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).

  • Publication number: 20210333803
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shunsuke KUHARA, Kazunobu KONISHI, Stephen William JOHN, Katsuhiko ASAI
  • Publication number: 20210311506
    Abstract: An unmanned moving body includes a directional speaker that outputs sound in an orientation direction and a processor that obtains one or more instances of sensing data. The processor: determines whether or not a second target is present in a vicinity of a first target in accordance with at least one of the one or more instances of sensing data; calculates a positional relationship between the first target and the second target when it is determined that the second target is present; and determines a first position of the unmanned moving body in accordance with the positional relationship and causes the unmanned moving body to move to the first position, the first position being a position that places the first target and the second target within a range over which the sound from the directional speaker reaches at at least a predetermined quality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: Shunsuke KUHARA, Stephen William JOHN, Kazunobu KONISHI, Katsuhiko ASAI, Kazuo INOUE
  • Patent number: 11126191
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Kazunobu Konishi, Shuhei Matsui, Yuta Shimotsuma
  • Patent number: 11104427
    Abstract: An unmanned air vehicle is provided. The unmanned air vehicle includes one or more generators, each of which generates a force that drives the unmanned air vehicle to fly and also generates an airflow. Each of one or more first microphones is located in an external region that is not included in any of one or more first airflow regions. Each of the one or more first airflow regions corresponds to the airflow generated by one of the one or more generators. Each of one or more second microphones is located in the external region between at least one of the one or more generators and the one or more first microphones. A processor performs processing on one or more first signals output from the one or more first microphones and one or more second signals output from the one or more second microphones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Kazunobu Konishi, Stephen John, Ko Mizuno, Takeo Kanamori
  • Patent number: 11104428
    Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle capable of employing active noise cancelling without being influenced by wind from a rotor is provided. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a processor and at least one speaker. The processor acquires operational information regarding each of at least one generator and generates an opposite phase signal having an opposite phase relative to a signal corresponding to the operational information. The at least one generator generates a force to fly the unmanned aerial vehicle. The operational information correlates with noise generated by each of the at least one generator. The at least one speaker outputs sound based on the opposite phase signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Kazunobu Konishi, Stephen William John, Katsuhiko Asai, Ko Mizuno
  • Publication number: 20210233416
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventors: Stephen William JOHN, Kazunobu KONISHI, Katsuhiko ASAI, Kazuo INOUE, Shunsuke KUHARA
  • Publication number: 20210221505
    Abstract: A controller includes processor and memory. The memory stores (i) a captured image outputted from a camera in an unmanned aircraft and (ii) sound outputted from a directional microphone in the unmanned aircraft, and stores (i) a position and an orientation of the camera and (ii) a position and an orientation of the directional microphone. The processor obtains, from the memory, the captured image, the sound, the position and the orientation of the camera, and the position and the orientation of the directional microphone, calculates a sound pickup direction of the directional microphone using the position and the orientation of the camera and the position and the orientation of the directional microphone, superimposes an object indicating the sound pickup direction at a position, on the captured image, corresponding to the sound pickup direction calculated, and causes a display device to display the captured image on which the object is superimposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventors: Katsuhiko ASAI, Kazunobu KONISHI, Stephen William JOHN, Kazuo INOUE, Shunsuke KUHARA
  • Publication number: 20210200201
    Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle includes: a sensor including at least a microphone that generates sound data; and a processor. The processor determines a quality of a target sound by using the sound data generated by the microphone, acquires a positional relationship between the unmanned aerial vehicle and a sound source of the target sound by using data generated by the sensor, determines a destination to which the sound source is to move based on the quality of the target sound and the positional relationship, and presents target movement information that prompts the sound source to move toward the destination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2021
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventors: Shunsuke KUHARA, Kazunobu KONISHI, Stephen William JOHN, Katsuhiko ASAI, Kazuo INOUE
  • Publication number: 20210129990
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Inventors: Kazuo INOUE, Kazunobu KONISHI, Stephen JOHN, Katsuhiko ASAI, Shunsuke KUHARA
  • Patent number: 10945070
    Abstract: An unmanned aircraft includes: a sensor that includes at least a microphone that generates sound data; and a processor. The processor determines the quality of a target sound by use of the sound data generated by the microphone, identifies a sound source direction from the unmanned aircraft to the sound source of the target sound by use of data generated by the sensor, and controls an unmanned aircraft state that is a state of the unmanned aircraft such that a direction of a sound pickup area is aligned with the sound source direction, in accordance with the determined quality. The sound pickup area is a range in which sound pickup quality of the microphone is higher than that of another area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Stephen William John, Kazunobu Konishi, Katsuhiko Asai, Kazuo Inoue
  • Patent number: 10919621
    Abstract: An unmanned air vehicle includes a generator that generates a flying force and also generates an air flow, a structural component, a microphone that outputs a first signal, a speaker, and a processor. The processor generates a second signal according to the first signal. The structural component surrounds a noise source of the generator, and includes a through-hole extending in a direction of the air flow. The through-hole is in a direction opposite to the direction of the air flow. An end, in the opposite direction, of the structural component corresponds to an end, in the opposite direction, of the noise source of the generator. An end, in the direction of the air flow, of the structural component extends, in the direction of the air flow, beyond an end, in the direction of the air flow, of the noise source of the generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Kazunobu Konishi, Stephen John, Ko Mizuno
  • Publication number: 20200348697
    Abstract: An unmanned aircraft includes: a sensor (person detection sensor) and so forth) that performs sensing of an external environment of the unmanned aircraft; a detector (suspicious person identifier) that detects a moving object based on a result of the sensing performed by the sensor; an obtainer (movement prohibition position determiner) that obtains area information indicating an area, entry to which by the moving object is undesirable; and a flight controller that causes the unmanned aircraft to move to a position between the moving object and the area indicated by the area information, based on a positional relation between the moving object and the area, and fly at the position that is a destination position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: Shunsuke KUHARA, Kazunobu KONISHI
  • Patent number: 10823574
    Abstract: A communication method in a roadside unit that acquires first dynamic information indicative of a dynamic object around the roadside unit and second dynamic information indicative of a dynamic object around in-vehicle units includes: selecting at least one in-vehicle unit from among the plurality of in-vehicle units on a basis of a list in which the second dynamic information and the in-vehicle units having the second dynamic information are associated with each other; acquiring the first dynamic information indicative of a state around the roadside unit acquired by a sensor mounted in the roadside unit; configurating a dynamic map on a basis of the acquired first dynamic information, the second dynamic information acquired from the selected in-vehicle unit, and a static map indicative of a static object; and transmitting the dynamic map to one or more of the in-vehicle units that communicate with the roadside unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America
    Inventors: Yuta Shimotsuma, Kazunobu Konishi, Takahiro Yoneda, Ryota Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 10777183
    Abstract: A control apparatus, that can expand a range in which noise generated in an unmanned flying object is reduced, is provided. The control apparatus acquires position information of one or more unmanned flying objects and noise information concerning first noises generated by the one or more unmanned flying objects. The control apparatus also acquires output region information indicating an output region of sound output from a speaker. The control apparatus calculates, using the position information, the output region information, and the noise information, second noises that reach the output region. The second noises are caused by the first noises which are generated by the one or more unmanned flying objects. The control apparatus generates opposite phase signals for outputting opposite phase sounds with respect to the calculated second noises, and causes the speaker to output sound on a basis of the generated opposite phase signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Kazunobu Konishi, Stephen William John, Katsuhiko Asai, Ko Mizuno
  • Patent number: 10678237
    Abstract: An operator uses a remote operation apparatus to remotely operate an operated vehicle. The remote operation apparatus includes a position information processor which, based on vehicle position information indicating a current position of the operated vehicle and delay information indicating a delay time required for information transmission between the operated vehicle and the remote operation apparatus, generates first position information indicating a first predicted position of the operated vehicle from the current position of the operated vehicle considering the delay time; based on obstacle position information indicating a current position of at least one obstacle around the operated vehicle acquired by the operated vehicle and the delay information, generates second position information indicating a second predicted position of the at least one obstacle from the time of the current position of the obstacle considering the delay time; and outputs the first and second position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Takahiro Yoneda, Kazunobu Konishi, Akira Ishikawa, Yuta Shimotsuma
  • Patent number: 10665105
    Abstract: A roadside device transmits first detection data obtained by a first sensor to a server. The server extracts an unobservable area that is a blind spot of the first sensor, based on the first detection data, and transmits unobservable-area information indicating the unobservable area to a moving terminal. The moving terminal extracts, based on second detection data obtained by a second sensor, second dynamic information indicating an object that exists in a sensing range of the second sensor, and determines whether or not an overlapping area where the unobservable area indicated by the unobservable-area information and the sensing range of the second sensor overlap each other exists. Upon determining that the overlapping area exists, the moving terminal transmits, to the server, third dynamic information that is included in the second dynamic information and that indicates an object that exists in the overlapping area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Kazunobu Konishi, Eiichi Muramoto, Takahiro Yoneda, Ryota Ohnishi, Yuta Shimotsuma
  • Publication number: 20200084540
    Abstract: An unmanned aircraft includes: a sensor that includes at least a microphone that generates sound data; and a processor. The processor determines the quality of a target sound by use of the sound data generated by the microphone, identifies a sound source direction from the unmanned aircraft to the sound source of the target sound by use of data generated by the sensor, and controls an unmanned aircraft state that is a state of the unmanned aircraft such that a direction of a sound pickup area is aligned with the sound source direction, in accordance with the determined quality. The sound pickup area is a range in which sound pickup quality of the microphone is higher than that of another area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Stephen William JOHN, Kazunobu KONISHI, Katsuhiko ASAI, Kazuo INOUE
  • Patent number: 10567924
    Abstract: A communication method includes generating a packet including the data regarding which the priority has been set beforehand, acquiring channel-used time, calculating channel-usable time based on the channel-used time, calculating a first channel usage estimated time, calculating a wireless transmission rate to be applied when the wireless base station transmits the packet to the first wireless terminal and the second wireless terminal, based on the priority of the data included in the packet, to where the first channel usage estimated time is within the channel-usable time, and transmitting the packet, and information indicating the wireless transmission rate, to the wireless base station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Takahiro Yoneda, Kazunobu Konishi, Yuta Shimotsuma, Ryota Ohnishi
  • Publication number: 20200036305
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Stephen William JOHN, Kazunobu KONISHI, Katsuhiko ASAI, Kazuo INOUE
  • Publication number: 20200010190
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Inventors: Kazunobu KONISHI, Stephen William JOHN, Kazuo INOUE, Katsuhiko ASAI