Patents by Inventor Naoya KIDOKORO

Naoya KIDOKORO 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: 11919397
    Abstract: A structure of a vehicle body disclosed herein may include: an instrument panel; a steering column extending through an opening of the instrument panel toward a rear of the vehicle body, and having a steering wheel attached thereto; and a meter cluster panel provided such that the meter cluster panel surrounds a meter. The meter cluster panel may include: an upper cover portion provided such that the upper cover portion opposes at least a part of an upper portion of the meter; and a side cover portion provided such that the side cover portion opposes at least a part of a side portion of the meter. The side cover portion may extend from a position opposing the side portion of the meter toward the rear of the vehicle body and include a portion located closer to the rear of the vehicle body than the upper cover portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Marie Sakata, Masayuki Tado, Naoya Kidokoro
  • Patent number: 11545320
    Abstract: A switch unit includes a switch body and a switch base. The switch body is subjected to a pull-up operation from a normal position to an operated position. The switch base supports the switch body such that the switch body is pivotable about an axis parallel to a first direction extending. The switch body includes an aesthetic wall disposed to extend along an opening, and an operation wall extending toward an inner side relative to the aesthetic surface from one side at an outer edge of the aesthetic wall, the one side extending in the first direction. The operation wall is located inward of an arc centered on the axis, the arc passing through the one side extending in the first direction. A shielding wall intersecting the first direction is provided at at least one of both side edges of the operation wall in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke Notoh, Naoya Kidokoro
  • Publication number: 20220310335
    Abstract: A switch unit includes a switch body and a switch base. The switch body is subjected to a pull-up operation from a normal position to an operated position. The switch base supports the switch body such that the switch body is pivotable about an axis parallel to a first direction extending. The switch body includes an aesthetic wall disposed to extend along an opening, and an operation wall extending toward an inner side relative to the aesthetic surface from one side at an outer edge of the aesthetic wall, the one side extending in the first direction. The operation wall is located inward of an arc centered on the axis, the arc passing through the one side extending in the first direction. A shielding wall intersecting the first direction is provided at at least one of both side edges of the operation wall in the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Yusuke Notoh, Naoya Kidokoro
  • Publication number: 20220306212
    Abstract: A vehicle structure includes an instrument panel, an in-vehicle device projecting toward a vehicle-upper side with respect to an upper surface of the instrument panel, and a cover panel that covers the in-vehicle device to expose a front surface of the in-vehicle device to a vehicle cabin. The cover panel includes an upper panel portion facing at least an upper part of a back surface of the in-vehicle device, and a lower panel portion facing at least a lower part of the back surface of the in-vehicle device and connected to the upper panel portion. The in-vehicle device includes a terminal provided on the back surface and configured such that a connector of a harness is connectable to the terminal, and a regulation member configured to regulate a position of the harness to a vehicle-lower side with respect to the terminal when the connector is connected to the terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: MARIE SAKATA, Masayuki TADO, Naoya KIDOKORO
  • Publication number: 20220097523
    Abstract: A display device includes an acquisition unit that acquires an estimated cruising range obtained using remaining charge of a battery that supplies electric power to a traction motor of a vehicle, a first display portion that displays a gauge that, with regard to an electric mileage difference between a specific electric mileage that is an electric mileage at a particular timing during traveling of the vehicle and a reference electric mileage, changes in accordance with change in a cumulative value in which the electric mileage difference at one or more of the particular timing is accumulated, a second display portion that displays the estimated cruising range of the vehicle, and a display control unit that changes the gauge of the first display portion, and when the cumulative value is no less than a predetermined value, displays, in the second display portion, information indicating increasing the estimated cruising range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shohei OHKI, Naoya KIDOKORO, Taichi KISHIDA, Shinnosuke SAKATA
  • Publication number: 20220063410
    Abstract: A structure of a vehicle body disclosed herein may include: an instrument panel; a steering column extending through an opening of the instrument panel toward a rear of the vehicle body, and having a steering wheel attached thereto; and a meter cluster panel provided such that the meter cluster panel surrounds a meter. The meter cluster panel may include: an upper cover portion provided such that the upper cover portion opposes at least a part of an upper portion of the meter; and a side cover portion provided such that the side cover portion opposes at least a part of a side portion of the meter. The side cover portion may extend from a position opposing the side portion of the meter toward the rear of the vehicle body and include a portion located closer to the rear of the vehicle body than the upper cover portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Marie SAKATA, Masayuki TADO, Naoya KIDOKORO
  • Patent number: 9758176
    Abstract: When the speed of a vehicle is not lower than a prescribed value, an operation disabling signal is output from an operation disabling controller to a car navigation system, and the operation of the car navigation system is disabled. However, even when the operation disabling signal is being output to the car navigation system, in the cases where assistance control for a driving operation is being performed on the basis of a risk determination result, and where a prediction result of the risk to the vehicle is that the risk to the vehicle does not increase before a prescribed time elapses, then an operation enabling signal is output from the operation enabling controller to the car navigation system, whereby it becomes possible to operate the car navigation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koichi Mizutani, Hideaki Endo, Naoya Kidokoro, Hiroshi Numagami
  • Patent number: 9290177
    Abstract: An equipment operation controller implements control to disable an operation of equipment that is operated inside a vehicle cabin and not perform functions of the equipment according to such the operation, when a vehicle is traveling at or above a prescribed speed. However, even when the vehicle is traveling at or above the prescribed speed, if a travel assistance unit implements a control for travel assistance and a determination unit determines to permit the operation of the equipment then the operation of the equipment is enabled. The determination unit determines whether or not to permit the operation of the equipment, based on a risk evaluated based on information on the outside of the vehicle acquired by an outside information acquisition unit, and a state of the vehicle, and determines to permit the operation of the equipment when the risk is equal to or lower than a prescribed level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideaki Endo, Naoya Kidokoro, Hiroshi Numagami, Koichi Mizutani, Takemi Oguri
  • Publication number: 20150166058
    Abstract: When the speed of a vehicle is not lower than a prescribed value, an operation disabling signal is output from an operation disabling controller to a car navigation system, and the operation of the car navigation system is disabled. However, even when the operation disabling signal is being output to the car navigation system, in the cases where assistance control for a driving operation is being performed on the basis of a risk determination result, and where a prediction result of the risk to the vehicle is that the risk to the vehicle does not increase before a prescribed time elapses, then an operation enabling signal is output from the operation enabling controller to the car navigation system, whereby it becomes possible to operate the car navigation system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Applicant: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kouichi MIZUTANI, Hideaki ENDO, Naoya KIDOKORO, Hiroshi NUMAGAMI
  • Publication number: 20150120086
    Abstract: An equipment operation controller implements control to disable an operation of equipment that is operated inside a vehicle cabin and not perform functions of the equipment according to such the operation, when a vehicle is traveling at or above a prescribed speed. However, even when the vehicle is traveling at or above the prescribed speed, if a travel assistance unit implements a control for travel assistance and a determination unit determines to permit the operation of the equipment then the operation of the equipment is enabled. The determination unit determines whether or not to permit the operation of the equipment, based on a risk evaluated based on information on the outside of the vehicle acquired by an outside information acquisition unit, and a state of the vehicle, and determines to permit the operation of the equipment when the risk is equal to or lower than a prescribed level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Applicant: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideaki ENDO, Naoya KIDOKORO, Hiroshi NUMAGAMI, Koichi MIZUTANI, Takemi OGURI