Patents by Inventor Takafumi Sonoura

Takafumi Sonoura 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: 10457490
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a transfer apparatus includes a base, a first linear motion member, a second linear motion member, a moving conveyor, an extraction arm, and a holding part. The first linear motion member is supported by the base and is movable in a first direction. The second linear motion member is supported by the first liner motion member and is movable in a second direction crossing the first direction. The moving conveyor is supported by the second linear motion member and includes a belt for conveying an article. The extraction arm is provided on a side of the moving conveyor, extracts the article and places the article on the belt. The holding part is provided at an end of the extraction arm and holds the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hideichi Nakamoto, Haruna Eto, Akihito Ogawa, Junya Tanaka, Takafumi Sonoura, Toshikatsu Akiba
  • Patent number: 10453028
    Abstract: A store of an embodiment includes a shelf, a conveyor, an elevator mechanism, a robot hand, and a robot mechanism. In the shelf, products can be displayed. The conveyor is arranged along the shelf. The conveyor is configured to convey a container in which the product is placed. The elevator mechanism is configured to move the container up and down. The robot hand is capable of griping the product. The robot mechanism is configured to perform positioning of the robot hand. The robot mechanism is configured to overlap at least a part of the conveyor in a top view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Atsushi Sugahara, Kazuma Komoda, Daisuke Yamamoto, Takafumi Sonoura, Haruna Eto, Akihito Ogawa, Junya Tanaka, Hideichi Nakamoto
  • Patent number: 10434663
    Abstract: An vacuum device includes a suction pad vacuumed on a to-be-vacuumed surface of a vacuum target, and a bellows tube having the suction pad at one end in a telescopic direction and having an internal space that is expanded and contracted by pressure of air, the telescopic member being elongated and contracted by expansion and contraction of the internal space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Junya Tanaka, Akihito Ogawa, Atsushi Sugahara, Hideichi Nakamoto, Takafumi Sonoura, Haruna Eto
  • Publication number: 20190284033
    Abstract: In embodiments, a conveying apparatus includes a base, a wheel, a lifter, a lower side distance detection unit, and a control unit. The wheel is connected to the base via a suspension mechanism and is rotatable. The lifter is able to be lifted and lowered with respect to the base in a direction of a conveyance target. The lower side distance detection unit detects a lower side distance between a reference surface of the base and a ground contact surface of the wheel. The control unit controls a lifting/lowering operation of the lifter and rotative driving of the wheel. The control unit causes the lifter to be lifted and lowered based on the lower side distance and to support a part of a weight of the conveyance target, and causes the wheel to be rotatively driven and to convey the conveyance target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Daisuke Yamamoto, Hideki Ogawa, Takafumi Sonoura, Atsushi Sadamoto, Hiroshi Ohtsu
  • Publication number: 20190276250
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a transfer apparatus includes a gripper, a first driving mechanism, an elastic passive joint part, a conveyor, a second driving mechanism, and base. The gripper grips an article. The first driving mechanism linearly moves the gripper in at least two directions including a first direction and a second direction intersecting with the first direction. The elastic passive joint part is interposed between the gripper and the first driving mechanism, and operates in accordance with an operation of the gripper. The conveyor conveys the article. The second driving mechanism linearly moves the conveyor in the at least two directions, and is connected to the conveyor. The base supports the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Junya TANAKA, Kazuo WATABE, Akihito OGAWA, Hideichi NAKAMOTO, Takafumi SONOURA, Haruna ETO
  • Patent number: 10410172
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, an object detection apparatus includes an imaging unit, an extraction unit, an estimation unit, and a detection unit. The imaging unit acquires an image of a plurality of polyhedrons which are loaded, each of the polyhedrons having a marker on a surface, each of marker including a first straight line portion and a second straight line portion. The extraction unit that extracts a plurality of markers included in the image. The estimation unit estimates a region included in the surface by using the first straight line portion and the second straight line portion of the extracted markers. The detection unit detects a region having all corners provided with the markers as a surface of a desired polyhedron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Takafumi Sonoura, Akihito Ogawa, Hideichi Nakamoto, Haruna Eto, Rie Katsuki, Junya Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10370201
    Abstract: A transporter of an embodiment has a transporter, a detector, and a controller. The transporter holds a selected object from among a plurality of objects and transports the selected object in a first direction in a first state, and then configured to transport the selected object, while holding the selected object, in a second direction different from the first direction and not anti-parallel to the first direction, in a second state. The detector detects a change from the first state to the second state, wherein, in the second state, the transporter can transport the selected object in the second direction without disturbance by the presence of any other object than the selected object. The controller stops transporting the selected object in the first direction, in case that the detector detected the change from the first state to the second state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takafumi Sonoura, Akihito Ogawa, Hideichi Nakamoto, Atsushi Sugahara, Haruna Eto, Junya Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10351362
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a transfer apparatus includes a gripper, a first driving mechanism, an elastic passive joint part, a conveyor, a second driving mechanism, and base. The gripper grips an article. The first driving mechanism linearly moves the gripper in at least two directions including a first direction and a second direction intersecting with the first direction. The elastic passive joint part is interposed between the gripper and the first driving mechanism, and operates in accordance with an operation of the gripper. The conveyor conveys the article. The second driving mechanism linearly moves the conveyor in the at least two directions, and is connected to the conveyor. The base supports the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Junya Tanaka, Kazuo Watabe, Akihito Ogawa, Hideichi Nakamoto, Takafumi Sonoura, Haruna Eto
  • Publication number: 20190202388
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an unmanned transport vehicle includes a vehicle body, a connector, a bumper, and a bumper driver. The vehicle body includes a moving mechanism and a moving mechanism driver. The moving mechanism driver is configured to drive the moving mechanism. The connector is at the vehicle body and connectable to a transport-object. The bumper is adjacent to the vehicle body in a first direction. The bumper includes a collision detection sensor. The bumper is extendable and contractible in a second direction. The second direction intersects the first direction. The bumper driver is configured to extend and contract the bumper in the second direction by moving at least a portion of the bumper in the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2018
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takafumi Sonoura, Daisuke Yamamoto, Hideki Ogawa
  • Patent number: 10315865
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a conveying device includes a controller that is configured to determine a moving direction of a holder holding a first object based on a state of overlapping between the first object and a second object viewed in a conveying direction of the first object in a case where the second object is positioned in the conveying direction of the first object with respect to the first object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Haruna Eto, Takafumi Sonoura, Hideichi Nakamoto, Akihito Ogawa, Atsushi Sugahara, Junya Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20190080278
    Abstract: A store of an embodiment includes a shelf, a conveyor, an elevator mechanism, a robot hand, and a robot mechanism. In the shelf, products can be displayed. The conveyor is arranged along the shelf. The conveyor is configured to convey a container in which the product is placed. The elevator mechanism is configured to move the container up and down. The robot hand is capable of griping the product. The robot mechanism is configured to perform positioning of the robot hand. The robot mechanism is configured to overlap at least a part of the conveyor in a top view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Atsushi SUGAHARA, Kazuma KOMODA, Daisuke YAMAMOTO, Takafumi SONOURA, Haruna ETO, Akihito OGAWA, Junya TANAKA, Hideichi NAKAMOTO
  • Patent number: 10227176
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a picking apparatus includes a carriage, a holding mechanism, and a movement mechanism. The holding mechanism includes an arm, a rotating shaft provided at one end of the arm and rotating the arm, and a holding part provided at the other end of the arm and able to hold at least one object. The movement mechanism is provided on the carriage, and includes a first movement part that moves the rotating shaft along a first direction toward the object, and a second movement part that moves the first movement part along a second direction intersecting with the first direction and approximately perpendicular to the carriage. The first movement part is positioned along a direction away from the object with respect to the second movement part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Atsushi Sugahara, Hideichi Nakamoto, Junya Tanaka, Akihito Ogawa, Takafumi Sonoura, Haruna Eto
  • Publication number: 20190030730
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, transfer equipment includes: a first negative-pressure generation source; a plurality of first vacuum suction parts; a sensor part; and a first determination circuit. The sensor part configured to acquire a plurality of measured values corresponding to the negative pressure of each of the first vacuum suction parts. The first determination circuit configured to set a first threshold value based on the measured values and determine a vacuum suction state of the first vacuum suction parts corresponding to the measured valued based on the first threshold value and the measured values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Junya TANAKA, Akihito OGAWA, Takafumi SONOURA, Haruna ETO
  • Patent number: 10192315
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an object holding apparatus includes a holding part, a recognition device, and a controller. The holding part is able to hold at least one object. The recognition device recognizes a plurality of objects to generate a recognition result. The controller selects a first object from the objects, based on the recognition result. The controller sets a first direction to one side of the first object along which the number of objects aligned with the first object is smaller than the number of objects aligned with the first object along the other side of the first object. The controller selects a second object aligned with the first object along the first direction. The controller controls a driving of the holding part, based on a selection result of the first object and the second object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Haruna Eto, Takafumi Sonoura, Hideichi Nakamoto, Akihito Ogawa, Atsushi Sugahara, Junya Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20190011551
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a measuring apparatus includes an ultrasonic transmitter, an ultrasonic receiver and an estimator. An ultrasonic transmitter transmits, as a transmission signal, an ultrasonic beam in a plurality of directions. An ultrasonic receiver receives, as received signals, reflected waves of the transmission signal from the plurality of directions, one received signal including a plurality of reflected waves when the transmission signal is transmitted to one direction of the plurality of directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSIHBA
    Inventors: Daisuke YAMAMOTO, Takafumi SONOURA
  • Publication number: 20180275663
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an autonomous movement apparatus includes a memory, a contact sensor, a distance sensor, a position identification circuit, and a processor. The memory stores a grid snap including a grid value indicative of a presence or non-presence state of an obstacle. The processor estimates a position of the obstacle and the grid value based on the distance sensed by the distance sensor and the identified current position. The processor overwrites the grid value in a sensing area of the contact sensor with a predetermined value or overwrites the grid value in a sensing area of the distance sensor with a predetermined value or the estimated grid, value in accordance with a sensing result from each of the contact sensor and the distance sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Takafumi SONOURA
  • Publication number: 20180267540
    Abstract: A movement control system, a movement control device, and a program capable of generating a path corresponding to a more detailed surrounding environment are provided. A movement control system of an embodiment includes a first map generating unit and a second map generating unit. The first map generating unit generates first map information indicating a distribution of existence states related to a possibility of existence of a physical object on the basis of a position of the physical object measured by a measurement unit. The second map generating unit generates second map information indicating the existence state of the physical object of which a period during which the existence state is maintained up to a current time is within a predetermined period from the first map information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Takafumi Sonoura
  • Patent number: 10053305
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an article handling apparatus includes a gripper, a supporting portion, a sensor, and controller. The gripper grips an article. The supporting portion supports an article from below. The sensor recognizes a plurality of articles to generate a recognition result. The controller calculates a position of a first article located highest among the plurality of articles based on the recognition result, calculates a position of a second article located second highest in a region determined based on the position of the first article, controls movement of the gripper based on the position of the first article, and controls the movement of the supporting portion based on the position of the second article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Haruna Eto, Akihito Ogawa, Takafumi Sonoura, Hideichi Nakamoto, Junya Tanaka, Rie Katsuki
  • Publication number: 20180215540
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a variable article holding device includes a first base part, a first holder, a second base part, a first driving mechanism, a protruding member, and a second driving mechanism. The first holder holds an article and is provided on the first base part. The second base part rotatably supports the first base part about a rotary axis. The first driving mechanism rotates the first base part. The second driving mechanism moves the protruding member in a direction crossing the rotary axis and is provided on the first base part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Junya TANAKA, Akihito OGAWA, Atsushi SUGAHARA, Hideichi NAKAMOTO, Takafumi SONOURA, Haruna ETO
  • Patent number: 10023400
    Abstract: An article holding system according to an embodiment is an article holding system which is provided with a fixed portion, a movable portion, a hollow member located between the fixed portion and the movable portion, a drawing portion to draw in the hollow member, and a fluid control device to supply fluid to an inside of the hollow member, wherein the hollow member deforms in a state that the fluid is supplied by the fluid control device, and the hollow member is drawn out from the drawing portion, to change a distance between the fixed portion and the movable portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Junya Tanaka, Akihito Ogawa, Hideichi Nakamoto, Atsushi Sugahara, Takafumi Sonoura, Haruna Eto