Patents by Inventor Kazunori Matsufuji

Kazunori Matsufuji 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: 10945367
    Abstract: A combine including a grain tank that retains grain conveyed from a threshing device; a discharge auger; a temporary retention unit within the grain tank that temporarily retains part of the grain and has a discharge port; a quality measurement unit that detects quality of the grain retained in the temporary retention unit; a shutter transitionable between a position where the discharge port is open and a position where the discharge port is closed; a control unit that opens the shutter when the measurement by the quality measurement unit is completed and closes the shutter when all of the grain in the temporary retention unit is discharged; a volume measurement unit that detects the retention volume of the grain retained in the grain tank; and a determination unit that determines whether the retention volume exceeds a predetermined value, and if so, the control unit stops the opening/closing control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotsugu Inoue, Kazuhiro Takahara, Hiroshi Ikeda, Kazunori Matsufuji, Katsuhide Kato
  • Publication number: 20190069482
    Abstract: A combine that can accurately measure the weight of grain retained in a grain tank is provided. When a weight measurement signal is output from a measurement switch 66, a weight measurement decision unit 75 instructs a working state determination unit 71 to perform working state determination. If it is determined that the combine is in the working state, the weight measurement decision unit 75 does not instruct a load cell 39 to perform weight measurement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Inventors: Hirotsugu Inoue, Kazuhiro Takahara, Hiroshi Ikeda, Kazunori Matsufuji, Katsuhide Kato
  • Patent number: 10149435
    Abstract: A combine includes: a yield measurement container (32) having a yield receiving opening (32a) for receiving at least some of grains supplied to a grain tank (15) which accumulates grains obtained by threshing, a yield discharge opening (32b) for discharging received grains, and a yield shutter (34) for opening and closing the yield discharge opening (32b); a yield measurement section for detecting, while the yield shutter (34) is closed, that a predetermined volume of grains has been accumulated in the yield measurement container (32) and then outputting a detection signal; a time calculation section for calculating, based on the detection signal, an accumulating time required to accumulate the predetermined volume of grains; and a yield calculation section for calculating a yield per unit travel based on a travel speed and the accumulation time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotsugu Inoue, Kazuhiro Takahara, Hiroshi Ikeda, Kazunori Matsufuji
  • Patent number: 10143132
    Abstract: A combine including: a measurement sensor that measures a retention volume amount of a grain retained in a grain tank; a determination unit that determines whether or not the retention volume amount measured by the measurement sensor exceeds a preset threshold; a notification unit that, if it is determined by the determination unit that the retention volume amount exceeds the threshold, notifies an operator of information indicating that the amount of the grain exceeds the threshold; a change unit that can change the threshold; and a communication unit that communicates with an external server. The change unit changes the threshold based on data received from the external server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotsugu Inoue, Kazuhiro Takahara, Hiroshi Ikeda, Kazunori Matsufuji, Katsuhide Kato
  • Patent number: 9906967
    Abstract: Disclosed are a work machine and a communication monitoring method that allow recording of work information even in the event of interruption of communication in a communication path between the work machine, a mobile communication terminal and a server. There is provided a control section (71) configured to transmit work information to a server (Z) via a communication section (68) and a smartphone (Y) if a monitoring section (69) detects that communication is possible between the communication section (68) and the smartphone (Y) and also to cause a storage section (70) to store the work information if the monitoring section (69) detects that communication is not possible between the communication section (68) and the smartphone (Y).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotsugu Inoue, Kazuhiro Takahara, Hiroshi Ikeda, Kazunori Matsufuji
  • Publication number: 20180042175
    Abstract: A combine that can accurately measure the weight of grain retained in a grain tank is provided. When a weight measurement signal is output from a measurement switch 66, a weight measurement decision unit 75 instructs a working state determination unit 71 to perform working state determination. If it is determined that the combine is in the working state, the weight measurement decision unit 75 does not instruct a load cell 39 to perform weight measurement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Inventors: Hirotsugu Inoue, Kazuhiro Takahara, Hiroshi Ikeda, Kazunori Matsufuji, Katsuhide Kato
  • Patent number: 9870654
    Abstract: A work device that performs work using a work unit while traveling, or a management system in which the work device is incorporated includes: a travel information generation unit that, over time, generates travel information indicating a travel state; a work information generation unit that, over time, generates work information indicating a work state for the work unit; a travel evaluation unit that, based on the travel information and the work information, divides the traveling of the work device into non-work traveling and actual work traveling; and a data visualization unit that generates visual data according to which the result of the division performed by the travel evaluation unit is made visible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Aya Tanabe, Kazuhiro Takahara, Kazunori Matsufuji, Hirotsugu Inoue
  • Patent number: 9820436
    Abstract: A combine that can accurately measure the weight of grain retained in a grain tank is provided. When a weight measurement signal is output from a measurement switch 66, a weight measurement decision unit 75 instructs a working state determination unit 71 to perform working state determination. If it is determined that the combine is in the working state, the weight measurement decision unit 75 does not instruct a load cell 39 to perform weight measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotsugu Inoue, Kazuhiro Takahara, Hiroshi Ikeda, Kazunori Matsufuji, Katsuhide Kato
  • Publication number: 20170200332
    Abstract: A work device that performs work using a work unit while traveling, or a management system in which the work device is incorporated includes: a travel information generation unit that, over time, generates travel information indicating a travel state; a work information generation unit that, over time, generates work information indicating a work state for the work unit; a travel evaluation unit that, based on the travel information and the work information, divides the traveling of the work device into non-work traveling and actual work traveling; and a data visualization unit that generates visual data according to which the result of the division performed by the travel evaluation unit is made visible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Inventors: Aya Tanabe, Kazuhiro Takahara, Kazunori Matsufuji, Hirotsugu Inoue
  • Patent number: 9639998
    Abstract: A work device that performs work using a work unit while traveling, or a management system in which the work device is incorporated includes: a travel information generation unit that, over time, generates travel information indicating a travel state; a work information generation unit that, over time, generates work information indicating a work state for the work unit; a travel evaluation unit that, based on the travel information and the work information, divides the traveling of the work device into non-work traveling and actual work traveling; and a data visualization unit that generates visual data according to which the result of the division performed by the travel evaluation unit is made visible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Aya Tanabe, Kazuhiro Takahara, Kazunori Matsufuji, Hirotsugu Inoue
  • Publication number: 20160073275
    Abstract: Disclosed are a work machine and a communication monitoring method that allow recording of work information even in the event of interruption of communication in a communication path between the work machine, a mobile communication terminal and a server. There is provided a control section (71) configured to transmit work information to a server (Z) via a communication section (68) and a smartphone (Y) if a monitoring section (69) detects that communication is possible between the communication section (68) and the smartphone (Y) and also to cause a storage section (70) to store the work information if the monitoring section (69) detects that communication is not possible between the communication section (68) and the smartphone (Y).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: Hirotsugu INOUE, Kazuhiro TAKAHARA, Hiroshi IKEDA, Kazunori MATSUFUJI
  • Publication number: 20160066507
    Abstract: A combine includes: a yield measurement container (32) having a yield receiving opening (32a) for receiving at least some of grains supplied to a grain tank (15) which accumulates grains obtained by threshing, a yield discharge opening (32b) for discharging received grains, and a yield shutter (34) for opening and closing the yield discharge opening (32b); a yield measurement section for detecting, while the yield shutter (34) is closed, that a predetermined volume of grains has been accumulated in the yield measurement container (32) and then outputting a detection signal; a time calculation section for calculating, based on the detection signal, an accumulating time required to accumulate the predetermined volume of grains; and a yield calculation section for calculating a yield per unit travel based on a travel speed and the accumulation time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: Hirotsugu Inoue, Kazuhiro Takahara, Hiroshi Ikeda, Kazunori Matsufuji
  • Publication number: 20160029559
    Abstract: The present invention provides a combine that can accurately measure the weight of grain retained in a grain tank. When a weight measurement signal is output from a measurement switch 66, a weight measurement decision unit 75 instructs a working state determination unit 71 to perform working state determination. If it is determined that the combine is in the working state, the weight measurement decision unit 75 does not instruct a load cell 39 to perform weight measurement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Applicant: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotsugu Inoue, Kazuhiro Takahara, Hiroshi Ikeda, Kazunori Matsufuji, Katsuhide Kato
  • Publication number: 20150243114
    Abstract: A work device that performs work using a work unit while traveling, or a management system in which the work device is incorporated includes: a travel information generation unit that, over time, generates travel information indicating a travel state; a work information generation unit that, over time, generates work information indicating a work state for the work unit; a travel evaluation unit that, based on the travel information and the work information, divides the traveling of the work device into non-work traveling and actual work traveling; and a data visualization unit that generates visual data according to which the result of the division performed by the travel evaluation unit is made visible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Inventors: Aya Tanabe, Kazuhiro Takahara, Kazunori Matsufuji, Hirotsugu Inoue