Patents by Inventor Kazuo Sakaguchi

Kazuo Sakaguchi 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).

  • Publication number: 20240081168
    Abstract: A transport system includes a sensor to sense surroundings of a working machine configured to perform automatic operation, the sensor being provided in or on the working machine, a transport determiner configured or programmed to determine whether it is possible to load the working machine onto and/or unload the working machine from a transport vehicle based on the surroundings of the working machine sensed by the sensor. The transport system includes a communication device provided in or on the working machine and configured or programmed to transmit information relating to loading and/or unloading of the working machine onto and/or from the transport vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: Kazuo SAKAGUCHI, Kenji TAMATANI, Yusuke TAKAHASHI
  • Patent number: 11895937
    Abstract: A slip determination system is provided that is capable of providing appropriate control information to a traveling vehicle when the traveling vehicle has proceeded to an area where a slip is likely to occur during automatic travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Sakaguchi, Tomohiko Sano, Osamu Yoshida, Tetsuya Nakajima, Takashi Nakabayashi, Satoshi Maruo, Kazuhiro Takahara
  • Patent number: 11897333
    Abstract: A harvester includes: a crop tank that stores a crop harvested by a harvesting device; a weight detection unit that detects a storage weight, which is a value indicating the weight of the crop stored in the crop tank; a maximum weight calculation unit that calculates a maximum weight, which is a value indicating the weight of the crop at the maximum storage amount of the crop tank; a unit harvest weight calculation unit calculates a unit harvest weight that indicates the weight of the crop harvested per unit of harvest-travel distance; and a maximum travel distance calculation unit that calculates a maximum travel distance, which is the maximum distance that can be traveled during traveling harvesting before the amount of the crop stored in the crop tank reaches the maximum storage amount, based on the storage weight, the maximum weight, and the unit harvest weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Sakaguchi, Tomohiko Sano, Osamu Yoshida, Satoshi Maruo, Takashi Nakabayashi
  • Patent number: 11726485
    Abstract: This autonomous work vehicle travel system is provided with: a satellite positioning module 80 that outputs positioning data indicating a vehicle position of a work vehicle 1; an area setting unit that sets an area CA to be worked in a work site; a route managing unit that calculates a travel route element set, which is an aggregate of multiple travel route elements constituting a travel route that covers the area CA to be worked, and storing the travel route element set so as to be readable; a route element selecting unit that selects a next travel route element to be traveled in sequence from the travel route element set; and an autonomous travel controlling unit that causes the work vehicle 1 to travel autonomously on the basis of the next travel route element and the vehicle position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Sakura Tomita, Tomohiko Sano, Kazuo Sakaguchi, Tetsuya Nakajima, Makoto Oshitani, Kenichi Iwami, Osamu Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11556132
    Abstract: A work vehicle includes: an electronic control system for automatic driving; and a cabin with which a boarding space is formed. The electronic control system includes an antenna unit for satellite navigation, and the antenna unit is attached to a central area of a roof of the cabin in a left-right direction. An upper surface of an area of the roof around the antenna unit is formed so as to be an inclined surface that is inclined in a front-rear direction. Left and right end portions of the roof are provided with left and right bulging edge portions that bulge upward from the left and right end portions and have a length that spans between front and rear ends of the roof, and water drain grooves that guide water on the roof toward the left and right bulging edge portions such that water detours the antenna unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keishiro Nishi, Atsushi Shinkai, Tomofumi Fukunaga, Takahiro Nakatsuka, Yushi Matsuzaki, Kazuo Sakaguchi, Takafumi Morishita
  • Publication number: 20220408631
    Abstract: An agricultural machine includes one or more illuminators to illuminate surroundings of the agricultural machine in a traveling direction thereof, and a controller to control self-driving of the agricultural machine while keeping at least one of the one or more illuminators deactivated at nighttime.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Kazuo SAKAGUCHI, Kenji TAMATANI, Yusuke TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20220400598
    Abstract: An agricultural machine includes a traveling vehicle body, a detector to detect objects in an area surrounding the traveling vehicle body, a detection adjuster to adjust a detection direction of the detector, a position sensor to detect a position of the traveling vehicle body, and an information acquirer to acquire information relating to an entrance/exit of an agricultural field. The detection adjuster is operable to perform a first adjustment of orienting the detection direction toward an end point of the entrance/exit when the traveling vehicle body is traveling toward the entrance/exit and a distance from the position of the traveling vehicle body to the entrance/exit included in the information is a predetermined value or less, and a second adjustment of orienting the detection direction toward the end point of the entrance/exit or a space forward of the end point in a traveling direction when the traveling vehicle body is traveling on the entrance/exit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: Kenji TAMATANI, Yuji OKUYAMA, Kazuo SAKAGUCHI, Yusuke TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20220400597
    Abstract: An agricultural support system includes a first communication device located in or on a tractor to transmit information, and a second communication device located in or on a transport vehicle to acquire the information transmitted from the first communication device. The transport vehicle is capable of transporting the tractor. The agricultural support system further includes a position sensor in or on the working machine to detect a position of the working machine. The first communication device is operable to transmit the position detected by the position sensor to the second communication device as the information. The second communication device is operable to receive the position transmitted from the first communication device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: Kenji TAMATANI, Yuji OKUYAMA, Kazuo SAKAGUCHI, Yusuke TAKAHASHI
  • Patent number: 11317557
    Abstract: An automatic steering system for a work vehicle includes: a steering travel apparatus for performing leftward turning based on a leftward steering amount with respect to a straight-forward direction and performing rightward turning based on a rightward steering amount with respect to a neutral position; a subject vehicle location calculator for calculating a location of a subject vehicle; a locational shifting calculator for calculating locational shifting from the travel route and the location of the subject vehicle; a vehicle body direction calculator for calculating a vehicle body direction that indicates a direction of a vehicle body; a directional shifting calculator for calculating directional shifting from the travel route and the vehicle body direction; a steering amount calculator for calculating a first steering amount, which is a steering amount for correcting the locational shifting and the directional shifting, based on the locational shifting and the directional shifting; and a steering amount l
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Sakaguchi, Tomohiko Sano, Osamu Yoshida, Satoshi Maruo, Takashi Nakabayashi, Tetsuya Nakajima
  • Patent number: 11320279
    Abstract: A travel route management system includes an area setting unit that sets a work site to an outer peripheral area SA and an area CA to be worked on an inner side of the outer peripheral area SA, and a route element selecting unit that sequentially selects a next travel route element to be traveled on next, from among multiple mutually-parallel travel route elements, the travel route elements constituting a travel route that covers the area CA to be worked. The route element selecting unit selects a U-turn travel route for moving from a travel route element serving as a movement origin to a next travel route element serving as a movement destination, the selection being made on the basis of an interval between the movement origin and the movement destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Sakura Tomita, Tomohiko Sano, Kazuo Sakaguchi, Tetsuya Nakajima, Makoto Oshitani, Kenichi Iwami, Osamu Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11300976
    Abstract: A work vehicle automatic traveling system includes a route element selecting unit that, on the basis of state information, sequentially selects a next travel route element on which a work vehicle is to travel next, from a travel route element set and a circling route element set. The route element selecting unit includes a cooperative route element selection rule, which is employed when a plurality of work vehicles carry out work travel cooperatively in an area CA to be worked, and an independent route element selection rule, which is employed when a single independent work vehicle among the work vehicles carries out work travel independently in the area CA to be worked. Also described is selecting the next travel route element based on the independent route element selection rule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Sakura Tomita, Tomohiko Sano, Kazuo Sakaguchi, Tetsuya Nakajima, Makoto Oshitani, Kenichi Iwami, Osamu Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11197405
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes a travel operation unit that is configured to be manually operated and includes a mode operation tool for switching between automatic driving and manual driving, a manual travel control unit that includes a manual travel mode in which manual driving is performed based an operation signal received from the travel operation unit, and an automatic travel control unit that includes an automatic travel mode in which automatic driving is performed, a temporary stop mode in which a vehicle body is temporarily stopped during automatic driving for transitioning from the automatic travel mode to the manual travel mode, and a check mode in which whether a state of the travel operation unit satisfies a manual driving transition condition required for starting manual driving is checked in transition from the temporary stop mode to the manual travel mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Sakaguchi, Tomohiko Sano, Osamu Yoshida, Takashi Nakabayashi, Sotaro Hayashi, Masayuki Horiuchi, Mitsuhiro Seki, Kyosuke Yamaoka, Satoshi Maruo
  • Patent number: 11168992
    Abstract: A travel route generation device for a field work vehicle includes a memory and circuitry. The circuitry is configured to generate, based on field data stored in the memory, a travel route. The circuitry is configured to determine a getting-off point in the travel route at which a driver gets off the field work vehicle. The circuitry is configured to determine a getting-on point in the travel route at which the driver gets on the field work vehicle. The circuitry is configured to define a first partial route in the travel route between the entrance and the getting-off point and a second partial travel route in the travel route between the getting-on point and the entrance as a manual travel route. The circuitry is configured to define a third partial travel route in the travel route between the getting-off point and the getting-on point as an automatic travel route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Uoya, Izuru Shimamoto, Kenji Tamatani, Megumi Suzukawa, Atsushi Shinkai, Kazuo Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 11169279
    Abstract: A work-vehicle position measurement system includes a reference station and a work vehicle. The reference station is provided at a reference position to measure a measured position of the reference position by receiving a radio wave from a satellite and to transmit reference information including the measured position. The work vehicle includes circuitry configured to obtain a calculated position of the work vehicle based on satellite information from the satellite and the reference information transmitted from the reference station, to control the work vehicle to travel along a predetermined travel route in a work field based on the calculated position of the work vehicle, and to manage map data of the work field to correspond to the reference information of the reference position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Shinkai, Kazuo Sakaguchi, Izuru Shimamoto, Kenji Tamatani, Megumi Suzukawa, Akisato Hori
  • Publication number: 20210302962
    Abstract: A harvester includes an inner side map creating section creating inner side map data indicative of a polygonal shape of an unworked area located inside an outer circumference area, the outer circumference area being created in an outer circumference of a field with a circumference reaping work traveling, an initial reference line calculating section calculating from the inner side map data an initial reference line which lies parallel with one side of the unworked area, a subsequent reference line calculating section calculating a subsequent reference line subsequent to the initial reference line, an automated traveling control section executing the automated traveling based on a traveling route comprised of the initial reference line and the subsequent reference line, and a manual traveling control section executing, based on a manual operation signal, a turning transition traveling for transition from automated traveling using the foregoing traveling route to automated traveling using subsequent traveling r
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Kazuo Sakaguchi, Tomohiko Sano, Osamu Yoshida, Takashi Nakabayashi
  • Publication number: 20210294345
    Abstract: A working vehicle includes a vehicle body capable of traveling, a ground working device attached to the vehicle body to perform ground working, an imaging device located on the vehicle body to image a ground working result after the ground working by the ground working device, and a storage to store a ground working image representing the ground working result taken by the imaging device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2021
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Atsushi SHINKAI, Kotaro YAMAGUCHI, Kazuo SAKAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20210169002
    Abstract: A harvester configured to harvest crops while traveling in a field includes a self-machine position detection module included in a machine body and operable to detect a self-machine position, a detection unit included in the machine body and including detection modules capable of detecting conditions of surrounding of the machine body, a map creation section operable to create, based on the self-machine position, a map indicative of a position of a reaped land in the field where the crops have been reaped and a position of an un-reaped land in the field where the crops have not yet been reaped and an operational mode setting section setting operational modes of the detection modules respectively, based on the map and the self-machine position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Inventors: Takashi Nakabayashi, Tomohiko Sano, Osamu Yoshida, Kazuo Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 10989541
    Abstract: A travel route generation device includes circuitry configured to calculate positions of a starting point, an end point, and intermediate points from a start vehicle position, an end vehicle position, and intermediate vehicle positions, respectively, based on a distance from a contour point to a reference point. The circuitry is configured to define the shape of the target work region by calculating a line connecting the starting point, the intermediate points, and the end point, the line defining the shape of the target work region. The circuitry is configured to generate a travel route along which the work vehicle is to travel in the target work region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Uoya, Izuru Shimamoto, Kenji Tamatani, Megumi Suzukawa, Atsushi Shinkai, Kazuo Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 10905042
    Abstract: A controller for a master work vehicle, includes a wireless circuit, an acquisition circuit, a message generation circuit, and a display control circuit. The wireless circuit is to receive, from a slave work vehicle configured to travel automatically, first information indicating a state of work travel of the slave work vehicle. The master work vehicle is configured to work in cooperation with the slave work vehicle. The acquisition circuit is configured to acquire second information indicating a state of work travel of the master work vehicle. The message generation circuit is configured to generate a first message based on the first information and a second message based on the second information. The display control circuit is configured to control a display to display the first message and the second message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Shinkai, Megumi Suzukawa, Kenji Tamatani, Izuru Shimamoto, Takafumi Morishita, Kazuo Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 10884427
    Abstract: A travel route generating device for a work vehicle includes a cell memory to store cell information with respect to cells obtained by dividing a topographical map of a work field in which the work vehicle works. A travel probability memory is to store a travel probability with respect to each of the cells. The travel probability includes a left-turn travel probability, a straight travel probability, and a right-turn travel probability in each of the cells. Circuitry is configured to determine a travel direction in each of the cells based on the travel probability of each of the cells. The work vehicle is configured to travel through each of the cells in the travel direction. The circuitry is configured to change the travel probability with respect to affected cells affected by moving the work vehicle through each of the cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuo Sakaguchi, Megumi Suzukawa, Sakura Tomita, Yuji Okuyama