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: 11958408
    Abstract: A vehicle light-adjusting system capable of adjusting the brightness in a vehicle interior day and night and appropriately performing light-adjustment for each of occupants. The vehicle light-adjusting system includes an incident portion which external light enters, a light-adjusting member arranged in the incident portion, a light emitting unit provided in an interior of the vehicle, and a control unit. The control unit controls transmittance of the light-adjusting member and controls illuminance of the light emitting unit. The light-adjusting member is divided into a plurality of parts. The control unit is capable of adjusting an individual transmittance of each of the parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Motoki Maekawa, Mitsutaka Sako
  • Patent number: 11962012
    Abstract: A method of producing a negative electrode includes at least the following (A) to (C): (A) mixing powder consisting of lithium titanate oxide particles, a binder, and a solvent to prepare a particle-dispersed liquid; (B) granulating powder consisting of graphite-based particles by using the particle-dispersed liquid to prepare wet granules; and (C) forming the wet granules into a negative electrode composite material layer to produce a negative electrode. The negative electrode composite material layer is formed so as to include the lithium titanate oxide particles in an amount not lower than 2 mass % and not higher than 15 mass % of the total amount of the graphite-based particles and the lithium titanate oxide particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Atsushi Sugihara
  • Patent number: 11962048
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack and a control device that controls operation of the fuel cell system based on a measured voltage value measured by a voltage sensor. When the fuel cell system is started and a value measured by a temperature sensor is equal to or less than a temperature determined in advance, the control device raises the voltage of the fuel cell stack until a voltage condition determined in advance is met, by supplying a cathode with an oxidant gas before current sweep is started. The control device sets a voltage command value and a current command value such that an operation point of the fuel cell stack is on an equal power line of the fuel cell stack when the operation point is caused to transition in at least a part of a transition period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryouichi Namba, Masahiro Ito, Manabu Takahashi, Tomotaka Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 11961964
    Abstract: A method of producing a lithium-ion secondary battery includes the following (?) and (?): (?) preparing a lithium-ion secondary battery, the lithium-ion secondary battery including at least a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte solution; and (?) adding a zwitterionic compound to the electrolyte solution. The negative electrode includes at least a negative electrode active material and a film. The film is formed on a surface of the negative electrode active material. The film contains a lithium compound. The zwitterionic compound contains a phosphonium cation or an ammonium cation and a carboxylate anion in one molecule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SOPHIA SCHOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinobu Okayama, Hiroyuki Yamaguchi, Kyoko Kikuchi, Masahiro Fujita
  • Patent number: 11962433
    Abstract: A switch device includes a plurality of communication ports; a switch unit configured to relay a frame, which has been transmitted from a function unit and to which information including an ID of a VLAN is added, to another function unit via a communication port; and a duplication unit configured to, when the diagnosis device is connected to another switch device, duplicate the frame to be relayed via a designated communication port among the plurality of communication ports, and generate a duplicate frame for diagnosis that is a frame obtained by adding, to a duplicate frame obtained through the duplication, specific information indicating that the duplicate frame for diagnosis should be transmitted to the diagnosis device. The switch unit outputs the duplicate frame for diagnosis generated by the duplication unit from a communication port corresponding to the other switch device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignees: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihito Iwata, Tatsuya Izumi, Hirofumi Urayama, Tadashi Matsumoto, Darmawan Go, Hideki Maeda, Takeshi Hagihara, Masashi Amesara, Hisashi Furukawa, Shu Ishizuka, Hideki Goto
  • Patent number: 11962472
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for forming remote vehicular micro clouds at one or more remote locations. According to some embodiments, the methods and systems comprise responsive to receiving a request to form a vehicular micro cloud from a client device, communicating with a plurality of vehicles within an area of a geographic location to collectively form a vehicular micro cloud at the geographic location, where client device is remote from the area of the geographic location. The methods and systems further include receiving resource data from the plurality of vehicles, the resource data comprising detection results of an environment surrounding the geographic location based on sensor sets of the plurality of vehicles, and transmitting the resource data to the client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Seyhan Ucar, Takamasa Higuchi, Onur Altintas, Kentaro Oguchi
  • Patent number: 11958471
    Abstract: A four-wheel drive vehicle includes: a drive-power distribution device for distributing a drive power from an engine to main and auxiliary drive wheels with a drive-power distribution ratio between the main drive wheels and auxiliary drive wheels; and a control apparatus for controlling an electric motor such that the drive-power distribution ratio becomes a target distribution ratio value, by setting an electric-current command value for driving an electric motor. The control apparatus is configured, in a drive-power transmitted state in which the drive power is transmitted to the drive-power distribution device, to execute a command-value reduction control operation for causing the electric motor to be driven with the electric-current command value being set to a value smaller than in a drive-power non-transmitted state in which the drive power is not being transmitted to the drive-power distribution device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Koji Takaira, Akinori Takahashi, Yuuki Makino
  • Patent number: 11958490
    Abstract: An operation management apparatus includes a controller configured to determine, in a case in which a first vehicle that has been operated in accordance with a schedule specifying a point in time at which a circulating vehicle is to be replaced becomes inoperable, whether to operate a second vehicle that substitutes for the first vehicle until a replacement time specified by the schedule, the replacement time being a point in time at which the first vehicle is to be replaced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Higashide, Keiichi Uno
  • Patent number: 11958495
    Abstract: A vehicle display control device, includes a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to cause a display unit provided in a vehicle cabin to display an inducement image requesting that an occupant grip a steering wheel in a case in which it is necessary for the occupant to grip the steering wheel, and cause the display unit to display the inducement image more prominently in a case of requesting that the occupant grip the steering wheel before the vehicle switches from an autonomous driving mode to a manual driving mode as the vehicle is continuing to drive autonomously, than in a case of requesting that the occupant continue to grip the steering wheel as the vehicle is continuing to drive autonomously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoaki Takabatake, Koji Kimura, Junji Miyazaki, Ryo Ogata, Yuki Yoshida, Tadashi Morishita
  • Patent number: 11958498
    Abstract: Systems and methods for trajectory planning for an autonomous vehicle, may include: computing features for each of the plurality of candidate trajectories; computing scores for the features of the candidate trajectories, wherein the scores are based on parameter values associated with their corresponding final trajectories; determining, based on the computed scores, a trajectory of the candidate trajectories to be used as a warm-start trajectory for trajectory optimization and applying the warm-start trajectory to develop a final trajectory for the vehicle; and autonomously operating the autonomous vehicle in accordance with the final trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventors: Miroslav Baric, Jin Ge, Timothee Cazenave
  • Patent number: 11958346
    Abstract: A tonneau cover for a vehicle has a topside and an underside. The tonneau cover also includes a rail system attached to the underside. The tonneau cover also includes a ramp system. The ramp system is slidably engaged with the rail system and is configured to slide out from the underside along the rail system such that a rear end of the ramp system engages a ground surface to create a rampway between the topside and the ground surface. The ramp system can be used to load large cargo onto the topside of the tonneau cover. The ramp system is also removable from the rail system and attachable to an end of a truck bed of the vehicle such that the ramp system can be used to load cargo into the truck bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan C. Harris, Scott Louis Frederick
  • Patent number: 11958357
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling the speed of a vehicle, the method comprising: determining a speed limit; determining an offset value based on (i) the speed limit, and (ii) a speed map, the speed map comprising a plurality of entries, each entry associating one of the offset values with a respective speed limit; and setting the speed of the vehicle according to the speed limit and the determined offset value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC
    Inventor: John-Michael McNew
  • Patent number: 11958360
    Abstract: A display control device includes a processor. The processor is configured to: determine content to be superimposed and displayed over an object on a first display unit fixed to a moving body or a second display unit worn on a human body, the object being a real image seen through the first display unit or the second display unit; select either the first display unit or the second display unit to display the content based on a predetermined condition; and superimpose and display the content over the object on the first display unit or the second display unit, the first display unit or the second display unit being selected to display the content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohiro Inada, Hitoshi Muraki
  • Patent number: 11958469
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle including an internal combustion engine and an electric rotary machine connected to the internal combustion engine in a power-transmittable manner is able to perform torque-down through ignition delay control for delaying an ignition timing of the internal combustion engine and regeneration control for performing regeneration using the electric rotary machine when there is a torque-down request based on a vehicle state. The control device is configured to perform torque-down corresponding to a deficiency by delaying the ignition timing of the internal combustion engine when an actual torque of the electric rotary machine through the regeneration control is deficient for the torque-down request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuta Ochi
  • Patent number: 11961025
    Abstract: An automated driving vehicle includes: a communication device which receives a traveling plan from an operation management device provided outside an vehicle; and an automated driving controller which allows an vehicle the controller is associated with to travel autonomously along a traveling route on which a plurality of stations are set so as to fulfill the traveling plan, in which the automated driving controller has a standard plan which prescribes a standard operation schedule of the vehicle the controller is associated with, and the automated driving controller, in a case where the traveling plan has not arrived or is irregular, generates an interim plan on the basis of the standard plan, and allows the vehicle the controller is associated with to travel autonomously so as to fulfill the interim plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Okazaki, Hiroshi Higashide, Keiichi Uno
  • Patent number: 11958448
    Abstract: A lifting system for generating a lifting force on a portion of a vehicle includes a vehicle wheel and a force-generating mechanism structured to be received inside a rim cavity of the wheel. The force-generating mechanism is also structured to be operably connected to a frame of a vehicle. A bearing member is operably connected to the force-generating mechanism. The bearing member is structured to transmit a force generated by the force-generating mechanism to a surface in physical contact with the bearing member. The bearing member is also structured for operably connecting the wheel to the force-generating mechanism. Force applied by the force-generating mechanism may be sufficient to lift a portion of the vehicle off of a ground surface, or the force may only be sufficient to apply a parking brake force without lifting the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert C. MacArthur, Shigenori Shibata, Corey Zwegers, Rachel M. Menchak, Claudia A. Ma, Adam R. VanAntwerp
  • Patent number: 11958101
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a forged article, capable of improving the durability of a die for forging is provided. The method, includes forging a steel material, by using a die, by spraying or applying a water-soluble polymer lubricant containing 0.01 to 0.98 mass % of a water-soluble sulfate onto a working surface of the die, the die being made of a raw material having a constituent composition of by mass %, of 0.4 to 0.7% of C, 1.0% or less of Si, 1.0% or less of Mn, 4.0 to 6.0% of Cr, 2.0 to 4.0% of (Mo+½W), 0.5 to 2.5% of (V+Nb), 0 to 1.0% of Ni, 0 to 5.0% of Co, 0.02% or less of N, and a remnant composed of Fe and impurities, and having hardness of 55 to 60 HRC, and the die including a nitrided layer or a nitrosulfidized layer on the working surface thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignees: PROTERIAL, LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DAIDO CHEMICAL CO., LTD., UMETOKU CO., LTD
    Inventors: Tatsuya Shouji, Shuho Koseki, Kenichi Inoue, Katsuhiro Obata, Satoshi Murakami, Naoki Hayashi, Yoshikazu Suzuki, Toshifumi Miyamoto, Toru Otomo, Nobuhiro Ikeda, Kousuke Uda, Takashi Ogisu
  • Patent number: 11958329
    Abstract: A roll vibration damping control system includes an electronic control unit configured to: compute a sum of a product of a roll moment of inertia and a roll angular acceleration of a vehicle body, a product of a roll damping coefficient and a first-order integral of the roll angular acceleration, and a product of an equivalent roll stiffness of the vehicle and a second-order integral of the roll angular acceleration, as a controlled roll moment to be applied to the vehicle body; compute a roll moment around a center of gravity of a sprung mass as a correction roll moment, the roll moment being generated by lateral force on wheels due to roll motion; and compute a target roll moment based on a value obtained by correcting the controlled roll moment with the correction roll moment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shota Tanzan, Etsuo Katsuyama
  • Patent number: 11959430
    Abstract: A vehicle controller includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to perform an intermittent stop of an engine in accordance with a traveling state of a vehicle, cause the engine to restart by self-sustaining resumption when restart of the engine is requested in a state in which the engine is rotating during the intermittent stop, and perform a retarded injection control that retards, in a combustion cycle of the engine, a starting time of a first fuel injection at the time of the restart of the engine by the self-sustaining resumption as compared to a starting time of a second fuel injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Fukuda, Eiichiroh Kido, Masanao Idogawa
  • Patent number: 11958487
    Abstract: An example operation includes one or more of traveling, by a first transport, in a first lane, determining, by the first transport, that a speed of a second transport is greater than a speed of the first transport when the second transport is behind the first transport, determining, by the first transport, that no other transports are ahead of the first transport by a first distance in the first lane and beside the first transport by a second distance in a second lane, maneuvering, by the first transport, to the second lane allowing the second transport to pass the first transport in the first lane, and maneuvering, by the first transport, to the first lane when there are no other transports traveling in the first lane at a third distance behind the first transport and at or near the speed of the second transport.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Joshua V. Marasigan, Robert D. Slater, Felipe G. Salles, Jaya Bharath R. Goluguri
  • Patent number: 11958383
    Abstract: A regenerative braking control system for a vehicle can include one or more user interface elements located in a cabin of the vehicle. The user interface element(s) can correspond to a plurality of regenerative braking settings. Each of the regenerative braking setting(s) can correspond to a different amount of regenerative braking torque to apply to the wheel(s) of the vehicle. The system can include a processor operatively connected to the user interface element(s). The processor can be configured to detect a condition, the condition being at least one of a weight of the vehicle, a center of gravity of the vehicle, a weight of a trailer operatively connected to the vehicle, and a center of gravity of a trailer operatively connected to the vehicle. The processor can be configured to cause the amount of regenerative braking torque for the regenerative braking setting(s) to be adjusted based on the condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Takehito Yokoo
  • Patent number: 11958409
    Abstract: An ECU of a vehicle monitors a charging state when charging is started. When a charging power supplied from a multi-outlet charger has changed without detecting and receiving an abnormality, the ECU causes a notification device to notify the changed charging power and a charging time based on the changed charging power. The ECU notifies a communication terminal which is owned by a user of the changed charging power and the charging time based on the changed charging power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hidetoshi Kusumi
  • Patent number: 11959448
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining whether to use engine start-stop systems during trail or other off-road driving are provided. Systems and methods may utilize various vehicle sensors (e.g., lidar, forward-facing cameras, accelerometers, sonar sensors, etc.) to detect when it is appropriate to command engine stop for fuel economy while driving off-road. To determine appropriateness, the vehicle may evaluate obstacles, ground clearance, and/or vehicle inclination. A method may include measuring accelerations/inclinations of a vehicle, comparing an acceleration value of each acceleration to an acceleration threshold, and disabling a start-stop system of the vehicle based on at least one acceleration value exceeding the acceleration threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Thomas S. Hawley
  • Patent number: 11962046
    Abstract: Described are systems and methods for directly monitoring the conductivity of the coolant used to regulate the temperature of a fuel cell. The system includes a coolant loop that acts as a conduit for the coolant, an ion exchanger configured to deionize the coolant, and a conductivity sensor configured to output an electrical signal indicating a conductivity of the coolant. The system also includes a processor in communication with the conductivity sensor and a memory having instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine the conductivity of the coolant based on the electrical signal from the conductivity sensor and determine when the ion exchanger requires servicing based on the conductivity of the coolant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew K. McClory, Daniel Charles Folick, Dakota Kelley
  • Patent number: 11959756
    Abstract: A controller includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores drop-off data regarding a first user who gets off a ride-sharing vehicle and pick-up data regarding a second user who gets on the ride-sharing vehicle. The processor is configured to execute vehicle control including at least one of drop-off of the first user and pick-up of the second user based on at least one of the drop-off data and the pick-up data. The vehicle control includes, executing at least one of first zone setting processing that is processing of setting a first zone where the drop-off is executed and second zone setting processing that is processing of setting a second zone where the pick-up is executed, and executing first zone resetting processing of resetting the first zone in a space not overlapping the second zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Nobukazu Ueki
  • Patent number: 11959767
    Abstract: A map information assessment device has a processor configured to match a plurality of first zones representing a first road in a first map, with second zones representing a second road in a second map, the matching being made by using locations on the second road that are closest to the starting points of the first zones as the starting points, and using zones having the same lengths as the first zones, as the second zones corresponding to the first zones, to calculate zone adjacent distances between the end points of the second zones and the starting points of other second zones adjacent to those second zones, and to determine that positional information for the first road in a first zone is different from positional information for the second road in a second zone corresponding to that first zone, when the zone adjacent distance is greater than a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takao Kashu, Hiroaki Sakakibara, Yasutaka Teramae, Hiroki Ukai, Masahiro Goto
  • Patent number: 11960352
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a controller configured to control an actuator and generate state information representing a state of the actuator, a request arbitration unit configured to arbitrate requests from a plurality of application execution units, and a request generation unit configured to generate a drive request signal to the controller. The controller includes a detection unit configured to detect whether or not the request arbitration unit is abnormal, a first transmission unit configured to transmit the state information to the request arbitration unit, and a second transmission unit configured to, when the detection unit detects that the request arbitration unit is abnormal, transmit the state information to the application execution units such that the state information does not pass through the request arbitration unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Ueno
  • Patent number: 11960876
    Abstract: A center is configured to communicate with an OTA master configured to control software update of an electronic control unit installed in a vehicle. The center includes one or more processors configured to: receive a notification indicating progress of software update processing of the electronic control unit from the OTA master; manage an update status indicating an processing state of the software update processing in the vehicle based on the notification received by the one or more processors; and when the one or more processors receive a third notification following a first notification, set the update status based on the third notification, the third notification being different from a second notification scheduled to be received following the first notification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Jun Hamasaki
  • Patent number: 11960877
    Abstract: An updating system includes a plurality of electronic control units and an updating management device. The updating management device is configured to request that the electronic control units respectively update programs and store update results of the programs transmitted from the electronic control units. The electronic control unit has a first storage region and a second storage region, and is configured to store an updated program in the second storage region and notify the updating management device of the update results according to a request from the updating management device, and is configured to start a predetermined control using the updated program stored in the second storage region when the update results stored in the updating management device indicate that the updating of the programs in the electronic control units is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoyasu Ishikawa, Sho Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11961351
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a memory and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to determine whether or not a communication interface is malfunctioning, the communication interface being configured to perform communication for confirming that a device, which holds a digital key for activation, is inside a vehicle cabin, and in a case in which it is determined that the communication interface is malfunctioning, perform processing that enables activation based on a result of authentication of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Jumpei Fuke
  • Patent number: 11961400
    Abstract: A congestion rate calculation unit calculates a congestion rate in the cabin based on the number of recognized passengers. When the congestion rate is more than a predetermined congestion threshold, an in-vehicle display and an in-vehicle speaker are capable of giving an alighting notification that notifies the presence of a passenger who is alighting at the next stop and seat information of the passenger, and does not make an alighting notification when the congestion rate is less than or equal to the congestion threshold in the process of the passenger vehicle heading to the next stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hidenori Saito
  • Patent number: 11961401
    Abstract: An example operation may include one or more of detecting a potential event via sensors on a transport, sending data related to the potential event to other transports within a predefined distance, storing the data at the transports and a server, and performing a transport operation response on the transports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Felipe G. Salles, Shintaro Iwaasa, Louis Brugman, Devang H. Parekh, Robert D. Slater, Christopher J. Risberg, Nutonya L. Parker
  • Patent number: 11962038
    Abstract: A power storage component module includes power storage components and a bus bar connecting the power storage components to one another. At least one positioning boss is provided on an electrode included in the power storage components. The at least one positioning boss protrudes upward. The at least one positioning boss includes a base end and a distal end having a diameter less than a diameter of the base end. At least one through hole opens in the bus bar. The bus bar is placed on the at least one positioning boss and a hole edge of the at least one through hole is disposed around the at least one positioning boss between the base end of the at least one positioning boss and the distal end of the at least one positioning boss in a vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignees: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Matsumura, Shinichi Takase, Hiroki Shimoda, Yusuke Suzuki, Isamu Hamamoto
  • Patent number: 11961953
    Abstract: The negative electrode forms a honeycomb core. The honeycomb core includes a first face, a second face, a partition, and a circumferential wall. The second face faces the first face. The partition is formed between the first face and the second face. In a cross section parallel to the first face, the partition separates a plurality of hollow cells. The separator includes a first layer. The first layer covers at least part of the partition. The cross section parallel to the first face includes a central part and an inner circumferential part. The central part is surrounded by the inner circumferential part. In the central part, the hollow cells have a first average filling factor. In the inner circumferential part, the hollow cells have a second average filling factor. The second average filling factor is 2.1 times or more the first average filling factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masaharu Senoue
  • Publication number: 20240116498
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus executes an acceleration suppression control to suppress an acceleration of an own vehicle when an operating condition including a condition that an accelerator pedal operation amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value is satisfied. The vehicle control apparatus sets the predetermined threshold value to a smaller value when an object entry condition that an object has a possibility to enter an area in front of the own vehicle, is satisfied than when the object entry condition is not satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoki SOMIYA, Yusuke FUKUI
  • Publication number: 20240116186
    Abstract: A calibration apparatus calculates, from a result of detecting a first marker by a first sensor that is attached to a predetermined position on a mobile robot, a posture of the first marker relative to the first sensor; calculates, from a result of detecting a second marker by a second sensor that is attached to a position different from the predetermined position on the mobile robot, a posture of the second marker relative to the second sensor; and at least calculates the posture of the second sensor relative to the origin from the posture of the first sensor relative to the origin, the posture of the first marker relative to the first sensor, the posture of the second marker relative to the first marker, and the posture of the second marker relative to the second sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Nobuyuki MATSUNO
  • Publication number: 20240116317
    Abstract: A vehicle including a vehicle frame, a front bumper, and a tow hook assembly. The vehicle frame has an open interior. The front bumper includes a front surface, a rear surface opposite the front surface, and a channel extending between the front surface and the rear surface. The tow hook assembly includes an attachment cord coupled to the vehicle frame and extends through the channel of the front bumper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2022
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Paxton S. Williams
  • Publication number: 20240116345
    Abstract: The vehicle may include an electric power control unit configured to supply electric power to a motor. The vehicle may comprise a rear bracket located behind the electric power control unit and fixing the electric power control unit to the power unit. The vehicle may comprise a cable configured to supply high voltage electric power to the electric power control unit. The rear bracket may comprise a plate-shaped base portion and a support portion, the base portion is located along an upper surface of the power unit, and the support portion extends upward from the base portion and is located along a rear surface of the electric power control unit. An outer peripheral edge of the base portion may include a first specific edge that extends along a vehicle width direction and opposes the cable in the vehicle front-rear direction. The first specific edge may be curled or chamfered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Daisuke ITOH
  • Publication number: 20240116383
    Abstract: A system for managing on-demand charging or discharging of electrical energy. The system includes a plurality of energy storage devices, one or more connectors configured to connect with a plug of an external device, a switching device configured to control a connection between the plurality of energy storage devices and the one or more connectors, and an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the switching device. The ECU may receive data relating to a first external device and a second external device each requesting an on-demand charging or discharging of electrical energy, determine a first amount and a second amount of electrical energy to be charged to or discharged from, respectively, the first external device and the second external device, and determine whether a service apparatus is capable of the on-demand charging or discharging of electrical energy for the first and the second external devices without requiring additional electrical energy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2022
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Brian Woods
  • Publication number: 20240116431
    Abstract: When a first driver setting mode indicates an “OFF mode” or an “AUTO mode,” a VP accepts a light operation mode request from an ADK. When an operation is performed by a user, the VP changes an operation mode of a headlight in accordance with the operation by the user. When the operation by the user has not been performed, the VP changes the operation mode of the headlight in accordance with the light operation mode request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Eisuke ANDO
  • Publication number: 20240116436
    Abstract: A light-emitting fabric includes light-guiding threads woven thereinto. The light-guiding threads are side-emitting light-guiding threads having a core-cladding structure. At least a part of the claddings of the light-guiding threads exposed on the side of a design surface of the light-emitting fabric is processed with blast-grinding. The interior material for vehicles includes the light-emitting fabric. A method of producing a light-emitting fabric includes blast-grinding at least a part of the claddings of light-guiding threads exposed on the side of a design surface of a fabric to be made into the light-emitting fabric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi YAMAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20240118693
    Abstract: A method for managing a remote service for mobile objects is provided. The method includes the step of determining, when a request for close of a business of the remote service is received, whether or not the request for close is to be accepted. The service business includes a first business which affects travel efficiency of an object for which the remote service is provided and a second business which does not affect the travel efficiency. In the step of determining the request for close, when the request for close is a request for close of the second business, a determination is made as to whether or not a start of the first business to the object of the second business is expected. In addition, when it is determined that a start of the first business is expected, acceptance of the request for close of the second business is rejected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiromitsu URANO
  • Publication number: 20240116499
    Abstract: The vehicle control device is a vehicle control device that executes autopilot control of a vehicle for securing a lateral distance between an object 8 existing within a predetermined distance from the driving lane and in front of the vehicle outside the driving lane of the vehicle that is the autonomous vehicle. The vehicle control device includes a type determination unit that determines a type of an object based on a detected result of a front sensor mounted on the vehicle, and a driving control unit that changes a target lateral speed in the autopilot control according to the type of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirofumi MORI
  • Publication number: 20240116711
    Abstract: A sorting system, a sorting method, and a program that can reduce the time required for sorting items using a shelf are achieved. A sorting system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a shelf in which a plurality of boxes are contained in a plurality of tiers, transfer means for putting each box in or taking it out of the shelf, and a sorting robot attached to the shelf configured to put an item in or take it out of each box. The transfer means pulls the box contained in an upper tier halfway out and the sorting robot puts in or takes the item out of each of the box contained in the upper tier and the box contained in the lower tier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yutaro TAKAGI, Junya OTA, Takatoshi MORIMITSU, Kunihiro IWAMOTO, Uori KOIKE
  • Publication number: 20240116530
    Abstract: An object detection system for a vehicle includes a processor and a memory communicably coupled to the processor. The memory stores instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to receive a priority assignment set by an occupant of a vehicle. The priority assignment corresponds to a customization of at least one warning characteristic. The at least one warning characteristic includes a distance threshold. The instructions also cause the processor to detect an object in an external environment of the vehicle and apply the priority assignment to the object. The instructions further cause the processor to issue a warning according to the at least one warning characteristic. According to the distance threshold, the warning is issued when a distance from the vehicle to the object meets the distance threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2022
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Emrah Akin Sisbot, Seyhan Ucar, Takamasa Higuchi, Yongkang Liu, Kentaro Oguchi
  • Publication number: 20240117778
    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: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toshio INOUE
  • Publication number: 20240117936
    Abstract: Provided is a tank that can improve the adhesion between a mouthpiece and a liner. The tank includes: a liner; and a mouthpiece disposed at an opening part of the liner, the mouthpiece having a hole, wherein the liner has an inner face part that is a part extending around an inner face of the hole of the mouthpiece from an opening part of the hole of the mouthpiece, and an outer face part that is a part extending around an outer face of the mouthpiece from the opening part of the hole of the mouthpiece, and at an end part of the inner face part, crystallinity of the liner distributes in a dispersing state but not in a form of layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuki FUJII
  • Publication number: 20240117482
    Abstract: To provide a method for producing a separator that can suppress the generation of PVD film imperfections. A method for producing a separator for fuel cells, wherein a substrate of the separator comprises a metal material; wherein the method comprises: press-forming the substrate into a separator shape, washing the substrate with an acid, and forming an electroconductive film on a surface of the acid-washed substrate by physical vapor deposition; and wherein, in the acid washing, at least one surface of the substrate is dissolved in a thickness range of from 0.49 ?m to 5.00 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hitoshi TANINO
  • Publication number: 20240118343
    Abstract: A vehicle monitoring apparatus provided in an electric vehicle equipped with a battery includes: a monitoring unit configured to monitor a state of a battery while the electric vehicle is stopped; and a transmission unit configured to transmit information indicating that the battery is in an abnormal state to an outside of the electric vehicle when the monitoring unit determines that the state of the battery is an abnormal state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Makoto OGISO
  • Patent number: D1022839
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Alberto Echazabal, Jakin C. Wilson