Patents Assigned to Toyota Motor Engin. & Manufact. N.A. (TEMA)
  • Publication number: 20130211682
    Abstract: Detecting traffic signaling of a mobile environment includes receiving image frames captured by an imaging device to detect a traffic signal candidate therefrom based on at least a vehicle location. A score having a predefined value is established for the traffic signal candidate. The traffic signal candidate is tracked by incrementing the score when the traffic signal candidate is determined to appear, based on a probabilistic estimator that indicates an expected value for a location of the traffic signal candidate, in a tracked image frame of the captured image frames. The score is decremented when the traffic signal candidate is determined not to appear, based on the probabilistic estimator, in the tracked image frame. The traffic signal candidate is recognized as a traffic signal based on whether the score is above a specified threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2012
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engin. & Manufact. N.A.(TEMA)
    Inventors: Avdhut S. JOSHI, Danil V. PROKHOROV
  • Publication number: 20130174477
    Abstract: A stabilized composition containing a metal hydride of boron, including complex metal hydrides of boron, in a polyalkylsiloxane amorphous fumed silica mixture is provided. In a preferred embodiment the composition is a stabilized mixture of aluminum borohydride, polydimethylsiloxane and amorphous fumed silica. A method to prepare the stabilized mixture is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engin. & Manufact. N.A. (TEMA)
    Inventors: PremKumar SIVASUBRAMANIAN, Narayanankutty Pariyadath
  • Publication number: 20130140505
    Abstract: A thermoelectric material that comprises a binary main group matrix material and nano-particles and/or nano-inclusions of metal oxide dispersed therein, and has electrical properties of ternary doped materials. A process for making the thermoelectric material that includes reacting a reduced metal precursor with an oxidized metal precursor in the presence of nanoparticles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engin. & Manufact. N.A.(TEMA)
    Inventors: Michael P. ROWE, Li Qin ZHOU
  • Publication number: 20130140504
    Abstract: A thermoelectric material that comprises a ternary main group matrix material and nano-particles and/or nano-inclusions of a Group 2 or Group 12 metal oxide dispersed therein. A process for making the thermoelectric material that includes reacting a reduced metal precursor with an oxidized metal precursor in the presence of nanoparticles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engin. & Manufact. N.A.(TEMA)
    Inventors: Michael Paul Rowe, Li Qin Zhou
  • Publication number: 20130140507
    Abstract: A thermoelectric material that comprises a ternary main group matrix material and nano-particles and/or nano-inclusions of transition metal oxide dispersed therein. A process for making the thermoelectric material that includes reacting a reduced metal precursor with an oxidized metal precursor in the presence of transition metal oxide nanoparticles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engin. & Manufact. N.A. (TEMA)
    Inventor: Michael P. Rowe
  • Publication number: 20130142962
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for forming a coating on a substrate material which includes applying one or more layers of a monomer composition to a surface of the substrate. At least one monomer layer comprises a photoinitiator, and at least one monomer layer comprises a photo-generated base precursor. The monomer layer is exposed to a first wavelength of light to initiate polymerization of the monomers. The monomer layer is subsequently exposed to a second wavelength of light to terminate the polymerization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engin. & Manufact. N.A. (TEMA)
    Inventor: Cynthia G. TEMPLEMAN
  • Publication number: 20130034780
    Abstract: A magnesium battery, having an anode containing magnesium; a cathode stable to a voltage of at least 2.6 V relative to a magnesium reference; and an electrolyte containing an electrochemically active magnesium salt obtained by reaction of a Grignard reagent or Hauser base with a boron compound of formula BR3 is provided. The electrolyte is stable to 2.6 E.V. vs. Mg in the presence of stainless steel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engin. & Manufact. N.A.(TEMA)
    Inventors: John MULDOON, Claudiu Bogdan Bucur
  • Publication number: 20120310472
    Abstract: A device and a corresponding method including a vehicle data recording section having a plurality of vehicle operating characteristic sensors, a main system controller, and an event data recorder subservient to the main system controller. Also included in the device is a driver action recording section including at least one driver action sensor, a driver action system controller not subservient to the main system controller, and a driver action recorder. The at least one driver action sensor obtains information regarding actions of a driver of the vehicle concurrently with at least one of the plurality of vehicle operating characteristic sensors such that sensor data corresponding to an event is obtained independently by each of the vehicle data recording section and the driver action recording section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engin. & Manufact. N.A. (TEMA)
    Inventors: Danil V. PROKHOROV, Yasuo Uehara
  • Publication number: 20120281907
    Abstract: Training a strong classifier by classifying point cloud data with a first classifier, inferring a first terrain map from the classified point cloud data, reclassifying the point cloud data with the first classifier based on the first terrain map, and training a second classifier based on the point cloud data reclassified with the first classifier based on the terrain map. The point cloud data is then classified with the second classifier, and the procedure followed with the first classifier is iteratively repeated until a strong classifier is determined. A strong classifier is determined when a probability of a terrain map matching a given terrain for the strong classifier is approximately equal to a probability of a terrain map matching the given terrain for a prior trained classifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2011
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engin. & Manufact. N.A.(TEMA)
    Inventors: Michael Edward SAMPLES, Michael Robert JAMES
  • Publication number: 20120273735
    Abstract: A thermoelectric material that comprises a ternary main group matrix material and nano-particles and/or nano-inclusions of a Group 2 or Group 12 metal oxide dispersed therein. A process for making the thermoelectric material that includes reacting a reduced metal precursor with an oxidized metal precursor in the presence of nanoparticles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engin. & Manufact. N.A.(TEMA)
    Inventors: Michael Paul Rowe, Li Qin Zhou
  • Publication number: 20120277949
    Abstract: A control unit executes a first agent of a first subsystem of a vehicle, the first agent including a fault detection agent and a communication agent. The fault detection agent monitors performance data of the first subsystem to identify a problem in the first subsystem, stores first candidate fault diagnosis processes corresponding to the first subsystem in a first memory, and searches for a fault diagnosis process which identifies a fault causing the problem in the first subsystem from among the first candidate fault diagnosis processes. The communication agent collaborates with a second agent when a search by the fault detection agent fails to find the fault diagnosis process which identifies the fault. The collaboration includes searching a second memory which stores second candidate fault diagnosis processes, sending the monitored performance data to the second agent, and exchanging search result data between the first and second agents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engin. & Manufact. N.A.(TEMA)
    Inventors: Sandesh GHIMIRE, Danil PROKHOROV
  • Publication number: 20120233102
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for automatic learning of high-level navigation in partially observable environments with landmarks uses full state information available at the landmark positions to determine navigation policy. Landmark Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) can be generated only for encountered parts of an environment when navigating from a starting state to a goal state within the environment, thereby reducing computational resources needed for a navigation solution that uses a fully modeled environment. An MDP policy is calculated using the SarsaLandmark algorithm, and the policy is transformed to a navigation solution based on the current position and connectivity information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engin. & Manufact. N.A.(TEMA)
    Inventor: Michael Robert JAMES
  • Publication number: 20120218125
    Abstract: A system and method for providing visual information to a driver of a first vehicle, including: at least one camera or sensor which is not on the first vehicle but which captures image data that includes a view of a road within a vicinity of the first vehicle; a decision unit which receives the image data from the camera or sensor and which identifies information in the image data which a driver of the first vehicle needs to be informed of; and a display unit on the first vehicle which displays information transmitted to the first vehicle in a view that displays information determined to be missing in the vehicle's current line of sight, so that the otherwise missing information can be observed by a driver of the first vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engin. & Manufact. N.A.(TEMA)
    Inventors: David DEMIRDJIAN, Steven F. Kalik
  • Publication number: 20120202121
    Abstract: The present invention provides a electrolyte solution, particularly useful for lithium batteries that includes succinonitrile and a co-solvent that has improved conductivity and, in turn, better battery performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engin. & Manufact. N.A.(TEMA)
    Inventor: Monique Nathalie RICHARD
  • Publication number: 20120101654
    Abstract: Method, storage medium and system of optimizing a destination for a vehicle by obtaining a map corresponding to a desired destination of the vehicle and identifying objectives of the map based on multiple parameters including collision avoidance, driver time, legal constraints and social consensus. A cost function is constructed to determine an optimal destination based on a proximity to the desired destination and the identified objectives, and an optimal destination is identified by minimizing a value of the cost function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engin. & Manufact. N.A. (TEMA)
    Inventors: Michael Edward SAMPLES, Michael Robert James
  • Publication number: 20120096969
    Abstract: A steering wheel and associated control system to execute a corresponding algorithm, the steering wheel including a rim which is rotatable about a first axis to steer a vehicle, and a throttle dial disposed in a surface of the rim. The throttle dial controls a throttle of the vehicle and has a variable output to control an amount of the throttle in proportion to an amount the throttle dial is displaced from a nil output position. A similar brake dial is also provided, and is also disposed in the surface of the rim at another location, thus providing hand operation of a throttle and brake of a vehicle without having to remove one's hands from the steering wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engin. & Manufact. N.A. (TEMA)
    Inventor: Danil V. PROKHOROV
  • Publication number: 20110185676
    Abstract: A storm collar includes a shield, an upper anchoring collar, support arms, and a lower anchoring collar. The upper anchoring collar secures the shield to an exhaust stack. The support arms are attached to the underside of the shield and the lower anchoring collar. Gaskets are placed between the joints of the storm collar pieces and between the exhaust stack for a tight fit. The angle of the support arms and the shield provide a compression fit based on the load supported by the shield. The storm collar protects the flashing and joints around an exhaust stack from damage caused by moisture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engin. & Manufact. N.A.(TEMA)
    Inventor: Michael William Horn
  • Publication number: 20110188737
    Abstract: Method and system for imaging an object in three-dimensions, binning data of the imaged object into three dimensional bins, determining a density value p of the data in each bin, and creating receptive fields of three dimensional feature maps, including processing elements O, each processing element O of a same feature map having a same adjustable parameter, weight Wc1. The density values p are processed with the processing elements O to determine an output value o for at least each three dimensional location of the imaging of the object having a density value p above a predetermined threshold value. An object is classified by processing the output values o with a committee of classifiers, and the classification of the object is communicated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engin, & Manufact. N.A.(TEMA)
    Inventors: Danil V. Prokhorov, Michael R. James
  • Publication number: 20110168223
    Abstract: In a power electronics system of a next generation vehicle, a power module is provided including a thermoelectric device which is provided in a thermally conductive path between a power device and a cooling plate such that the thermoelectric device creates useful electric power from the waste heat of the power device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2010
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engin, & Manufact. N.A. (TEMA)
    Inventors: Ercan Mehmet DEDE, Brian Joseph Robert
  • Publication number: 20110168347
    Abstract: An apparatus for core gas removal in a low-pressure cylinder head die casting operation includes an upper die, a lower die, an ejector plate disposed above the upper die to eject a part that has been cast, a plurality of tight plugs fastened into cavities formed in the upper die, and a plurality of clean pins attached to the ejector plate, each clean pin corresponding to a location of one of the tight plugs. The clean pins and the tight plugs have matching geometries. The ejector plate lowers to eject a casted cylinder head from the upper die such that a portion of the clean pins extend axially into the tight plugs to clean core gas residue formed on inner walls of the tight plugs during the casting cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engin. & Manufact. N.A.(TEMA)
    Inventor: Mark D. Knerr