Patents by Inventor Toichi Hirata

Toichi Hirata 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: 6728619
    Abstract: A method for outputting failure handling method includes: detecting conditions of each part of a working machine; transmitting condition signals representing the detected conditions; receiving the condition signals; calculating a handling method for a failure showed by the received condition signals; and transmitting a handling signal representing the calculated handling method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Adachi, Toichi Hirata, Genroku Sugiyama, Hiroshi Watanabe, Shuichi Miura, Koji Mitsuya, Yoshiaki Saito, Atsushi Sato
  • Publication number: 20040004540
    Abstract: A security system of a construction machine of the present invention has a construction machine, a base station and a communication device. The construction machine comprises a data sending and receiving portion for sending first information, a storage portion for storing received information, and a control portion for controlling an operation of the construction machine. The base station receives the first information from the data sending and receiving portion of the construction machine and sends second information to the construction machine and manages the construction machine. It is configured so that the communication device is connected to the base station through a communication network and can send third information to the construction machine through the base station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Publication date: January 8, 2004
    Inventors: Hideki Komatsu, Hiroyuki Adachi, Kazuhiro Shibamori, Koichi Shibata, Itsuo Kondo, Toshinori Kimura, Genroku Sugiyama, Toichi Hirata, Tadatoshi Shimamura, Yuji Nagashima, Hiroshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6643582
    Abstract: The position of a working machine is detected, a position signal representing the detected position is transmitted, the position signal is received, management information relating to the working machine is calculated based on the received position signal, and the calculated management information is transmitted to the working machine. Example of management information is type of attachment depending on soil quality, and weather forecasts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Adachi, Toichi Hirata, Genroku Sugiyama, Hiroshi Watanabe, Koichi Shibata, Hideki Komatsu
  • Patent number: 6619037
    Abstract: Provided are hydraulic pumps 1,2, a control valve group 15a connected to the pump 1 and including a bypass on/off valve 7, a control valve group 15b connected to the pump 2 and including a reserve-actuator-controlling, directional control valve 11, a communication line 13 communicating a most upstream side of the control valve group 15a with a supply line 11a to the reserve-actuator-controlling, directional control valve 11, a merge control valve 14 for communicating or cutting off the communication line 13, an interlocked control means for changing over the merge control valve 14 to an open position and the bypass on/off valve 7 to a closed position in association with a change-over operation of the reserve-actuator-controlling, directional control valve 11, and a selective control valve 28 capable of taking one of a state, in which the operation to change over the merge control valve 14 by the interlocked control means is feasible, and another state in which the operation to change over the merge control va
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsukasa Toyooka, Toichi Hirata, Genroku Sugiyama, Kouji Ishikawa, Masao Nishimura, Tsuyoshi Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20030154091
    Abstract: A construction machine management system includes a receiver provided at a remote location from a plurality of construction machines, which receives information related to the lengths of operating time of the construction machines individually transmitted from the construction machines and a decision-making device that makes a decision as to whether or not there is any over-operated construction machine based upon the operating time information that has been received.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Adachi, Toichi Hirata, Genroku Sugiyama, Hiroshi Watanabe, Koichi Shibata, Hideki Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20030149491
    Abstract: A construction machine refueling system receives information transmitted from a construction machine at a receiver provided in a base station, and the construction machine includes a detector that detects a residual fuel amount and a transmitter that, when the residual amount of fuel is less than a specified value, transmits information indicating that fact to the base station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2002
    Publication date: August 7, 2003
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Adachi, Toichi Hirata, Genroku Sugiyama, Hiroshi Watanabe, Koichi Shibata, Hideki Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20030144750
    Abstract: This system is comprised of a hydraulic excavator 1 and a base station 16. The hydraulic excavator 1 is deployed at a construction site and is provided with a rewritable memory 402 storing control programs and/or data required for control of the machinery, a CPU 401 for reading out the control programs etc. from the memory 402 and executing them, and a communications device 42. The base station 16 is provided with a communications device 16a, a management server 17 for identifying the serial number of the hydraulic excavator and transferring information with the control unit, and a database 18 managed by the management server 17 and storing control programs etc. corresponding to the hydraulic excavator such as control programs for each model of the hydraulic excavator. When changing or switching the attachment etc. at the hydraulic excavator etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Publication date: July 31, 2003
    Inventors: Hiroshi Watanabe, Koichi Shibata, Hiroyuki Adachi, Toichi Hirata, Genroku Sugiyama, Hideki Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20030137398
    Abstract: A security system for a construction machine including a construction machine equipped with a body controller for storing a first password, management apparatus arranged in a location apart from the construction machine and a portable communications unit for storing a second password provided communicably with the management apparatus and the body controller. The portable communications unit, receiving the first password from the management apparatus, replaces the second password with the first password. The body controller determines whether the second password output from the portable communications unit coincides with the first password. In case these passwords coincide with each other, an engine drive signal is output. Otherwise the engine is kept inoperable. This prevents possible theft of a construction machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Publication date: July 24, 2003
    Inventors: Koichi Shibata, Kiyoshi Ono, Genroku Sugiyama, Osamu Tomikawa, Hiroyuki Adachi, Hideo Karasawa, Toichi Hirata, Hiroshi Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20030115020
    Abstract: A working time for each of an engine 32, a front 15, a swing body 13, and a travel body 12 of a hydraulic excavator 1 working in fields is measured. Measured data is stored in a memory of a controller 2 and then transferred to a base station computer 3 via satellite communication, an FD, etc. to be stored in a database 100. At each repair/replacement of a part in each hydraulic excavator, the base station computer 3 calculates, based on the operation data, a replacement time interval of the part on the basis of the working time per section to which the part belongs, and then stores and accumulates it. The base station computer also reads the stored data for each hydraulic excavator, determines, for each part, a replacement rate of the part having the substantially equal replacement time interval, and calculates a target replacement time interval of the part in accordance with the replacement time interval corresponding to a maximum replacement rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Adachi, Toichi Hirata, Genroku Sugiyama, Hiroshi Watanabe, Koichi Shibata, Hideki Komatsu, Shuichi Miura, Koji Mitsuya, Yoshiaki Sait, Atsushi Sato
  • Publication number: 20030110667
    Abstract: A construction machine rental fee setting system comprises a receiver, provided at a location remote from a construction machine, that receives information relating to the usage conditions and/or the usage environment of the construction machine transmitted from the construction machine, and a rental fee setting device that sets a construction machine rental fee based on the information received at the receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Adachi, Toichi Hirata, Genroku Sugiyama, Hiroshi Watanabe, Koichi Shibata, Hideki Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20030093203
    Abstract: A construction machine comprises a location detector for detecting location information for the construction machine, a determination device for determining whether or not location information is to be transmitted and outputting a transmission signal if it is determined that information is to be transmitted, and a transmitter for transmitting the detected location information to a base station in response to the transmission signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Publication date: May 15, 2003
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Adachi, Toichi Hirata, Genroku Sugiyama, Hiroshi Watanabe, Koichi Shibata, Hideki Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20030093204
    Abstract: A hydraulic excavator 1 working in fields includes a controller 2 for measuring a working time for each of an engine 32, a front 15, a swing body 13, and a travel body 12, storing measured data in a memory of the controller 2, and then transferring it to a base station computer 3 via satellite communication, an FD, etc. The transferred data is stored as a database 100 in the base station computer 3. The base station computer 3 reads the data stored in the database 100 for each hydraulic excavator, calculates a working time of a part belonging to each section on the basis of the working time of that section, and compares the calculated working time with a preset target replacement time interval of the relevant part, thereby calculating a remaining time up to next replacement of the relevant part and managing the scheduled replacement timing thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Publication date: May 15, 2003
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Adachi, Toichi Hirata, Genroku Sugiyama, Hiroshi Watanabe, Shuichi Miura, Koji Mitsuya, Yoshiaki Saito, Atsushi Sato
  • Publication number: 20030054808
    Abstract: The present invention is applied to a system comprised of large number of hydraulic excavators 1 deployed at construction sites and a base station 16. Each hydraulic excavator 1 is provided with a storage unit (memory 402), a control unit (CPU 401) for executing the work operation and receiving as input a quantitative machine status relating to the work operation, and a communications device 42. The base station 16 is provided with a communications device 16a, a management server 17 for identifying the serial number of the hydraulic excavator 1 and transferring information, and a database 18 for storing various information. The control unit of the hydraulic excavator 1 and the management server 17 of the base station 16 transfer information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Inventors: Hiroshi Watanabe, Koichi Shibata, Hiroyuki Adachi, Toichi Hirata, Genroku Sugiyama
  • Publication number: 20030023325
    Abstract: A method for outputting failure handling method includes: detecting conditions of each part of a working machine; transmitting condition signals representing the detected conditions; receiving the condition signals; calculating a handling method for a failure showed by the received condition signals; and transmitting a handling signal representing the calculated handling method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2002
    Publication date: January 30, 2003
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Adachi, Toichi Hirata, Genroku Sugiyama, Hiroshi Watanabe, Shuichi Miura, Koji Mitsuya, Yoshiaki Saito, Atsushi Sato
  • Publication number: 20020165656
    Abstract: The position of a working machine is detected, a position signal representing the detected position is transmitted, the position signal is received, management information relating to the working machine is calculated based on the received position signal, and the calculated management information is transmitted to the working machine. Example of management information is type of attachment depending on soil quality, and weather forecasts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2001
    Publication date: November 7, 2002
    Applicant: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Adachi, Toichi Hirata, Genroku Sugiyama, Hiroshi Watanabe, Koichi Shibata, Hideki Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20020161551
    Abstract: A controller 2 is mounted on a hydraulic excavator 1 working in fields. An operating time for each of an engine 32, a front 15, a swing body 13 and a travel body 12 is measured and stored in a memory of the controller 2. The measured data is transferred to a base station computer 3 through satellite communication, a FD, etc. and stored in a database 100 inside the base station computer 3. The base station computer 3 reads, per hydraulic excavator, the data stored in the database 100 and then prepares and outputs a distribution graph of the number of operated machines with respect to the working time (engine running time) of the hydraulic excavator. While looking at the distribution graph, a machine maker estimates the number of hydraulic excavators to be renewed and estimates the sales quantity of hydraulic excavators, thereby setting up a production plan of hydraulic excavators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2001
    Publication date: October 31, 2002
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Adachi, Toichi Hirata, Genroku Sugiyama, Hiroshi Watanabe, Koichi Shibata, Hideki Komatsu
  • Patent number: 6449884
    Abstract: Hydraulic excavators 1 working in fields each include a controller 2, and an operating time is measured for each of an engine 32, a front 15, a swing body 13 and a track body 12. The measured data is stored in a memory of the controller 2, transferred to a base station computer 3 through satellite communication, an FD, etc., and stored in a database 100 of the base station computer 3. In the base station computer 3, the data stored in the database 100 is read out for each of the hydraulic excavators to obtain a value of an index (e.g., a travel ratio) regarding the state of use of a particular one of the hydraulic excavators and a distribution of the number of operated hydraulic excavators of the same model as the particular hydraulic excavator with respect to the index. The index value and that distribution are compared with each other to determine whether the particular hydraulic excavator is an optimum model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Watanabe, Koichi Shibata, Hiroyuki Adachi, Toichi Hirata, Genroku Sugiyama, Hideki Komatsu
  • Patent number: 6450284
    Abstract: A cab for a construction machine includes an operator's seat within a cab box. Consoles are provided on the left and right sides of the operator's seat, respectively, and a switch box is provided on an outer side of an operating lever of the right console. Provided on the switch box are a control dial for variably controlling rotational speed of an engine, a working mode selector switch, and a vehicle drive mode selector switch. An operator who is seated on the operator's seat can manipulate the switches on the switch box by stretching a right arm toward the operating lever and by blind touch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Sakyo, Toichi Hirata, Takashi Nakagawa, Akitaka Takeuchi, Kazuhiko Hiraoka
  • Patent number: 6325450
    Abstract: An operator's cab in a construction machine in which hollow pillar portions are formed each with an outer panel and an inner panel bonded to each other and the hollow pillar portions constitute an operator's cab frame, includes at least one reinforcement member constituted of thin plate that is bonded to the outer panel and/or the inner panel to divide an internal space of each of the hollow pillar portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2001
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Sakyo, Toichi Hirata, Kazuhisa Tamura, Jun Sonoda, Takashi Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20010005092
    Abstract: An operator's cab in a construction machine in which hollow pillar portions are formed each with an outer panel and an inner panel bonded to each other and the hollow pillar portions constitute an operator's cab frame, includes at least one reinforcement member constituted of thin plate that is bonded to the outer panel and/or the inner panel to divide an internal space of each of the hollow pillar portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2001
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Applicant: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Sakyo, Toichi Hirata, Kazuhisa Tamura, Jun Sonoda, Takashi Nakagawa