Patents by Inventor Hirofumi FUKUMARU

Hirofumi FUKUMARU 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: 20230286138
    Abstract: A link actuation device includes a proximal link hub, a distal link hub, link mechanisms that couple the link hubs, an actuator, and a control device. The actuator includes motors provided for link mechanisms, respectively. The control device stores a map in which drive command values for each of the motors corresponding to a plurality of discrete positions within a movable range of the distal link hub are stored. Upon receipt of a command value for movement to a position that coincides with none of the plurality of positions within the movable range, the control device determines a drive command value for each of the motors by interpolating a region surrounded by four points at the plurality of positions on the map using a polynomial curved surface formula.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: Akihiro HAYASHI, Hirofumi FUKUMARU, Toshiki TAKAKI
  • Patent number: 11691276
    Abstract: A link actuation apparatus that actuates a parallel link mechanism where a spherical drive mechanism is constructed includes a controller configured to calculate, based on spherical trigonometry, an attitude of a second link hub from angles ?A1 and ?A2 that represent the attitude of a first end link member with respect to a first link hub in two of at least three link mechanisms. The link actuation apparatus capable of performing forward transformation in real time is thus provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignees: KYUSHU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Hayashi, Hirofumi Fukumaru, Toshiki Takagi, Kenzou Nose, Hideki Matsuzawa
  • Patent number: 11668375
    Abstract: A parallel link mechanism includes a proximal end member and three or more link mechanisms. Three or more link mechanisms connect the proximal end member to a distal end member. In three or more link mechanisms, a first center axis of a first revolute pair unit and a second center axis of a second revolute pair unit intersect at a spherical link center point. Fifth center axes of respective fifth revolute pair units of three or more link mechanisms overlap each other and intersect with the spherical link center point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignees: KYUSHU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Hayashi, Hirofumi Fukumaru, Taiga Okamoto, Kenzou Nose, Hideki Matsuzawa, Hiroshi Isobe, Seigo Sakata
  • Publication number: 20220234199
    Abstract: A link actuation apparatus that actuates a parallel link mechanism where a spherical drive mechanism is constructed includes a controller configured to calculate, based on spherical trigonometry, an attitude of a second link hub from angles ?A1 and ?A2 that represent the attitude of a first end link member with respect to a first link hub in two of at least three link mechanisms. The link actuation apparatus capable of performing forward transformation in real time is thus provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Akihiro HAYASHI, Hirofumi FUKUMARU, Toshiki TAKAGI, Kenzou NOSE, Hideki MATSUZAWA
  • Publication number: 20210388887
    Abstract: A parallel link mechanism includes a proximal end member and three or more link mechanisms. Three or more link mechanisms connect the proximal end member to a distal end member. In three or more link mechanisms, a first center axis of a first revolute pair unit and a second center axis of a second revolute pair unit intersect at a spherical link center point. Fifth center axes of respective fifth revolute pair units of three or more link mechanisms overlap each other and intersect with the spherical link center point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Inventors: Akihiro HAYASHI, Hirofumi FUKUMARU, Taiga OKAMOTO, Kenzou NOSE, Hideki MATSUZAWA, Hiroshi ISOBE, Seigo SAKATA