Patents by Inventor Yoichi Kowatari

Yoichi Kowatari 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: 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: 20160006947
    Abstract: A slewing-type hydraulic excavator has a plurality of cameras 13 for respectively imaging toward different directions. A view point converting section 21 performs coordinate image data conversion to create overhead view images to look down from an upper position. A composite overhead view image creating section 22 creates a composite overhead view image P arranged around a graphic image of the hydraulic excavator 1. An interference scope indicating section 25 indicates the scope of potential interference on the overhead view image with a surrounding obstacle at respective ground heights at the time of rotating the hydraulic excavator 1. A display image creating section 26 produces the composite overhead view image P together with interference scope which is displayed on a monitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Inventors: Yoichi KOWATARI, Hidefumi ISHIMOTO, Yoshihiro INANOBE
  • Publication number: 20150203034
    Abstract: An object is to bring an operation to recognize precisely situation of an underneath of a vessel provided at a transportation vehicle and rearward situation on the basis of camera image which is attached to the transportation vehicle. Surveillance system of the transportation vehicle according to the present invention comprises a lamp unit 13 mounted at a position under the vessel and rear end of a frame of a dump truck 1, a rearward camera 10B mounted above the lamp unit 13 directing an optical axis toward obliquely downward and having a field of view including at least partially of an axle 11 provided rear wheels 6 of the dump truck 1, a shield plate 16 provided between the lamp unit 13 and the rearward camera 10B to be extended at a position to be included at least partially in the rearward camera 10B, a monitor device provided in the cab 2 of the dump truck 11 to display camera image taken by the rearward camera 10B.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Inventors: Hidefumi Ishimoto, Yoichi Kowatari, Yoshihiro Inanobe
  • Publication number: 20150175071
    Abstract: A plurality of images captured by a plurality of cameras respectively to create a plurality of upper viewpoint images. Display images are extracted from the upper viewpoint images, and the extracted display images are synthesized to create an overhead image or bird's eye view image of surroundings, which has an image corresponding to an operating machine at a center of the bird's eye view image. When extracting each of the display images, a region of the display image extracted from the upper viewpoint image is expanded beyond the size of a standard extraction region on the basis of the set height of a mating face. Each of the extracted display images is adjusted to the size of the standard extraction region, and synthesized. Thus, any three-dimensional object (obstacle) present near the boundary between display images constituting the bird's eye view image is displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Hidefumi Ishimoto, Yoichi Kowatari, Yoshihiro Inanobe
  • Publication number: 20150138356
    Abstract: A bird's eye view image is displayed to be recognized by an operator intuitively and precisely, irrespective of the displayed direction of the bird's eye view image. The display device has a plurality of cameras having optical axis directed obliquely downward to take images around a self-propelled industrial machine. A view point converting section converts the camera images to an upper view point to create bird's eye images, and an image composing section creates a composite bird's eye view image by composing respective bird's eye images around a symbol image of a dump truck. A direction superposing section superposes a forward direction indicator to indicate the forward direction of the dump truck on the composite bird's eye view image, and a monitor mounted in a cab of the dump truck displays the composite bird's eye image in an arbitral direction which is composited with the forward direction indicator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoichi Kowatari, Yoshihiro Inanobe, Hidefumi Ishimoto, Yoshiyuki Nagano, Masayoshi Hayasaka, Eitaro Ito, Takaaki Ishii, Kenta Tsukijishin
  • Publication number: 20150138360
    Abstract: This invention has an object to assist for traveling operation of a self-propelled industrial machine to display underneath image of the self-propelled industrial machine on a monitor of a display device mounted in a operator's cab. The display device of the self-propelled industrial machine according to the present invention is provided for a dump truck, which comprises cameras having field of view to underneath of the dump truck, a symbol image storage section to store a symbol image which is symbolized the dump truck, a superposing process section to make transparent with a predetermined transparent ratio in the symbol image as a transparent region and to superpose an image taken by the camera on the area corresponding to the transparent region as underneath image, and a monitor mounted in a cab of the dump truck for displaying the symbol image composed by the superposing process section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Yoichi Kowatari, Naokazu Oda, Katsuhiko Shimizu, Yoshihiro Inanobe, Hidefumi Ishimoto
  • Publication number: 20150116495
    Abstract: The underneath image of a self-propelled industrial machine is displayed with as wide a range as possible on a monitor with cameras that take images around the self-propelled industrial machine in the form of bird's eye view images. A view point conversion section creates the bird's eye view image by converting images from plural cameras provided on a dump truck; and a superposing process section processes the images to make the underneath area in a symbol image a transparent region corresponding to the position in the bird's eye view. An image composing section sets the symbol image at the center position and the respective bird's eye view images around the symbol image. A monitor displays the composite image composed by the image composing section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Yoichi Kowatari, Yoshihiro Inanobe, Katsuhiko Shimizu, Hidefumi Ishimoto
  • Publication number: 20140354816
    Abstract: This invention comprises, for the sake of improving the safety at the time of traveling a transportation vehicle by displaying an image corresponding to the traveling direction of the dump truck 1, cameras 4B, 4L and 4R having the field of visions at least rear side, left side and right side of the dump truck 1, respectively, a monitor 14 disposed in an operator's cab 7 of the dump truck 1, the operator's cab 7 is further comprises a shift lever 21 for operating the forward and rearward traveling direction, a vehicle controller20 and a display controller 30 being also provided for displaying one or plurality of camera image on the monitor in accordance with the traveling direction of the dump truck 1, on the basis of steering information of left or right traveling direction of the dump truck 1 and information from the shift lever 21.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Inanobe, Yoichi Kowatari, Hidefumi Ishimoto
  • Patent number: 8595144
    Abstract: In a server 10, a standard setting section 11 establishes a standard amount of deposits and a standard amount of money of a maintenance charge in advance; a first calculating section 12 calculates the maintenance charge by multiplying the standard amount of money by a ratio of a deposition level at returning to a standard deposition level; a memory section 13 stores in memory an engine operating time, the number of regeneration sequences performed, and a reduction coefficient table; a second calculating section 14 establishes a reduction coefficient based on the reduction coefficient table and reduces the maintenance charge after reduction by multiplying the maintenance charge calculated by the first calculating section 12 by the reduction coefficient; and a third calculating section 15 calculates an amount of refund by subtracting the value of the maintenance charge from the value of a maintenance guarantee.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Shibamori, Hidenobu Tsukada, Kazunori Nakamura, Yoichi Kowatari
  • Patent number: 8429904
    Abstract: Disclosed is a working machine capable of preventing damage to a filter due to excessive accumulation of particulate matter (PM), even under a situation that requires, prior to compulsory regeneration of the filter, moving the machine to a place in which to perform the regeneration work. The working machine that includes an exhaust treatment device 4 having a filter 6 to trap the PM, a regeneration control section 31 for compulsorily regenerating the filter, and a regeneration instruction device 23 for instructing the regeneration control section 31 to start the compulsory regeneration. Further, when a deposition quantity estimating element determines that an actual PM deposition quantity has reached a deposition alarm level, an alarm device 12 notifies an operator that the time has come to start the movement of the working machine to the place of regeneration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Shibamori, Kazunori Nakamura, Kouji Ishikawa, Yoichi Kowatari, Hidenobu Tsukada, Shohei Kamiya, Masanori Ezawa
  • Patent number: 8266903
    Abstract: An engine lag down control system for construction machinery has a machinery body controller having first, second and third torque control units and a solenoid valve. The first torque control unit controls a torque control valve to a minimum pump torque corresponding to a target number of engine revolutions when a non-operated state of a control device has continued beyond a monitoring time. The second torque control unit controls the torque control valve such that the above-described minimum pump torque is held for a predetermined holding time subsequent to the operation of the control device from the non-operated state. The third torque control unit controls the torque control valve such that from a time point of a lapse of the predetermined holding time, the pump torque is gradually increased on a basis of a predetermined torque increment rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichi Kowatari, Yasushi Arai, Kouji Ishikawa, Kazunori Nakamura, Nobuei Ariga, Hideo Karasawa, Yuuki Gotou, Motoyuki Yabuuchi
  • Patent number: 8162618
    Abstract: A current load rate of an engine 10 is computed and a maximum absorption torque of at least one hydraulic pump 1, 2 is controlled so that the load rate is held at a target value. Engine stalling can be prevented by decreasing the maximum absorption torque of the hydraulic pump under a high-load condition. When an engine output lowers due to environmental changes, the use of poor fuel or other reasons, the maximum absorption torque of the hydraulic pump can be decreased without a lowering of the engine revolution speed. Further, the present invention is adaptable for any kinds of factors causing a lowering of the engine output, such as those factors that cannot be predicted in advance or are difficult to detect by sensors. In addition, because of no necessity of sensors, such as environment sensors, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunori Nakamura, Yoichi Kowatari, Kouji Ishikawa, Yasushi Arai
  • Publication number: 20110276842
    Abstract: A machine abnormality monitoring device has basic information and a priority level preset for each type of abnormality. When an abnormality occurs, snapshot data regarding the abnormality occurrence is stored while being associated with the basic information. In cases where a new abnormality occurs when the snapshot data storage unit has no free storage area, if snapshot data at a priority level lower than that of the new abnormality exists in prior snapshot data stored in the snapshot data storage unit, the storage control unit stores the snapshot data regarding the new abnormality in the snapshot data storage unit in place of the prior snapshot data at the lower priority level while associating the new snapshot data with the basic information. Thus, the administrator is able to acquire the snapshot data regarding an abnormality in question with high reliability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2010
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Shibamori, Yoichi Kowatari, Hidenobu Tsukada, Akira Kimura, Kyouhei Kotsuji
  • Publication number: 20110004559
    Abstract: In a server 10, a standard setting section 11 establishes a standard amount of deposits and a standard amount of money of a maintenance charge in advance; a first calculating section 12 calculates the maintenance charge by multiplying the standard amount of money by a ratio of a deposition level at returning to a standard deposition level; a memory section 13 stores in memory an engine operating time, the number of regeneration sequences performed, and a reduction coefficient table; a second calculating section 14 establishes a reduction coefficient based on the reduction coefficient table and reduces the maintenance charge after reduction by multiplying the maintenance charge calculated by the first calculating section 12 by the reduction coefficient; and a third calculating section 15 calculates an amount of refund by subtracting the value of the maintenance charge from the value of a maintenance guarantee.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro SHIBAMORI, Hidenobu TSUKADA, Kazunori NAKAMURA, Yoichi KOWATARI
  • Publication number: 20100326058
    Abstract: Disclosed is a working machine capable of preventing damage to a filter due to excessive accumulation of particulate matter (PM), even under a situation that requires, prior to compulsory regeneration of the filter, moving the machine to a place in which to perform the regeneration work. The working machine that includes an exhaust treatment device 4 having a filter 6 to trap the PM, a regeneration control section 31 for compulsorily regenerating the filter, and a regeneration instruction device 23 for instructing the regeneration control section 31 to start the compulsory regeneration. Further, when a deposition quantity estimating element determines that an actual PM deposition quantity has reached a deposition alarm level, an alarm device 12 notifies an operator that the time has come to start the movement of the working machine to the place of regeneration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro SHIBAMORI, Kazunori NAKAMURA, Kouji ISHIKAWA, Yoichi KOWATARI, Hidenobu TSUKADA, Shohei KAMIYA, Masanori EZAWA
  • Publication number: 20080236157
    Abstract: An engine lag down suppressing device of construction machinery, comprising a vehicle body controller (13) having a first torque control means and a second torque control means, and a third torque control means. The first torque control means controls a torque control valve (7) to the minimum pump torque (value: Min) according to a target engine rotational speed (Nr) when the operating device (5) in the non-operated state of an continues for a monitoring time (TX1) to suppress an engine lag down after a specified holing time to hold a torque to a low pump torque is passed when the operating device in the non-operated state is operated. The second torque control means controls the torque control valve (7) to hold the minimum pump torque for a specified holding time (Tx2) after the operating device (5) in the non-operated state is operated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2004
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Applicant: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichi Kowatari, Yasushi Arai, Kouji Ishikawa, Kazunori Nakamura, Nobuei Ariga, Hideo Karasawa, Yuuki Gotou, Motoyuki Yabuuchi
  • Patent number: 7255088
    Abstract: An engine control system includes pressure sensors (73, 74), position sensors (75, 76), pressure sensors (77, 78), a target revolution speed modification value computing unit (90), and a modification value adder (70r). A target revolution speed NR2 for use in control is computed based on changes of status variables such that the target revolution speed NR2 increases from the target revolution speed NR1 applied from an input unit (71), and then moderately returns to the target revolution speed NR1. In accordance with the computed target revolution speed NR2 for use in control, a target fuel injection amount FN1 is computed and a fuel injection amount is controlled. As a result, a drop of an engine revolution speed attributable to an abrupt increase of an engine load can be suppressed without sacrificing the work efficiency, and lowering of durability caused by an excessive increase of the engine revolution speed can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunori Nakamura, Yasushi Arai, Yoichi Kowatari, Kouji Ishikawa, Hideo Karasawa
  • Patent number: D715808
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Hidefumi Ishimoto, Yoshihiro Inanobe, Yoichi Kowatari, Eitaro Ito, Kenta Tsukijishin, Takaaki Ishii
  • Patent number: D724604
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Hidefumi Ishimoto, Yoshihiro Inanobe, Yoichi Kowatari, Eitaro Ito, Kenta Tsukijishin, Takaaki Ishii