Patents Assigned to Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America
-
Publication number: 20240060480Abstract: An actuator that includes a shell, a ring structure within the shell, a shape-memory material wire fixed at opposite points of the ring structure to extend in a first direction across a width of the ring structure, and a cooling fluid provided within the shell and in fluid communication with the shape-memory material wire. When the shape-memory material wire is heated, the shape-memory material wire contracts in the first direction to reduce the width of the ring structure and increases a height of the ring structure extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2023Publication date: February 22, 2024Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shardul S. Panwar, Michael P. Rowe, Maduran Palaniswamy, Ryohei Tsuruta
-
Publication number: 20240059210Abstract: A tailgate support system enables drivers and passengers to secure their cargo via their vehicle tailgate and bed of the vehicle. When hauling lumber or long objects they sit in the bed with some overhang out the bed above the tailgate. During turning or hitting bumps the load can sometimes move and fall out. Incorporating features into the bed and/or the tailgate can improve securing large loads in the bed of a truck by providing a vertical support to prevent it from tipping over and a lateral support to prevent it from sliding out from the sides. The tailgate support system for attaching to a tailgate of a vehicle where the tailgate has a top surface. The tailgate support system may include a plurality of dividers and a plurality of apertures disposed along the top surface of the tailgate and configured to receive the plurality of dividers.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 17, 2022Publication date: February 22, 2024Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Thomas S. Hawley
-
Publication number: 20240063090Abstract: Power electronics systems including power electronics device assemblies having cold plates are described. A cold plate includes an S-cell having a body with a graphite or graphite-composite material. The body defines a power device recess. The S-cell is disposed within a cavity of the cold plate. The cold plate further includes a bond material bonding the S-cell to a base wall of the cavity.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2022Publication date: February 22, 2024Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Inc.Inventors: Feng Zhou, Hiroshi Ukegawa
-
Patent number: 11904866Abstract: A method of confirming an identity of a user, including displaying a first visual indicator, where the first visual indicator is flashing at a first frequency to induce a first brainwave activity. The first brainwave activity of the user may be measured by a sensor. The measured first brainwave activity may be compared against a user profile to confirm the identity of the user.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2020Date of Patent: February 20, 2024Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Muhamed Kusay Farooq, Chungchih Chou
-
Patent number: 11904855Abstract: A cooperative driving system includes a processor and a memory having one or more modules. The modules cause the processor to determine a route that includes a road segment to a destination for an ego vehicle based on (1) an ego vehicle operating parameter that has information regarding a preferred operation of an ego vehicle by an occupant, and (2) a location of a like vehicle with respect to the ego vehicle when the ego vehicle is traveling on at least a portion of the route. The one or more modules also cause the processor to determine a road-segment-level decision for the ego vehicle for the road segment based on the ego vehicle operating parameter, communicate with the like vehicle near the road segment to negotiate the road-segment-level decision to generate a negotiated road-segment-level decision, and maneuver the ego vehicle inside the road segment using the negotiated road-segment-level decision.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2021Date of Patent: February 20, 2024Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Sergei S. Avedisov, Ziran Wang, Ahmed H. Sakr, Kyungtae Han, Rui Guo, Onur Altintas
-
Patent number: 11908208Abstract: A driver monitor system and method of optimizing use of cognitive resources of a user in a vehicle is disclosed. The system includes in-cabin video cameras, a display device, and processing circuitry. The method performed by the processing circuitry includes monitoring eye gaze direction using images from the in-cabin video cameras, gradually softening image regions and lines displayed in the display device that are outside a first vision area of the user of the vehicle, and using the eye gaze direction to predict whether the user is transitioning into a new focus vision area that had been outside the first vision area. When the user's eyes begin to move, begin sharpening softened image regions and lines such that by the time eyes have shifted into the new focus vision area, the image regions and lines in the new focus vision area reach full sharpness.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2020Date of Patent: February 20, 2024Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Benjamin P. Austin, George M. Evans, Joshua E. Domeyer, John K Lenneman
-
Patent number: 11910521Abstract: Disclosed herein are apparatus and methods for a power electronics assembly that includes a printed circuit board (PCB) and an electrical insulation portion. The PCB includes a plurality of embedded power devices and a substrate layer having a plurality of metal inverse opal (MIO) portions. The electrically insulating portion is positioned between each of the MIO portions. The plurality of MIO portions is thermally coupled to the plurality of embedded power devices.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2022Date of Patent: February 20, 2024Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Feng Zhou, Ercan Dede, Hiroshi Ukegawa
-
Patent number: 11906832Abstract: A dual side view display includes a waveguide with an inside transparent layer and an outside transparent layer spaced apart from and parallel to the inside transparent layer, and a plurality of inside view liquid crystal (LC) pixels and a plurality of outside view LC pixels disposed within the waveguide. The plurality of outside view LC pixels are disposed within the waveguide parallel to and in-plane with the plurality of inside view LC pixels. The plurality of inside LC pixels includes a plurality of outside blocking layers configured to block light scattered in the plurality of inside view LC pixels from propagating through the outside transparent layer. Also, the plurality of outside view LC pixels includes a plurality of inside blocking layers configured to block light scattered in the plurality of outside view LC pixels from propagating through the inside transparent layer.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2022Date of Patent: February 20, 2024Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., MIRISE Technology Corporation, Kent State UniversityInventors: Deng-Ke Yang, Yunho Shin, Guangkui Qin, Sean P. Rodrigues
-
Publication number: 20240053521Abstract: A multilayer thin film that reflects an omnidirectional structural color having a reflective core layer; an amorphous-phase TiO2 dielectric layer extending across the reflective core layer; a metallic absorbing layer extending across the dielectric layer; and a dielectric outer layer extending across the metallic absorbing layer. The multilayer thin film reflects a single narrow band of visible light when exposed to broadband electromagnetic radiation, and a color shift of the single narrow band of visible light is less than 30° measured in Lab color space when the multilayer thin film is exposed to broadband electromagnetic radiation and viewed from angles between 0° and 45° relative to a direction normal to an outer surface of the multilayer thin film.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2022Publication date: February 15, 2024Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Debasish Banerjee, Songtao Wu, Hidetaka Asano
-
Publication number: 20240054528Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to monitoring a vehicle user's reaction to an advertisement. In one embodiment, a method includes, responsive to determining commencement of an advertisement, request a user place a user's hand on an electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor. The EDA sensor is fixed to a dual-sided transparent display. The method includes acquiring EDA data relating to the user via the EDA sensor, determining a reaction of the user to the advertisement based on the EDA data, and transmitting the reaction of the user and at least one characteristic of the advertisement to a third party.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2022Publication date: February 15, 2024Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Frederico Marcolino Quintao Severgnini, Sean P. Rodrigues, Paul Donald Schmalenberg
-
Publication number: 20240051561Abstract: Methods, systems, devices and apparatuses for a sound enhancement system. The sound enhancement system includes a trailer brake control unit placed on the vehicle and an electronic control unit coupled to the trailer brake control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to determine the vehicle is operating in a tow mode based on the trailer brake status, determine a magnitude of an audio signal that mimics or enhances engine sound based on the tow mode, and generate the audio signal. The sound enhancement system further includes an audio device configured to output the audio signal based at the determined magnitude.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2022Publication date: February 15, 2024Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Scott W. Shopoff, Michael U. Frank, Keita Okamoto, Luis Miyar Alvarez
-
Publication number: 20240054563Abstract: An example operation includes one or more of exchanging data collected from sensors on a vehicle with data collected from sensors on another vehicle based on a severity of an event between the vehicles, sending the vehicle data to an entity associated with the other vehicle and sending the other vehicle data to an entity associated with the vehicle, and sending by the entities an action to take by each of the vehicles based on the sent vehicle data and the other vehicle data.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2022Publication date: February 15, 2024Applicants: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Justin K. Shen, Roger Akira Kyle, Timothy Wang, Nick Megariotis
-
Publication number: 20240054985Abstract: A sound absorbing device includes an acoustic resonator with an opening and at least one fabric layer extending across the opening. The at least one fabric layer includes reversible actuatable liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) fibers such that an average pore size of the at least one fabric layer increases with decreasing temperature and decreases with increasing temperature. The sound absorbing device also includes at least one of a heater configured to heat the at least one fabric layer such that the average pore size of the at least one fabric decreases and a cooler configured to cool the at least one fabric layer such that the average pore size of the at least one fabric increases. And in some variations a controller configured to command the heater to heat to the at least one fabric layer and command the cooler to cool the at least one fabric layer is included.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2022Publication date: February 15, 2024Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yuyang Song, Taehwa Lee
-
Publication number: 20240051613Abstract: A truck includes a passenger cabin and a truck bed located rearward of the passenger cabin in a vehicle longitudinal direction. The truck bed includes a deck floor. The deck floor includes ridges that extend outward on an underside of the deck floor and extend lengthwise in a vehicle longitudinal direction. The deck floor further includes reinforcing ribs that extend outward from the ridges and along lengths of the ridges at the underside of the deck floor.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 15, 2022Publication date: February 15, 2024Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kelly L. Harbison, Rajesh Chennagowni, Herbert Meingast, Ronald T. Rogers, Wasim Ukra, Robert Chi-Ong Tam
-
Patent number: 11897446Abstract: A navigation system for generating turn segments includes a processor, a memory module communicatively coupled to the processor, a segment list stored in the memory module that includes a plurality of known segments, and machine readable instructions stored in the memory module. The machine readable instructions cause the navigation system to identify a current location of the navigation system, search the segment list for at least one known segment candidate that is within a threshold distance of the current location, determine whether at least one known segment candidate from the segment list includes the current location, track turn movements of the navigation system to form an unknown segment in response to determining at least one known segment candidate does not include the current location, and to link the unknown segment to the plurality of known segments from the segment list.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2018Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Joshua D. Payne, Heraldo Stefanon
-
Patent number: 11897337Abstract: Systems and methods for improving the brightness of a transparent display are disclosed herein. One embodiment collects ambient light using an array of Fresnel lenses disposed on an external surface of a vehicle; collects internal light from the vehicle's headlights; filters the ambient light and the internal light to produce filtered ambient light and filtered internal light; generates primary-source light using a light-emitting-diode (LED) light source; and injects, into a transparent edge-lit liquid crystal waveguide display deployed in at least a portion of a window of the vehicle, the primary-source light, the filtered ambient light, and the filtered internal light in a color-synchronized manner. The filtered ambient light and the filtered internal light improve the brightness of the transparent edge-lit liquid crystal waveguide display.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2022Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Ercan Mehmet Dede, Sean P. Rodrigues, Frederico Marcolino Quintao Severgnini, Danny J. Lohan, Masaaki Kawauchi, Kojiro Tachi, Hiroshi Ando
-
Patent number: 11902611Abstract: A method is provided including receiving a planned route of a vehicle and a request to download content from a cloud server, the planned route traveling through an area covered by a plurality of edge servers, determining a state comprising possible connections between the vehicle and each of the plurality of edge servers at a plurality of time steps during the planned route, inputting the state to a trained model, the model being trained to output an action comprising a partition of the content across the plurality of edge servers that minimizes latency of transmission of the content from the cloud server to the vehicle via the plurality of edge servers, based on the state, and partitioning the content across the plurality of edge servers based on the action out by the trained mode.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2022Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Siqi Huang, Haoxin Wang, Akila C. Ganlath, Prashant Tiwari
-
Patent number: 11897377Abstract: A kinetic seat cushion assembly that rotates based on a force applied on an occupant seated therein is provided. The kinetic seat cushion assembly includes a primary seat cushion frame, a secondary seat cushion frame, a seat cushion tilt mechanism coupling the secondary seat cushion frame to the primary seat cushion frame such that the secondary seat cushion frame is movable with respect to the primary seat cushion frame, and a front pivot mechanism that pivotally couples a front portion of the primary seat cushion frame to a front portion of the secondary seat cushion frame.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2023Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Todd Rupert Muck, Charles P. Patterson, Matthew R. Speck, Peter J. Moegling
-
Patent number: 11897379Abstract: A vehicle seat can be configured to provide support to a vehicle occupant in conditions when lateral acceleration is experienced. Shape memory material members can be operatively positioned with respect to a seat portion of the vehicle seat. The shape memory material members can be selectively activated by an activation input. When activated, the shape memory material members can engage a seat pan so as to cause the seat pan to tilt in a respective lateral direction. As a result, a seat cushion supported by the seat pan can also tilt in the respective lateral direction. The seat cushion can be tilted in a lateral direction that is opposite to the direction of the lateral acceleration. Thus, the effects of lateral acceleration felt by a seat occupant can be reduced. The shape memory material members can be selectively activated based on vehicle speed, steering angle, and/or lateral acceleration.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2021Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Ryohei Tsuruta, Brian J. Pinkelman, Umesh N. Gandhi, Paul A. Gilmore
-
Publication number: 20240043145Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for cooling an electric aircraft. The system comprises an electronic device, a casing, at least one fin, and at least one PHP. The electronic device can generate heat. The electronic device can be housed within the casing. The fin can be attached to the outer wall of the casing. The PHP can be embedded within the fin, such that an evaporator section of the PHP is closest to the heat source and the condenser section of the PHP is furthest from the heat source. The PHP can also be placed within the casing. In some embodiments, the casing can have a plurality of slots. The fin can be shaped such that a single fin may slide into a pair of slots and come to rest adjacent to the casing, wherein a PHP can be embedded within the fin.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 20, 2023Publication date: February 8, 2024Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Shailesh JOSHI, Danny LOHAN
