images of at least three targets in common to the images from stereo-images taken by the two cameras, for obtaining a three-dimensional position of each target image, and for calculating a position and a posture of the working implement with respect to the industrial machine main unit based on the three-dimensional position obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha TOPCON
    Inventors: Kaoru Kumagai, Atsushi Tanahashi, Hitoshi Otani
  • Patent number: 8319952
    Abstract: A geographic data collecting system, comprising a distance measuring unit for projecting a distance measuring light and for measuring a distance to an object to be measured, a camera for taking an image in measuring direction, a display unit for displaying the pickup image, a touch panel provided to correspond to a screen position of the display unit, a tilt sensor for detecting a tilting of the measuring direction, and an arithmetic unit for calculating a distance to the object to be measured by giving consideration on the tilting in the measuring direction and a point-to-point distance as specified on the image by specifying two or more points of the object to be measured on a displayed image via the touch panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha TOPCON
    Inventors: Hitoshi Otani, Atsushi Tanahashi, Hiroshi Inaba, Takeshi Ishida, Junki Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20110096319
    Abstract: A geographic data collecting system, comprising a distance measuring unit for projecting a distance measuring light and for measuring a distance to an object to be measured, a camera for taking an image in measuring direction, a display unit for displaying the pickup image, a touch panel provided to correspond to a screen position of the display unit, a tilt sensor for detecting a tilting of the measuring direction, and an arithmetic unit for calculating a distance to the object to be measured by giving consideration on the tilting in the measuring direction and a point-to-point distance as specified on the image by specifying two or more points of the object to be measured on a displayed image via the touch panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2011
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOPCON
    Inventors: Hitoshi Otani, Atsushi Tanahashi, Hiroshi Inaba, Takeshi Ishida, Junki Kaneko
  • Patent number: 7933001
    Abstract: A geographic data collecting system, comprising a distance measuring unit for projecting a distance measuring light and for measuring a distance to an object to be measured, a camera for taking an image in measuring direction, a display unit for displaying the pickup image, a touch panel provided to correspond to a screen position of the display unit, a tilt sensor for detecting a tilting of the measuring direction, and an arithmetic unit for calculating a distance to the object to be measured by giving consideration on the tilting in the measuring direction and a point-to-point distance as specified on the image by specifying two or more points of the object to be measured on a displayed image via the touch panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha TOPCON
    Inventors: Hitoshi Otani, Atsushi Tanahashi, Hiroshi Inaba, Takeshi Ishida, Junki Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20100299031
    Abstract: The blade on an earthmoving machine is controlled by a semiautomatic method comprising a combination of a manual operational mode and an automatic operational mode. An operator first enters the manual operational mode and manually sets the height of the blade. The operator then enters the automatic mode and sets a reference pitch angle and an initial control point. The height of the blade is automatically controlled based on pitch angle measurements received from pitch angle sensors. Automatic control is effective over a particular range of soil conditions. When the automatic control range is exceeded, the operator manually shifts the control point, and automatic control resumes about the new control point. Blade slope is automatically controlled based on roll angle measurements received from roll angle sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Applicant: TOPCON POSITIONING SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Alexey Zhdanov, Atsushi Tanahashi, Vernon Joseph Brabec
  • Publication number: 20100121540
    Abstract: The present invention provides an industrial machine, which comprises an industrial machine main unit 14, a construction working implement 8 installed on the industrial machine main unit, two cameras 18 and 19 each mounted at a known position with respect to a machine center of the industrial machine main unit, at least three targets 21 being installed on the working implement so that the targets are within visual field of each of the two cameras, and an arithmetic processing device 23 for extracting the images of at least three targets in common to the images from stereo-images taken by the two cameras, for obtaining a three-dimensional position of each target image, and for calculating a position and a posture of the working implement with respect to the industrial machine main unit based on the three-dimensional position obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Inventors: Kaoru Kumagai, Atsushi Tanahashi, Hitoshi Otani
  • Publication number: 20070008515
    Abstract: A geographic data collecting system, comprising a distance measuring unit for projecting a distance measuring light and for measuring a distance to an object to be measured, a camera for taking an image in measuring direction, a display unit for displaying the pickup image, a touch panel provided to correspond to a screen position of the display unit, a tilt sensor for detecting a tilting of the measuring direction, and an arithmetic unit for calculating a distance to the object to be measured by giving consideration on the tilting in the measuring direction and a point-to-point distance as specified on the image by specifying two or more points of the object to be measured on a displayed image via the touch panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2006
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Inventors: Hitoshi Otani, Atsushi Tanahashi, Hiroshi Inaba, Takeshi Ishida, Junki Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20070010924
    Abstract: A geographic data collecting system, comprising an image pickup unit for taking a digital image including a measuring point of an object to be measured, a GPS unit, an azimuth sensor for detecting an image pickup direction, a display unit for displaying the image taken, a receiving unit for receiving correction information to correct measurement result of the GPS unit, and a control arithmetic unit for obtaining corrected position data by correcting the measurement result based on the correction information and for associating the image acquired by the image pickup unit with the corrected position data and for storing the image and the corrected position data in a storage unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2005
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Inventors: Hitoshi Otani, Hiroshi Inaba, Takeshi Ishida, Atsushi Tanahashi, Junki Kaneko
  • Patent number: 6604540
    Abstract: A gas control valve is provided with a unipolar overheat prevention terminal of which the connection structure is simplified in a magnetic circuit. In a flame-retention, storage type closed vessel gas water heater for automatically controlling the temperature of hot water in a tank to a desired level, the unipolar overheat prevention terminal 7 is mounted in the main body of an ignition/extinction unit A as held with a retaining projection 15 provided integrally on a cover 14 of the ignition/extinction unit so that it can hardly be detached while being separated from a gas shut off magnetic valve MV mounted at the upstream side of a gas flow passage 1. A burner flame detecting thermocouple TC and the gas shut off magnetic valve MV in the magnetic circuit are connected to each other by the unipolar overheat prevention terminal 7.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: Paloma Industries, Limited
    Inventors: Tatsuo Kuriyama, Atsushi Tanahashi
  • Patent number: 6571829
    Abstract: A gas control valve in a water heater is provided for improving the ease of assembling, minimizing the size and the cost, and decreasing the limitation of layout design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: Paloma Industries Limited
    Inventors: Tatsuo Kuriyama, Atsushi Tanahashi
  • Patent number: 6345768
    Abstract: A control valve for a vessel gas water heater includes a single governor for controlling a wider range of the flow of gas from pilot supply to main supply. Once an ignition knob 1 is pressed and turned to open the magnetic valve V1 and ignite the pilot burner PB, the magnetic valve V1 is maintained open by the electromotive force of a thermocouple TC heated by a pilot flame c. When the ignition knob 1 is released from being pressed, and turned further to open the plunger valve V3, the boiler is shifted to the standby state for enabling the supply of gas to the main burner MB. Meanwhile, a sensor rod B is mounted in a reservoir A for contracting and expanding depending on the temperature of the hot water in the reservoir A to open and close the snap valve V5, thus controlling the combustion and its cancellation in the main burner MB. Accordingly, the temperature of the hot water in the reservoir A can automatically be controlled in the vessel gas water heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2002
    Assignee: Paloma Industries, Limited
    Inventors: Hideo Inagaki, Atsushi Tanahashi
  • Publication number: 20010022190
    Abstract: A gas control valve in a water heater is provided with a unipolar overheat prevention terminal of which the connection structure is simplified in the magnetic circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2001
    Publication date: September 20, 2001
    Applicant: PALOMA INDUSTRIES, LIMITED
    Inventors: Tatsuo Kuriyama, Atsushi Tanahashi
  • Publication number: 20010022198
    Abstract: A gas control valve in a water heater is provided for improving the ease of assembling, minimizing the size and the cost, and decreasing the limitation of layout design.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2001
    Publication date: September 20, 2001
    Applicant: PALOMA INDUSTRIES, LIMITED
    Inventors: Tatsuo Kuriyama, Atsushi Tanahashi
  • Patent number: D763733
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOPCON, TOPCON POSITIONING SYSTEMS, INC., SAL ENGINEERING, S.R.L.
    Inventors: Mario Gattelli, Andrea Cucchiara, Mitsuru Ogawa, Atsushi Tanahashi, Luca Masini