Patents by Inventor Jin Kitajima

Jin Kitajima has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11591768
    Abstract: A control method of a work machine includes: calculating a maximum flow rate of hydraulic oil discharged from a hydraulic pump; calculating a first target speed of working equipment including a bucket based on an operation amount of an operation device operated for driving a plurality of hydraulic actuators to which the hydraulic oil discharged from the hydraulic pump is supplied to drive the working equipment and a distance between the bucket and a target excavation landform; calculating a second target speed of the working equipment based on the maximum flow rate, and the operation amount of the operation device and the distance between the bucket and the target excavation landform; and outputting a control signal for controlling the hydraulic actuators based on a smaller one of the first target speed and the second target speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Toru Matsuyama, Hikaru Suzuki, Jin Kitajima
  • Patent number: 11085169
    Abstract: A work equipment control device includes a bucket posture-determining unit, a working plane-determining unit, and a bucket control unit. The bucket posture-determining unit determines an angle of a bucket in global coordinates. The working plane-determining unit determines an angle of a working plane in the global coordinates indicating a target shape of an excavation object of work equipment. The bucket control unit controls the bucket such that a difference between the angle of the bucket and the angle of the working plane maintains a uniform angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Matsuyama, Jin Kitajima, Yuki Shimano
  • Publication number: 20210222395
    Abstract: A control method of a work machine includes: calculating a maximum flow rate of hydraulic oil discharged from a hydraulic pump; calculating a first target speed of working equipment including a bucket based on an operation amount of an operation device operated for driving a plurality of hydraulic actuators to which the hydraulic oil discharged from the hydraulic pump is supplied to drive the working equipment and a distance between the bucket and a target excavation landform; calculating a second target speed of the working equipment based on the maximum flow rate, and the operation amount of the operation device and the distance between the bucket and the target excavation landform; and outputting a control signal for controlling the hydraulic actuators based on a smaller one of the first target speed and the second target speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventors: Toru Matsuyama, Hikaru Suzuki, Jin Kitajima
  • Patent number: 10584463
    Abstract: A control device for a construction machine includes an operational amount data acquisition unit configured to acquire operational amount data indicating an operational amount of the working unit, an operation determination unit configured to determine a non-operation state of a bucket on the basis of the operational amount data, a bucket control determination unit configured to determine whether bucket control conditions are satisfied, on the basis of determination of the non-operation state, and a working unit control unit configured to output a control signal for controlling the bucket to maintain a state of the working unit, when the bucket control conditions are determined to be satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Matsuyama, Jin Kitajima, Yuki Shimano
  • Patent number: 10501911
    Abstract: A control device includes a bucket control unit and a speed restricting unit. The bucket control unit calculates a control speed controlling a bucket so as to maintain an angle of the work equipment at a constant angle. The speed restricting unit reduces the control speed when the bucket is driven at the control speed calculated by the bucket control unit and when a direction in which the bucket is driven and a direction in which the arm is driven coincide with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Matsuyama, Jin Kitajima
  • Patent number: 10443214
    Abstract: A control system for a work vehicle includes at least one sensor, an operating device, and a controller. The operating device includes at least one operating member. The controller is programmed to control a work implement of the work vehicle based on signals from the at least one sensor and the operating device. The controller is further programmed to use the signals to obtain a distance between the work implement and a design terrain which represents a target shape of a work object, and to determine whether a surface compaction determination condition indicating that work performed by the work implement is surface compaction work is satisfied. The controller executes a surface compaction control in which a velocity of the work implement toward the design terrain is limited in response to the distance between the work implement and the design terrain when the surface compaction determination condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Shimano, Jin Kitajima, Yoshiki Kami, Masashi Ichihara
  • Patent number: 10364546
    Abstract: A distance obtaining unit obtains the distance between a work implement and a design terrain. A work aspect determining unit determines a work aspect by the work implement. A limit velocity deciding unit limits the velocity of the work implement when the distance between the work implement and the design terrain becomes smaller. When the work aspect is surface compaction work and the distance between the work implement and the design terrain is within a first range of at least a portion that is equal to or less than a predetermined first distance, the limit velocity deciding unit increases the limit velocity of the work implement in comparison to when the work aspect is an aspect of a work other than surface compaction, or cancels the limiting of the velocity of the work implement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Shimano, Tomohiro Nakagawa, Masashi Ichihara, Jin Kitajima
  • Patent number: 10352021
    Abstract: A work equipment control device includes a work equipment state specifying unit, a control reference specifying unit, a distance specifying unit, and a bucket control unit. The work equipment state specifying unit specifies a state of work equipment. The control reference specifying unit specifies a control reference of the work equipment. The distance specifying unit specifies a distance between the work equipment and the control reference. The bucket control unit generates a control command to drive a bucket such that the state of the work equipment is maintained when the distance between the work equipment and the control reference is less than a bucket control start threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Matsuyama, Jin Kitajima
  • Publication number: 20190194905
    Abstract: A work equipment control device includes a bucket posture-determining unit, a working plane-determining unit, and a bucket control unit. The bucket posture-determining unit determines an angle of a bucket in global coordinates. The working plane-determining unit determines an angle of a working plane in the global coordinates indicating a target shape of an excavation object of work equipment. The bucket control unit controls the bucket such that a difference between the angle of the bucket and the angle of the working plane maintains a uniform angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Toru Matsuyama, Jin Kitajima, Yuki Shimano
  • Publication number: 20180266071
    Abstract: A control device includes a bucket control unit and a speed restricting unit. The bucket control unit calculates a control speed controlling a bucket so as to maintain an angle of the work equipment at a constant angle. The speed restricting unit reduces the control speed when the bucket is driven at the control speed calculated by the bucket control unit and when a direction in which the bucket is driven and a direction in which the arm is driven coincide with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Applicants: Komatsu Ltd., Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Matsuyama, Jin Kitajima
  • Publication number: 20180230672
    Abstract: A control device for a construction machine includes an operational amount data acquisition unit configured to acquire operational amount data indicating an operational amount of the working unit, an operation determination unit configured to determine a non-operation state of a bucket on the basis of the operational amount data, a bucket control determination unit configured to determine whether bucket control conditions are satisfied, on the basis of determination of the non-operation state, and a working unit control unit configured to output a control signal for controlling the bucket to maintain a state of the working unit, when the bucket control conditions are determined to be satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Inventors: Toru Matsuyama, Jin Kitajima, Yuki Shimano
  • Patent number: 10017913
    Abstract: A construction machine control system includes: a target construction ground shape generation unit which generates a target construction ground shape indicating a target shape of an excavation target; a working device control instruction determination unit which outputs an instruction for driving the working device in a working device operation plane orthogonal to at least one of a boom axis, an arm axis, and a bucket axis based on an operation state of at least one of an arm and a bucket and a distance between the bucket and the target construction ground shape; and a tilting control instruction determination unit which outputs an instruction for performing a tilting control of the bucket about a tilting axis based on a tilting state of the bucket and the distance between the bucket and the target construction ground shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Iwamura, Jin Kitajima, Yoshiro Iwasaki, Yuto Fujii, Takashi Yokoo
  • Patent number: 10006189
    Abstract: A control system controls a construction machine that includes a work machine including a bucket having a plurality of tilting mechanisms. The control system includes: a tilt angle sensor that is provided in the bucket so as to detect tilt angle data including a rotation angle of the bucket about the tilt shaft, the tilt angle sensor being capable of detecting an inclination angle with respect to a horizontal plane; a data acquisition unit to which the tilt angle data is output from the tilt angle sensor; a data fixing unit that fixes the tilt angle data output to the data acquisition unit based on a fixing command to generate fixed data; and a work machine control unit that controls the work machine based on the fixed data until the fixing command is disabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventor: Jin Kitajima
  • Publication number: 20180148905
    Abstract: A work equipment control device includes a work equipment state specifying unit, a control reference specifying unit, a distance specifying unit, and a bucket control unit. The work equipment state specifying unit specifies a state of work equipment. The control reference specifying unit specifies a control reference of the work equipment. The distance specifying unit specifies a distance between the work equipment and the control reference. The bucket control unit generates a control command to drive a bucket such that the state of the work equipment is maintained when the distance between the work equipment and the control reference is less than a bucket control start threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Inventors: Toru Matsuyama, Jin Kitajima
  • Publication number: 20180002901
    Abstract: A control system for a work vehicle includes at least one sensor, an operating device, and a controller. The operating device includes at least one operating member. The controller is programmed to control a work implement of the work vehicle based on signals from the at least one sensor and the operating device. The controller is further programmed to use the signals to obtain a distance between the work implement and a design terrain which represents a target shape of a work object, and to determine whether a surface compaction determination condition indicating that work performed by the work implement is surface compaction work is satisfied. The controller executes a surface compaction control in which a velocity of the work implement toward the design terrain is limited in response to the distance between the work implement and the design terrain when the surface compaction determination condition is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Inventors: Yuki SHIMANO, Jin KITAJIMA, Yoshiki KAMI, Masashi ICHIHARA
  • Patent number: 9856628
    Abstract: A control system controls a construction machine having a work machine including a tilting bucket. The control system includes: a first acquisition unit configured to acquire dimension data; a second acquisition unit configured to acquire external shape data of the bucket; a third acquisition unit configured to acquire target excavation landform data indicating a target excavation landform that is a two-dimensional target shape of an excavation object on a work machine operation plane perpendicular to a bucket axis; a fourth acquisition unit configured to acquire work machine angle data; a fifth acquisition unit configured to acquire tilt angle data indicating a turning angle of the bucket; and a calculation unit configured to obtain two-dimensional bucket data indicating an external shape of the bucket on the work machine operation plane on the basis of the dimension data, the external shape data, the work machine angle data, and the tilt angle data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin Kitajima, Kazuki Takehara
  • Publication number: 20170342679
    Abstract: A construction machine control system includes: a target construction ground shape generation unit which generates a target construction ground shape indicating a target shape of an excavation target; a working device control instruction determination unit which outputs an instruction for driving the working device in a working device operation plane orthogonal to at least one of a boom axis, an arm axis, and a bucket axis based on an operation state of at least one of an arm and a bucket and a distance between the bucket and the target construction ground shape; and a tilting control instruction determination unit which outputs an instruction for performing a tilting control of the bucket about a tilting axis based on a tilting state of the bucket and the distance between the bucket and the target construction ground shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventors: Tsutomu Iwamura, Jin Kitajima, Yoshiro Iwasaki, Yuto Fujii, Takashi Yokoo
  • Patent number: 9803340
    Abstract: A control deciding unit for deciding to execute a leveling control for controlling a work implement so that the work implement moves along a design terrain when a leveling determination condition is satisfied. The control deciding unit decides to execute a surface compaction control for limiting the velocity of the work implement toward the design terrain in response to the distance between the work implement and the design terrain when a surface compaction determination condition is satisfied. The control deciding unit maintains the surface compaction control when the leveling determination condition is satisfied while the surface compaction control is being executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Shimano, Jin Kitajima, Yoshiki Kami, Masashi Ichihara
  • Publication number: 20170268198
    Abstract: A distance obtaining unit obtains the distance between a work implement and a design terrain. A work aspect determining unit determines a work aspect by the work implement. A limit velocity deciding unit limits the velocity of the work implement when the distance between the work implement and the design terrain becomes smaller. When the work aspect is surface compaction work and the distance between the work implement and the design terrain is within a first range of at least a portion that is equal to or less than a predetermined first distance, the limit velocity deciding unit increases the limit velocity of the work implement in comparison to when the work aspect is an aspect of a work other than surface compaction, or cancels the limiting of the velocity of the work implement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Yuki SHIMANO, Tomohiro NAKAGAWA, Masashi ICHIHARA, Jin KITAJIMA
  • Publication number: 20170268204
    Abstract: A control deciding unit for deciding to execute a leveling control for controlling a work implement so that the work implement moves along a design terrain when a leveling determination condition is satisfied. The control deciding unit decides to execute a surface compaction control for limiting the velocity of the work implement toward the design terrain in response to the distance between the work implement and the design terrain when a surface compaction determination condition is satisfied. The control deciding unit maintains the surface compaction control when the leveling determination condition is satisfied while the surface compaction control is being executed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Yuki SHIMANO, Jin KITAJIMA, Kami YOSHIKI, Masashi ICHIHARA