Patents by Inventor Moritaka OOTA

Moritaka OOTA 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: 10650251
    Abstract: In an industrial machine, the work safety is further improved by eliminating blind spots from an image displayed on a monitor. A hydraulic excavator 1 which is the industrial machine is equipped with monitoring cameras 15F, 15B, 15L, 15R mounted in the respective places of a revolving upperstructure 3 in order to capture images for monitoring. A monitor 20 displays camera images 21F, 21B, 21L, 21R obtained by the cameras as well as an icon image 21C of an image illustration of the hydraulic excavator 1. The cameras 15F, 15L, 15R are mounted at the distal ends of support arms 40F, 40L, 40R to be located in positions jutting from a revolving upperstructure main unit 3a of the revolving upperstructure 3, so that a hidden area under the underside of a catwalk 14 provided on the revolving upperstructure 3 falls within the field of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoichi Kowatari, Hidefumi Ishimoto, Moritaka Oota, Yoshihiro Inanobe, Hiroyoshi Tanaka, Kouji Fujita, Takashi Kusama
  • Publication number: 20190042858
    Abstract: In an industrial machine, the work safety is further improved by eliminating blind spots from an image displayed on a monitor. A hydraulic excavator 1 which is the industrial machine is equipped with monitoring cameras 15F, 15B, 15L, 15R mounted in the respective places of a revolving upperstructure 3 in order to capture images for monitoring. A monitor 20 displays camera images 21F, 21B, 21L, 21R obtained by the cameras as well as an icon image 21C of an image illustration of the hydraulic excavator 1. The cameras 15F, 15L, 15R are mounted at the distal ends of support arms 40F, 40L, 40R to be located in positions jutting from a revolving upperstructure main unit 3a of the revolving upperstructure 3, so that a hidden area under the underside of a catwalk 14 provided on the revolving upperstructure 3 falls within the field of view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventors: Yoichi KOWATARI, Hidefumi ISHIMOTO, Moritaka OOTA, Yoshihiro INANOBE, Hiroyoshi TANAKA, Kouji FUJITA, Takashi KUSAMA
  • Patent number: 10160383
    Abstract: A surroundings monitoring system for a working machine prevents its own vehicle shadow from having an influence on the detection of an object existing around the working machine. The surroundings monitoring system for a working machine includes: a monocular camera picks up an image of the surroundings of the working machine. A characteristic pattern extraction unit extracts characteristic patterns in the picked-up image based on a characteristic amount of the image. A shadow profile extraction unit extracts a profile of a region, which can be regarded as a shadow of the working machine in the image, based on the characteristic amount of the image; and an object detection unit detects an obstacle existing around the working machine based on the remaining characteristic patterns obtained by excluding a shadow profile characteristic patterns positioned on the profile extracted by the shadow profile extraction unit from the characteristic patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chieko Onuma, Ryo Yumiba, Yoshibumi Fukuda, Yukihiro Kawamata, Yoichi Kowatari, Moritaka Oota
  • Patent number: 10145087
    Abstract: To recognize an obstacle such as a working face which may be touched by a revolving upperstructure including a height position thereof at the time of a swing control. A plurality of first cameras 13 for forming bird's eye views which photograph obliquely lower parts of directions different from each other are arranged in a revolving upperstructure 3, a composite bird's eye view 20 is displayed on a display 15, second cameras 16R, 16L for photographing through images including corner parts from a rear end of the revolving upperstructure 3 to side parts within a visual field range are arranged in lower part positions of a swing frame 3a of the revolving upperstructure 3 so as to rotate following swing of the revolving upperstructure 3, and corner part through images 30R, 30L are displayed on the display 15 so as to be superimposed on the composite bird's eye view 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichi Kowatari, Kouji Fujita, Yoshihiro Inanobe, Hiroyoshi Tanaka, Takashi Kusama, Moritaka Oota, Hidefumi Ishimoto
  • Patent number: 10044933
    Abstract: A periphery monitoring device for a work machine includes imaging devices that capture an image of the surroundings of the work machine. An overhead view image is generated from the surroundings of the work machine based upon upper view-point images of the image devices. When generating an overhead view image of an overlap region of first and second upper view-point images relating to the images captured by the first and second imaging devices, the overhead view image generating unit, based upon a height of a virtual monitoring target, sets at least one of a first region in which the first upper view-point image is displayed and a second region in which the second upper view-point image is displayed, and also sets a third region in which a composite display image based upon the first and second upper view-point images is displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Moritaka Oota, Yoichi Kowatari, Yoshihiro Inanobe
  • Patent number: 10017112
    Abstract: When a to-be-monitored image exists in an image lacking from a bird's-eye image for surroundings monitoring though the to-be-monitored image is imaged by a camera for monitoring, the to-be-monitored image is securely displayed on a display. Cameras 6F, 6B, 6L, 6R are provided in a longitudinal direction and in a lateral direction of a dump truck 1, in playing bird's-eye images 10F, 10B, 10L, 10R acquired by converting view points of a through image imaged by each camera, so as to display a to-be-monitored image in a to-be-monitored image undisplayable area, each through image imaged by each camera is aggregated on one screen by an image aggregating unit 21, this aggregated screen is scanned by a to-be-monitored image detector 20 to detect the to-be-monitored image, and the to-be-monitored image is superimposed on a synthetic bird's-eye image 10 displayed on the display 9 and is displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichi Kowatari, Yukihiro Kawamata, Yoshihiro Inanobe, Moritaka Oota
  • Patent number: 9990543
    Abstract: The vehicle exterior moving object detection system includes a surrounding-area image input section for capturing images in areas surrounding its own vehicle and delivering the captured images as surrounding-area images, a combined image constructing section for constructing a combined image including a result output from the detection of a moving object by combining the surrounding-area images, and an output section for presenting the combined image to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshibumi Fukuda, Chieko Onuma, Moritaka Oota, Yukihiro Kawamata, Yoichi Kowatari
  • Publication number: 20170282794
    Abstract: When a to-be-monitored image exists in an image lacking from a bird's-eye image for surroundings monitoring though the to-be-monitored image is imaged by a camera for monitoring, the to-be-monitored image is securely displayed on a display. Cameras 6F, 6B, 6L, 6R are provided in a longitudinal direction and in a lateral direction of a dump truck 1, in playing bird's-eye images 10F, 10B, 10L, 10R acquired by converting view points of a through image imaged by each camera, so as to display a to-be-monitored image in a to-be-monitored image undisplayable area, each through image imaged by each camera is aggregated on one screen by an image aggregating unit 21, this aggregated screen is scanned by a to-be-monitored image detector 20 to detect the to-be-monitored image, and the to-be-monitored image is superimposed on a synthetic bird's-eye image 10 displayed on the display 9 and is displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Yoichi KOWATARI, Yukihiro KAWAMATA, Yoshihiro INANOBE, Moritaka OOTA
  • Publication number: 20170286763
    Abstract: The vehicle exterior moving object detection system includes a surrounding-area image input section for capturing images in areas surrounding its own vehicle and delivering the captured images as surrounding-area images, a combined image constructing section for constructing a combined image including a result output from the detection of a moving object by combining the surrounding-area images, and an output section for presenting the combined image to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2015
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Yoshibumi FUKUDA, Chieko ONUMA, Moritaka OOTA, Yukihiro KAWAMATA, Yoichi KOWATARI
  • Publication number: 20170018070
    Abstract: A surroundings monitoring system for a working machine prevents its own vehicle shadow from having an influence on the detection of an object existing around the working machine. The surroundings monitoring system for a working machine includes: a monocular camera picks up an image of the surroundings of the working machine. A characteristic pattern extraction unit extracts characteristic patterns in the picked-up image based on a characteristic amount of the image. A shadow profile extraction unit extracts a profile of a region, which can be regarded as a shadow of the working machine in the image, based on the characteristic amount of the image; and an object detection unit detects an obstacle existing around the working machine based on the remaining characteristic patterns obtained by excluding a shadow profile characteristic patterns positioned on the profile extracted by the shadow profile extraction unit from the characteristic patterns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Chieko ONUMA, Ryo YUMIBA, Yoshibumi FUKUDA, Yukihiro KAWAMATA, Yoichi KOWATARI, Moritaka OOTA
  • Publication number: 20170016210
    Abstract: To recognize an obstacle such as a working face which may be touched by a revolving upperstructure including a height position thereof at the time of a swing control. A plurality of first cameras 13 for forming bird's eye views which photograph obliquely lower parts of directions different from each other are arranged in a revolving upperstructure 3, a composite bird's eye view 20 is displayed on a display 15, second cameras 16R, 16L for photographing through images including corner parts from a rear end of the revolving upperstructure 3 to side parts within a visual field range are arranged in lower part positions of a swing frame 3a of the revolving upperstructure 3 so as to rotate following swing of the revolving upperstructure 3, and corner part through images 30R, 30L are displayed on the display 15 so as to be superimposed on the composite bird's eye view 20.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Yoichi KOWATARI, Kouji FUJITA, Yoshihiro INANOBE, Hiroyoshi TANAKA, Takashi KUSAMA, Moritaka OOTA, Hidefumi ISHIMOTO
  • Patent number: 9463741
    Abstract: A vehicle peripheral obstacle notification system, used on a construction machine, detects a moving obstacle, gives composite display of the detected moving obstacle, and notifies a user thereof, the moving obstacle being at a location not appearing in a composite bird's-eye view obtained by onboard cameras acquiring images of the surroundings of the vehicle including an image immediately under the vehicle body. The system has a composite image formation part that extracts composite image formation areas from the surrounding images to compose a composite bird's-eye image. A moving obstacle is detected using the surrounding images and it is decided whether the detected position of the moving obstacle is inside or outside the composite image formation areas. If the detected position is determined to be outside the composite image formation areas, information about the detected position is extracted and an image thereof is output for superimposition onto the composite bird's-eye image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshibumi Fukuda, Chieko Onuma, Hidefumi Ishimoto, Moritaka Oota, Yukihiro Kawamata
  • Publication number: 20160217331
    Abstract: In an industrial machine, the work safety is further improved by eliminating blind spots from an image displayed on a monitor. A hydraulic excavator 1 which is the industrial machine is equipped with monitoring cameras 15F, 15B, 15L, 15R mounted in the respective places of a revolving upperstructure 3 in order to capture images for monitoring. A monitor 20 displays camera images 21F, 21B, 21L, 21R obtained by the cameras as well as an icon image 21C of an image illustration of the hydraulic excavator 1. The cameras 15F, 15L, 15R are mounted at the distal ends of support arms 40F, 40L, 40R to be located in positions jutting from a revolving upperstructure main unit 3a of the revolving upperstructure 3, so that a hidden area under the underside of a catwalk 14 provided on the revolving upperstructure 3 falls within the field of view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Applicant: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoichi KOWATARI, Hidefumi ISHIMOTO, Moritaka OOTA, Yoshihiro INANOBE, Hiroyoshi TANAKA, Kouji FUJITA, Takashi KUSAMA
  • Publication number: 20160205319
    Abstract: A periphery monitoring device for a work machine includes imaging devices that capture an image of the surroundings of the work machine. An overhead view image is generated from the surroundings of the work machine based upon upper view-point images of the image devices. When generating an overhead view image of an overlap region of first and second upper view-point images relating to the images captured by the first and second imaging devices, the overhead view image generating unit, based upon a height of a virtual monitoring target, sets at least one of a first region in which the first upper view-point image is displayed and a second region in which the second upper view-point image is displayed, and also sets a third region in which a composite display image based upon the first and second upper view-point images is displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Applicant: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Moritaka OOTA, Yoichi KOWATARI, Yoshihiro INANOBE
  • Publication number: 20160200252
    Abstract: A surroundings monitoring device for work machine includes: an imaging device; an image generation unit; a display control unit; an obstruction detection unit that detects an obstruction present in surroundings of the work machine; a movement direction determination unit that detects a direction of relative movement of the obstruction detected by the obstruction detection unit with respect to the work machine; and a determination unit that, based on the direction of relative movement detected by the movement direction determination unit, if the direction of relative movement of the obstruction falls within a predetermined range of movement direction, determines that the obstruction is an obstruction to be notified that needs to be notified to a driver of the work machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2015
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventors: Moritaka OOTA, Hidefumi ISHIMOTO, Yoichi KOWATARI, Yoshihiro INANOBE
  • Publication number: 20160024758
    Abstract: Plural cameras are installed for the swiveling structure to monitor the vicinity of a working machine having a working member that is connected to the swiveling structure which is rotatably mounted on a traveling structure. The view field of two adjacent cameras partially overlap one another. A view point convertor converts the view point of the camera images acquired by the respective cameras to upper view point images. A display image creator creates an overhead view image composed of an illustration of the working machine as a plane view, and the upper view point images are converted from the converting view point convertor disposed around the illustration. An image display device is configured to show the overhead view image in the form of a plane view at least within a working reach region of the working member which is performing work by operation of the working member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventors: Hidefumi ISHIMOTO, Moritaka OOTA, Yoichi KOWATARI, Yoshihiro INANOBE
  • Publication number: 20150307024
    Abstract: A vehicle peripheral obstacle notification system, used on a construction machine, detects a moving obstacle, gives composite display of the detected moving obstacle, and notifies a user thereof, the moving obstacle being at a location not appearing in a composite bird's-eye view obtained by onboard cameras acquiring images of the surroundings of the vehicle including an image immediately under the vehicle body. The system has a composite image formation part that extracts composite image formation areas from the surrounding images to compose a composite bird's-eye image. A moving obstacle is detected using the surrounding images and it is decided whether the detected position of the moving obstacle is inside or outside the composite image formation areas. If the detected position is determined to be outside the composite image formation areas, information about the detected position is extracted and an image thereof is output for superimposition onto the composite bird's-eye image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventors: Yoshibumi FUKUDA, Chieko ONUMA, Hidefumi ISHIMOTO, Moritaka OOTA, Yukihiro KAWAMATA