Patents by Inventor Minoru Hashimoto

Minoru Hashimoto 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: 20240231294
    Abstract: In a switch system, a controller and a plurality of switches are annularly connected by a signal line, and a signal transmitted from the controller to a first switch is passed through the plurality of switches sequentially and is returned from a second switch to the controller. Each of the plurality of switches includes an operating body, a detection unit configured to detect proximity of the operating body, a reception unit configured to receive the signal via the signal line, a control unit configured to include, in the signal, proximity information indicating whether the operating body is in proximity to the detection unit, and a transmission unit configured to transmit the signal including the proximity information via the signal line. The signal that the controller receives from the second switch includes the proximity information of each of the plurality of switches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Inventor: Minoru HASHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20240227213
    Abstract: A wearable instrument configured to be wearable by a user includes an inertial sensor, a judgment unit configured to judge whether an output value of the inertial sensor meets a predetermined condition, and an output unit configured to output an operation permission signal for instructing a control device configured to control operation of a machine to permit operation of the machine in a case in which the output value meets the predetermined condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Inventor: Minoru HASHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20240131733
    Abstract: A wearable instrument configured to be wearable by a user includes an inertial sensor, a judgment unit configured to judge whether an output value of the inertial sensor meets a predetermined condition, and an output unit configured to output an operation permission signal for instructing a control device configured to control operation of a machine to permit operation of the machine in a case in which the output value meets the predetermined condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventor: Minoru HASHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20240134330
    Abstract: In a switch system, a controller and a plurality of switches are annularly connected by a signal line, and a signal transmitted from the controller to a first switch is passed through the plurality of switches sequentially and is returned from a second switch to the controller. Each of the plurality of switches includes an operating body, a detection unit configured to detect proximity of the operating body, a reception unit configured to receive the signal via the signal line, a control unit configured to include, in the signal, proximity information indicating whether the operating body is in proximity to the detection unit, and a transmission unit configured to transmit the signal including the proximity information via the signal line. The signal that the controller receives from the second switch includes the proximity information of each of the plurality of switches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventor: Minoru HASHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20240085586
    Abstract: A technique allows outputting light reception results of a sensor to an external device with a reduced volume of data while maintaining the features of the results. An input/output device receives light reception results of the sensor and outputs the results to the external device. The sensor includes light receivers to receive light emitted from light emitters. The input/output device has a smaller maximum volume of data transmittable per unit time in communicating with the external device than in communicating with the sensor. The input/output device includes an obtainer that obtains the light reception results, an analyzer that analyzes the light reception results and detects a boundary between a portion of the sensor that has received light and a portion of the sensor that has received no light, and an output unit that outputs data indicating a position of the boundary detected by the analyzer to the external device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventor: Minoru HASHIMOTO
  • Patent number: 11559141
    Abstract: A chair includes, a seat, a backrest separated from the seat, and an upper support frame to which the backrest is attached at a position higher than the seat. In the chair, the upper support frame includes a left side portin and a right side portions both extending forward at left and right sides of the seated person and a rear portion that continuously and integrally connects the left side portion and the right side portion. The left side portion and the right side portion are connected to side support bodies arranged on left and right sides of the seat to be tiltable, and the backrest is connected to the upper support frame to be tiltable rearward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: ITOKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki Takeya, Kensuke Takahashi, Ryogo Morita, Minoru Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 11520495
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a solid state drive (SSD) that stores information, a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) controller that reads information from the SSD, writes information to the SSD, and transmits a device sleep (DEVSLP) signal for shifting the SSD to a DEVSLP state, and a power source control unit that can stop power to the SATA controller and transmits the DEVSLP signal for shifting the SSD to the DEVSLP state during a period in which the power to the SATA controller is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Minoru Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20220342109
    Abstract: A light receiver outputs a log indicating at least one of an operating status of a multiple optical axis photoelectric sensor and an environment surrounding the multiple optical axis photoelectric sensor, at the time of an output being turned off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Applicant: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru HASHIMOTO, Keisaku KIKUCHI, Kazuhiro KUDO, Tetsuya FUKUMOTO
  • Patent number: 11188139
    Abstract: A sub-CPU of a storage system discriminates in advance whether a storage device connected to a SATA bridge is an HDD (a first type) or an SSD (a second type). Upon receiving a power saving shift instruction that does not distinguish a type of the storage device from a main CPU via a SATA controller, the sub-CPU instructs a power control unit corresponding to the discriminated type to perform power control for causing the storage device to shift to a power saving state. The sub-CPU makes an instruction for power control to a GPIO if the discriminated type is HDD, and has a SATA host I/F cause the storage device shift to the power saving state if the discriminated type is SSD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Minoru Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 11169301
    Abstract: An aspect of the present invention allows for determining a cause of abnormality in output of a light-receiving element among light-receiving elements in a multiple optical-axis photoelectric sensor. A multiple optical-axis photoelectric sensor (1) determines that electrical noise occurs, in a case where abnormality in output occurs in both of adjacent light-receivable periods (Ts) in one light-receiving cycle (Tc).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: OMRON OORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuchika Konishi, Keisaku Kikuchi, Minoru Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 11025516
    Abstract: A communication apparatus includes a notification device that notifies information, a first LAN interface that connects to a network, a second LAN interface that connects to a network, transmits a DHCP discovery packet via a LAN cable when the LAN cable is connected to the first LAN interface, and determines whether to provide a notification and to notify information based on a determination to provide a notification based on a DHCP offer packet transmitted in response to the DHCP discovery packet and network information used to communicate via the second LAN interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Minoru Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 11006014
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes an output unit configured to output a direct current after converting an alternating current into the direct current and a power factor correction circuit configured to correct a power factor of the output unit, and is shifted from a first power state to a second power state. The information processing apparatus includes a detection unit configured to detect predetermined return request in the second power state, and a power control unit configured to shift, based on detection by the detection unit, the information processing apparatus from the second power state to a third power state in which processing corresponding to the predetermined return request is performable. The power control unit shifts the power state of the information processing apparatus from the third power state to the second power state after the processing is completed in the third power state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Minoru Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 10965225
    Abstract: This motor control devices provided with: a motor control unit which generates a command value on the basis of a motor drive command acquired from a PLC over a communication line; a drive unit which supplies motor drive voltage according to the command value; an interruption unit which interrupts transmission of the drive signal to the motor; a safety input unit which receives an emergency stop input operation over a control signal line; a reset input unit which receives a reset input operation; a determination unit which determines whether or not safety is maintained on the basis of input to the safety input unit; and a safety control unit which, when the safety input unit receives an emergency stop input operation, performs interruption processing of the drive signal through the interruption unit, and when the reset input unit receives a reset input operation, performs restart processing if safety is maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Hashimoto, Tetsuya Akagi, Ryuichi Jimbo
  • Patent number: 10958205
    Abstract: This motor control device is provided with a motor control unit which, on the basis of an operation command signal for driving the motor and a feedback signal from the encoder corresponding to motor operation, generates a command value relating to operation of the motor in accordance with a prescribed feedback method such that operation of the motor follows the operation command signal. The occurrence of an error is determined on the basis of the result of comparing a prescribed feedback value, which is calculated from the feedback signal from the encoder, and an operation command value, which is calculated from the operation command signal, and, on the basis of this determination result, interruption processing of the drive signal is performed. By means of this configuration, it is possible to improve safety performance of the motor control device without hampering the safety performance of the encoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Hashimoto, Tetsuya Akagi, Ryuichi Jimbo
  • Publication number: 20210080612
    Abstract: An aspect of the present invention allows for determining a cause of abnormality in output of a light-receiving element among light-receiving elements in a multiple optical-axis photoelectric sensor. A multiple optical-axis photoelectric sensor (1) determines that electrical noise occurs, in a case where abnormality in output occurs in both of adjacent light-receivable periods (Ts) in one light-receiving cycle (Tc).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Applicant: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuchika KONISHI, Keisaku KIKUCHI, Minoru HASHIMOTO
  • Patent number: 10948893
    Abstract: This motor control device is provided with a motor control unit which, on the basis of an operation command signal for driving the motor and a feedback signal from the encoder corresponding to motor operation, generates a command value relating to operation of the motor in accordance with a prescribed feedback method such that operation of the motor follows the operation command signal. Interruption processing of the drive signal is performed on the basis of the comparison result of a prescribed feedback value, which is calculated from the feedback signal from the encoder, and a control calculation value, which, comparable with a prescribed feedback value, is calculated during the process of generation of the command value by the motor control unit. By means of this configuration, it is possible to improve safety performance of the motor control device without hampering the safety performance of the encoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Hashimoto, Tetsuya Akagi, Ryuichi Jimbo
  • Publication number: 20210064255
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a solid state drive (SSD) that stores information, a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) controller that reads information from the SSD, writes information to the SSD, and transmits a device sleep (DEVSLP) signal for shifting the SSD to a DEVSLP state, and a power source control unit that can stop power to the SATA controller and transmits the DEVSLP signal for shifting the SSD to the DEVSLP state during a period in which the power to the SATA controller is stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventor: Minoru Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20210059416
    Abstract: A chair includes, a seat, a backrest separated from the seat, and an upper support frame to which the backrest is attached at a position higher than the seat. In the chair, the upper support frame includes a left side portin and a right side portions both extending forward at left and right sides of the seated person and a rear portion that continuously and integrally connects the left side portion and the right side portion. The left side portion and the right side portion are connected to side support bodies arranged on left and right sides of the seat to be tiltable, and the backrest is connected to the upper support frame to be tiltable rearward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Applicant: ITOKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki TAKEYA, Kensuke TAKAHASHI, Ryogo MORITA, Minoru HASHIMOTO
  • Patent number: 10921800
    Abstract: A motor control device comprising a motor control unit that, on the basis of an operation command signal for driving a motor and a feedback signal, from an encoder, corresponding to the operation of the motor, generates a command value pertaining to the operation of the motor in accordance with a prescribed feedback scheme so that the operation of the motor follows the operation command signal, wherein interrupt processing of a drive signal is executed by an interrupt unit on the basis of a comparison result of two items pertaining to a prescribed feedback value calculated using the feedback signal from the encoder, and to a state calculation value that is calculated on the basis of the operation command signal and that pertains to an operating state of the motor comparable with the prescribed feedback value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuya Akagi, Minoru Hashimoto, Ryuichi Jimbo
  • Patent number: 10875180
    Abstract: Provided is a highly safe robot system. A robot system includes: an arm operation control unit that controls operations of an arm; and a storage unit that records hazardous part information related to at least any one of a grip unit of the arm and a work target gripped with the grip unit, and the arm operation control unit causes the arm to operate such that the hazardous direction of the hazardous part is different from a moving direction of the grip unit on the basis of the hazardous part information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Higuchi, Yoshiharu Tani, Kazunori Osako, Minoru Hashimoto, Daichi Kamisono, Masaki Fujita