Patents by Inventor Yohei Kuroda

Yohei Kuroda 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: 20200046208
    Abstract: To provide a medical observation system, an apparatus for controlling an endoscope system, and a method for controlling the same. A medical observation system includes a multi-link structure in which a plurality of links is mutually coupled by joint parts, a medical observation apparatus attached on the multi-link structure, a control part configured to control the multi-link structure or the medical observation apparatus, and a user interface part by which a user inputs an instruction to change a visual field of the medical observation apparatus. When a user instructs to move a visual field of the medical observation apparatus vertically or horizontally to rotate an oblique-viewing endoscope, or to change a magnification of the visual field via the user interface part, the control part controls the multi-link structure or the medical observation apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2018
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takara KASAI, Yohei KURODA, Takeshi MAEDA, Seiji WADA
  • Patent number: 10556345
    Abstract: A robot arm apparatus including: an arm unit made up of a plurality of links joined by one or a plurality of joint units, the arm unit is connectable to an imaging unit. An internal model including at least geometric information of the arm unit and focus position information of the imaging unit is updated based on internal model information acquired in a state in which the imaging unit is pointed at a reference point in a real space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Kamikawa, Takara Kasai, Yohei Kuroda, Wataru Kokubo, Toshimitsu Tsuboi, Tetsuharu Fukushima, Yasuhiro Matsuda, Atsushi Miyamoto
  • Publication number: 20200000535
    Abstract: There is provided a control system for controlling a surgical arm device of a multi-link structure in which a plurality of links is coupled together by a joint unit in a force control mode. In generalized inverse dynamics, the control system sets a motion purpose and a constraint condition in an operation space describing an inertia of force acting on a multi-link structural body and an acceleration of the multi-link structural body, and for implementing an operation space acceleration indicating the motion purpose, calculates a virtual force acting on the operation space on the basis of a motion equation relating to the operation space including a term of an operation space bias acceleration in consideration to gravity compensation according to inclination information of the surgical arm device, and calculates a torque command value for a joint unit on the basis of a real force converted from the virtual force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro MATSUDA, Jun ARAI, Takara KASAI, Yohei KURODA, Wataru KOKUBO
  • Patent number: 10505428
    Abstract: An actuator including a reduction gear that reduces, by a certain reduction ratio, a rotational velocity of an input shaft joined to a rotary shaft of a motor, and transmits the reduced rotational velocity to an output shaft, a first absolute angle encoder that detects a rotational angle of the input shaft, and a second absolute angle encoder that detects a rotational angle of the output shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru Kokubo, Takara Kasai, Yasuhisa Kamikawa, Yohei Kuroda, Toshimitsu Tsuboi, Tetsuharu Fukushima, Yasuhiro Matsuda, Atsushi Miyamoto
  • Publication number: 20190328480
    Abstract: [Object] To make it possible to perform gravity compensation with a more compact and lightweight configuration. [Solution] There is provided a medical support arm apparatus including: an arm section including multiple joint sections, and configured such that a medical tool is provided on a front end; an actuator at least provided in a compensated joint section that is a target of gravity compensation among the joint sections, and including a torque sensor that detects a torque acting on the compensated joint section; and a gravity compensation mechanism that imparts to the compensated joint section a compensating torque in a direction that cancels out a load torque due to a self-weight of the arm section acting on the compensated joint section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhisa KAMIKAWA, Yohei KURODA, Yasuhiro MATSUDA, Jun ARAI
  • Publication number: 20190275679
    Abstract: A robot arm apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: one or a plurality of a joint unit that joins a plurality of links constituting a multi-link structure; an acquisition unit that acquires an on-screen enlargement factor of a subject imaged by an imaging unit attached to the multi-link structure; and a driving control unit that controls driving of the joint unit based on a state of the joint unit and the enlargement factor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY OLYMPUS MEDICAL SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Yohei KURODA, Takara KASAI, Yasuhisa KAMIKAWA, Wataru KOKUBO, Toshimitsu TSUBOI, Tetsuharu FUKUSHIMA, Yasuhiro MATSUDA, Atsushi MIYAMOTO, Kenji HIROSE
  • Patent number: 10369700
    Abstract: A robot arm apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: one or a plurality of a joint unit that joins a plurality of links constituting a multi-link structure; an acquisition unit that acquires an on-screen enlargement factor of a subject imaged by an imaging unit attached to the multi-link structure; and a driving control unit that controls driving of the joint unit based on a state of the joint unit and the enlargement factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY OLYMPUS MEDICAL SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Yohei Kuroda, Takara Kasai, Yasuhisa Kamikawa, Wataru Kokubo, Toshimitsu Tsuboi, Tetsuharu Fukushima, Yasuhiro Matsuda, Atsushi Miyamoto, Kenji Hirose
  • Patent number: 10357330
    Abstract: There is provided a medical support arm device including a brake provided in at least one joint of a plurality of joints that define a deployment configuration of a multi-joint arm, and configured to release a rotation shaft of the at least one joint when electricity is supplied to the multi-joint arm and lock the rotation shaft when electricity is not supplied to the multi-joint arm. When electricity is not supplied the brake is configured to exert a brake force that supports a weight of the multi-joint arm to maintain the deployment configuration of the multi-joint arm, but also permits rotation of the rotation shaft by an external manually applied force equal to or larger than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuharu Fukushima, Wataru Kokubo, Toshimitsu Tsuboi, Yohei Kuroda, Yasuhisa Kamikawa
  • Publication number: 20190192238
    Abstract: A robot arm apparatus is provided and includes: an arm unit made up of a plurality of links joined to each other by one or a plurality of a joint unit; and a driving control unit that drives the arm unit by controlling driving of the joint unit. If a malfunction is detected in at least one of the joint unit, the driving control unit controls the driving of the joint unit in a state in which a certain restriction is imposed on motion of the arm unit, and drives the arm unit to avoid the malfunction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshimitsu TSUBOI, Takara KASAI, Yasuhisa KAMIKAWA, Yohei KURODA, Wataru KOKUBO, Tetsuharu FUKUSHIMA, Yasuhiro MATSUDA, Atsushi MIYAMOTO
  • Patent number: 10299868
    Abstract: A medical support arm apparatus including: an arm unit including a plurality of links joined to each other by one or a plurality of a joint unit; and a driving control unit that drives the arm unit by controlling driving of the joint unit. If a malfunction is detected in at least one of the joint unit, the driving control unit controls the driving of the joint unit in a state in which a certain restriction is imposed on motion of the arm unit, and drives the arm unit to avoid the malfunction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshimitsu Tsuboi, Takara Kasai, Yasuhisa Kamikawa, Yohei Kuroda, Wataru Kokubo, Tetsuharu Fukushima, Yasuhiro Matsuda, Atsushi Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 10296189
    Abstract: There is provided an information processing device comprising a housing, a display screen, a touch panel arranged on the display screen, an icon, which is displayed on the display screen and manipulated through the touch panel, a state detection unit for detecting a state change of the housing, a state determination unit for determining the state change of the housing detected by the state detection unit, and a display control unit for displaying the icon in a desired position on the display screen in response to a determination result of the state determination unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Ryoji Amemiya, Nobutaka Yagi, Osamu Ishioka, Kenji Waku, Yohei Kuroda
  • Patent number: 10272565
    Abstract: Provided is an actuator, including: a motor; and a reduction gear having a breakdown torque that is less than a starting torque of the motor. A limit value in accordance with the breakdown torque of the reduction gear is set with respect to a control value for driving the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Kamikawa, Tetsuharu Fukushima, Wataru Kokubo, Toshimitsu Tsuboi, Yohei Kuroda, Jun Arai
  • Publication number: 20190099238
    Abstract: To provide a jig holding apparatus and medical observation apparatus, which enable linear motion of a jig without increasing the size of a holding mechanism configured to hold the jig. A jig holding apparatus (1) includes: a holding mechanism (100) including a holding section (173) configured to detachably hold a predetermined jig (10) from a periphery of the jig (10), and a linear motion driving section (130) provided around the jig (10) held by the holding section (173) and configured to cause the jig (10) to linearly move.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Publication date: April 4, 2019
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun ARAI, Yohei KURODA, Yasuhisa KAMIKAWA, Wataru KOKUBO
  • Publication number: 20190036407
    Abstract: In order to realize a movable mechanism capable of being configured more compactly and also capable of ensuring higher safety. A motor is provided. Also, an electrically active part is provided with an insulating structure so that insulating properties between the electrically active part and one or more conductors near the electrically active part satisfy a certain safety standard regarding medical electrical equipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: Wataru KOKUBO, Yasuhisa KAMIKAWA, Toshimitsu TSUBOI, Yohei KURODA, Jun ARAI
  • Patent number: 10128714
    Abstract: Provided is a motor. An electrically active part is provided with an insulating structure so that insulating properties between the electrically active part and one or more conductors near the electrically active part satisfy a certain safety standard regarding medical electrical equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru Kokubo, Yasuhisa Kamikawa, Toshimitsu Tsuboi, Yohei Kuroda, Jun Arai
  • Publication number: 20180264655
    Abstract: [Object] To enable further suppression of the movement amount of an arm section when switching states. [Solution] There is provided a control apparatus configured to execute a current tracking control on a basis of a measurement value of a torque sensor of an actuator provided in at least one of multiple joint sections included in an arm section of a medical support arm apparatus, the current tracking control causing a motor of the actuator to output torque by which a position and an attitude of the arm section are maintained, and switch a first state in which the motor is driven in accordance with a predetermined control method, and a second state in which the joint section is locked using a brake of the actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yohei KURODA, Tetsuharu FUKUSHIMA, Fumiyasu SUZUKI, Toshimitsu TSUBOI
  • Publication number: 20180241283
    Abstract: Provided is an actuator (300) including: a reduction gear (320) that reduces, by a certain reduction ratio, a rotational velocity of an input shaft joined to a rotary shaft of a motor (360), and transmits the reduced rotational velocity to an output shaft (350); a first absolute angle encoder (330) that detects a rotational angle of the input shaft; and a second absolute angle encoder (340) that detects a rotational angle of the output shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: WATARU KOKUBO, TAKARA KASAI, YASUHISA KAMIKAWA, YOHEI KURODA, TOSHIMITSU TSUBOI, TETSUHARU FUKUSHIMA, YASUHIRO MATSUDA, ATSUSHI MIYAMOTO
  • Patent number: 9966816
    Abstract: [Object] To detect a rotational angle accurately and also to drive more safely. [Solution] Provided is an actuator (300) including: a reduction gear (320) that reduces, by a certain reduction ratio, a rotational velocity of an input shaft joined to a rotary shaft of a motor (360), and transmits the reduced rotational velocity to an output shaft (350); a first absolute angle encoder (330) that detects a rotational angle of the input shaft; and a second absolute angle encoder (340) that detects a rotational angle of the output shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru Kokubo, Takara Kasai, Yasuhisa Kamikawa, Yohei Kuroda, Toshimitsu Tsuboi, Tetsuharu Fukushima, Yasuhiro Matsuda, Atsushi Miyamoto
  • Publication number: 20180042464
    Abstract: The present invention aims to make it capable of holding organs more safely. Provided is a medical support arm apparatus, including: an arm unit (510) whose driving is controlled by force control; and a retractor, provided on a front end of the arm unit (510), that holds an organ of a patient during surgery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun ARAI, Yasuhisa KAMIKAWA, Kiyokazu MIYAZAWA, Yohei KURODA, Yasuhiro MATSUDA, Tetsuharu FUKUSHIMA
  • Publication number: 20180036877
    Abstract: [Object] To enable greater compactness and also to be capable of preventing breakdown more reliably. [Solution] Provided is an actuator, including: a motor; and a reduction gear having a breakdown torque that is less than a starting torque of the motor. A limit value in accordance with the breakdown torque of the reduction gear is set with respect to a control value for driving the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Inventors: YASUHISA KAMIKAWA, TETSUHARU FUKUSHIMA, WATARU KOKUBO, TOSHIMITSU TSUBOI, YOHEI KURODA, JUN ARAI