# US 12,760,754 B2 · Hydraulic control device, hydraulic circuit control method, and hydraulic device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,760,754 B2 - Document ID: US12760754B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 19/114,853 - Filed: 2023-08-25 - Published: 2026-01-29 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2022-10-06 - Assignees: Kubota Corporation - Applicants: Kubota Corporation - Inventors: Yuichi Nagatomi; Junya Fushimi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12760754B2 ## CPC - F15B 21/001: {Servomotor systems with fluidic control} - E02F 9/2203: {Arrangements for controlling the attitude of actuators, e.g. speed, floating function} - F15B 19/00: Testing; {Calibrating; Fault detection or monitoring; Simulation or modelling of} fluid-pressure systems or apparatus not otherwise provided for - E02F 9/2004: {Control mechanisms, e.g. control levers (control levers per se G05G)} - E02F 9/2296: {Systems with a variable displacement pump} - F15B 2211/45: Control of bleed-off flow, e.g. control of bypass flow to the return line - F15B: SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS, e.g. SERVOMOTORS; DETAILS OF FLUID-PRESSURE SYSTEMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - E02F: DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING (winning peat E21C49/00) ## Abstract A hydraulic control device includes: a virtual bleed information output unit that outputs virtual bleed information indicating a state of hydraulic oil flowing through a virtual bleed circuit based on an operation amount of an operation tool, a discharge pressure of a hydraulic pump, and a preset virtual bleed characteristic that is a characteristic of the virtual bleed circuit; a required bleed information output unit that outputs required bleed information indicating the state of hydraulic oil flowing through the virtual bleed circuit that is required to cause the hydraulic actuator to perform a desired operation based on the operation amount; a target control value determination unit that determines a target control value for the hydraulic pump based on a comparison result between the virtual bleed information and the required bleed information; and a pump control unit that controls the hydraulic pump on the target control value. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hydraulic control device for controlling a hydraulic circuit including a hydraulic actuator, a hydraulic pump that discharges hydraulic oil, and a control valve that switches between a supply state and a discharge state of hydraulic oil from the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic actuator based on an operation amount of an operation tool, the hydraulic control device comprising: a virtual bleed information output unit that outputs virtual bleed information indicating a state of hydraulic oil flowing through a virtual bleed circuit based on an operation amount of the operation tool, a discharge pressure of the hydraulic pump, and a preset virtual bleed characteristic that is a characteristic of the virtual bleed circuit to which the control valve and a hydraulic oil tank are assumed to be connected by a bypass line; a required bleed information output unit that outputs required bleed information indicating the state of hydraulic oil flowing through the virtual bleed circuit that is required to cause the hydraulic actuator to perform a desired operation based on the operation amount; a target control value determination unit that determines a target control value for the hydraulic pump based on a comparison result between the virtual bleed information and the required bleed information; and a pump control unit that controls the hydraulic pump based on the target control value, wherein the virtual bleed information output unit outputs a virtual bypass opening area corresponding to the operation amount based on a preset correspondence relationship between the operation amount and the virtual bypass opening area, the virtual bypass opening area being an opening area of a virtual control valve provided in the virtual bleed circuit, and outputs the virtual bleed information based on the output virtual bypass opening area and the discharge pressure, the virtual bleed information output unit outputs, as the virtual bleed information, a virtual bleed flow rate that is a flow rate of hydraulic oil flowing through the virtual bleed circuit, based on the virtual bypass opening area corresponding to the operation amount and the discharge pressure, the required bleed information output unit outputs, as the required bleed information, a required bleed flow rate corresponding to the operation amount based on a preset correspondence relationship between the operation amount and the required bleed flow rate, the required bleed flow rate being a flow rate of hydraulic oil that is required to flow through the virtual bleed circuit in order to cause the hydraulic actuator to perform a desired operation based on the operation amount, and the target control value determination unit outputs the target control value based on a larger flow rate of the virtual bleed flow rate output by the virtual bleed information output unit and the required bleed flow rate output by the required bleed information output unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The hydraulic control device according to claim 1, wherein the virtual bleed information output unit outputs the virtual bypass opening area corresponding to the operation amount based on a preset correspondence relationship between the operation amount and the virtual bypass opening area, and outputs, as the virtual bleed information, the virtual bleed flow rate corresponding to the virtual bypass opening area output based on the operation amount, and the discharge pressure, based on a correspondence relationship between the virtual bypass opening area, the discharge pressure, and the virtual bleed flow rate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The hydraulic control device according to claim 1, wherein the required bleed information output unit outputs a required flow rate corresponding to the operation amount based on a preset correspondence relationship between the operation amount and the required flow rate, the required flow rate being a flow rate of hydraulic oil to be supplied to the hydraulic actuator to cause the hydraulic actuator to perform a desired operation based on the operation amount, and outputs the required bleed flow rate corresponding to the required flow rate output based on the operation amount based on a preset correspondence relationship between the required flow rate and the required bleed flow rate that is a flow rate of hydraulic oil that is required to flow into the virtual bleed circuit to supply hydraulic oil at the required flow rate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A hydraulic device comprising: a hydraulic actuator; a hydraulic pump that discharges hydraulic oil; a control valve that switches between a supply state and a discharge state of hydraulic oil from the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic actuator based on an operation amount of an operation tool; and the hydraulic control device according to claim 1 that controls the hydraulic pump. ### Claim 5 A hydraulic control device for controlling a hydraulic circuit including a hydraulic actuator, a hydraulic pump that discharges hydraulic oil, and a control valve that switches between a supply state and a discharge state of hydraulic oil from the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic actuator based on an operation amount of an operation tool, the hydraulic control device comprising: a virtual bleed information output unit that outputs virtual bleed information indicating a state of hydraulic oil flowing through a virtual bleed circuit based on an operation amount of the operation tool, a discharge pressure of the hydraulic pump, and a preset virtual bleed characteristic that is a characteristic of the virtual bleed circuit to which the control valve and a hydraulic oil tank are assumed to be connected by a bypass line; a required bleed information output unit that outputs required bleed information indicating the state of hydraulic oil flowing through the virtual bleed circuit that is required to cause the hydraulic actuator to perform a desired operation based on the operation amount; a target control value determination unit that determines a target control value for the hydraulic pump based on a comparison result between the virtual bleed information and the required bleed information; and a pump control unit that controls the hydraulic pump based on the target control value, wherein the virtual bleed information output unit outputs a virtual bypass opening area corresponding to the operation amount based on a preset correspondence relationship between the operation amount and the virtual bypass opening area, the virtual bypass opening area being an opening area of a virtual control valve provided in the virtual bleed circuit, and outputs the virtual bleed information based on the output virtual bypass opening area and the discharge pressure, the virtual bleed information output unit outputs, as the virtual bleed information, a virtual bleed differential pressure corresponding to: the virtual bypass opening area corresponding to the operation amount specified based on a preset correspondence relationship between the virtual bypass opening area corresponding to the operation amount, the discharge pressure, and the virtual bleed differential pressure, the virtual bleed differential pressure being a differential pressure across a throttle resistance provided in the virtual bleed circuit; and the discharge pressure, the required bleed information output unit outputs, as the required bleed information, a required bleed differential pressure corresponding to the operation amount that is output based on a preset correspondence relationship between the operation amount and the required bleed differential pressure, the required bleed differential pressure being a differential pressure across the throttle resistance necessary for causing the hydraulic actuator to perform a desired operation based on the operation amount, and the target control value determination unit outputs the target control value based on a larger differential pressure of the virtual bleed differential pressure output by the virtual bleed information output unit and the required bleed differential pressure output by the required bleed information output unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The hydraulic control device according to claim 5, wherein the virtual bleed information output unit specifies a virtual bleed flow rate corresponding to the virtual bypass opening area corresponding to the operation amount and the discharge pressure, based on a preset correspondence relationship between the virtual bypass opening area corresponding to the operation amount, the discharge pressure, and the virtual bleed flow rate, the virtual bleed flow rate being a flow rate of hydraulic oil flowing through the virtual bleed circuit, and outputs, as the virtual bleed information, the virtual bleed differential pressure corresponding to the virtual bleed flow rate specified based on a preset correspondence relationship between the virtual bleed flow rate and the virtual bleed differential pressure. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The hydraulic control device according to claim 5, wherein the required bleed information output unit outputs a required bleed flow rate corresponding to the operation amount based on a preset correspondence relationship between the operation amount and the required bleed flow rate, the required bleed flow rate being a flow rate of hydraulic oil that is required to flow through the virtual bleed circuit in order to cause the hydraulic actuator to perform a desired operation based on the operation amount, and outputs the required bleed differential pressure corresponding to the required bleed flow rate output based on the operation amount based on a preset correspondence relationship between the required bleed flow rate and the required bleed differential pressure, or outputs a required flow rate corresponding to the operation amount based on a preset correspondence relationship between the operation amount and the required flow rate, the required flow rate being a flow rate of hydraulic oil to be supplied to the hydraulic actuator to cause the hydraulic actuator to perform a desired operation based on the operation amount, outputs the required bleed flow rate corresponding to the required flow rate output based on the operation amount based on a preset correspondence relationship between the required flow rate and the required bleed flow rate, and outputs the required bleed differential pressure corresponding to the required bleed flow rate output based on the operation amount based on a preset correspondence relationship between the required bleed flow rate and the required bleed differential pressure. ### Claim 8 A hydraulic control device for controlling a hydraulic circuit including a hydraulic actuator, a hydraulic pump that discharges hydraulic oil, and a control valve that switches between a supply state and a discharge state of hydraulic oil from the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic actuator based on an operation amount of an operation tool, the hydraulic control device comprising: a virtual bleed information output unit that outputs virtual bleed information indicating a state of hydraulic oil flowing through a virtual bleed circuit based on an operation amount of the operation tool, a discharge pressure of the hydraulic pump, and a preset virtual bleed characteristic that is a characteristic of the virtual bleed circuit to which the control valve and a hydraulic oil tank are assumed to be connected by a bypass line; a required bleed information output unit that outputs required bleed information indicating the state of hydraulic oil flowing through the virtual bleed circuit that is required to cause the hydraulic actuator to perform a desired operation based on the operation amount; a target control value determination unit that determines a target control value for the hydraulic pump based on a comparison result between the virtual bleed information and the required bleed information; and a pump control unit that controls the hydraulic pump based on the target control value, wherein the virtual bleed information output unit outputs a virtual bypass opening area corresponding to the operation amount based on a preset correspondence relationship between the operation amount and the virtual bypass opening area, the virtual bypass opening area being an opening area of a virtual control valve provided in the virtual bleed circuit, and outputs the virtual bleed information based on the output virtual bypass opening area and the discharge pressure, the virtual bleed information output unit outputs, as the virtual bleed information, a virtual pump flow rate corresponding to the operation amount and the discharge pressure based on a preset correspondence relationship between the virtual bypass opening area corresponding to the operation amount, the discharge pressure, and the virtual pump flow rate, the virtual pump flow rate being a flow rate of hydraulic oil discharged from the hydraulic pump when the virtual bleed circuit is assumed to be present, the required bleed information output unit outputs, as the required bleed information, a required pump flow rate based on a preset correspondence relationship between the operation amount and the required pump flow rate, the required pump flow rate being a flow rate of hydraulic oil to be discharged from the hydraulic pump to supply hydraulic oil to the hydraulic actuator for operating the hydraulic actuator based on the operation amount, and the target control value determination unit outputs the target control value based on a smaller pump flow rate of the virtual pump flow rate output by the virtual bleed information output unit and the required pump flow rate corresponding to the operation amount output from the required bleed information output unit. ### Claim 9 A hydraulic control device for controlling a hydraulic circuit including a hydraulic actuator, a hydraulic pump that discharges hydraulic oil, and a control valve that switches between a supply state and a discharge state of hydraulic oil from the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic actuator based on an operation amount of an operation tool, the hydraulic control device comprising: a virtual bleed information output unit that outputs virtual bleed information indicating a state of hydraulic oil flowing through a virtual bleed circuit based on an operation amount of the operation tool, a discharge pressure of the hydraulic pump, and a preset virtual bleed characteristic that is a characteristic of the virtual bleed circuit to which the control valve and a hydraulic oil tank are assumed to be connected by a bypass line; a required bleed information output unit that outputs required bleed information indicating the state of hydraulic oil flowing through the virtual bleed circuit that is required to cause the hydraulic actuator to perform a desired operation based on the operation amount; a target control value determination unit that determines a target control value for the hydraulic pump based on a comparison result between the virtual bleed information and the required bleed information; and a pump control unit that controls the hydraulic pump based on the target control value, wherein the pump control unit outputs a target pump displacement based on the target control value determined by the target control value determination unit, and controls the hydraulic pump so that a displacement of the hydraulic pump approaches the target pump displacement. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The hydraulic control device according to claim 9, further comprising an actual pump displacement acquisition unit that acquires an actual pump displacement of the hydraulic pump or information that can specify the actual pump displacement, wherein the pump control unit controls the hydraulic pump so as to reduce a difference between the actual pump displacement of the hydraulic pump and the target pump displacement. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The hydraulic control device according to claim 10, wherein the pump control unit outputs a pump control command pressure required when the hydraulic pump discharges hydraulic oil corresponding to the target control value determined by the target control value determination unit by making a correction based on a difference between the actual pump displacement and the target pump displacement, and controls the hydraulic pump. ### Claim 12 A control method for controlling a hydraulic circuit including a hydraulic actuator, a hydraulic pump that discharges hydraulic oil, and a control valve that switches between a supply state and a discharge state of hydraulic oil from the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic actuator based on an operation amount of an operation tool, the control method comprising: outputting virtual bleed information indicating a state of hydraulic oil flowing through a virtual bleed circuit based on an operation amount of the operation tool, a discharge pressure of the hydraulic pump, and a preset virtual bleed characteristic that is a characteristic of the virtual bleed circuit to which the control valve and a hydraulic oil tank are assumed to be connected by a bypass line; outputting required bleed information indicating the state of hydraulic oil flowing through the virtual bleed circuit that is required to cause the hydraulic actuator to perform a desired operation based on the operation amount; determining a target control value for the hydraulic pump based on a comparison result between the virtual bleed information and the required bleed information; and controlling the hydraulic pump based on the target control value, outputting a virtual bypass opening area corresponding to the operation amount based on a preset correspondence relationship between the operation amount and the virtual bypass opening area, the virtual bypass opening area being an opening area of a virtual control valve provided in the virtual bleed circuit, and outputting the virtual bleed information based on the output virtual bypass opening area and the discharge pressure, outputting, as the virtual bleed information, a virtual bleed flow rate that is a flow rate of hydraulic oil flowing through the virtual bleed circuit, based on the virtual bypass opening area corresponding to the operation amount and the discharge pressure, outputting, as the required bleed information, a required bleed flow rate corresponding to the operation amount based on a preset correspondence relationship between the operation amount and the required bleed flow rate, the required bleed flow rate being a flow rate of hydraulic oil that is required to flow through the virtual bleed circuit in order to cause the hydraulic actuator to perform a desired operation based on the operation amount, and outputting the target control value based on a larger flow rate of the output virtual bleed flow rate and the output required bleed flow rate.