Patents by Inventor Shigeki Kinomura

Shigeki Kinomura 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: 9278624
    Abstract: A vehicle is capable of charging a power storage device mounted thereon using electric power from two power paths of an external DC power supply and AC power supply. The vehicle includes a DC charger for converting electric power from the DC power supply into charging electric power for the power storage device, and an AC charger for converting electric power from the AC power supply into charging electric power for the power storage device. A vehicle ECU selects an electric power path to be used for charging based on the state of the power storage device and efficiency of the DC charger and the AC charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeki Kinomura, Shinji Ichikawa, Tomoyuki Mizuno
  • Patent number: 9242568
    Abstract: A vehicle is capable of charging a power storage device mounted thereon using electric power from two power paths of an external DC power supply and AC power supply. The vehicle includes a DC charger for converting electric power from the DC power supply into charging electric power for the power storage device, and an AC charger for converting electric power from the AC power supply into charging electric power for the power storage device. A vehicle ECU selects an electric power path to be used for charging based on the state of the power storage device and efficiency of the DC charger and the AC charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeki Kinomura, Shinji Ichikawa, Tomoyuki Mizuno
  • Patent number: 9188054
    Abstract: An electronic control unit (12) calculates the heat receiving quantity of a thermo wax to estimate the temperature of the thermo wax on the basis of the calculated heat receiving quantity and the heat capacity of the thermo wax, and controls a heater so that the temperature of the thermo wax reaches a predetermined target value. Further, the electronic control unit (12) changes the value of the heat capacity used to estimate the temperature of the thermo wax depending on the variation of the estimated temperature of the thermo wax across the phase transition point of the thermo wax so as to preferably control a switching valve which is operated by heating the thermo wax.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeki Kinomura, Osamu Shintani, Taro Furukoshi, Atsushi Komada
  • Patent number: 9172232
    Abstract: A charging cable housing apparatus includes a winding core having a charging cable wound around an outer peripheral surface thereof, an end plate provided with a first slit extending from the winding core in a radial direction and having a predetermined width, and a side plate disposed to connect the base plate and the end plate and provided with a second slit having the same width as that of the first slit. One end of the charging cable wound around the winding core is being pulled out through the first slit or the second slit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeki Kinomura, Tomoya Ono
  • Patent number: 9166428
    Abstract: A charging device includes a fixing member fixed to a fixed object, a cable holder mounted on the fixing member in an attachable and detachable manner and a charging cable unit mounted on the cable holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoya Ono, Shigeki Kinomura, Michiaki Arasu
  • Publication number: 20150263560
    Abstract: A discharging control system of a vehicle that supplies power to a load device outside the vehicle via a power cable, includes a connection signal line, a detector, and a controller. The connection signal line is configured such that a potential thereof changes in response to a discharging connector provided on the power cable being connected to the vehicle. The detector is configured to detect the potential of the connection signal line. The controller is configured to control a physical quantity related to the power supplied from the vehicle to the load device, based on the potential detected by the detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoya Ono, Shigeki Kinomura, Yoshiyuki Igarashi
  • Patent number: 9126486
    Abstract: A vehicle is provided with a connection signal line having electric potential is changed when a connector of a power charging cable is attached to a control pilot line through which a pilot signal CPLT is transmitted from the power charging cable. The charging connector is attached to a vehicle in place of the power charging cable. The power supply connector includes a first connection portion connected to the connection signal line and a second connection portion connected to the first connection portion and the control pilot line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeki Kinomura, Tomoya Ono, Shintaro Kosetsu
  • Publication number: 20150191164
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, an electric motor, an electrical storage device and a controller. The electric motor generates electric power by using driving force of the engine. The controller controls supply of electric power, which is at least one of electric power generated by the electric motor or electric power stored in the electrical storage device, to an outside of the vehicle. The controller selects, on the basis of setting made by a user, whether to permit or prohibit generation of electric power by using the driving force of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shigeki Kinomura
  • Patent number: 9013062
    Abstract: A vehicle ECU executes a program including the steps of determining whether or not to permit discharge assistance, generating first assistance information, transmitting the first assistance information, carrying out discharge control when a result of determination as to whether or not to request discharge assistance and requested discharge electric power is received and when measures based on the result of determination can be taken, and giving notification about whether or not discharge assistance is carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigeki Kinomura
  • Patent number: 8994209
    Abstract: The present invention relates to: an electrical-power-feed connector connecting an electrical power source and an electrical-power-fed object, the electrical-power-feed connector having a configuration to form a signal path as a closed system, the signal path being to transmit a signal between the electrical-power-feed connector and the electrical power source, the signal having a value to vary depending on: an electrical connection status of the electrical-power-feed connector with the electrical power source, and an instruction to allow feeding of electrical power from the electrical power source to the electrical-power-fed object; and an electrical power source being feedable electrical power to an electrical-power-fed object by being connected with the electrical-power-fed object via the electrical-power-feed connector, the electrical power source having a configuration corresponding to the configuration of the electrical-power-feed connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoya Ono, Shigeki Kinomura, Kensuke Kamichi, Noritake Mitsutani
  • Patent number: 8972154
    Abstract: A cooling system for an engine in the present invention includes a first coolant route for circulating coolant between a water jacket of an engine main body and a heater core, a second coolant route for circulating the coolant between a waste heat recovery unit and the heater core, a first water-temperature sensor provided on the first coolant route, and a second water-temperature sensor provided on the second coolant route. An engine control unit makes an engine stop determination based on the coolant temperatures detected by the first water-temperature sensor and the second water-temperature sensor and, in making the engine stop determination, selectively uses the coolant temperatures detected by the first water-temperature sensor and the second water-temperature sensor in dependence on whether a heater unit including the heater core is in an operation state or in an out-of-operation state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignees: Aisin Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoto Yumisashi, Masazumi Yoshida, Shigeki Kinomura
  • Publication number: 20150054466
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a power storage device, a power node, and a controller. The controller controls charging and discharging of the power storage device with respect to the outside of the vehicle when the power storage device is able to be charged or discharged with electric power with respect to the outside of the vehicle via the power node. The controller controls discharging of electric power from the power storage device so as to provide a first period in which discharging of electric power from the power storage device to the outside of the vehicle is limited after the power storage device is externally charged with a power supply outside the vehicle, and so as to provide a second period in which discharging limitation in the first period is released at least after the first period ends.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shigeki Kinomura
  • Publication number: 20150042288
    Abstract: A vehicle 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a charge-discharge system CDS. The charge-discharge system includes the vehicle 10, an electric power cable 20, a plug-in station 30, a HEMS 40, and a commercial power supply 50. In a state where the connector 21 of the electric power cable 20 is connected with the inlet of the vehicle 10, an electric power is discharged/supplied from the vehicle electric storage device 11 to an external electric load (e.g., external electric storage device 41). Further, the vehicle electric storage device 11 is capable of being charged by the external power supply 50 through the electric power cable 20. A control device 12 of the vehicle 10 obtains/detects a permissible current value of the electric power cable 20, based on a specific signal (control pilot signal) which is transmitted through a CPLT terminal of the connector 21 before it starts the discharge to the external electric load from the vehicle electric storage device 11.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventors: Daisuke Ishii, Shigeki Kinomura, Tomoyuki Mizuno, Takashi Ogawa, Hiroki Sawada, Yasuo Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20150038020
    Abstract: A power extraction device is an extraction device configured to extract electric power from a vehicle by being connected to a first connecting portion of the vehicle, the vehicle including a storage battery and the first connecting portion to which a plug is connected so that the first connecting portion is able to perform at least one of supplying of electric power to the storage battery and discharging of electric power accumulated in the storage battery to its outside. The extraction device includes: a second connecting portion to be connected to the first connecting portion provided on an outer peripheral surface of the vehicle; and a third connecting portion to which an external connection plug configured to connect an external device to the extraction device is connectable. The third connecting portion includes a connection surface to which the external connection plug is connected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeki Kinomura, Tomoya Ono
  • Publication number: 20150032315
    Abstract: A vehicle-side executes a program including the steps of, if setting information is input, storing a charging schedule, and if a prescribed period of time has passed, performing an update process, performing a notification process, and if a charging cable is being connected, performing a reservation charging process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeki Kinomura, Tatsuwo Hatanaka
  • Publication number: 20140327408
    Abstract: A vehicle 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied to a charge-discharge system CDS. The charge-discharge system includes the vehicle 10, an electric power cable 20, a plug-in station 30, a HEMS 40, and a commercial power supply 50. From the HEMS 40 to the vehicle 10, a request for charge to charge an electric storage device 11 and a request for discharge to allow an external electric load to use an electric power of the electric storage device 11 are transmitted. When a request is changed from the request for charge to the request for discharge, or vice versa, the vehicle 10 realizes a charge-discharge stop state in which neither a charging operation nor a discharging operation is performed without directly changing from the charging operation to the discharging operation, or vice versa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Inventors: Daisuke Ishii, Shigeki Kinomura, Tomoyuki Mizuno, Takashi Ogawa, Hiroki Sawada, Yasuo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8878488
    Abstract: The present invention has an objective to provide a charge-and-discharge connector which makes it possible to transfer of electric power mutually between vehicles and the vehicles exterior under control by a charge-and-discharge management system at normal times, and makes it possible to supply electric power from vehicles to the vehicles exterior without depending on the charge-and-discharge management system in an emergency. It is possible to make vehicles perform an electric supply operation without using a charge-and-discharge control signal in an emergency by preparing an operating part in a charge-and-discharge connector for delivering and receiving electric power between vehicles and the charge-and-discharge control device outside the vehicles and operating the operating part to make the vehicles detect that an electric supply operation is possible without using the charge-and-discharge control signal used for controlling charge and discharge at normal times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoya Ono, Shigeki Kinomura
  • Publication number: 20140306658
    Abstract: A house-side ECU executes a program including the steps of, if a charging cable is being connected, if a vehicle can be externally charged by a reservation, and if there is reservation information by a user's input in the vehicle, receiving the reservation information from the vehicle, and if there is reservation information based on a state of the vehicle in the vehicle, receiving the reservation information from the vehicle, selecting one of the reservation information, and making a notification of the reservation information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shigeki Kinomura
  • Publication number: 20140253036
    Abstract: A house ECU executes a program when it is the time to set a scheduled time, including the step of transmitting an end time of external charging to a vehicle in the case where the end time has been input by a user, and the step of determining a start time in the case where the house ECU has received a required charging time from a vehicle ECU. The vehicle ECU executes a program when it is the time to set a scheduled time, including the step of calculating the required charging time in the case where the vehicle ECU has received the end time from the house ECU, and the step of transmitting the required charging time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2011
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shigeki Kinomura
  • Publication number: 20140232182
    Abstract: A power supply connector (410) is used to supply electric power from a hybrid vehicle (100) equipped with an engine (160) and a motor generator (130, 135) to a device outside of the vehicle (100). When the power supply connector (410) is connected to an inlet (220) of the vehicle (100), the power supply connector (410) outputs a signal for performing a power supply operation while allowing operation of the engine (160) to an ECU (300) of the vehicle (100).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeki Kinomura, Tetsuhiro Ishikawa, Takahide Iida, Takafumi Nishimuta