Patents by Inventor Kazunobu Konishi
Kazunobu Konishi 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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Publication number: 20240144840Abstract: A server acquires, on the basis of sensing data about a person, lifting information indicating a lifting state of a leg of the person, acquires height information indicating a height of a step from a floor in a space where the person moves, determines, on the basis of the lifting information and the height information, a dangerous level of a walk of the person, generates walk assist information in accordance with the dangerous level, and outputs the walk assist information.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 8, 2024Publication date: May 2, 2024Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of AmericaInventors: Kazunobu KONISHI, Taro SUZUKI, Masafumi ISHIKAWA, Hiroko IZUMI
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Patent number: 11928974Abstract: An unmanned aircraft includes: a sensor that includes at least a microphone that generates sound data; and a processor. The processor determines quality of a target sound using the sound data generated by the microphone, obtains a positional relationship between the unmanned aircraft and a sound source of the target sound using data generated by the sensor, and controls movement of the unmanned aircraft to control a distance between the unmanned aircraft and the sound source of the target sound, in accordance with the quality of the target sound and the positional relationship.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2021Date of Patent: March 12, 2024Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Stephen William John, Kazunobu Konishi, Katsuhiko Asai, Kazuo Inoue, Shunsuke Kuhara
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Patent number: 11919640Abstract: An unmanned aircraft includes: a microphone including a plurality of elements; and a processor that processes signals output from target elements included in the plurality of elements. In the unmanned aircraft, the processor performs a detection process of detecting a target sound signal of a target sound from the signals output from the target elements included in the plurality of elements, and changes the target elements that output the signals to be processed by the processor to select at least one target element that outputs a signal to be processed by the processor from among the plurality of elements, in accordance with a result of the detection process.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2021Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Stephen William John, Kazunobu Konishi, Katsuhiko Asai, Shunsuke Kuhara
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Patent number: 11868138Abstract: Various embodiments for controlling a state of an autonomous vehicle that is to meet a user are provided. A receiver receives location information indicating a current location of the user. A memory stores a plurality of states of the autonomous vehicle. Each of the states at least one of visually or audibly distinguishes the autonomous vehicle. A sensor senses an environment of the autonomous vehicle to obtain environment information. A distance from a place of meeting the user to the current location of the user is calculated based on the location information. A first state is selected in accordance with the environment information. The autonomous vehicle is caused to change from a second state to the first state when the distance from the place of meeting the user to the current location of the user becomes smaller than or equal to a predetermined distance.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2021Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICAInventors: Kazunobu Konishi, Shuhei Matsui, Yuta Shimotsuma
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Publication number: 20240005015Abstract: A server includes: a first receiving part that receives, from an appliance arranged in a building, operational data of the appliance; a second receiving part that receives use request information indicating a use request for the appliance from a user terminal belonging to a user of the appliance; a transmitting part that transmits approval request information to an owner terminal belonging to an owner of the appliance in response to receipt of the use request information; a third receiving part that that receives, from the owner terminal, approval information indicating an approval to use of the appliance; and a setting part that sets a restriction on access to appliance data by the owner in response to receipt of the approval information, the appliance data including at least one of the operational data and data based on the operational data.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2023Publication date: January 4, 2024Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of AmericaInventors: Kazunobu KONISHI, Taro SUZUKI
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Patent number: 11760479Abstract: An unmanned aircraft includes: at least two generators generating forces to fly the unmanned aircraft, each including a rotor blade generating an airflow; a sensor detecting a tilt of the unmanned aircraft; and a processor controlling the generators to control flight of the unmanned aircraft. The processor: obtains an output force adjustment trigger for the generators; obtaining the trigger, causes each generator to individually operate at least until the tilt of the unmanned aircraft detected by the sensor satisfies a predetermined condition; determines a reference value related to an output force of each generator from a value related to the output force of each generator when the tilt of the unmanned aircraft satisfies the predetermined condition and a positional relationship between the generators; and controls the flight of the unmanned aircraft, using the reference values determined.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2021Date of Patent: September 19, 2023Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Kazuo Inoue, Kazunobu Konishi, Stephen John, Katsuhiko Asai, Shunsuke Kuhara
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Patent number: 11755036Abstract: A controller obtains a first horizontal distance and a first vertical distance which are respectively a component in a horizontal direction and a component in a vertical direction among distances from an unmanned aerial vehicle to a surface of a particular place where elevation gradually increases or decreases along the horizontal direction, decides, based on a ratio of the first horizontal distance to the first vertical distance, a movement amount by which the unmanned aerial vehicle is to be moved simultaneously in both the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and moves the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the movement amount.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2021Date of Patent: September 12, 2023Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Shunsuke Kuhara, Kazunobu Konishi, Stephen William John, Katsuhiko Asai
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Patent number: 11741932Abstract: An unmanned aircraft includes: rotor blades; a duct that shrouds the rotor blades and through which airflow generated by rotation of the rotor blades passes; and a processor that controls rotation of the rotor blades. The height to width ratio of an inner space of the duct in which the rotor blades are shrouded is at least 0.5.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2022Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Stephen William John, Toshiyuki Matsumura, Kazunobu Konishi, Katsuhiko Asai, Shunsuke Kuhara
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Patent number: 11656639Abstract: An information processing method performed by a computer includes: determining whether a target sound has been recognized; when it is determined that the target sound has been recognized, acquiring positions and sound recording directions of unmanned aerial vehicles; acquiring noise-related information regarding noise generated by at least one of the unmanned aerial vehicles; acquiring an estimated position of a sound recording target estimated from the target sound; determining at least one of target positions and target sound recording directions of the unmanned aerial vehicles based on the estimated position of the sound recording target, the positions and the sound recording directions of the unmanned aerial vehicles, and the noise-related information; and outputting, to each of the unmanned aerial vehicles, at least one of a request for moving to the target position and a request for setting the sound recording direction to the target sound recording direction.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2021Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Stephen William John, Kazunobu Konishi, Katsuhiko Asai, Kazuo Inoue, Shunsuke Kuhara
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Patent number: 11469691Abstract: An unmanned aircraft includes: a processor; and at least two generators that generate thrust for the unmanned aircraft to fly, the at least two generators each including a corresponding one of rotor blades that produce airflows. In the unmanned aircraft, the processor generates a control request for changing a rotational speed of at least one of the rotor blades of the at least two generators to reduce a difference between rotational speeds, in response to start of sound recording by a microphone, and the at least two generators rotate the rotor blades in accordance with the control request.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2019Date of Patent: October 11, 2022Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Stephen William John, Kazunobu Konishi, Katsuhiko Asai, Kazuo Inoue
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Patent number: 11409300Abstract: Various embodiments are provided for controlling an autonomous car. The embodiments acquire meeting information indicating a place of a meeting and a time of the meeting. A remaining time between the time of the meeting and a current time is calculated. A waiting time for waiting in a waiting place by the autonomous car and a traveling time for traveling to the place of the meeting by the autonomous car are determined. The waiting and traveling times are determined to minimize a total cost and to make a total time within the remaining time. The total cost includes a cost of the traveling and a cost of the waiting. The total time includes the waiting and traveling times. A route along which the autonomous car is to travel to the place of the meeting within the traveling time is determined.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2018Date of Patent: August 9, 2022Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICAInventors: Kazunobu Konishi, Shuhei Matsui, Yuta Shimotsuma
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Patent number: 11377198Abstract: An unmanned flying object, capable of suppressing an increase in overall size while having a configuration to reduce noise, is provided. The unmanned flying object includes a duct that corresponds to: at least one generator that generates airflow; at least one microphone; and at least one speaker. The duct covers the at least one generator in a direction perpendicular to an airflow direction, passes the airflow in the airflow direction, includes a space between inner and outer peripheral surfaces, and defines an opening at the end of the space in the airflow direction. A shape of the inner peripheral surface is tapered in the airflow direction. The at least one microphone is positioned in the space. The at least one speaker is positioned closer to the at least one generator than the at least one microphone.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2018Date of Patent: July 5, 2022Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICAInventors: Kazunobu Konishi, Stephen William John, Katsuhiko Asai, Ko Mizuno
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Patent number: 11325703Abstract: A control device includes a processor which: obtains first region information indicating a first region; obtains first position information indicating the position of an unmanned aerial vehicle tethered to a tethering device using a tether; and controls the tethering device using the first region information and the first position information to cause the tether to have tension corresponding to a specified distance which is at least one of the shortest distance between a boundary of the first region and the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a distance included in a predetermined range from the shortest distance.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2019Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Katsuhiko Asai, Kazunobu Konishi, Stephen William John, Kazuo Inoue
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Publication number: 20220122576Abstract: An unmanned aircraft includes: rotor blades; a duct that shrouds the rotor blades and through which airflow generated by rotation of the rotor blades passes; and a processor that controls rotation of the rotor blades. The height to width ratio of an inner space of the duct in which the rotor blades are shrouded is at least 0.5.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 4, 2022Publication date: April 21, 2022Inventors: Stephen William JOHN, Toshiyuki MATSUMURA, Kazunobu KONISHI, Katsuhiko ASAI, Shunsuke KUHARA
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Publication number: 20220097850Abstract: An unmanned aircraft includes: a microphone including a plurality of elements; and a processor that processes signals output from target elements included in the plurality of elements. In the unmanned aircraft, the processor performs a detection process of detecting a target sound signal of a target sound from the signals output from the target elements included in the plurality of elements, and changes the target elements that output the signals to be processed by the processor to select at least one target element that outputs a signal to be processed by the processor from among the plurality of elements, in accordance with a result of the detection process.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2021Publication date: March 31, 2022Inventors: Stephen William JOHN, Kazunobu KONISHI, Katsuhiko ASAI, Shunsuke KUHARA
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Publication number: 20220035377Abstract: Various embodiments for controlling a state of an autonomous vehicle that is to meet a user are provided. A receiver receives location information indicating a current location of the user. A memory stores a plurality of states of the autonomous vehicle. Each of the states at least one of visually or audibly distinguishes the autonomous vehicle. A sensor senses an environment of the autonomous vehicle to obtain environment information. A distance from a place of meeting the user to the current location of the user is calculated based on the location information. A first state is selected in accordance with the environment information. The autonomous vehicle is caused to change from a second state to the first state when the distance from the place of meeting the user to the current location of the user becomes smaller than or equal to a predetermined distance.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 17, 2021Publication date: February 3, 2022Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICAInventors: Kazunobu KONISHI, Shuhei MATSUI, Yuta SHIMOTSUMA
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Publication number: 20210405663Abstract: An information processing method performed by a computer includes: determining whether a target sound has been recognized; when it is determined that the target sound has been recognized, acquiring positions and sound recording directions of unmanned aerial vehicles; acquiring noise-related information regarding noise generated by at least one of the unmanned aerial vehicles; acquiring an estimated position of a sound recording target estimated from the target sound; determining at least one of target positions and target sound recording directions of the unmanned aerial vehicles based on the estimated position of the sound recording target, the positions and the sound recording directions of the unmanned aerial vehicles, and the noise-related information; and outputting, to each of the unmanned aerial vehicles, at least one of a request for moving to the target position and a request for setting the sound recording direction to the target sound recording direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2021Publication date: December 30, 2021Inventors: Stephen William JOHN, Kazunobu KONISHI, Katsuhiko ASAI, Kazuo INOUE, Shunsuke KUHARA
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Publication number: 20210405662Abstract: Unmanned aerial vehicle includes a microphone which picks up a sound emitted by a target, an actuator which extends to change a position of the microphone, and a processor. The processor obtains positional relationship information which indicates at least one of a position of the target or a distance from the unmanned aerial vehicle to the target, causes the unmanned aerial vehicle to move to a first position at which the unmanned aerial vehicle and the target have a predetermined positional relationship based on the positional relationship information, and causes actuator to extend toward the target after unmanned aerial vehicle moves to the first position.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 10, 2021Publication date: December 30, 2021Inventors: Katsuhiko ASAI, Kazuo INOUE, Kazunobu KONISHI, Stephen William JOHN, Shunsuke KUHARA
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Patent number: 11186364Abstract: An information processing method includes the following steps performed using a processor: obtaining first region information indicating a first region; obtaining first position information indicating the position of an unmanned aerial vehicle tethered to a mobile tethering body using a tether; determining, using the first region information and the first position information, a first destination which is a destination of the mobile tethering body; and moving the mobile tethering body to the first destination. The first destination is a position located at least a predetermined distance from a point which is on the boundary of the first region and located the shortest distance from the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle, in the direction from the point on the boundary of the first region to the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2019Date of Patent: November 30, 2021Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Kazunobu Konishi, Stephen William John, Kazuo Inoue, Katsuhiko Asai
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Publication number: 20210333803Abstract: A controller obtains a first horizontal distance and a first vertical distance which are respectively a component in a horizontal direction and a component in a vertical direction among distances from an unmanned aerial vehicle to a surface of a particular place where elevation gradually increases or decreases along the horizontal direction, decides, based on a ratio of the first horizontal distance to the first vertical distance, a movement amount by which the unmanned aerial vehicle is to be moved simultaneously in both the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and moves the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the movement amount.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2021Publication date: October 28, 2021Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Shunsuke KUHARA, Kazunobu KONISHI, Stephen William JOHN, Katsuhiko ASAI