Patents by Inventor Tomikazu Tanuki

Tomikazu Tanuki 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: 10800406
    Abstract: A mining machine includes a traveling device traveling a traveling path in a mine, a vehicle body supported by the traveling device, a non-contact sensor in a front section of the vehicle body which contactlessly detects an object in a detection area, and is arranged such that the traveling path in front of the vehicle body and an area beside the traveling path are included in the detection area, an obstacle detector detecting an obstacle in the traveling path in front of the vehicle body based on an output signal of the non-contact sensor, a distance detector a distance to a wall beside the traveling path based on an output signal of the non-contact sensor, and a traveling controller controlling the traveling device based on a detection result of at least one of the obstacle detection unit and the distance detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuki Awamori, Tomikazu Tanuki
  • Publication number: 20200026305
    Abstract: A haul vehicle control system includes a reference line creating unit configured to create, on the basis of a boundary curve of a running area in a work site where a haul vehicle runs, a reference line set in the running area, and a running course creating unit configured to create a running course for the haul vehicle which is set in the running area on the basis of the reference line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Takashi Maekawa, Taketoshi Suzuki, Riku Usami, Yuji Kobashi, Koji Takeda, Tomikazu Tanuki
  • Patent number: 10321097
    Abstract: A perimeter monitoring device is configured to monitor a surrounding of a work vehicle and to display a monitored result on a display device. The perimeter monitoring device comprises a vehicle information detecting part, a plurality of cameras, a bird's-eye image display unit, a plurality of obstacle detecting sensors, an obstacle processing part, and a camera image displaying unit. The vehicle information detecting part detects a speed of the work vehicle. The cameras capture image data regarding the surrounding of the work vehicle. The bird's-eye image display unit displays a bird's-eye image based on the image data. The obstacle detecting sensors detect obstacles in the surrounding. The obstacle processing part issues a warning when an obstacle is detected. The camera image displaying unit displays a camera image adjacent the bird's-eye image. The images are not displayed and the warning is not issued when the vehicle speed exceeds a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Shinji Mitsuta, Shigeru Harada, Tomikazu Tanuki, Eishin Masutani, Yukihiro Nakanishi, Takeshi Kurihara, Dai Tsubone, Masaomi Machida
  • Patent number: 9956915
    Abstract: A dump truck having a periphery monitoring apparatus is adapted to display an image of surroundings of the dump truck on a display apparatus. A rearward camera is attached to a vehicle body of the dump truck underneath a vessel of the dump truck and positioned forward of a rear edge portion of the vessel. A rearward camera image captured by the rearward camera includes the rear edge portion of the vessel, an area below the vessel, and an area rearward of the vehicle body. A display control section is configured to display the rear edge portion of the vessel in an upper region of the rearward camera image, to display a ground surface below the vessel in a lower region of the rearward camera image, and to display a vehicle body outer edge line obtained by vertically projecting an outer edge of the vessel onto the ground surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Shinji Mitsuta, Shigeru Harada, Tomikazu Tanuki, Eishin Masutani, Yukihiro Nakanishi, Takeshi Kurihara, Dai Tsubone, Masaomi Machida
  • Publication number: 20170120823
    Abstract: A dump truck having a periphery monitoring apparatus is adapted to display an image of surroundings of the dump truck on a display apparatus. A rearward camera is attached to a vehicle body of the dump truck underneath a vessel of the dump truck and positioned forward of a rear edge portion of the vessel. A rearward camera image captured by the rearward camera includes the rear edge portion of the vessel, an area below the vessel, and an area rearward of the vehicle body. A display control section is configured to display the rear edge portion of the vessel in an upper region of the rearward camera image, to display a ground surface below the vessel in a lower region of the rearward camera image, and to display a vehicle body outer edge line obtained by vertically projecting an outer edge of the vessel onto the ground surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Shinji MITSUTA, Shigeru HARADA, Tomikazu TANUKI, Eishin MASUTANI, Yukihiro NAKANISHI, Takeshi KURIHARA, Dai TSUBONE, Masaomi MACHIDA
  • Patent number: 9597997
    Abstract: A periphery monitoring apparatus for a work vehicle includes a plurality of obstacle detection sensors, a warning region setting section and a warning section. The obstacle detection sensors are mounted on the work vehicle, and each of the obstacle detection sensors is configured to determine a relative position of an obstacle with regard to the work vehicle by detecting the obstacle in the surroundings of the work vehicle. The warning region setting section is configured to set a warning region, where it is necessary to warn a driver of a presence of the obstacle, according to a movement state of the work vehicle. The warning section is configured to warn a driver that the relative position of the obstacle is positioned in the warning region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Shinji Mitsuta, Shigeru Harada, Tomikazu Tanuki, Eishin Masutani, Yukihiro Nakanishi, Takeshi Kurihara, Dai Tsubone, Masaomi Machida
  • Publication number: 20170026618
    Abstract: A perimeter monitoring device is configured to monitor a surrounding of a work vehicle and to display a monitored result on a display device. The perimeter monitoring device comprises a vehicle information detecting part, a plurality of cameras, a bird's-eye image display unit, a plurality of obstacle detecting sensors, an obstacle processing part, and a camera image displaying unit. The vehicle information detecting part detects a speed of the work vehicle. The cameras capture image data regarding the surrounding of the work vehicle. The bird's-eye image display unit displays a bird's-eye image based on the image data. The obstacle detecting sensors detect obstacles in the surrounding. The obstacle processing part issues a warning when an obstacle is detected. The camera image displaying unit displays a camera image adjacent the bird's-eye image. The images are not displayed and the warning is not issued when the vehicle speed exceeds a threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Publication date: January 26, 2017
    Inventors: Shinji MITSUTA, Shigeru HARADA, Tomikazu TANUKI, Eishin MASUTANI, Yukihiro NAKANISHI, Takeshi KURIHARA, Dai TSUBONE, Masaomi MACHIDA
  • Patent number: 9497422
    Abstract: A perimeter monitoring device for a work vehicle is configured to monitor a surrounding of the work vehicle and display a monitored result on a display device. The perimeter monitoring device includes cameras, a bird's-eye image display unit, obstacle detecting sensors, a camera image specifying unit, and a camera image displaying unit. The camera image specifying unit is configured to specify one or more camera images in which one or more of obstacles are captured when the one or more of obstacles are detected by the obstacle detecting sensors. The camera image displaying unit is configured to display a relevant camera image in alignment with the bird's-eye image on the display device when a plurality of camera images are specified by the camera image specifying unit, the relevant camera image being ranked in a high priority ranking based on a priority order set in accordance with travelling states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Shinji Mitsuta, Shigeru Harada, Tomikazu Tanuki, Eishin Masutani, Yukihiro Nakanishi, Takeshi Kurihara, Dai Tsubone, Masaomi Machida
  • Patent number: 9457719
    Abstract: A work vehicle periphery monitoring system includes a plurality of imaging apparatuses which are attached to the work vehicle and image the periphery of a work vehicle to output image information, a display control unit which displays an image based on image information which is output from imaging apparatuses, and a pattern indicating information relating to the work vehicle periphery monitoring system on a monitor, and a pattern display control unit which changes a display position at which the pattern is displayed on the monitor 50 based on a display switching signal for switching a display of the monitor, before and after switching the display of the monitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomikazu Tanuki, Dai Tsubone, Takeshi Kurihara
  • Patent number: 9442194
    Abstract: A dump truck includes radars attached, facing backward, to a position projected sideward a front fender extended from a lower deck to an upper deck of a front side of the vehicle, in which an irradiation beam has an angle of dip to cross at least a front wheel; and radars attached, facing sideward, to the side of the lower deck, and the radars and the radars are arranged such that a horizontal forward detection limit line of each of the radar and a horizontal backward detection limit line of each of the radar overlap and the horizontal backward detection limit lines of the radar are directed to a side of a center plane of the vehicle to detect the obstacle in the side of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Kurihara, Masaomi Machida, Dai Tsubone, Yukihiro Nakanishi, Tomikazu Tanuki, Shinji Mitsuta, Shigeru Harada, Eishin Masutani
  • Publication number: 20160185346
    Abstract: A mining machine includes a traveling device traveling a traveling path in a mine, a vehicle body supported by the traveling device, a non-contact sensor in a front section of the vehicle body which contactlessly detects an object in a detection area, and is arranged such that the traveling path in front of the vehicle body and an area beside the traveling path are included in the detection area, an obstacle detector detecting an obstacle in the traveling path in front of the vehicle body based on an output signal of the non-contact sensor, a distance detector a distance to a wall beside the traveling path based on an output signal of the non-contact sensor, and a traveling controller controlling the traveling device based on a detection result of at least one of the obstacle detection unit and the distance detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2014
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Applicant: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Katsuki Awamori, Tomikazu Tanuki
  • Patent number: 9291709
    Abstract: A dump truck includes a body and a plurality of cameras. The body includes an upper deck and a main frame disposed in a longitudinal direction. The cameras are configured and arranged to obtain images to be combined to generate a bird's-eye image to monitor a periphery of the dump truck. The cameras include a front camera, a rear camera and side cameras. The front camera is disposed at the front of the upper deck to obtain an image of an area in front of the body. The rear camera is disposed at a rear end of the main frame to obtain an image of an area in rear of the body. The side cameras are respectively provided on left and right sides of the upper deck to obtain images of an area between diagonally to the front and diagonally to the rear of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Shinji Mitsuta, Shigeru Harada, Tomikazu Tanuki, Eishin Masutani, Yukihiro Nakanishi, Takeshi Kurihara, Dai Tsubone, Masaomi Machida
  • Patent number: 9294736
    Abstract: A working vehicle periphery monitoring system includes: a plurality of image capturing devices capturing a periphery of a working vehicle to output image information; a bird's eye image synthesizing unit synthesizing the image information to generate bird's eye image information for displaying a bird's eye image on a monitor; and a display control unit displaying, on the monitor, at least one of a first bird's eye image obtained by superimposing a first vessel image including at least the vessel other than a part of the vessel at a rear side of the working vehicle and front and rear wheels displayed with the vessel on an area of the working vehicle in the bird's eye image and a second bird's eye image obtained by superimposing a second vessel image including at least all of the vessel and the front and rear wheels displayed with the vessel on the area of the working vehicle in the bird's eye image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomikazu Tanuki, Takeshi Kurihara
  • Patent number: 9204106
    Abstract: A periphery monitoring device (10) comprises a monitor (50) that displays a bird's-eye image (200) that includes an image of a dump truck (1), a payload meter ECU (21) that detects the load of the dump truck (1), and a controller (20) that switches the size of a cargo image (C1) displayed over the vessel (4) of the dump truck (1) and displays this image on the monitor (50) on the basis of the detection result of the payload meter ECU (21). In a load display device for a dump truck, a plurality of cameras are installed and the load display device monitors the periphery by using a bird's-eye image that combines images obtained by the plurality of cameras. The load display device includes a display component, a detector and a display controller. The display component is configured to display the bird's-eye image including an image of the dump truck. The detector is configured to detect a load of the dump truck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Shinji Mitsuta, Shigeru Harada, Tomikazu Tanuki, Eishin Masutani, Yukihiro Nakanishi, Takeshi Kurihara, Dai Tsubone, Masaomi Machida
  • Publication number: 20150217691
    Abstract: A work vehicle periphery monitoring system includes a plurality of imaging apparatuses which are attached to the work vehicle and image the periphery of a work vehicle to output image information, a display control unit which displays an image based on image information which is output from imaging apparatuses, and a pattern indicating information relating to the work vehicle periphery monitoring system on a monitor, and a pattern display control unit which changes a display position at which the pattern is displayed on the monitor 50 based on a display switching signal for switching a display of the monitor, before and after switching the display of the monitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Applicant: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Tomikazu Tanuki, Dai Tsubone, Takeshi Kurihara
  • Publication number: 20150222858
    Abstract: A working vehicle periphery monitoring system includes: a plurality of image capturing devices capturing a periphery of a working vehicle to output image information; a bird's eye image synthesizing unit synthesizing the image information to generate bird's eye image information for displaying a bird's eye image on a monitor; and a display control unit displaying, on the monitor, at least one of a first bird's eye image obtained by superimposing a first vessel image including at least the vessel other than a part of the vessel at a rear side of the working vehicle and front and rear wheels displayed with the vessel on an area of the working vehicle in the bird's eye image and a second bird's eye image obtained by superimposing a second vessel image including at least all of the vessel and the front and rear wheels displayed with the vessel on the area of the working vehicle in the bird's eye image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Applicant: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Tomikazu Tanuki, Takeshi Kurihara
  • Publication number: 20150077281
    Abstract: A dump truck includes a vehicle body portion that includes an upper deck on which a cab is disposed and a frame which is disposed in a longitudinal direction, a vessel that is disposed above the frame, and a sixth imaging device that is disposed below the vessel at a rear end of the frame and can image the rear side of the vehicle body portion. The sixth imaging device is a wide dynamic range camera.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Taniguchi, Tomikazu Tanuki, Shinji Mitsuta, Takeshi Kurihara, Yukihiro Nakanishi, Masaomi Machida, Dai Tsubone
  • Patent number: 8982212
    Abstract: A work vehicle surrounding area monitoring device includes an imaging unit, a bird's-eye view image creating unit, a display unit and a traveling state determining unit. When the work vehicle is in the stopped state, the bird's-eye view image creating unit is configured to use a first virtual projection plane to create the bird's-eye view image, and at least an outer edge portion of the first virtual projection plane has a shape that increases in height from the ground surface as a distance from the work vehicle increases. When the work vehicle is in the traveling state, the bird's-eye view image creating unit is configured to use a second virtual projection plane to create the bird's-eye view image, and at least an outer edge portion of the second virtual projection plane has a shape having a uniformly flat height from the ground surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Mitsuta, Shigeru Harada, Tomikazu Tanuki, Eishin Masutani, Yukihiro Nakanishi, Takeshi Kurihara, Dai Tsubone, Masaomi Machida
  • Publication number: 20140375503
    Abstract: A dump truck includes radars attached, facing backward, to a position projected sideward a front fender extended from a lower deck to an upper deck of a front side of the vehicle, in which an irradiation beam has an angle of dip to cross at least a front wheel; and radars attached, facing sideward, to the side of the lower deck, and the radars and the radars are arranged such that a horizontal forward detection limit line of each of the radar and a horizontal backward detection limit line of each of the radar overlap and the horizontal backward detection limit lines of the radar are directed to a side of a center plane of the vehicle to detect the obstacle in the side of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventors: Takeshi Kurihara, Masaomi Machida, Dai Tsubone, Yukihiro Nakanishi, Tomikazu Tanuki, Shinji Mitsuta, Shigeru Harada, Eishin Masutani
  • Publication number: 20140266859
    Abstract: A dump truck with an obstacle detection mechanism capable of detecting an obstacle around a vehicle using a plurality of radars provided on peripheral of the vehicle, the dump truck includes radars arranged with respect to a vehicle center plane in a backside of a rear axle case and between joints of rear suspension cylinders on the rear axle case, wherein the radars are arranged such that irradiation center axes in a vertical direction have a predetermined angle of dip to detect an obstacle in a backside of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Kurihara, Dai Tsubone, Masaomi Machida, Yukihiro Nakanishi, Tomikazu Tanuki, Shinji Mitsuta, Masanori Tojima, Mitsuhiro Ryuman