Patents by Inventor Takashi Hiekata

Takashi Hiekata 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: 11111654
    Abstract: A region removing unit determines a coordinate region of a boom indicating a region in distance image data by using posture information acquired by an acquisition unit, and removes pixel data constituting the determined coordinate region from the distance image data. An interference determination unit detects an interference object that is a work device or a grasped object of the work device by using the distance image data obtained by removing the pixel data constituting the coordinate region to determine danger of interference of the detected interference object in a cab. When the interference determination unit determines that there is danger of interference, an interference prevention unit performs at least one of a warning to an operator and operation restriction of the work device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.), KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi Hiekata
  • Patent number: 11028553
    Abstract: A construction machine includes a boom, an operator cab, a distance sensor, a displacement detection unit, a storage unit, and a position information acquisition unit. The distance sensor has a predetermined field of view and acquires distance image data indicating a distance distribution of an environment around the operator cab. The storage unit stores initial position information of the boom. The displacement detection unit compares comparative position information of the boom, the comparative position information being acquired from the distance image data by the position information acquisition unit, with initial position information of the boom stored in the storage unit to detect a displacement of the distance sensor with respect to the operator cab when the boom is brought into an initial posture again after initial setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignees: Kobe Steel, Ltd., KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hashimoto, Takashi Hiekata
  • Patent number: 11001481
    Abstract: An output-torque estimation unit obtains a value of a current input to a motor, from a power converter, and calculates an estimated output torque value which is an estimated value of output torque of the motor, from the obtained value of the current. A load estimation unit estimates a load value of a hanging cargo based on the estimated output torque value which is calculated by the output-torque estimation unit, a speed reduction ratio of a speed reducer, an effective radius of a winch drum, and the winding number which is set by the number setting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignees: Kobe Steel, Ltd., KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kawai, Takashi Hiekata, Koji Inoue, Takashi Tokuyama, Hiroshi Hashimoto, Toshiaki Shimoda, Shintaroh Sasai, Tetsuya Ogawa, Toshiro Yamashita
  • Patent number: 10907324
    Abstract: There is provided a construction machine that can detect a positional displacement of a detection unit, the machine including a body, a plurality of distance sensors, a position information acquisition unit, and a positional displacement detection unit. The distance sensors are disposed so that detection areas of the distance sensors partially overlap. When a predetermined target is placed in an overlapping detection area, the positional displacement detection unit compares position information of the target that is acquired from distance image data of one distance sensor by the position information acquisition unit to position information of the target that is acquired from distance image data of the other distance sensor by the position information acquisition unit to detect a positional displacement of at least one of the one distance sensor and the other distance sensor with respect to the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignees: Kobe Steel, Ltd., KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Shimoda, Takashi Hiekata, Hiroshi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 10773932
    Abstract: Provided is an electric winch apparatus capable of preventing irregular winding of a wire rope caused by landing of a hoisted-down suspended load. The electric winch apparatus includes a winch drum (5) around which a wire rope (2) is wound, an electric motor (8) which rotates the winch drum (5), an operation lever (13a), a measurement unit (18) which measures a tension index value corresponding to a tension in the wire rope (2), and a controller (12) which controls motion of the electric motor (8). The controller (12) stops motion of the electric motor (8) when an operation in a lowering operation direction is applied the operation lever (13a) and a tension average value as an average value of a tension in the wire rope (2) becomes less than or equal to a predetermined tension reference value, the average value of the tension corresponding to an average value of the tension index value in a predetermined period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignees: KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD., Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Ogawa, Shintaroh Sasai, Koji Inoue, Takashi Hiekata
  • Patent number: 10676900
    Abstract: A region extraction unit extracts a region indicating distance distribution of an attachment from distance image data acquired by a distance sensor by using a posture detected by a posture detection unit. A feature amount extraction unit extracts a feature amount of the attachment from the region indicating the distance distribution of the attachment extracted by the region extraction unit. An attachment recognition unit compares the feature amount extracted by the feature amount extraction unit with a feature amount of one or more reference attachments stored in a database to recognize the attachment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignees: Kobe Steel, Ltd., KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi Hiekata
  • Patent number: 10565690
    Abstract: An extraction unit extracts, as a candidate pixel of a disturbance object, a predetermined number of pixels in order of smaller distance from each distance image acquired by a distance measurement sensor, the predetermined number being one or more. A calculation unit calculates a feature value indicating a characteristic of temporal change between each candidate pixel in a distance image of a current frame and a corresponding candidate pixel in a distance image of a past frame. A removal unit specifies, as a pixel indicating a disturbance object, a candidate pixel the feature value of which calculated by the calculation unit is larger than a predetermined reference feature value, and removes the specified pixel from the distance image of the current frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignees: Kobe Steel, Ltd., KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi Hiekata
  • Publication number: 20190360176
    Abstract: There is provided a construction machine that can detect a positional displacement of a detection unit, the machine including a body, a plurality of distance sensors, a position information acquisition unit, and a positional displacement detection unit. The distance sensors are disposed so that detection areas of the distance sensors partially overlap. When a predetermined target is placed in an overlapping detection area, the positional displacement detection unit compares position information of the target that is acquired from distance image data of one distance sensor by the position information acquisition unit to position information of the target that is acquired from distance image data of the other distance sensor by the position information acquisition unit to detect a positional displacement of at least one of the one distance sensor and the other distance sensor with respect to the body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.), KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiaki SHIMODA, Takashi HIEKATA, Hiroshi HASHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20190300339
    Abstract: An output-torque estimation unit obtains a value of a current input to a motor, from a power converter, and calculates an estimated output torque value which is an estimated value of output torque of the motor, from the obtained value of the current. A load estimation unit estimates a load value of a hanging cargo based on the estimated output torque value which is calculated by the output-torque estimation unit, a speed reduction ratio of a speed reducer, an effective radius of a winch drum, and the winding number which is set by the number setting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.), KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki KAWAI, Takashi HIEKATA, Koji INOUE, Takashi TOKUYAMA, Hiroshi HASHIMOTO, Toshiaki SHIMODA, Shintaroh SASAI, Tetsuya OGAWA, Toshiro YAMASHITA
  • Publication number: 20190277004
    Abstract: A construction machine includes a boom, an operator cab, a distance sensor, a displacement detection unit, a storage unit, and a position information acquisition unit. The distance sensor has a predetermined field of view and acquires distance image data indicating a distance distribution of an environment around the operator cab. The storage unit stores initial position information of the boom. The displacement detection unit compares comparative position information of the boom, the comparative position information being acquired from the distance image data by the position information acquisition unit, with initial position information of the boom stored in the storage unit to detect a displacement of the distance sensor with respect to the operator cab when the boom is brought into an initial posture again after initial setting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.), KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi HASHIMOTO, Takashi HIEKATA
  • Patent number: 10399828
    Abstract: An electrically driven winch device includes a winch drum, a plurality of axial-gap electric motors, and a drive shaft. The winch drum rotates around a drum axis in order to wind or unwind a work rope. The plurality of electric motors are electric motors configured to drive the winch drum to rotate, and are each provided with a stator, and rotors which rotate around a rotation axis and are disposed at an axial distance from the stator. The drive shaft is disposed coaxially with the drum axis and serially connects the rotors of the plurality of electric motors on the rotation axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignees: Kobe Steel, Ltd., KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Hiekata, Koji Inoue, Hiroaki Kawai, Shintaroh Sasai, Tetsuya Ogawa, Toshiro Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20190256328
    Abstract: Provided is an electric winch apparatus capable of preventing irregular winding of a wire rope caused by landing of a hoisted-down suspended load. The electric winch apparatus includes a winch drum (5) around which a wire rope (2) is wound, an electric motor (8) which rotates the winch drum (5), an operation lever (13a), a measurement unit (18) which measures a tension index value corresponding to a tension in the wire rope (2), and a controller (12) which controls motion of the electric motor (8). The controller (12) stops motion of the electric motor (8) when an operation in a lowering operation direction is applied the operation lever (13a) and a tension average value as an average value of a tension in the wire rope (2) becomes less than or equal to a predetermined tension reference value, the average value of the tension corresponding to an average value of the tension index value in a predetermined period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2017
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Applicants: KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD., KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Tetsuya OGAWA, Shintaroh SASAI, Koji INOUE, Takashi HIEKATA
  • Patent number: 10386883
    Abstract: A force-sense-imparting operation device including a stationary section, a rotating section, and an operation member. One of the stationary section and the rotating section includes an excitation coil and a first magnetic pole section, and the other includes a second magnetic pole section capable of opposition to the first magnetic pole section in a specific opposing direction. The first magnetic pole section forms a magnetic circuit with the first magnetic pole section due to the second magnetic pole section being excited in a state that the second magnetic pole section opposes the first magnetic pole section. The magnetic circuit encircles a periphery of the excitation coil on the cross section, the second magnetic pole section being arranged to separate from the first magnetic pole section with rotation of the rotating section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignees: Kobe Steel, Ltd., KOBELCO CRANES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Inoue, Takashi Hiekata, Tatsurou Asano
  • Patent number: 10381890
    Abstract: An axial gap type dynamo-electric machine (1) comprises: a stator (2) provided with a magnetic core (21) and an exciting coil (22); a rotor (3) provided with a plurality of permanent magnets (4) circumferentially arranged around a rotation center axis (AX), the rotor (3) being also provided with a disk-shaped base material (31) for supporting the permanent magnets, the rotor (3) being disposed at an axial distance from the stator (2); and affixation members (5) for affixing the permanent magnets (4) to the base material (31). The permanent magnets (4) are provided with front surfaces facing the stator (2), rear surfaces facing the base material, and engagement-receiving sections (412, 422, 432) formed at peripheral edges of the permanent magnets (4). The affixation members (5) include: engagement sections (512) engaging the engagement-receiving sections; and affixation sections (511) forming mechanical affixation structures relative to the base material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Inoue, Takashi Hiekata, Hiroaki Kawai, Shintaro Sasai, Tetsuya Ogawa, Toshiro Yamashita, Shingo Kasai, Shumpei Hayashi
  • Patent number: 10355570
    Abstract: In the outer rotor-type axial gap brushless motor of the present invention, each of a plurality of coils provided to a stator is constituted by winding a band-shaped conductor member via an insulating member such that the width direction of the conductor member runs along the axial direction of the coil, and each coil has a through passage which penetrates in the axial direction of the coil and which is included between prescribed turns in a portion of the coil that corresponds to the outer side in the radial direction of the stator relative to a core portion of the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Inoue, Hiroaki Kawai, Koji Inoue, Takashi Hiekata, Kazuhide Sekiyama
  • Patent number: 10315896
    Abstract: An electric winch device includes a required braking force estimation section which estimates a required braking force required to stop a free-falling object at a position at an allowable stopping height; a braking force determination section which determines, out of an operational braking force, each of a first braking force to be borne by a braking device and a second braking force to be borne by a braking force which is generated in an electric motor due to consumption of regenerative power; and a control section which causes the braking device to apply the first braking force to a winch drum. The braking force determination section determines the first braking force to be a braking force equal to or greater than the required braking force when, at a time of stopping of the free-falling object, the operational braking force is equal to or greater than the required braking force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignees: Kobe Steel, Ltd., KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kawai, Takashi Hiekata, Shintaro Sasai, Naoto Hori, Toshiro Yamashita, Koichi Shimomura
  • Publication number: 20190093321
    Abstract: A region extraction unit extracts a region indicating distance distribution of an attachment from distance image data acquired by a distance sensor by using a posture detected by a posture detection unit. A feature amount extraction unit extracts a feature amount of the attachment from the region indicating the distance distribution of the attachment extracted by the region extraction unit. An attachment recognition unit compares the feature amount extracted by the feature amount extraction unit with a feature amount of one or more reference attachments stored in a database to recognize the attachment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.), KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi HIEKATA
  • Publication number: 20190066270
    Abstract: An extraction unit extracts, as a candidate pixel of a disturbance object, a predetermined number of pixels in order of smaller distance from each distance image acquired by a distance measurement sensor, the predetermined number being one or more. A calculation unit calculates a feature value indicating a characteristic of temporal change between each candidate pixel in a distance image of a current frame and a corresponding candidate pixel in a distance image of a past frame. A removal unit specifies, as a pixel indicating a disturbance object, a candidate pixel the feature value of which calculated by the calculation unit is larger than a predetermined reference feature value, and removes the specified pixel from the distance image of the current frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.), KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi HIEKATA
  • Patent number: 10196247
    Abstract: Provided is an electric winch device including: an electric motor; a winch drum; a brake; an operation lever; and a controller. The controller includes: a first torque derivation unit which derives a value of a first torque applied to the winch drum due to a load of an object; a second torque derivation unit which derives a value of a second torque generated in the winch drum by a drive torque of the electric motor; and a brake control unit which determines a timing for releasing a braking action on the winch drum after the operation lever has been operated, on the basis of a differential between the second torque value and the first torque value, and which causes the brake to release the braking action on the winch drum by transmitting, to the brake, a control signal instructing release of the braking action on the winch drum at the determined timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.), KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Hiekata, Hiroaki Kawai, Toshiro Yamashita, Shintaro Sasai, Naoto Hori, Koichi Shimomura
  • Patent number: 10189687
    Abstract: An electric winch device causes an operative part to perform an operation for hoisting work by winding up or letting out a rope connected to the operative part, the electric winch device including: a winch drum having an axis, provided on the mobile crane to be rotatable about the axis and wound with the rope therearound; a plurality of motors located on one side of the winch drum in an axial direction in which the axis of the winch drum extends, and arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction; a gear mechanism which combines torques output from the plurality of motors; and a transmitting part which transmits a resultant of torques combined by the gear mechanism to the winch drum to rotate the winch drum to thereby cause the winch drum to wind up or let out the rope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignees: Kobe Steel, Ltd., KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Hiekata, Hiroaki Kawai, Koji Inoue, Shintaro Sasai, Tetsuya Ogawa, Toshiro Yamashita