Patents by Inventor Mayumi Komatsu

Mayumi Komatsu 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: 11241356
    Abstract: A walking assistance apparatus includes a knee fastener, a heel fastener, a first wire and a second wire connected to the knee fastener and the heel fastener, a first motor connected to the first wire, a second motor connected to the second wire, and a control circuit that controls the first motor and the second motor. The first wire is connected to a first position included in a right-half region of the heel fastener. The second wire is connected to a second position included in a left-half region of the heel fastener. The control circuit acquires gait information of the user, and, based on the gait information, the control circuit controls the first motor to reduce a length of the first wire and the second motor to reduce a length of the second wire at a predetermined timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Stephen William John, Jun Ozawa, Mayumi Komatsu, Kenta Murakami
  • Publication number: 20210290472
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a first wire and a second wire which are coupled to a right upper ankle belt and a right lower ankle belt, a third wire and a fourth wire which are coupled to a left upper ankle belt and a left lower ankle belt, an obtainer obtaining user information about a user and information about walking action of the user, and a controller controlling tensions of the first wire and the second wire at the same time and controlling tensions of the third wire and the fourth wire at the same time using a first stiffness target value corresponding to the first wire, a second stiffness target value corresponding to the second wire, a third stiffness target value corresponding to the third wire, and a fourth stiffness target value corresponding to the fourth wire that are determined based on the user information and the walk information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Mayumi KOMATSU, Stephen William JOHN
  • Patent number: 11071674
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a first wire and a second wire which are coupled to a right upper ankle belt and a right lower ankle belt, a third wire and a fourth wire which are coupled to a left upper ankle belt and a left lower ankle belt, an obtainer obtaining user information about a user and information about walking action of the user, and a controller controlling tensions of the first wire and the second wire at the same time and controlling tensions of the third wire and the fourth wire at the same time using a first stiffness target value corresponding to the first wire, a second stiffness target value corresponding to the second wire, a third stiffness target value corresponding to the third wire, and a fourth stiffness target value corresponding to the fourth wire that are determined based on the user information and the walk information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mayumi Komatsu, Stephen William John
  • Patent number: 11020307
    Abstract: An assist system includes a fist belt worn on an upper body part of a user, a second belt worn on a knee of the user, a wire, a motor coupled with a first end of the wire and disposed on the first or second belt, a drive controller that controls drive of the motor, a gyro sensor that is disposed on the second belt and that measures an angular velocity about a direction perpendicular to the direction of the wire, and a controller. When the angular velocity is greater than or equal to a first threshold with a first tension being applied to the wire using the motor, the controller outputs first information. A second end of the wire is coupled with the second belt when the motor is disposed on the first belt but coupled with the first belt when the motor is disposed on the second belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenta Murakami, Stephen John, Mayumi Komatsu, Jun Ozawa
  • Patent number: 10980699
    Abstract: A walking assistance apparatus includes a suit to be worn on a knee and waist of a user, a first wire that couples a portion included in the suit and worn above the knee to a portion included in the suit and worn on the waist, a second wire that couples a portion included in the suit and worn above a back of the knee to a portion included in the suit and worn on the waist, and motors coupled to the first and second wires. The motors are controlled to generate tensions so that each of the first and second wires has a stiffness greater than 200 N/m during a first period including a period of 95% or more and 100% or less of a first gait cycle of the user and a period of 0% or more and 50% or less of a second gait cycle subsequent to the first gait cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mayumi Komatsu, Stephen William John, Kenta Murakami, Jun Ozawa
  • Patent number: 10973727
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a first wire and a second wire which are coupled to a right upper ankle belt and a right lower ankle belt, a third wire and a fourth wire which are coupled to a left upper ankle belt and a left lower ankle belt, an obtainer obtaining information about a road surface where a user walks, and a controller controlling tensions of the first wire and the second wire at the same time and controlling tensions of the third wire and the fourth wire at the same time using a first stiffness target value corresponding to the first wire, a second stiffness target value corresponding to the second wire, a third stiffness target value corresponding to the third wire, and a fourth stiffness target value corresponding to the fourth wire that are determined based on the information about the road surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mayumi Komatsu, Stephen William John
  • Patent number: 10945909
    Abstract: An assistance apparatus includes first to eighth wires that couple an upper body belt to be worn on an upper body of a user to a first knee belt and a second knee belt to be worn above a left knee and a right knee of the user, respectively, and a motor. In a case of assisting the user in turning left, the motor generates, when a left leg is in a swing phase and a right leg is in a stance phase, a tension in each of the second, third, sixth, and seventh wires at an identical timing. In a case of assisting the user in turning right, the motor generates, when the left leg is in a stance phase and the right leg is in a swing phase, a tension in each of the second, third, sixth, and seventh wires at an identical timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenta Murakami, Stephen John, Mayumi Komatsu, Shinobu Adachi
  • Publication number: 20210055738
    Abstract: A self-propelled robot includes: a force sensor for detecting a lateral force in a wheel axial direction of each of a left drive wheel and a right drive wheel when a main body travels straight; an acquisition unit that acquires left target speed and right target speed, respectively, for the left drive wheel and the right drive wheel; a correction amount calculation unit that calculates a left correction amount and a right correction amount for the left target speed and the right target speed, respectively, based on the corresponding lateral forces detected by the force sensor; a correction unit that corrects the left target speed and the right target speed, respectively, based on the left correction amount and the right correction amount; and a drive unit that drives the left drive wheel and the right drive wheel, respectively, based on the left target speed and the right target speed corrected by the correction unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Mayumi KOMATSU, Shingo SHIBUSAWA, Shuji INOUE
  • Patent number: 10888488
    Abstract: An assistance apparatus includes wires that couple an upper body belt to be worn on an upper body of a user to first and second knee belts to be worn above left and right knees of the user, and a motor. In a case of assisting the user in turning left, the motor generates a tension in second and fourth wires in a period of 65% or more and 100% or less of a first gait phase of a left leg and a period of 0% or more and 20% or less of a second gait phase of the left leg, and generates a tension in sixth and eighth wires in a period of 65% or more and 100% or less of a first gait phase of a right leg and a period of 0% or more and 20% or less of a second gait phase of the right leg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenta Murakami, Stephen William John, Mayumi Komatsu, Shinobu Adachi
  • Patent number: 10881574
    Abstract: An assistance apparatus includes first to eighth wires that couple an upper body belt to be worn on an upper body of a user to a first knee belt and a second knee belt to be worn above a left knee and a right knee of the user, respectively, and a motor. In a case of assisting the user in moving to turn left, the motor generates a tension larger than or equal to a first threshold in each of the second wire, the third wire, and the fourth wire at an identical timing in a swing phase of a left leg of the user, and generates a tension larger than or equal to the first threshold in each of the fifth wire, the sixth wire, and the eighth wire at an identical timing in a swing phase of a right leg of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenta Murakami, Stephen John, Mayumi Komatsu, Shinobu Adachi
  • Patent number: 10792213
    Abstract: An assistance apparatus includes first to eighth wires that couple an upper body belt to be worn on an upper body of a user to a first knee belt and a second knee belt to be worn above a left knee and a right knee of the user, respectively, and a motor. When the assistance apparatus assists the user in turning left, the motor generates a tension larger than or equal to a first threshold in each of the second wire, the fourth wire, the sixth wire, and the eighth wire. When the fourth wire or the second wire is broken, the motor changes the wire in which a tension is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenta Murakami, Stephen John, Mayumi Komatsu, Shinobu Adachi
  • Patent number: 10792211
    Abstract: An assist device includes an upper-body belt attached to the upper body of a user, first and second belts attached to the knees, a first wire coupling the upper-body belt to the first belt, a second wire crossing the first wire, a third wire coupling the upper-body belt to the second belt, a fourth wire crossing the third wire, and a motor coupled to one end of each of the first to fourth wires. When assisting users with walking, tensions equal to a first threshold value or greater are applied to one of the first and second wires and one of the third and fourth wires by the motor at different times. When detecting slacking of the upper-body belt, tensions equal to the first threshold value or greater are simultaneously applied to one of the first and second wires and one of the third and fourth wires by the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenta Murakami, Stephen John, Mayumi Komatsu, Jun Ozawa
  • Patent number: 10717185
    Abstract: An assistance apparatus includes first to eighth wires that couple an upper body belt to be worn on an upper body of a user to a first knee belt and a second knee belt to be worn above a left knee and a right knee of the user, respectively, and a motor. In a case of assisting the user in turning left, the motor generates, when a right leg of the user is in a stance phase, a tension larger than or equal to a first threshold in each of the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth wires at an identical timing. In a case of assisting the user in turning right, the motor generates, when a left leg of the user is in a stance phase, a tension larger than or equal to the first threshold in each of the first, third, fifth, and seventh wires at an identical timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenta Murakami, Stephen John, Mayumi Komatsu, Shinobu Adachi
  • Publication number: 20190151184
    Abstract: An assistance apparatus includes wires that couple an upper body belt to be worn on an upper body of a user to first and second knee belts to be worn above left and right knees of the user, and a motor. In a case of assisting the user in turning left, the motor generates a tension in second and fourth wires in a period of 65% or more and 100% or less of a first gait phase of a left leg and a period of 0% or more and 20% or less of a second gait phase of the left leg, and generates a tension in sixth and eighth wires in a period of 65% or more and 100% or less of a first gait phase of a right leg and a period of 0% or more and 20% or less of a second gait phase of the right leg.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Inventors: KENTA MURAKAMI, STEPHEN WILLIAM JOHN, MAYUMI KOMATSU, SHINOBU ADACHI
  • Publication number: 20190029912
    Abstract: An assistance apparatus includes first to eighth wires that couple an upper body belt to be worn on an upper body of a user to a first knee belt and a second knee belt to be worn above a left knee and a right knee of the user, respectively, and a motor. When the assistance apparatus assists the user in turning left, the motor generates a tension larger than or equal to a first threshold in each of the second wire, the fourth wire, the sixth wire, and the eighth wire. When the fourth wire or the second wire is broken, the motor changes the wire in which a tension is generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: KENTA MURAKAMI, STEPHEN JOHN, MAYUMI KOMATSU, SHINOBU ADACHI
  • Publication number: 20190021933
    Abstract: An assistance apparatus includes first to eighth wires that couple an upper body belt to be worn on an upper body of a user to a first knee belt and a second knee belt to be worn above a left knee and a right knee of the user, respectively, and a motor. In a case of assisting the user in moving to turn left, the motor generates a tension larger than or equal to a first threshold in each of the second wire, the third wire, and the fourth wire at an identical timing in a swing phase of a left leg of the user, and generates a tension larger than or equal to the first threshold in each of the fifth wire, the sixth wire, and the eighth wire at an identical timing in a swing phase of a right leg of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2018
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventors: KENTA MURAKAMI, STEPHEN JOHN, MAYUMI KOMATSU, SHINOBU ADACHI
  • Publication number: 20190021936
    Abstract: A walking assistance apparatus includes a suit to be worn on a knee and waist of a user, a first wire that couples a portion included in the suit and worn above the knee to a portion included in the suit and worn on the waist, a second wire that couples a portion included in the suit and worn above a back of the knee to a portion included in the suit and worn on the waist, and motors coupled to the first and second wires to generate tensions so that the first and second wires each has a stiffness greater than 200 N/m during a first period including a period of 95% or more and 100% or less of a first gait cycle of the user and a period of 0% or more and 50% or less of a second gait cycle subsequent to the first gait cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventors: MAYUMI KOMATSU, STEPHEN WILLIAM JOHN, KENTA MURAKAMI, JUN OZAWA
  • Publication number: 20190008714
    Abstract: An assistance apparatus includes first to eighth wires that couple an upper body belt to be worn on an upper body of a user to a first knee belt and a second knee belt to be worn above a left knee and a right knee of the user, respectively, and a motor. In a case of assisting the user in turning left, the motor generates, when a left leg is in a swing phase and a right leg is in a stance phase, a tension in each of the second, third, sixth, and seventh wires at an identical timing. In a case of assisting the user in turning right, the motor generates, when the left leg is in a stance phase and the right leg is in a swing phase, a tension in each of the second, third, sixth, and seventh wires at an identical timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventors: KENTA MURAKAMI, STEPHEN JOHN, MAYUMI KOMATSU, SHINOBU ADACHI
  • Publication number: 20180369057
    Abstract: A walking assistance apparatus includes a knee fastener, a heel fastener, a first wire and a second wire connected to the knee fastener and the heel fastener, a first motor connected to the first wire, a second motor connected to the second wire, and a control circuit that controls the first motor and the second motor. The first wire is connected to a first position included in a right-half region of the heel fastener. The second wire is connected to a second position included in a left-half region of the heel fastener. The control circuit acquires gait information of the user, and, based on the gait information, the control circuit controls the first motor to reduce a length of the first wire and the second motor to reduce a length of the second wire at a predetermined timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: STEPHEN WILLIAM JOHN, JUN OZAWA, MAYUMI KOMATSU, KENTA MURAKAMI
  • Publication number: 20180370020
    Abstract: An assistance apparatus includes first to eighth wires that couple an upper body belt to be worn on an upper body of a user to a first knee belt and a second knee belt to be worn above a left knee and a right knee of the user, respectively, and a motor. In a case of assisting the user in turning left, the motor generates, when a right leg of the user is in a stance phase, a tension larger than or equal to a first threshold in each of the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth wires at an identical timing. In a case of assisting the user in turning right, the motor generates, when a left leg of the user is in a stance phase, a tension larger than or equal to the first threshold in each of the first, third, fifth, and seventh wires at an identical timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: KENTA MURAKAMI, STEPHEN JOHN, MAYUMI KOMATSU, SHINOBU ADACHI