Patents by Inventor Akihito Ogawa

Akihito Ogawa 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).

  • Publication number: 20240139941
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a handling system includes: a holding unit configured to hold an object; a holding state sensor configured to detect a holding state; a detection unit configured to detect the object and a holding posture; and a control device configured to control an operation of the holding unit. The control device performs: generating a carrying operation plan for allowing the holding unit to carry the object; calculating a safety factor indicating stability of a state in which the holding unit holds the object on the basis of the holding state, the holding posture, and the carrying operation plan; determining whether the carrying operation plan is to be changed on the basis of the safety factor; and changing the carrying operation plan on the basis of the safety factor when it is determined that the carrying operation plan is to be changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2023
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Harutoshi CHATANI, Kazunobu KONDA, Akihito OGAWA
  • Publication number: 20240139973
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a hand includes a gripper, a driver, and a controller. The gripper is configured to grip an object. The driver drives the gripper. When a stability when gripping the object is estimated, the controller causes the driver to perform a first motion to increase the stability. The stability is estimated based on contact information of the gripper for the object, and characteristic information including at least one of a size or a weight of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2023
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Yoshifumi OKA, Haruna ETO, Harutoshi CHATANI, Seiji TOKURA, Akihito OGAWA
  • Patent number: 11865720
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a handling device includes: a holding part that includes two or more supporting parts and is capable of holding an object by gripping the object with the two or more supporting parts; a calculation part configured to calculate a safety factor indicating safety of a state of the holding part holding the object; and a controller configured to cause the holding part to hold the object according to the safety factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Haruna Eto, Seiji Tokura, Kazuma Komoda, Ping Jiang, Akihito Ogawa
  • Patent number: 11865719
    Abstract: According an embodiment, a work support device includes an arm unit, a brake unit, a state determination unit, and a brake control unit. The arm unit includes a grasping part configured to grasp an object, a plurality of joint parts, and a plurality of link parts actuatably coupled through each joint part. The brake unit is provided to at least one of the joint parts to restrict actuation of the arm unit. The state determination unit determines the state of the arm unit. The brake control unit controls the brake unit to restrict actuation of the arm unit in accordance with the state of the arm unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hideichi Nakamoto, Akihito Ogawa, Junichiro Ooga, Hideki Ogawa, Haruna Eto, Ryosuke Higo
  • Patent number: 11745337
    Abstract: A handling device according to an embodiment has a holder, a calculator, and a controller. The holder is capable of holding an object. The calculator calculates an estimated holding safety factor when the holder holds an object. The controller causes the holder to hold the object on the basis of the estimated holding safety factor calculated by the calculator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Haruna Eto, Seiji Tokura, Kazuma Komoda, Ping Jiang, Akihito Ogawa
  • Patent number: 11691275
    Abstract: A handling device according to an embodiment includes a manipulator, a normal grid generation unit, a hand kernel generation unit, a calculation unit, and a control unit. The normal grid generation unit converts a depth image into a point cloud, generates spatial data including an object to be grasped that is divided into a plurality of grids from the point cloud, and calculates a normal vector of the point cloud included in the grid using spherical coordinates. The hand kernel generation unit generates a hand kernel of each suction pad. The calculation unit calculates ease of grasping the object to be grasped by a plurality of suction pads based on a 3D convolution calculation using a grid including the spatial data and the hand kernel. The control unit controls a grasping operation of the manipulator based on the ease of grasping the object to be grasped by the plurality of suction pads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kalsha Toshiba
    Inventors: Ping Jiang, Yoshiyuki Ishihara, Akihito Ogawa, Atsushi Sugahara, Seiji Tokura, Haruna Eto, Kazuma Komoda
  • Publication number: 20230150138
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a picking system includes a picking robot and a control device. The picking robot transfers an object from a first space to a second space by using a robot hand. The control device controls the picking robot. When a first measurement result related to a shape of the object in the first space when viewed along a first direction is acquired, the control device performs a first calculation of calculating a position candidate for placing the object in the second space based on the first measurement result. When a second measurement result related to a shape of the object when viewed along a second direction is acquired, the control device performs a second calculation of calculating a position of the robot hand when placing the object in the second space based on the second measurement result and the position candidate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2022
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Yoshifumi OKA, Hirofumi KAWAI, Kenichi SHIMOYAMA, Seiji TOKURA, Akihito OGAWA
  • Patent number: 11565408
    Abstract: An object manipulation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a memory and a hardware processor coupled to the memory. The hardware processor is configured to: calculate, based on an image in which one or more objects to be grasped are contained, an evaluation value of a first behavior manner of grasping the one or more objects; generate information representing a second behavior manner based on the image and a plurality of evaluation values of the first behavior manner; and control actuation of grasping the object to be grasped in accordance with the information being generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Ping Jiang, Seiji Tokura, Yoshiyuki Ishihara, Akihito Ogawa, Atsushi Sugahara, Haruna Eto, Kazuma Komoda
  • Publication number: 20220411190
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a handling system includes a first mobile robot, a first transfer robot, and a picking robot. The first mobile robot transports a first container out of a loading location of the first container. An article is stored in the first container. The first transfer robot transfers the first container from one of the first mobile robot or a first loading platform to the other of the first mobile robot or the first loading platform. The picking robot moves the article from the first container placed on the first loading platform to a second container placed on a second loading platform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Akihito OGAWA
  • Patent number: 11529743
    Abstract: A handling apparatus has an arm having a joint; a holding portion attached to the arm and configured to hold an object; a sensor configured to detect a plurality of the objects; and a control apparatus configured to control the arm and the holding portion, wherein the control apparatus is configured to calculate an ease of holding the object by the holding portion as a score based on information acquired by the sensor with respect to each object and each holding method, select the object to hold and the holding method according to the score, and calculate a position for holding the selected object and an orientation of the arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kazuma Komoda, Seiji Tokura, Haruna Eto, Ping Jiang, Atsushi Sugahara, Akihito Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20220388787
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, there is provided a handling system capable of handling a plurality of objects, the handling system including: a movable arm, a holder, a sensor, and a controller. The holder is attached to the movable arm and is capable of holding the object. The sensor is capable of detecting the object. The controller controls the movable arm and the holder. The controller determines whether or not to change an arrangement of the object before the object is held, on the basis of information acquired from the sensor. In a case where it is determined to change the arrangement of the object, the controller evaluates effectiveness of an arrangement change operation for each object, and decides on an arrangement change operation on the basis of an evaluation result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kazuma KOMODA, Seiji TOKURA, Haruna ETO, Akihito OGAWA
  • Patent number: 11518625
    Abstract: A handling device according to an embodiment has an arm, a holder, a storage, and a controller. The arm includes at least one joint. The holder is attached to the arm and is configured to hold an object. The storage stores a function map including at least one of information about holdable positions of the holder and information about possible postures of the holder. The detector is configured to detect information about the object. The controller is configured to generate holdable candidate points on the basis of the information detected by the detector, to search the function map for a position in an environment in which the object is present, the position being associated with the generated holdable candidate points, and to determine a holding posture of the holder on the basis of the searched position. The function map associates a manipulability with each position in the environment in which the object is present. The manipulability is a parameter calculated from at least one joint angle of the holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kazuma Komoda, Seiji Tokura, Haruna Eto, Ping Jiang, Atsushi Sugahara, Akihito Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20220274252
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a handling system includes a movable arm, a holding unit, a sensor, and a controller. The holding unit is attached to the movable arm and capable of holding an object by selecting one or more of a plurality of holding methods. The sensor is capable of detecting a plurality of the objects. The controller controls the movable arm and the holding unit. The controller calculates a score based on a selected holding method for each object and each holding method on the basis of information acquired from the sensor. The controller selects a next object to be held and a holding method on the basis of the score. The controller calculates a position at which the selected object is held and a posture of the movable arm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2022
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kazuma KOMODA, Seiji TOKURA, Haruna ETO, Akihito OGAWA
  • Patent number: 11396101
    Abstract: An operating system according to an embodiment includes a target surface detection unit, a position calculation unit, a direction calculation unit, and a movement control unit. The target surface detection unit detects a target surface of a target object from a depth image obtained by a depth sensor. The position calculation unit calculates a first position for the detected target surface. The direction calculation unit calculates a first direction for the detected target surface. The movement control unit controls an actuator so as to reduce a positional deviation between a second position fixed with respect to the movable member and the first position and to reduce a directional deviation between a second direction fixed with respect to the movable member and the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Nobukatsu Sugiyama, Yoshiyuki Ishihara, Junji Oaki, Ping Jiang, Seiji Tokura, Akihito Ogawa
  • Patent number: 11318612
    Abstract: A control device includes at least two processors comprising at least a first processor and a second processor. The control device controls at least one autonomous motion mechanism on the basis of a recognition result received from a recognition device. A storage device of the control device stores upper-level software, middle-level software, and lower-level software. The upper-level software derives a feature amount representing a feature of the recognition result. The middle-level software generates a motion plan of the autonomous motion mechanism on the basis of the feature amount. The lower-level software outputs a command value for controlling the autonomous motion mechanism on the basis of the motion plan. The first processor executes at least the upper-level software, the second processor executes at least the lower-level software, and at least one processor included in the control device executes the middle-level software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Junichiro Ooga, Akihito Ogawa
  • Patent number: 11318619
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, an object handling device includes a base, a manipulator, a first camera, a sensor, a manipulator control unit and a calibration unit. The manipulator is arranged on the base, and includes a movable part and an effector that is arranged on the movable part and acts on an object. The first camera and the sensor are arranged on the manipulator. The manipulator control unit controls the manipulator so that the movable part is moved to a position corresponding to a directed value. The calibration processing unit acquires a first error in a first direction based on an image photographed by the first camera, acquire a second error in a second direction intersecting with the first direction based on a detection result obtained by the sensor, and acquire a directed calibration value with respect to the directed value based on the first error and the second error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Akihito Ogawa, Atsushi Sugahara, Junya Tanaka, Kazuma Komoda, Haruna Eto
  • Patent number: 11312011
    Abstract: A manipulator system according to an embodiment includes a manipulator, an actuator, and a control device. The actuator is configured to operate the manipulator. The control device is configured to control the actuator so that the manipulator moves while avoiding an obstacle. The control device controls the actuator so that an angle between a moving velocity vector of a first target point on the manipulator and a normal vector at a second target point on a surface of the obstacle is within 90°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Nobukatsu Sugiyama, Yoshiyuki Ishihara, Junji Oaki, Akihito Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20220080590
    Abstract: A handling device according to an embodiment includes a manipulator, a normal grid generation unit, a hand kernel generation unit, a calculation unit, and a control unit. The normal grid generation unit converts a depth image into a point cloud, generates spatial data including an object to be grasped that is divided into a plurality of grids from the point cloud, and calculates a normal vector of the point cloud included in the grid using spherical coordinates. The hand kernel generation unit generates a hand kernel of each suction pad. The calculation unit calculates ease of grasping the object to be grasped by a plurality of suction pads based on a 3D convolution calculation using a grid including the spatial data and the hand kernel. The control unit controls a grasping operation of the manipulator based on the ease of grasping the object to be grasped by the plurality of suction pads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Ping JIANG, Yoshiyuki ISHIHARA, Akihito OGAWA, Atsushi SUGAHARA, Seiji TOKURA, Haruna ETO, Kazuma KOMODA
  • Patent number: 11273551
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a grasping control device controls a grasping device including grasping members to grasp an object. The grasping control device includes a selector, a first determination unit and a controller. The selector selects at least one grasping form for the object based on first information relating to the object, from among a plurality of grasping forms determined by a number and an arrangement of the grasping members. The first determination unit determines a usage form realizing the selected grasping form, from among a plurality of usage forms determined by at least one of second information relating to the grasping device and third information relating to an obstacle. The controller controls the grasping device such that at least one of grasping members grasps the object according to the determined usage form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuma Komoda, Akihito Ogawa, Haruna Eto, Seiji Tokura
  • Publication number: 20210394364
    Abstract: A handling system according to an embodiment handles/processes plural kinds of articles. The handling system includes first and second conveyance devices, and a control device. The first conveyance device transports a processing target article among the articles to a work area for a robot to handle/process the target article. The second conveyance device transports the target article to a work area for as operator to handle/process the target article. The control device determines by which of the robot or the operator the target article is processed according to process information generated based on an article handling/processing result by the robot in past. The control device transports the target article to the first conveyance device when the target article is determined to be processed by the robot and transports the target article to the second conveyance device when the target article is determined to be processed by the operator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihito OGAWA, Hideaki KOJIMA