Patents by Inventor Nobuhiro Karito

Nobuhiro Karito 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: 12564950
    Abstract: In a robot system including robots, lower-level control units respectively coupled to the robots and controlling one of the robots, and an upper-level control unit coupled to the lower-level control units and transmitting command information for control of the robots to the lower-level control units, a method of controlling the robots executed by the upper-level control unit is provided. The upper-level control unit includes a processor having a plurality of processor cores. Part of the processor cores of the plurality of processor cores are isolated from the other processor cores. Communication tasks with the lower-level control units are assigned to the isolated part of the processor cores. The isolated part of the processor cores are controlled to execute the communication tasks with the lower-level control units and the command information is transmitted to the lower-level control units. The isolation of the isolated part of the processor cores is released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2026
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Karito
  • Patent number: 12138791
    Abstract: A robot control system includes a robot having a servo control unit, a lower-level control apparatus transmitting a control command to the servo control unit and receiving robot status information representing a status of the robot from the servo control unit with respect to each preset control period, and an upper-level control apparatus transmitting command information for creation of the control command to the lower-level control apparatus. The lower-level control apparatus transmits the robot status information to the upper-level control apparatus in synchronization with the control period. The upper-level control apparatus transmits the command information to the lower-level control apparatus within a predetermined transmission time shorter than the control period from a time when receiving the robot status information from the lower-level control apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Karito
  • Publication number: 20240144532
    Abstract: A calibration method of the present disclosure includes a calibration step of executing a calibration process for obtaining an external parameter of a camera with respect to a robot using a first image that was taken by the camera and that includes at least a part of a robot and a judgment step of judging validity of the external parameter after execution of a calibration process. The judgment step includes (a) a step of taking a second image including at least a part of the robot by the camera after execution of the calibration process and (b) a step of judging whether or not a positional relationship between the camera and the robot has changed using the first image and the second image, and judging whether the external parameter is valid or invalid in accordance with presence or absence of change in the positional relationship.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2023
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Inventor: Nobuhiro KARITO
  • Patent number: 11951625
    Abstract: A control method for a robot includes a first working step of executing first work on a first working object by operating a robot arm by force control based on a predetermined position command value, a first memory step of storing first position information of a trajectory in which a control point set for the robot arm passes at the first working step, and a second working step of updating a position command value for the robot arm based on the first position information stored at the first memory step, and executing second work on a second working object by operating the robot arm by the force control based on an updated value as the updated position command value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Karito
  • Publication number: 20230128011
    Abstract: In a robot system including robots, lower-level control units respectively coupled to the robots and controlling one of the robots, and an upper-level control unit coupled to the lower-level control units and transmitting command information for control of the robots to the lower-level control units, a method of controlling the robots executed by the upper-level control unit is provided. The upper-level control unit includes a processor having a plurality of processor cores. Part of the processor cores of the plurality of processor cores are isolated from the other processor cores. Communication tasks with the lower-level control units are assigned to the isolated part of the processor cores. The isolated part of the processor cores are controlled to execute the communication tasks with the lower-level control units and the command information is transmitted to the lower-level control units. The isolation of the isolated part of the processor cores is released.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2022
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Inventor: Nobuhiro KARITO
  • Publication number: 20220331951
    Abstract: A robot control system includes a robot having a servo control unit, a lower-level control apparatus transmitting a control command to the servo control unit and receiving robot status information representing a status of the robot from the servo control unit with respect to each preset control period, and an upper-level control apparatus transmitting command information for creation of the control command to the lower-level control apparatus. The lower-level control apparatus transmits the robot status information to the upper-level control apparatus in synchronization with the control period. The upper-level control apparatus transmits the command information to the lower-level control apparatus within a predetermined transmission time shorter than the control period from a time when receiving the robot status information from the lower-level control apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventor: Nobuhiro KARITO
  • Patent number: 11389958
    Abstract: A reset process includes: first processing for resetting a force detection unit; second processing for determining whether a peak output value from the force detection unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined first threshold value in a first period and updating a determination result; third processing for executing the first processing when the peak value is equal to or greater than the first threshold value; fourth processing for executing the second processing when the peak value is not equal to or greater than the first threshold value and a second period did not elapse from the timing when the force detection unit was reset; and fifth processing for calculating an average of the output values in a third period as a first offset value when the peak value is not equal to or greater than the first threshold value and the second period elapsed from the timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Karito, Kaoru Takeuchi, Yasuhiro Shimodaira
  • Patent number: 11318609
    Abstract: A control device includes a control unit which executes a control force to a movable unit according to an output of a force detection unit. The control unit executes a stop control of the movable unit when a predetermined stop condition is satisfied. The stop control includes a second control which continues the force control to control the movable unit when the stop condition is satisfied during the execution of a first control including a force control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Inventors: Kaoru Takeuchi, Nobuhiro Karito, Isamu Sejimo
  • Publication number: 20210402596
    Abstract: A control method for a robot includes a first working step of executing first work on a first working object by operating a robot arm by force control based on a predetermined position command value, a first memory step of storing first position information of a trajectory in which a control point set for the robot arm passes at the first working step, and a second working step of updating a position command value for the robot arm based on the first position information stored at the first memory step, and executing second work on a second working object by operating the robot arm by the force control based on an updated value as the updated position command value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventor: Nobuhiro KARITO
  • Publication number: 20210268651
    Abstract: A robot control method for controlling, based on a program including a first instruction including an operation instruction for operating a robot arm and a second instruction, operation of a robot including the robot arm, the robot control method including a first step of controlling the operation of the robot arm based on the first instruction and a second step of controlling the operation of the robot based on the second instruction. In the first step, after execution of the operation instruction is started, it is determined whether a predetermined instruction is included in the second instruction and, when it is determined that the predetermined instruction is included in the second instruction, the predetermined instruction is executed before the first step ends.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Inventor: Nobuhiro KARITO
  • Publication number: 20200061816
    Abstract: A reset process includes: first processing for resetting a force detection unit; second processing for determining whether a peak output value from the force detection unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined first threshold value in a first period and updating a determination result; third processing for executing the first processing when the peak value is equal to or greater than the first threshold value; fourth processing for executing the second processing when the peak value is not equal to or greater than the first threshold value and a second period did not elapse from the timing when the force detection unit was reset; and fifth processing for calculating an average of the output values in a third period as a first offset value when the peak value is not equal to or greater than the first threshold value and the second period elapsed from the timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Nobuhiro KARITO, Kaoru TAKEUCHI, Yasuhiro SHIMODAIRA
  • Publication number: 20200061817
    Abstract: A control device includes a control unit which executes a control force to a movable unit according to an output of a force detection unit. The control unit executes a stop control of the movable unit when a predetermined stop condition is satisfied. The stop control includes a second control which continues the force control to control the movable unit when the stop condition is satisfied during the execution of a first control including a force control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Kaoru TAKEUCHI, Nobuhiro KARITO, Isamu SEJIMO
  • Publication number: 20190061162
    Abstract: A robot system includes a robot and a network device, and in which the robot includes a first network controller including a first network terminal configured to connect to the network device and a second network controller including a second network terminal configured to connect to the network device and the same first network information is set in the first network controller and the second network controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventor: Nobuhiro KARITO
  • Patent number: 10059001
    Abstract: An image acquisition unit acquires an image including an object, and a controller starts a visual servo using the acquired image, on the basis of at least one of an error in calibration, an error in installation of a robot, an error resulting from the rigidity of the robot, an error of a position where the robot has gripped the object, an error regarding imaging, and an error regarding a work environment. Additionally, the controller starts the visual servo when the distance between one point of a working unit of the robot and the object is equal to or greater than 2 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Miyazawa, Yukihiro Yamaguchi, Nobuhiro Karito
  • Patent number: 9492925
    Abstract: A robot includes a control unit that controls a movable unit of the robot to move an endpoint of the movable unit closer to a target position, and an image acquisition unit that acquires a target image as an image containing the end point when the end point is in the target position, and a current image as an image containing the end point when the end point is in a current position. The control unit controls movement of the movable unit based on the current image and the target image and output from a force detection unit that detects a force acting on the movable unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Aiso, Hiroshi Hasegawa, Mitsuhiro Inazumi, Nobuhiro Karito
  • Publication number: 20150120055
    Abstract: An image acquisition unit acquires an image including an object, and a controller starts a visual servo using the acquired image, on the basis of at least one of an error in calibration, an error in installation of a robot, an error resulting from the rigidity of the robot, an error of a position where the robot has gripped the object, an error regarding imaging, and an error regarding a work environment. Additionally, the controller starts the visual servo when the distance between one point of a working unit of the robot and the object is equal to or greater than 2 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Hiroshi MIYAZAWA, Yukihiro YAMAGUCHI, Nobuhiro KARITO
  • Publication number: 20150120058
    Abstract: A first finger portion and a second finger portion of an end effector are brought close to each other, and when the first finger portion is brought into contact with an object to be grasped, an arm is moved in a direction where the first finger portion is provided while the contact between the first finger portion and the object to be grasped is kept.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Nobuhiro KARITO, Takahiko NODA
  • Publication number: 20150105907
    Abstract: A robot includes a control unit that controls a movable unit of the robot to move an endpoint of the movable unit closer to a target position, and an image acquisition unit that acquires a target image as an image containing the end point when the end point is in the target position, and a current image as an image containing the end point when the end point is in a current position. The control unit controls movement of the movable unit based on the current image and the target image and output from a force detection unit that detects a force acting on the movable unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: Seiji AISO, Hiroshi HASEGAWA, Mitsuhiro INAZUMI, Nobuhiro KARITO
  • Patent number: 8711436
    Abstract: A image generation device generates, on a print medium, an image including a first image portion and a second image portion. The device has a first screen processing unit which generates image data by an area modulation screen having a first screen ruling, for pixels of the first image portion; and a second screen processing unit which generates image data by an area modulation screen or a density modulation screen having a second screen ruling which is higher than the first screen ruling for pixels of the second image portion. And the first screen processing unit generates a halftone dot at a center of gravity position of an image of the first image portion in a cell corresponding to a halftone dot formation area in the area modulation screen processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Kobayashi, Nobuhiro Karito
  • Patent number: 8619332
    Abstract: Provided is a printing apparatus that prints an image of a first colorimetric system that is constructed with a plurality of pixels by using dots having a plurality of sizes, including: a print head that ejects a printing material to form the dots on a printing medium; a color conversion unit that converts the image in the first colorimetric system to an intermediate image in a second colorimetric system that can be printed by the printing apparatus; a detection unit that detects edge pixels, which constitute an edge of the intermediate image, among a plurality of pixels constituting the intermediate image; a dot allocation unit that allocates dots having a predetermined size among the dots having the plurality of sizes to the edge pixels; and a printing unit that controls the print head based on printing data indicating the dot allocation to form the image on the printing medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Karito, Masaki Hayashi