47th week of 2021 patent applcation highlights part 42 |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20210364951 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS THEREWITH - A developing device includes a developer container, a developer carrier, and first and second members for stirring/conveying. The developer container includes a first partition wall between first and second chambers, a communication portion through which those chambers communicate at opposite ends of the first partition wall, a developer supply port, and a developer discharge portion. The first member stirs and conveys developer in the first chamber in a first direction. The second member stirs and conveys developer in the second chamber in a second direction and includes a regulating portion and a discharging blade. The developer container includes a second partition wall between the first chamber and the regulating portion. The gap from the upper end of the second partition wall to the inner surface of the developer container is larger than the gap thereto from the upper ends of a first helical blade and the regulating portion. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364952 | APPLYING FORCE TO PRINT AGENT - A print agent application assembly includes a print agent transfer roller to receive print agent and transfer a portion of the print agent to a photoconductive surface. The assembly may also include a print agent regulator roller to regulate a film thickness of print agent on the print agent transfer roller. The assembly may also include a mechanism to generate an oscillating force to be applied to print agent on the print agent transfer roller. A method and a print apparatus are also disclosed. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364953 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a heater, a switching element, a zero-cross detecting portion, a controller, a power source, a driving portion. In a case that an amount of electric charge charged in the power source is predetermined value or more, the controller outputs a first signal to the driving portion so that a time in which a current is passed from the power source to the switching element is a first time. In a case that the amount of the electric charge is less than the predetermined value, the controller outputs a second signal to the driving portion so that the time in which the current is passed from the power source to the switching element is a second time shorter than the first time. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364954 | FIXING MEMBER FOR ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC DEVICE - A fixing member | 2021-11-25 |
20210364955 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a transfer portion, a fixing portion, a first sheet feeding portion including a first belt portion for forming a first feeding surface, a second sheet feeding portion including a second belt portion for forming a second feeding surface, a height detecting portion for outputting a signal depending on a height of a sheet from the first feeding surface at a detecting position, and a controller for receiving the signal outputted from the height detecting portion and for controlling the fixing portion. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364956 | TEMPERATURE CONTROL DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A temperature control device controls a temperature of a temperature control target to which heat propagates from a heater by supplying power to the heater and includes a control circuit. The control circuit includes a temperature estimation unit and a control signal generation unit. The temperature estimation unit estimates the temperature of the temperature control target based on conduction to the heater. The control signal generation unit outputs a conduction pulse for controlling power to be supplied to the heater based on a temperature estimation result and a temperature detection result of the temperature control target by a temperature sensor. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364957 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a fixing rotator that rotates and a heat source that heats the fixing rotator. A pressure rotator contacts an outer circumferential surface of the fixing rotator. A nip former is disposed opposite the pressure rotator via the fixing rotator to form a nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. A support supports the nip former and includes a metal member. The nip former includes a resin nip forming member made of resin and a metal nip forming member made of metal and interposed between the resin nip forming member and the fixing rotator. The metal nip forming member includes a contact face disposed in at least a part of a lateral end span of the nip former in a longitudinal direction of the nip former. The contact face contacts the metal member of the support. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364958 | HEATING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND THERMOCOMPRESSION BONDING APPARATUS - A heating device includes a heater and a feeding member. The heater includes a base and an electrode mounted on an electrode mounting face of the base. The feeding member includes a connector terminal and a restrictor. The connector terminal contacts the electrode. The restrictor engages the heater and restricts displacement of the feeding member relative to the heater. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364959 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A fixing device includes a heating and fixing rotator, a pressing rotator, a blower, a guide, an opening and closing device, and a driving device. The heating and fixing rotator is rotatable and heats an unfixed image on a recording medium to fix the unfixed image on the recording medium. The pressing rotator is rotatable, faces the heating and fixing rotator, and is pressed against the recording medium. The guide has an air blowing port and guides air sent from the blower to at least one of the heating and fixing rotator and the pressing rotator. The opening and closing device moves to open and close the air blowing port. The driving device includes a driver to move the opening and closing device and at least one member other than the opening and closing device and separately drives the opening and closing device and the at least one member. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364960 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a heater, a heater holding member, a stay sheet-metal, and a belt holding member. The stay sheet-metal includes a top plate and side plates and is configured to control a load applied to the heater holding member, the side plates extending respectively from opposite sides of the top plate in a short-length direction of the top plate, toward the heater holding member. The belt holding member holds the fixing belt such that the fixing belt can peripherally rotate, the belt holding member holding at least one end of the heater holding member in a longitudinal direction thereof and at least one end of the stay sheet-metal in a longitudinal direction thereof. The top plate of the stay sheet-metal is formed to extend to at least one end of the stay sheet-metal in the longitudinal direction thereof. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364961 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a heater holding member, and a belt holding member. The fixing belt fixes a toner image to a sheet by heating the sheet. The heater holding member guides the fixing belt such that the fixing belt can peripherally rotate. The heater holding member holds a heater that heats the fixing belt. The belt holding member is fixed in position with respect to a conveyance path of the sheet and holds an end portion of the fixing belt in a rotation axis direction of the fixing belt such that the fixing belt can peripherally rotate. The belt holding member includes an engaging portion. The heater holding member includes an engaged portion that is engaged with the engaging portion to restrict a movement of the belt holding member with respect to the heater holding member. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364962 | HEATING DEVICE, FIXING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A heating device includes a housing, a heating member, a pressure member, a pair of openings, and a thermal insulator. The heating member and the pressure member extend along a longitudinal direction and press each other to form a nip portion in the housing. The heating member transfers heat to a recording medium passing through the nip portion. The pair of openings is disposed in the housing and opens facing both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the heating member so that air passes through the pair of openings. The thermal insulator is disposed inside the housing between the pair of openings and faces an outer peripheral surface of the heating member. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364963 | HEATING DEVICE AND APPARATUS USING MEMBER TO BE HEATED - A heating device includes a heating unit that heats a member to be heated, which is transported, as a result of a contact portion of the heating unit being in contact with the member to be heated, a heat pipe that contacts with a portion of the heating unit different from the contact portion in such a manner as to extend in a widthwise direction crossing a transport direction of the member to be heated and that includes a crimped portion formed at a first end of the heat pipe, and a power-supply connection unit that is disposed on a second end side of the heat pipe and that is connected to a wiring line through which power is supplied to the heating unit. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364964 | PRINTING APPARATUS, METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - A printing apparatus comprising a sheet conveyance path that includes a plurality of waiting positions at which a sheet in which printing has been performed on a first side in double-sided printing is caused to wait in order to print an image on a second side of the sheet, and is able to selectively execute first print control, second print control and third print control, retains information regarding a sheet to be fed in accordance with the first to third print control in a sheet feed wait queue, and selects and executes one of the first to third print control based on a printing order of single-sided printing and double-sided printing in the print job, the number of the plurality of waiting positions, and information retained in the sheet feed wait queue. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364965 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a controller configured to control a conveyance portion to apply a first suction force to a circumferential surface while conveying a sheet from a transfer portion to a fixing portion by a conveyance portion. The controller is configured to execute a first switching process of switching the suction force applied to the circumferential surface from the first suction force to the second suction force while rotating the belt, in a case where a leading end of the sheet has reached the fixing nip portion in a state in which the sheet is nipped by the transfer nip portion. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364966 | ICONOGRAPHIC CONTROL PANEL OF AN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An iconographic control panel of an image forming apparatus is provided. The iconographic control panel includes a plurality of physical iconographic control buttons respectively corresponding to a plurality of functions of the image forming apparatus, each of the plurality of physical iconographic control buttons comprising at least one dedicated light emitting diode, and at least one processor to determine an availability of the plurality of functions of the image forming apparatus respectively corresponding to each of the plurality of physical iconographic control buttons, determine a functional state of the plurality of functions of the image forming apparatus determined to be available, and control an illumination of the at least one LED of each of the plurality of physical iconographic control buttons based on the availability of each function corresponding to each of the plurality of physical iconographic control buttons and the functional state of each function determined to be available. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364967 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; an exposing device; a developing device with a developing roller; a development current detector that detects development current between the image carrier and the developing roller; and a hardware processor. Under an image forming condition, the hardware processor causes the exposing device to draw, on the image carrier, a development current-detection pattern that includes a solid image and a halftone image that follows the solid image in an image-conveying direction of the image carrier, causes the developing device to develop the development current-detection pattern, obtains information on a chronological change of the detected development current from the development current detector, and determines whether or not a ghost image due to the solid image occurs based on a temporary drop of the detected development current during development of the halftone image. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364968 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND RECORDING MEDIUM - Provided is an image forming apparatus including a developer that performs development with toner, the image forming apparatus including a vibrator that applies vibrations to a vibrated portion of the developer, and a hardware processor that controls the vibrator. The hardware processor determines a toner leakage level based on a result of detecting toner leakage adhering to a sheet caused by the image forming apparatus, settles a vibrating condition of the vibrator in accordance with the toner leakage level, and causes the vibrator to perform a vibrating operation under the settled vibrating condition. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364969 | INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD FOR AN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including a consumable to be used for image formation. The image forming apparatus includes: a usage amount detector configured to detect a cumulative value of a usage amount of the consumable and a remaining amount of the consumable; a predictor configured to predict a period that allows use of the consumable based on the remaining amount detected by the usage amount detector; and a determination unit configured to generate a delivery request signal for prompting a delivery request for the consumable when the period that allows the use predicted by the predictor is smaller than a predetermined number-of-day threshold value. The image forming apparatus avoids performing processing for generating a delivery request signal by the determination unit after the start of the use of the image forming apparatus until a predetermined condition is satisfied. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364970 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a fixing portion, a first belt conveyance portion having a first conveyance belt with a first conveyance surface, and a first air suction portion having a first opening portion, includes a second belt conveyance portion having a second conveyance belt with a second conveyance surface, and a second air suction portion having a second opening portion, and includes a pre-fixation guide portion having a guide surface that guides a leading end of a sheet conveyed on the second conveyance surface toward the fixing portion. As viewed in a sheet width direction, a center position of the first opening portion is disposed at approximately the same position as a center position of the first conveyance surface, and a center position of the second opening portion is disposed at a position closer to the pre-fixation guide portion than a center position of the second conveyance surface. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364971 | IMAGE READING APPARATUS FOR READING IMAGE FORMED ON SHEET AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM INCLUDING IMAGE READING APPARATUS - An image reading apparatus connectable to a post-processing apparatus includes an image reading unit for transmitting image data to an inspection processing unit, and a communication unit for outputting a sheet discharge timing signal to the post-processing apparatus through a signal line. The communication unit outputs the sheet discharge timing signal having different waveforms to the post-processing apparatus on the basis of an inspection result of a sheet obtained from the inspection processing unit such that the sheet discharge timing signal includes a first waveform when the sheet determined by the inspection processing unit as that there is no image abnormality is discharged and such that the sheet discharge timing signal includes a second waveform different from the first waveform when the sheet determined by the inspection processing unit as that the image abnormality occurs is discharged. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364972 | Post-Process Apparatus and Control Method - A post-process apparatus may include: a first operation portion that accepts a sheet conveyed from an image forming apparatus and performs a first operation based on a job involved with the sheet, a second operation portion that accepts a sheet manually inserted into the post-process apparatus and performs a second operation different from the first operation, and a control unit that determines timing to perform the second operation in accordance with a condition of the first operation performed. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364973 | RECORDING MEDIUM CONVEYANCE DEVICE, RECORDING MEDIUM CONVEYANCE METHOD AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM ENCODED WITH RECORDING MEDIUM CONVEYANCE PROGRAM - A recording medium conveyance device includes storage that stores a recording medium, a conveyer that takes out the recording medium stored in the storage and conveys the recording medium as a conveyed object, an ultrasonic sensor that outputs a value indicating an attenuation amount of an ultrasonic wave caused by the conveyed object and a hardware processor, wherein the hardware processor executes an overlay detection process of detecting whether the conveyed object is in an overlay state in which a gap is present based on a result of output by the ultrasonic sensor, and prevents execution of the overlay detection process with respect to a first conveyed object that is to be conveyed first by the conveyer. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364974 | IMAGE READING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image reading apparatus includes a detector that detects positions of a plurality of images for detection formed in different positions in a main scanning direction of a recording medium by an image forming apparatus, and the detector has a detection range equal to or shorter than a width of the recording medium in the main scanning direction. An image forming apparatus includes an image former that forms an image on a recording medium, and the image reading apparatus. The image reading apparatus performs detection for the positions of the plurality of images for detection formed on the recording medium by the image former. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364975 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive drum; a light guide plate that irradiates, onto the photosensitive drum, light incoming through an end thereof by emitting the light from an irradiation end surface thereof; a static elimination light source that is disposed near the end of the light guide plate and emits the light into the light guide plate; and a blocking wall that is disposed between the light guide plate and the photosensitive drum to cover the irradiation end surface, and restricts the light emitted from the irradiation end surface non-uniformly in a longitudinal direction of the light guide plate. Of the light emitted from the irradiation end surface, portions emitted from end regions located around ends of the light guide plate are less restricted by the blocking wall than a portion emitted from a region other than the end regions of the light guide plate. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364976 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a waste toner container installed removably in an apparatus body through an opening and collecting a waste toner discharged from an image forming section in which an image is formed with toner, and an opening/closing cover supported at an edge of the opening and pivoting about an axis line extending in a specific direction, the opening/closing cover pivoting about the axis line and moving between a closed position to close the opening and an open position to open the opening. The waste toner container has an engaged part, and the opening/closing cover has an engaging part that engages with the engaged part. The engaging part engages with the engaged part in the closed position to hold the opening/closing cover in the closed position when the waste toner container is installed in the apparatus body. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364977 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable photosensitive member, a charging unit, a developing unit, a support frame, and a sensor unit. The sensor unit is detachably attached to the support frame in a direction that intersects a rotation-axis direction of the photosensitive member and includes a potential sensor, a support portion, a fixing portion, an electric board, and a linking portion. The support portion supports the potential sensor at an area from the charging unit to the developing unit in a rotational direction of the photosensitive member. The fixing portion is fixed to the support frame at a position that faces an area from the developing unit to the charging unit in the rotational direction of the photosensitive member. The support portion is positioned with respect to the support frame at a position downstream of the support portion in an attachment direction of the sensor unit. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364978 | EXTERNAL COVER - The external cover is a cover to cover a coupling mechanism. The coupling mechanism is disposed in a space between an image forming apparatus and an optional device that is disposed on a side of the image forming apparats and couples the optical device with the image forming apparatus. The exterior cover has an upper portion and a side portion. The upper portion extends in a front-back direction of the image forming apparatus, which is perpendicular to a direction in which the optional device and the image forming apparatus face each other; the upper portion covers an upper end portion of the coupling mechanism in the space. The side portion covers a front end portion or a back end portion of the coupling mechanism. The external cover is composed of a combination of multiple, identically shaped cover members. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364979 | DEVELOPER SUPPLY CONTAINER AND DEVELOPER SUPPLYING SYSTEM - A developer supply container for supplying a developer through a developer receiving portion displaceably provided in a developer receiving apparatus to which said developer supply container is detachably mountable includes a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer. The developer supply container also includes an engaging portion, engageable with the developer receiving portion, for displacing the developer receiving portion toward the developer supply container with a mounting operation of the developer supply container to establish a connected state between the developer supply container and the developer receiving portion. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364980 | DRUM CARTRIDGE AND DEVELOPING CARTRIDGE CAPABLE OF SUPPRESSING VARIATION IN POSITION OF ELECTRICAL CONTACT SURFACE - A drum cartridge includes: a drum frame to which a developing cartridge including a storage medium having an electrical contact surface is detachably attachable; a photosensitive drum; a transfer roller; and a conveying roller. The drum is rotatable about a first axis extending in a first direction and positioned at one end portion of the frame in a second direction. The transfer roller is rotatable about a second axis extending in the first direction and in contact with the drum. The conveying roller is rotatable about a third axis extending in the first direction and separated from the transfer roller in the second direction. A first opening of the frame is positioned between the transfer roller and the conveying roller in the second direction. The electrical contact surface is exposed to an outside through the first opening in a case where the developing cartridge is attached to the frame. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364981 | DRUM CARTRIDGE AND DEVELOPING CARTRIDGE CAPABLE OF SUPPRESSING VARIATION IN POSITION OF ELECTRICAL CONTACT SURFACE - A drum cartridge includes: a drum frame to which a developing cartridge including a storage medium having an electrical contact surface is detachably attachable; a photosensitive drum; a transfer roller; and a conveying roller. The drum is rotatable about a first axis extending in a first direction and positioned at one end portion of the frame in a second direction. The transfer roller is rotatable about a second axis extending in the first direction and in contact with the drum. The conveying roller is rotatable about a third axis extending in the first direction and separated from the transfer roller in the second direction. A first opening of the frame is positioned between the transfer roller and the conveying roller in the second direction. The electrical contact surface is exposed to an outside through the first opening in a case where the developing cartridge is attached to the frame. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364982 | PHOTOSENSITIVE MEMBER UNIT AND DEVELOPMENT UNIT - A photosensitive member unit includes a photosensitive member, a transfer roller, a mounting portion capable of mounting a development unit including a development roller, a first gear and a second gear each provided at one end of the photosensitive member in an axial direction of the photosensitive member, and a third gear provided at one end of the transfer roller in an axial direction of the photosensitive member and configured to engage with the second gear. The first gear, the second gear, and the third gear are helical gears. A direction in which helical teeth of the first gear are inclined is opposite to a direction in which helical teeth of the second gear are inclined, and the direction in which the helical teeth of the first gear are inclined matches a direction in which helical teeth of the third gear are inclined. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364983 | PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND DEVELOPING CARTRIDGE - A cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member unit including a photosensitive drum; a sheet configured to remove a deposited matter from a surface of the drum, the sheet being in contact with the surface of the drum at an end portion of the drum with respect to a rotational axis direction of the member; and a developing unit detachably mounted to the member unit, the developing unit including a developing roller configured to supply toner to the drum, and a storage portion configured to store the deposited matter removed from the surface of the drum by the sheet. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364984 | REPLACEABLE UNIT FOR AN ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING DEVICE HAVING A MAGNETIC SENSOR - A replaceable unit for an electrophotographic image forming device includes a housing having a reservoir for holding toner. An electrical connector is positioned on a first side of the housing. The electrical connector includes an electrical contact for contacting a corresponding electrical contact in the image forming device and a magnetic sensor electrically connected to the electrical contact. The electrical connector is movable between a first position and a second position. When the electrical connector moves from the first position to the second position, the electrical contact of the replaceable unit moves from a retracted position to an operative position. When the electrical connector moves from the first position to the second position, the magnetic sensor moves from a misaligned position to an aligned position with a point in a path of movement of a magnet for sensing a magnetic field of the magnet. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364985 | APPARATUS THAT USES ULTRASONIC SENSOR FOR PLURALITY OF PURPOSES - An image forming apparatus comprises an ultrasonic sensor and a processor is configured to control the image forming apparatus based on an output signal of the ultrasonic sensor. The processor estimates a barometric pressure based on the output signal of the ultrasonic sensor and determines an image forming condition based on the estimated barometric pressure. The ultrasonic sensor is utilized for controlling the image forming apparatus and for estimating the barometric pressure. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364986 | COOLING DEVICE, FIXING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A cooling device cools, with air, a heating member having a longitudinal direction. The cooling device includes a blower, an air duct, and an air-volume varying mechanism. The blower blow the air. The air passes through the air duct. The air duct has a first opening to which the air is supplied by the blower, a second opening to face a portion of the heating member, and a third opening to face another portion of the heating member. The air-volume varying mechanism changes an air volume of the air discharged from the second opening and the third opening. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364987 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR HOLOGRAPHIC WAVE-FRONT PRINTING - A holographic recording system includes a linear translation stage configured to position a holographic material layer, a light source configured to emit a laser beam, a beam splitting subsystem configured to split the laser beam into a first light beam and a second light beam and direct the second light beam towards the holographic material layer, a spatial-light modulator configured to implement a fringe pattern that modulates the first light beam to generate an object beam, a filter configured to filter the object beam, a demagnification optical subsystem configured to demagnify the object beam, and a switchable grating stack configurable to direct the object beam to a set of directions towards the holographic material layer to interfere with the second light beam. In some embodiments, the switchable grating stack includes a plurality of polarization gratings and/or a plurality of switchable waveplates arranged in a stack. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364988 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR HOLOGRAPHIC IMAGE DISPLAY - A holographic display and method for operating the holographic display can include: a holographic display operable in a plurality of modes, a computing system, and a sensor. The holographic display can option include a user interface device. Views displayed by the display can optionally be processed or modified based on a viewer pose relative to the display. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364989 | RETROGRADE TIMEPIECE DISPLAY MECHANISM PROVIDED WITH A SAFETY DEVICE - A retrograde timepiece display mechanism for a watch including a wheel for displaying information, this display wheel being driven by a drive finger carried by a wheel driven by a horological movement, in order to change the information displayed by the retrograde timepiece display mechanism from one value to the immediately following value, this retrograde timepiece display mechanism including also an intermediate correction device to manually correct the information provided by the retrograde timepiece display mechanism by acting on a correction finger which drives the display wheel, the retrograde timepiece display mechanism also including a safety device arranged to allow blocking the intermediate correction device by preventing the correction finger from driving the display wheel during a period of time when the change in the information displayed by the retrograde timepiece display mechanism occurs and when the drive finger is engaged with the display wheel. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364990 | TIME DISPLAY APPARATUS FOR MULTIPLE TIME ZONES - A time display apparatus for indicating time in a plurality of time zones simultaneously, the apparatus includes a case having a compartment enclosed by a cover, the case having a dial member indicating a 12-hour time clock and a 24-hour time clock, a first wheel completing one revolution in 12 hours and coupled to an hour hand, a second wheel completing one revolution in 1 hour and coupled to a multi-zone minute hand having at least two different vertices, and a third wheel completing one revolution in 24 hours and coupled to a multi-zone hour indicator hand having at least two different indicators, wherein each vertex of the multi-zone minute hand indicates a different minute marking on the 12 hour time clock and each indicator of the multi-zone hour indicator hand indicates a different hour marking on the 24 hour time clock corresponding to different time zones. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364991 | DIGITALLY-CONTROLLED ANALOG ART CLOCKS AND VERTICAL CLOCKS - Digital/analog art clocks and vertical clocks are described. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364992 | PROTECTIVE CASE FOR SMART WATCH - A protective case for smart watch may include a main body disposed around a smart watch to provide the elastic protection effect. The main body formed in a frame shape has two connecting edges, a controlling edge, and an audio edge, which are formed with the same thickness. The two connecting edges are formed in parallel, and each of the connecting edges has an engaging slot to couple with the watch strap of the smart watch. An audio recess concavely formed on an inner surface of the audio edge is configured to couple with a lateral side of the smart watch. The audio recess has a bottom portion communicated with the location of the speaker of the smart watch, and the audio recess is extended to the display of the smart watch to form a top opening. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364993 | Control System and Method for Representing Alarm-Driven Trend Progression Diagrams During Operator Control and Monitoring of a Technical Installation - A computer-implemented method for representing operator control information in the context of operator control and monitoring of a technical installation is proposed, which has at least one operator station server and one operator station client, wherein at least one measurement value of at least one technical object of the technical installation is received via the operator station server, a trend progression of the measurement value is generated in the event that an alarm, which relates to the measurement value, occurs in the operator station server, the trend progression from the operator station server is transferred to the operator station client, and the trend progression is visually presented to an operator of the technical installation in a trend progression diagram. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364994 | HYBRID SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING AN AIRCRAFT AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME - The proposed aircraft engine control system includes at least one servo-loop, and at least one state feedback control integrated into the servo-loop. The state feedback control includes a static compensator (M) and a state corrector loop (L) which are parametrized so as to decouple the states constituted by the operating parameters of the engine to be servo-controlled. The mono-variable regulators are then in turn parameterized so as to servo-control the operating parameters on the setpoints. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364995 | Integrated Monitoring, Time-Driven- and Feedback-Control, User Interface, and Plant ID Tracking Systems and Methods for Closed Horticulture Cultivation Systems - The invention provides for computational and networking environment arrangements to co-coordinate the activities, roles, operation, maintenance, and optimal use of multiple plant-cultivation enhancement and monitoring technology subsystems including mechanical, illumination, chemical, biochemical, hydraulic, thermal, pneumatic, electronic, electrical, computational, informational, sensor, measurement, control, analysis, modeling, logging, database, and networking, as well as other technologies. Additionally, sensors and/or plant environment equipment items can be an Internet of Things (IoT) entity. Individual plants can be assigned an identification “ID” that can be used to track individual plants as to environment, history, introduction, removal, and health. Individual plants can be provided with RFID tags or tags that operate as an Internet of Things (IoT) entity. The invention provides for strategies for a wide range of user interfaces types and provides for flexible readily-customizable implementations. Example GUI types include capabilities for user settings, operating mode, configuration, monitoring, logging, analysis, testing, and diagnostics. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364996 | PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLER - An object of the present subject matter is to appropriately acquire and analyze a camera image for monitoring and to constantly monitor a monitoring target with high accuracy. A programmable logic controller (PLC) includes: an image processing section for sequentially acquiring the image data of the camera image from the camera sensor and generating characteristic amount data indicating a characteristic amount of image data in a preset monitoring region; a time-series data acquisition section for sequentially collecting characteristic amount data from the image processing section and acquiring time-series data of a characteristic amount; and a monitoring section for monitoring time-series data of a current characteristic amount acquired by the time-series data acquisition section in accordance with a monitoring timing defined by the device of the device memory. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364997 | Machine Tool and Method for Preparing a Machining of a Material-removing Rotary Tool - At least one coordinate value (z | 2021-11-25 |
20210364998 | Systems, Methods, Storage Media, And Computing Platforms For On Demand Garment Manufacture - Systems, methods, storage media, and computing platforms for on demand garment manufacture. An order controller can receive an order specification to manufacture a garment. A selector can select the fabric based on the order specification. A pre-treatment can pretreat the fabric with an aqueous solution. A dryer can dry the fabric. A loader can align fabric with an indicator. A sensor coupled to the loader can obtain an alignment of the fabric on the loader. A heat press can apply a design on the fabric. A printer can print a second design on the fabric in the loader based on the order specification. A quality controller can scan the design. The quality controller can generate, based on scanning the design, a quality comparison between the design and predetermined parameters. The quality controller can route, based on the quality comparison, the fabric to a shipper or an order controller. | 2021-11-25 |
20210364999 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ANALYZING CAUSE OF PRODUCT DEFECT, COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - A system for analyzing cause of product defect, including: a distributed storage device configured to store production data generated by a factory device; an analysis device including one or more processors configured to perform: acquiring a production record from the production data; the production record includes information of processing devices used during production procedures for producing the products and information of defects occurring, where each product is processed by multiple processing devices, and each processing device participates in only the production procedures of a portion of the products; determining a correlation weight of the processing device to be analyzed corresponding to a defect to be analyzed according to the production record, and determining a correlation between the processing device to be analyzed and the defect to be analyzed according to the correlation weight; a display device configured to display an analysis result of the analysis device. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365000 | APPARATUS FOR MONITORING AN ACTUATOR SYSTEM, METHOD FOR PROVIDING AN APPARATUS FOR MONITORING AN ACTUATOR SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING AN ACTUATOR SYSTEM - An apparatus for monitoring an actuator system, a method for providing an apparatus for monitoring an actuator system, and a method for monitoring an actuator system where the has at least one actuator and at least one data output signal. An anomaly detector detects anomalies. A suppressing engine determines time periods in which a control intervention has been performed. In a resulting monitoring signal, only anomalies are indicated which do not overlap with time periods in which the control intervention has been performed resulting in less irrelevant alerts and false positives output to a human supervisor monitoring the actuator system. The apparatus for monitoring a system may be provided with a plurality of actuators that may affect one another over time. The apparatus may be applied to a system of submersible pumps, or a system of conveyor belts. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365001 | NUMERICAL CONTROLLER HAVING SCALABLE PERFORMANCE - A system program monitors a numerical controller executing a useful program controlling a machine. The numerical controller determines target values for position-controlled axes and controls the position-controlled axes in accordance with the target values. The numerical controller stores resources and determines whether, and optionally to which extent, the resources are enabled or disabled. Enabling or disabling the resources specifies how many processor cores are enabled for use, or how many processor threads are enabled for use, or to what extent a processor cache or a processor main memory are enabled for use, or which hardware components of the numerical controller are enabled for use, or to what extent use of external computing power is permitted. The numerical controller determines the target values for the position-controlled axes using only the enabled resources. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365002 | Method For Analyzing The Status Of An Electromechanical Joining System And Electromechanical Joining System For Carrying Out The Method - An electromechanical joining system that uses an output force or output torque for performing a joining method and includes an electrical drive connected for driving a screw drive and is configured for generating actual values of force or torque that are provided as input variables to a monitoring device. The system includes a sensor configured for measuring the course of the forces or torques over time during the joining method and for detecting additional measurement values that are supplied to the monitoring device as input variables. Wherein the monitoring device links the supplied actual values with the supplied additional measurement values to detect upcoming wear of a wear-prone component of the electromechanical joining system. A method for analyzing the status of the electromechanical joining system is also disclosed. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365003 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR MACHINE LEARNING PREDICTIONS OF MANUFACTURING PROCESSES - The subject technology is related to methods and apparatus for training a set of regression machine learning models with a training set to produce a set of predictive values for a pending manufacturing request, the training set including data extracted from a set of manufacturing transactions submitted by a set of entities of a supply chain. A multi-objective optimization model is implemented to (1) receive an input including the set of predictive values and a set of features of a physical object, and (2) generate an output with a set of attributes associated with a manufacture of the physical object in response to receiving the input, the output complying with a multi-objective condition satisfied in the multi-objective optimization model. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365004 | COMPUTER AIDED GENERATIVE DESIGN WITH LAYER BOUNDARY DETERMINATION TO FACILITATE 2.5-AXIS SUBTRACTIVE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES - Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for computer aided design of physical structures using generative design processes, where the 3D models of the physical structures are produced so as to facilitate manufacturing of the physical structures using 2.5-axis subtractive manufacturing systems and techniques, include: obtaining a design space, design criteria, and in-use case(s); iteratively modifying a generatively designed shape in the design space in accordance with the design criteria and the in-use case(s) using a density-based representation of the generatively designed shape and including adjusting the density-based representation of the generatively designed three dimensional shape in accordance with a milling direction of a 2.5-axis subtractive manufacturing process in at least two iterations of the iteratively modifying; and providing the generatively designed shape for use in manufacturing a physical structure using computer-controlled manufacturing that employs the 2.5-axis subtractive manufacturing process. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365005 | MACHINE TOOL, INPUT ASSISTANCE METHOD FOR MACHINE TOOL, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM - An input assistance method includes: a plurality of steps in which setting-information based on which the machine tool is configured to be controlled to machine a workpiece so as to make a product is input. A setting step in which a selected information is to be input is selected among the plurality of steps. The selected information of the plurality of steps constitutes the setting-information. A setting interface via which the selected information is input is displayed. Whether inputting the selected information has been completed is determined. Information indicating that inputting the selected information has been completed is displayed, when inputting the selected information is determined to have been completed. The plurality of steps includes a first step in which a shape of the product is input and a second step in which a shape of the workpiece and a material of the workpiece are input. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365006 | TELE-PRESENCE ROBOT SYSTEM WITH SOFTWARE MODULARITY, PROJECTOR AND LASER POINTER - A remote control station that accesses one of at least two different robots that each have at least one unique robot feature. The remote control station receives information that identifies the robot feature of the accessed robot. The remote station displays a display user interface that includes at least one field that corresponds to the robot feature of the accessed robot. The robot may have a laser pointer and/or a projector. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365007 | COMPUTER AIDED GENERATIVE DESIGN WITH TOOL SIZE CONTROL TO FACILITATE 2.5-AXIS SUBTRACTIVE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES - Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for computer aided design of physical structures include: obtaining a density-based representation of a modeled object and data specifying a starting element for each of multiple different subsets of elements; processing starting elements having milling depths associated with layers below a top most layer, the processing including, for a current starting element for a current layer, identifying other starting elements that have milling depths associated with a layer above the current layer and are closer to the current starting element than an amount at least equal to a radius of a smallest available milling tool, calculating a maximum angular difference, and moving the milling depth for the element subset of the current starting element to a layer above the current layer, responsive to the maximum angular difference being greater than a threshold, to remove a non-manufacturable corner. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365008 | HOT ROLLING LINE CONTROL SYSTEM AND HOT ROLLING LINE CONTROL METHOD - A hot rolling line control system includes a rolling condition setting unit, an operation data collection unit that collects rolling conditions and operation data of a line during rolling, an operation data storage unit, a material measurement data storage unit that stores material actual measurement data obtained by measuring a material of a rolled steel sheet, a material prediction unit that predicts material of rolled steel sheet, and a material prediction data storage unit that stores material prediction data in the material prediction unit, and the material prediction unit includes a classification criteria creation and material model regression unit that creates classification criteria using operation data and the material actual measurement data, classifies the operation data and the material actual measurement data according to the created classification criteria, and regresses the classified operation data and material actual measurement data to create a material model for each classification. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365009 | BATTERY MANUFACTURING PROCESSES BASED ON ACOUSTIC AND PROCESS SIGNAL ANALYSIS - Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for controlling a battery manufacturing process. For instance, signal based analysis that can include audio signal analysis can be performed during a first process step of a battery manufacturing process. Based on the signal based analysis, at least one adjustment can be determined for a second process step of the battery manufacturing process. Information associated with the at least one adjustment can be provided to the second process step. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365010 | AUTHENTIC PREDEFINED MARK FORMATION - According to examples, an apparatus may include a processor and a memory on which are stored machine readable instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processor, may cause the processor to receive a file including data of an object to be fabricated and data of a predefined mark to be formed on the object and determine whether the predefined mark is authentic. The instructions may also cause the processor to, based on a determination that the predefined mark is authentic, control fabricating components to fabricate the object, and control the fabricating components to form the predefined mark on the object during fabrication of the object. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365011 | SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR EVALUATING BOTTLING LINE PERFORMANCE - System and method for optimizing bottling line performance based on data received from a bottle with sensors. The system provides a bottle with sensors in a bottling line or maintenance system, a network gateway, a human machine interface (HMI) device, and a platform server. The HMI device provides for local control of the bottling line while the platform server handles distribution of GUIs, as well as data processing, data storage, and data analysis. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365012 | EDGE DEVICE WITH SELF-CONFIGURING SENSOR KIT NETWORK FOR MONITORING AND MANAGING INDUSTRIAL SETTINGS - A variety of kits are provided that are configured with components, systems and methods for monitoring various industrial settings, including kits with self-configuring sensor networks, communication gateways, and automatically configured back end systems. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365013 | DEVICE FOR MONITORING AND CONTROLLING INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT - Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium for communicating between an operational asset and a backend network that include the actions of receiving first data from an operational asset through a first communication interface that is configured to communicate with an operational asset, and where the first data is formatted according to a first data format that is specific to the operational asset. Processing the first data according to an asset template to generate second data, where the second data includes the first data and being formatted according to a second data format that is specific to the backend network. Causing the second data to be transmitted to the backend network by a second communication interface that is configured to communicate with a backend network. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365014 | SYSTEM FOR OPTIMIZING THE ORGANIZATION OF COMPONENTS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WOOD PRODUCTS - A system optimizes the organization of components for the manufacture of wood products. The system includes memory devices and processing devices operatively coupled to the memory device, wherein the one or more processing devices are configured to execute computer-readable computer program code to receive a plurality of job orders for distinct wood products having varying components; optimize cutting of all components for the plurality of job orders to minimize waste of source materials, thereby resulting in a plurality of components for the plurality of job orders; track each component electronically in order to identify each component at a final cutting machine location; and affix a unique indicator on each component indicating both a receptacle and a receptacle portion corresponding to each component, thereby optimizing organization of all the components by at least one of job, distance from machine to receptacle, and distance from receptacle to assembly location. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365015 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE SECURE DISMANTLING OF ELECTRONIC DATA DRIVES - A method and apparatus for efficiently dismantling hard disk drives, including a holder assembly to clamp a hard disk drive, a scanner that reads identification information of the hard disk drive. A chain conveyor belt indexes the hard disk drive to a position at which a logic board of the hard disk drive is peeled off and dropped into a bin, and to a position at which a lid of the hard disk drive is separated from a housing by way of a wedge, and indexes to a punch position at which magnets are punched in a direction from the logic board side of the hard disk drive. By separating and disposing the logic board and the lid, each hard disk drive is efficiently and securely dismantled. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365016 | ONLINE MONITORING OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING USING ACOUSTIC EMISSION METHODS - Embodiments provide systems and methods for utilizing acoustic sensors to detect defects via online or in situ monitoring of additive manufacturing (AM) processes. Sensors may capture acoustic waves associated with AM manufacturing operations. The acoustic emissions in combination with other sensing data, such as cameras or thermometers, may be used to characterize the state of the AM process, such as to detect a defect has occurred or confirm a defect has not occurred. When defects are detected, the AM process may be stopped to prevent further processing of a defective part. When defects are predicted as likely to occur, operational parameters of the AM device or process may be adjusted to mitigate the occurrence of a defect. The techniques disclosed herein enable detection of defects that occur underneath the surface of the part being manufactured, as well as correct issues with the AM device or process before a defect occurs. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365017 | 3-D PRINTING BATCH ANALYSIS - 3-D printing batch analysis is disclosed. A disclosed example apparatus includes a processor to generate a plurality of batches, wherein each of the batches represent an arrangement of a plurality of parts to be printed in a volume, discretize the batches into slices, and determine risk values of the slices based on the respective geometric primitives. The processor is to also determine aggregate risk values corresponding to the batches based on the risk values of the slices of the respective batches, and select a batch of the plurality of batches based on the aggregate risk values. The example apparatus also includes a printer to print the selected batch in the volume. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365018 | METHOD AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE FOR MONITORING A MANUFACTURING OF A METAL PRODUCT, RELATED COMPUTER PROGRAM AND INSTALLATION - A method for monitoring a manufacturing of a metal product, the metal product being manufactured according to a manufacturing process, is implemented by an electronic monitoring device. This method includes acquiring ( | 2021-11-25 |
20210365019 | A MONITOR FOR A MULTI-PARAMETER MANUFACTURING PROCESS - The present disclosure relates to manufacturing a pharmaceutical compound according to a manufacturing process. The manufacturing process comprises process parameters and rules that use the process parameters as literals. A control system determines a partition of the rules into subsets of rules, each being independent from the other subsets of rules in relation to the literals used in the rules. The controller creates simplified representations of the manufacturing process, which comprise the literals from a corresponding subset of rules and are created by eliminating literals used by other subsets of rules. The controller checks compliance of the manufacturing process based on the simplified representations of the manufacturing process by comparing values of the literals of a current process execution against literals in the simplified representations and adjusts the manufacturing process where the comparing identifies a difference. The controller repeats the steps of checking and adjusting until no differences are identified. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365020 | Extensible Industrial Internet of Things Platform - In an illustrative embodiment, the present disclosure relates to systems, methods, and an industrial internet of things (IIOT) platform and environment for generating a device integration definition to be used for configuring a new device type for interoperability with the IIOT platform and environment, where the device integration definition includes a standardized format in a programming language syntax, the device integration definition is customizable using code hook templates for issuing commands to the device type, and the device integration definition is customizable using control templates for applying the device integration definition as a foundation for preparing a graphical user interface for configuring devices of the device type with the IIOT platform and environment. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365021 | A METHOD FOR COMMISSIONING AND MAINTENANCE OF ALARM SYSTEMS - A method of commissioning or maintenance an alarm system is provided. The method including: receiving a fault report including one or more faults from an alarm system; categorizing the one or more faults; prioritizing the one or more faults into a list of highest priority; determining a first root cause of a first fault of the one or more faults in response to at least one of an alarm system configuration of the alarm system, a device mapping of the alarm system, and an event history of the alarm system; providing instructions, via a user interface, regarding how to resolve the first fault in response to the first root cause; and detecting whether the first fault is resolved. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365022 | PREDICTING EARLY WARNINGS OF AN OPERATING MODE OF EQUIPMENT IN INDUSTRY PLANTS - Currently solutions for early detection of failures in manufacturing utilize predefined threshold levels of the process variables associated with equipment in manufacturing unit/industry plants. The pre-defined threshold and levels thereof are compared with the real values obtained from the manufacturing unit to check behavior of process variables (also referred as ‘process parameters’) and thus are prone to error. The present disclosure provides systems and method for predicting early warning of operating mode of equipment operating in industry plants which is based on transforming conditions on process parameters into conditions on corresponding fuzzy indices based on their thresholds. The fuzzy indices (concordance index, discordance index) of individual conditions are combined into a composite fuzzy index (composite index or degree of credibility) that describes the failure scenario in the process parameter space. A fuzzy logic-based detection is useful for detecting a failure mode early and providing alerts to operators for necessary action. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365023 | SCHEDULING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ONLINE PROGRAM UPDATE - Example implementations described herein involve systems and methods for managing a plurality of programmable logic controllers (PLC), which can involve, for a detection of an update to one or more of a software or a firmware installed on a PLC of the plurality of PLCs being available, determining an impact level of the update to the one or more of the software or the firmware installed on the PLC of the plurality of PLCs; selecting a non-operational time slot for the PLC of the plurality of PLCs based on the impact level, wherein higher impact levels are indicative of requiring a longer non-operational time slot; and scheduling the update to the one or more of the software or the firmware installed on the PLC of the plurality of PLCs during the non-operational time slot. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365024 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR POSITIONING UNMANNED VEHICLE - The embodiments of the present application provide a method and device for positioning unmanned vehicle. The method includes: sending a positioning request to a user terminal, when an abnormal positioning for an unmanned vehicle is detected; receiving auxiliary positioning information returned by the user terminal according to the positioning request, the positioning request including auxiliary positioning information, determining whether a position corresponding to the auxiliary positioning information exceeds a setting range corresponding to an actual position of the unmanned vehicle or not; acquiring environmental information of the unmanned vehicle, when the position corresponding to the auxiliary positioning information does not exceed the setting range corresponding to the actual position of the unmanned vehicle; and adjusting the position corresponding to the auxiliary positioning information according to the environmental information and a pre-stored electronic map. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365025 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TRACE GAS DETECTION UTILIZING UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES - An apparatus for trace gas detection includes an unmanned aerial vehicle and a sensor package including an ambient environmental parameter sensor and a gas sensor for trace gas detection. A trace gas detection system includes two such unmanned aerial vehicles and a ground station all adapted for monitoring ambient environmental parameters and trace gas detection. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365026 | METHOD OF EXTRACTING FEATURE FROM IMAGE USING LASER PATTERN AND DEVICE AND ROBOT OF EXTRACTING FEATURE THEREOF - Provided herein are a method of extracting a feature from an image using a laser pattern and an identification device and a robot including the same, and the identification device for extracting a feature from an image using a laser pattern, which includes a first camera coupled to a laser filter and configured to generate a first image including a pattern of a laser which is reflected from an object, a second camera configured to capture an area overlapping an area captured by the first camera to generate a second image, and a controller configured to generate a mask for distinguishing an effective area using the pattern included in the first image and extract a feature from the second image by applying the mask to the second image. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365027 | ROAD FEATURE POINT EXTRACTION METHOD AND SYSTEM - Disclosed are a road feature point extraction method and system. The road feature point extraction method comprises: acquiring map information for the current position of a vehicle, wherein the map information comprises the attributes of the current road and the attributes of the next road section; comparing the attributes of the current road with the attributes of the next road section to determine the road type of the next road section; and extracting, in conjunction with the road type of the next road section and the map information corresponding to the next road section, a road feature point representing a road scene on the next road section, and outputting the name of the extracted road feature point and information of the relative distance between the road feature point and the vehicle. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365028 | OBSTACLE NAVIGATION TRAVELLING DEVICE OF POWER LINE INSPECTION ROBOT - The present invention discloses an obstacle navigation travelling device of a power line inspection robot. The present obstacle navigation travelling device of a power line inspection robot includes: a travelling device underframe; a first arm assembly mounted at one end of the travelling device underframe; a first linear driving device for driving the first arm assembly to move linearly on the one end of the travelling device underframe; a second arm assembly mounted at one end of the travelling device underframe far from the first arm assembly; a second linear driving device for driving the second arm assembly to move linearly on the one end of the travelling device underframe far from the first arm assembly; and a third arm assembly. The present invention has the beneficial effects of a large turning range and excellent balancing. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365029 | SAFETY SYSTEMS FOR SEMI-AUTONOMOUS DEVICES AND METHODS OF USING THE SAME - Systems and methods of monitoring the position of semi-autonomous or fully-autonomous devices for safe navigation in a dynamic, unstructured environment can include processes to detect localization errors via an odometry check, a laser map alignment check, or a bimodal distribution check; detect tracking errors to monitor and/or control device trajectory and/or to avoid device rollover; regulate velocity control based on static or dynamic safety zones for collision avoidance; perform system integrity checks to maintain desired performance over time; and/or the like. These processes may interface with and/or utilize sensors on the device and may provide inputs for a safety monitor system that oversees device safety. In addition, an onboard computer system with a real time operating system may be used to enable real time monitoring and response during device navigation and to execute relevant processes associated with this system independent of other processes performed. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365030 | OBSTACLE-AVOIDANCE MOVING METHOD OF SELF-MOVING ROBOT - An obstacle avoidance moving method of a self-moving robot includes storing a coordinate of a first obstacle point and a coordinate of a second obstacle point. The coordinate of the first obstacle point and the coordinate of the second obstacle point are formed by detecting an obstacle by the self-moving robot when moving along a first direction. The method further includes performing a serpentine pattern moving according to the coordinate of the first obstacle point and the coordinate of the second obstacle point. The method accurately determines obstacle position and provides a concise moving path, and greatly improves the working efficiency of the self-moving robot. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365031 | Systems For a Shared Vehicle - The present invention relates to a system for automatically adjusting a vehicle feature of a vehicle, where the system includes a first sensor, an onboard computer, a camera, a mirror, a controller; an actuator; and an algorithm. The algorithm instructs the onboard computer in steps for adjusting one or more vehicle features. The first sensor and the controller are in electronic communication with the onboard computer and the controller is in electronic communication with one or more actuators that connect to and adjust the various vehicle features. The onboard computer includes or accesses a database that correlates users, features, and vehicle feature settings. Such vehicle features include vehicle movement, seat position and camera viewing angle. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365032 | METHOD TO OPTIMIZE ROBOT MOTION PLANNING USING DEEP LEARNING - Methods and systems are provided for high-speed constrained motion planning. In one embodiment, a method includes computing, with a neural network trained on trajectories generated by a non-convex optimizer, a trajectory from one or more initial states of an autonomous system to one or more final states of the autonomous system, updating, with the non-convex optimizer, the trajectory according to kinematic limits and dynamic limits of the autonomous system to obtain a final trajectory, and automatically controlling the autonomous system from an initial state of the one or more initial states to a final state of the one or more final states according to the final trajectory. In this way, efficient and smooth trajectories can be rapidly computed for effective real-time control while accounting for obstacles and physical constraints of an autonomous system. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365033 | MODEL PREDICTIVE CONTROL DEVICE, COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM, MODEL PREDICTIVE CONTROL SYSTEM AND MODEL PREDICTIVE CONTROL METHOD - An operation path generation unit ( | 2021-11-25 |
20210365034 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUTONOMOUSLY BACKING A VEHICLE TO A DOCK - In some embodiments, techniques are provided for autonomously backing a vehicle to a target object such as a loading dock, a loading bay, a dock level er, a garage door, a wall area, another vehicle, or an end of an alley. The target object is determined, and an autonomous backing module of the vehicle determines relevant distances and angles. Using this information, the autonomous backing module may determine a path to the target object, and transmit commands to components of the vehicle to autonomously control the vehicle along the determined path to the target object. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365035 | INDOOR POSITIONING SYSTEM FOR MOBILE OBJECTS - A mobile object configured for movement in an area equipped with VLC illumination sources comprises a light sensor arranged to detect illumination from at least one of the illumination sources within the view of the light sensor; a computer arranged to determine from the detected illumination (i) a position of the mobile object relative to the at least one illumination source and (ii) the identifier of the at least one illumination source; and a transceiver. The transceiver can receive from another mobile object a message comprising the position of the other mobile object relative to a source of illumination, and the identifier of that source of illumination. From this, the computer determines from its position and the message a distance from the other mobile object. A mobile object which transmits such a message is also envisaged. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365036 | LOCALIZED OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE FOR OPTIMAL V2V PATH PLANNING - A vehicle control system for an agricultural vehicle, including a processing circuit including a processor and memory, the memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processing circuit to receive a location of a first vehicle, update a coverage map based on the location of the first vehicle, wherein the coverage map represents a region of operation for the agricultural vehicle and the first vehicle, designate one or more areas of the coverage map as repulsion areas based on the location of the first vehicle, and generate a path from the agricultural vehicle to the first vehicle based on the one or more repulsion areas. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365037 | AUTOMATIC DRIVING SYSTEM FOR GRAIN PROCESSING, AUTOMATIC DRIVING METHOD, AND AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION METHOD - An automatic driving system for grain processing, an automatic driving method, and an automatic identification method is illustrated. The automatic driving system includes a grain processing host, an image acquiring device, and an image processing system. The image acquiring device is provided in the grain processing host. The image acquiring device acquires at least one image around the grain processing host. The image processing system identifies areas in the image by utilizing an image segmentation and identification technique on the basis of the image acquired by the image acquiring device. The grain processing host automatedly controls driving based on the areas identified by the image processing system. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365038 | LOCAL SENSING BASED AUTONOMOUS NAVIGATION, AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Local sensing based navigation maps can form a basis for autonomous navigation of a mobile platform. An example method includes obtaining real-time environment information that indicates an environment within a proximity of the mobile platform based on first sensor(s) carried by the mobile platform, detecting navigation features based on sensor data obtained from the first sensor(s) or second sensor(s) carried by the mobile platform, integrating information corresponding to the navigation features with the environment information to generate a local navigation map, and generating navigation command(s) for controlling a motion of the mobile platform based on the local navigation map. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365039 | TARGET TRACKING METHOD AND DEVICE - A target tracking method and device, relating to the field of vehicles. The method comprises: reading a target fusion list at the current moment, wherein the target fusion list comprises a target attribute set corresponding to each environment target in one or more environment targets, and the target attribute set comprises parameter attribute sets, measured by one or more sensors, of the environment targets; determining whether the target fusion list at the current moment is an initial target fusion list or not; and if the target fusion list at the current moment is not the initial target fusion list, determining a target tracking list at the current moment according to the target fusion list at the current moment and a stored target tracking list at the previous moment, wherein the target tracking list comprises a parameter attribute set corresponding to each screened environment target and a fusion tracking ID. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365040 | MOVEMENT ROBOT - Provided is a movement robot configured so that various types of operation can be executed according to motion of other objects or a movement body and a utilization area can be expanded accordingly. The movement robot includes a robot body 1, a control unit 2, a traveling unit 3, and a detection unit 4. The control unit 2 includes a storage section 30 configured to store detection information detected by the detection unit 4 in chronological order, a map production section 25 configured to produce a map of the periphery of the robot body 1, a movement body detection section 291 configured to detect a movement body 100 different from the robot body 1, a route control section 26 configured to associate the map with robot route information 32 indicating a movement route of the robot body 1 and movement body route information 33 indicating a movement route of the movement body 100, and an coordinated movement control section 28 configured to move the robot body 1 in coordination with the movement body 100 based on the robot route information 32 and the movement body route information 33. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365041 | METHOD FOR TRAVELING ON BASIS OF CHARACTERISTICS OF TRAVELING SURFACE, AND ROBOT FOR IMPLEMENTING SAME - The present disclosure relates to a method for driving on the basis of characteristics of a driving surface, and a robot for implementing the same, and a method for driving on the basis of characteristics of a driving surface, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, comprises the steps in which: a sensing module of the robot senses an adjacent driving surface to generate characteristic information of the driving surface, and a control unit of the robot stores position and characteristic information of the driving surface in a map storage of the robot; the controller of the robot sets a function to be applied to the driving surface in response to the characteristic information of the driving surface, or generates a movement path selectively including the driving surface corresponding to start and end points of the robot; and the controller controls a moving unit and a functional unit of the robot according to the set function or the movement path. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365042 | Systems and Methods for Controlling Autonomous Vehicles that Provide a Vehicle Service to Users - Systems and methods for determining autonomous vehicle user boarding times are provided. In one example embodiment, a computer implemented method includes obtaining location data associated with a user device associated with a user. The method includes determining an estimated time until the user starts boarding the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the location data associated with the user device. The method includes obtaining data associated with the user. The method includes determining an estimated time of boarding duration for the user based at least in part on the data associated with the user. The method includes determining an estimated time until the user completes boarding of the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the estimated time until the user starts boarding the autonomous vehicle and the estimated time of boarding duration for the user. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365043 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GUIDING VEHICLES AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT - A system for guiding vehicles is provided. The system includes a first vehicle, a second vehicle, and a host terminal. The first vehicle is configured to move in a first space. The second vehicle is configured to move in a second space. The host terminal includes a computer program product and a processor. In response to the processor executing the computer program product, the host terminal performs an interactive operation with at least one of the first vehicle and the second vehicle. The interactive operation includes receiving first position information of the first vehicle; receiving second position information of the second vehicle; receiving destination information; according to the first position information, the second position information, the destination information, and environmental characteristics of a map, planning a travelling path on the map; and controlling a movement route of the first or second vehicle according to the travelling path. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365044 | MOWER FLEET MANAGEMENT DEVICE, METHOD, AND SYSTEM - The mower fleet management device is configured to control a plurality of mowers to work in collaboration. Each of the mowers includes an on-board communication module and an on-board positioning and navigation module. The mower fleet management device includes: a map loading module configured to acquire a map of a working land parcel; a control terminal communication module configured to wirelessly communicate with the on-board communication modules to acquire status information of the mowers; and a working region assigning module configured to assign a working region to each of the mowers according to the status information and the map. The on-board positioning and navigation module of each of the mowers guides the mower to work in the corresponding working region according to the assigned working region. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365045 | VEHICLE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD - A vehicle control system includes a controller that detects a communication loss between a first vehicle and a second vehicle and/or a monitoring device in a vehicle system. The controller operationally restricts movement of the vehicle system based on the communication loss. The controller obtains or generates a transitional plan that designates operational settings for the first vehicle and/or the second vehicle based at least in part on a location of the first vehicle and/or the second vehicle. The controller selectively changes movement of the first vehicle and/or the second vehicle via the transitional plan to reduce a speed of the first vehicle and/or the second vehicle responsive to the communication loss being detected. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365046 | CONTROL METHOD OF ROBOT SYSTEM - Disclosed is a method of controlling a robot system, including receiving user input including a request for a predetermined service, by a first robot, transmitting information based on the user input to a server, by the first robot, identifying a support robot for supporting a task corresponding to the service request, by the server, making a request to the second robot identified to be the support robot for the task, by the server, and performing the task, by the second robot, wherein the first robot is different from the second robot. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365047 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DRONE DOCKING - A system and a method for drone docking are provided. The method includes: setting a moving platform on a vehicle; obtaining, by the moving platform, current environmental data and historical environmental data corresponding to the moving platform; generating, by the moving platform, a recommended flight parameter according to the current environmental data and the historical environmental data, and transmitting the recommended flight parameter to a drone; and adjusting, by the drone, a flight parameter of the drone according to the recommended flight parameter to dock on the moving platform. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365048 | MULTI-ROTOR AIRCRAFT AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING SAME - A method of controlling a multi-rotor aircraft ( | 2021-11-25 |
20210365049 | Yaw Control Systems for Tailsitting Biplane Aircraft - An aircraft includes an airframe with first and second wings having a fuselage extending therebetween. A propulsion assembly is coupled to the fuselage and includes a counter-rotating coaxial rotor system that is tiltable relative to the fuselage to generate a thrust vector. First and second yaw vanes extend aftwardly from the fuselage. A flight control system is configured to direct the thrust vector of the coaxial rotor system and control movements of the yaw vanes. In a VTOL orientation of the aircraft, differential operation of the yaw vanes and/or differential operations of first and second rotor assemblies of the coaxial rotor system provide yaw authority for the aircraft. In a biplane orientation of the aircraft, collective operation of the yaw vanes provides yaw authority for the aircraft. | 2021-11-25 |
20210365050 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PREDICTING GROUND EFFECTS ALONG A FLIGHT PLAN - The present disclosure provides systems and methods for predicting ground effects along a flight plan. The systems and methods provide a processor executed process including the steps: receiving a flight plan for a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft; receiving terrain and obstacles geospatial data for the flight plan from the database; determining weight of the VTOL aircraft along the flight plan; determining temperature of the environment along the flight plan; determining ground effect data along the flight plan based on the temperature and the weight; based on the terrain and obstacles data, the ground effect data and the flight plan, predict where, along the flight plan, the VTOL aircraft will traverse a ground effect region, thereby providing prediction data; and generating one or more commands to control a system of the VTOL aircraft based on the prediction data. | 2021-11-25 |