Patents Assigned to East Japan Railway Company
  • Patent number: 10884417
    Abstract: Methods and systems for navigating a mobile robot through a crowded pedestrian environment by selecting and following a particular pedestrian are described herein. In one aspect, a navigation model directs a mobile robot to follow a pedestrian based on the position and velocity of nearby pedestrians and the current and desired positions of the mobile robot in the service environment. The mobile robot advances toward its desired destination by following the selected pedestrian. By repeatedly sampling the positions and velocities of nearby pedestrians and the current location, the navigation model directs the mobile robot toward the endpoint location. In some examples, the mobile robot selects and follows a sequence of different pedestrians to navigate to the desired endpoint location. In a further aspect, the navigation model determines whether following a particular pedestrian will lead to a collision with another pedestrian. If so, the navigation model selects another pedestrian to follow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignees: Boston Incubator Center, LLC, East Japan Railway Company
    Inventor: Haruhiko Harry Asada
  • Patent number: 10386839
    Abstract: Methods and systems for navigating a mobile robot through a crowded pedestrian environment based on a trained navigation model are described herein. The trained navigation model receives measurement data identifying nearby pedestrians and the velocity of each nearby pedestrian relative to the mobile robot, and the current position and desired endpoint position of the mobile robot in the crowded pedestrian environment. Based on this information, the trained navigation model generates command signals that cause the mobile robot to adjust its velocity. By repeatedly sampling the velocities of surrounding pedestrians and current location, the navigation model directs the mobile robot toward the endpoint location with a minimum of disruption to the pedestrian traffic flows. The navigation model is trained to emulate desirable pedestrian walking behaviors in a crowded pedestrian environment by tracking the movement of a behavioral trainer through a crowded pedestrian environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignees: Boston Incubator Center, LLC, East Japan Railway Company
    Inventors: Haruhiko Harry Asada, Kota Weaver, Baldin Lloren-Bonilla, Sheng Liu, Jun Maruyama
  • Patent number: 10266189
    Abstract: An interlocking device performs route control for trains based on: first operation diagram information as train operation diagram information on a train which runs between stations; second operation diagram information as train operation diagram information on a train which moves in a station yard; and on-track position information on the trains. The interlocking device performs control with time on a signal and/or a switch on a route of a train based on different information according to whether a predetermined condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: EAST JAPAN RAILWAY COMPANY
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Echizen, Hiroshi Abe, Katsuichiro Awano
  • Patent number: 10259476
    Abstract: An interlocking device performs route control for trains based on: first operation diagram information as train operation diagram information on a train which runs between stations; second operation diagram information as train operation diagram information on a train which moves in a station yard; and on-track position information on the trains. The interlocking device changes an order of the route control according to whether a predetermined condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: EAST JAPAN RAILWAY COMPANY
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Echizen, Hiroshi Abe, Katsuichiro Awano
  • Publication number: 20180306668
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a bridge abnormality sensing device including: a pair of vibration sensors installed in an upper structure of a railroad bridge supported with a plurality of bearings, the pair of vibration sensors being provided for two of the bearings arranged in a width direction; a detector circuit configured to output a damage detection signal based on a difference between output signals of the pair of vibration sensors; and an output circuit configured to receive the damage detection signal and notify an external device of any structural damage detected from the railroad bridge. The vibration sensors are vibration power generators that generate power in a frequency range of abnormal vibration resulting from the damage. Power to drive the detector circuit is supplied from the vibration power generators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Applicants: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD., EAST JAPAN RAILWAY COMPANY, EAST JAPAN RAILWAY COMPANY
    Inventors: Hidenori KATSUMURA, Hiroshi KAGATA, Hidenori OKUMURA, Toshihiro KONISHI, Kenichi KURIBAYASHI, Daisuke IZUMI
  • Patent number: 9873140
    Abstract: There is provided a foreign material removing device of a track turnout portion which can tightly attach and fix nozzles to a rail belly portion stably without machining a rail itself. A foreign material removing device of a track turnout portion which has point rails which can move to contact and move away from stock rails of the track turnout portion, and which removes a foreign material dropped between the stock rail and the point rail, includes a piping unit which includes a plurality of nozzle portions which spray compressed air to remove the foreign material, and the piping unit includes a close-contact arrangement structure in which the piping unit is arranged in close contact with a lateral surface of the stock rail opposed to the point rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignees: NABTESCO CORPORATION, EAST JAPAN RAILWAY COMPANY
    Inventors: Masahumi Sato, Shogo Kigami, Yuki Kinugasa
  • Publication number: 20170217461
    Abstract: An interlocking device performs route control for trains based on: first operation diagram information as train operation diagram information on a train which runs between stations; second operation diagram information as train operation diagram information on a train which moves in a station yard; and on-track position information on the trains. The interlocking device performs control with time on a signal and/or a switch on a route of a train based on different information according to whether a predetermined condition is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Applicant: EAST JAPAN RAILWAY COMPANY
    Inventors: Kazuhisa ECHIZEN, Hiroshi ABE, Katsuichiro AWANO
  • Publication number: 20170210402
    Abstract: An interlocking device performs route control for trains based on: first operation diagram information as train operation diagram information on a train which runs between stations; second operation diagram information as train operation diagram information on a train which moves in a station yard; and on-track position information on the trains. The interlocking device changes an order of the route control according to whether a predetermined condition is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Applicant: EAST JAPAN RAILWAY COMPANY
    Inventors: Kazuhisa ECHIZEN, Hiroshi ABE, Katsuichiro AWANO
  • Patent number: 9573489
    Abstract: Feeder sections to be a target of interchange are to be expanded in order to improve the effect of power interchange between feeders. A control device for railway power conditioner is connected to a first feeder connected to a load side of a transformer in a first railway substation including a transformer receiving power from a power grid, and a second feeder connected to a load side of a transformer in a second railway substation including a transformer receiving power from a power grid, and decides an amount of power interchanged between the first and second feeders. The control device decides the amount of power interchanged between the first and second feeders, using the received power in the first railway substation and power on the first feeder, and the received power in the second railway substation and power on the second feeder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., East Japan Railway Company
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Nakatsuka, Yasuhiro Imazu, Osamu Sakuchi, Masaya Ichinose, Yasuhiro Kiyofuji, Akira Bando, Jun Narushima, Toshihiko Usui, Naomi Sato, Masaki Uchita, Rikiya Inoue, Masahiko Honda
  • Patent number: 9352654
    Abstract: A slider is slightly moved in a direction in which both side surfaces of the slider come in contact with inclined surfaces of impact mitigating parts of neighboring contact strip pieces. For this reason, the inclined surface of the impact mitigating part of the contact strip piece which the slider approaches is relatively downwardly slid with respect to one side surface of the slider. In addition, the inclined surface of the impact mitigating part of the contact strip piece from which the slider moves away is relatively upwardly slid with respect to the other side surface of the slider. As a result, since an impact generated between the contact strip piece and the slider is mitigated by the impact mitigating part without fitting the slider into a stepped section between the neighboring contact strip pieces, the slider is smoothly transferred from the one contact strip piece of the neighboring contact strip pieces to the other contact strip piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignees: East Japan Railway Company, Toyo Electric Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Haruo Yamada, Takeshi Kurita, Fumio Mizushima, Shinji Nakajima, Hitoshi Satoh
  • Patent number: 9227577
    Abstract: Provided is an acoustic insulation device for a mobile vehicle in which sound transmitted to the exterior of the vehicle body is blocked by being reflected or diffracted by acoustic insulation bodies provided upright to the vehicle body; and the amount of noise that an observer or local residents are subjected to is further reduced. Movement of a mobile vehicle generates noise in, and in the vicinity of, a power collector or a similar device provided upright on the roof (3) of the vehicle. Acoustic insulation bodies (1L), (2L), (1R), (2R) are provided upright on the roof (3), and block noise travelling directly ahead. The noise is diffracted or reflected by the acoustic insulation bodies (1L), (2L), (1R), (2R), and moves so as to be transmitted to the vehicle exterior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: East Japan Railway Company
    Inventors: Takeshi Kurita, Fumio Mizushima
  • Patent number: 9221344
    Abstract: When a plurality of contact plate pieces are arranged on a loading part of a contact plate assembly jig, the plurality of contact plate pieces are arranged by a contact plate piece aligning part in a row. Further, the neighboring contact plate pieces are held by an interval holding part at a predetermined interval (?1). When a plurality of movable guide parts are arranged on a conductive part and a movable guide assembly jig is mounted on the contact plate assembly jig, sliding surfaces of the plurality of movable guide parts are arranged on the same plane in a row by aligning surfaces of movable guide aligning parts. When the contact plate piece and the movable guide part is prevented by the contact plate piece aligning parts, the interval holding part and the movable guide aligning part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: EAST JAPAN RAILWAY COMPANY
    Inventors: Haruo Yamada, Takeshi Kurita, Fumio Mizushima
  • Patent number: 9212902
    Abstract: A range image obtaining system for a track includes a laser slit light source disposed within a plane perpendicular to a tread of a rail and emits laser slit light within the plane; a two-dimensional image imaging device which is disposed to have an angle with respect to the plane perpendicular to the tread of the rail and obtains a light sectioning image generated from the laser slit light; and an image signal processing device for generating a range image based on a distance from the two-dimensional image imaging device based on the light sectioning image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignees: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, EAST JAPAN RAILWAY COMPANY
    Inventors: Masayuki Enomoto, Tadao Shimada, Yohichi Nakamura, Keita Kataoka, Hiroyuki Matsuda, Masanobu Kozeki
  • Patent number: 9067606
    Abstract: There is provided a railcar including a under frame, paired side bodyshell parts, and a roof bodyshell part. Strap bar receiving parts hanging downward from the roof bodyshell part are fixed to the roof bodyshell part. An upper horizontal member and a lower horizontal member are provided like bridges between the paired side bodyshell parts. The upper horizontal member and the lower horizontal member are disposed at an interval in a vertical direction and connected by connection pipes. The upper horizontal member is formed by a plurality of reinforcement pipes and the lower horizontal member is formed by a plurality of reinforcement pipes. At least one ends of the plurality of reinforcement pipes are fixed to the strap bar receiving parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignees: EAST JAPAN RAILWAY COMPANY, KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, JAPAN TRANSPORT ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Makoto Taguchi, Jin Kato, Aya Kojima, Keisuke Mizutani, Kenichi Koyama, Tetsuya Asaka, Takashi Ono, Takashi Azuma
  • Patent number: 8967404
    Abstract: A device for coupling tilting railroad cars onto a high-speed railroad train comprises a coupler and a shock absorber held in a shock absorber frame, each joined by a coupling pin via a coupling joint. The frame includes a front inner surface with a front end wall opening and a cylindrical surface extending to a semi-circular concave inner surface. The joint includes a rounded convex surface engaged with a semi-circular concave surface, a circumferential surface of a short cylinder receiving the rear portion of the coupler, and an insertion hole which is provided in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the short cylinder. The frame has a removal hole and an air removal pin of the coupling pin facing each other at a position to rotate at a predetermined angle in a circumferential direction in the assembled state, and at a position coaxial with the coupling pin in the assembled state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignees: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation, East Japan Railway Company, Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Sagawa, Yoshinori Ishihara, Teruhiko Yahaba, Kazuyoshi Kitaya, Kazuki Fujii
  • Publication number: 20140150688
    Abstract: There is provided a railcar including a under frame, paired side bodyshell parts, and a roof bodyshell part. Strap bar receiving parts hanging downward from the roof bodyshell part are fixed to the roof bodyshell part. An upper horizontal member and a lower horizontal member are provided like bridges between the paired side bodyshell parts. The upper horizontal member and the lower horizontal member are disposed at an interval in a vertical direction and connected by connection pipes. The upper horizontal member is formed by a plurality of reinforcement pipes and the lower horizontal member is formed by a plurality of reinforcement pipes. At least one ends of the plurality of reinforcement pipes are fixed to the strap bar receiving parts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicants: EAST JAPAN RAILWAY COMPANY, JAPAN TRANSPORT ENGINEERING COMPANY, KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Makoto Taguchi, Jin Kato, Aya Kojima, Keisuke Mizutani, Kenichi Koyama, Tetsuya Asaka, Takashi Ono, Takashi Azuma
  • Publication number: 20140144863
    Abstract: A device for coupling tilting railroad cars onto a high-speed railroad train comprises a coupler and a shock absorber held in a shock absorber frame, each joined by a coupling pin via a coupling joint. The frame includes a front inner surface with a front end wall opening and a cylindrical surface extending to a semi-circular concave inner surface. The joint includes a rounded convex surface engaged with a semi-circular concave surface, a circumferential surface of a short cylinder receiving the rear portion of the coupler, and an insertion hole which is provided in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the short cylinder. The frame has a removal hole and an air removal pin of the coupling pin facing each other at a position to rotate at a predetermined angle in a circumferential direction in the assembled state, and at a position coaxial with the coupling pin in the assembled state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicants: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION, KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, EAST JAPAN RAILWAY COMPANY
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Sagawa, Yoshinori Ishihara, Teruhiko Yahaba, Kazuyoshi Kitaya, Kazuki Fujii
  • Publication number: 20130270050
    Abstract: A slider is slightly moved in a direction in which both side surfaces of the slider come in contact with inclined surfaces of impact mitigating parts of neighboring contact strip pieces. For this reason, the inclined surface of the impact mitigating part of the contact strip piece which the slider approaches is relatively downwardly slid with respect to one side surface of the slider. In addition, the inclined surface of the impact mitigating part of the contact strip piece from which the slider moves away is relatively upwardly slid with respect to the other side surface of the slider. As a result, since an impact generated between the contact strip piece and the slider is mitigated by the impact mitigating part without fitting the slider into a stepped section between the neighboring contact strip pieces, the slider is smoothly transferred from the one contact strip piece of the neighboring contact strip pieces to the other contact strip piece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicants: TOYO ELECTRIC MFG., LTD., EAST JAPAN RAILWAY COMPANY
    Inventors: Haruo Yamada, Takeshi Kurita, Fumio Mizushima, Shinji Nakajima, Hitoshi Satoh
  • Publication number: 20130256073
    Abstract: When a plurality of contact plate pieces are arranged on a loading part of a contact plate assembly jig, the plurality of contact plate pieces are arranged by a contact plate piece aligning part in a row. Further, the neighboring contact plate pieces are held by an interval holding part at a predetermined interval (?1). When a plurality of movable guide parts are arranged on a conductive part and a movable guide assembly jig is mounted on the contact plate assembly jig, sliding surfaces of the plurality of movable guide parts are arranged on the same plane in a row by aligning surfaces of movable guide aligning parts. When the contact plate piece and the movable guide part is prevented by the contact plate piece aligning parts, the interval holding part and the movable guide aligning part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: EAST JAPAN RAILWAY COMPANY
    Inventors: Haruo Yamada, Takeshi Kurita, Fumio Mizushima
  • Publication number: 20130176037
    Abstract: An environmental information measurement device includes: a power source unit; an environmental information detector; a timer; and a controller. The power source unit generates, from an electromagnetic wave received, a power source voltage to be supplied to a load. The load includes the environmental information detector, the timer, and the controller. The environmental information detector includes a detector including a circuit element having an impedance or an electrostatic capacitance that varies according to a physical amount detected under an environment at a measurement target point, and outputs a signal that varies according to a response characteristic of the detector. The timer measures a duration from the time when measurement is initiated to the time when a voltage of the signal becomes a predetermined detection voltage. The controller controls an operation of the environmental information detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicants: EAST JAPAN RAILWAY COMPANY, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION HOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Hiroshi Waki, Hajime Igarashi, Kota Watanabe, Hidetoshi Makimura