Patents by Inventor Masaru Ando
Masaru Ando 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).
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Patent number: 11975778Abstract: An information processing apparatus disclosed has a controller configured to execute the processing of accepting a request for retrieving a target vehicle body unit that is laid at a specific place, selecting a chassis unit for retrieval from among chassis units in the state separated from any vehicle body unit, the chassis unit for retrieval being a chassis unit to be used to retrieve the target vehicle body unit, and sending a retrieval command to the chassis unit for retrieval, the retrieval command being a command to retrieve the target vehicle body unit.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2021Date of Patent: May 7, 2024Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Katsuhisa Yoshikawa, Yuji Suzuki, Keita Yamazaki, Kei Matsumoto, Hiroyuki Ito, Takashi Ogawa, Yukiya Sugiyama, Masaru Ando, Yasushi Fujiwara, Azusa Nakagame, Erina Toyama
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Patent number: 11954546Abstract: Provided is a structure for individual authentication in which a pillar pattern region including a plurality of nanopillars formed of synthetic quartz glass is formed on at least a part of a surface portion of a synthetic quartz glass substrate. In the pillar pattern region, the nanopillars have an indentation elastic modulus of 35 to 100 GPa as measured by a nanoindentation method, and the nanopillars are plastically deformed.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2021Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignees: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD., TOHOKU UNIVERSITYInventors: Masao Ando, Hiroyuki Yamazaki, Masaki Takeuchi, Masaru Nakagawa, Shunya Ito
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Patent number: 11900331Abstract: An information processing apparatus disclosed has a controller configured to execute the processing of, when a first vehicle body unit on which a first vending machine is mounted is laid at a specific place, determining a time for maintenance defined as a time to perform maintenance of the first vending machine, and sending a replacement command to a chassis unit that is configured in such a way as to be capable of travelling autonomously and being coupled to and separated from a vehicle body unit, as per the time for maintenance. The replacement command is a command to transport a second vehicle body unit on which a second vending machine is mounted to the specific place and retrieve the first vehicle body unit from the specific place.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2020Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Katsuhisa Yoshikawa, Yuji Suzuki, Keita Yamazaki, Kei Matsumoto, Hiroyuki Ito, Takashi Ogawa, Yukiya Sugiyama, Masaru Ando, Yasushi Fujiwara, Azusa Nakagame, Erina Toyama
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Patent number: 11803931Abstract: An information processing apparatus is configured to acquire a rental request for a company vehicle used for a business operation of a company, select the company vehicle, in response to the rental request, from among private vehicles that are used by employees of the company when they go to work and are available as the company vehicle, and provide, in a case where a private vehicle is selected in selecting the company vehicle in response to the rental request and rented out as the company vehicle, to a requestor who has sent the rental request availability information that enables the requestor to use the selected private vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2021Date of Patent: October 31, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shin Sakurada, Kazuya Nishimura, Masaru Ando, Toshinari Honda
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Publication number: 20230289760Abstract: The herein disclosed operation management system includes an on-vehicle terminal, a disposed-at-facility terminal, a passenger terminal, and a management terminal. The on-vehicle terminal calculates a first electric power in which a fare to be paid by a passenger is converted into an electric power. The disposed-at-facility terminal calculates a second electric power in which a discounting process has been performed on the first electric power in response to a customer coming process performed by the passenger. The passenger terminal performs a process for supplying the second electric power to the commercial facility. The management terminal transfers an operation fee containing a fare to the operating company from the commercial facility. The system can generate a constant advantage for each of the passenger, the operating company, and the commercial facility.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2023Publication date: September 14, 2023Inventors: Katsushi SAITO, Hideyuki NAGAI, Masaru ANDO, Masanori IECHIKA
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Publication number: 20230236562Abstract: The herein disclosed electric power management system includes a shared power supply, and an electric power selling process unit that is configured to control the electric power sell from the shared power supply to the external system, and a countervalue distributing unit that is configured to distribute a countervalue for the electric power sell to each of the plural users. Then, the countervalue distributing unit is configured to distribute the countervalue for the electric power sell so as to provide a larger countervalue of the electric power sell to an user whose electric power use amount from the shared power supply is smaller. By doing this, it is possible to provide a larger electric power sell countervalue to the user who has efforted to save the electric power.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 20, 2023Publication date: July 27, 2023Inventors: Masaru ANDO, Katsushi SAITO, Masanori IECHIKA, Hideyuki NAGAI
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Publication number: 20230208173Abstract: An electric power supply demand adjustment method disclosed herein is a method in which supply and demand of electric power on the electric power system is adjusted by inputting, from an electricity storage device that can store electric power generated using renewable energy, at least electric power, to the electric power system. The method includes acquiring usage history information indicating history of usage of a shared vehicle by a tracked person, registered in advance in a manner associated with an electric power provider, notifying the electric power provider of the acquired usage history information of the tracked person, calculating an electric power amount to be input from the electricity storage device to the electric power system on the basis of notification of the usage history information, and causing the electricity storage device to input the calculated electric power amount to the electric power system.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 27, 2022Publication date: June 29, 2023Inventors: Masanori IECHIKA, Katsushi SAITO, Masaru ANDO, Hideyuki NAGAI
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Patent number: 11625767Abstract: The present disclosure provides a technique to encourage a user who is lent a vehicle to obey manners at time of using the vehicle. In the present disclosure, a controller executes: informing a user who is lent a vehicle of information indicating a plurality of manners provisions about use of the vehicle; acquiring a picked-up image of the vehicle about the plurality of manners provisions at time of returning the vehicle; and calculating an evaluation value for obedience of the plurality of manners provisions, based on the picked-up image.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2021Date of Patent: April 11, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shin Sakurada, Kazuya Nishimura, Masaru Ando, Toshinari Honda
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Patent number: 11620699Abstract: In a system for renting vehicles to users, the operation rate of the vehicles is improved. An information processing apparatus for managing the rental of vehicles to users is configured to perform: generating a rental schedule of a vehicle for a first user; obtaining demand data related to a demand for the vehicle; and changing, based on the demand data, a vehicle return point included in the rental schedule, the vehicle return point being a point at which the first user returns the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2021Date of Patent: April 4, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shin Sakurada, Kazuya Nishimura, Masaru Ando, Toshinari Honda
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Patent number: 11580583Abstract: The present disclosure provides a technique that enables customization of a vehicle. In an information processing apparatus, a controller presents vehicle units extracted from among a plurality of types of under units each of which is provided with a driving mechanism configured to cause wheels to rotate and a plurality of types of upper units to be loaded on any of the under units to a user, the vehicle units being combinable as a vehicle. Furthermore, the controller executes: accepting selection by a user from among the presented vehicle units; and calculating a fee in the case of providing the selected vehicle units.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2020Date of Patent: February 14, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hiroki Yabushita, Keiichi Kondo, Kaori Takahashi, Jin Xin, Daisuke Mizushima, Satoru Ando, Takeshi Murakami, Yuchi Yamanouchi, Kenta Miyahara, Katsuhisa Yoshikawa, Yuji Suzuki, Keita Yamazaki, Kei Matsumoto, Hiroyuki Ito, Takashi Ogawa, Yukiya Sugiyama, Masaru Ando, So Sawahira, Rina Mukai, Azusa Nakagame, Erina Toyama, Yasushi Fujiwara
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Patent number: 11479081Abstract: The vehicle air conditioning apparatus comprises at least one physical condition information sensor which detects information on physical conditions of passengers in a vehicle as physical condition information. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus selectively executes an outside-air circulation control for discharging air from an interior of the vehicle to outside of the vehicle and introducing outside air to the interior of the vehicle from the outside of the vehicle and an interior-air circulation control for taking the air from the interior of the vehicle and returning the taken air to the interior of the vehicle. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus executes the outside-air circulation control when the electronic control unit determines that at least one of the passengers has an infection, based on the physical condition information.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2020Date of Patent: October 25, 2022Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kazuhiro Fukazawa, Michio Ikeda, Kenta Miyahara, Masaru Ando
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Publication number: 20210362732Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a controller configured to acquire, in relation to a first vehicle associated with a predetermined organization, information about a schedule including a purpose of use, output, in a case where the purpose of use of the first vehicle is business activity, first use-settings information indicating settings regarding use of one or more options mounted in the first vehicle, and output, in a case where the purpose of use of the first vehicle is personal use, second use-settings information indicating settings regarding use of the one or more options mounted in the first vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2021Publication date: November 25, 2021Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shin SAKURADA, Kazuya NISHIMURA, Masaru ANDO, Toshinari HONDA
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Publication number: 20210334894Abstract: In a system for renting vehicles to users, the operation rate of the vehicles is improved. An information processing apparatus for managing the rental of vehicles to users is configured to perform: generating a rental schedule of a vehicle for a first user; obtaining demand data related to a demand for the vehicle; and changing, based on the demand data, a vehicle return point included in the rental schedule, the vehicle return point being a point at which the first user returns the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2021Publication date: October 28, 2021Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shin SAKURADA, Kazuya NISHIMURA, Masaru ANDO, Toshinari HONDA
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Publication number: 20210334723Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a controller that receives, from a terminal of a first user among a plurality of users including a user not belonging to a predetermined organization, a request for use of to a first vehicle associated with the predetermined organization for other than a business activity in the predetermined organization, and registers, in response to the request, a schedule for use of the first vehicle for other than the business activity. Moreover, a user terminal transmits, to a predetermined apparatus, the request for use of first vehicle associated with the predetermined organization for other than the business activity in the predetermined organization from the first user among a plurality of users including a user not belonging to the predetermined organization, and receives, from the predetermined apparatus, in response to the request, a schedule for use of the first vehicle for other than the business activity.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 19, 2021Publication date: October 28, 2021Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shin SAKURADA, Kazuya NISHIMURA, Masaru ANDO, Toshinari HONDA
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Publication number: 20210334712Abstract: The present disclosure enables equipment not provided in a company vehicle to be rented out to a user together with the company vehicle. An information processing apparatus of the present disclosure includes a controller that is configured to acquire a use application to privately use a company vehicle that is used by the company for business activity, from a user who is an employee of a company, specify equipment that is able to be rented out together with the company vehicle to be rented out to the user and that is not provided in the company vehicle, as recommended equipment, based on the use application, and supply guide information suggesting rental of the recommended equipment to a user terminal.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 19, 2021Publication date: October 28, 2021Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shin SAKURADA, Kazuya NISHIMURA, Masaru ANDO, Toshinari HONDA
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Publication number: 20210326973Abstract: The present disclosure provides a technique to encourage a user who is lent a vehicle to obey manners at time of using the vehicle. In the present disclosure, a controller executes: informing a user who is lent a vehicle of information indicating a plurality of manners provisions about use of the vehicle; acquiring a picked-up image of the vehicle about the plurality of manners provisions at time of returning the vehicle; and calculating an evaluation value for obedience of the plurality of manners provisions, based on the picked-up image.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 15, 2021Publication date: October 21, 2021Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shin SAKURADA, Kazuya NISHIMURA, Masaru ANDO, Toshinari HONDA
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Publication number: 20210327014Abstract: An information processing apparatus is configured to acquire a rental request for a company vehicle used for a business operation of a company, select the company vehicle, in response to the rental request, from among private vehicles that are used by employees of the company when they go to work and are available as the company vehicle, and provide, in a case where a private vehicle is selected in selecting the company vehicle in response to the rental request and rented out as the company vehicle, to a requestor who has sent the rental request availability information that enables the requestor to use the selected private vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2021Publication date: October 21, 2021Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shin SAKURADA, Kazuya NISHIMURA, Masaru ANDO, Toshinari HONDA
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Publication number: 20210247766Abstract: There is provided a technology that can improve the convenience of users of vehicles. When receiving a vehicle dispatch request containing information designating kitchen equipment and food materials, an information processing apparatus disclosed determines a first unit provided with the kitchen equipment designated by the vehicle dispatch request and a second unit capable of storing the food materials designated by the vehicle dispatch request. The information processing apparatus sends a composition command to a specific composition site. The composition command is a command to compose a vehicle body unit including the first unit and the second unit. Moreover, the information processing apparatus sends an operation command to a chassis unit. The operation command is a command to cause the chassis unit to travel with the vehicle body unit composed at the specific composition site mounted thereon.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 9, 2021Publication date: August 12, 2021Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Katsuhisa YOSHIKAWA, Yuji SUZUKI, Keita YAMAZAKI, Kei MATSUMOTO, Hiroyuki ITO, Takashi OGAWA, Yukiya SUGIYAMA, Masaru ANDO, Yasushi FUJIWARA, Azusa NAKAGAME, Erina TOYAMA
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Publication number: 20210247765Abstract: An information processing apparatus disclosed has a controller equipped with at least one processor. The controller is configured to execute the processing of; when a vehicle body unit on which a cultivation field for cultivating a crop is mounted is laid at a first place, determining a time to remove defined as a time to remove the vehicle body unit from the first place to a second place other than the first place; and sending a transportation command to a chassis unit configured to be capable of travelling autonomously and being coupled to and decoupled from any vehicle body unit in accordance with the time to remove, the transportation command being a command to transport the vehicle body unit from the first place to the second place.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2021Publication date: August 12, 2021Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Katsuhisa YOSHIKAWA, Yuji SUZUKI, Keita YAMAZAKI, Kei MATSUMOTO, Hiroyuki ITO, Takashi OGAWA, Yukiya SUGIYAMA, Masaru ANDO, Tae SUGIMURA, Mitsuyoshi OHNO, Daiki KUBO, Yosuke NOZAKI, Tsukasa NAKANISHI, Hironori AOYAMA, Seiji YOGO, Yasuhiro KOBATAKE, Ryo SATO, Sayaka NINOYUU, Yasushi FUJIWARA, Azusa NAKAGAME, Takeshi YAMADA, Erina TOYAMA
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Publication number: 20210237815Abstract: An information processing apparatus disclosed has a controller configured to execute the processing of accepting a request for retrieving a target vehicle body unit that is laid at a specific place, selecting a chassis unit for retrieval from among chassis units in the state separated from any vehicle body unit, the chassis unit for retrieval being a chassis unit to be used to retrieve the target vehicle body unit, and sending a retrieval command to the chassis unit for retrieval, the retrieval command being a command to retrieve the target vehicle body unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2021Publication date: August 5, 2021Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Katsuhisa YOSHIKAWA, Yuji SUZUKI, Keita YAMAZAKI, Kei MATSUMOTO, Hiroyuki ITO, Takashi OGAWA, Yukiya SUGIYAMA, Masaru ANDO, Yasushi FUJIWARA, Azusa NAKAGAME, Erina TOYAMA