Patents by Inventor Shuichi INADA

Shuichi INADA 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: 10737346
    Abstract: Provided is a welding robot mechanism that has: a welding robot having a touch sensing function; a welding power source for supplying welding power to the welding robot; and a control unit for controlling the welding robot, wherein the welding power source has a welding power source communication unit that receives detection signals with regard to control of the welding robot and the touch sensing, and transmits the detection signals outward. The control unit is linked to the welding power source communication unit via a serial bus communication wire. The detection signals comprise a mass of data including a detection data group designated as a first group and a detection data group designated as a second group, and is configured to read the detection data group designated as the first group in a shorter cycle than that for the detection data group designated as the second group. The detection data group designated as the first group includes a detection signal obtained by the touch sensing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu One, Takashi Wada, Shuichi Inada, Atsushi Fukunaga, Naoki Kida
  • Patent number: 10547471
    Abstract: Provided is a communication control system in which a control device and one or a plurality of control target devices are connected through a network, wherein at least one of the plurality of control target devices includes a sub master and a sub slave to be synchronously controlled with each other, and the control device includes a storage unit storing each pieces of information on a synchronization period for synchronizing with the control target device, communication periods, and mutual communication control information for mutually communicate in a mutual communication period shorter than the synchronization period, a calculation unit calculating a control command for commanding an operation in synchronization with the control target device for each control target device, and a communication control unit transmitting the control command including the mutual communication control information to the sub master and the sub slave of the at least one control target device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Kida, Shuichi Inada, Takashi Wada
  • Patent number: 10493623
    Abstract: A control device connected to one or more to-be-controlled devices via a network includes: a storage that stores information of a synchronization period of a time interval for synchronization with the to-be-controlled devices, and communication periods of plural time intervals established in the synchronization period; a calculator that calculates, for each of the to-be-controlled devices, a control instruction instructing the to-be-controlled device to operate in synchronization; and a communication controller that performs, based on the information stored in the storage, a control such that the control instruction is transmitted and received between the control device and each of the to-be-controlled devices during the synchronization period, the communication controller allocating a respective control instruction corresponding to each of the to-be-controlled devices to at least one of the communication periods established in the synchronization period, thereby transmitting/receiving data including the allo
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Naoki Kida, Shuichi Inada, Tsutomu One, Takashi Wada
  • Publication number: 20190103989
    Abstract: Provided is a communication control system in which a control device and one or a plurality of control target devices are connected through a network, wherein at least one of the plurality of control target devices includes a sub master and a sub slave to be synchronously controlled with each other, and the control device includes a storage unit storing each pieces of information on a synchronization period for synchronizing with the control target device, communication periods, and mutual communication control information for mutually communicate in a mutual communication period shorter than the synchronization period, a calculation unit calculating a control command for commanding an operation in synchronization with the control target device for each control target device, and a communication control unit transmitting the control command including the mutual communication control information to the sub master and the sub slave of the at least one control target device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Publication date: April 4, 2019
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Naoki KIDA, Shuichi INADA, Takashi WADA
  • Publication number: 20190039161
    Abstract: Provided is a welding robot mechanism that has: a welding robot having a touch sensing function; a welding power source for supplying welding power to the welding robot; and a control unit for controlling the welding robot, wherein the welding power source has a welding power source communication unit that receives detection signals with regard to control of the welding robot and the touch sensing, and transmits the detection signals outward. The control unit is linked to the welding power source communication unit via a serial bus communication wire. The detection signals comprise a mass of data including a detection data group designated as a first group and a detection data group designated as a second group, and is configured to read the detection data group designated as the first group in a shorter cycle than that for the detection data group designated as the second group. The detection data group designated as the first group includes a detection signal obtained by the touch sensing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Tsutomu ONE, Takashi WADA, Shuichi INADA, Atsushi FUKUNAGA, Naoki KIDA
  • Publication number: 20180300935
    Abstract: For a state for which a rendering object presentation request was made, attribute spaces for which to perform an interpolation calculation for state information are decided based on an attribute table and a state table, state information of a state for which the presentation request was made is derived by, for each of the decided attribute spaces, performing the interpolation calculation, and the rendering object is then presented. In the derivation, for each of the decided attribute spaces, an interpolation calculation is performed using difference information managed by that attribute space, and by adding a sum total of the interpolation calculation results to state information of a reference state, the state information of the state for which the presentation request was made is derived.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2018
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventors: Yuta IMAI, Shuichi INADA
  • Publication number: 20180272528
    Abstract: A control device connected to one or more to-be-controlled devices via a network includes: a storage that stores information of a synchronization period of a time interval for synchronization with the to-be-controlled devices, and communication periods of plural time intervals established in the synchronization period; a calculator that calculates, for each of the to-be-controlled devices, a control instruction instructing the to-be-controlled device to operate in synchronization; and a communication controller that performs, based on the information stored in the storage, a control such that the control instruction is transmitted and received between the control device and each of the to-be-controlled devices during the synchronization period, the communication controller allocating a respective control instruction corresponding to each of the to-be-controlled devices to at least one of the communication periods established in the synchronization period, thereby transmitting/receiving data including the allo
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2016
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Naoki KIDA, Shuichi INADA, Tsutomu ONE, Takashi WADA
  • Patent number: 9874865
    Abstract: Provided are a control method and a control device that can make the range of periodic activity (amplitude of reciprocal movement) of an object of control, such as an industrial robot, the same as a case in which the reduction device has no backlash or the same as the amplitude of a position instruction signal. A control device (3) that carries out position control for an arm (5), which carries out periodic movement, while compensating for backlash in the arm (5) is provided with a control unit (15) that adds to a position instruction signal, which gives instructions for the position of the arm (5), a backlash quantity signal after the backlash quantity signal has been shifted so as to be delayed by a delay time, generates a final position instruction signal, and carries out position control of the arm (5) on the basis of the final position instruction signal that has been generated, said backlash quantity signal compensating for backlash.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Wada, Yoshiharu Nishida, Shuichi Inada, Yoshihide Inoue
  • Patent number: 9597800
    Abstract: This control device (10) for compensating for the elastic deformation of an articulated robot is configured from a joint angle command value calculation unit (100), an axial force torque calculation unit (200), a first dynamic characteristic computing unit (300), a feedback control unit (500), and a motor angle command value calculation unit (600). The first dynamic characteristic computing unit (300) is configured from an interpolation unit configured from an N-ary curve interpolation, and a filter unit configured from an M-ary filter, with N+M being at least 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Nishida, Takashi Wada, Yoshihide Inoue, Shuichi Inada
  • Patent number: 9505074
    Abstract: A weaving control device of a multi-joint robot, which achieves high-precision weaving, and suppresses occurrence of weaving movement error stemming from the movement of another joint axis and the dynamic characteristics of the motor driving the joint axis. The weaving control device contains: a signal computation unit that computes the target position signal for each axis; a filter computation unit that computes a target command signal resulting from low-pass filter processing of the target position signal; and a motor control unit that drives each axis with the target command signal as an input. The frequency characteristics of the gain of the motor control unit are configured in an approximately flat manner, and the dynamic characteristics from the target position to the motor output angle are similar to the filter. A weaving signal correction unit computes a target position signal having a corrected gain on the basis of filter characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Wada, Yoshiharu Nishida, Yoshihide Inoue, Shuichi Inada
  • Patent number: 9505131
    Abstract: In an elastic-deformation-compensation control device (10), a first dynamic characteristic calculation unit (300) performs filtering processing with respect to a motor-angle command value (?mc) outputted from a motor-angle-command-value calculation unit (600), and outputs a processed motor-angle target value (?md). A second dynamic characteristic calculation unit (400) is provided with a high-frequency cutoff characteristic having a cutoff frequency which is lower than that of the first dynamic characteristic calculation unit (300), performs filtering processing with respect to the output from an axial force torque calculation unit (200), and outputs a processed axial force torque compensation value (fd).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Nishida, Takashi Wada, Yoshihide Inoue, Shuichi Inada
  • Patent number: 9254569
    Abstract: In a trajectory control device (10) for an articulated robot, a first dynamic characteristic calculation unit (300) is provided with a high-frequency cutoff characteristic having a cutoff frequency which is lower than the natural oscillation frequency of the robot, performs filtering processing with respect to a joint-angle command value (?c), and outputs a processed joint-angle target value (?d). A second dynamic characteristic calculation unit (400) is provided with a high-frequency cutoff characteristic having a cutoff frequency which is lower than that of the first dynamic characteristic calculation unit (300), performs filtering processing with respect to the output from a coupling-torque compensation command value calculation unit (200), and outputs a processed coupling-torque compensation value (cd).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Nishida, Takashi Wada, Yoshihide Inoue, Shuichi Inada
  • Publication number: 20160031089
    Abstract: The teach pendant (3) is provided with an arranged button section (31) in which multiple operation buttons (B1-B12) for setting operation instruction information for a welding robot (2), on the tip of which a welding tool (6) is installed, are disposed. The teach pendant gives movement instructions to the welding robot (2) as a result of operation instruction information being set using the operation buttons (B1-B12). The arranged button section (31) arranges the multiple operation buttons (B1-B12) in directions that correspond to the welding tool (6) movement directions, which are based on movement instructions to the welding robot (2) resulting from the operation instruction information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Tsutomu ONE, Shuichi INADA, Atsushi FUKUNAGA, Takashi WADA
  • Publication number: 20150367511
    Abstract: This control device (10) for compensating for the elastic deformation of an articulated robot is configured from a joint angle command value calculation unit (100), an axial force torque calculation unit (200), a first dynamic characteristic computing unit (300), a feedback control unit (500), and a motor angle command value calculation unit (600). The first dynamic characteristic computing unit (300) is configured from an interpolation unit configured from an N-ary curve interpolation, and a filter unit configured from an M-ary filter, with N+M being at least 4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Yoshiharu NISHIDA, Takashi WADA, Yoshihide INOUE, Shuichi INADA
  • Publication number: 20150290804
    Abstract: A weaving control device of a multi-joint robot, which achieves high-precision weaving, and suppresses occurrence of weaving movement error stemming from the movement of another joint axis and the dynamic characteristics of the motor driving the joint axis. The weaving control device contains: a signal computation unit that computes the target position signal for each axis; a filter computation unit that computes a target command signal resulting from low-pass filter processing of the target position signal; and a motor control unit that drives each axis with the target command signal as an input. The frequency characteristics of the gain of the motor control unit are configured in an approximately flat manner, and the dynamic characteristics from the target position to the motor output angle are similar to the filter. A weaving signal correction unit computes a target position signal having a corrected gain on the basis of filter characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Takashi Wada, Yoshiharu Nishida, Yoshihide Inoue, Shuichi Inada
  • Publication number: 20150112484
    Abstract: In a trajectory control device (10) for an articulated robot, a first dynamic characteristic calculation unit (300) is provided with a high-frequency cutoff characteristic having a cutoff frequency which is lower than the natural oscillation frequency of the robot, performs filtering processing with respect to a joint-angle command value (?c), and outputs a processed joint-angle target value (?d). A second dynamic characteristic calculation unit (400) is provided with a high-frequency cutoff characteristic having a cutoff frequency which is lower than that of the first dynamic characteristic calculation unit (300), performs filtering processing with respect to the output from a coupling-torque compensation command value calculation unit (200), and outputs a processed coupling-torque compensation value (cd).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Nishida, Takashi Wada, Yoshihide Inoue, Shuichi Inada
  • Publication number: 20150105905
    Abstract: In an elastic-deformation-compensation control device (10), a first dynamic characteristic calculation unit (300) performs filtering processing with respect to a motor-angle command value (?mc) outputted from a motor-angle-command-value calculation unit (600), and outputs a processed motor-angle target value (?md). A second dynamic characteristic calculation unit (400) is provided with a high-frequency cutoff characteristic having a cutoff frequency which is lower than that of the first dynamic characteristic calculation unit (300), performs filtering processing with respect to the output from an axial force torque calculation unit (200), and outputs a processed axial force torque compensation value (fd).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Nishida, Takashi Wada, Yoshihide Inoue, Shuichi Inada
  • Publication number: 20140222186
    Abstract: Provided are a control method and a control device that can make the range of periodic activity (amplitude of reciprocal movement) of an object of control, such as an industrial robot, the same as a case in which the reduction device has no backlash or the same as the amplitude of a position instruction signal. A control device (3) that carries out position control for an arm (5), which carries out periodic movement, while compensating for backlash in the arm (5) is provided with a control unit (15) that adds to a position instruction signal, which gives instructions for the position of the arm (5), a backlash quantity signal after the backlash quantity signal has been shifted so as to be delayed by a delay time, generates a final position instruction signal, and carries out position control of the arm (5) on the basis of the final position instruction signal that has been generated, said backlash quantity signal compensating for backlash.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Takashi Wada, Yoshiharu Nishida, Shuichi Inada, Yoshihide Inoue
  • Patent number: 8653412
    Abstract: An arc welding system according to the present invention includes a welding power supply for supplying welding power to a welding wire, a welding robot including a welding torch mounted to an arm fore end thereof, and a controller for controlling the welding power supply and the welding robot. The welding power supply and the controller perform communication using digital signals, and the welding power supply outputs, to the controller, a welding power-supply feedback signal obtained at the time of inputting of a welding power-supply sync signal. With that configuration, accurate arc tracking can be realized by using the digital signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi Inada, Yoshihide Inoue
  • Publication number: 20110108536
    Abstract: An arc welding system according to the present invention includes a welding power supply for supplying welding power to a welding wire, a welding robot including a welding torch mounted to an arm fore end thereof, and a controller for controlling the welding power supply and the welding robot. The welding power supply and the controller perform communication using digital signals, and the welding power supply outputs, to the controller, a welding power-supply feedback signal obtained at the time of inputting of a welding power-supply sync signal. With that configuration, accurate arc tracking can be realized by using the digital signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2010
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho ( Kobe Steel Ltd)
    Inventors: Shuichi INADA, Yoshihide Inoue