Patents by Inventor Toru ISOBE

Toru ISOBE 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: 20240255962
    Abstract: A conveyance object is configured to be coupled to an autonomous vehicle and conveyed by the autonomous vehicle to move. The conveyance object includes a bottom plate; a coupling provided on a lower surface of the bottom plate and configured to be coupled to the autonomous vehicle; a pair of guide frames provided on the lower surface and configured to guide the autonomous vehicle so as to move to a position of the coupling from a predetermined direction; and a pair of brackets provided to extend downward from the lower surface between the pair of guide frames and disposed on both sides of the coupling in the predetermined direction, each of the brackets being provided with a marking that faces the predetermined direction and that is recognizable by the autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2024
    Publication date: August 1, 2024
    Inventors: Yoshito ITO, Takahiro YAMANA, Toru ISOBE
  • Publication number: 20230259137
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle capable of executing a task corresponding to a conveyance instruction by sound is provided. The autonomous vehicle docks with a conveyance target and conveys the conveyance target. The autonomous vehicle includes a docking mechanism configured to dock with the conveyance target, an audio input device, and a controller. The controller is configured to control the docking mechanism to dock with the conveyance target that is identified based on a conveyance instruction acquired via the audio input device, and to control conveyance of the docked conveyance target to a conveyance destination position that is identified based on the conveyance instruction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Koji TERADA, Toru ISOBE, Jun HATORI, Ryosuke OKUTA, Hirotoshi KUNORI
  • Publication number: 20230251668
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle with a reduced risk of collision during conveyance is provided. The autonomous vehicle docks with a conveyance target and conveys the conveyance target. The autonomous vehicle includes a docking mechanism configured to dock with the conveyance target, a sensor configured to acquire object position data related to a position of an object within a measurement range, and a controller configured to control, based on the object position data acquired from the sensor, the conveyance performed by the autonomous vehicle docked with the conveyance target. The measurement range of the sensor includes at least an area above the autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Takahiro YAMANA, Yoshito ITO, Koji TERADA, Toru ISOBE
  • Patent number: 10065306
    Abstract: A traveling robot includes a mobile unit, an arm and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to set a target position to which the traveling robot intends to travel. The electronic control unit is configured to calculate a center of gravity of the traveling robot. The electronic control unit is configured to plan a motion of a movable part of the mobile unit and/or arm to the set target position. The electronic control unit is configured to, in the case where the traveling robot is close to the set target position, plan the motion of the movable part of the mobile unit and/or arm such that a limitation on a range of the center of gravity is relaxed as compared to a limitation on the range of the center of gravity in the case where the traveling robot is far from the set target position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toru Isobe
  • Publication number: 20160059408
    Abstract: A traveling robot includes a mobile unit, an arm and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to set a target position to which the traveling robot intends to travel. The electronic control unit is configured to calculate a center of gravity of the traveling robot. The electronic control unit is configured to plan a motion of a movable part of the mobile unit and/or arm to the set target position. The electronic control unit is configured to, in the case where the traveling robot is close to the set target position, plan the motion of the movable part of the mobile unit and/or arm such that a limitation on a range of the center of gravity is relaxed as compared to a limitation on the range of the center of gravity in the case where the traveling robot is far from the set target position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2015
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toru ISOBE
  • Publication number: 20150270729
    Abstract: A battery charger is provided which is capable of absorbing a position error of a moving body when the moving body is charged in a compact configuration. The battery charger according to one aspect of the present invention includes a second charging terminal magnetically connected to a first charging terminal of a moving body and supplies electric power from the second charging terminal to the first charging terminal, the battery charger including: a charger body; and a suspension member that suspends the second charging terminal from the charger body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Publication date: September 24, 2015
    Inventor: Toru ISOBE
  • Patent number: 8442686
    Abstract: An articulated arm robot includes a support part capable of extending and contracting upward and downward, a first arm part with one end joined to the support part through a first joint to be rotatable about a yaw axis and having a second joint rotatable about a roll axis between both ends, a second arm part with one end joined to the other end of the first arm part through a third joint to be rotatable about the yaw axis or a pitch axis, an end effector part joined to the other end of the second arm part through a fourth joint to be rotatable about the yaw axis or the pitch axis, and drivers that respectively cause the first to fourth joints to rotate and the support part to extend and contract, and a controller that performs drive control of the drivers of the first to fourth joints by switching the arm between a SCARA mode where the first, second and third arm parts rotate only in a horizontal plane and a perpendicular mode where the second and third arm parts rotate only in a vertical plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Fuminori Saito, Toru Isobe
  • Publication number: 20130041509
    Abstract: An articulated arm robot includes a support part capable of extending and contracting upward and downward, a first arm part with one end joined to the support part through a first joint to be rotatable about a yaw axis and having a second joint rotatable about a roll axis between both ends, a second arm part with one end joined to the other end of the first arm part through a third joint to be rotatable about the yaw axis or a pitch axis, an end effector part joined to the other end of the second arm part through a fourth joint to be rotatable about the yaw axis or the pitch axis, and drivers that respectively cause the first to fourth joints to rotate and the support part to extend and contract, and a controller that performs drive control of the drivers of the first to fourth joints by switching the arm between a SCARA mode where the first, second and third arm parts rotate only in a horizontal plane and a perpendicular mode where the second and third arm parts rotate only in a vertical plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Fuminori Saito, Toru Isobe
  • Publication number: 20120042740
    Abstract: To provide a linear motion mechanism and a robot in which when a magnetic joint is disengaged, the joint relation of the magnetic joint can be easily restored. A linear motion mechanism includes a movable part that receives a reaction force from a guild disposed in one axis direction, and moves along the guide, a sliding part that slides along the guides, a magnetic joint that magnetically joins the movable part to the sliding part, and a restoration member that restores a joint relation between the movable part and the sliding part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toru ISOBE