Patents by Inventor Hiroki Murata
Hiroki Murata 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: 12640566Abstract: A vehicle is configured to participate in demand response used for adjusting a power supply and demand balance in a power system. The vehicle includes a power accumulation device, a power transfer device that enables power transfer in one of a first, a second, and a third method, and a control device that controls the power transfer device. The first method enables power to be transferred through a power cable between the power accumulation device and an outside of the vehicle. The second method enables power to be transferred in a non-contact manner while the vehicle is stopped. The third method enables power to be transferred in the non-contact manner while the vehicle is traveling. When the vehicle participates in the demand response, the control device selects a method in a preferential order of the first, the second, and the third method and execute the power transfer.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2023Date of Patent: May 26, 2026Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masato Ehara, Daiki Yokoyama, Yuki Takahashi, Tomoya Takahashi, Tomoyuki Kubota, Sachio Toyora, Keisuke Fukuoka, Zidan Xu, Wenfeng Liang, Hiroki Murata
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Patent number: 12617308Abstract: A power supply system includes: a power supply facility configured to receive power supply from an external power source and execute power supply to a vehicle traveling in a traveling lane; and a vehicle management apparatus configured to manage a plurality of vehicles configured to use the power supply facility, select adjustment vehicles used for power adjustment of the external power source from among the plurality of vehicles, and when any one of the selected adjustment vehicles has reached a predetermined position in the traveling lane, release the one of the adjustment vehicles that has reached the predetermined position from the power adjustment of the external power source.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2022Date of Patent: May 5, 2026Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masato Ehara, Daiki Yokoyama, Yuki Takahashi, Tomoya Takahashi, Tomoyuki Kubota, Sachio Toyora, Keisuke Fukuoka, Zidan Xu, Wenfeng Liang, Hiroki Murata
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Patent number: 12587133Abstract: A control device for a vehicle, comprising: a cleaning mechanism for cleaning an outer surface of a window glass; and a flexible solar cell module capable of generating electricity by being irradiated with sunlight, wherein the solar cell module is deployed along an inner surface of the window glass, and the control device is capable of storing the solar cell module, the control device including a controller for controlling the deployment and storage of the solar cell module and the cleaning mechanism, wherein the controller includes an expansion determination unit for determining that the solar cell module is deployed, and a cleaning mechanism control unit for operating the cleaning mechanism so as to clean the outer surface of the window glass when it is determined that the solar cell module is deployed.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2024Date of Patent: March 24, 2026Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Satoru Ito, Hiroki Murata
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Patent number: 12576745Abstract: A server configured to communicate with a first vehicle and a second vehicle, each of the first vehicle and the second vehicle including a power storage device configured to be charged by wirelessly receiving electric power from a power transmission device arranged on a road during traveling, the server includes: a storage device that stores information on a power shortage area; and a processor configured to: acquire a destination of the first vehicle and a destination of the second vehicle; and limit a charging operation for the second vehicle when the destination of the first vehicle is included in the power shortage area stored in the storage device, the destination of the second vehicle is not included in the power shortage area, and the first vehicle is charged on the road.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2022Date of Patent: March 17, 2026Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masato Ehara, Daiki Yokoyama, Yuki Takahashi, Tomoya Takahashi, Tomoyuki Kubota, Sachio Toyora, Keisuke Fukuoka, Zidan Xu, Wenfeng Liang, Hiroki Murata
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Patent number: 12485787Abstract: A server includes a processor and a communication device configured to acquire a transmitted power amount transmitted from a power facility during external charging of a vehicle participating in a DR. The processor is configured to calculate, when a plurality of vehicles participates in the DR, a standard reward that is a standard of a reward given from an aggregator to each of the vehicles, according to the transmitted power amount, decide, when a first vehicle participates in the DR, a first reward that is a reward given from the aggregator to the first vehicle, such that the first reward becomes the standard reward for the first vehicle, and decide, when a second vehicle participates in the DR, a second reward that is a reward given from the aggregator to the second vehicle, such that the second reward becomes higher than the standard reward for the second vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2022Date of Patent: December 2, 2025Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masato Ehara, Daiki Yokoyama, Yuki Takahashi, Tomoya Takahashi, Tomoyuki Kubota, Sachio Toyora, Keisuke Fukuoka, Zidan Xu, Wenfeng Liang, Hiroki Murata
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Patent number: 12397672Abstract: A power management system includes a vehicle and a charging or discharging lane. The charging or discharging lane configured to execute at least one of charging or discharging of the vehicle in a non-contact manner. The vehicle is configured to acquire contract contents including a charging or discharging amount and a charging or discharging period. The vehicle is configured to execute the contract contents in a charging or discharging lane that is different from electric vehicle supply equipment set in the contract contents and is reachable before the charging or discharging period when the vehicle is predicted to, before a start of the charging or discharging period, be unable to execute the contract contents in the set electric vehicle supply equipment.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2022Date of Patent: August 26, 2025Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masato Ehara, Daiki Yokoyama, Yuki Takahashi, Tomoya Takahashi, Tomoyuki Kubota, Sachio Toyora, Keisuke Fukuoka, Zidan Xu, Wenfeng Liang, Hiroki Murata
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Publication number: 20250242804Abstract: A deviation suppression control apparatus executes a deviation suppression control for controlling a lateral travel state of a vehicle to suppress the vehicle from deviating from a travel area when a deviation condition is satisfied. The deviation condition is satisfied when the vehicle is predicted to deviate from the travel area or when the vehicle has deviated from the travel area. When a suppression condition including a first condition is satisfied, the deviation suppression control apparatus decreases a magnitude of a lateral speed of the vehicle in the deviation suppression control compared to when the suppression condition is not satisfied. The first condition is satisfied when there is an object in an opposite area opposite to a deviation side where the vehicle deviates from the travel area.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2024Publication date: July 31, 2025Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Hiroki MURATA
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Patent number: 12344106Abstract: A vehicle is capable of receiving electric power supplied from a charger and capable of receiving electric power supplied from a charging mat. The charging mat is movable and capable of wireless power transfer. A method for providing a vehicle charging service includes a first step and a second step. The first step is giving, by a server, an instruction for installing the charging mat on a lane at which charging congestion is detected or predicted to occur, the charging congestion being traffic congestion for charging the electric power supplied from the charger. The second step is transmitting the electric power from the charging mat when the vehicle is detected above the charging mat installed on the lane in accordance with the instruction, and transmitting no electric power from the charging mat when the vehicle is not detected above the charging mat.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2022Date of Patent: July 1, 2025Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Toshihiro Nakamura, Katsuya Kobayashi, Hiroki Murata, Hiroshi Matsumori, Naohiro Seo, Akihiro Kusumoto
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Patent number: 12339130Abstract: A vehicle communication control device includes a processor configured to acquire disaster information, control a communication state between a vehicle and an information distribution server; and restrict communication between the vehicle and the information distribution server when the vehicle is located in a disaster-stricken area.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2023Date of Patent: June 24, 2025Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Daiki Yokoyama, Hiroki Murata
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Publication number: 20250175122Abstract: A control device for a vehicle, comprising: a cleaning mechanism for cleaning an outer surface of a window glass; and a flexible solar cell module capable of generating electricity by being irradiated with sunlight, wherein the solar cell module is deployed along an inner surface of the window glass, and the control device is capable of storing the solar cell module, the control device including a controller for controlling the deployment and storage of the solar cell module and the cleaning mechanism, wherein the controller includes an expansion determination unit for determining that the solar cell module is deployed, and a cleaning mechanism control unit for operating the cleaning mechanism so as to clean the outer surface of the window glass when it is determined that the solar cell module is deployed.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2024Publication date: May 29, 2025Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Satoru ITO, Hiroki MURATA
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Patent number: 11901736Abstract: A server manages plural vehicles each configured to be able to participate in a DR. A first vehicle is able to transmit power through a power cable. A second vehicle is able to transmit power in a non-contact manner while being stationary. A third vehicle is able to transmit power in a non-contact manner while traveling. The server includes a communication device and a processing device. The communication device is able to transmit a DR signal to each of the vehicles. The processing device selects a target vehicle, to which the DR signal is to be transmitted, from the vehicles in accordance with the priority degree for participation in the DR. The processing device sets the priority degree of the first vehicle to be higher than that of the second vehicle, and sets the priority degree of the second vehicle to be higher than that of the third vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2022Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masato Ehara, Daiki Yokoyama, Yuki Takahashi, Tomoya Takahashi, Tomoyuki Kubota, Sachio Toyora, Keisuke Fukuoka, Zidan Xu, Wenfeng Liang, Hiroki Murata
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Publication number: 20230304814Abstract: A power transfer method between vehicles that are traveling and power transfer devices in a non-contact manner includes acquiring, for each of the vehicles, a traveling plan for a specific vehicle among the vehicles, estimating a power change amount according to power consumption or power regeneration of the specific vehicle that is traveling based on the traveling plan, and setting a power transfer amount between the specific vehicle and a corresponding power transfer device such that the power transfer amount corresponds to the power change amount. The corresponding power transfer device is a device corresponding to the specific vehicle among the power transfer devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2023Publication date: September 28, 2023Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masato EHARA, Daiki YOKOYAMA, Yuki TAKAHASHI, Tomoya TAKAHASHI, Tomoyuki KUBOTA, Sachio TOYORA, Keisuke FUKUOKA, Zidan XU, Wenfeng LIANG, Hiroki MURATA
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Publication number: 20230278451Abstract: A power supply system includes power supply equipment and a vehicle management device. The power supply equipment is configured to be supplied with electric power from an external power supply and supply the electric power to a vehicle traveling in a power supply lane. The vehicle management device is configured to manage a plurality of vehicles configured to transfer electric power to and from the power supply equipment. The vehicle management device is configured to select balancing vehicles to be controlled for power balancing of the external power supply. The vehicle management device is configured to, when the vehicle management device determines that the control of any of the balancing vehicles for power balancing of the external power supply has been stopped halfway through, select a substitute vehicle to be controlled for power balancing of the external power supply from the vehicles traveling in the power supply lane.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2022Publication date: September 7, 2023Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masato EHARA, Daiki YOKOYAMA, Yuki TAKAHASHI, Tomoya TAKAHASHI, Tomoyuki KUBOTA, Sachio TOYORA, Keisuke FUKUOKA, Zidan XU, Wenfeng LIANG, Hiroki MURATA
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Publication number: 20230246448Abstract: A vehicle is configured to participate in demand response used for adjusting a power supply and demand balance in a power system. The vehicle includes a power accumulation device, a power transfer device that enables power transfer in one of a first, a second, and a third method, and a control device that controls the power transfer device. The first method enables power to be transferred through a power cable between the power accumulation device and an outside of the vehicle. The second method enables power to be transferred in a non-contact manner while the vehicle is stopped. The third method enables power to be transferred in the non-contact manner while the vehicle is traveling. When the vehicle participates in the demand response, the control device selects a method in a preferential order of the first, the second, and the third method and execute the power transfer.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2023Publication date: August 3, 2023Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masato EHARA, Daiki YOKOYAMA, Yuki TAKAHASHI, Tomoya TAKAHASHI, Tomoyuki KUBOTA, Sachio TOYORA, Keisuke FUKUOKA, Zidan XU, Wenfeng LIANG, Hiroki MURATA
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Publication number: 20230246447Abstract: A server manages plural vehicles each configured to be able to participate in a DR. A first vehicle is able to transmit power through a power cable. A second vehicle is able to transmit power in a non-contact manner while being stationary. A third vehicle is able to transmit power in a non-contact manner while traveling. The server includes a communication device and a processing device. The communication device is able to transmit a DR signal to each of the vehicles. The processing device selects a target vehicle, to which the DR signal is to be transmitted, from the vehicles in accordance with the priority degree for participation in the DR. The processing device sets the priority degree of the first vehicle to be higher than that of the second vehicle, and sets the priority degree of the second vehicle to be higher than that of the third vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 18, 2022Publication date: August 3, 2023Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masato EHARA, Daiki YOKOYAMA, Yuki TAKAHASHI, Tomoya TAKAHASHI, Tomoyuki KUBOTA, Sachio TOYORA, Keisuke FUKUOKA, Zidan XU, Wenfeng LIANG, Hiroki MURATA
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Publication number: 20230236027Abstract: A vehicle communication control device includes a processor configured to acquire disaster information, control a communication state between a vehicle and an information distribution server; and restrict communication between the vehicle and the information distribution server when the vehicle is located in a disaster-stricken area.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 24, 2023Publication date: July 27, 2023Inventors: Daiki YOKOYAMA, Hiroki MURATA
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Publication number: 20230226939Abstract: A power supply system includes: a power supply facility configured to receive power supply from an external power source and execute power supply to a vehicle traveling in a traveling lane; and a vehicle management apparatus configured to manage a plurality of vehicles configured to use the power supply facility, select adjustment vehicles used for power adjustment of the external power source from among the plurality of vehicles, and when any one of the selected adjustment vehicles has reached a predetermined position in the traveling lane, release the one of the adjustment vehicles that has reached the predetermined position from the power adjustment of the external power source.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 26, 2022Publication date: July 20, 2023Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masato EHARA, Daiki YOKOYAMA, Yuki TAKAHASHI, Tomoya TAKAHASHI, Tomoyuki KUBOTA, Sachio TOYORA, Keisuke FUKUOKA, Zidan XU, Wenfeng LIANG, Hiroki MURATA
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Publication number: 20230226923Abstract: A server configured to communicate with a first vehicle and a second vehicle, each of the first vehicle and the second vehicle including a power storage device configured to be charged by wirelessly receiving electric power from a power transmission device arranged on a road during traveling, the server includes: a storage device that stores information on a power shortage area; and a processor configured to: acquire a destination of the first vehicle and a destination of the second vehicle; and limit a charging operation for the second vehicle when the destination of the first vehicle is included in the power shortage area stored in the storage device, the destination of the second vehicle is not included in the power shortage area, and the first vehicle is charged on the road.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2022Publication date: July 20, 2023Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masato EHARA, Daiki YOKOYAMA, Yuki TAKAHASHI, Tomoya TAKAHASHI, Tomoyuki KUBOTA, Sachio TOYORA, Keisuke FUKUOKA, Zidan XU, Wenfeng LIANG, Hiroki MURATA
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Publication number: 20230219443Abstract: A server includes a processor and a communication device configured to acquire a transmitted power amount transmitted from a power facility during external charging of a vehicle participating in a DR. The processor is configured to calculate, when a plurality of vehicles participates in the DR, a standard reward that is a standard of a reward given from an aggregator to each of the vehicles, according to the transmitted power amount, decide, when a first vehicle participates in the DR, a first reward that is a reward given from the aggregator to the first vehicle, such that the first reward becomes the standard reward for the first vehicle, and decide, when a second vehicle participates in the DR, a second reward that is a reward given from the aggregator to the second vehicle, such that the second reward becomes higher than the standard reward for the second vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2022Publication date: July 13, 2023Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masato EHARA, Daiki YOKOYAMA, Yuki TAKAHASHI, Tomoya TAKAHASHI, Tomoyuki KUBOTA, Sachio TOYORA, Keisuke FUKUOKA, Zidan XU, Wenfeng LIANG, Hiroki MURATA
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Publication number: 20230219447Abstract: A power supply system includes power supply equipment and a vehicle management device. The power supply equipment is configured to be supplied with electric power from an external power supply and supply the electric power to a vehicle traveling in a travel lane. The vehicle management device is configured to manage vehicles configured to use the power supply equipment, and perform vehicle selection in which the vehicle management device selects a balancing vehicle from the vehicles. The vehicle management device is configured to (i) select vehicles remaining after excluding first x vehicles and last y vehicles from a vehicle group traveling in the travel lane as selection candidates and (ii) select at least one of the selection candidates as the balancing vehicle in the vehicle selection.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 18, 2022Publication date: July 13, 2023Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masato EHARA, Daiki YOKOYAMA, Yuki TAKAHASHI, Tomoya TAKAHASHI, Tomoyuki KUBOTA, Sachio TOYORA, Keisuke FUKUOKA, Zidan XU, Wenfeng LIANG, Hiroki MURATA