Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America

Panasonic Corporation

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Toyo Aluminium Kabushiki Kaisha

Nippon Aerosil Co., Ltd.

Green Arm Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporaton of America

Toyo Alminium K.k.

Sun Patent Trust

Toyo Aluminium K.k.

Kazunori Yamada

Mitsuaki Oshima

Tsutomu Mukai

Yosuke Matsushita

Koji Nakanishi

Shigehiro Iida

Hideki Aoyama

Ikuo Fuchigami

Hidehiko Shin

Shohji Ohtsubo

Masaru Yamaoka

Hironori Nakae

Michihiro Matsumoto

Tomoaki Ohira

Toshiaki Ohnishi

Takashi Suzuki

Akihiro Ueki

Akira Shiokawa

Mizuho Sakakibara

Toshiyuki Maeda

Koji Aoto

Mayu Yokoya

Kohei Yamaguchi

Hiroyuki Nishikawa

Yasuhiro Yuki

Mitsuhiro Aso

Norihiro Matsui

Michiko Sasagawa

Kozo Ezawa

Hidetsugu Maekawa

Yuri Nishikawa

Masashi Yamamoto

Yukio Iijima

Kumi Harada

Hiroshi Kubo

Yoji Yamada

Tomonobu Sekiguchi

Shigehiro Ilda

Mayu Watabe

Masayuki Hiromoto

Kenji Mase

Pei Di

Hiroshi Oe

Etsumi Kanaya

Yuya Terasawa

Toshio Morii

Kouichi Sugimoto

Masanobu Kanaya

Yu Hasegawa

Shuhei Kanno

Atsuki Gomi

Masahiro Sato

Yusuke Tosaki

Yukiya Yamashita

Yasushi Kanzaki

Kazuo Kijima

Kenji Kihara

Yuki Atsumi

Toshio Kunimatsu

Mayo Watanabe

Junya Morita

Shuichi Chiba

Masahiko Kamada

A visible light communication method transmits a signal by visible light communication. The visible light communication method includes modulating the signal into a predetermined blinking pattern, and transmitting the signal by causing visible light to blink according to the predetermined blinking pattern, from a projector disposed in an indoor space surrounded by a wall toward the wall. The visible light communication method also includes projecting video from the projector toward the wall, wherein the visible light is reflected by the wall to prevent the signal from being received in an outside of the indoor space, and the signal is used to transmit data related to the video projected to a terminal in the indoor space.

Information communication method

A visible light communication method transmits a signal by visible light communication. The visible light communication method includes modulating the signal into a predetermined blinking pattern, and transmitting the signal by causing visible light to blink according to the predetermined blinking pattern, from a projector disposed in an indoor space surrounded by a wall toward the wall. The visible light communication method also includes projecting video from the projector toward the wall, wherein the visible light is reflected by the wall to prevent the signal from being received in an outside of the indoor space, and the signal is used to transmit data related to the video projected to a plurality of terminals in the indoor space.

A method includes setting an exposure time of an image sensor included in a terminal device so that, in an image obtained by capturing a subject by the image sensor, a bright line corresponding to each of a plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject. The method also includes obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines, by capturing the subject that changes in luminance by the image sensor with the set exposure time. The method further includes estimating a plurality of center areas each of which is in each of the plurality of bright lines, and obtaining identification information of the subject, by demodulating data specified by a pattern of the plurality of center areas.

A map information update system according to the present disclosure includes multiple mobile robots that each acquire information on an intention of a user to move and information on a mobile robot position, one or multiple environment information acquiring robot(s) that each acquire(s) environment information, and a server that updates map information based on the information on the intention of the user to move, the information on the mobile robot position, and the environment information, and each of the multiple mobile robots includes a main body part, a handle part, a detecting part, a moving device, a guide information producing part, a presenting part, a user move intention estimating part, a mobile robot position estimating part, and a communicating part.

Map information update system

A method includes determining a pattern of a change in luminance, by demodulating an identification information to be transmitted with a ceiling light, and transmitting the identification information, by the ceiling light changing in luminance according to the determined pattern of the change in luminance. Additionally, in the determining, a first luminance change pattern, corresponding to a first body, and a second luminance change pattern, corresponding to a first header used for the first body, are determined. Furthermore, in the transmitting, the first header and the first body are transmitted by the ceiling light changing in luminance according to the first luminance change pattern, the second luminance change pattern, and the first luminance change pattern in the stated order.

A walking support robot of the present disclosure is a walking support robot that moves in accordance with a handle force while supporting walking of a user. The walking support robot includes a body, a handle that is on the body and is held by the user, a sensor that senses a force applied to the handle, and a moving device that includes a rotating member and moves the walking support robot by controlling rotation of the rotating member in accordance with the force sensed by the sensor. The walking support robot estimates a leg position of the user on a basis of a change of the force sensed by the sensor, and sets a load to be applied to the user on a basis of the leg position.

Walking support robot and walking support method

A walking support robot is presented by the present disclosure. The walking support robot moves in accordance with a handle load while guiding a user to walk along a walking route. The walking support robot includes a body, a handle on the body, a sensor that senses a load applied to the handle, and a moving device that moves the walking support robot by controlling rotation of a rotating member in accordance with the load. Guide information is generated for guiding the user to walk along the walking route. Presented information is presented for guiding the user based on the guide information. A physical task is set by adjusting complexity of the walking route. A degree to which the user follows the walking route is calculated, and the physical task is adjusted based on the degree.

Walking support robot and walking support system

The method includes obtaining, using a face camera of a smart phone, identification information from a ceiling light of a facility with visible light communication, and obtaining location information of the ceiling light related to the identification information. The method also includes displaying a location related to the location information of the ceiling light on a map of the facility on a display of the smart phone. The smart phone is set on a cart in a state that the face camera is directed to a ceiling of the facility on which the ceiling light is attached, and the face camera is a CMOS sensor and the CMOS sensor is used only for the visible light communication.

A method includes setting an exposure time of an image sensor included in a terminal device so that, in an image obtained by capturing a subject by the image sensor, a bright line corresponding to each of a plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject. The method also includes obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines, obtaining identification information of the subject, and obtaining a direction of light of the subject. Additionally, the method includes calculating a distance between the terminal device and the subject, and obtaining a location of the subject. The method further includes calculating a location of the terminal device using the distance and the location of the subject, and sending the location of the terminal device to a server.

An information communication method is provided for obtaining information from a subject using a terminal device that includes an image sensor having a plurality of exposure lines. The method includes setting an exposure time of the image sensor so that, in an image obtained by capturing the subject by the image sensor, a bright line corresponding to each of the plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject. The method also includes obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines, obtaining identification information of the subject, and sending the identification information to a server. The method further includes obtaining menu information related to the identification information from the server, the menu information related to a restaurant where the subject is installed, and displaying the menu information on a display of the terminal device.

A method includes setting an exposure time of an image sensor of a terminal of a customer so that, in an image obtained by capturing a subject, a bright line corresponding to each of a plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject. The method also includes obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines, by capturing the subject that changes in luminance by the image sensor with the set exposure time, and obtaining identification information of the subject, by demodulating data specified by a pattern of the plurality of bright lines. The method further includes sending the identification information to a server, obtaining a menu listing a product of the store from the server, displaying the menu on a display of the terminal, and sending product information of the product selected by the customer.

An information communication method obtains information from a subject using a terminal device that includes an image sensor. The method includes setting an exposure time of the image sensor having a plurality of exposure lines so that a bright line corresponding to each of the plurality of exposure lines appears according to a change in luminance of the subject. The method also includes obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines, by capturing the subject that changes in luminance by the image sensor, and obtaining identification information of the subject. The subject has a rectangular shape, is captured with an around view of the subject. Each of the plurality of bright lines appears within the rectangular shape of the subject in the bright line image, and follows a direction between long sides of the rectangular shape of the subject in the bright line image.

A robot includes a body, a handle provided on the body and holdable by a user, a detector that detects a load applied to the handle, a movement device that includes a rotation member and moves the robot by controlling rotation of the rotation member in accordance with the detected load, and a generator that generates tendency data, which indicates tendency of the load applied to the handle, on the basis of past load data regarding the handle obtained while the robot is moving. The movement device includes an actuator that controls a rotation speed of the rotation member on the basis of the detected load and the generated tendency data.

Robot and method used in robot

An information communication method selectively obtains a location of a terminal device. Determining the location of the terminal device by wireless communication with a wireless access point includes receiving a radio signal including a first identification information to identify a location of the wireless access point, and calculating the location of the terminal device using the identified location of the wireless access point, which is identified by the first identification information. Determining the location of the terminal device by visible light communication with a subject provides higher accuracy and includes setting an exposure time of an image sensor having a plurality to exposure lines so that a bright line corresponding to each of the plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject, obtaining a bright line image by capturing the subject, and demodulating data from the bright line image.

An information communication method obtains information from a subject using a terminal device that includes an image sensor. The method includes setting an exposure time of the image sensor having a plurality of exposure lines so that a bright line corresponding to each of the plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject. The method also includes obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines, and obtaining identification information of the subject. In the obtaining of the bright line image, an exposure time of each of the plurality of exposure lines partially overlaps with an exposure time of an adjacent one of the plurality of exposure lines. During asynchronous communication, a minimum width of the stripe pattern corresponds to at least two bright lines in the obtained bright line image.

Growing community of inventors

Aichi, Japan

Kazunori Yamada