Toyota Patents

Toyota Motor Corporation designs, manufactures, assembles and sells passenger cars, minivans and commercial vehicles under the Toyota and Lexus brands. The company also provides financial services products to customers and dealers seeking loans to purchase or leases of Toyota vehicles.

Toyota Patents by Type
  • Toyota Patents Granted: Toyota patents that have been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
  • Toyota Patent Applications: Toyota patent applications that are pending before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
  • Patent number: 11973453
    Abstract: A first actuator and a second actuator each have a plurality of control calculation units provided redundantly and a plurality of motor drive units provided redundantly. In the first and the second actuators, the control calculation units of the systems paired with each other transmit and receive information to and from each other by a communication between the actuators. When a failure occurs in any system in either of the two actuators, or when a failure occurs in a communication between actuators in either system, the control calculation unit of each actuator of the system in which the failure occurred stops the motor drive control. Then, the motor drive control is continued by the control calculation unit of the normal system in both actuators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki Tomizawa, Masaharu Yamashita, Kenji Shibata, Yosuke Yamashita, Shoji Kubota, Yugo Nagashima, Yuji Fujita, Kenichi Abe
  • Patent number: 11973352
    Abstract: There are provided a method and a device for feeding electric power to a vehicle, etc. installed with a solar photovoltaic power generation panel employing a multi-junction solar cell in a non-contact manner by irradiating light to the solar photovoltaic power generation panel. In the method, light containing a wavelength component absorbed by each of all solar cell layers laminated in a multi-junction solar cell of the vehicle, etc. is projected from a light-projecting device to the light receiving surface of the multi-junction solar cell; and electric power generated by the irradiation of light from the multi-junction solar cell is taken out. The device includes structures for emitting light containing a wavelength component absorbed by each solar cell layer laminated in the multi-junction solar cell, and for irradiating the light to a light receiving surface of the multi-junction solar cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Taizo Masuda
  • Patent number: 11974089
    Abstract: An acoustic system includes an in-vehicle device including a vehicle-side communicator; and an information processing device configured to be worn at an ear of a user and to communicate with the vehicle-side communicator. The information processing device includes: a sound pickup configured to pick up external sound; a sound emitter configured to emit sound to the ear of the user; a communicator configured to communicate with the in-vehicle device; and a computer. The computer is programmed to: determine, based on a result of communication with the in-vehicle device by the communicator, whether or not a predetermined condition is satisfied in a state where the information processing device is in a vehicle; and when determining that the predetermined condition is satisfied, cause the sound emitter to emit the external sound picked up by the sound pickup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroki Okada, Daisuke Hiroki
  • Patent number: 11973411
    Abstract: To provide a power supply unit configured to determine the boundary between the operation modes (continuous mode and discontinuous mode) of a converter with high accuracy. The power supply unit is a power supply unit wherein the controller controls a value of output current of the power supply by controlling a duty ratio by switching the second switch; wherein the controller detects the current value of the reactor acquired by the current sensor, at a frequency of at least n (n is an integer of 2 or more) times in a cycle of the switching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohiko Kaneko, Masayuki Ito, Takahiro Umehara
  • Patent number: 11973251
    Abstract: A fuel cell is provided with: a membrane electrode assembly (MEA); and a cathode-side separator assembled to the MEA, the cathode-side separator including first passages on a first surface of the cathode-side separator on a side closer to the MEA, and second passages on a second surface of the cathode-side separator on an opposite side, the first and second passages allowing oxidant gas to flow through the first and second passages, respectively. The first passages include first recessed portions on the first surface so as to extend from one end of the cathode-side separator to the other end, the second passages include second recessed portions on the second surface so as to extend from the one end to the other end and to be arranged alternately with the first recessed portions, and a penetration hole on a bottom face of the second recessed portion penetrating through the cathode-side separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Makoto Adachi, Naoki Takehiro, Masaaki Matsusue, Masayuki Ito, Hideo Nagaosa
  • Patent number: 11969712
    Abstract: A catalyst for purification of exhaust gas in which Pd-based nanoparticles and ceria nanoparticles are supported on a composite metal oxide support containing alumina, ceria, and zirconia, wherein a molar ratio (Ce/Pd) of Ce and Pd supported on the support is 1 to 8, a proximity ? between Pd and Ce is 0.15 to 0.50, wherein the proximity ? is determined, based on Pd and Ce distribution maps in an element mapping image of energy dispersive X-ray analysis, by the following formula (1): ? = ? j = 0 N - 1 ? ? i = 0 M - 1 ? ( ( I ? ( i , j ) - I ave ) ? ( T ? ( i , j ) - T ave ) ) ? j = 0 N - 1 ? ? i = 0 M - 1 ? ( I ? ( i , j ) - I ave ) 2 - ? j = 0 N - 1 ? ? i = 0 M - 1 ? ( T ? ( i , j ) - T ave ) 2 , ( 1 ) a Pd dispersity after a heat-resistance test at 1050° C. for 25 hours is 0.8% or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoki Kumatani, Akira Morikawa, Masaoki Iwasaki, Miho Hatanaka, Taizo Yoshinaga, Masahide Miura, Takahiro Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11973245
    Abstract: To provide a battery module with high volumetric efficiency. A battery module comprising stacked and connected unit cells each comprising a power generation element, a cathode terminal, and an anode terminal disposed on the opposite side of the cathode terminal of the power generation element, wherein a connection laminate layer including a resin layer, a metal layer and a resin layer in this sequence, is disposed between the unit cells, and wherein the metal layer of the connection laminate layer is electrically connected to the cathode terminal of one adjacent unit cell and the anode terminal of the other unit cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kunimitsu Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11973405
    Abstract: A stator for a rotating electric machine includes a stator core, a coil having a coil end, a cooling jacket that is attached to the stator core so as to house the coil end in the cooling jacket and that allows cooling oil to flow therethrough, introduction parts, and discharge parts. The coil end includes first portions, extending parallel to an end surface of the stator core, and pairs of second portions, each pair being connected to both ends of a corresponding one of the first portions, the pairs extending in a direction parallel to an axial direction. The cooling jacket includes an inner circumferential wall and an outer circumferential wall. The introduction parts are provided on the outer circumferential wall, and the discharge parts are provided on the inner circumferential wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Sumio Shirai, Daichi Maruyama
  • Patent number: 11969887
    Abstract: The traveling unit main body and the accommodation unit are adapted to be uncoupled and re-coupled. The traveling unit main body includes a first driving unit and a second driving unit configured to perform at least one of operations of taking out or storing the article from or in the accommodation unit and transporting the article taken out from the accommodation unit. The traveling unit main body performs at least one of the operations of taking out, storing, and transporting the article using the first driving unit and the second driving unit in a state in which the traveling unit main body and the accommodation unit are uncoupled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuhisa Otsuki, Kunihiro Iwamoto, Yuta Itozawa, Hirotaka Komura, Yutaro Takagi
  • Patent number: 11973250
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are membrane-electrode assemblies and fuel cells comprising an anode comprising a first catalyst; a cathode comprising a second catalyst; and a proton exchange membrane between the anode and cathode; wherein at least one of the proton exchange membrane, anode, and cathode comprise an antioxidant comprising yttrium doped cerium oxide and a metal doped cerium oxide that has a faster release time of cerium ions compared to yttrium doped cerium oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Liang Wang, Hongfei Jia, Naoki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11969715
    Abstract: A catalyst for direct decomposition removal of NOx from an exhaust gas stream to N2 and O2, the catalyst comprising a dual dispersed supported metal oxide material, which comprises MOx-CuOx dispersed on a CO3O4 spinel oxide support, wherein M is selected from the group consisting of Zn, Ce, Mg, Tb, and Gd. The dual dispersed supported metal oxide catalysts have good activity and selectivity for N2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Torin C. Peck, Benjamin A. Grayson, Charles A. Roberts
  • Patent number: 11972249
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus receives a completion notification that indicates the completion of updating of first software that controls the display on a first monitor provided in an autonomous vehicle. Then, the information processing apparatus updates, triggered by the reception of the completion notification, second software that controls the display on a second monitor used for remotely monitoring the operation of the autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiro Ishihara, Yu Nagata
  • Patent number: 11969750
    Abstract: A painting target surface of a resin bumper is painted by discharging a paint mist from a spray gun toward the painting target surface with a charged conductor arranged in contact with an opposite side to the painting target surface. The paint mist is uncharged or is charged with electric charges having an opposite polarity to that of the conductor and at a potential having a lower absolute value than that of the conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuki Tanaka, Shinji Tani, Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11969372
    Abstract: A knee brace includes a thigh fixing part, a shank fixing part, an outer leg joint that couples the thigh fixing part with the shank fixing part, and an inner leg joint that couples the thigh fixing part with the shank fixing part. When the wearer P flexes his/her knee joint, a lower arm is rotated with respect to an upper arm along with a rotation fulcrum shaft sliding in a long groove and a cam shaft sliding in a cam groove. When the outer leg joint and the inner leg joint are extended, the lower arm of the outer leg joint is configured to be moved relatively forward with respect to the lower arm of the inner leg joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Eisuke Aoki, Takahiro Takeda, Tomio Ikeda, Tadashi Odashima
  • Patent number: 11971142
    Abstract: A hydrogen supplying device includes a liquid hydrogen pump, an evaporator, a pressure chamber configured to be filled with hydrogen gas flowing therein from the evaporator and to supply the filled hydrogen gas to a hydrogen engine, and a pump control unit configured to adjust a discharge flow rate of the liquid hydrogen pump based on both a flow rate of hydrogen to be supplied to the hydrogen engine and an actual pressure in the pressure chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Naoaki Ito
  • Patent number: 11970084
    Abstract: A vehicle drive device and a control method therefor are provided. The vehicle drive device includes: a power source including a first rotating electrical machine; a second rotating electrical machine; a differential unit including three rotating elements to which a first output shaft, a second output shaft, and the second rotating electrical machine are connected; and an electronic control device. The electronic control device regeneratively controls the first rotating electrical machine and the second rotating electrical machine in such a manner that negative torque is applied to the first output shaft and the second output shaft, when performing regenerative control by the second rotating electrical machine in a drive mode in which torque from the power source is distributed to the first output shaft and the second output shaft by controlling torque of the second rotating electrical machine during deceleration of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Koji Takaira, Yuki Makino, Akinori Homan, Yosuke Akiyama, Akira Ijichi, Kunihiko Usui
  • Patent number: 11973695
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus comprises a controller. The controller is configured to execute: acquiring a plurality of datasets, each of the datasets being configured with a combination of training data and a correct answer label; and implementing machine learning of an estimation model using the acquired plurality of datasets, wherein the training data includes workload information about an application constructed based on a microservice architecture and resource use information about resources used for each of components included in the application, in a learning target environment, the correct answer label is configured to show a true value of quality of service of the application, and the machine learning comprises training the estimation model such that, for each of the datasets, an estimated value of the quality of service calculated with the estimation model based on the training data corresponds to the true value shown by the correct answer label.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Chunghan Lee, Jinwoo Park, Byoungkwon Choi, Dongsu Han
  • Patent number: 11970017
    Abstract: A badge has a print layer and a substrate that is a processed layer. The print layer is printed with a subject image in which a radial center point is defined as a center point of a radial representation. The substrate has a circular brushed surface that is subjected to circular processing. At least one of the print layer and the substrate is light transmissive. The print layer is laminated on the circular brushed surface side of the substrate such that the radial center point of the subject image and a circular processing center point that is a center point of the circular processing coincide with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masami Ikuma, Simon Humphries, Hiroshi Tomita, Daiki Isogai
  • Patent number: 11970990
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle that includes a drive wheel, an engine and an automatic transmission configured to transmit power from the engine toward the drive wheel. When the automatic transmission is shifted, the control apparatus is configured to execute a shifting-time torque-down control by using an ignition retard method of retarding an ignition timing of the engine or a fuel cut method of restricting fuel supply to the engine. The control apparatus is configured to estimate a temperature of a predetermined portion of an exhaust pipe of the engine in a case in which the shifting-time torque-down control is executed by using the ignition retard method, and to execute the shifting-time torque-down control by using the fuel cut method when an estimated value of the temperature of the predetermined portion of the exhaust pipe is not lower than a predetermined upper-limit temperature value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toshio Inoue
  • Patent number: 11969813
    Abstract: A spot welding method includes a heating step of energizing an electrode in pressure contact with an Al alloy member to heat and melt a join part by resistance heating and a cooling step of cooling the join part after the heating step in a state in which the electrode is in pressure contact with the Al alloy member. The alloy is a wrought alloy of Mg: 0.2 to 1.2 mass %, Si: 0.4 to 1.5%, and Cu: 1.1% or less or a casting alloy of Si: 7 to 11% and Mg: 0.1 to 0.4% with respect to 100% as a whole. The cooling step includes a first cooling process performed with a reduced amount of input energy to the join part as compared with the heating step and a second cooling process performed after the first cooling process at a higher cooling rate than that in the first cooling process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA CHUO KENKYUSHO, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideaki Matsuoka, Takanori Nakagaki, Kyosuke Izuno, Koki Nakada, Manabu Ooga
  • Patent number: 11969906
    Abstract: A collaborative robot system having high safety when executing tasks in collaboration with operators and which can be finely adjusted at a site is achieved. A collaborative robot system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is assembled by an operator for executing a task in collaboration with the operator. The collaborative robot system includes a driving unit, an operation unit configured to operate by a driving force of the driving unit to execute the task, a control unit configured to control the driving unit, a program executed by the control unit, a safety securing unit including a cover covering the operation unit or a sensor configured to detect contact of the operator with the operation unit, and an interface, an input apparatus of the operator being connected to the interface in order to modify the program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Satoru Ohno
  • Patent number: 11970231
    Abstract: A vehicle can include a first wheel, a second wheel, and a steering system. Either both the first wheel and the second wheel can be front wheels or both the first wheel and the second wheel can be rear wheels. The steering system can be configured to concurrently cause: (1) a steering angle of the first wheel to be at a first angle and (2) a steering angle of the second wheel to be at a second angle. A difference angle can be a difference of the first angle subtracted from the second angle and can be greater than an angle determined to comply with Ackermann steering geometry. Such a difference angle can act to securely brake the vehicle when the vehicle is parked at a location at which a three-dimensional shape of a topological relief of the location can complicate an effort to securely brake the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Corey Zwegers, Robert C. MacArthur, Claudia A. Ma, Shigenori Shibata, Adam R. VanAntwerp
  • Patent number: 11970054
    Abstract: The power storage module is housed in the first housing. The electronic device is housed in the second housing. The protection unit protects the second housing. The protection unit is disposed to overlap with the second housing in a second direction orthogonal to a first direction in which the first housing and the second housing are arranged side by side. The protection unit includes a load receiving member, a pair of load transmitting members, and a reinforcing member. The pair of load transmitting members is disposed to face each other in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction in such a manner that a distance between the pair of load transmitting members increases from the load receiving member toward the first housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Naohito Ogawa
  • Patent number: 11969814
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for exchanging electrode tips, e.g., electrode tips used in resistance spot welding, and disposing of used/unusable electrode tips. Used/unusable electrode tips may be collected, e.g., while within an assembly line. Such used/unusable electrode tips may be routed to a receptacle(s) reside outside the assembly line. Accordingly, disposing or removing of the used/unusable electrode tips can be accomplished without stopping the assembly line, and decreasing any chance for safety events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: John D. Arthur, Terry A. Lee, James D. Womack
  • Patent number: 11970142
    Abstract: A system for dislodging debris from one or more surfaces includes an air inlet, an air outlet fluidly coupled with the air inlet, an air jet forming a trainable air stream between the air inlet and the air outlet, and a vibration device comprising a vibration controller, and one or more vibrators. The vibration device creates vibrations such that debris on the one or more surfaces is dislodged such that debris is captured in the trainable air stream, and the air stream carries the dislodged debris to the air outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: David M. Goemer, Evan Vijithakumara, Imad Zahid, Lizbeth Jurado, Lou Pope, Yuho Kozu
  • Patent number: 11971270
    Abstract: A driving settings control system and method for controlling operating conditions of a vehicle component. The method includes determining a route to a destination in response to receiving the destination from the vehicle, identifying triggers along the route, determining operating conditions of one or more vehicle components of the vehicle corresponding to the triggers, and transmitting control instructions to the vehicle including the route, the operating conditions of the one or more vehicle components, and executing commands instructing the vehicle to accept the operating conditions of the one or more vehicle components as the vehicle approaches locations of the triggers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Masashi Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 11970070
    Abstract: An ECU performs processing including: a step of obtaining a pilot signal CPLT and a connector connection signal PISW; a step of determining, when a connector is attached, a type of the connector; a step of controlling, when there is a function corresponding to the type of the attached connector, the connector to be set to a lock state; a step of performing control corresponding to the attached connector; and a step of maintaining, when there is no function corresponding to the type of the attached connector, an unlock state of the connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toru Ando, Yoshiyuki Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 11972246
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a processor that: receives, from a user terminal, a request for first update regarding a first vehicle, notifies the user terminal that the first update is to be performed at a shop, when the first update is update of hardware, and notifies the user terminal that the first update is to be performed through wireless communication, when the first update is update of software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuta Tone, Yukinori II, Tadayuki Tanaka, Naoki Ishizuka, Yuichiro Yano, Nariaki Amano, Yusuke Maeda, Kei Yazaki, Yu Hamada
  • Patent number: 11970101
    Abstract: A vehicle is equipped with a body that includes a floor panel, a door that is attached to a body, a door lock mechanism that includes an outer hook and an inner hook and that is attached to a lower portion of a door to lock the door on the floor panel, and a slope device attached to a lower side of the floor panel. Tip portions of the outer hook and the inner hook penetrate the floor panel downward outside a vehicle outer end of a slope with respect to the vehicle, and restrain the slope from being deployed outward of the vehicle, when the door is locked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Naoya Ishida
  • Patent number: 11971453
    Abstract: A battery state detection device including a battery post terminal, a case accommodating a circuit board including a current sensing circuit that senses a current by being electrically connected to the battery post terminal, and a harness connection part provided on the case, the harness connection part being capable of having a harness connected thereto, in which the battery post terminal includes a holding part held on one of faces of the case, and an insert part provided in a region from the holding part along a face adjacent to the one of the faces of the case, the battery post terminal contacts the case via at least two faces, the two faces including the one of the faces and the face adjacent to the one of the faces, and the case includes a fitting part, the fitting part being adapted to fit around the insert part by accommodating the insert part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignees: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD., FURUKAWA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Jun Iwasaki, Ryosuke Takahashi, Kazuya Kato, Keita Saji, Ryusuke Kakoi
  • Patent number: 11970127
    Abstract: A vehicle passenger seat airbag device includes: an airbag main body that is stored on a lower side of an instrument panel and that is partitioned by an upper partition member to a lower chamber that restrains lower limbs of an occupant and an upper chamber that restrains an upper body of the occupant; and a flow straightening cylinder that is provided so as to be passed through the upper partition member inside the airbag main body and that distributes gas ejected from an inflator to the lower chamber and the upper chamber. The flow straightening cylinder is provided such that a sectional shape of at least a region passing through the upper partition member is provided in a flat shape with its longitudinal direction in a vehicle width direction when the flow straightening cylinder expands and deploys due to ejection of the gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji Hioda, Toshimitsu Negishi, Kazuma Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11972391
    Abstract: The present disclosure makes it possible to further improve convenience of customers and the like accompanying purchase of merchandise. An autonomous traveling unit is provided with: a driving portion including an autonomous traveling ability, the driving portion being configured to be movable together with a storing portion configured to store merchandise; and a controlling portion configured to execute: acquiring settlement completion information about the merchandise stored in the storing portion, the merchandise being merchandise in a store; and controlling the driving portion to cause the merchandise storing portion to move to a first point outside the store after acquiring the settlement completion information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsuya Matsunami, Atsuko Yamanaka, Kunihiro Tsunekawa, Sokfan Yee, Masahiro Tanaka, Shuichiro Takahashi, Satoshi Nonoyama, Tokuyuki Nishikawa, Hikaru Satou
  • Patent number: 11970093
    Abstract: There is provided a vehicle seat that allows detection of forgetting to mount a bracket for centering in a recliner with a limited space along a seat-width direction. One aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle seat including a recliner mounted to a back frame. The recliner includes a recliner plate, a recliner main body configured to pivot the back frame relative to the recliner plate, a bracket fixed to the recliner plate, and a hinge pin penetrating the recliner main body, the recliner plate, and the bracket. The recliner plate includes a confirmation hole not overlapping the recliner main body. The bracket includes a body portion having a first through hole, and a detection target portion extending from the body portion to the confirmation hole and overlapping the confirmation hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuki Kawabata, Yoshihiro Murase
  • Patent number: 11972394
    Abstract: A shelf inventory management system includes: a shelf installed in a house; a sensor that detects that an article is taken out from the shelf; a management unit that manages an inventory status of the article stored in the shelf, based on a detection result of the sensor; and a terminal for notifying a user of information related to the article stored in the shelf. The management unit stores, for each user, a taken out amount of each health-related product a consumption amount of which affects health, of the article stored in the shelf, and is able to output the taken out amount of each health-related product to the terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Nakamoto, Yuta Itozawa, Hirotaka Komura, Yutaro Takagi, Junya Ota, Kunihiro Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 11970163
    Abstract: A yaw angle return controller is configured to end first yaw angle return control at a predetermined time when a value which is calculated by adding yaw angle detected by a lane recognition device at a predetermined time and an estimated yaw angle change amount is the same as yaw angle at lane change start time under a state where the first yaw angle return control is being executed. The predetermined time comes after the first start time and before the first finish time. The estimated yaw angle change amount is calculated by multiplying the yaw rate detected by a yaw rate sensor at the predetermined time by a predetermined time period for foreseeing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shota Fujii
  • Patent number: 11972687
    Abstract: A parking control device performs parking control such that a vehicle is parked in a reserved parking area in an automatic valet parking lot including a plurality of parking areas. When the vehicle arrives at the automatic valet parking lot before an entrance time for the reserved parking area, the parking control device determines whether the reserved parking area is available. When it is determined that the reserved parking area is not available, the parking control device determines whether a temporary parking area which is an area other than the reserved parking area is available. When it is determined that the temporary parking area is available, the parking control device performs parking control such that the vehicle is parked in the temporary parking area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshio Mukaiyama
  • Patent number: 11971265
    Abstract: A monitoring device includes: an instruction unit configured to instruct a vehicle to acquire appearance data of a monitoring object designated by a user; a detection unit configured to receive the appearance data from the vehicle and to detect whether a state of the monitoring object has changed based on the appearance data; and a monitoring result notifying unit configured to notify the user of a monitoring result of the monitoring object when the detection unit detects that the state of the monitoring object has changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Marie Ishikawa, Aya Hamajima, Daichi Hotta, Hayato Ito, Hidekazu Sasaki, Yasuhiro Kobatake, Akihiro Kusumoto
  • Patent number: 11971721
    Abstract: To effectively enhance the operation efficiency of an autonomous mobile robot, an autonomous mobile robot control system includes a processor and a plurality of environmental cameras. The processor estimates a moving route of each of a plurality of moving bodies on the basis of characteristics of each of the plurality of moving bodies and sets a subset of the plurality of moving bodies whose moving routes overlap among the detected moving bodies as avoidance processing target moving bodies. The processor generates an avoidance procedure for the avoidance processing target moving bodies so the motion of the avoidance processing target moving bodies does not interfere with the motion of other avoidance target moving bodies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohisa Takai, Yuhei Yamaguchi, Satoshi Toyoshima, Yuta Watanabe, Tetsuya Taira, Mikio Honda, Shiro Oda, Nobuhisa Otsuki
  • Patent number: 11972949
    Abstract: A device for manufacturing a SiC substrate, in which the occurrence of a work-affected layer is reduced, or from which a work-affected layer is removed, comprises: a main container which can accommodate a SiC substrate and which generates, by heating, a vapor pressure of a vapor-phase species including elemental Si and a vapor-phase species including elemental C in an internal space; and a heating furnace for accommodating the main container, generating a vapor pressure of the vapor-phase species including elemental Si in the internal space, and heating so that a temperature gradient is formed; the main container having an etching space formed by causing a portion of the main container disposed on the low-temperature side of the temperature gradient and the SiC substrate to face each other in a state in which the SiC substrate is disposed on the high-temperature side of the temperature gradient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignees: KWANSEI GAKUIN EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION, TOYOTA TSUSHO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadaaki Kaneko, Natsuki Yoshida, Kazufumi Aoki
  • Patent number: 11970208
    Abstract: A vehicle collision avoidance assist apparatus executes a steering avoidance control of setting an avoidance route for avoiding the collision of the own vehicle with the object in a lane in which the own vehicle moves and executing an avoiding steering process of forcibly steering the own vehicle so as to move the own vehicle along the avoidance route when an index value representing a probability of collision of an own vehicle with an object ahead of the own vehicle becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined index value. The apparatus stops an execution of the steering avoidance control when a departing amount of the own vehicle from the avoidance route becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined departing amount while the electronic control unit executes the steering avoidance control. The predetermined departing amount is set for each of sections of the avoidance route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mafune Kakeshita, Yumi Shimanaka, Sho Hashimoto, Takuto Kozaki, Tooru Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11972611
    Abstract: A controller is provided that is configured to perform: obtaining information about a condition for an image that is provided to a user, and that corresponds to a preference of the user; specifying at least one predetermined position at which an image satisfying the condition can be taken; and generating a command for a moving object to move to the predetermined position and to take an image, and transmitting the command to the moving object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Komamine, Yurika Tanaka, Kenichi Yamada, Ryuichi Kamaga, Ai Miyata, Yu Nagata, Shintaro Matsutani
  • Patent number: 11972248
    Abstract: A center configured to communicate with an OTA master configured to control software update for electronic control units mounted on a vehicle includes one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to store security information in which security levels required for the software update are associated with the electronic control units mounted on the vehicle, respectively, and generate a distribution package applied encryption at the security level associated with a target electronic control unit based on the security information. The target electronic control unit is an electronic control unit that is a target of the software update.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoyasu Ishikawa, Shunsuke Tanimori
  • Patent number: 11971718
    Abstract: A control system, a control method, and a program capable of lowering difficulty of a user's work on an autonomous mobile robot having a placement part are provided. A control system for controlling an autonomous mobile robot including a placement part on which a load is placed includes a user recognition unit configured to recognize a user of the placement part, a feature information acquisition unit configured to acquire feature information of the recognized user, and an operation control unit configured to control a height of the placement part based on the feature information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiro Iwamoto, Yuta Itozawa, Hirotaka Komura
  • Patent number: 11973183
    Abstract: A sulfide solid electrolyte is capable of suppressing a decrease in Li ion conductivity due to moisture. A sulfide solid electrolyte includes a Li element, a P element, a S element and an O element, and having a granular shape, and including a crystal portion oriented along the granular shape, on an inner surface of the sulfide solid electrolyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignees: TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryoji Kanno, Satoshi Hori, Shinya Shiotani
  • Patent number: 11972686
    Abstract: A parking control device performs parking control such that a vehicle is parked in a reserved parking area in an automatic valet parking lot including a plurality of parking areas. When the vehicle arrives at the automatic valet parking lot before an entrance time for the reserved parking area, the parking control device determines whether the reserved parking area is available. When it is determined that the reserved parking area is not available, the parking control device determines whether a temporary parking area which is an area other than the reserved parking area is available. When it is determined that the temporary parking area is available, the parking control device performs parking control such that the vehicle is parked in the temporary parking area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshio Mukaiyama
  • Patent number: 11972643
    Abstract: A CEMS server includes a control device that executes a notification process of notifying a user of an electrified vehicle of promotion information for promoting charge or discharge, and a storage device that stores a program executable by the control device. The control device executes the notification process in a case where a first condition and a second condition are satisfied. The control device does not execute the notification process in a case where the first condition or the second condition is not satisfied. The first condition is a condition that a destination of the electrified vehicle is a predetermined place at which the charge or discharge of the electrified vehicle is possible. The second condition is a condition that a request for the charge or discharge is estimated in a period in which the electrified vehicle is present at the predetermined place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tohru Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20240131947
    Abstract: A management apparatus includes a controller configured to manage a power supply vehicle. The controller is configured to notify a user of a result of a determination of whether the power supply vehicle can supply power to a vehicle of the user under specified conditions that include a position specified by the user and a time specified by the user. The controller is configured to accept a reservation for the power supply vehicle to supply power to the vehicle of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Motofumi KAMIYA, Hiroki Takeishi
  • Publication number: 20240131884
    Abstract: A vehicle including a cross member and a tow hook assembly. The tow hook assembly is coupled to the cross member and includes a housing, a tow hook, and a shear pin. The housing includes an arcuate interior. The tow hook is moveable between an extended position and a retracted position. The tow hook includes a retaining block and a receiving member having a distal portion extending from the retaining block and a leading portion extending from the distal portion. The shear pin is positionable to extend through the housing. When the tow hook is in the extended position and a force exceeding a predetermined threshold is applied to the leading portion of the receiving member, the shear pin shears to permit the retaining block of the tow hook to move along the arcuate interior of the housing and position the tow hook into the retracted position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2022
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryan C. Harris, Scott L. Frederick
  • Publication number: 20240131921
    Abstract: The plurality of movable fins includes at least a first movable fin coupled to the actuator and a second movable fin coupled to the first movable fin via a time difference link. The time difference link does not interlock the second movable fin with respect to the first movable fin while the first movable fin rotates from the closed position to the predetermined intermediate position, and interlocks the second movable fin with respect to the first movable fin while the first movable fin rotates from the intermediate position to the open position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideo NISHIOKA, Hiroki SAWADA
  • Publication number: 20240131571
    Abstract: To provide a method for manufacturing an outer panel in which takt time is shortened and of high designability. A method for manufacturing an outer panel performing a hemming process according to the present disclosure includes; performing a laser light irradiation process on an inner side of a steel sheet that serves as an outer panel to bend the steel sheet at a first angle, the laser light being irradiated along a ridgeline of a center part of a bend radius of the steel sheet, and performing the hemming process on the steel sheet at a timing that is after the laser irradiation process to bend the steel sheet at a second angle smaller than the first angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi TSUDA, Akito TOJO, Daichi TAJIMA