Patents by Inventor Satoru Shimizu

Satoru Shimizu 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: 20160107719
    Abstract: In one aspect, a controller for driving a motor of the present invention includes a driving control unit that controls driving of a motor, and a regenerative control unit that instructs the driving control unit to start regeneration when a signal from a pedal rotation sensor that detects a rotation direction of a pedal indicates that the rotation direction of the pedal is backwards, the regenerative control unit controlling an amount of the regeneration in accordance with a rotation amount of the pedal while the rotation direction of the pedal is backwards, the rotation amount being obtained by the pedal rotation sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Applicant: TAIYO YUDEN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuo Hosaka, Kazuo Asanuma, Kuniaki Kawagoe, Satoru Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20160075022
    Abstract: A control system, method and computer program product cooperate to assist control for an autonomous robot. An interface receives recognition information from an autonomous robot, said recognition information including candidate target objects to interact with the autonomous robot. A display control unit causes a display image to be displayed on a display of candidate target objects, wherein at least two of the candidate target objects are displayed with an associated indication of a target object score.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kenta KAWAMOTO, Yoshiaki IWAI, Satoru SHIMIZU
  • Patent number: 9242599
    Abstract: A vehicle approach alert device for a saddle-ridden electric vehicle is a vehicle approach alert device for a saddle-ridden electric vehicle that is provided with a sound emitter that is attached on the vehicle body of a saddle-ridden electric vehicle having an electric motor in a power engine, and that emits an alert sound to a surrounding area for notifying the surrounding area of approach of the saddle-ridden electric vehicle, such that sound emission of the sound emitter is controlled, and the sound emitter is arranged so that the direction of sound emission is oriented diagonally downward and forward of the saddle-ridden electric vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD
    Inventors: Satoru Shimizu, Masahiro Akiba, Ryuji Akiba, Kazuhiko Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9136780
    Abstract: A controller for driving a motor has: an input part that receives, from each of two brake sensors, a signal indicating a corresponding brake is in an ON state or a signal indicating that the brake is in an OFF state; a control coefficient computing part that increases a control coefficient relative to a regeneration target value along a first slope when a first signal indicating only one of the brakes is in an ON state is received from the input part, the control coefficient computing part increasing the control coefficient along a second slope when a second signal indicating both brakes are in an ON state is received from the input part, the second slope rising faster than the first slope; and a control part controlling driving of the motor in accordance with the regeneration target value and the control coefficient computed by the control coefficient computing part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: TAIYO YUDEN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuo Hosaka, Satoru Shimizu, Kazuo Asanuma
  • Publication number: 20150231782
    Abstract: A control system, method and computer program product cooperate to assist control for an autonomous robot. An interface receives recognition information from an autonomous robot, said recognition information including candidate target objects to interact with the autonomous robot. A display control unit causes a display image to be displayed on a display of candidate target objects, wherein at least two of the candidate target objects are displayed with an associated indication of a target object score.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kenta KAWAMOTO, Yoshiaki Iwai, Satoru Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20150202777
    Abstract: A robot apparatus includes an output unit that displays an image including an object on a screen, an input unit that receives an operation performed by a user for specifying information relating to an approximate range including the object in the image, an object extraction unit that extracts information regarding a two-dimensional contour of the object on the basis of the specification received by the input unit, and a position and attitude estimation unit that estimates information regarding a three-dimensional position and attitude of the object on the basis of the information regarding the two-dimensional contour.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Genta Kondo, Atsushi Miyamoto, Satoru Shimizu
  • Patent number: 9067315
    Abstract: A control system, a control method and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium cooperate to assist control for an autonomous robot. An interface receives recognition information from an autonomous robot (22), said recognition information including candidate target objects to interact with the autonomous robot (22). A display control unit (42) causes a display image to be displayed on a display of candidate target objects, wherein at least two of the candidate target objects are displayed with an associated indication of a target object score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenta Kawamoto, Yoshiaki Iwai, Satoru Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20150138664
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuits) assembly including an FPC and a reinforcing plate The reinforcing plate reinforces a part of the FPC. The reinforcing plate has a first part and a second part. The first part is disposed in a part of the reinforcing plate and formed of a material whose main component is resin. The second part is disposed in a part other than the part of the reinforcing plate and formed of a material whose main component is metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Naoto AKATSUKA, Shinji FUJIMOTO, Yukihiro KOMURA, Akitoshi SUZUKI, Satoru SHIMIZU
  • Patent number: 9020643
    Abstract: A robot apparatus includes a reception arm determination unit that determines from a left arm or a right arm of a user a reception arm which is used in handing of an object; a hand location calculation unit that calculates a current location of a hand of the reception arm; and a handing operation unit that performs an object handing operation at the location of the hand of the reception arm which is calculated using the hand location calculation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Shimizu, Wataru Kokubo, Akichika Tanaka, Tetsuharu Fukushima
  • Patent number: 8996176
    Abstract: A robot apparatus includes an output unit that displays an image including an object on a screen, an input unit that receives an operation performed by a user for specifying information relating to an approximate range including the object in the image, an object extraction unit that extracts information regarding a two-dimensional contour of the object on the basis of the specification received by the input unit, and a position and attitude estimation unit that estimates information regarding a three-dimensional position and attitude of the object on the basis of the information regarding the two-dimensional contour.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Genta Kondo, Atsushi Miyamoto, Satoru Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8981588
    Abstract: An auxiliary bicycle power supply system is provided that basically includes a bicycle power generating portion and an auxiliary power supply portion. The auxiliary power supply portion operates by power from the bicycle power generating portion. The auxiliary power supply portion is configured to supply power generated by the bicycle power generating portion to an electrical bicycle component based on a power supply situation from a main bicycle power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Takao Saida, Taihei Nishihara, Yasuo Hosaka, Satoru Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8978797
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle approach notification device of a saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle that outputs a notification sound for notifying the approach of a vehicle. The saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle includes a front cover that covers the periphery of a head pipe of a vehicle body frame. The sound emission device is located inside the front cover, the front cover has an air opening for taking in air from an outside, and a ventilation passage that is a passage of the air from the air opening and is used for cooling at least one of a power engine of the saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle and electric components, and the sound emission device is arranged in the ventilation passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Takewaka, Masahiro Akiba, Ryuji Akiba, Kazuhiko Tanaka, Satoru Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8972054
    Abstract: A robot apparatus, method and computer program storage device use a memory that stores cueing point information and user information to assist a user in an external environment. The cueing points are distributed within an environmental map held by the robot apparatus, and when the user is detected by the robot apparatus as approaching a predetermined region within the external environment classified as a cueing point, the robot apparatus reacts by providing a cue to the user. The cue may user-specific, or optionally provided based on a level of care required by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Shirado, Masakuni Nagano, Wataru Kokubo, Yoshiaki Iwai, Satoru Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8880222
    Abstract: There is provided a robot device including an instruction acquisition unit that acquires an order for encouraging a robot device to establish joint attention on a target from a user, a position/posture estimation unit that estimates a position and posture of an optical indication device, which is operated by the user to indicate the target by irradiation of a beam, in response to acquisition of the order, and a target specifying unit that specifies a direction of the target indicated by irradiation of the beam based on an estimation result of the position and posture and specifies the target on an environment map representing a surrounding environment based on a specifying result of the direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kenta Kawamoto, Satoru Shimizu, Toshimitsu Tsuboi, Yasuhiro Suto
  • Patent number: 8874022
    Abstract: A sheet placement unit on which a plurality of sheet bundles having been produced by folding a plurality of sheets are stacked while being overlapped. The sheet placement unit includes a sheet placement section on which the folded sheet bundle having been provided with a folding process is loaded, the sheet placement section being inclined so that a downstream side of the sheet placement section in a sheet conveying direction is higher than another side, a sheet conveyance device to convey the sheet bundle loaded on the sheet placement section in a sheet conveying direction while the plurality of sheet bundles are overlapped, and a sheet holding device provided swingably above the sheet placement section, the sheet holding device comprising a sheet contacting section which comes in contact an upper surface of the sheet bundle loaded on the sheet placement section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Zen Kayaba, Satoru Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20140313332
    Abstract: There is provided a control device including an image display unit configured to acquire, from a flying body, an image captured by an imaging device provided in the flying body and to display the image, and a flight instruction generation unit configured to generate a flight instruction for the flying body based on content of an operation performed with respect to the image captured by the imaging device and displayed by the image display unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: KOHTARO SABE, YASUNORI KAWANAMI, KENTA KAWAMOTO, TSUTOMU SAWADA, SATORU SHIMIZU, PETER DUERR, YUKI YAMAMOTO
  • Patent number: 8851464
    Abstract: Provided is a sheet post-processing device folding a sheet output from an image forming device at a predetermined target fold position, comprising: a first rotating body pair conveying the sheet; a second rotating body pair disposed along a sheet conveyance path and further downstream than the first rotating body pair in a sheet conveyance direction; a push unit moving a push member in a direction transverse to the sheet conveyance path so that, while the sheet is being conveyed, the push member comes into contact with the sheet and pushes the sheet into a nip of the second rotating body pair, the push member being disposed opposite the second rotating body pair across the sheet conveyance path; and a control unit controlling the push unit so that the pushing operation of the push member is performed at a timing preset according to the target fold position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Satoru Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20140214208
    Abstract: Provided is a robot device including an image input unit for inputting an image of surroundings, a target object detection unit for detecting an object from the input image, an object position detection unit for detecting a position of the object, an environment information acquisition unit for acquiring surrounding environment information of the position of the object, an optimum posture acquisition unit for acquiring an optimum posture corresponding to the surrounding environment information for the object, an object posture detection unit for detecting a current posture of the object from the input image, an object posture comparison unit for comparing the current posture of the object to the optimum posture of the object, and an object posture correction unit for correcting the posture of the object when the object posture comparison unit determines that there is a predetermined difference or more between the current posture and the optimum posture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru SHIMIZU, Kenta Kawamoto, Yoshiaki Iwai
  • Publication number: 20140200714
    Abstract: A control system, a control method and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium cooperate to assist control for an autonomous robot. An interface receives recognition information from an autonomous robot (22), said recognition information including candidate target objects to interact with the autonomous robot (22). A display control unit (42) causes a display image to be displayed on a display of candidate target objects, wherein at least two of the candidate target objects are displayed with an associated indication of a target object score.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kenta Kawamoto, Yoshiaki Iwai, Satoru Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8751048
    Abstract: Provided is a robot device including an image input unit for inputting an image of surroundings, a target object detection unit for detecting an object from the input image, an object position detection unit for detecting a position of the object, an environment information acquisition unit for acquiring surrounding environment information of the position of the object, an optimum posture acquisition unit for acquiring an optimum posture corresponding to the surrounding environment information for the object, an object posture detection unit for detecting a current posture of the object from the input image, an object posture comparison unit for comparing the current posture of the object to the optimum posture of the object, and an object posture correction unit for correcting the posture of the object when the object posture comparison unit determines that there is a predetermined difference or more between the current posture and the optimum posture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Shimizu, Kenta Kawamoto, Yoshiaki Iwai