Patents by Inventor Kunihiro Iwamoto

Kunihiro Iwamoto 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: 11971718
    Abstract: A control system, a control method, and a program capable of lowering difficulty of a user's work on an autonomous mobile robot having a placement part are provided. A control system for controlling an autonomous mobile robot including a placement part on which a load is placed includes a user recognition unit configured to recognize a user of the placement part, a feature information acquisition unit configured to acquire feature information of the recognized user, and an operation control unit configured to control a height of the placement part based on the feature information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiro Iwamoto, Yuta Itozawa, Hirotaka Komura
  • Patent number: 11972394
    Abstract: A shelf inventory management system includes: a shelf installed in a house; a sensor that detects that an article is taken out from the shelf; a management unit that manages an inventory status of the article stored in the shelf, based on a detection result of the sensor; and a terminal for notifying a user of information related to the article stored in the shelf. The management unit stores, for each user, a taken out amount of each health-related product a consumption amount of which affects health, of the article stored in the shelf, and is able to output the taken out amount of each health-related product to the terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Nakamoto, Yuta Itozawa, Hirotaka Komura, Yutaro Takagi, Junya Ota, Kunihiro Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 11969887
    Abstract: The traveling unit main body and the accommodation unit are adapted to be uncoupled and re-coupled. The traveling unit main body includes a first driving unit and a second driving unit configured to perform at least one of operations of taking out or storing the article from or in the accommodation unit and transporting the article taken out from the accommodation unit. The traveling unit main body performs at least one of the operations of taking out, storing, and transporting the article using the first driving unit and the second driving unit in a state in which the traveling unit main body and the accommodation unit are uncoupled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuhisa Otsuki, Kunihiro Iwamoto, Yuta Itozawa, Hirotaka Komura, Yutaro Takagi
  • Publication number: 20240131686
    Abstract: A robot system and a method for driving a robot capable of moving the position of the center of gravity of the robot while minimizing the increase in the footprint thereof are provided. A robot system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a robot. The robot includes a movable moving part, an upper body part disposed above the moving part, and a driving mechanism for tilting the upper body part and moving a lower end of the upper body part in a direction in which the upper body part is tilted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuta ITOZAWA, Hirotaka KOMURA, Kunihiro IWAMOTO, Yutaro TAKAGI
  • Patent number: 11966874
    Abstract: A logistics system provides a logistics service utilizing a logistics robot that delivers a package by autonomous traveling. The logistics system includes one or more processors configured to execute a delivery route determination process that determines a delivery route along which the logistics robot delivers the package. When there are a plurality of delivery route candidates from a position of the logistics robot to a delivery destination of the package, the one or more processors select the delivery route from the plurality of delivery route candidates based on at least one of a congestion degree of each of the plurality of delivery route candidates, a time of day, a weather condition, and energy consumption of the logistics robot along each of the plurality of delivery route candidates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuhisa Otsuki, Haeyeon Lee, Kunihiro Iwamoto, Kota Oishi
  • Publication number: 20240124228
    Abstract: A conveyance system, a conveyance method, and a program that are capable of preventing an article stored in a shelf from falling are provided. A conveyance system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a shelf provided with a guide rail extending in a vertical direction; a mounting table that is engageable with the guide rail; a lifting part configured to lift the mounting table up and down; an engagement detection sensor configured to detect engagement between the guide rail and the mounting table; and a safety control unit configured to stop an operation of the lifting part when a first condition including that the guide rail is not engaged with the mounting table is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirotaka KOMURA, Yuta ITOZAWA, Takatoshi MORIMITSU, Kunihiro IWAMOTO, Uori KOIKE
  • Patent number: 11958195
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a detection system used in a case where a transport robot transports a package in a state where the package in which an opening portion of a container is closed by a lid is placed on a placing portion of the transport robot. The detection system is configured to detect that the lid is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yutaro Takagi, Kunihiro Iwamoto, Yuta Itozawa, Hirotaka Komura, Yoshiaki Nakamoto, Junya Ota
  • Publication number: 20240116711
    Abstract: A sorting system, a sorting method, and a program that can reduce the time required for sorting items using a shelf are achieved. A sorting system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a shelf in which a plurality of boxes are contained in a plurality of tiers, transfer means for putting each box in or taking it out of the shelf, and a sorting robot attached to the shelf configured to put an item in or take it out of each box. The transfer means pulls the box contained in an upper tier halfway out and the sorting robot puts in or takes the item out of each of the box contained in the upper tier and the box contained in the lower tier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yutaro TAKAGI, Junya OTA, Takatoshi MORIMITSU, Kunihiro IWAMOTO, Uori KOIKE
  • Patent number: 11952029
    Abstract: A rack includes: a casing; M pairs of supports that are provided inside the casing so as to extend in a depth direction and arrayed at regular intervals in a predetermined direction; and a lock mechanism. The rack can house all returnable containers of one or more prespecified sizes along the respective pairs of supports. The M pairs of supports are arrayed in N rows in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction. The lock mechanism is configured such that moving first and second shafts that are provided for the respective rows and for the respective tiers, respectively, so as to be movable in the predetermined direction can switch between engagement and disengagement between branches of the first and second shafts and first and second holes, respectively, of the returnable containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiro Iwamoto, Yuta Itozawa, Hirotaka Komura, Yutaro Takagi, Yoshiaki Nakamoto, Junya Ota
  • Patent number: 11953900
    Abstract: A service management device manages a service delivered in a predetermined area. The service management device has an operator interface including a display that displays information for an operator and receiving an input from the operator. The service management device communicates with an autonomous robot used for delivering the service in the predetermined area to acquire, from the autonomous robot, service robot information indicating at least a position and a status of the autonomous robot. The service management device displays a map of the predetermined area and the position of the autonomous robot on the display, based on the service robot information. When the autonomous robot displayed on the display is specified by the operator through the operator interface, the service management device displays a status window indicating the status of the autonomous robot specified by the operator on the display, based on the service robot information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuhisa Otsuki, Kunihiro Iwamoto, Haeyeon Lee, Wataru Kaku, Kota Oishi
  • Patent number: 11946290
    Abstract: A rack includes: a casing; M (an integer not less than three) pairs of supports that are provided inside the casing so as to extend in a depth direction and arrayed at regular intervals in a predetermined direction (a height direction or a left-right direction); and a lock mechanism. The rack can house all returnable containers of one or more prespecified sizes along the respective pairs of supports. The lock mechanism includes N (an integer not less than two and meeting N<M?2N?1) shafts that are movable in the predetermined direction. Branches are provided on the shafts such that a combination of engagement and disengagement between the branches and holes provided in protrusions of the returnable container is different in each of the returnable containers housed on the respective M pairs of supports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiro Iwamoto, Yuta Itozawa, Hirotaka Komura, Yutaro Takagi, Yoshiaki Nakamoto, Junya Ota
  • Patent number: 11932261
    Abstract: A delivery system includes an autonomously-moving-type delivery vehicle configured to deliver an article to a delivery destination thereof, and a transportation vehicle configured to carry and transport the delivery vehicle. A control unit configured to control an operation of the delivery vehicle acquires information about an acceleration of the transportation vehicle from the transportation vehicle, and controls the operation of the delivery vehicle based on the information about the acceleration so that a displacement that is predicted to occur in the delivery vehicle due to the acceleration of the transportation vehicle is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiro Iwamoto, Hirotaka Komura, Yuta Itozawa
  • Patent number: 11927453
    Abstract: A risk of theft is reduced in transportation by an autonomous mobile body. A route determination system according to the present disclosure determines a transport route of an article to be transported by an autonomous mobile body. The route determination system according to the present disclosure includes a judgement unit that judges whether or not an area including a position of a person is dangerous based on position information of the person and a credit rank of the person and a route determination unit that determines, as the transport route, a bypass route for bypassing a dangerous area when a candidate of the transport route passes through the dangerous area judged to be dangerous by the judgement unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiro Iwamoto, Yuta Itozawa, Hirotaka Komura
  • Publication number: 20240076126
    Abstract: A transport system is a transport system that transports a luggage using a transport vehicle and a transport robot. In a state in which the transport robot and the transport vehicle are connected, the transport robot takes out the luggage from the transport vehicle, or stores the luggage in the transport vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Kunihiro IWAMOTO, Yuta ITOZAWA, Hirotaka KOMURA, Yutaro TAKAGI
  • Patent number: 11919157
    Abstract: In a conveyance system, an object is conveyed by use of a conveyance robot. The conveyance robot includes: an arm including a shaft portion extensible and retractable in an axial direction of the shaft portion, and a protruding portion extending from the shaft portion in a direction different from the axial direction so as to be engaged with a groove formed on the object; a drive mechanism configured to rotate the arm around the axial direction as a rotating axis; and a detecting portion configured to detect an abnormality in the rotation angle of the arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiro Iwamoto, Yuta Itozawa, Hirotaka Komura, Yutaro Takagi
  • Patent number: 11903112
    Abstract: The lighting management system includes: a judgement unit configured to judge whether or not a lighting state around a vehicle based on a first lighting apparatus and a second lighting apparatus meets a first reference for a light amount and a second reference for at least one of a lighting range, a lighting color, and a flashing state; a first control unit configured to control the light amount of at least one of the first lighting apparatus and the second lighting apparatus so that the lighting state is brought to meet the first reference; and a second control unit configured to control at least one of the lighting range, the lighting color, and the flashing state of at least one of the first lighting apparatus and the second lighting apparatus so that the lighting state is brought to meet the second reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiro Iwamoto, Yuta Itozawa, Hirotaka Komura
  • Patent number: 11878863
    Abstract: A transport system is a transport system that transports a luggage using a transport vehicle and a transport robot. In a state in which the transport robot and the transport vehicle are connected, the transport robot takes out the luggage from the transport vehicle, or stores the luggage in the transport vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiro Iwamoto, Yuta Itozawa, Hirotaka Komura, Yutaro Takagi
  • Patent number: 11878865
    Abstract: A logistics robot for transporting a package includes: a robot unit configured to make the logistics robot travel; and a storage unit configured to store the package. The robot unit and the storage unit are separable from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuhisa Otsuki, Kunihiro Iwamoto, Haeyeon Lee, Wataru Kaku, Kota Oishi
  • Publication number: 20240005227
    Abstract: A delivery system includes a plurality of delivery vehicles for delivering an article to a delivery destination with power charged in a battery that is able to be charged and discharged. The delivery vehicles are able to be charged with each other. A charging schedule including a combination of a charging vehicle and a vehicle to be charged selected from the delivery vehicles is determined based on a delivery schedule of the article and a remaining charge capacity of the battery for each of the delivery vehicles, and the delivery schedule for the charging vehicle and the vehicle to be charged is updated based on the charging schedule.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiro IWAMOTO, Yuta ITOZAWA, Hirotaka KOMURA
  • Publication number: 20240005111
    Abstract: Provided is an article management system using a computer that associates and stores identification information for identifying an article to be delivered to a user and one or more pieces of usage information regarding use of the article attached by a sender of the article, and that reads the identification information attached to the article, extracts at least one piece of usage information from the one or more pieces of usage information associated with the identification information, and outputs the extracted piece of usage information to the user. When usage information to be output to the user is extracted, output usage information output to the user in the past is excluded from the one or more pieces of usage information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiro IWAMOTO, Yuta ITOZAWA, Hirotaka KOMURA