Patents by Inventor Junichi Urata

Junichi Urata 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: 10199904
    Abstract: A system includes a primary Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and a heat transfer device that is attached to the primary PCB. The primary PCB includes a heat generating device and a thermal conductive inlay attached to the heat generating device. The heat transfer device includes a secondary PCB that is thermally coupled to the primary PCB, and a heat dissipation block. The heat dissipation block has a first side attached to the thermal conductive inlay of the primary PCB and a second side attached to the secondary PCB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Schaft Inc.
    Inventors: Akihiko Sasaki, Nobuyuki Ito, Junichi Urata
  • Patent number: 10179619
    Abstract: An example implementation may involve receiving, by a robot comprising a first foot and a second foot, sensor data indicating that a force has been applied to a top surface of the first foot. The robot may have a trajectory, and the sensor data may be received from a sensor positioned on the top surface of the first foot. In response to receiving the sensor data, the robot may determine an updated trajectory for the robot and cause the second foot to swing such that the robot moves according to the updated trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: Schaft Inc.
    Inventors: Junichi Urata, Masaki Hamafuji
  • Patent number: 10160505
    Abstract: An example implementation may involve a robot foot having a bottom surface and an edge portion extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the foot, where the edge portion meets the bottom surface at the perimeter, where the edge portion surrounds a volume extending from the bottom surface of the foot to a top surface of the edge portion, and where the edge portion of the foot is composed of a first material. The foot may also include an interior portion located adjacent to the edge portion, where the interior portion of the foot fills the volume, and where the interior portion is composed of a second material that is more compliant than the first material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Schaft Inc.
    Inventors: Junichi Urata, Masaki Hamafuji
  • Patent number: 10132701
    Abstract: The structure for detecting tooth-skipping of the speed reducer of the rotary driver is reduced in weight and size. In the rotary driver the occurrence of tooth-skipping is detected based on the difference in outputs from the encoders located at the input side (the side of the motor) and at the output side (the side of the load), which is opposite the input side in relation to the speed reducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Schaft Inc.
    Inventor: Junichi Urata
  • Publication number: 20180241285
    Abstract: A system includes a primary Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and a heat transfer device that is attached to the primary PCB. The primary PCB includes a heat generating device and a thermal conductive inlay attached to the heat generating device. The heat transfer device includes a secondary PCB that is thermally coupled to the primary PCB, and a heat dissipation block. The heat dissipation block has a first side attached to the thermal conductive inlay of the primary PCB and a second side attached to the secondary PCB.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Applicant: Schaft Inc.
    Inventors: Akihiko Sasaki, Nobuyuki Ito, Junichi Urata
  • Patent number: 10000248
    Abstract: Example embodiments relate to a robotic device with at least two legs. Each leg includes a foot including a first sole and a second sole perpendicular to the first sole. Each leg additionally includes an ankle joint configured to rotate the foot from a first position in which the first sole is contacting a ground surface to a second position in which the second sole is contacting the ground surface. The robotic device includes a control system. When the foot of a given leg of the at least two legs is in the first position, the control system may determine to cause the foot of the given leg to switch from the first position to the second position, and may cause the ankle joint of the given leg to rotate the foot of the given leg from the first position to the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Inventors: Junichi Urata, Yoshito Ito
  • Patent number: 9994269
    Abstract: Example embodiments relate to a foot for a walking robot. An example foot includes a central portion including a first surface and at least one foot extension including at least one respective first surface parallel to the first surface of the central portion. The foot additionally includes at least one hinge component that is configured to rotate the at least one foot extension away from the central portion when at least one respective second surface of the at least one foot extension is contacted. The foot also includes at least one spring component configured to cause the at least one hinge component to rotate the at least one foot extension toward the central portion until the at least one respective first surface is parallel to the first surface of the central portion when the at least one respective second surface is no longer contacted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Schaft Inc.
    Inventors: Junichi Urata, Yoshito Ito
  • Patent number: 9950430
    Abstract: A robotic system may include an incremental encoder coupled to a joint of the system. The robotic system may include a memory configured to store representations of angular positions of the joint. The robotic system may include a motor coupled to the joint, where rotation of the joint while the motor is powered off (i) causes rotation of the motor such that electric power is generated, and (ii) updates the angular position of the joint. The robotic system may use the electric power to power on the incremental encoder and the memory while the robotic system is powered off. One or more processors may obtain, when the robotic system powers on after being powered off, the updated angular position of the joint from the memory, where the incremental encoder provides the updated angular position to the memory while the robotic system is powered off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Schaft Inc.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Ito, Junichi Urata, Koichi Nishiwaki
  • Publication number: 20180041090
    Abstract: A water-cooled housing includes a tubular passage with partition walls erected in the direction of the central axis at an angular interval on a cylindrical inner wall to form outward and inward passages extending parallel to each other along the central axis between the partition walls and the outer peripheral surface of a motor, a first cover which closes a first opening of the tubular passage while having returning passages that connect inward passages to next outward passages, a second cover which closes a second opening of the tubular passage section while having returning passages that connect outward passages to next inward passages, a water supply on the first cover section and connected to the entrance of a first outward passage, and a water drain connected to the outlet of the last inward passage of the first cover or the outlet of the last outward passage of the second cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Inventors: Junichi Urata, Yuto Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 9882523
    Abstract: To suppress a decline in the control accuracy of an applied voltage associated with an increase in quantum noise, and to increase the control accuracy of a motor speed. When generating a driving voltage signal supplied to a motor from a driving command signal, a motor-driving voltage control device reduces the gradation level and performs noise-shaping modulation before performing PWM modulation. Reducing the gradation level allows the degree of gradation of the driving voltage signal to be within the resolution range of the PWM modulation, and thus PWM modulation can be performed even when the driving voltage signal has a high frequency. Noise-shaping modulation reduces the level of quantum noise near the low frequency range by causing the quantum noise due to digitization, included in the driving voltage signal, to be biased toward the high frequency range side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Schaft Inc.
    Inventors: Junichi Urata, Masayuki Inaba
  • Patent number: 9821866
    Abstract: Example embodiments relate to a robotic device with at least two legs. Each leg includes a foot including a first sole and a second sole perpendicular to the first sole. Each leg additionally includes an ankle joint configured to rotate the foot from a first position in which the first sole is contacting a ground surface to a second position in which the second sole is contacting the ground surface. The robotic device includes a control system. When the foot of a given leg of the at least two legs is in the first position, the control system may determine to cause the foot of the given leg to switch from the first position to the second position, and may cause the ankle joint of the given leg to rotate the foot of the given leg from the first position to the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Schaft Inc.
    Inventors: Junichi Urata, Yoshito Ito
  • Patent number: 9821461
    Abstract: An example method includes determining one or more first movements that begin with a robot at a first position, determining one or more second movements that begin with the robot at the first position and end with the robot standing at a second position, making a first prediction of whether one or more motors of the robot executing the one or more first movements would cause a future temperature of any of the one or more motors to exceed a threshold temperature, making a second prediction of whether the one or more motors executing the one or more second movements would cause a future temperature of any of the one or more motors to exceed the threshold temperature, and causing the one or more motors to execute either (i) the one or more first movements or (ii) the one or more second movements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: X Development LLC
    Inventors: Junichi Urata, Yoshito Ito
  • Publication number: 20170307455
    Abstract: The structure for detecting tooth-skipping of the speed reducer of the rotary driver is reduced in weight and size. In the rotary driver the occurrence of tooth-skipping is detected based on the difference in outputs from the encoders located at the input side (the side of the motor) and at the output side (the side of the load), which is opposite the input side in relation to the speed reducer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2017
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventor: Junichi Urata
  • Patent number: 9778132
    Abstract: An implementation may involve causing a foot of a robot to orient in a first position, where the foot comprises a sole configured to contact a surface, where the sole comprises a first edge and a second edge, and where in the first position: (i) the first edge contacts the surface, and (ii) a zero moment point (ZMP) is located on the first edge; receiving, from a force sensor, (i) first force data indicative of a first force and (ii) first moment data indicative of a first moment; determining a calibration of the force sensor based at least in part on the first force data, the first moment data, and a distance between the ZMP and a measurement location on the robot; and while the robot is engaged in bipedal movement, controlling the bipedal movement of the robot based at least in part on the calibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: X Development LLC
    Inventors: Junichi Urata, Yoshito Ito, Masaki Hamafuji
  • Publication number: 20170274529
    Abstract: An example method for detecting a movable element on a surface involves receiving, from a depth sensor coupled to a mobile robot, a first depth measurement between the depth sensor and a ground surface. The method also involves causing at least one transducer coupled to the mobile robot to emit a directional pressure wave toward the ground surface. The method further involves receiving, from the depth sensor coupled to the mobile robot, a second depth measurement between the depth sensor and the ground surface after emitting the directional pressure wave. Additionally, the method involves identifying one or more differences between the first depth measurement and the second depth measurement indicating that the ground surface includes a movable element. Further, the method involves providing navigation instructions to the mobile robot based on the identified one or more differences between the first depth measurement and the second depth measurement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Junichi Urata, Yoshito Ito
  • Patent number: 9768662
    Abstract: A water-cooled housing (100) comprises: a tubular passage section (20) which has a plurality of partition walls erected in the direction of the central axis at a prescribed angular interval on a substantially cylindrical inner wall to form a plurality of outward passages and a plurality of inward passages extending parallel to each other along the central axis between the plurality of partition walls and the outer peripheral surface of a motor (40); a first cover section (10) which closes a first opening of the tubular passage section (20) while having a plurality of returning passages that connects inward passages to next outward passages; a second cover section (30) which closes a second opening of the tubular passage section (20) while having a plurality of returning passages that connects outward passages to next inward passages; a water supply section (16a) which is provided on the first cover section (10) and connected to the entrance of a first outward passage; and a water drain section (17a) which is
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Schaft Inc.
    Inventors: Junichi Urata, Yuto Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 9733137
    Abstract: The structure for detecting tooth-skipping of the speed reducer of the rotary driver is reduced in weight and size. In the rotary driver the occurrence of tooth-skipping is detected based on the difference in outputs from the encoders located at the input side (the side of the motor) and at the output side (the side of the load), which is opposite the input side in relation to the speed reducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Schaft Inc.
    Inventor: Junichi Urata
  • Patent number: 9701016
    Abstract: An example method for detecting a movable element on a surface involves receiving, from a depth sensor coupled to a mobile robot, a first depth measurement between the depth sensor and a ground surface. The method also involves causing at least one transducer coupled to the mobile robot to emit a directional pressure wave toward the ground surface. The method further involves receiving, from the depth sensor coupled to the mobile robot, a second depth measurement between the depth sensor and the ground surface after emitting the directional pressure wave. Additionally, the method involves identifying one or more differences between the first depth measurement and the second depth measurement indicating that the ground surface includes a movable element. Further, the method involves providing navigation instructions to the mobile robot based on the identified one or more differences between the first depth measurement and the second depth measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: X Development LLC
    Inventors: Junichi Urata, Yoshito Ito
  • Patent number: 9623556
    Abstract: Disclosed are robotic systems, methods, bipedal robot devices, and computer-readable mediums. For example, a robotic system may include a robotic leg connected to a main body and a robotic foot. A robotic sole joint may be connected to the robotic leg, where the robotic sole joint is located at a sole of the robotic foot. The robotic leg and the robotic foot may be movable around an axis of rotation defined by the robotic sole joint. A movement around the axis may cause a ZMP to shift from a first location to a second location in the robotic foot. A measure of force applied by the robotic sole joint around the axis may be approximately equal to zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: X Development LLC
    Inventors: Junichi Urata, Masaki Hamafuji
  • Publication number: 20170040923
    Abstract: To suppress a decline in the control accuracy of an applied voltage associated with an increase in quantum noise, and to increase the control accuracy of a motor speed. When generating a driving voltage signal supplied to a motor from a driving command signal, a motor-driving voltage control device reduces the gradation level and performs noise-shaping modulation before performing PWM modulation. Reducing the gradation level allows the degree of gradation of the driving voltage signal to be within the resolution range of the PWM modulation, and thus PWM modulation can be performed even when the driving voltage signal has a high frequency. Noise-shaping modulation reduces the level of quantum noise near the low frequency range by causing the quantum noise due to digitization, included in the driving voltage signal, to be biased toward the high frequency range side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Inventors: Junichi Urata, Masayuki Inaba