Patents by Inventor Seiji Saiki

Seiji Saiki 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: 20220412055
    Abstract: A purpose of the present invention is to provide a remote operation assistance system used for assisting an operator OP in remotely operating a work machine. In order to achieve this purpose, the remote operation assistance system of the present invention includes: a distance acquisition unit 201 that obtains information on a distance from the operator OP to a moving body M; an attribute acquisition unit 202 that obtains an attribute to which the moving body M belongs; an interference determination unit 203 that determines a level of likelihood of interference occurring with the remote operation, based on the distance obtained by the distance acquisition unit 201 and the attribute obtained by the attribute acquisition unit 202; and an assistance control unit 204 that performs control to assist in the remote operation according to a result of the determination by the interference determination unit 203.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Ryuichi HIROSE, Hitoshi SASAKI, Seiji SAIKI, Yoichiro YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20220412047
    Abstract: There is provided a system and the like capable of assisting remote operation of a work machine performed by a remote operator in such a way that contact between the work machine and an actual machine operator and other unfavorable situations can be avoided. Even in a situation in which a first evaluation result is affirmative and a work machine 40 can be remotely operated via a remote operation apparatus 20, but in a situation in which a second evaluation result is affirmative and it is highly probable that a worker carrying a portable terminal 60, such as an actual machine operator OP2, is so close to the work machine 40 or on the work machine 40 that short-range wireless communication between the work machine 40 and the portable terminal 60 is established, remote operation of the work machine 40 is inhibited.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Ryota HAMA, Hitoshi SASAKI, Seiji SAIKI, Yoichiro YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20220403619
    Abstract: A remote control system 1 comprises a server 50 configured to acquire, for each of a plurality of construction machines 10, information indicating whether a predetermined event related to a machine control request timing which is a timing at which control of each of the plurality of construction machines 10 is to be started has occurred, and reporting devices 44, 45 configured to output report information to an operator according to an instruction from the server 50. With respect to any one of the plurality of construction machines 10, the server 50 is configured to, when acquiring information indicating occurrence of the predetermined event associated with the construction machine, output report information indicating the occurrence from the reporting devices 44, 45.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2020
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: Hitoshi SASAKI, Seiji SAIKI, Yoichiro YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20220406211
    Abstract: A server and so forth are provided that enable an operator to gain experience in operation by a simulation while referring to a situation of an operation of a work machine by the operator himself/herself or another operator. A second operator can designate one time series of work environment images from archives registered in a database 102 through a remote input interface 210. Accordingly, the second operator can browse the time series of the designated work environment images on a remote output interface 220. The second operator can cause the remote output interface 220 to output a time series of simulation images which represent an action manner and an environment changing manner of a work machine at a virtual work site in accordance with a simulation operation manner in a remote operation mechanism 211.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: Masaki OTANI, Seiji SAIKI, Yoichiro YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20220398512
    Abstract: Provided are a server and system which allow a plurality of people involved in work to share information about an object requiring attention in a work area. A work environment image, which indicates an extension mode of a target object in a real space in a target object image region R that is a part of a captured image obtained through an imaging device (e.g., an imaging device 612) of a first client (e.g., a worker terminal 60) and target object related information, is outputted to an output interface (e.g., a remote output interface 220) of a second client (e.g., a remote operation device 20).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Inventors: Yusuke SAWADA, Hitoshi SASAKI, Seiji SAIKI, Yoichiro YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20220389683
    Abstract: Provided are a server and a system which enable one operator driving or operating a work machine to intuitively recognize advice or instruction from another operator. A route guidance request from a first work machine 40 cooperating a first client (first remote operation device 20) is accepted. A guided route R extending between a first designated position P1 and a second designated position P2 may be designated through an input interface 210 of a second client (second remote operation device 20). Then, route guidance information depending on the guided route R is outputted to an output interface 220 of the first client.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Inventors: Yusuke SAWADA, Hitoshi SASAKI, Seiji SAIKI, Yoichiro YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20220391811
    Abstract: Provided are a server and a system which enable a worker of a work machine to intuitively recognize work contents and the like to be performed using the work machine in each of a plurality of work locations. In response to a first designated operation through a remote input interface 210 of a remote operation device 20, a remote output interface 220 of the remote operation device 20 outputs a work environment image showing positions of designated work locations Q1 and Q2, and information about at least one of a designated work period and a designated work content. The designated work location, the designated work period and the designated work content are included in designated work information that is work information fitting a designated position depending on the first designated operation among a plurality of pieces of work information registered in a database 102.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Inventors: Yusuke SAWADA, Hitoshi SASAKI, Seiji SAIKI, Yoichiro YAMAZAKI
  • Patent number: 11486116
    Abstract: A remote operation device includes an image generating section that generates, when an operation determining section determines that an operation by an operator is a fine operation, and a posture determining section determines that a posture of the operator has changed from a reference posture to a watching posture, an enlarged image by enlarging a part of a work image of a construction machine, the part being related to a line-of-sight position acquired by an eye tracking device, and causes a display device to display the enlarged image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaki Otani, Seiji Saiki, Yoichiro Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 11466431
    Abstract: A correction value for matching an operation characteristic of a slave operating device with an operation characteristic of a master operating device is registered in advance in a correction table for each combination of type information of a construction machine and type information of the slave operating device. A controller acquires, from correction information, a correction value corresponding to a combination of the type information of the construction machine and the type information of the slave operating device received by a communication unit, corrects an amount of operation accepted by an operating lever based on the acquired correction value, and transmits the corrected amount of operation to the communication unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sasaki, Seiji Saiki, Yoichiro Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20220307224
    Abstract: The remote operation system has a mutual communication function of communicating with each of plural work machines and a remote operation device which remotely operates a cooperating work machine as a remote operation target among the plural work machines. The remote operation system includes a first support process element that acquires captured image which is captured by an actual machine image-capturing device of a first work machine establishing communication by a first communication path and transmits the captured image to the remote operation device and a second support process element that recognizes that one designation operation is performed, which is a portion of plural operations for causing a second work machine establishing communication by a second communication path and in which a changing situation corresponding to the operation appears in the captured image and that transmits a command signal corresponding to the one designation operation to the second work machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Ryuichi HIROSE, Yuki MORITA, Yuya MATSUDA, Masaki OTANI, Seiji SAIKI, Yoichiro YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20220303472
    Abstract: A system or the like capable of improving convenience of recognizing a surrounding situation of a working machine for an operator by controlling an image capturing function of an actual machine image capturing device in an appropriate manner in consideration of a state of the working machine is provided. When a working machine 40 is in the first state, an operation of a panning switch SW1 and a tilting switch SW2 is stopped, a posture ? of the actual machine image capturing device 412 when the operation is restarted is limited to an initial posture ?0. When the working machine 40 is in the second state, after the operation of the panning switch SW1 and the tilting switch SW2 is stopped, the posture ? of the actual machine image capturing device 412 when the operation is restarted is the posture ? as it is when the operation is stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Inventors: Daiki ISHIDA, Ryota HAMA, Seiji SAIKI, Yoichiro YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20220298748
    Abstract: A system or the like capable of making an operator recognize an environment around a working machine in an appropriate form in consideration of a state of the working machine. In the case where a working machine 40 is in a first state (an operable state), a display magnification of a captured image (environment image) outputted to a remote output interface 220 is controlled only in a range of a specified display magnification or lower, or is fixed at a value of the specified display magnification or lower. On the other hand, in the case where the working machine 40 is in a second state (an inoperable state), a zoom function of an actual machine image capturing device 412 is demonstrated according to a zoom operation through a remote input interface 210 by the operator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Inventors: Daiki ISHIDA, Ryota HAMA, Seiji SAIKI, Yoichiro YAMAZAKI
  • Patent number: 11421404
    Abstract: A construction machine includes a display control section which controls a display device to display attachment relevant information generated based on attachment positional information generated by an attachment positional information generation section and three-dimensional contour information of a peripheral working area around the construction machine. The attachment relevant information is information concerning an image obtained by superimposing a peripheral image about a three-dimensional contour of the peripheral working area and a projected image about a leading end attachment which is projected to the peripheral image in a projection direction set arbitrarily or a projection direction set in accordance with a predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaru Ito, Seiji Saiki, Yoichiro Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 11423341
    Abstract: A manager terminal generates work plan information that is information regarding a work plan by at least one work machine, set for each operator who remotely operates the at least one work machine, and includes a work item by the work machine that is remotely operated by the operator and work time for the work item based on contents input by a construction manager, and inputs the work plan information into a server. The server generates progress information indicating work progress of the operator for the at least one work machine based on the work plan information input from the manager terminal and work information input from at least one work information acquisition unit, inputs the progress information into the manager terminal, and presents the progress information to the construction manager.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seiji Saiki, Yoichiro Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 11414834
    Abstract: When deriving a preparation-unrequired route which enables a construction machine to travel only within a permissible range of a gradient until reaching a destination, a controller causes an output part to output information about the preparation-unrequired route. When not deriving the preparation-unrequired route, the controller determines a location which needs preparation for a specific landform to enable the construction machine to travel only within the permissible range of the gradient until reaching the destination, and causes the output part to output information about the location which needs the preparation and about the traveling route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Seiji Saiki
  • Publication number: 20220220706
    Abstract: Provided is a system which can supply appropriate information to one operator from a viewpoint that the one operator grasps a remotely operational mode for a working machine by the other operator. In a first remote operation apparatus 10, a passive mode detector 112 detects a passive mode of a first operation mechanism 111, and transmits operational mode data corresponding to the passive mode. In a second remote operation apparatus 20, an operation of an actuator 212 is controlled in accordance with the passive mode of the first operation mechanism 111 in response to the operational mode data, and thereby, a second operation mechanism 211 actively operates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Inventors: Masaki OTANI, Hitoshi SASAKI, Seiji SAIKI, Yoichiro YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20220195698
    Abstract: A first operation mechanism 3 includes a first driving source 30 which generates a driving force based on a drive command and a first driving mechanism 32 which inclines a left-side traveling pedal 1c by the driving force from the first driving source 30. The first driving mechanism 32 has a first abutting portion 32a which abuts a pedal surface of the left-side traveling pedal 1c and a first driving unit 32b which inclines the left-side traveling pedal 1c by inclining the first abutting portion. The first driving unit 32b is arranged in a position shifted to a lateral side from a space in which the first abutting portion 32a moves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventors: Hitoshi SASAKI, Seiji SAIKI, Yoichiro YAMAZAKI, Kohei NAKAMIZO
  • Publication number: 20220186466
    Abstract: Provided is a system which can avoid instability of an operating state of a working machine, when switching a remote operation actor of the working machine. In a case where a state of one or both of a working machine 40 or a first operator is a specified state when the working machine 40 is remotely operated through a first remote operation apparatus 10, a first notification corresponding to the specified state is transmitted to a remote operation server 30. In the remote operation server 30, a second remote operation apparatus 20 which is appropriate in view of content of the first notification is selected as the remote operation actor of the working machine 40.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Masaki OTANI, Hitoshi SASAKI, Seiji SAIKI, Yoichiro YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20220186465
    Abstract: Provided is a system which can supply appropriate information to one operator from a viewpoint that the one operator grasps a remotely operated action of a working machine by another operator. In a first remote operation apparatus 10, a sight line detector 112 detects a sight line of a first operator, and transmits sight line detection data corresponding to the sight line of the first operator. In a second remote operation apparatus 20, a second image output device 221 displays a designated image region spreading with reference to the sight line of the first operator corresponding to the sight line detection data in an environmental image corresponding to captured image data acquired by an imaging device 401 of a working machine 40, in a form different from a form of an image region around the designated image region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Masaki OTANI, Hitoshi SASAKI, Seiji SAIKI, Yoichiro YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20220180292
    Abstract: A skill information presentation system includes a server including: a skill level calculation part which calculates, based on manipulation skill information, a manipulation skill level which is a level of a manipulation skill, and calculates, based on necessary skill information, a necessary skill level which is a level of a necessary skill; an operator information database which stores operator information including the manipulation skill level and the necessary skill level; and a presentation part which presents the operator information to the orderer terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Applicant: KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hitoshi SASAKI, Seiji SAIKI, Yoichiro YAMAZAKI