Patents by Inventor Hironobu Kitaoka

Hironobu Kitaoka 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: 11987146
    Abstract: A power management system includes a plurality of power storages and a server. The server includes a selector that selects at least one of the plurality of power storages, a scheduler that makes a schedule for the selected power storage, and a request processor that requests a user of the selected power storage to control at least one of external charging and external power feed in accordance with the made schedule. The server obtains desire information that indicates a desire level (priority on battery life/priority on an incentive) and carries out at least one of selection of the power storage and making of the schedule based on the obtained desire information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Tsuchiya, Toru Nakamura, Shigeki Kinomura, Hidetoshi Kusumi, Hironobu Kitaoka
  • Patent number: 11835963
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: a cooling box in which a delivery item delivered by a deliverer can be accommodated; a communication device configured to communicate with at least one of a server and a deliverer terminal that is used by the deliverer for delivery; and a communication device configured to acquire a target value of a temperature inside the cooling box from outside. The vehicle acquires the target value of the temperature inside the cooling box from at least one of the server and the deliverer terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Zekai Qiu, Hironobu Kitaoka, Naoki Yamamuro, Kozo Kosho, Hiroaki Sugiyama, Makoto Ikegami
  • Patent number: 11718218
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: a vehicle main body having a passenger compartment and a rear compartment located more rearward than the passenger compartment; a rear hatch provided on the vehicle main body and configured to open and close the rear compartment; a cooling box disposed in the rear compartment; a first communication device configured to communicate with an external server; a second communication device having a communication distance shorter than that of the first communication device; a locking device configured to lock the rear hatch; and a processor. The processor is configured to receive information about an opening signal from the server through the first communication device, and to open the rear hatch when the processor receives the opening signal through the second communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Zekai Qiu, Hironobu Kitaoka, Naoki Yamamuro, Kozo Kosho, Hiroaki Sugiyama, Makoto Ikegami
  • Patent number: 11715957
    Abstract: When a baseline is in a certain state, a server executes a process including: a step of calculating an amount of power exchanged between a battery and a power grid during the first charging control; a step of calculating an amount of power exchanged between the battery and the power grid during the second charging control; a step of calculating an amount of power exchanged between the battery and the power grid during the first power feeding control; a step of calculating an amount of power exchanged between the battery and the power grid during the second power feeding control; and a step of setting a calibration line for the amount of power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeki Kinomura, Hironobu Kitaoka, Toru Nakamura, Hidetoshi Kusumi, Yoshiyuki Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 11618335
    Abstract: A server for a charge-discharge system includes a controller. The controller is configured to communicate with a plurality of registered vehicles each equipped with a chargeable-dischargeable battery. The controller is configured to acquire information on a scheduled start time of a next travel of each of the registered vehicles. The controller is configured to acquire electric power information. The controller is configured to determine, based on the scheduled travel start time and the electric power information, a target vehicle of which the battery is to be charged or discharged from among the registered vehicles that are at least parked. The controller is configured to send to the target vehicle either a charge command that orders the battery of the target vehicle to be charged or a discharge command that orders the battery of the target vehicle to be discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hironobu Kitaoka, Jun Koreishi, Hiroaki Sugiyama, Daisuke Takanohashi
  • Patent number: 11571986
    Abstract: The server executes a process that includes receiving predetermined information from each terminal in a facility, if it is determined that the electric vehicle is connected to a charging/discharging station, associating a user or a user terminal with the charging/discharging station, scheduling a power demand and supply adjustment, receiving behavior information of the user, if it is determined that it is necessary to reschedule the power demand and supply adjustment, predicting a connection period, rescheduling the power demand and supply adjustment, and if the current time has reached the start time of a power supply and supply adjustment period, executing the power demand and supply adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeki Kinomura, Hironobu Kitaoka, Toru Nakamura, Hidetoshi Kusumi, Yoshiyuki Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 11565604
    Abstract: An electric vehicle includes: a rotary electric machine configured to generate a driving force for driving driving wheels; a driving battery storing power to drive the rotary electric machine; a converter connected to the driving battery; an auxiliary battery connected to the driving battery via the converter; and a cooling box connected to the auxiliary battery. When the driving battery has an SOC reduced to be smaller than a prescribed threshold value, the converter is stopped and power remaining in the auxiliary battery is used to drive the cooling box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Zekai Qiu, Hironobu Kitaoka, Naoki Yamamuro, Kozo Kosho, Hiroaki Sugiyama, Makoto Ikegami
  • Patent number: 11358490
    Abstract: A power feed system includes a power feed controller that controls a plurality of vehicles including a first vehicle and a second vehicle to successively carry out external power feed in a relayed manner. In passing on external power feed in the relayed manner from the first vehicle to the second vehicle, the power feed controller controls the first vehicle and the second vehicle to make transition from external power feed by the first vehicle to external power feed by the second vehicle with an overlapping period being interposed. During the overlapping period, both of the first vehicle and the second vehicle simultaneously carry out external power feed. The power feed controller controls at least one of the first vehicle and the second vehicle to set total electric power to target electric power during the overlapping period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toru Nakamura, Hidetoshi Kusumi, Shigeki Kinomura, Yoshiyuki Tsuchiya, Hironobu Kitaoka
  • Patent number: 11222521
    Abstract: A delivery system for delivering a delivery item to a vehicle includes a vehicle equipped with a cooling box which is provided with an openable door and configured to accommodate a delivery item, at least one deliverer terminal provided with a notification device for sending a notification to a deliverer, and a delivery server configured to communicate with the vehicle and the deliverer terminal. The delivery server sends to the deliverer terminal a notification indicating that the door is unclosed if the deliverer forgets to close the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Zekai Qiu, Hironobu Kitaoka, Naoki Yamamuro, Kozo Kosho, Hiroaki Sugiyama, Makoto Ikegami
  • Patent number: 11214185
    Abstract: An electric vehicle includes: a vehicle main body; and a cooling box provided in the vehicle main body. A passenger compartment in which a passenger gets, and a front accommodation compartment provided more frontward than the passenger compartment are formed in the vehicle main body. The cooling box is disposed in the front accommodation compartment. Thus, the cooling box mounted on the electric vehicle can be easily accessed even when the electric vehicle is parked reversely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Zekai Qiu, Hironobu Kitaoka, Naoki Yamamuro, Kozo Kosho, Hiroaki Sugiyama, Makoto Ikegami
  • Patent number: 11195246
    Abstract: A delivery system includes: a first vehicle including a first delivery box; a second vehicle including a second delivery box; a user terminal configured to be operated by a user; a deliverer terminal used by a deliverer during delivery; and a server configured to communicate with the first vehicle, the second vehicle, the user terminal, and the deliverer terminal. When the server receives a change signal from the user terminal to change a delivery destination for a delivery item from the first vehicle to the second vehicle, the server is configured to transmit required information to the deliverer terminal, the required information being required for the deliverer to deliver the delivery item to the second vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Zekai Qiu, Hironobu Kitaoka, Naoki Yamamuro, Kozo Kosho, Hiroaki Sugiyama, Makoto Ikegami
  • Patent number: 11181312
    Abstract: The vehicle includes a thawing compartment configured to thaw a commodity housed therein, an acquisition device configured to obtain information including a thawing time limit set based on a request from a user, and a controller configured to control the thawing operation of the thawing compartment. The controller controls the thawing compartment so as to complete the thawing operation of the commodity housed therein by the thawing time limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Zekai Qiu, Hironobu Kitaoka, Naoki Yamamuro, Kozo Kosho, Hiroaki Sugiyama, Makoto Ikegami
  • Publication number: 20210320503
    Abstract: A server for a charge-discharge system includes a controller. The controller is configured to communicate with a plurality of registered vehicles each equipped with a chargeable-dischargeable battery. The controller is configured to acquire information on a scheduled start time of a next travel of each of the registered vehicles. The controller is configured to acquire electric power information. The controller is configured to determine, based on the scheduled travel start time and the electric power information, a target vehicle of which the battery is to be charged or discharged from among the registered vehicles that are at least parked. The controller is configured to send to the target vehicle either a charge command that orders the battery of the target vehicle to be charged or a discharge command that orders the battery of the target vehicle to be discharged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hironobu KITAOKA, Jun KOREISHI, Hiroaki SUGIYAMA, Daisuke TAKANOHASHI
  • Publication number: 20210311494
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: a cooling box in which a delivery item delivered by a deliverer can be accommodated; a communication device configured to communicate with at least one of a server and a deliverer terminal that is used by the deliverer for delivery; and a communication device configured to acquire a target value of a temperature inside the cooling box from outside. The vehicle acquires the target value of the temperature inside the cooling box from at least one of the server and the deliverer terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Zekai QIU, Hironobu KITAOKA, Naoki YAMAMURO, Kozo KOSHO, Hiroaki SUGIYAMA, Makoto IKEGAMI
  • Publication number: 20210252993
    Abstract: The server executes a process that includes receiving predetermined information from each terminal in a facility, if it is determined that the electric vehicle is connected to a charging/discharging station, associating a user or a user terminal with the charging/discharging station, scheduling a power demand and supply adjustment, receiving behavior information of the user, if it is determined that it is necessary to reschedule the power demand and supply adjustment, predicting a connection period, rescheduling the power demand and supply adjustment, and if the current time has reached the start time of a power supply and supply adjustment period, executing the power demand and supply adjustment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Shigeki Kinomura, Hironobu Kitaoka, Toru Nakamura, Hidetoshi Kusumi, Yoshiyuki Tsuchiya
  • Publication number: 20210242683
    Abstract: When a baseline is in a certain state, a server executes a process including: a step of calculating an amount of power exchanged between a battery and a power grid during the first charging control; a step of calculating an amount of power exchanged between the battery and the power grid during the second charging control; a step of calculating an amount of power exchanged between the battery and the power grid during the first power feeding control; a step of calculating an amount of power exchanged between the battery and the power grid during the second power feeding control; and a step of setting a calibration line for the amount of power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Inventors: Shigeki Kinomura, Hironobu Kitaoka, Toru Nakamura, Hidetoshi Kusumi, Yoshiyuki Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 11075528
    Abstract: A server for a charge-discharge system includes a controller. The controller is configured to communicate with a plurality of registered vehicles each equipped with a chargeable-dischargeable battery. The controller is configured to acquire information on a scheduled start time of a next travel of each of the registered vehicles. The controller is configured to acquire electric power information. The controller is configured to determine, based on the scheduled travel start time and the electric power information, a target vehicle of which the battery is to be charged or discharged from among the registered vehicles that are at least parked. The controller is configured to send to the target vehicle either a charge command that orders the battery of the target vehicle to be charged or a discharge command that orders the battery of the target vehicle to be discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hironobu Kitaoka, Jun Koreishi, Hiroaki Sugiyama, Daisuke Takanohashi
  • Patent number: 11067999
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: a cooling box in which a delivery item delivered by a deliverer can be accommodated; a communication device configured to communicate with at least one of a server and a deliverer terminal that is used by the deliverer for delivery; and a communication device configured to acquire a target value of a temperature inside the cooling box from outside. The vehicle acquires the target value of the temperature inside the cooling box from at least one of the server and the deliverer terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Zekai Qiu, Hironobu Kitaoka, Naoki Yamamuro, Kozo Kosho, Hiroaki Sugiyama, Makoto Ikegami
  • Publication number: 20210170935
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: a vehicle main body having a passenger compartment and a rear compartment located more rearward than the passenger compartment; a rear hatch provided on the vehicle main body and configured to open and close the rear compartment; a cooling box disposed in the rear compartment; a first communication device configured to communicate with an external server; a second communication device having a communication distance shorter than that of the first communication device; a locking device configured to lock the rear hatch; and a processor. The processor is configured to receive information about an opening signal from the server through the first communication device, and to open the rear hatch when the processor receives the opening signal through the second communication device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Zekai QIU, Hironobu KITAOKA, Naoki YAMAMURO, Kozo KOSHO, Hiroaki SUGIYAMA, Makoto IKEGAMI
  • Publication number: 20210170903
    Abstract: A power management system includes a plurality of power storages and a server. The server includes a selector that selects at least one of the plurality of power storages, a scheduler that makes a schedule for the selected power storage, and a request processor that requests a user of the selected power storage to control at least one of external charging and external power feed in accordance with the made schedule. The server obtains desire information that indicates a desire level (priority on battery life/priority on an incentive) and carries out at least one of selection of the power storage and making of the schedule based on the obtained desire information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Tsuchiya, Toru Nakamura, Shigeki Kinomura, Hidetoshi Kusumi, Hironobu Kitaoka