Patents by Inventor Tomoaki Kasuga

Tomoaki Kasuga 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: 11148064
    Abstract: The figure system includes: a plurality of drive units each including an actuator that generates rotative force; and a figure including a plurality of movable mechanisms and a plurality of flexible wires. The movable mechanisms each include a movable body that operates by the rotative force and an operation amount detector that detects an amount of operation of the movable body. The flexible wires include their respective first ends that are coupled to the movable bodies. The rotative force generated by one of the actuators is transmitted to corresponding one of the movable bodies through one of the flexible wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: SPEECYS CORP.
    Inventor: Tomoaki Kasuga
  • Patent number: 10621896
    Abstract: A figure system includes a drive unit and a figure. The drive unit includes a plurality of first actuators. The figure includes a plurality of joints. The joints have one or more axial joint mechanisms. Drive force derived from at least one of the first actuators is transmitted to corresponding at least one of the axial joint mechanisms through a wire. The drive unit includes, as the plurality of first actuators, a plurality of servomotors having respective drive shafts. The figure includes coupler members having respective bearing holes. The bearing holes are detachably coupled to the respective drive shafts of the servomotors, or configured to be detachably coupled to the respective drive shafts of the servomotors. The wire has a first end coupled to corresponding one of the axial joint mechanisms, and a second end coupled to corresponding one of the coupler members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Speecys Corp.
    Inventor: Tomoaki Kasuga
  • Publication number: 20190321739
    Abstract: The figure system includes: a plurality of drive units each including an actuator that generates rotative force; and a figure including a plurality of movable mechanisms and a plurality of flexible wires. The movable mechanisms each include a movable body that operates by the rotative force and an operation amount detector that detects an amount of operation of the movable body. The flexible wires include their respective first ends that are coupled to the movable bodies. The rotative force generated by one of the actuators is transmitted to corresponding one of the movable bodies through one of the flexible wires.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Inventor: Tomoaki KASUGA
  • Publication number: 20180221779
    Abstract: A figure system includes a drive unit including a plurality of actuators, and a figure including one or a plurality of axial joint mechanisms. The axial joint mechanisms each include a rotary part that is provided rotatably around a rotation axis. Drive force derived from one of the plurality of actuators is transmitted to corresponding one of the plurality of axial joint mechanisms through a wire. The rotary part has an arc shape at least in a part of an outer edge in a cross-section that is orthogonal to the rotation axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Inventor: Tomoaki KASUGA
  • Publication number: 20170162088
    Abstract: A figure system includes a drive unit and a figure. The drive unit includes a plurality of first actuators. The figure includes a plurality of joints. The joints have one or more axial joint mechanisms. Drive force derived from at least one of the first actuators is transmitted to corresponding at least one of the axial joint mechanisms through a wire. The drive unit includes, as the plurality of first actuators, a plurality of servomotors having respective drive shafts. The figure includes coupler members having respective bearing holes. The bearing holes are detachably coupled to the respective drive shafts of the servomotors, or configured to be detachably coupled to the respective drive shafts of the servomotors. The wire has a first end coupled to corresponding one of the axial joint mechanisms, and a second end coupled to corresponding one of the coupler members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Inventor: Tomoaki KASUGA
  • Patent number: 7219064
    Abstract: To provide a robot which autonomously forms and performs an action plan in response to external factors without direct command input from an operator. When reading a story printed in a book or other print media or recorded in recording media or when reading a story downloaded through a network, the robot does not simply read every single word as it is written. Instead, the robot uses external factors, such as a change of time, a change of season, or a change in a user's mood, and dynamically alters the story as long as the changed contents are substantially the same as the original contents. As a result, the robot can read aloud the story whose contents would differ every time the story is read.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Nakakita, Tomoaki Kasuga
  • Patent number: 7069113
    Abstract: The robotic apparatus is designed to act in a wider variety of manners, which will motivate the user of the robotic apparatus to purchase more products to the robotic apparatus. More specifically, a robotic apparatus (1) which acts autonomously recognizes a bar code (BC) or the like appended to a canned juice (100a) and acts in a predetermined manner. This is only enabled under a predetermined contract made between a product manufacturer and robotic apparatus manufacturer. The contract coverage is that the product manufacturer shall append the bar code (BC) to a specific product while the robotic apparatus manufacturer shall provide a robotic apparatus (1) which can act in a predetermined manner when having recognized the bar code (BC).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tsunetaro Matsuoka, Tadashi Otsuki, Tetsuya Konishi, Tomoaki Kasuga, Kunio Takemoto, Ayako Okita, Yaeko Fujita, Toshiya Ogura
  • Patent number: 6785590
    Abstract: Robot-related information held at a robot user and data held at a robot manufacturer are used to enhance the user's sense of attachment to the robot. Each terminal device is operable to send information about the robot to a telecommunication line and to receive answer information sent from a server to the robot user via the telecommunication line. The server generates answer information on the basis of robot-related information sent from the personal terminal device and previously stored reference information corresponding to the robot-related information; and sends the answer information to the personal terminal device—via the telecommunication line. The answer information is for example a diagnostic report on the robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoaki Kasuga, Ayako Okita, Tsunetaro Matsuoka, Tetsuya Konishi, Tadashi Otsuki, Kunio Takemoto, Yaeko Fujita, Toshiya Ogura
  • Publication number: 20040049317
    Abstract: The robotic apparatus is designed to act in a wider variety of manners, which will motivate the user of the robotic apparatus to purchase more products to the robotic apparatus. More specifically, a robotic apparatus (1) which acts autonomously recognizes a bar code (BC) or the like appended to a canned juice (100a) and acts in a predetermined manner. This is only enabled under a predetermined contract made between a product manufacturer and robotic apparatus manufacturer. The contract coverage is that the product manufacturer shall append the bar code (BC) to a specific product while the robotic apparatus manufacturer shall provide a robotic apparatus (1) which can act in a predetermined manner when having recognized the bar code (BC).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2003
    Publication date: March 11, 2004
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsunetaro Matsuoka, Tadashi Otsuki, Tetsuya Konishi, Tomoaki Kasuga, Kunio Takemoto, Ayako Okita, Yaeko Fujita, Toshiya Ogura
  • Publication number: 20030195659
    Abstract: The present invention is intended to effectively utilize robot-related information held at a robot user ad data held at a robot manufacturer as well as to enhance the user's sense of attachment to the robot. Each of personal terminal devices (31A to 31D) has both a function to send information on a robot 1 to a telecommunication line (39) and a function to receive answer information sent from a server (38) to the robot user via the telecommunication line, and the server (38) generates answer information on the basis of robot-related information sent from the personal terminal devices (31A to 31D) via the telecommunication line and reference information previously stored in an information storage means and corresponding to the robot-related information and sends the answer information to the personal terminal devices (31A to 31D) via the telecommunication line. The answer information is for example a diagnostic report on the robot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoaki Kasuga, Ayako Okita, Tsunetaro Matsuoka, Tetsuya Konishi, Tadashi Otsuki, Kunio Takemoto, Yaeko Fujita, Toshiya Ogura
  • Patent number: 6615109
    Abstract: The robotic apparatus is designed to act in a wider variety of manners, which will motivate the user of the robotic apparatus to purchase more products to the robotic apparatus. More specifically, a robotic apparatus (1) which acts autonomously recognizes a bar code (BC) or the like appended to a canned juice (100a) and acts in a predetermined manner. This is only enabled under a predetermined contract made between a product manufacturer and robotic apparatus manufacturer. The contract coverage is that the product manufacturer shall append the bar code (BC) to a specific product while the robotic apparatus manufacturer shall provide a robotic apparatus (1) which can act in a predetermined manner when having recognized the bar code (BC).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tsunetaro Matsuoka, Tadashi Otsuki, Tetsuya Konishi, Tomoaki Kasuga, Kunio Takemoto, Ayako Okita, Yaeko Fujita, Toshiya Ogura
  • Publication number: 20030158628
    Abstract: The robotic apparatus is designed to act in a wider variety of manners, which will motivate the user of the robotic apparatus to purchase more products to the robotic apparatus. More specifically, a robotic apparatus (1) which acts autonomously recognizes a bar code (BC) or the like appended to a canned juice (100a) and acts in a predetermined manner. This is only enabled under a predetermined contract made between a product manufacturer and robotic apparatus manufacturer. The contract coverage is that the product manufacturer shall append the bar code (BC) to a specific product while the robotic apparatus manufacturer shall provide a robotic apparatus (1) which can act in a predetermined manner when having recognized the bar code (BC).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2002
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Inventors: Tsunetaro Matsuoka, Tadashi Otsuki, Tetsuya Konishi, Tomoaki Kasuga, Kunio Takemoto, Ayako Okita, Yaeko Fujita, Toshiya Ogura
  • Publication number: 20030130851
    Abstract: To provide a robot which autonomously forms and performs an action plan in response to external factors without direct command input from an operator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2002
    Publication date: July 10, 2003
    Inventors: Hideki Nakakita, Tomoaki Kasuga
  • Patent number: 6577924
    Abstract: A robot-related information held at a robot user ad data held at a robot manufacturer as well as to enhance the user's sense of attachment to the robot. Each of personal terminal devices (31A to 31D) has both a function to send information on a robot 1 to a telecommunication line (39) and a function to receive answer information sent from a server (38) to the robot user via the telecommunication line, and the server (38) generates answer information on the basis of robot-related information sent from the personal terminal devices (31A to 31D) via the telecommunication line and reference information previously stored in an information storage device and corresponding to the robot-related information and sends the answer information to the personal terminal devices (31A to 31D) via the telecommunication line. The answer information is a diagnostic report on the robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoaki Kasuga, Ayako Okita, Tsunetaro Matsuoka, Tetsuya Konishi, Tadashi Otsuki, Kunio Takemoto, Yaeko Fujita, Toshiya Ogura
  • Patent number: 6470235
    Abstract: In an authoring system, a user creates and edits a scenario for a robot by using a GUI screen and a mouse. An authoring tool converts the scenario into a mnemonic code called “RCODE”. When an RCODE action-control program is debugged, the RCODE program is extracted and encrypted step by step. The encrypted program is sequentially transferred to the robot by means of radio communication. The interpreter of the robot performs debugging by sequentially interpreting and executing the transferred program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoaki Kasuga, Ayako Okita
  • Publication number: 20020038168
    Abstract: In an authoring system, a user creates and edits a scenario for a robot by using a GUI screen and a mouse. An authoring tool converts the scenario into a mnemonic code called “RCODE”. When an RCODE action-control program is debugged, the RCODE program is extracted and encrypted step by step. The encrypted program is sequentially transferred to the robot by means of radio communication. The interpreter of the robot performs debugging by sequentially interpreting and executing the transferred program.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2001
    Publication date: March 28, 2002
    Inventors: Tomoaki Kasuga, Ayako Okita