Patents by Inventor Toshimichi Aoki

Toshimichi Aoki 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: 20180043471
    Abstract: A laser processing robot system and a laser processing method, by which the motion accuracy of a robot in the system can be improved and laser processing with high accuracy can be carried out. The robot system is configured to: execute a first robot motion for moving an laser irradiation device to a predetermined command position; measure an actual three-dimensional position of the irradiation device in the first robot motion; calculate a deviation between the command position and the measured actual three-dimensional position of the irradiation device in the first robot motion; store the calculated deviation as a time series of deviation data; and execute a second robot motion in which a robot motion similar to the first robot motion is executed while correcting the laser irradiation position so that the laser irradiation position coincides with a desired position, based on the stored deviation data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshimichi Aoki
  • Publication number: 20180009059
    Abstract: A laser processing robot system, in which an augmented reality processing technology is used to enable a processing laser beam and its irradiation position to be safely and easily seen, is provided. A laser processing robot system includes an image processing device having an augmented reality image processing unit for performing augmented reality image processing for an actual image including an image of a robot captured by an imaging device. The augmented reality image processing unit is adapted to superimpose a virtual image representing at least one of a laser beam obtained by assuming that the laser beam is emitted from a laser irradiation device to a workpiece, and an irradiation position of the laser beam, onto the actual image, and to display the superimposed image on the display device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshimichi Aoki
  • Patent number: 9815137
    Abstract: As a correction amount is acquired a deviation between a first rotational angle of a servo motor when a reference movable electrode is brought into contact with a reference opposite electrode and a second rotational angle of the motor when the reference movable electrodes pushes in the reference opposite electrode with a predetermined pressing force; and a third rotational angle of the servo motor when a movable electrode to be measured pushes in an opposite electrode to be measured with the same pressing force is corrected based on the correction amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshimichi Aoki
  • Publication number: 20170220008
    Abstract: A cell controller includes an inside information acquiring unit for acquiring the inside information of the plurality of manufacturing machines, and an inside information comparing unit which compares, with regard to a first manufacturing machine and a second manufacturing machine, which are selected by the comparison object selecting unit, first inside information and second inside information, which are acquired, and the inside information comparing unit extracting a difference therebetween. The cell controller also includes an abnormality cause finding unit for finding a cause of an abnormality that occurs in the first manufacturing machine or the second manufacturing machine, based on the difference, and an abnormality cause conveying unit for conveying the cause of the abnormality to the outside of the cell controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2016
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Hiromitsu TAKAHASHI, Toshimichi AOKI
  • Patent number: 9662739
    Abstract: A spot welding system includes a plurality of robots each including a spot welding gun and an inspection management device for managing an electrode inspection to be executed in each of the robots, for inspecting electrodes of the spot welding gun. Each robot includes an inspection execution unit for selectively executing one of different electrode inspections. The inspection management device includes an inspection instruction unit for instructing an electrode inspection to be executed in each of the robots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshimichi Aoki
  • Publication number: 20170083002
    Abstract: A spot welding system comprises a robot which changes a relative position of a spot welding gun and a workpiece. A control device drives an electrode drive motor so that a movable electrode of the spot welding gun abuts on the workpiece, and is formed so as to perform a position detection control which detects a position of the workpiece based on a position of the movable electrode when a state value of the electrode drive motor deviates from a predetermined range. An operation program includes a workpiece detection parameter for performing the position detection control. The workpiece detection parameter is set at each of welding points in the operation program.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masanobu Hatada, Toshimichi Aoki
  • Publication number: 20160282148
    Abstract: As a correction amount is acquired a deviation between a first rotational angle of a servo motor when a reference movable electrode is brought into contact with a reference opposite electrode and a second rotational angle of the motor when the reference movable electrodes pushes in the reference opposite electrode with a predetermined pressing force; and a third rotational angle of the servo motor when a movable electrode to be measured pushes in an opposite electrode to be measured with the same pressing force is corrected based on the correction amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshimichi Aoki
  • Publication number: 20160129525
    Abstract: In a conventional spot welding gun, since pressurizing force due to a movable electrode is measured by a pressure sensor at each of a plurality of attitudes, calibration work is complicated. A spot welding system 10 includes a spot welding gun having an opposite electrode 44, a movable electrode 48, and a drive part 52, a position detection part 54 that detects a position of the movable electrode 48, and a pressure change calculation part that calculates an amount of change between first pressurizing force at a first attitude and second pressurizing force at a second attitude based on a first position of the movable electrode 48 when the drive part 52 has been driven by a first pressurizing force command at the first attitude, a second position of the movable electrode 48 when the drive part 52 has been driven by the first pressurizing force command at the second attitude, and the first pressurizing force command. The first pressurizing force command and the first pressurizing force coincide with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Inventor: Toshimichi AOKI
  • Publication number: 20160023296
    Abstract: A dressing system that can appropriately control the dressing amount of the electrode of a spot welding gun so as to not excessively and insufficiently dress the electrode. The dressing system for dressing the electrode of the spot welding gun includes a cutter that dresses the electrode, a controller that controls the rotational operation of the cutter, and a measuring part that measures the dressing amount of the electrode. The controller determines the rotational speed of the cutter based on the dressing amount measured by the measuring part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshimichi Aoki
  • Publication number: 20150321283
    Abstract: In a tip dressing system having a welding gun, a dressing device, and a control device, the control device comprises a detection part which detects an increment amount of a load applied to a servo motor of the dressing device, a judgment part which judges if the increment amount of the load reaches a predetermined threshold value, an acquisition part which acquires a position of a movable electrode which is measured by an encoder of a servo motor for driving cutting blades of the dressing device, and a calculation part which calculates the cutting amount of the electrode tips based on the distance covered by the movable electrode moves when it is moved toward the counter electrode from the position where the increment amount of the load reaches the threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2015
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masanobu Hatada, Toshimichi Aoki
  • Publication number: 20150209891
    Abstract: A spot welding system includes a plurality of robots each including a spot welding gun and an inspection management device for managing an electrode inspection to be executed in each of the robots, for inspecting electrodes of the spot welding gun. Each robot includes an inspection execution unit for selectively executing one of different electrode inspections. The inspection management device includes an inspection instruction unit for instructing an electrode inspection to be executed in each of the robots.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshimichi Aoki
  • Patent number: 8513560
    Abstract: A spot welding system including a spot welding gun having a pair of electrodes disposed opposite to each other, and a servo motor for allowing the pair of electrodes to approach each other and separate from each other; a robot for movably holding either a spot welding gun or a workpiece so that a workpiece is disposed between the pair of electrodes of the spot welding gun; a physical quantity detection section for detecting a physical quantity correlative to torque or velocity of the servo motor; a position detection section for detecting positions of the pair of electrodes; a mode switching section for switching, by a switching command, an operation mode of the spot welding system between a spot welding mode for spot-welding the workpiece and a position correction mode for correcting a spot welding position of the workpiece; and a processing section for performing a spot welding process in the spot welding mode and a position correction process in the position correction mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Takahashi, Masanobu Hatada, Toshimichi Aoki, Akinori Nishimura
  • Patent number: 8426761
    Abstract: A spot welding system including spot welding gun having a movable electrode driven by a servo motor, a counter electrode arranged facing it and with a multiarticulated robot, holding one of the welding workpiece and spot welding gun which moves welding workpiece and spot welding gun relative to each other and thereby make the movable electrode and the welding workpiece approach each other from a separated state or vice-versa, monitoring the current or torque of the servo motor, and detecting the surface position of the welding workpiece from the position of the movable electrode and the position of the multiarticulated robot when the trend of the current or torque changes. The precision of detection of the surface position of the welding workpiece by a movable electrode in a spot welding system can now be improved without lengthening the time required for detection of the surface position of the welding workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Takahashi, Toshimichi Aoki, Akinori Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20110234586
    Abstract: The image signal processing device includes: an image signal obtainment unit which obtains a three-dimensional image signal for allowing three-dimensional viewing of images using a pair of active shutter glasses; an output unit which outputs the three-dimensional image signal; a judgment unit which judges whether or not the pair of active shutter glasses is in a valid state which allows three-dimensional viewing using the pair of active shutter glasses, based on a result of obtaining information from outside the image signal processing device; and a control unit which switches, by controlling the output unit, an output signal from the output unit, from the three-dimensional image signal to a two-dimensional image signal associated with the three-dimensional image signal, when a result of the judgment by the judgment unit indicates that the pair of active shutter glasses is not in the valid state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Inventor: Toshimichi AOKI
  • Publication number: 20110180516
    Abstract: A position detection device for a workpiece to be welded including a spot welding gun having a pair of electrodes adapted to be disposed opposite each other across the workpiece; a robot for holding either one of the spot welding gun and the workpiece in a manner movable relate to each other; a servo motor for allowing the pair of electrodes to approach the workpiece and separate from the workpiece; a physical quantity detection section for detecting a physical quantity correlative to a torque of the servo motor when the servo motor allows one of the pair of electrodes to approach a surface of the workpiece so that the one of the pair of electrodes abuts against the surface of the workpiece; a position detection section for detecting positions of the pair of electrodes; a storage section for storing the physical quantity detected by the physical quantity detection section and a value detected by the position detection section; and a computation section for calculating a contact start time at which the one of
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Hiromitsu TAKAHASHI, Toshimichi Aoki, Masanobu Hatada, Akinori Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20110120978
    Abstract: A spot welding system including a spot welding gun having a pair of electrodes disposed opposite to each other, and a servo motor for allowing the pair of electrodes to approach each other and separate from each other; a robot for movably holding either a spot welding gun or a workpiece so that a workpiece is disposed between the pair of electrodes of the spot welding gun; a physical quantity detection section for detecting a physical quantity correlative to torque or velocity of the servo motor; a position detection section for detecting positions of the pair of electrodes; a mode switching section for switching, by a switching command, an operation mode of the spot welding system between a spot welding mode for spot-welding the workpiece and a position correction mode for correcting a spot welding position of the workpiece; and a processing section for performing a spot welding process in the spot welding mode and a position correction process in the position correction mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiromitsu TAKAHASHI, Masanobu HATADA, Toshimichi AOKI, Akinori NISHIMURA
  • Publication number: 20110089146
    Abstract: A spot welding system including spot welding gun having a movable electrode driven by a servo motor, a counter electrode arranged facing it and with a multiarticulated robot, holding one of the welding workpiece and spot welding gun which moves welding workpiece and spot welding gun relative to each other and thereby make the movable electrode and the welding workpiece approach each other from a separated state or vice-versa, monitoring the current or torque of the servo motor, and detecting the surface position of the welding workpiece from the position of the movable electrode and the position of the multiarticulated robot when the trend of the current or torque changes. The precision of detection of the surface position of the welding workpiece by a movable electrode in a spot welding system can now be improved without lengthening the time required for detection of the surface position of the welding workpiece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Hiromitsu TAKAHASHI, Toshimichi AOKI, Akinori Nishimura
  • Patent number: 7868266
    Abstract: Spot welding system including a welding gun with an electrode pair actuated by a servo-motor, a robot carrying the welding gun or objective workpieces and operating to change an relative positions and orientations of the welding gun and an workpieces, and a gun motion controller controlling the servo-motor to actuate the electrode pair. The gun motion controller includes a motion commanding section outputting motion commands to the servo-motor in accordance with a speed set-value designating a closing speed of the electrode pair, and a set-value adjusting section automatically adjusting the speed set-value to an appropriate value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Takahashi, Toshimichi Aoki
  • Patent number: 7863539
    Abstract: A positioning method of a spot welding robot, the spot welding robot having a movable electrode tip and an opposition electrode tip opposed to the movable electrode tip. The method sandwiches a work piece to be welded between the pair of electrode tips and includes driving the movable electrode tip towards the opposition electrode tip with a servo motor and stopping the movement upon contact based upon a prescribed current value. The method further includes measuring an open separation of two opposing tips between the movable electrode tip and the opposition electrode tip and moving the opposition electrode tip towards the moveable electrode tip based upon the preset value and the open separation of the two opposing tips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Takahashi, Toshimichi Aoki
  • Patent number: 7600435
    Abstract: A method of determining deterioration of pressurizing performance of a spot welding, the method having: obtaining reference data that reflect a dynamic state of a servo motor in a case where a movable side electrode tip is operated normally and a wok piece is pressurized by a specified pressurizing force; performing data processing on the reference data to extract a reference characteristic value; obtaining diagnostic data that reflect a dynamic state of the servo motor in a case where a operational state of the movable side electrode tip changes and the work piece is no longer pressurized by a specified pressurizing force; performing data processing on the diagnostic data to extract a diagnostic characteristic value; and determining deterioration of pressurizing performance of the spot welding gun based on the reference characteristic value and the diagnostic characteristic value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Toshimichi Aoki, Hiromitsu Takahashi