Patents by Inventor Shiro Oda

Shiro Oda 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: 20220244734
    Abstract: An autonomous mobile system according to the present embodiment includes: obstacle detection means for detecting an obstacle in an aisle; distance measurement means for measuring a distance from the obstacle; obstacle determination means for determining a kind of the obstacle; and storage means for storing a predetermined distance set according to the kind of the obstacle. The autonomous mobile system travels with the predetermined distance from the obstacle depending on the kind of the obstacle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Tetsuya TAIRA, Shiro ODA, Satoshi TOYOSHIMA, Yuta WATANABE, Takeshi MATSUI, Takayoshi NASU, Kei YOSHIKAWA, Yusuke OTA, Yutaro ISHIDA, Yuji ONUMA
  • Publication number: 20220244730
    Abstract: An autonomous movement system according to an embodiment is an autonomous movement system that performs autonomous movement in a facility including an elevator, in which the autonomous movement system moves a waiting position in a car of the elevator, based on a person that gets on the car or an object that gets on the car. The autonomous movement system may determine the person or the object before the car stops at a floor or before a car door opens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Shiro ODA, Tetsuya TAIRA, Satoshi TOYOSHIMA, Yuta WATANABE, Takeshi MATSUI, Takayoshi NASU, Kei YOSHIKAWA, Yusuke OTA, Yutaro ISHIDA, Yuji ONUMA, Kyosuke ARAI
  • Publication number: 20220236742
    Abstract: An autonomous mobile system according to the present embodiment is an autonomous mobile system that autonomously moves in a facility. Among priorities assigned to a plurality of the autonomous mobile systems for delivery at a destination or passage through a waypoint in the facility, when the autonomous mobile system has a lower priority, the autonomous mobile system stands by in a predetermined standby area until another autonomous mobile system having a higher priority completes the delivery or the passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2021
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Shiro ODA, Tetsuya TAIRA, Satoshi TOYOSHIMA, Yuta WATANABE, Takeshi MATSUI, Takayoshi NASU, Kei YOSHIKAWA, Yusuke OTA, Yutaro ISHIDA, Yuji ONUMA, Kyosuke ARAI
  • Publication number: 20220229443
    Abstract: An autonomous mobile system according to the present embodiment is an autonomous mobile system that autonomously moves in a facility using position information. In a case where the position information is lost due to an activation of a forced stop switch for stopping autonomous movement of the autonomous mobile system, when the activation of the forced stop switch is released and the autonomous movement is restored, the autonomous mobile system acquires the position information from a facility camera in the facility that has captured an image of the autonomous mobile system or from another autonomous mobile system that has detected the autonomous mobile system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Inventors: Tetsuya TAIRA, Shiro ODA, Satoshi TOYOSHIMA, Yuta WATANABE, Takeshi MATSUI, Takayoshi NASU, Kei YOSHIKAWA, Yusuke OTA, Yutaro ISHIDA, Yuji ONUMA
  • Publication number: 20220203551
    Abstract: A luggage transport system includes: a transport robot that transports luggage to a destination while moving such that a distance from an obstacle does not become equal to or smaller than a predetermined value; and a predetermined value changing unit for changing the predetermined value according to at least one of the luggage, a moving speed of the transport robot, and a state of a road surface on which the transport robot moves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shiro Oda, Tetsuya Taira, Satoshi Toyoshima, Yuta Watanabe, Takeshi Matsui, Takayoshi Nasu, Kei Yoshikawa, Yusuke Ota, Yutaro Ishida, Yuji Onuma, Kyosuke Arai
  • Publication number: 20220208328
    Abstract: A transport system is a transport system for transporting a transported object using a mobile robot that is autonomously moveable. The mobile robot transports a plurality of the transported objects. The transport system detects that a transport destination of the transported object is different from a receiving location. The transport system outputs that there is the transported object of a different transport destination to a recipient who is present at the receiving location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shiro Oda, Tetsuya Taira, Satoshi Toyoshima, Yuta Watanabe, Takeshi Matsui, Takayoshi Nasu, Kei Yoshikawa, Yusuke Ota, Yutaro Ishida, Yuji Onuma, Kyosuke Arai
  • Publication number: 20220206506
    Abstract: A robot control system according to a present embodiment is a robot control system for controlling a mobile robot that is autonomously movable within a facility. The system performs: acquiring attribute information on a person present in a travel area ahead in an advancing direction of the mobile robot; setting an upper limit for operation strength of the mobile robot in accordance with the attribute information; and controlling operation of the mobile robot in accordance with the upper limit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Tetsuya TAIRA, Shiro ODA, Satoshi TOYOSHIMA, Yuta WATANABE, Takeshi MATSUI, Takayoshi NASU, Kei YOSHIKAWA, Yusuke OTA, Yutaro ISHIDA, Yuji ONUMA
  • Publication number: 20220204268
    Abstract: A management system includes an autonomously movable mobile robot configured to be managed by the management system and transport a transport article. The mobile robot includes a storage locker capable of containing a transport article and being electrically locked or unlocked. The management system is configured to determine whether to unlock the storage locker according to a security level set for unlocking the storage locker. The management system is configured to, when the management system receives a notification of an emergency event, lower the security level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shiro Oda, Tetsuya Taira, Satoshi Toyoshima, Yuta Watanabe, Takeshi Matsui, Takayoshi Nasu, Kei Yoshikawa, Yusuke Ota, Yutaro Ishida, Yuji Onuma, Kyosuke Arai
  • Publication number: 20220202266
    Abstract: An autonomous mobile system according to an embodiment is an autonomous mobile system that autonomously moves in a facility provided with an area set as a clean area and an area set as an unclean area. The autonomous mobile system searches for a route along which the autonomous mobile system moves based on a rule of entry to the clean area and the unclean area. In the rule, when the autonomous mobile system is associated with a cleanliness flag, the autonomous mobile system is allowed to enter the clean area and prohibited from entering the unclean area, and when the autonomous mobile system is associated with an uncleanliness flag, the autonomous mobile system is allowed to enter the unclean area and prohibited from entering the clean area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2021
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shiro Oda, Tetsuya Taira, Satoshi Toyoshima, Yuta Watanabe, Takeshi Matsui, Takayoshi Nasu, Kei Yoshikawa, Yusuke Ota, Yutaro Ishida, Yuji Onuma, Kyosuke Arai
  • Publication number: 20220203553
    Abstract: A robot control system according to a present embodiment is a robot control system for controlling a mobile robot that is configured to autonomously within a facility. When it is detected that one or more used trays, among a plurality of trays used for meal service within the facility, are returned to a first prescribed place, the system instructs the mobile robot to collect the trays returned to the first prescribed place and deliver the trays to a second prescribed place.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Shiro Oda, Tetsuya Taira, Satoshi Toyoshima, Yuta Watanabe, Takeshi Matsui, Takayoshi Nasu, Kei Yoshikawa, Yusuke Ota, Yutaro Ishida, Yuji Onuma, Kyosuke Arai
  • Publication number: 20220206503
    Abstract: An autonomous mobile system according to the present embodiment is an autonomous mobile system that autonomously moves in a facility provided with a corner between aisles. When the autonomous mobile system turns at the corner, the autonomous mobile system calculates a magnitude of a corner radius of turning in a traveling path based on an obstacle captured in image data of a camera that captures an image of an exit of the corner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuya Taira, Shiro Oda, Satoshi Toyoshima, Yuta Watanabe, Takeshi Matsui, Takayoshi Nasu, Kei Yoshikawa, Yusuke Ota, Yutaro Ishida, Yuji Onuma
  • Publication number: 20220194737
    Abstract: An autonomous mobile method for an autonomous mobile device according to the present embodiment is an autonomous mobile method for an autonomous mobile device that autonomously moves in a facility provided with an elevator. When the total number of the autonomous mobile devices including other autonomous mobile devices in a car of the elevator is larger than a threshold that is a plural number, an operation mode of the car is switched from a general mode in which a human is allowed to enter the car to a dedicated mode in which the human is prohibited from entering the car.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shiro Oda, Tetsuya Taira, Satoshi Toyoshima, Yuta Watanabe, Takeshi Matsui, Takayoshi Nasu, Kei Yoshikawa, Yusuke Ota, Yutaro Ishida, Yuji Onuma, Kyosuke Arai
  • Publication number: 20220197275
    Abstract: A transport system transports a transported object using an autonomously moveable mobile robot. The transport system stores management information including a use start time, a use end time, and a use location for each equipment to be lent that is transported as the transported object by the mobile robot. The transport system executes a determination process for determining whether an interval from the use end time to a next use start time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time for each equipment based on the management information. The transport system transports the equipment to its storage location after an end of use of the equipment when the interval is equal to or longer than the predetermined time, and transports the equipment to a next use location of the equipment after the end of the use of the equipment when the interval is shorter than the predetermined time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shiro Oda, Tetsuya Taira, Satoshi Toyoshima, Yuta Watanabe, Takeshi Matsui, Takayoshi Nasu, Kei Yoshikawa, Yusuke Ota, Yutaro Ishida, Yuji Onuma, Kyosuke Arai
  • Publication number: 20220066455
    Abstract: To effectively prevent an autonomous mobile robot from interfering with the flow of people, an autonomous mobile robot control system includes an autonomous mobile robot, a host management device that manages the autonomous mobile robot on the basis of a route plan defining a moving route of the autonomous mobile robot, and a plurality of environmental cameras that capture images of a moving range of the autonomous mobile robot and transmit the captured images to the host management device. The host management device estimates transition of a degree of congestion in a period later than present time in each of a plurality of management areas defined by dividing an operating range of the autonomous mobile robot on the basis of environmental information acquired using the plurality of environmental cameras, and updates the route plan on the basis of an estimated result of transition of the degree of congestion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohisa TAKAI, Yuhei YAMAGUCHI, Satoshi TOYOSHIMA, Yuta WATANABE, Tetsuya TAIRA, Mikio HONDA, Shiro ODA, Nobuhisa OTSUKI
  • Publication number: 20220066454
    Abstract: To effectively enhance the operation efficiency of an autonomous mobile robot, an autonomous mobile robot control system includes a host management device, and a plurality of environmental cameras, wherein the host management device performs moving body detection processing that detects in the moving range, moving body path estimation processing that estimates a moving route of each of the plurality of moving bodies on the basis of characteristics of each of the detected moving bodies, avoidance procedure generation processing that sets a plurality of moving bodies whose moving routes overlap among the detected moving bodies as avoidance processing target moving bodies, and generates an avoidance procedure for the avoidance processing target moving bodies so as not to interfere with each other's motion, and robot control processing that gives an instruction to perform avoidance behavior to the avoidance processing target moving bodies on the basis of the generated avoidance procedure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohisa TAKAI, Yuhei YAMAGUCHI, Satoshi TOYOSHIMA, Yuta WATANABE, Tetsuya TAIRA, Mikio HONDA, Shiro ODA, Nobuhisa OTSUKI
  • Publication number: 20210356960
    Abstract: When an autonomous mobile robot is acquires enters a stuck state in which the autonomous mobile robot cannot autonomosly move, an autonomous mobile apparatus control system according to the present disclosure transmits an autonomous cancel notification for notifying the higher-level management apparatus that the autonomous mobile robot cannot autonomosly move, waits for an operation instruction from the higher-level management apparatus after the transmission of the autonomous cancel notification. The higher-level management apparatus gives an operation instruction to the autonomous mobile robot in response to receiving the autonomous cancel notification based on information acquired from at least one of the plurality of environment cameras. The autonomous mobile robot is configured to resume autonomous driving in response to safety confirmation based on a proximity sensor provided in the autonomous mobile robot after operating in accordance with the operation instruction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohisa TAKAI, Yuhei YAMAGUCHI, Satoshi TOYOSHIMA, Yuta WATANABE, Tetsuya TAIRA, Mikio HONDA, Shiro ODA, Nobuhisa OTSUKI
  • Publication number: 20210154857
    Abstract: A management system is for managing a mobile robot as an autonomous moving apparatus and includes a cleanliness level setting unit, an instruction reception unit, a storage unit, and a control unit. The cleanliness level setting unit sets a cleanliness level of the autonomous moving apparatus. The instruction reception unit receives an instruction for a task the autonomous moving apparatus executes. The storage unit stores a database associating information about at least an operator or a destination of the autonomous moving apparatus, a place which the autonomous moving apparatus passes through, and an object to be conveyed by the autonomous moving apparatus, which are included in the task, with the cleanliness level of the autonomous moving apparatus. The control unit controls the setting of the cleanliness level of the autonomous moving apparatus or processing for the instruction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohisa TAKAI, Yuhei YAMAGUCHI, Satoshi TOYOSHIMA, Yuta WATANABE, Mikio HONDA, Shiro ODA, Tetsuya TAIRA, Nobuhisa OTSUKI
  • Publication number: 20210157318
    Abstract: A control system controls an operation mode of a mobile robot that autonomously moves in a predetermined area, and includes a feature detection unit, a classifying unit, and a system controller. The feature detection unit detects features of a person who is present in the vicinity of the mobile robot. The classifying unit classifies the person into a predetermined first group or a predetermined second group based on the features. The system controller selects a first operation mode when the person who belongs to the first group is present in the vicinity of the mobile robot and selects a second operation mode that is different from the first operation mode when the person who belongs to the first group is not present in the vicinity of the mobile robot, thereby controlling the mobile robot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohisa TAKAI, Yuhei YAMAGUCHI, Satoshi TOYOSHIMA, Yuta WATANABE, Tetsuya TAIRA, Mikio HONDA, Shiro ODA, Nobuhisa OTSUKI
  • Publication number: 20210157326
    Abstract: An autonomous mobile body system including an autonomous mobile body configured to move autonomously, includes a detection unit configured to detect an obstacle around the autonomous mobile body itself, a movement control unit configured to stop a movement of the autonomous mobile body itself when the detection unit detects an obstacle that enters an entry prohibited space set around the autonomous mobile body itself, and an illumination unit configured to illuminate a moving surface so as to indicate an entry prohibited area, the moving surface being a surface on which the autonomous mobile body itself moves, and the entry prohibited area being an area on the moving surface onto which at least a part of the entry prohibited space is projected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohisa TAKAI, Yuhei YAMAGUCHI, Satoshi TOYOSHIMA, Yuta WATANABE, Mikio HONDA, Shiro ODA, Tetsuya TAIRA, Nobuhisa OTSUKI
  • Publication number: 20210157300
    Abstract: A conveyance control system according to the present disclosure is a conveyance control system configured to control a conveyance robot to autonomously move and convey a conveyance object to a destination, the conveyance control system including: a reception unit configured to receive, from a scheduled recipient of the conveyance object, a request signal for requesting a third party to collect the conveyance object halfway through conveyance of the conveyance object; and an issuance unit configured to issue, to a terminal of the third party, a temporary electronic key for enabling the conveyance object to be taken out from the conveyance robot based on a set condition when the reception unit receives the request signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohisa TAKAI, Yuhei YAMAGUCHI, Satoshi TOYOSHIMA, Yuta WATANABE, Mikio HONDA, Shiro ODA, Tetsuya TAIRA, Nobuhisa OTSUKI