Patents by Inventor Masashi Ichihara

Masashi Ichihara 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: 9702120
    Abstract: A posture computing apparatus for a work machine includes a detection apparatus that is provided to the work machine and detects angular velocity and acceleration; a first posture angle computing unit that is provided to the detection apparatus and obtains a posture angle of the work machine from the angular velocity and the acceleration detected by the detection apparatus; a low-pass filter that allows the posture angle obtained by the first posture angle computing unit to pass therethrough to output the posture angle as a first posture angle; a second posture angle computing unit that outputs, as a second posture angle, a posture angle obtained from the angular velocity and the acceleration detected by the detection apparatus; and a selecting unit that outputs the first posture angle and the second posture angle in a switching manner, based on information about a change in an angle of the work machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Akinori Baba, Masashi Ichihara
  • Patent number: 9689140
    Abstract: A construction machine control system for a construction machine that includes a work machine including a boom, an arm, and a bucket includes: an adjusting device having a movable spool and being capable of adjusting an amount of operating oil supplied to a hydraulic cylinder that drives the work machine with movement of the spool; an operation command unit adjusting the spool; a storage unit storing a plurality of pieces of correlation data indicating a relation between a cylinder speed of the hydraulic cylinder and an operation command value of operating the hydraulic cylinder according to a type of the bucket; an acquiring unit acquiring type data indicating the type of the bucket; and a control unit selecting one piece of correlation data from the plurality of pieces of correlation data based on the type data and controlling the operation command value based on the selected correlation data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Akinori Baba, Katsuhiro Ikegami, Takeshi Takaura, Masashi Ichihara, Yuki Shimano
  • Publication number: 20170145662
    Abstract: A control method for a work machine, includes: detecting a posture of a working unit driven by a hydraulic cylinder in a movable range; determining whether the working unit at a stop position of the movable range has started moving based on an operation of the working unit; setting a deceleration section including an end position of the movable range and a deceleration ratio of the working unit in the deceleration section, based on the posture of the working unit in a stopped state at the stop position, and a threshold determined in advance; and outputting a command signal to a control valve, which is capable of adjusting an amount of a working oil supplied to the hydraulic cylinder, such that the working unit moves from the stop position to the end position based on the deceleration section and the deceleration ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Applicant: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiro Iwasaki, Masashi Ichihara
  • Patent number: 9644346
    Abstract: A calibration system for an excavator includes the excavator having an upper structure swingably attached to a chassis, a working machine having a boom, an arm, and a working tool, and a current position computation unit configured to compute a current position of a working point of the working tool; a calibration device configured to calibrate parameters based on parameters indicating dimensions and rotation angles of the boom, the arm, and the working tool; an external measurement device that measures a position of the working point; and an inclination information detection device that detects inclination information of the excavator in an anteroposterior direction. The calibration device corrects positions of the working point measured by the external measurement device, based on the inclination information of the excavator in the anteroposterior direction, and computes calibrated values of the parameters based on coordinates of the working point at corrected positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanobu Seki, Masashi Ichihara
  • Patent number: 9617709
    Abstract: A work vehicle includes a vehicular body, a work implement, an angle sensor, and a work implement control unit. A bucket is rotatable with respect to an arm around a bucket axis in parallel to an arm axis and a tilt axis orthogonal to a bucket axis. The angle sensor is provided in the bucket and detects an angle of inclination of the bucket with respect to a horizontal plane. The work implement control unit starts control of the work implement in which an operation of the work implement is controlled at least partially automatically when an angle of inclination of the bucket detected by the angle sensor is smaller than a first threshold value, and does not start control of the work implement when an angle of inclination of the bucket detected by the angle sensor is equal to or greater than the first threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru Shintani, Yuto Fujii, Masanobu Seki, Masashi Ichihara, Yoshiki Kami
  • Publication number: 20170089033
    Abstract: A method of controlling a work machine including a working implement with a boom, an arm, and a bucket, includes: acquiring distance data between the bucket and a target excavating topography; determining a target blade tip speed of the bucket based on the distance data; calculating a target boom speed based on the target blade tip speed and at least one of an arm operation amount and a bucket operation amount; calculating a correction amount of the target boom speed based on an integration in time of a distance between the bucket and the target excavating topography; limiting the correction amount based on the distance between the bucket and the target excavating topography; and outputting an instruction for driving a boom cylinder driving the boom based on the target boom speed corrected by the correction amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Inventors: Toru Matsuyama, Masashi Ichihara
  • Patent number: 9598845
    Abstract: A posture computing apparatus for a work machine is an apparatus that obtains a posture angle of a work machine including a traveling body and a swing body that is mounted on the traveling body and that rotates relative to the traveling body. The posture computing apparatus includes a detection apparatus that is provided to the swing body and detects angular velocity and acceleration; an acceleration correcting unit that corrects the acceleration detected by the detection apparatus, based on a position where the detection apparatus is placed and information on the detection apparatus; and a posture angle computing unit that obtains a posture angle of the work machine from the acceleration corrected by the acceleration correcting unit and the angular velocity detected by the detection apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Akinori Baba, Masashi Ichihara
  • Patent number: 9551129
    Abstract: A control method controlling a work machine including a working unit with a working tool, comprising: obtaining a position of the working unit based on a detected position information item of the work machine and generating a target excavation ground shape information item indicating a target shape of an excavation target of the working unit from an information item of a design face indicating the target shape; and performing an excavation control of restraining the working unit from performing an excavation beyond the target shape based on the target excavation ground shape information item and, when the target excavation ground shape information item is not able to be acquired during the excavation control, continuing the excavation control by storing the target excavation ground shape information item obtained before a time point at which the target excavation ground shape information item is not able to be acquired, for a predetermined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiki Kami, Masashi Ichihara, Takeshi Takaura
  • Patent number: 9481984
    Abstract: A calibration device for a work machine includes: a working equipment parameter acquiring unit acquiring working equipment parameters of members of first and second actuation units; a measurement value acquiring unit acquiring respective measurement values of the work machine body and first and second actuation units measured by an external measurement device; a first calibration unit calibrating the parameter related to the member of the first actuation unit acquired by the acquiring unit based on the measurement value of the first actuation unit acquired by the acquiring unit; and a second calibration unit calibrating the working equipment parameter of the member of the second actuation unit based on the working equipment parameter of the first actuation unit calibrated by the first calibration unit and the respective measurement values of the reference points of the work machine body and first and second actuation units acquired by the acquiring unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Iwamura, Jin Kitajima, Masanobu Seki, Masashi Ichihara
  • Publication number: 20160312434
    Abstract: A work vehicle includes a vehicular body, a work implement, an angle sensor, and a work implement control unit. A bucket is rotatable with respect to an arm around a bucket axis in parallel to an arm axis and a tilt axis orthogonal to a bucket axis. The angle sensor is provided in the bucket and detects an angle of inclination of the bucket with respect to a horizontal plane. The work implement control unit starts control of the work implement in which an operation of the work implement is controlled at least partially automatically when an angle of inclination of the bucket detected by the angle sensor is smaller than a first threshold value, and does not start control of the work implement when an angle of inclination of the bucket detected by the angle sensor is equal to or greater than the first threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Applicant: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru SHINTANI, Yuto FUJII, Masanobu SEKI, Masashi ICHIHARA, Yoshiki KAMI
  • Patent number: 9464406
    Abstract: A construction machine has a work implement and a work implement operating device. The work implement has a boom, arm, and bucket. A limit velocity determining unit determines a limit velocity of the boom from the limit velocity of the entire work implement, the arm target velocity, and the bucket target velocity. The distance when the blade tip of the bucket is positioned outside of the design plane is a positive value and the velocity in a direction from inside of the design plane toward outside of the design plane is a positive value. The first limit condition includes a condition that the limit velocity of the boom is greater than the boom target velocity. When the first limit condition is satisfied, a work implement control unit controls the boom to match the limit velocity of the boom and controls the arm to match the arm target velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Toru Matsuyama, Yoshiki Kami, Masashi Ichihara
  • Publication number: 20160281334
    Abstract: A calibration device for a work machine includes: a working equipment parameter acquiring unit acquiring working equipment parameters of members of first and second actuation units; a measurement value acquiring unit acquiring respective measurement values of the work machine body and first and second actuation units measured by an external measurement device; a first calibration unit calibrating the parameter related to the member of the first actuation unit acquired by the acquiring unit based on the measurement value of the first actuation unit acquired by the acquiring unit; and a second calibration unit calibrating the working equipment parameter of the member of the second actuation unit based on the working equipment parameter of the first actuation unit calibrated by the first calibration unit and the respective measurement values of the reference points of the work machine body and first and second actuation units acquired by the acquiring unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Inventors: Tsutomu Iwamura, Jin Kitajima, Masanobu Seki, Masashi Ichihara
  • Publication number: 20160273186
    Abstract: A control method controlling a work machine including a working unit with a working tool, comprising: obtaining a position of the working unit based on a detected position information item of the work machine and generating a target excavation ground shape information item indicating a target shape of an excavation target of the working unit from an information item of a design face indicating the target shape; and performing an excavation control of restraining the working unit from performing an excavation beyond the target shape based on the target excavation ground shape information item and, when the target excavation ground shape information item is not able to be acquired during the excavation control, continuing the excavation control by storing the target excavation ground shape information item obtained before a time point at which the target excavation ground shape information item is not able to be acquired, for a predetermined time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Inventors: Yoshiki Kami, Masashi Ichihara, Takeshi Takaura
  • Publication number: 20160265187
    Abstract: A construction machine control system for a construction machine that includes a work machine including a boom, an arm, and a bucket includes: an adjusting device having a movable spool and being capable of adjusting an amount of operating oil supplied to a hydraulic cylinder that drives the work machine with movement of the spool; an operation command unit adjusting the spool; a storage unit storing a plurality of pieces of correlation data indicating a relation between a cylinder speed of the hydraulic cylinder and an operation command value of operating the hydraulic cylinder according to a type of the bucket; an acquiring unit acquiring type data indicating the type of the bucket; and a control unit selecting one piece of correlation data from the plurality of pieces of correlation data based on the type data and controlling the operation command value based on the selected correlation data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventors: Akinori Baba, Katsuhiro Ikegami, Takeshi Takaura, Masashi Ichihara, Yuki Shimano
  • Publication number: 20160251836
    Abstract: A posture computing apparatus for a work machine includes a detection apparatus that is provided to the work machine and detects angular velocity and acceleration; a first posture angle computing unit that is provided to the detection apparatus and obtains a posture angle of the work machine from the angular velocity and the acceleration detected by the detection apparatus; a low-pass filter that allows the posture angle obtained by the first posture angle computing unit to pass therethrough to output the posture angle as a first posture angle; a second posture angle computing unit that outputs, as a second posture angle, a posture angle obtained from the angular velocity and the acceleration detected by the detection apparatus; and a selecting unit that outputs the first posture angle and the second posture angle in a switching manner, based on information about a change in an angle of the work machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Applicant: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Akinori Baba, Masashi Ichihara
  • Publication number: 20160237655
    Abstract: A posture computing apparatus for a work machine is an apparatus that obtains a posture angle of a work machine including a traveling body and a swing body that is mounted on the traveling body and that rotates relative to the traveling body. The posture computing apparatus includes a detection apparatus that is provided to the swing body and detects angular velocity and acceleration; an acceleration correcting unit that corrects the acceleration detected by the detection apparatus, based on a position where the detection apparatus is placed and information on the detection apparatus; and a posture angle computing unit that obtains a posture angle of the work machine from the acceleration corrected by the acceleration correcting unit and the angular velocity detected by the detection apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Applicant: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Akinori Baba, Masashi Ichihara
  • Patent number: 9410305
    Abstract: An excavation control system includes a working unit having a bucket, a designed landform data storage part storing designed landform data, a bucket position data generation part that generates bucket position data, a designed surface data generation part, and an excavation limit control part. The designed surface data generation part generates superior and subordinate designed surface data based on the designed landform and bucket position data. The superior designed surface data indicates a superior designed surface corresponding to a position of the bucket. The subordinate designed surface data indicates a first subordinate designed surface linked to the superior designed surface. The designed surface data generation part generates shape data indicating shapes of the superior designed surface and the first subordinate designed surface. The excavation limit control part automatically adjusts a position of the bucket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Toru Matsuyama, Yoshiki Kami, Shin Kashiwabara, Masashi Ichihara
  • Patent number: 9411325
    Abstract: An excavation control system includes a global coordinate computing device, a prediction correcting part, a cutting edge position data generating part, and a designed terrain data generating part. The global coordinate computing device generates revolving unit orientation data (Q) that indicates an orientation of a revolving unit. The prediction correcting part generates corrected revolving unit orientation data (R) by predictively correcting the revolving unit orientation data (Q) based on a delay time (t) and revolve angle speed data (D?) that indicates a revolve angle speed (?) of the revolving unit. The cutting edge position data generating part generates cutting edge position data (S) that indicates a position of a cutting edge based on reference position data (P1), the revolving unit orientation data (Q), and the corrected revolving unit orientation data (R).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Akinori Baba, Tetsuya Nakayama, Masashi Ichihara
  • Publication number: 20160097184
    Abstract: A construction machine has a work implement and a work implement operating device. The work implement has a boom, arm, and bucket. A limit velocity determining unit determines a limit velocity of the boom from the limit velocity of the entire work implement, the arm target velocity, and the bucket target velocity. The distance when the blade tip of the bucket is positioned outside of the design plane is a positive value and the velocity in a direction from inside of the design plane toward outside of the design plane is a positive value. The first limit condition includes a condition that the limit velocity of the boom is greater than the boom target velocity. When the first limit condition is satisfied, a work implement control unit controls the boom to match the limit velocity of the boom and controls the arm to match the arm target velocity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Inventors: Toru MATSUYAMA, Yoshiki KAMI, Masashi ICHIHARA
  • Publication number: 20160040398
    Abstract: A control method includes: detecting an attitude of a work machine including a boom, an arm, and a bucket; operating an operating device to drive a movable member including the arm and the bucket; detecting an amount of operation of the operating device; generating position data of a cutting edge of the bucket based on the detected attitude; acquiring a target shape of an excavation object to be excavated by the work machine and calculating a distance between the cutting edge and the target shape based on the position data and the target shape; setting a limited amount of operation limiting a speed of the movable member based on the detected amount of operation; and outputting a signal to a valve that adjusts an amount of operating oil supplied to a hydraulic cylinder driving the work machine so that the movable member is driven with the limited amount of operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Applicant: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin Kitajima, Yoshiki Kami, Takeo Yamada, Toru Matsuyama, Masashi Ichihara