Patents by Inventor Stephen William JOHN
Stephen William JOHN 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).
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Patent number: 12351347Abstract: An unmanned aircraft includes: a microphone including a plurality of elements; and a processor that processes signals output from target elements included in the plurality of elements. In the unmanned aircraft, the processor performs a detection process of detecting a target sound signal of a target sound from the signals output from the target elements included in the plurality of elements, and changes the target elements that output the signals to be processed by the processor to select at least one target element that outputs a signal to be processed by the processor from among the plurality of elements, in accordance with a result of the detection process.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2024Date of Patent: July 8, 2025Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Stephen William John, Kazunobu Konishi, Katsuhiko Asai, Shunsuke Kuhara
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Patent number: 12350225Abstract: An apparatus includes a first wire and a second wire which are coupled to a right upper ankle belt and a right lower ankle belt, a third wire and a fourth wire which are coupled to a left upper ankle belt and a left lower ankle belt, an obtainer obtaining user information about a user and information about walking action of the user, and a controller controlling tensions of the first wire and the second wire at the same time and controlling tensions of the third wire and the fourth wire at the same time using a first stiffness target value corresponding to the first wire, a second stiffness target value corresponding to the second wire, a third stiffness target value corresponding to the third wire, and a fourth stiffness target value corresponding to the fourth wire that are determined based on the user information and the walk information.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2021Date of Patent: July 8, 2025Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Mayumi Komatsu, Stephen William John
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Publication number: 20250071499Abstract: An unmanned moving body includes a directional speaker that outputs sound in an orientation direction and a processor that obtains one or more instances of sensing data. The processor: determines whether or not a second target is present in a vicinity of a first target in accordance with at least one of the one or more instances of sensing data; calculates a positional relationship between the first target and the second target when it is determined that the second target is present; and determines a first position of the unmanned moving body in accordance with the positional relationship and causes the unmanned moving body to move to the first position, the first position being a position that places the first target and the second target within a range over which the sound from the directional speaker reaches at at least a predetermined quality.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 8, 2024Publication date: February 27, 2025Inventors: Shunsuke KUHARA, Stephen William John, Kazunobu Konishi, Katsuhiko Asai, Kazuo Inoue
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Patent number: 12170878Abstract: An unmanned moving body includes a directional speaker that outputs sound in an orientation direction and a processor that obtains one or more instances of sensing data. The processor: determines whether or not a second target is present in a vicinity of a first target in accordance with at least one of the one or more instances of sensing data; calculates a positional relationship between the first target and the second target when it is determined that the second target is present; and determines a first position of the unmanned moving body in accordance with the positional relationship and causes the unmanned moving body to move to the first position, the first position being a position that places the first target and the second target within a range over which the sound from the directional speaker reaches at at least a predetermined quality.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2021Date of Patent: December 17, 2024Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Shunsuke Kuhara, Stephen William John, Kazunobu Konishi, Katsuhiko Asai, Kazuo Inoue
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Publication number: 20240367649Abstract: An information processing device (or a vehicle control device) includes: a vehicle information obtainer that obtains a first moving speed of a vehicle; a communicator that obtains an operation amount of an operation related to a speed by an instrument for a remote operation of the vehicle; a vehicle speed instruction generator that generates a second moving speed based on the operation amount; and an outputter that outputs the operation amount as a moving speed control amount, when the first moving speed is lower than a first threshold, and a control amount converted from the second moving speed as the moving speed control amount, when the first moving speed is higher than or equal to a second threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2024Publication date: November 7, 2024Inventors: Beier HU, Motoshi ANABUKI, Kazuma TAKEUCHI, Stephen William JOHN, Shinji OHYAMA
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Patent number: 12111657Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle includes: a sensor including at least a microphone that generates sound data; and a processor. The processor determines a quality of a target sound by using the sound data generated by the microphone, acquires a positional relationship between the unmanned aerial vehicle and a sound source of the target sound by using data generated by the sensor, determines a destination to which the sound source is to move based on the quality of the target sound and the positional relationship, and presents target movement information that prompts the sound source to move toward the destination.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2021Date of Patent: October 8, 2024Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Shunsuke Kuhara, Kazunobu Konishi, Stephen William John, Katsuhiko Asai, Kazuo Inoue
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Publication number: 20240289730Abstract: An information processing apparatus serves to manage a conveyance body. The conveyance body sequentially conveys one or more articles to a pickup site of the article. The information processing apparatus includes a processor that is connected to the conveyance body via a communication network. The processor acquires, via the conveyance body, operation information representing an operation related to a consignee's receipt at the pickup site. The processor determines a type of the consignee on the basis of the operation information. The processor adjusts a conveyance plan of an article to be conveyed to a next pickup site in accordance with a determination result of the type of the consignee.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 8, 2024Publication date: August 29, 2024Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kazuhiko YAMAUCHI, Chie HIROSAWA, Yukihiro TOYOKITA, Stephen William JOHN, Masaki YAMAUCHI
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Patent number: 12065144Abstract: An information processing device (or a vehicle control device) includes: a vehicle information obtainer that obtains a first moving speed of a vehicle; a communicator that obtains an operation amount of an operation related to a speed by an instrument for a remote operation of the vehicle; a vehicle speed instruction generator that generates a second moving speed based on the operation amount; and an outputter that outputs the operation amount as a moving speed control amount, when the first moving speed is lower than a first threshold, and a control amount converted from the second moving speed as the moving speed control amount, when the first moving speed is higher than or equal to a second threshold.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2022Date of Patent: August 20, 2024Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Beier Hu, Motoshi Anabuki, Kazuma Takeuchi, Stephen William John, Shinji Ohyama
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Patent number: 12045069Abstract: Unmanned aerial vehicle includes a microphone which picks up a sound emitted by a target, an actuator which extends to change a position of the microphone, and a processor. The processor obtains positional relationship information which indicates at least one of a position of the target or a distance from the unmanned aerial vehicle to the target, causes the unmanned aerial vehicle to move to a first position at which the unmanned aerial vehicle and the target have a predetermined positional relationship based on the positional relationship information, and causes actuator to extend toward the target after unmanned aerial vehicle moves to the first position.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2021Date of Patent: July 23, 2024Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Katsuhiko Asai, Kazuo Inoue, Kazunobu Konishi, Stephen William John, Shunsuke Kuhara
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Patent number: 12024284Abstract: A controller includes processor and memory. The memory stores (i) a captured image outputted from a camera in an unmanned aircraft and (ii) sound outputted from a directional microphone in the unmanned aircraft, and stores (i) a position and an orientation of the camera and (ii) a position and an orientation of the directional microphone. The processor obtains, from the memory, the captured image, the sound, the position and the orientation of the camera, and the position and the orientation of the directional microphone, calculates a sound pickup direction of the directional microphone using the position and the orientation of the camera and the position and the orientation of the directional microphone, superimposes an object indicating the sound pickup direction at a position, on the captured image, corresponding to the sound pickup direction calculated, and causes a display device to display the captured image on which the object is superimposed.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2021Date of Patent: July 2, 2024Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICAInventors: Katsuhiko Asai, Kazunobu Konishi, Stephen William John, Kazuo Inoue, Shunsuke Kuhara
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Publication number: 20240166348Abstract: An unmanned aircraft includes: a microphone including a plurality of elements; and a processor that processes signals output from target elements included in the plurality of elements. In the unmanned aircraft, the processor performs a detection process of detecting a target sound signal of a target sound from the signals output from the target elements included in the plurality of elements, and changes the target elements that output the signals to be processed by the processor to select at least one target element that outputs a signal to be processed by the processor from among the plurality of elements, in accordance with a result of the detection process.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2024Publication date: May 23, 2024Inventors: Stephen William JOHN, Kazunobu Konishi, Katsuhiko Asai, Shunsuke Kuhara
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Patent number: 11928974Abstract: An unmanned aircraft includes: a sensor that includes at least a microphone that generates sound data; and a processor. The processor determines quality of a target sound using the sound data generated by the microphone, obtains a positional relationship between the unmanned aircraft and a sound source of the target sound using data generated by the sensor, and controls movement of the unmanned aircraft to control a distance between the unmanned aircraft and the sound source of the target sound, in accordance with the quality of the target sound and the positional relationship.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2021Date of Patent: March 12, 2024Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Stephen William John, Kazunobu Konishi, Katsuhiko Asai, Kazuo Inoue, Shunsuke Kuhara
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Patent number: 11919640Abstract: An unmanned aircraft includes: a microphone including a plurality of elements; and a processor that processes signals output from target elements included in the plurality of elements. In the unmanned aircraft, the processor performs a detection process of detecting a target sound signal of a target sound from the signals output from the target elements included in the plurality of elements, and changes the target elements that output the signals to be processed by the processor to select at least one target element that outputs a signal to be processed by the processor from among the plurality of elements, in accordance with a result of the detection process.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2021Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Stephen William John, Kazunobu Konishi, Katsuhiko Asai, Shunsuke Kuhara
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Patent number: 11755036Abstract: A controller obtains a first horizontal distance and a first vertical distance which are respectively a component in a horizontal direction and a component in a vertical direction among distances from an unmanned aerial vehicle to a surface of a particular place where elevation gradually increases or decreases along the horizontal direction, decides, based on a ratio of the first horizontal distance to the first vertical distance, a movement amount by which the unmanned aerial vehicle is to be moved simultaneously in both the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and moves the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the movement amount.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2021Date of Patent: September 12, 2023Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Shunsuke Kuhara, Kazunobu Konishi, Stephen William John, Katsuhiko Asai
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Patent number: 11741932Abstract: An unmanned aircraft includes: rotor blades; a duct that shrouds the rotor blades and through which airflow generated by rotation of the rotor blades passes; and a processor that controls rotation of the rotor blades. The height to width ratio of an inner space of the duct in which the rotor blades are shrouded is at least 0.5.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2022Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Stephen William John, Toshiyuki Matsumura, Kazunobu Konishi, Katsuhiko Asai, Shunsuke Kuhara
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Patent number: 11656639Abstract: An information processing method performed by a computer includes: determining whether a target sound has been recognized; when it is determined that the target sound has been recognized, acquiring positions and sound recording directions of unmanned aerial vehicles; acquiring noise-related information regarding noise generated by at least one of the unmanned aerial vehicles; acquiring an estimated position of a sound recording target estimated from the target sound; determining at least one of target positions and target sound recording directions of the unmanned aerial vehicles based on the estimated position of the sound recording target, the positions and the sound recording directions of the unmanned aerial vehicles, and the noise-related information; and outputting, to each of the unmanned aerial vehicles, at least one of a request for moving to the target position and a request for setting the sound recording direction to the target sound recording direction.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2021Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Stephen William John, Kazunobu Konishi, Katsuhiko Asai, Kazuo Inoue, Shunsuke Kuhara
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Patent number: 11469691Abstract: An unmanned aircraft includes: a processor; and at least two generators that generate thrust for the unmanned aircraft to fly, the at least two generators each including a corresponding one of rotor blades that produce airflows. In the unmanned aircraft, the processor generates a control request for changing a rotational speed of at least one of the rotor blades of the at least two generators to reduce a difference between rotational speeds, in response to start of sound recording by a microphone, and the at least two generators rotate the rotor blades in accordance with the control request.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2019Date of Patent: October 11, 2022Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Stephen William John, Kazunobu Konishi, Katsuhiko Asai, Kazuo Inoue
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Patent number: 11445769Abstract: An assist garment is configured to be worn on a part of a human body and includes a plurality of garment-fitting actuators placed linearly along at least one end portion of a garment body and configured to be driven to extend and contract, a plurality of assisting actuators placed linearly on the garment body to cross the plurality of garment-fitting actuators and configured to be driven to extend and contract, and a controller configured to individually control driving of the plurality of assisting actuators and driving of the plurality of garment-fitting actuators.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2019Date of Patent: September 20, 2022Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Stephen William John, Katsuhiko Asai, Takayuki Nagata, Masaki Yamamoto
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Publication number: 20220283579Abstract: An information processing method is executed by a computer, and includes: specifying, when information of an event that requires remote operation of a mobile body is received, a task of the remote operation corresponding to the event; and determining a travel limitation of the mobile body in the remote operation according to the task specified, wherein the travel limitation determined is imposed when the mobile body executes travel control according to the task,Type: ApplicationFiled: May 24, 2022Publication date: September 8, 2022Inventors: Beier HU, Kazuma TAKEUCHI, Stephen William JOHN, Shinji OHYAMA
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Publication number: 20220219693Abstract: An information processing device (or a vehicle control device) includes: a vehicle information obtainer that obtains a first moving speed of a vehicle; a communicator that obtains an operation amount of an operation related to a speed by an instrument for a remote operation of the vehicle; a vehicle speed instruction generator that generates a second moving speed based on the operation amount; and an outputter that outputs the operation amount as a moving speed control amount, when the first moving speed is lower than a first threshold, and a control amount converted from the second moving speed as the moving speed control amount, when the first moving speed is higher than or equal to a second threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2022Publication date: July 14, 2022Inventors: Beier HU, Motoshi ANABUKI, Kazuma TAKEUCHI, Stephen William JOHN, Shinji OHYAMA