Patents by Inventor Toru Takenaka
Toru Takenaka 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).
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Publication number: 20180280178Abstract: Provided is a motion transmission mechanism 30 of a limb motion support device 1A configured so as not to transmit the movements of a pair of braces 10R and 10L attached to right and left legs to spring members 20R and 20L in a state where the bending degrees of the right and left legs are smaller than a predetermined bending degree in the case where both of the right and left legs equipped with the braces 10L and 10R are bent from a stretched state and configured to transmit the movements of the braces 10L and 10R to the spring members 20L and 20R via a wire 31 after the bending degrees of the legs increase to be larger than the predetermined bending degree.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 23, 2018Publication date: October 4, 2018Inventors: Kei Shimada, Toru Takenaka
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Publication number: 20180178876Abstract: A vehicle includes a vehicle body and a front wheel that is disposed anterior to the vehicle body and that is steerable about a steering axis. The vehicle body includes a vehicle body frame and a steering rotation unit that is supported on the vehicle body frame and that rotates about the steering axis. The vehicle includes a variable trail length mechanism. The variable trail length mechanism includes an oscillation unit that supports front forks that are disposed to be oscillatable in a fore-aft direction and that support the front wheel, and an electric motor that oscillates the oscillation unit. The electric motor is supported by the vehicle body.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2017Publication date: June 28, 2018Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Makoto Araki, Takashi Kudo, Toru Takenaka
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Publication number: 20180178873Abstract: A vehicle includes a vehicle body, a front wheel that is disposed anterior to the vehicle body and that is steerable about a steering axis, and a front fork that supports the front wheel. The vehicle body includes a vehicle body frame and a steering rotation unit that is supported on the vehicle body frame and that rotates about the steering axis. The vehicle includes a variable trail length mechanism. The variable trail length mechanism includes an oscillation shaft that extends in a vehicle width direction to thereby connect the front fork oscillatably with the steering rotation unit. The oscillation shaft is disposed at a position overlapping an axis of the front fork in a vehicle side elevational view.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2017Publication date: June 28, 2018Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Makoto ARAKI, Takashi KUDO, Toru TAKENAKA
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Publication number: 20180178872Abstract: A vehicle includes a vehicle frame, a steering swivel unit supported on a head pipe of the vehicle frame and angularly movable about a steering axis, a front wheel angularly movable in unison with the steering swivel unit, and a steering handle mounted on the steering swivel unit. The vehicle has a steering handle turning mechanism that makes the steering handle angularly movable about the steering axis relatively to the steering swivel unit. The steering handle turning mechanism includes a handle turning motor for angularly moving the steering handle about the steering axis.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2017Publication date: June 28, 2018Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Makoto ARAKI, Yusuke YAMAMOTO, Toru TAKENAKA
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Publication number: 20180178827Abstract: A vehicle includes a vehicle frame, a steering swivel unit supported on a head pipe of the vehicle frame and angularly movable about a steering axis, a front wheel angularly movable in unison with the steering swivel unit, and an automatic steering mechanism for angularly moving the steering swivel unit, wherein the vehicle frame includes a main frame extending rearwardly from the head pipe, and the steering mechanism includes a steering motor for angularly moving the steering swivel unit, the steering motor being supported on the main frame.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2017Publication date: June 28, 2018Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Makoto ARAKI, Kazushi AKIMOTO, Toru TAKENAKA
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Publication number: 20180125692Abstract: Provided is a motion assist device that can minimize the number of actuators that are required for assisting a certain mode of motion of the user while allowing a greater freedom of motion beside from the motion which the motion assist device is designed to assist. A power transmission mechanism for the device includes a belt drive mechanism which is incorporated with a differential mechanism.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2017Publication date: May 10, 2018Inventors: Toru TAKENAKA, Kei SHIMADA
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Patent number: 9914461Abstract: A device that can stably and accurately estimate the roll angle of a vehicle body during various states of movement of the vehicle body. A roll angle estimated value calculation portion calculates an estimated value of the roll angle by integrating a value obtained by correcting an estimated value of roll angle velocity of a vehicle body by use of a correction value, or by correcting a value obtained by integrating an estimated value of roll angle velocity by use of a correction value. The correction value is calculated by use of a detection value of speed of the vehicle body in the traveling direction, detection values of angular velocity and acceleration detected by sensors mounted on the vehicle body, a previous estimated value of the roll angle, and a previous estimated value of the pitch angle of the vehicle body.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2015Date of Patent: March 13, 2018Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Satoru Okoshi, Toru Takenaka, Shinya Shirokura
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Publication number: 20180057050Abstract: The steering angles of front wheels 3f and rear wheels 3r of a vehicle 1 can be respectively controlled by a front wheel steering angle control actuator 35 and a rear wheel steering angle control actuator 44. If a steering wheel 20 is operated in a turning direction of the vehicle 1 while the vehicle 1 is traveling in a straight line, then a controller 60 changes the steering angle of the front wheels 3f to approach to a steering angle specified on the basis of an operation amount after the steering wheel 20 is operated, and also controls the front wheel steering angle control actuator 35 and the rear wheel steering angle control actuator 44 to change the steering angles of the rear wheels 3r to the opposite direction of the turning direction of the vehicle 1 immediately after the steering wheel 20 is operated.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 22, 2017Publication date: March 1, 2018Inventors: Toru Takenaka, Hiroshi Gomi, Yoshinao Sodeyama, Kazushi Akimoto, Osamu Kikuchi, Takashi Kudo
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Publication number: 20170360645Abstract: A movement assistance device is provided with thigh frames, lower leg frames, and knee joint mechanisms which are disposed on the outer side and the inner side, respectively, of each knee of a person to be assisted. Each of the thigh frames has a first main frame, which extends in the longitudinal direction of a thigh from a base disposed on one side of the hip of the person to be assisted to the outer knee joint mechanism, a second main frame, which obliquely extends on the front side of the thigh from the base to the inner knee joint mechanism, and a body support member, which is extended between the two main frames on the rear surface side of the thigh.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2015Publication date: December 21, 2017Inventors: Yoshinao SODEYAMA, Toru TAKENAKA, Hiroshi GOMI, Yosuke IKEDO, Kenichi KATAGIRI
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Patent number: 9804189Abstract: An upper body motion measurement system 1 has a plurality of inertia sensor units 2, each of which incorporating an angular velocity sensor 4 and an acceleration sensor 5. The plurality of the inertia sensor units 2 is attached to places that are different from each other on the upper body of a subject P. Based on the detection outputs of the angular velocity sensor 4 and the acceleration sensor 5, the attitude of each of the inertia sensor units 2 is estimated, and the acceleration thereof is further estimated. The angular acceleration of the upper body of the subject P is estimated based on the estimated accelerations of the plurality of the inertia sensor units 2.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2015Date of Patent: October 31, 2017Assignees: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., KYOTO UNIVERSITYInventors: Toru Takenaka, Yasushi Ikeuchi, Yosuke Nagata, Koji Ohata
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Patent number: 9688342Abstract: In a mobile vehicle 1 having a vehicle body 2, a front wheel 3f, and a rear wheel 3r, the steering control wheel 3f can be steered by a steering actuator 8 about a steering axis Csf which is tilted backward. The steering actuator 8 is controlled by a control device 15. The height a, from a ground surface 110, of the intersection point Ef of the steering axis Csf of the steering control wheel 3f and a virtual straight line connecting the ground contact point of the steering control wheel 3f and the center of axle of the steering control wheel 3f in a basic posture state of the mobile vehicle 1 is set to satisfy a prescribed condition.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2015Date of Patent: June 27, 2017Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Toru Takenaka, Hiroshi Gomi, Kazushi Akimoto, Hiroyuki Makino, Yoichi Nishimura, Taihei Setoguchi, Naoyuki Saito, Kenji Muto, Keisuke Koitabashi, Shunichi Nakabayashi
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Publication number: 20160375948Abstract: A control device (60) of a mobile body (1) calculates a center-of-gravity displacement degree index value representing an estimate of the degree of displacement of the center of gravity of the operator in the lateral direction of a vehicle body (2) from a predetermined reference position with respect to the vehicle body (2), and determines a control input for an actuator (15), which can cause a moment in the roll direction to act on the vehicle body (2), so as to increase the degree of displacement of the center of gravity of the operator indicated by the center-of-gravity displacement degree index value in a state of presence of such displacement. The control device (60) controls the actuator (15) in accordance with the control input.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 16, 2016Publication date: December 29, 2016Inventors: Toru Takenaka, Kazushi Akimoto, Yuichi Uebayashi, Shinya Shirokura, Tomohiro Kawakami, Makoto Araki
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Publication number: 20160338897Abstract: Provided is a walking assist device including a main frame configured to be worn by a user, a power unit mounted on the main frame, a pair of power transmission members for transmitting assist force provided by the power unit to femoral parts of the user and a control unit for controlling an operation of the power unit, wherein the control unit comprises a differential angle computation unit for computing a differential angle between angular positions of the femoral parts of the user about respective hip joints of the user; a differential angle phase computation unit for computing a differential angle phase according to the differential angle; and an assist force computation unit for computing an assist force to be applied to the user according to the differential angle phase.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 16, 2016Publication date: November 24, 2016Inventors: Toru Takenaka, Tatsuya Ishikawa, Ken Yasuhara
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Publication number: 20160310344Abstract: A motion assist device for assisting a motion such as a walking motion of a user includes: a pair of femoral part support units (3L, 3R) configured to be worn by two femoral parts of a user, a single power source (4, 70) for producing power and a power transmission unit (20; 60; 91, 92) for transmitting the power of the power source to the femoral part support units as an opposite phase motion, wherein the power transmission unit includes a differential unit (22; 63, 64; 93, 94) for accommodating a same phase motion of the two femoral part support units. The device may further include a control unit (5) configured to actuate the power source when the femoral part support units are undergoing the opposite phase motion, and to keep the output end of the power source stationary when the femoral part support units are undergoing the same phase motion.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 21, 2016Publication date: October 27, 2016Inventors: Kei Shimada, Toru Takenaka
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Patent number: 9457861Abstract: An inverted pendulum type vehicle includes a control device for controlling a plurality of electric motors, and a portable device, such as a portable telephone, for displaying a center-of-gravity display point indicating the position of a center of gravity and outputting a command for moving the vehicle. The control device controls a first actuator device and a second actuator device so as to move the vehicle according to the command output from the portable device and the tilting of an occupant boarding member. Such inverted pendulum type vehicle makes it possible to learn how to steer the inverted pendulum type vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2013Date of Patent: October 4, 2016Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Makoto Araki, Shinya Shirokura, Toru Takenaka
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Publication number: 20160280307Abstract: A control device (60) of a mobile body (1) calculates a center-of-gravity displacement degree index value representing an estimate of the degree of displacement of the center of gravity of the operator in the lateral direction from a prescribed reference position with respect to a vehicle body (2), and determines a control input for an actuator (15) which can cause a moment in the roll direction to act on the vehicle body (2) so as to reduce the degree of displacement of the center of gravity of the operator indicated by the center-of-gravity displacement degree index value. The control device (60) controls the actuator (15) in accordance with the control input.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 3, 2016Publication date: September 29, 2016Inventors: Toru Takenaka, Kazushi Akimoto, Yuichi Uebayashi, Shinya Shirokura, Tomohiro Kawakami, Makoto Araki
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Publication number: 20160184166Abstract: A joint power generating device (8) has a multilayer structure constituted by alternately stacking an elastic member (41), which incorporates a hermetically sealed air chamber, and a partition plate (42) with high stiffness, an elastic structure (31), which has a through hole (43) formed therein, and a flexible lengthy member (32) inserted in the through hole (43). The joint power generating device (8) is configured to transmit a force between the lengthy member (32) and the elastic structure (31) such that the force for compressing the elastic structure (31) increases as the tension on the lengthy member (32) increases.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2015Publication date: June 30, 2016Inventors: Toru Takenaka, Hiroshi Gomi, Yosuke Ikedo, Yoshinao Sodeyama, Kenichi Katagiri
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Publication number: 20160184111Abstract: A present invention provides a joint power control device. A joint interlock displacement part (52) of a power transmission movable mechanism (53), which is comprising of a moving pulley (51) and the like, is connected to a joint mechanism (5) disposed between a first member (2) and a second member (3). A flexible lengthy member (32), which is one of two flexible lengthy members (32, 32) extending from the power transmission movable mechanism (53), is connected to a control mechanism (54) that controls the movement of the flexible lengthy member (32). Further, an elastic structure (31) is engaged with the other flexible lengthy member (32).Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2015Publication date: June 30, 2016Inventors: Yosuke IKEDO, Toru TAKENAKA, Hiroshi GOMI, Yoshinao SODEYAMA, Kenichi KATAGIRI
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Patent number: 9302730Abstract: A two-wheeled vehicle 1 includes a steering section 6 which steers a front wheel 4. The steering section includes a steering shaft link 13 which turns about a first steering axis 10 together with a second steering axis 11, a front-wheel support section 14 which turns the front wheel 4 about the second steering axis 11, and a first motor 15 which causes the steering shaft link 13 to turn. A caster angle ? based on the first steering axis 10 is positive or 0. A trail t1 based on the second steering axis 11 is positive. When the two-wheeled vehicle 1 is in a basic posture state on a ground surface 12, the intersection point P3 of the second steering axis 11 and the ground surface 12 lies in front of the intersection point P2 of the first steering axis 10 and the ground surface 12.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2014Date of Patent: April 5, 2016Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Toru Takenaka, Hiroshi Gomi, Hiroyuki Makino, Kazushi Akimoto, Naoyuki Saito
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Patent number: 9221439Abstract: A road surface frictional coefficient estimating apparatus includes a device which determines a first estimated value of a to-be-compared external force acting on a vehicle due to the resultant force of road surface reaction forces using a determined frictional coefficient estimated value and the like, and a device which determines a second estimated value of the to-be-compared external force from the observed value of motional state amounts of the vehicle that define an inertial force corresponding to the to-be-compared external force. The estimated value of a road surface frictional coefficient is updated based on the difference between the first estimated value and the second estimated value. When the first estimated value and the second estimated value have opposite polarities, the updating of the estimated value of the road surface frictional coefficient based on the difference is not carried out.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2010Date of Patent: December 29, 2015Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Toru Takenaka, Yoshihiro Mori, Hiroyuki Urabe