Patents by Inventor Toshihiko Inoue

Toshihiko Inoue 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: 10821600
    Abstract: A robot which can prevent an excessive bending of an wire member. The robot includes a first wrist element coupled rotatably about a first axis, a second wrist element coupled rotatably about a second axis, a third wrist element coupled rotatably about a third axis and supporting an end effector configured to perform a work on a workpiece, a first wire member disposed in such a way as to pass through the inside of the first wrist element, the second wrist element, and the third wrist element and connected to the end effector, and a second wire member disposed in such a way as to pass through the inside of the first wrist element and run outside the second wrist element and the third wrist element and connected to the end effector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiko Inoue, Toshikatsu Kuroki, Naoki Fujioka
  • Publication number: 20200338718
    Abstract: An industrial robot includes: a first-member and a second-member that are rotatable about a particular axis and that each have a hollow portion extending along the axis; a cylindrical member inserted into the hollow portions along the axis, and fixed to the first-member; and a wire disposed in a cylindrical gap between the cylindrical member, the first-member, and the second-member, the wire having a length that enables rotation between the first-member and the second-member and having one end fixed to the first-member and another end fixed to the second-member. The second-member includes a first-portion rotatably supported by the first-member, a second-portion that fixes the end of the wire, and a third portion serially connected between the second-portion and the first-portion, and the third portion has an inner circumferential surface that faces the gap and has been subjected to a friction reducing process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Morio OOWAKI, Tomoyuki MOTOKADO, Toshihiko INOUE, Takayuki IIDA
  • Publication number: 20200298427
    Abstract: A wire-body processing structure for a robot including a base, a rotary drum rotating about a first axis, and an arm rotating about a second axis. The rotary drum has a hollow part extending from inside the base, along the first axis, and opening in a top surface of the rotary drum. The wire body inside the base is led out, via the hollow part, from the opening in the top surface of the rotary drum, is bent to the rear side of the rotary drum, is guided below the arm, is fixed to the rotary drum with a first fixing member, is bent along the arm, and is fixed to a side surface of the arm with a second fixing member, with a certain surplus of a length between the first fixing member and the second fixing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko INOUE, Toshikatsu KUROKI
  • Publication number: 20200290197
    Abstract: A robot includes: a base; a swivel body supported rotatable about a first axis; a first arm supported rotatable about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis; a second arm supported rotatable about a third axis parallel to the second axis; and a first wrist element supported rotatable about a fourth axis perpendicular to the third axis and disposed in a same plane as the first axis. A first hollow section penetrating along the first axis is provided in the base and the swivel body; a second hollow section penetrating along the fourth axis is provided in the first wrist element; the first and second arms have shapes allowing a linear object having passed through the first hollow section to be guided to the second hollow section via a space extending along a line connecting intersections of the first and second axes and the third and fourth axes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko INOUE, Tomoyuki MOTOKADO, Tooru NAGAI
  • Publication number: 20200238508
    Abstract: A linear-object management structure for a robot, where a post-attached linear object is guided via the same path as a basic cable from inside a base and fixed at the position of a first fixing member, is subsequently extended forward beyond the basic cable, through a path closer to a first axis than the basic cable is, is curved in a direction along a first arm, is fixed to a side surface of the first arm, at the position of a second fixing member, such that a certain length margin required for the operation of the first arm is provided between the position of the first fixing member and the position of the second fixing member, and is guided to an upper-side movable portion along the first arm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko INOUE, Tomoyuki MOTOKADO, Wataru AMEMIYA
  • Patent number: 10722988
    Abstract: A work table support device capable of adapting to a plurality of applications. The workpiece support device includes a base; a conductive work table rotatably supported on the base; a current-collecting brush that is fixed to the base, slidably contacts an end face of the work table, and supplies electric power to work table, and a cover that is removably attached to the base, surrounds the current-collecting brush and the end face, and includes cover segments that can be assembled and disassembled one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko Inoue, Tomoyuki Motokado, Tooru Nagai
  • Patent number: 10723023
    Abstract: This control device is able to prevent the position displacement of a workpiece supported by a workpiece moving device. The control device includes a workpiece moving device controller configured to control the workpiece moving device wherein a time constant corresponding to a time period from a commencement to an termination of acceleration and deceleration of the workpiece moving device is longer for causing the robot and the workpiece moving device to perform an operation other than the workpiece processing operation, compared with the time constant for performing a workpiece processing operation in which the robot and the workpiece moving device perform work on the workpiece in cooperation with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
    Inventor: Toshihiko Inoue
  • Patent number: 10710251
    Abstract: A linear object handling structure of a robot includes a rotational drum supported above a base in a rotatable manner about a vertical axis line, a plurality of operation shafts supported by the rotational drum, and a hollow part near the vertical axis line in the rotational drum. A first linear object group including cables for driving the operation shafts has one end fixed to the base and the other end wired to the motors of the operation shafts supported by the rotational drum, and is disposed to penetrate through the hollow part. A second linear object group for a peripheral device supported by any one of the operation shafts is collectively covered by a flexible conduit pipe, disposed to penetrate through the hollow part, and detachably fixed to the base and the rotational drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko Inoue, Tomoyuki Motokado, Masayoshi Mori, Wataru Amemiya
  • Publication number: 20200202150
    Abstract: A control device includes a controller. The controller detects, as an event, that a target present outside a vehicle has been overlooked by a driver of the vehicle during. The controller controls the outputting of a target image, which is an image including the target overlooked in the detected event, toward the driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuro Yanagi, Maki Tamura, Mutsumi Matsuura, Toshihiko Inoue, Naoki Yamamuro, Takashi Hayashi, Takahiro Shiga
  • Publication number: 20200202146
    Abstract: An information providing device includes a control unit configured to detect an object entering a road from a first image which is captured from a vehicle and to acquire a second image including the detected object and a communication unit configured to provide the second image to present the second image to a driver under the control of the control unit. A driving support device includes a control unit configured to acquire a second image including a detected object when the object entering a road is detected from a first image captured from a vehicle and to present the acquired second image to a driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuro YANAGI, Maki TAMURA, Mutsumi MATSUURA, Toshihiko INOUE, Naoki YAMAMURO, Takashi HAYASHI, Takahiro SHIGA
  • Publication number: 20200198626
    Abstract: A vehicle controller includes a control unit. The control unit detects a target that moves in a direction to approach a vehicle from an image captured from the vehicle. Based on a detection result, the control unit determines whether the vehicle should evacuate in order to let the target pass by. When determining that the vehicle should evacuate, the control unit causes the vehicle to evacuate without waiting for an operation by a driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuro YANAGI, Maki Tamura, Mutsumi Matsuura, Toshihiko Inoue, Naoki Yamamuro, Takashi Hayashi, Takahiro Shiga
  • Publication number: 20200202141
    Abstract: An information provision device includes a controller configured to detect installation of an anti-skid tool onto a vehicle from an image including at least a part of the vehicle and at least a part of the vicinity of the vehicle and a communication unit configured to provide position information of the vehicle at the time of the installation of the anti-skid tool detected by the controller. A driving assistance device includes a communication unit configured to acquire position information of a vehicle at the time of installation of an anti-skid tool when the installation of the anti-skid tool onto the vehicle is detected from an image including at least a part of the vehicle and at least a part of a vicinity of the vehicle, and a controller configured to present information acquired by the communication unit to the driver of another vehicle different from the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuro YANAGI, Maki TAMURA, Mutsumi MATSUURA, Toshihiko INOUE, Naoki YAMAMURO, Takashi HAYASHI, Takahiro SHIGA
  • Publication number: 20200200560
    Abstract: A driving assistance device includes a control unit that acquires event position information and an object image, and presents the acquired object image to a driver who is driving toward a position indicated in the acquired event position information. The event position information is position information of a vehicle at the time when a fact that a first object is confused with a second object, existing on the same road as the first object, is detected as an event in the vehicle, and the object image is an image captured from the vehicle and including the second object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuro YANAGI, Maki TAMURA, Mutsumi MATSUURA, Toshihiko INOUE, Naoki YAMAMURO, Takashi HAYASHI, Takahiro SHIGA
  • Publication number: 20200204955
    Abstract: A map generation device includes: a communication unit that acquires position information about a vehicle at a time when an image is photographed from the vehicle; and a control unit that estimates a dispersion state of pollen, based on the position information about the vehicle acquired by the communication unit and detection information indicating a result of a first detection in the image, and generates map information indicating the estimated dispersion state, the first detection in the image being a detection of a person that wears an anti-pollen article.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuro YANAGI, Maki Tamura, Mutsumi Matsuura, Toshihiko Inoue, Naoki YAMAMURO, Takashi HAYASHI, Takahiro SHIGA
  • Publication number: 20200198655
    Abstract: A driving assist device includes a control unit configured to acquire event position information that is position information about a vehicle when it is detected that a driver of the vehicle is in a looking aside state in the vehicle, as an event, and configured to present attention information calling for attention, to a driver who is driving toward a position indicated by the event position information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuro Yanagi, Maki Tamura, Mutsumi Matsuura, Toshihiko Inoue, Naoki Yamamuro, Takashi Hayashi, Takahiro Shiga
  • Patent number: 10661454
    Abstract: A robot capable of preventing adhesion of a cutting fluid or the like on components thereof. The robot includes a robot arm, and a wrist connected to a distal end of the robot arm and including a plurality of movable elements connected to each other, and the movable elements being hollow elements, an end effector connected to a distal end of the wrist, a wire member laid to extend through the respective movable elements, and a cover to be mounted on the wrist so as to surround a connection between the two movable elements connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Motokado, Toshihiko Inoue
  • Publication number: 20200130191
    Abstract: A calibration method for a laser processing robot, including: fixing a jig that includes a target-site to a base of the laser processing robot; placing a laser processing tool at a position where a laser beam is scanned with respect to the target-site, the laser processing tool having a function for two-dimensionally scanning the laser beam and a function for receiving the laser beam reflected at an object and for measuring a distance to the object; measuring distances to respective portions of the target-site by scanning the laser beam; calculating a coordinate transformation function for converting a position and orientation of the target-site, which is obtained based on the measured distances to the respective portions of the target-site, into an actual position and orientation of the target-site; and correcting a tool-center-point of the laser processing tool by the coordinate transformation function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko INOUE, Toshikatsu KUROKI, Naoki FUJIOKA, Atsushi MORI
  • Publication number: 20200130180
    Abstract: A robot system including a robot body and a control device. The robot body includes wrist elements at a distal end of an arm; a wired wire body connected to an end effector fixed to the third wrist element. The control-device includes an angle calculation unit that calculates, in a Cartesian coordinate system of which the origin is the wire-body outlet and which has one coordinate axis extending in a direction along the first axis, angles of straight lines connecting the wire-body outlet and specific points of the wire body, with the straight lines projected onto a plane perpendicular to the coordinate axis, about the coordinate axis, with reference to a position where a load acting on the wire body is the least; and a determination unit that determines whether the absolute values of the angles calculated by the angle calculation unit have exceeded predetermined angle thresholds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko INOUE, Toshikatsu KUROKI, Naoki FUJIOKA
  • Publication number: 20200125062
    Abstract: A method for compensating teaching positions which includes: generating a compensation start point and a compensation end point in positions where each of a number of teaching positions is sandwiched between the compensation start point and the compensation end point in a direction crossing a welding path, the number of teaching positions being set along the welding path of a welding base material; detecting a profile of the welding base material along a detection path by performing touch sensing while a welding torch is being moved along the detection path from the generated compensation start point toward the generated compensation end point, a welding wire protruding from the welding torch; and compensating each of the teaching positions based on the detected profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko INOUE, Tomoyuki MOTOKADO, Kazuhiro WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20200108511
    Abstract: A sensor bracket is provided with frame members supporting an acceleration sensor, the frame members having circular arc members holding an outer periphery of a tool of a robot in a state in which circumferential-direction gaps are defined in at least one portion of the circular arc members in a circumferential direction, and a bolt thread-screwed into the frame members so as to reduce the circumferential-direction gaps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko INOUE, Tomoyuki MOTOKADO, Hajime SUZUKI, Kouichirou HAYASHI, Shinichi WASHIZU