Patents Assigned to Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America
  • TUGGER DOCKING PLATE FOR ONE TOUCH DELIVERY
    Publication number: 20240034576
    Abstract: A docking plate apparatus is provided for motorized floor conveyor vehicles, such as conveyance tuggers, that is particularly structured to provide tactile feedback at a determined stop position for improved docking and/or stopping placement. The docking plate apparatus has a structure and dimensions to ensure that the motorized floor conveyor vehicle is docked exactly in a determined stop position that is deemed most optimal for interaction with a delivery system. The docking plate apparatus can comprise body, which is a flat panel structure, and a docking aperture that is structured in a portion of the body. The docking aperture receiving at least one wheel of a motorized floor conveyor vehicle to dock the motorized vehicle in a determined stop position for interaction with the delivery system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2022
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ronald Scott Friend, Brian McElroy, Robert Aaron Allex, David A. Britton, Billy D. Dooley
  • POWER ELECTRONICS ASSEMBLIES HAVING EMBEDDED POWER ELECTRONICS DEVICES
    Publication number: 20240038624
    Abstract: Power electronics assemblies having embedded power electronics devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, a power electronics assembly includes a circuit board assembly that includes a substrate that is electrically insulating and a power electronics device assembly embedded in the substrate. The power electronics device assembly includes an S-cell that includes an inner graphite layer, a metal layer encasing the inner graphite layer, and a first surface of the metal layer comprising a recess provided within the first surface. The power electronics device assembly further includes a power electronics device disposed within the recess of the first surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2022
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Feng Zhou, Hiroshi Ukegawa
  • MULTIBAND FLEXURAL WAVE ABSORBERS
    Publication number: 20240038210
    Abstract: A flexural wave absorber includes an L-shaped cantilever beam lossy acoustic black hole disposed on a surface of a mechanical structure and an L-shaped cantilever beam lossless acoustic black hole disposed on the surface and spaced apart from the L-shaped cantilever beam lossy acoustic black hole a predefined distance. The L-shaped cantilever beam lossy acoustic black hole and the L-shaped cantilever beam lossless acoustic black hole, in combination, are configured to asymmetrically absorb a plurality of different frequencies of flexural waves within at least a 2000 Hz frequency band acting on the mechanical structure. The L-shaped cantilever beam lossy acoustic black hole and the L-shaped cantilever beam lossless acoustic black hole can both include a projecting beam with an outer surface or an inner surface having power law profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Xiaopeng Li, Ziqi Yu, Taehwa Lee
  • Valves and methods of operating valves
    Patent number: 11885428
    Abstract: A valve includes a substrate, a shape-memory wire, a conductive polymer, and a current source. The substrate defines an opening therethrough and includes at least one flap selectively extendable across the opening. The shape-memory wire is coupled to the at least one flap. The conductive polymer is coupled to the at least one flap. The current source is coupled to the shape-memory wire and the conductive polymer, such that electrical current from the current source selectively energizes the shape-memory wire and the conductive polymer thereby moving the at least one flap between a closed position and an open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Shardul S. Panwar, Deborah Bumgardner, Ryohei Tsuruta
  • Adaptive energy absorption module and vehicle bumper assembly
    Patent number: 11884222
    Abstract: A vehicle bumper assembly includes an adaptive energy absorption module operatively connected to a vehicle bumper body. The adaptive energy absorption module includes a primary deformable impact absorber member defining a primary impact chamber having a shape that is structurally adaptive or otherwise conforms to an impact force received by the bumper body. A secondary deformable impact absorber member is arranged in the primary impact chamber and defines a secondary impact chamber containing a shear thickening fluid that exhibits a decreasing viscosity responsive to the impact force. A plurality of fluidically connected tertiary deformable impact absorber members are arranged in an array the primary impact chamber and defines a plurality of tertiary impact chambers containing a volume of fluid, and has a shape that is structurally adaptive to the impact force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuyang Song, Umesh Gandhi, Danil Prokhorov, Phouvadol Khouphongsy
  • Power device assemblies having embedded PCBs and methods of fabricating the same
    Patent number: 11889666
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are apparatus and methods for a power electronics assembly includes a cold plate assembly and one or more power device assemblies. The cold plate assembly includes a manifold including a heat sink cavity in a first surface and a heat sink. The heat sink includes one or more substrate cavities and the heat sink is positioned in the heat sink cavity. The one or more power device assemblies are positioned within the one or more substrate cavities. Each power device assembly of the one or more power assemblies includes a direct bonded metal (DBM) substrate including a first metal layer directly bonded to an insulator layer and a power device. The DBM substrate includes a power device cavity. The power device is positioned in the power device cavity and the power device is electronically coupled to the first metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Feng Zhou, Yanghe Liu, Hiroshi Ukegawa
  • Collaborative support for obstructed line of sight scenarios
    Patent number: 11884206
    Abstract: Systems and methods of collision detection are provided which combine the concept of collaborative support with common/existing in-vehicle imaging and proximity sensor technologies. In particular, an “intermediary” vehicle may signal one or more objects (e.g. other vehicles, pedestrians, etc.) which are within the line of sight of the intermediary vehicle (and thus its imaging and proximity sensors), but not within the line of sight of each other, to a potential collision between the two objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Derek S. Caveney
  • Liftgate accessory hooks with sensors
    Patent number: 11884242
    Abstract: Liftgate assemblies with accessory hooks are disclosed. A liftgate assembly includes a door assembly movable in a vehicle vertical direction to an open position. The door assembly includes an interior surface panel, at least one hook disposed on the interior surface panel, and a controller communicatively coupled to the door assembly. The controller is configured to determine a presence of an item suspended from the hook when the door assembly is in the open position, transmit an alert, and prevent the door assembly from closing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Erik A. Wippler
  • Systems and methods for measuring low speed fluid flow
    Patent number: 11885652
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are an apparatus and method fluid flow measurements which include a pressure transducer and a flexible tube. The pressure transducer is tuned to measure flow speeds having a Reynolds number less than 100 and include an inlet. The flexible tube has a first end fluidly coupled to the inlet and a second end positioned adjacent to and in fluid communication with a plurality of fluid outlets of a microchannel flow structure. Each of the plurality of fluid outlets has a cross section defining an outlet area. The second end has a cross section defining a flexible tube area that is larger than the outlet area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Ercan M. Dede, Yuqing Zhou, Feng Zhou, Danny Lohan
  • Using an electrostatic force to cause an object to adhere to a surface of a vehicle
    Patent number: 11884240
    Abstract: A system for using an electrostatic force to cause an object to adhere to a surface of a vehicle can include an electrode and a device. The electrode can be configured to be disposed within a structure of the vehicle. The structure can define the surface. A shape of the electrode can define a shape of a region of the surface. The device can be configured to connect the electrode to a voltage source so that, at a time at which the electrode is connected to the voltage source, an electric charge is produced on the electrode to produce the electrostatic force capable of causing the object to adhere to the surface. For example, the surface can include a dashboard, a dashboard vent frame, a sunglasses holder cover, or the like. For example, the object can include a mobile device, a cup, a pair of sunglasses, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryohei Tsuruta, Shailesh N. Joshi, Umesh N. Gandhi
  • Seatbelt assistance systems, vehicles, and methods
    Patent number: 11884232
    Abstract: Systems, vehicles, and methods for seatbelt assistance. A system may include a sensor. The sensor may be configured to detect a physical property of a user sitting on a seat. The system may further include a motor. The motor may be configured to extend a seatbelt part towards a body center of the user. The system may further include an electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU may be coupled to the sensor and the motor. The ECU may be configured to receive the detected physical property of the user. The ECU may be further configured to prompt the motor to extend the seatbelt part towards the body center of the user based on the detected physical property of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Geoffrey David Gaither
  • Multi-scale driving environment prediction with hierarchical spatial temporal attention
    Patent number: 11886199
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, method includes obtaining multi-level environment data corresponding to a plurality of driving environment levels, encoding the multi-level environment data at each level, extracting features from the multi-level environment data at each encoded level, fusing the extracted features from each encoded level with a spatial-temporal attention framework to generate a fused information embedding, and decoding the fused information embedding to predict driving environment information at one or more driving environment levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Xuewei Qi, Kentaro Oguchi, Yongkang Liu
  • Optical communication system for management of vehicle batteries
    Patent number: 11884174
    Abstract: A vehicle is provided that includes a battery management system with an energy storage device configured to power the vehicle. The energy storage device includes a battery module with: at least one sensor, a processor, and an optical transceiver. The battery management system also includes a control unit to control the energy storage device, and a control unit optical transceiver configured for bidirectional free-space optical communication with the battery module optical transceiver via a free-space optical communication link. The battery module processor is configured to receive sensor readings and transmit them to the control unit via the free-space optical communication link. Based on the sensor readings, the control unit sends commands to the battery module processor via the free-space optical communication link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Neil T. Moloney, Shohei Nomura
  • SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING AND PROVIDING PARKING FACILITY ENTRANCE CHARACTERISTICS
    Publication number: 20240027213
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving locating favorable entrances. In one embodiment, a method includes acquiring sensor data about a parking facility entrance from at least one vehicle sensor, processing the sensor data into characteristics about the parking facility entrance, storing the characteristics about the parking facility entrance in a map that includes a location of the parking facility entrance, and providing a recommendation for a parking facility based, at least in part, on the map.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takamasa Higuchi, Kentaro Oguchi
  • NODAL GRAPH AND REINFORCEMENT-LEARNING MODEL BASED SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING MOVING AGENTS
    Publication number: 20240029012
    Abstract: A method for managing moving agents is provided. The method comprises identifying goods agents, moving agents, and a plurality of requests within a predetermined area, generating a nodal graph including the moving agents, requests, and goods as vertices and edges defining relations between two vertices, obtaining actions for the moving agents by inputting the nodal graph to a reinforcement-learning based graphical neural network model stored in the moving agents, the reinforcement-learning based graphical neural network outputs the action for the moving agent in response to receiving the nodal graph, and instructing the moving agents to operate based on the actions to satisfy at least one of the plurality of requests.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Rohit Gupta, Akila Ganlath, Nejib Ammar, Prashant Tiwari
  • SOFTWARE DRIVEN USER PROFILE PERSONALIZED ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
    Publication number: 20240025404
    Abstract: The disclosure generally includes systems and methods of generating a preferred personalized adaptive cruise control (P-ACC) mode of operation. The method includes capturing vehicle data using one or more internal and external vehicle sensors, and adjusting one or more P-ACC mode of operation parameters, based on captured vehicle data, before operation of the P-ACC mode of operation. Vehicle data includes internal vehicle data comprising a type of passenger and number of passengers in the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2022
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Applicants: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: ROHIT GUPTA, Ziran Wang, Kyungtae Han
  • Method for road debris detection using low-cost LIDAR
    Patent number: 11879980
    Abstract: Improved systems and methods are provided to implement anomaly detection. The method includes a FMCW LIDAR system that steers the laser beam of the LIDAR system via the wavelength tuning of a FMCW. The direction of the laser beam can be diffracted and controlled by the optical grating antennas which may diffract the laser beam as a function of wavelength. The method may also provide a LIDAR sensor with exhibits a controlled and wide-angle fill or output without the use of conventional mechanical mechanisms for scanning. The LIDAR system provides a cost-effective method to reduce scan dimensionality without sacrificing performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Paul D. Schmalenberg
  • Autonomous vehicle cleaning system using foldable seats and adjustable lighting conditions
    Patent number: 11878663
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an interior and an exterior, a surface within the interior, and a movable seat positioned over a first portion of the surface. The vehicle also includes a processor, a seat control system able to move the seat to expose the portion of the surface, and a light source able to illuminate a larger second portion of the surface which includes the first portion. The vehicle further includes a sensor to capture an image of the second portion of the surface, illuminated by the light source, and a cleaning element able to clean the second portion of the surface. The processor is configured to detect foreign material on the second portion of the surface, based on a comparison between the image and a stored image. The processor is also configured to activate the cleaning element, after detecting the foreign material on the second portion of the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Paul D. Schmalenberg, Sean P. Rodrigues, Atsushi Iwai
  • Systems and methods for inferring parking departures
    Patent number: 11881107
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving the identification of available parking spaces by inferring when a vehicle is likely to depart. In one embodiment, a method includes, responsive to acquiring sensor data about a surrounding environment including at least one parked vehicle, extracting a feature from the sensor data about a context of the parked vehicle. The method includes analyzing the feature to determine a status of the vehicle in relation to whether the vehicle is remaining parked. The method includes providing the status to inform additional vehicles about an availability of a parking spot of the parked vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Seyhan Ucar, Takamasa Higuchi, Chang-Heng Wang, Onur Altintas
  • Single piece upper control arm
    Patent number: D1012789
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Skylar C. Watson, Robert K. Kupina, Peter D. Susi, Andrew W. Heutchy