Patents by Inventor Eiji Kitano

Eiji Kitano has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11971487
    Abstract: An advanced map DB 43 stored on a server device 4 includes pulse type information that is configuration information for detecting a landmark using a LIDAR 2. By sending request information D1 including own vehicle position information, the vehicle mounted device 1 receives response information D2 including pulse type information corresponding to a landmark around the own vehicle position and controls the LIDAR 2 on the basis of the received pulse type information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eiji Muramatsu, Yoshinori Abe, Kazutoshi Kitano, Kenji Mito, Takeshi Koda
  • Publication number: 20220294253
    Abstract: A control device for controlling a first DC-DC converter and a second DC-DC converter that supply power to equipment, the control device comprising a processor configured to fix an output of the first DC-DC converter at a maximum and perform feedback control such that an output of the second DC-DC converter satisfies a predetermined condition in a case in which the output of the first DC-DC converter has reached the maximum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Taiki TAKEMOTO, Akira UMEMOTO, Eiji KITANO, Yuji OMIYA
  • Patent number: 10336198
    Abstract: A charge cable lock device is for use with an inlet that includes an inlet housing. A charge cable including a rocking arm with a hooking portion is connected in a removable manner to the inlet. The charge cable lock device includes a lock member, a lock housing, and a fixing pin. The lock member is movable to a lock position and an unlock position and configured to contact the rocking arm to restrict disengagement of the hooking portion of the rocking arm from the inlet when the lock member is located at the lock position. The lock housing supports the lock member. The fixing pin is configured to be inserted into the lock housing and the inlet housing and fix the lock housing to the inlet traversing the lock housing and the inlet housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI RIKA DENKI SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Takahiro Hirashita, Keiji Kahara, Hiroshi Aoyama, Eiji Kitano, Masaru Sasaki
  • Patent number: 10005370
    Abstract: A charging apparatus is for a vehicle and the charging apparatus includes a charging port, an AC-DC converter, a capacitor, a DC-DC conversion unit and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to reduce an output current from the DC-DC conversion unit to at least one of the electric power storage device or the auxiliary load in response to a deterioration from a predetermined state of a state of the electric power supplied from the outside of the vehicle to the charging port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Murasato, Eiji Kitano, Yasuo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9979130
    Abstract: A charging inlet 10 described in this specification includes a cable lock mount portion 30 for mounting a cable lock 50. The cable lock mount portion 30 includes: locking walls 31 including locking holes 31A, 31B for insertion of a cable lock pin 40; a pin lock 35 to be locked on the cable lock pin 40 for retaining the cable lock pin 40; and a displacement restricting portion (support walls 36) for restricting displacement of the cable lock pin when the cable lock pin 40 is displaced in a direction toward the pin lock 35. The displacement restricting portion restricts the displacement of the cable lock pin 40 by abutting on the cable lock pin 40 in a position at which the cable lock pin 40 does not contact the pin lock 35.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignees: SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Matsuda, Kenya Takahashi, Daisuke Ito, Eiji Kitano
  • Patent number: 9969354
    Abstract: A lid lock device includes a push lifter which pushes a lid, a lid lock switch which detects whether the lid is pushed, a lid sensor which detects whether the lid is open or closed. A lid lock unit locks the lid when the lid is closed. A verification unit verifies an identification code transmitted from an electronic key. Under a situation in which the verification result of the verification unit indicates that the identification code has been verified and the detection result of the lid sensor indicates that the lid is closed, a control unit activates the lid lock unit to switch the lid between a locked state and an unlocked state when the lid lock switch detects that the closed lid has been pushed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI RIKA DENKI SEISAKUSHO, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Kojima, Eiji Kitano, Yamato Niwa, Keigo Nishimoto, Tomohiro Inoue
  • Publication number: 20170341523
    Abstract: A charge cable lock device is for use with an inlet that includes an inlet housing. A charge cable including a rocking arm with a hooking portion is connected in a removable manner to the inlet. The charge cable lock device includes a lock member, a lock housing, and a fixing pin. The lock member is movable to a lock position and an unlock position and configured to contact the rocking arm to restrict disengagement of the hooking portion of the rocking arm from the inlet when the lock member is located at the lock position. The lock housing supports the lock member. The fixing pin is configured to be inserted into the lock housing and the inlet housing and fix the lock housing to the inlet traversing the lock housing and the inlet housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventors: Takahiro HIRASHITA, Keiji KAHARA, Hiroshi AOYAMA, Eiji KITANO, Masaru SASAKI
  • Publication number: 20170338594
    Abstract: A charging inlet 10 described in this specification includes a cable lock mount portion 30 for mounting a cable lock 50. The cable lock mount portion 30 includes: locking walls 31 including locking holes 31A, 31B for insertion of a cable lock pin 40; a pin lock 35 to be locked on the cable lock pin 40 for retaining the cable lock pin 40; and a displacement restricting portion (support walls 36) for restricting displacement of the cable lock pin when the cable lock pin 40 is displaced in a direction toward the pin lock 35. The displacement restricting portion restricts the displacement of the cable lock pin 40 by abutting on the cable lock pin 40 in a position at which the cable lock pin 40 does not contact the pin lock 35.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2015
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Toshiyuki MATSUDA, Kenya TAKAHASHI, Daisuke ITO, Eiji KITANO
  • Patent number: 9610850
    Abstract: A vehicle charging unit includes a lid box inserted into a first hole in the body of a vehicle from outside of the vehicle and attached to the body, and an inlet fixed to the lid box. The lid box includes an attachment portion, a bottom having a second hole formed therein, and a sidewall. The bottom has a stud bolt protruding toward inside of the vehicle in a state in which the lid box is attached to the body. The inlet includes a barrel portion capable of receiving a charge connector from outside of the vehicle and a collar portion positioned around the barrel portion. The barrel portion is inserted into the second hole from inside of the vehicle and the collar portion is fixed with the stud bolt, whereby the inlet is fixed to the lid box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Masaru Sasaki, Hiroyuki Yamazaki, Eiji Kitano
  • Publication number: 20170036559
    Abstract: A charging apparatus is for a vehicle and the charging apparatus includes a charging port, an AC-DC converter, a capacitor, a DC-DC conversion unit and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to reduce an output current from the DC-DC conversion unit to at least one of the electric power storage device or the auxiliary load in response to a deterioration from a predetermined state of a state of the electric power supplied from the outside of the vehicle to the charging port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji MURASATO, Eiji KITANO, Yasuo SUZUKI
  • Patent number: 9533586
    Abstract: A lock device includes an inlet arranged in a vehicle and having an inlet housing into which a charge cable is insertable. A lock mechanism is capable of locking the charge cable to the inlet. The lock device includes a lock mechanism attachment portion arranged in the inlet housing and enabling attachment of the lock mechanism to the inlet housing. The lock device may be located on an outer surface of the inlet housing and may include a movable lock pin that serves to retain a lock arm of the charge cable and may also be used to retain a lid for closing the inlet. With this system the inlet housing and lock mechanism form a single unit for ease of assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI RIKA DENKI SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Keiji Kahara, Naoto Kurumizawa, Toshiharu Katagiri, Hiroaki Yuasa, Eiji Kitano
  • Publication number: 20160152209
    Abstract: A lid lock device includes a push lifter which pushes a lid, a lid lock switch which detects whether the lid is pushed, a lid sensor which detects whether the lid is open or closed. A lid lock unit locks the lid when the lid is closed. A verification unit verifies an identification code transmitted from an electronic key. Under a situation in which the verification result of the verification unit indicates that the identification code has been verified and the detection result of the lid sensor indicates that the lid is closed, a control unit activates the lid lock unit to switch the lid between a locked state and an unlocked state when the lid lock switch detects that the closed lid has been pushed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI RIKA DENKI SEISAKUSHO, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi KOJIMA, Eiji KITANO, Yamato NIWA, Keigo NISHIMOTO, Tomohiro INOUE
  • Patent number: 9130489
    Abstract: A vehicle converts DC power from a power storage device into AC power by an inverter to run by driving a three-phase motor generator. A switching unit is provided at a path electrically connecting the motor generator and the inverter. The switching unit includes a relay corresponding to each phase. Each relay is configured to connect a coil of a corresponding phase in the motor generator to a corresponding driving arm in the inverter, or to a connection node of capacitors connected in series between direct current side terminals of the inverter. When short-circuit failure is detected at a switching element of any one of the phases in the inverter, an ECU switches the relay of the corresponding phase in the switching unit to the side of the connection node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Eiji Kitano
  • Publication number: 20150239360
    Abstract: A charging portion for a vehicle is removably connected to a charging connector connected to an external power supply. The charging portion for a vehicle includes a lid box fixed to a body of the vehicle, an inlet provided to pass through the lid box, a terminal accommodated in the inlet, a wire connected to the terminal, and drawn from an end of the inlet located inside the vehicle, and a fixing member that fixes the wire to the end of the inlet. The wire is fixed to the end of the inlet using the fixing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Inventors: Masaru Sasaki, Hiroyuki Yamazaki, Eiji Kitano
  • Publication number: 20150239359
    Abstract: A vehicle charging unit includes a lid box inserted into a first hole in the body of a vehicle from outside of the vehicle and attached to the body, and an inlet fixed to the lid box. The lid box includes an attachment portion, a bottom having a second hole formed therein, and a sidewall. The bottom has a stud bolt protruding toward inside of the vehicle in a state in which the lid box is attached to the body. The inlet includes a barrel portion capable of receiving a charge connector from outside of the vehicle and a collar portion positioned around the barrel portion. The barrel portion is inserted into the second hole from inside of the vehicle and the collar portion is fixed with the stud bolt, whereby the inlet is fixed to the lid box.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Inventors: Masaru SASAKI, Hiroyuki YAMAZAKI, Eiji KITANO
  • Patent number: 9043066
    Abstract: A vehicle uses electric power from a mounted power storage device to drive a motor generator by a PCU to generate traction driving force. The vehicle can execute, as a function to discharge residual electric charge from a capacitor in PCU, MG discharging in which current is applied to the motor generator while preventing generation of torque for discharging, and PCU discharging through the conduction loss of switching elements in the PCU for discharging. In an event of detecting collision of the vehicle, an HV-ECU executes PCU discharging by priority, and executes MG discharging when the voltage of the capacitor is high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takao Kanzaki, Eiji Kitano
  • Patent number: 8939244
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, a first MG, a second MG, a PCU, a battery, and an EHC. The PCU is connected to the battery via a positive line and a negative line. The PCU is connected to the first MG via a 3-phase power line. The PCU is connected to the second MG via a 3-phase power line. The EHC has one end connected to a positive branch line branching off from a W-phase power line among the 3-phase power lines between the PCU and first MG. The EHC has the other end connected to a negative branch line branching off from a negative line between the PCU and battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Eiji Kitano
  • Patent number: 8912764
    Abstract: A power control unit is provided with a converter; a filter capacitor that is connected onto one side of converter; a smoothing capacitor that is connected onto the other side of converter; an MG-ECU that is operated to control converter with power supplied from filter capacitor; and a casing that houses these constituent elements therein. In order to electrically discharge filter capacitor and smoothing capacitor, an MG-ECU controls converter in such a manner as to alternately repeat ON/OFF of an npn-type transistor for a lower arm of an IPM and ON/OFF of an npn-type transistor for an upper arm of IPM, and further, to set a time of ON of npn-type transistor for the upper arm longer than that of ON of npn-type transistor for the lower arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takao Kanzaki, Eiji Kitano
  • Publication number: 20140167696
    Abstract: A lock device includes an inlet arranged in a vehicle and having an inlet housing into which a charge cable is insertable. A lock mechanism is capable of locking the charge cable to the inlet. The lock device includes a lock mechanism attachment portion arranged in the inlet housing and enabling attachment of the lock mechanism to the inlet housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI RIKA DENKI SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Keiji KAHARA, Naoto KURUMIZAWA, Toshiharu KATAGIRI, Hiroaki YUASA, Eiji KITANO
  • Publication number: 20140132190
    Abstract: A vehicle converts DC power from a power storage device into AC power by an inverter to run by driving a three-phase motor generator. A switching unit is provided at a path electrically connecting the motor generator and the inverter. The switching unit includes a relay corresponding to each phase. Each relay is configured to connect a coil of a corresponding phase in the motor generator to a corresponding driving arm in the inverter, or to a connection node of capacitors connected in series between direct current side terminals of the inverter. When short-circuit failure is detected at a switching element of any one of the phases in the inverter, an ECU switches the relay of the corresponding phase in the switching unit to the side of the connection node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2011
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Eiji Kitano