Patents by Inventor Shinichi Uotsu

Shinichi Uotsu 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: 20240140483
    Abstract: An object of the invention of the application is to provide an autonomous travelling mine vehicle that can suppress a decrease in work efficiency when dust is generated at a work site. Therefore, the autonomous travelling mine vehicle includes a surrounding monitoring sensor that measures a three-dimensional point cloud of a terrain profile around the vehicle body, and a travelling route setting device calculates an undetected area representing a terrain profile part that the surrounding monitoring sensor cannot measure, calculates an alternative route on which the vehicle body can travel without passing through the undetected area on the basis of the positional relationship between the undetected area and the vehicle body, and updates the scheduled route with the alternative route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Inventors: Kimiyoshi MACHII, Shinichi UOTSU
  • Patent number: 11834041
    Abstract: Provided is a conveying vehicle that ensures efficiently travelling while suppressing vehicle slip. A dump truck 100 includes a vehicle body 101 provided with wheels 103 and a vehicle control device 300 and travels on a travel route. The vehicle control device 300 calculates and stores slip limit values at a plurality of positions on the travel route, reads out the slip limit values to calculate at least one of a maximum acceleration and a maximum deceleration of the dump truck 100 at which the wheels 103 is capable of maintaining a grip state against a road surface, and sets a target travel speed at a travel position between the dump truck 100 and a target position according to a target speed at the target position and at least one of the maximum acceleration and the maximum deceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mikio Bando, Shinichi Uotsu
  • Publication number: 20230367323
    Abstract: Provided is a control system for hauling vehicle capable of suppressing slippage of a hauling vehicle while suppressing a decrease in travel speed of the hauling vehicle. A control system for hauling vehicle causes a hauling vehicle 100 to travel based on a control target including a target route. The control system generates a control target based on the map information, which includes information on the travel path WP along which the hauling vehicle 100 travels and information on a plurality of travel sections TS obtained by dividing the travel path WP; the loading quantity on the hauling vehicle 100 in each travel section TS; and a slippage index indicating the slipperiness of the travel path WP in each travel section TS.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Hiroki OBARA, Masaki KANAI, Mikio BANDO, Shinichi UOTSU
  • Publication number: 20230324917
    Abstract: A measurement sensor that measures, as three-dimensional point cloud information having a plurality of vertically-adjacent layers, a surface position of an object around the work machine; and an object sensor that senses an object around the work machine on a basis of information from the measurement sensor are included, and the object sensor acquires three-dimensional point cloud information by measurement by the measurement sensor; senses, as point data, a point where microparticles are measured, based on a relation between distances, from the measurement sensor, of point data of vertically-adjacent layers and variations of distance differences, regarding a plurality of pieces of point data included in the three-dimensional point cloud information; deletes the point data of the point sensed as the point where the microparticles are measured, from the three-dimensional point cloud information; and senses an object around the work machine on a basis of the three-dimensional point cloud information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Inventors: Sasuga KITAI, Mikio BANDO, Takehito OGATA, Shinichi UOTSU
  • Publication number: 20230278557
    Abstract: A mining machine includes: a road gradient calculator that calculates a road gradient of a travel route based on a position and a speed measured by a GNSS receiver, a vehicle body posture measured by a vehicle body posture sensor, and an acceleration measured by an acceleration sensor; a traction coefficient calculator that calculates a traction coefficient based on the speed measured by the GNSS receiver, the acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor, a wheel speed measured by a wheel speed sensor, a steering direction measured by a steering angle sensor, a vehicle weight measured by a load sensor, and a driving torque measured by a driving torque sensor; and a target torque calculator that calculates a target torque based on the road gradient calculated by the road gradient calculator and the traction coefficient calculated by the traction coefficient calculator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Inventors: Mikio BANDO, Shinichi UOTSU
  • Publication number: 20230227021
    Abstract: An unmanned vehicle 20 is a vehicle that drives an electric motor by electric power generated in a power generator to travel by driving of the electric motor and includes a position sensor 240 that detects a position of the unmanned vehicle 20, a speed sensor 250 that detects a speed of the unmanned vehicle 20, and a vehicle control device 220 that controls the unmanned vehicle 20.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventors: Hiroki OBARA, Masaki KANAI, Mikio BANDO, Shinichi UOTSU
  • Publication number: 20230004171
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a work vehicle that allows detecting an error in an installation position of an antenna more flexibly than a conventional device. The work vehicle includes a control device 150. The control device 150 has a detection function F106, a calculation function F104, a calculation function F105, a calculation function F107, and an estimation function F110. The detection function F106 detects steady traveling based on a velocity, an acceleration, and an angular velocity of a vehicle. The calculation function F104 calculates a first vehicle direction based on installation information of a first antenna and a second antenna with respect to the vehicle. The calculation function F105 calculates a second vehicle direction based on a time change of position information of the first antenna when the steady traveling is detected. The calculation function F107 calculates a direction correction parameter for correcting the first vehicle direction based on the second vehicle direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2021
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Inventors: Mikio BANDO, Shinichi UOTSU
  • Publication number: 20220314986
    Abstract: Provided is a conveying vehicle that ensures efficiently travelling while suppressing vehicle slip. A dump truck 100 includes a vehicle body 101 provided with wheels 103 and a vehicle control device 300 and travels on a travel route. The vehicle control device 300 calculates and stores slip limit values at a plurality of positions on the travel route, reads out the slip limit values to calculate at least one of a maximum acceleration and a maximum deceleration of the dump truck 100 at which the wheels 103 is capable of maintaining a grip state against a road surface, and sets a target travel speed at a travel position between the dump truck 100 and a target position according to a target speed at the target position and at least one of the maximum acceleration and the maximum deceleration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Mikio BANDO, Shinichi UOTSU
  • Publication number: 20220089191
    Abstract: A work vehicle includes an override operation sensor that senses override operation to carry out switching between an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode and a selection device for selecting any one of the manual driving mode, a manned automatic driving mode, and an unmanned automatic driving mode, as the driving mode of a dump truck. A controller carries out switching from the manned automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode when override operation is sensed by the override operation sensor in the case in which the manned automatic driving mode is selected by the selection device, and continues the unmanned automatic driving mode when override operation is sensed by the override operation sensor in the case in which the unmanned automatic driving mode is selected by the selection device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Inventor: Shinichi UOTSU
  • Patent number: 10908271
    Abstract: An obstacle determination device mounted on a mining work machine determines whether the state of the mining work machine is a state immediately after progressing or a normal travel state; selects, as a distance threshold provided to determine a non-obstacle, a starting distance threshold if in the state immediately after starting, or a normal distance threshold if in the normal travel state; extracts obstacle candidates on the basis of the result of comparison of the distance at which an obstacle candidate was initially detected with the distance threshold; selects a starting reflection intensity threshold if the state immediately after starting, or a normal reflection intensity threshold if in the normal travel state; excludes non-obstacles on the basis of the result of comparison of the reception strength of the reflection wave of the remaining obstacle candidates with the reflection intensity threshold; and outputs the remaining obstacle candidates as obstacles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Watanabe, Takuya Naka, Shinichi Uotsu, Koei Takeda
  • Patent number: 10710587
    Abstract: An electrically-driven mining vehicle includes an obstacle detector, a speed detector, and an alarm. The alarm outputs a first warning, which urges an operator of the electrically-driven mining vehicle to operate a regenerative brake pedal that actuates only the regenerative brake device, and a second warning, which urges the operator to operate a cooperative brake pedal that uses the regenerative brake device and the mechanical brake device in combination. If the travel speed of the vehicle is included in a low speed range in which no difference can be considered to exist in distance between a first braking distance upon actuation of only the regenerative brake device and a second braking distance upon operation of a cooperative braking, a signal for performing the first warning is outputted earlier by at least a warning time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koei Takeda, Shinichi Uotsu
  • Patent number: 10663575
    Abstract: An off-road dump truck includes a vehicle body, a peripheral recognition device, and an obstacle discrimination device. The peripheral recognition device detects obstacle candidates in front of the vehicle body. The obstacle discrimination device classifies the obstacle candidates, which were detected by the peripheral recognition device, into obstacles and non-obstacles and outputs, as obstacles, the obstacle candidates classified as obstacles. The obstacle discrimination device includes a travel state determination section, a distance filter section, and a reflection intensity filter section. The travel state determination section determines whether each obstacle candidate is a moving object or a stationary object. The distance filter section compares a distance, where the stationary object was first detected, with a distance threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Watanabe, Takuya Naka, Shinichi Uotsu, Koei Takeda
  • Patent number: 10656265
    Abstract: A mining work machine includes an obstacle determination device connected to a periphery detection device. If measurement points detected by the periphery detection device in a current cycle are equal to or greater than predetermined size thresholds equivalent in size to the mining work machine, these measurement points are put into a single obstacle candidate group. Based on relative speeds of the obstacle candidate at the measurement points and a traveling speed of the mining work machine, it is determined whether the obstacle candidate is a stationary object or a moving object, and whether the stationary object has been also detected by the periphery detection device in a preceding cycle. If a position of detection of the stationary object detected for the first time is equal to or smaller than a non-obstacle determination distance threshold, the obstacle determination device outputs the obstacle candidate as a non-obstacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shinichi Uotsu
  • Publication number: 20190250263
    Abstract: An off-road dump truck includes a vehicle body, a peripheral recognition device, and an obstacle discrimination device. The peripheral recognition device detects obstacle candidates in front of the vehicle body. The obstacle discrimination device classifies the obstacle candidates, which were detected by the peripheral recognition device, into obstacles and non-obstacles and outputs, as obstacles, the obstacle candidates classified as obstacles. The obstacle discrimination device includes a travel state determination section, a distance filter section, and a reflection intensity filter section. The travel state determination section determines whether each obstacle candidate is a moving object or a stationary object. The distance filter section compares a distance, where the stationary object was first detected, with a distance threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Inventors: Atsushi WATANABE, Takuya NAKA, Shinichi UOTSU, Koei TAKEDA
  • Publication number: 20190219681
    Abstract: An obstacle determination device mounted on an own vehicle determines whether the state of the own vehicle is a state immediately after progressing or a normal travel state ;selects, as a distance threshold provided to determine a non-obstacle, a starting distance threshold if in the state immediately after starting, or a normal distance threshold if in the normal travel state; extracts obstacle candidates on the basis of the result of comparison of the distance at which an obstacle candidate was initially detected with the distance threshold; selects a starting reflection intensity threshold if the state immediately after starting ,or a normal reflection intensity threshold if in the normal travel state; excludes non-obstacles on the basis of the result of comparison of the reception strength of the reflection wave of the remaining obstacle candidates with the reflection intensity threshold; and outputs the remaining obstacle candidates as obstacles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Inventors: Watanabe ATSUSHI, Takuya NAKA, Shinichi UOTSU, Koei TAKEDA
  • Patent number: 10228454
    Abstract: Provided is an obstacle detection device for a work machine which can detect an obstacle coming close to a vehicle accurately regardless of vehicle speed. In the present invention, an obstacle detection device 10 for a dump truck 1 which detects an obstacle coming close to the vehicle includes: a periphery monitoring unit 11 for detecting an obstacle in the area around the vehicle and monitoring the area around the vehicle; a distant monitoring unit 12 for detecting an obstacle in a more distant place from the vehicle than the detection range of the periphery monitoring unit 11 and monitor a distant area from the vehicle; and a monitoring switching unit 13 for switching between monitoring by the periphery monitoring unit 11 and monitoring by the distant monitoring unit 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinichi Uotsu
  • Publication number: 20190061763
    Abstract: An electrically-driven mining vehicle includes an obstacle detector, a speed detector, and an alarm. The alarm outputs a first warning, which urges an operator of the electrically-driven mining vehicle to operate a regenerative brake pedal that actuates only the regenerative brake device, and a second warning, which urges the operator to operate a cooperative brake pedal that uses the regenerative brake device and the mechanical brake device in combination. If the travel speed of the vehicle is included in a low speed range in which no difference can be considered to exist in distance between a first braking distance upon actuation of only the regenerative brake device and a second braking distance upon operation of a cooperative braking, a signal for performing the first warning is outputted earlier by at least a warning time interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Koei TAKEDA, Shinichi UOTSU
  • Publication number: 20180252810
    Abstract: A mining work machine includes an obstacle determination device connected to a periphery detection device. If measurement points detected by the periphery detection device in a current cycle are equal to or greater than predetermined size thresholds equivalent in size to the mining work machine, these measurement points are put into a single obstacle candidate group. Based on relative speeds of the obstacle candidate at the measurement points and a traveling speed of the mining work machine, it is determined whether the obstacle candidate is a stationary object or a moving object, and whether the stationary object has been also detected by the periphery detection device in a preceding cycle. If a position of detection of the stationary object detected for the first time is equal to or smaller than a non-obstacle determination distance threshold, the obstacle determination device outputs the obstacle candidate as a non-obstacle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Inventor: Shinichi UOTSU
  • Publication number: 20180081368
    Abstract: A vehicle that enables information on climb-over/touch on an obstacle to be utilized in lengthening the lives of tires and a vehicle body and maintenance such as replacement/repair is provided. The vehicle includes: a vehicle body 1a running on tires; an environmental recognition device 2 detecting any obstacle ahead of the vehicle body 1a; a touch determination section 4 determining touch on a tire; and a storage section 4a recording information on an obstacle touched/climbed over. The storage section 4a records information on an obstacle determined to have been touched by the touch determination section 4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2016
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventors: Atsushi WATANABE, Shinichi UOTSU, Kouji FUJITA, Takuya NAKA
  • Publication number: 20160202351
    Abstract: Provided is an obstacle detection device for a work machine which can detect an obstacle coming close to a vehicle accurately regardless of vehicle speed. In the present invention, an obstacle detection device 10 for a dump truck 1 which detects an obstacle coming close to the vehicle includes: a periphery monitoring unit 11 for detecting an obstacle in the area around the vehicle and monitoring the area around the vehicle; a distant monitoring unit 12 for detecting an obstacle in a more distant place from the vehicle than the detection range of the periphery monitoring unit 11 and monitor a distant area from the vehicle; and a monitoring switching unit 13 for switching between monitoring by the periphery monitoring unit 11 and monitoring by the distant monitoring unit 12.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventor: Shinichi UOTSU