Patents by Inventor Toshihiro Senoo
Toshihiro Senoo 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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Patent number: 10702112Abstract: A self-propelled electronic device including: at least one drive wheel disposed at a bottom of a housing, the drive wheel traveling the housing while being displaced in a vertical direction in accordance with undulations of a floor surface; a drive wheel sensor for detecting a position of the drive wheel relative to the housing; a floor detection sensor for detecting a distance between the bottom of the housing and the floor surface; and a travel control unit for determining and deciding a course of the housing based on the determination that there exists a step on the floor surface if the distance detected by the floor detection sensor is longer than a predetermined reference distance, or, otherwise, the position of the drive wheel detected by the drive wheel sensor is lower than a predetermined reference position, by successively referring to output of the drive wheel sensor and the floor detection sensor, wherein, if the position of the drive wheel detected by the drive wheel sensor is lower than a predeteType: GrantFiled: August 2, 2016Date of Patent: July 7, 2020Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masanori Tsuboi, Toshihiro Senoo
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Patent number: 10653283Abstract: A self-propelled electronic device comprising: a housing; a drive wheel that enables the housing to travel; a wheel drop sensor that detects loss of contact of the drive wheel with a floor surface; and a travel control unit that controls travel of the housing, wherein, when the wheel drop sensor detects loss of contact of the drive wheel with the floor surface, the travel control unit continues travel of the housing for a predetermined continuous travel time, and if the wheel drop sensor still detects loss of contact of the drive wheel with the floor surface after the continuous travel time has elapsed, the travel control unit stops the rotation of the drive wheel, and then, rotates the drive wheel in a direction opposite to the direction of the rotation for a predetermined reverse travel time, to cause the housing to travel in a reverse direction.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2016Date of Patent: May 19, 2020Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masanori Tsuboi, Masashi Matsumoto, Toshihiro Senoo, Fumio Yoshimura
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Patent number: 10542858Abstract: A self-propelled electronic device comprising a housing: when an obstacle is detected ahead while the housing is moving straight forward along a outbound or a return path while it travels in a zigzag manner in a closed region, the housing travels along the obstacle such that the obstacle is located on a predetermined side of the housing, and when the housing advances by a predetermined pitch width in a direction orthogonal to a back-and-forth direction during traveling along the obstacle, the housing changes its direction and moves straight forward along a next return path or outbound path, whereas, when the housing again returns to the outbound path or return path along which it has traveled before, during traveling along the obstacle, wherein if its orientation is reversed based on its orientation when the housing has traveled along the outbound path or the return path, the housing ends traveling.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2016Date of Patent: January 28, 2020Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Toshihiro Senoo
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Patent number: 10512382Abstract: To prevent a self-propelled vacuum cleaner from falling down an inclined surface, even if the remaining capacity of the battery becomes zero when the cleaner is located on the inclined surface.Type: GrantFiled: February 29, 2016Date of Patent: December 24, 2019Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Toshihiro Senoo, Yuhji Ohnishi
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Patent number: 10376122Abstract: A self-propelled electronic device comprising: a housing; drive wheels that enable the housing to travel; a travel control unit that controls travel of the housing; and a periphery detection sensor that detects a region around the housing where the device is unable to travel, wherein the drive wheels include a left drive wheel and a right drive wheel which are independently driven, and the travel control unit: causes the left drive wheel and the right drive wheel to move backward in such a manner that an amount of rotation of the left drive wheel is smaller than an amount of rotation of the right drive wheel, when the periphery detection sensor detects that there is a region where the device is unable to travel at front left of the housing; and causes the left drive wheel and the right drive wheel to move backward in such a manner that an amount of rotation of the right drive wheel is smaller than an amount of rotation of the left drive wheel when the periphery detection sensor detects that there is a regionType: GrantFiled: March 1, 2016Date of Patent: August 13, 2019Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masanori Tsuboi, Toshihiro Senoo
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Publication number: 20190008347Abstract: A self-propelled electronic device comprising a housing: when an obstacle is detected ahead while the housing is moving straight forward along a outbound or a return path while it travels in a zigzag manner in a closed region, the housing travels along the obstacle such that the obstacle is located on a predetermined side of the housing, and when the housing advances by a predetermined pitch width in a direction orthogonal to a back-and-forth direction during traveling along the obstacle, the housing changes its direction and moves straight forward along a next return path or outbound path, whereas, when the housing again returns to the outbound path or return path along which it has traveled before, during traveling along the obstacle, wherein if its orientation is reversed based on its orientation when the housing has traveled along the outbound path or the return path, the housing ends traveling.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 2, 2016Publication date: January 10, 2019Inventor: TOSHIHIRO SENOO
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Publication number: 20180235421Abstract: A self-propelled electronic device including: at least one drive wheel disposed at a bottom of a housing, the drive wheel traveling the housing while being displaced in a vertical direction in accordance with undulations of a floor surface; a drive wheel sensor for detecting a position of the drive wheel relative to the housing; a floor detection sensor for detecting a distance between the bottom of the housing and the floor surface; and a travel control unit for determining and deciding a course of the housing based on the determination that there exists a step on the floor surface if the distance detected by the floor detection sensor is longer than a predetermined reference distance, or, otherwise, the position of the drive wheel detected by the drive wheel sensor is lower than a predetermined reference position, by successively referring to output of the drive wheel sensor and the floor detection sensor, wherein, if the position of the drive wheel detected by the drive wheel sensor is lower than a predeteType: ApplicationFiled: August 2, 2016Publication date: August 23, 2018Inventors: MASANORI TSUBOI, TOSHIHIRO SENOO
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Publication number: 20180070788Abstract: To prevent a self-propelled vacuum cleaner from falling down an inclined surface, even if the remaining capacity of the battery becomes zero when the cleaner is located on the inclined surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 29, 2016Publication date: March 15, 2018Inventors: TOSHIHIRO SENOO, YUHJI OHNISHI
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Publication number: 20180049613Abstract: A self-propelled electronic device comprising; a housing; a drive wheel that enables the housing to travel; a wheel drop sensor that detects loss of contact of the drive wheel with a floor surface; and a travel control unit that controls travel of the housing, wherein, when the wheel drop sensor detects loss of contact of the drive wheel with the floor surface, the travel control unit continues travel of the housing for a predetermined continuous travel time, and if the wheel drop sensor still detects loss of contact of the drive wheel with the floor surface after the continuous travel time has elapsed, the travel control unit stops the rotation of the drive wheel, and then, rotates the drive wheel in a direction opposite to the direction of the rotation for a predetermined reverse travel time, to cause the housing to travel in a reverse direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2016Publication date: February 22, 2018Inventors: MASANORI TSUBOI, MASASHI MATSUMOTO, TOSHIHIRO SENOO, FUMIO YOSHIMURA
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Publication number: 20180035860Abstract: A self-propelled electronic device comprising: a housing; drive wheels that enable the housing to travel; a travel control unit that controls travel of the housing; and a periphery detection sensor that detects a region around the housing where the device is unable to travel, wherein the drive wheels include a left drive wheel and a right drive wheel which are independently driven, and the travel control unit: causes the left drive wheel and the right drive wheel to move backward in such a manner that an amount of rotation of the left drive wheel is smaller than an amount of rotation of the right drive wheel, when the periphery detection sensor detects that there is a region where the device is unable to travel at front left of the housing; and causes the left drive wheel and the right drive wheel to move backward in such a manner that an amount of rotation of the right drive wheel is smaller than an amount of rotation of the left drive wheel when the periphery detection sensor detects that there is a regionType: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2016Publication date: February 8, 2018Inventors: MASANORI TSUBOI, TOSHIHIRO SENOO
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Publication number: 20160000287Abstract: Provided is an electronic device including a surrounding environment detection unit which detects surrounding temperature and humidity, a message control unit which determines a type of an effect of the temperature and the humidity which are detected by the surrounding environment detection unit on human health risk and/or sensation of comfort, and generates a message in accordance with the type, and a voice output unit which outputs the generated message, in which the message control unit generates the message in response to a change of the determined type of the effect.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2014Publication date: January 7, 2016Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masanori TSUBOI, Toshihiro SENOO, Mami YATAKE
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Publication number: 20160000289Abstract: A self-propelled vacuum cleaner comprising a housing; traveling members for allowing the housing to travel; cleaning members for cleaning a floor surface; an obstacle detection unit for detecting positions of obstacles present around the housing; and a control unit for controlling the traveling members, the cleaning members and the obstacle detection unit to allow the housing to clean the floor surface while the housing is self-propelled, wherein the control unit controls the obstacle detection unit to detect the positions of the obstacles around the housing and determines a traveling time to clean the floor surface on the basis of the positions of the obstacles.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2014Publication date: January 7, 2016Inventors: Toshihiro SENOO, Junichi NOIRI
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Publication number: 20150016088Abstract: A lighting device (100) for lighting by emitting lighting light by light emission of an LED element (6), wherein the area of a spectrum of the lighting light having a wavelength of 600 nm to 700 nm is 30% to 70%, and the area having a wavelength of 400 nm to 500 nm is 20% or less with respect to the area having a wavelength of 400 nm to 800 nm, the spectrum of the lighting light has a maximum value between 600 nm and 700 nm, and the value of the spectrum at 550 nm is 50% or less of the maximum value.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 19, 2013Publication date: January 15, 2015Inventors: Yukishige Shiraichi, Masaki Ohtsuka, Akihiko Kuriyama, Toshihiro Senoo, Ikuo Tsuzuki, Kazuya Oyama
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Patent number: 8049902Abstract: A mobile vehicle provided with moving means and a moving control device automatically travels while detecting an advance distance and a turning angle by means of one optical displacement sensor. The mobile vehicle comprises a moving unit (2) for moving a body (1), one optical displacement sensor (7) as a displacement sensor provided on the body (1), and a moving control device for controlling the moving unit (2) based on a moving distance detected by the optical displacement sensor (7). The moving control device determines the distance of rectilinear movement and a turning angle of the body (1) from an amount detected by the optical displacement sensor (7). The optical displacement sensor (7) picks up patterns or the like on a traveling floor surface at specified time intervals and detects a moving distance by comparing images before and after the specified time.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2005Date of Patent: November 1, 2011Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Toshihiro Senoo, Keisuke Hara, Tsuyoshi Ogawa, Akihiro Okazaki
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Publication number: 20070203622Abstract: Please amend the Abstract of the Disclosure currently of record as follows: A mobile vehicle which is provided with a moving means and a moving control device therefor, can automatically travel while detecting an advance distance and a turning angle by means of one optical displacement sensor, and can save on space and reduce costs. The mobile vehicle comprises a moving means (2) for moving a body (1), one optical displacement sensor (7) as a displacement sensor provided on the body (1), and a moving control device for controlling the moving means (2) based on a moving distance detected by the optical displacement sensor (7). The moving control device determines the distance of rectilinear movement and a turning angle of the body (1) from an amount detected by the optical displacement sensor (7). The optical displacement sensor (7) picks up patterns or the like on a traveling floor surface at specified time intervals and detects a moving distance by comparing images before and after a specified time.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 24, 2005Publication date: August 30, 2007Inventors: Toshihiro Senoo, Keisuke Hara, Tsuyoshi Ogawa, Akihiro Okazaki