Patents by Inventor Tomohiko Aki

Tomohiko Aki 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: 11976743
    Abstract: A wireless valve manifold is capable of wireless communication, and includes a plurality of solenoid valves. This wireless valve manifold is able to move by means of a movable unit. In addition, the wireless valve manifold includes a battery which can supply power to the plurality of solenoid valves, and a power-receiving control unit which is connected to the battery and which charges the battery with power by means of wireless power transmission from a feeder station of the wireless valve manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiko Aki, Norimasa Ozaki
  • Publication number: 20240072842
    Abstract: In an industrial wireless communication system. a base wireless device has a synchronous connection transmission unit for broadcasting a synchronous connection signal to achieve synchronous connection to a remote wireless device in only a single synchronous connection period which is an integral multiple of a hopping period. The synchronous connection transmission unit sequentially switches communication frequencies for synchronization so as to transmit the synchronous connection signal with a plurality of communication frequencies for synchronization within one hopping period. A synchronous connection reception unit sequentially switches communication frequencies for synchronization with a switching period which is longer than the hopping period and shorter than twice the hopping period, so as to perform a reception wait process for the synchronous connection signal with a plurality of communication frequencies for synchronization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Applicant: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiko AKI, Norimasa OZAKI
  • Patent number: 11512793
    Abstract: A remote control unit of a remote control device wirelessly transmits a first instruction signal or a second instruction signal instructing to operate a solenoid valve, to a solenoid valve control unit. The solenoid valve control unit receives the first instruction signal or the second instruction signal and generates a first drive signal or a second drive signal on the basis of the received first instruction signal or the received second instruction signal, respectively. The solenoid valve is of a double solenoid type, and includes a first solenoid to which the first drive signal is supplied and a second solenoid to which the second drive signal is supplied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomohiko Aki
  • Patent number: 11516877
    Abstract: A wireless communication system allows the movement of a carriage or an automated conveyance vehicle to which a plurality of slave wireless device and a plurality of appliances are provided. A master control unit of a master wireless device uses a master communication unit to transmit a cut-off request signal to a slave wireless device deviating from a communication-target region. If a slave communication unit receives the cut-off request signal, a slave control unit of the slave wireless device cuts off a wireless connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiko Aki, Norimasa Ozaki
  • Patent number: 11405065
    Abstract: A wireless antenna module includes a housing, at least a wireless antenna a main controller and an externally connection connector provided to the housing. The main controller has at least a processor which performs handling of information with other devices connected via the external connection connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiko Aki, Norimasa Ozaki
  • Patent number: 11319973
    Abstract: An abnormality detecting system and an abnormality detecting method acquires a stroke of a piston as input from outside, calculates a travel time of the piston based on the results of sensing obtained by a first sensor and a second sensor, calculates a total travel distance of the piston using the number of operations and the stroke of the piston, and detects an abnormality of the actuator based on the travel time and the number of operations or the total travel distance of the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiko Aki, Norimasa Ozaki
  • Publication number: 20210324964
    Abstract: A wireless valve manifold is capable of wireless communication, and includes a plurality of solenoid valves. This wireless valve manifold is able to move by means of a movable unit. In addition, the wireless valve manifold includes a battery which can supply power to the plurality of solenoid valves, and a power-receiving control unit which is connected to the battery and which charges the battery with power by means of wireless power transmission from a feeder station of the wireless valve manifold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Applicant: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiko AKI, Norimasa OZAKI
  • Publication number: 20210194525
    Abstract: A wireless antenna module includes a housing, at least a wireless antenna a main controller and an externally connection connector provided to the housing. The main controller has at least a processor which performs handling of information with other devices connected via the external connection connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Applicant: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiko AKI, Norimasa OZAKI
  • Publication number: 20210102561
    Abstract: An abnormality detecting system and an abnormality detecting method acquires a stroke of a piston as input from outside, calculates a travel time of the piston based on the results of sensing obtained by a first sensor and a second sensor, calculates a total travel distance of the piston using the number of operations and the stroke of the piston, and detects an abnormality of the actuator based on the travel time and the number of operations or the total travel distance of the piston.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Applicant: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiko AKI, Norimasa OZAKI
  • Publication number: 20210059007
    Abstract: A wireless communication system allows the movement of a carriage or an automated conveyance vehicle to which a plurality of slave wireless device and a plurality of appliances are provided. A master control unit of a master wireless device uses a master communication unit to transmit a cut-off request signal to a slave wireless device deviating from a communication-target region. If a slave communication unit receives the cut-off request signal, a slave control unit of the slave wireless device cuts off a wireless connection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Applicant: SMC Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiko AKI, Norimasa OZAKI
  • Publication number: 20200309283
    Abstract: A remote control unit of a remote control device wirelessly transmits a first instruction signal or a second instruction signal instructing to operate a solenoid valve, to a solenoid valve control unit. The solenoid valve control unit receives the first instruction signal or the second instruction signal and generates a first drive signal or a second drive signal on the basis of the received first instruction signal or the received second instruction signal, respectively. The solenoid valve is of a double solenoid type, and includes a first solenoid to which the first drive signal is supplied and a second solenoid to which the second drive signal is supplied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Applicant: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomohiko AKI
  • Patent number: 10139247
    Abstract: A number n of Hall elements of a position detecting device output analog detection signals responsive to magnetism from a magnet of a piston. A number n of AD converters carry out analog to digital conversion to convert the analog detection signals into digital detection signals. A ladder circuit receives, as an n-bit digital signal, the digital detection signals output from a number n of magnetic detectors, and performs digital to analog conversion thereof into a single analog output signal. A control IC detects an approximate position of the piston on the basis of the single analog output signal that is input thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Yamagishi, Tomohiko Aki, Norimasa Ozaki
  • Patent number: 10119836
    Abstract: A detecting unit detects a first output signal and a second output signal, which are output by a first sensor and a second sensor disposed on an actuator, and outputs a first detection signal and a second detection signal to a measurement unit. Based on the first detection signal and the second detection signal, the measurement unit measures a tact time taken for a piston to move from one end to another end of a movement range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiko Aki, Takaaki Goto, Takahiro Shinozaki, Norimasa Ozaki
  • Patent number: 10009874
    Abstract: An industrial wireless communications system includes a PLC that performs at least monitoring within an industrial facility, at least one master wireless device connected to the PLC by a fieldbus, a plurality of slave wireless devices, which are installed corresponding to respective hardware devices, and carry out wireless communications with the master wireless device, a connection processing unit that carries out a connection process wirelessly between the master wireless device and the slave wireless devices, and a transmission/reception processing unit that transmits and receives data wirelessly between the master wireless device and the slave wireless devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiko Aki, Kazuhiro Ishikawa, Koji Kunii, Toshiaki Kuwahara, Yoshihiro Nozaki, Shengcong Wu, Norimasa Ozaki
  • Patent number: D869410
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuko Kochi, Tomohiko Aki, Norimasa Ozaki
  • Patent number: D901385
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiko Aki, Yuko Kochi, Norimasa Ozaki
  • Patent number: D924138
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiko Aki, Yuko Kochi, Norimasa Ozaki
  • Patent number: D938357
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiko Aki, Yuko Kochi, Norimasa Ozaki
  • Patent number: D948453
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiko Aki, Yuko Kochi, Norimasa Ozaki
  • Patent number: D986175
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiko Aki, Yuko Kochi, Naoki Murakami, Norimasa Ozaki