Patents by Inventor Toshimasa Kawai

Toshimasa Kawai 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: 10058233
    Abstract: An insertion apparatus includes an inserting section, a rotary cylinder, a motor, motor control section, a moving average calculating section, and a torque limit determining section. The inserting section is formed along a longitudinal axis. The rotary cylinder is provided to be rotatable around a longitudinal axis of the inserting section. The motor rotates the rotary cylinder. The motor control section supplies a motor current to drive the motor. The moving average calculating section calculates an average of the motor current within a predetermined period, after the motor starts up. The torque limit determining section determines whether torque of the motor is in a limit state by comparing a calculating result by the moving average calculating section with a predetermined torque limit set value, at timing except startup of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshimasa Kawai
  • Publication number: 20170027417
    Abstract: An insertion apparatus includes an inserting section, a rotary cylinder, a motor, motor control section, a moving average calculating section, and a torque limit determining section. The inserting section is formed along a longitudinal axis. The rotary cylinder is provided to be rotatable around a longitudinal axis of the inserting section. The motor rotates the rotary cylinder. The motor control section supplies a motor current to drive the motor. The moving average calculating section calculates an average of the motor current within a predetermined period, after the motor starts up. The torque limit determining section determines whether torque of the motor is in a limit state by comparing a calculating result by the moving average calculating section with a predetermined torque limit set value, at timing except startup of the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshimasa KAWAI
  • Patent number: 9459613
    Abstract: An electric endoscope includes a motor that generates a rotational driving force, a torque shaft that transmits the rotational driving force from a proximal end portion to a distal end portion, a connecting section for bending a bending portion by the rotational driving force transmitted by the torque shaft, an input section that instructs a target rotation amount of the motor, a detecting section that detects rotation information of the motor in a rotating state thereof, an estimating section that estimates a rotation state of the motor based on the rotation information, a motor physical model, a torque shaft physical model and a connecting section physical model, and a control section that performs control so that the rotation state of the distal end portion matches with a rotation state of the target rotation amount based on the estimated rotation state of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshimasa Kawai
  • Publication number: 20150054445
    Abstract: An electric endoscope includes a motor that generates a rotational driving force, a torque shaft that transmits the rotational driving force from a proximal end portion to a distal end portion, a connecting section for bending a bending portion by the rotational driving force transmitted by the torque shaft, an input section that instructs a target rotation amount of the motor, a detecting section that detects rotation information of the motor in a rotating state thereof, an estimating section that estimates a rotation state of the motor based on the rotation information, a motor physical model, a torque shaft physical model and a connecting section physical model, and a control section that performs control so that the rotation state of the distal end portion matches with a rotation state of the target rotation amount based on the estimated rotation state of the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventor: Toshimasa KAWAI
  • Patent number: 8758233
    Abstract: An endoscope includes a control method input section provided in a bending operation input unit and configured to input a control method of a bending operation, and a control method detector provided in an operation section body and configured to detect the input control method of the bending operation. The endoscope includes an activated portion provided in the bending operation input unit and configured to change its activated state in response to the bending operation in a bending operation input section, an activated state detector provided in the operation section body and configured to detect the activated state of the activated portion, and a drive member provided in the operation section body and configured to be driven in accordance with the detected control method and the detected activated state, thereby bending a bending section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Yutaka Masaki, Keijiro Omoto, Keiichi Arai, Haruhiko Ueno, Tsugio Okazaki, Toshimasa Kawai
  • Patent number: 8708895
    Abstract: A curving control device to which an electrically-controlled endoscope is connected has a main CPU for primarily performing curving driving control, and a monitoring CPU for monitoring whether the operating state relating to curving actions is normal or abnormal. In the event of detecting an abnormality from the monitoring CPU, the curving control device also performs processing for handling the occurrence of the abnormality, such as outputting an emergency stop through an interlock via the main CPU, turning the main power and the like of a servo driver OFF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Toshimasa Kawai, Eiichi Kobayashi, Takemitsu Honda, Seiichiro Kimoto
  • Publication number: 20140074290
    Abstract: A manipulator device includes a state detection section detecting, with time, at least one of a vibration state of a distal arm and a load state of the distal arm, and generating a detection signal indicating at least one of the vibration state and the load state of the distal arm. The manipulator device includes a servo gain changing section changing a servo gain of a drive current with respect to a drive instruction in a servo control section in accordance with the detection signal generated by the state detection section, the servo gain changing section changing the servo gain so as to change frequency characteristics associated with vibrations of the distal arm in real time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventors: Toshimasa KAWAI, Yoshitaka UMEMOTO
  • Patent number: 8622895
    Abstract: In the present invention, a logical block of an FPGA is configured by a serial communication unit, a serial communication control portion, an EEPROM controller, an abnormal signal processing portion, an LED controller, an operation mode controller, a DPRAM, a clutch signal input portion, a jig substrate input output portion, a RAM, a motor controller, a motor drive waveform generating portion, an RL (right and left) motor current F/B portion, a UD (up and down) motor current F/B portion, a potentiometer control portion, a thermistor control portion, an RL encoder control portion, a UD encoder control portion, and an FPGA block abnormality monitoring portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Toshimasa Kawai
  • Patent number: 8523765
    Abstract: A controller includes a servo controller that performs attitude control of the bending portion. A point lock computing section is provided at the servo controller. Based on supplied distal end command value information and position feedback information, the point lock computing section performs computational processing by a distal end link root coordinate position calculating section and an inverse kinematics computing section in order to obtain a servo position command signal for a distal end-side link member and a servo position command signal for a link member other than the link member, and outputs the same to a driving section. Accordingly, point lock is enabled at two locations, namely, the distal end-side link member and an arbitrary link member, while other link members are controlled so as to assume attitudes having redundancy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Toshimasa Kawai
  • Patent number: 8517925
    Abstract: In a medical control system, when motors are in a stopped state according to the determination based on an amount of change in an instruction value, the disturbance characteristics is set at high sensitivity in order to keep the detection capability of a disturbance observer section in an enhanced state during a period to the drive start time of the motors, and when the motors are brought into an operating state, a gain of a controller is returned to a normal setting value to maintain the excellent follow-up characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Toshimasa Kawai
  • Publication number: 20120277534
    Abstract: An endoscope includes a control method input section provided in a bending operation input unit and configured to input a control method of a bending operation, and a control method detector provided in an operation section body and configured to detect the input control method of the bending operation. The endoscope includes an activated portion provided in the bending operation input unit and configured to change its activated state in response to the bending operation in a bending operation input section, an activated state detector provided in the operation section body and configured to detect the activated state of the activated portion, and a drive member provided in the operation section body and configured to be driven in accordance with the detected control method and the detected activated state, thereby bending a bending section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventors: Yutaka MASAKI, Keijiro OMOTO, Keiichi ARAI, Haruhiko UENO, Tsugio OKAZAKI, Toshimasa KAWAI
  • Patent number: 8214083
    Abstract: A manipulator comprises a tube body including a bending portion, a bending wire for a bending drive of the bending portion, a motor including a rotary shaft which rotates in accordance with a drive command signal, a reduction gear unit connected to the rotary shaft and configured by a plurality of gears meshing with each other, a detection unit which detects an operation state of the motor, a storage unit which stores load variation values periodically caused by the meshing of the plurality of gears constituting the reduction gear unit as correction information, a load calculation section which calculates a load exerted on the tube body as a bending load estimated value, and a notifying unit which notifies a calculation result of the load calculation section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Toshimasa Kawai
  • Publication number: 20110270036
    Abstract: A curving control device to which an electrically-controlled endoscope is connected has a main CPU for primarily performing curving driving control, and a monitoring CPU for monitoring whether the operating state relating to curving actions is normal or abnormal. In the event of detecting an abnormality from the monitoring CPU, the curving control device also performs processing for handling the occurrence of the abnormality, such as outputting an emergency stop through an interlock via the main CPU, turning the main power and the like of a servo driver OFF, and so forth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshimasa KAWAI, Eiichi KOBAYASHI, Takemitsu HONDA, Seiichiro KIMOTO
  • Patent number: 7981028
    Abstract: A curving control device to which an electrically-controlled endoscope is connected has a main CPU for primarily performing curving driving control, and a monitoring CPU for monitoring whether the operating state relating to curving actions is normal or abnormal. IN the event of detecting an abnormality from the monitoring CPU, the curving control device also performs processing for handling the occurrence of the abnormality, such as outputting an emergency stop through an interlock via the main CPU, turning the main power and the like of a servo driver OFF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Toshimasa Kawai, Eiichi Kobayashi, Takemitsu Honda, Seiichiro Kimoto
  • Publication number: 20110137122
    Abstract: In a medical control system, when motors are in a stopped state according to the determination based on an amount of change in an instruction value, the disturbance characteristics is set at high sensitivity in order to keep the detection capability of a disturbance observer section in an enhanced state during a period to the drive start time of the motors, and when the motors are brought into an operating state, a gain of a controller is returned to a normal setting value to maintain the excellent follow-up characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Inventor: Toshimasa KAWAI
  • Patent number: 7938773
    Abstract: At startup, a main CPU renders and copies various types of unique parameters stored in an SRAM card corresponding to an ID unique to endoscopes to DPRAM and SDRAM and enables the endoscopes to be used with these parameters. Also in the event of desiring to change the set parameters, the user requests a change via an HMI, whereby the changed parameters are copied to the SDRAM via the DPRAM, and electrically-operated curving actions of the endoscope can be performed with the changed parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Toshimasa Kawai, Eiichi Kobayashi, Takemitsu Honda, Seiichiro Kimoto
  • Patent number: 7918790
    Abstract: An electric bending endoscope includes a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of a motor as a state value indicating the driving state of a bending drive unit. A bending control device comprises: a temperature detection unit that receives the data of the temperature detected by the temperature sensor; a record unit in which the limits of motor temperature inputted in advance are recorded; a comparison unit that compares the data of the temperature sent from the temperature detection unit with the limits of motor temperature recorded in the record unit; and a notification unit that notifies that the driving state of a motor is approaching the limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Yuichi Ikeda, Keiichi Arai, Takemitsu Honda, Seiichiro Kimoto, Takayasu Miyagi, Toshinari Maeda, Toshimasa Kawai
  • Publication number: 20110015786
    Abstract: A manipulator comprises a tube body including a bending portion, a bending wire for bending drive of the bending portion, a motor including a rotary shaft which rotates in accordance with a drive command signal, a reduction gear unit connected to the rotary shaft and configured by a plurality of gears meshing with each other, a detection unit which detects an operation state of the motor, a storage unit which stores load variation values periodically caused by the meshing of the plurality of gears constituting the reduction gear unit as correction information, a load calculation section which calculates a load exerted on the tube body as a bending load estimated value, and a notifying unit which notifies a calculation result of the load calculation section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventor: Toshimasa KAWAI
  • Publication number: 20080262310
    Abstract: In the present invention, a logical block of an FPGA is configured by a serial communication unit, a serial communication control portion, an EEPROM controller, an abnormal signal processing portion, an LED controller, an operation mode controller, a DPRAM, a clutch signal input portion, a jig substrate input output portion, a RAM, a motor controller, a motor drive waveform generating portion, an RL (right and left) motor current F/B portion, a UD (up and down) motor current F/B portion, a potentiometer control portion, a thermistor control portion, an RL encoder control portion, a UD encoder control portion, and an FPGA block abnormality monitoring portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Applicant: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventor: Toshimasa KAWAI
  • Publication number: 20080262306
    Abstract: In the present invention, a remote control operation portion has a joystick provided therein, whose position is sensed by a potentiometer. Further, the joystick includes a gear, and engagement of the gear with a gear provided in a rotation axis of a servo motor allows the joystick to be moved by a drive force of the servo motor. Further, the remote control operation portion includes a drive/communication portion which detects position information of the potentiometer, drives the servo motor, and is capable of communicating with a control portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Applicant: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventor: Toshimasa KAWAI