Patents by Inventor Shinji Kurachi

Shinji Kurachi 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: 10946759
    Abstract: A plurality of charging stations and a plurality of commercial facilities where a user of a vehicle can stay during charging in one of the plurality of charging stations are provided. An information providing method for the vehicle includes: causing a charging server to select a plurality of candidates from among the plurality of charging stations in accordance with location information about each of the vehicle and the plurality of commercial facilities; causing the charging server to provide a car navigation device with information showing the plurality of candidates selected; causing the server to deliver an advertisement for a commercial facility associated with each of the plurality of candidates selected; and causing the charging server to receive information about a candidate selected with the car navigation device from among the plurality of candidates by the user referring to the advertisement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Sakuma, Shuhei Yamamoto, Munehiro Kamiya, Hideo Hasegawa, Shinji Kurachi, Tomoya Shimizu
  • Patent number: 10926658
    Abstract: A provider terminal transmits, to a server, (i) location information for specifying a location of a power supply facility for supplying power to a vehicle and (ii) an acceptance period for accepting the supply of power at the location. The user terminal transmits, to the server, (i) a desired location for the supply of power to the vehicle and (ii) a desired starting time for the supply of power to the vehicle at the desired location. The server includes: a provision DB configured to store one or more pieces of association information in which respective pieces of location information are associated with respective acceptance periods; a determination device configured to determine a power supply facility corresponding to the desired location and the desired starting time; and a communicator configured to notify a location of the power supply facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Sakuma, Shuhei Yamamoto, Munehiro Kamiya, Hideo Hasegawa, Shinji Kurachi, Tomoya Shimizu
  • Patent number: 10723364
    Abstract: An information providing system includes a plurality of vehicles, and a server configured to communicate with the plurality of vehicles. A vehicle-side controller of each of a plurality of first vehicles of the plurality of vehicles determines whether or not an act detected by an act detector is an abnormal act that meets a predetermined condition, and, when the vehicle-side controller determines that the act is the abnormal act, the vehicle-side controller transmits, to the server, abnormal act occurrence information including a position of each first vehicle detected by a position detector. A server-side controller collects the occurrence information transmitted from the first vehicles as collected information, and transmits the collected information to a second vehicle of the plurality of vehicles to notify a user of the second vehicle of the collected information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Sakuma, Shuhei Yamamoto, Munehiro Kamiya, Hideo Hasegawa, Shinji Kurachi, Tomoya Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20200234576
    Abstract: A vehicle search system includes a vehicle incorporating a vehicle-mounted camera and a server configured to communicate with the vehicle. The server transmits search target vehicle data for specifying a search target vehicle to the vehicle. The vehicle is configured to (a) store the search target vehicle data from the server and (b) transmit, when a vehicle detected by the vehicle-mounted camera falls under search target vehicles included in the search target vehicle data, detection information on the detected vehicle to the server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru SAKUMA, Shuhei YAMAMOTO, Munehiro KAMIYA, Hideo HASEGAWA, Shinji KURACHI, Tomoya SHIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20200189571
    Abstract: A vehicle management system includes a vehicle controller mountable in a vehicle, and a commercial facility management system for managing a parking lot and payment in a commercial facility. The commercial facility management system includes a system controller. The system controller performs processing for associating the vehicle with a user of the vehicle when the vehicle enters the parking lot, and cooperates with the vehicle controller of the vehicle associated with the user to control the vehicle to travel from a parking place to a pick-up/drop-off place for the user when the user finishes payment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru SAKUMA, Shuhei YAMAMOTO, Munehiro KAMIYA, Hideo HASEGAWA, Shinji KURACHI, Tomoya SHIMIZU
  • Patent number: 10682982
    Abstract: A server causes a storage to store identification information of a vehicle and a position of the vehicle as a set of information; specifies, based on position information of an abnormality occurring vehicle which is a vehicle that has transmitted abnormality occurrence information to the server, an image-shooting instructed vehicle which is a vehicle that can shoot an image of the abnormality occurring vehicle with a camera, using position information stored in the storage, without causing activation of a vehicular alarm; transmits, to the image-shooting instructed vehicle, an instruction to shoot the image of the abnormality occurring vehicle with the camera mounted in the image-shooting instructed vehicle; and transmits the image shot by the image-shooting instructed vehicle to a mobile terminal of a user of the abnormality occurring vehicle, as a description of an abnormality occurring in the abnormality occurring vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Sakuma, Shuhei Yamamoto, Munehiro Kamiya, Hideo Hasegawa, Shinji Kurachi, Tomoya Shimizu
  • Patent number: 10643466
    Abstract: A vehicle search system includes a vehicle incorporating a vehicle-mounted camera and a server configured to communicate with the vehicle. The server transmits search target vehicle data for specifying a search target vehicle to the vehicle. The vehicle is configured to (a) store the search target vehicle data from the server and (b) transmit, when a vehicle detected by the vehicle-mounted camera falls under search target vehicles included in the search target vehicle data, detection information on the detected vehicle to the server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Sakuma, Shuhei Yamamoto, Munehiro Kamiya, Hideo Hasegawa, Shinji Kurachi, Tomoya Shimizu
  • Patent number: 10604148
    Abstract: A vehicle management system includes a vehicle controller mountable in a vehicle, and a commercial facility management system for managing a parking lot and payment in a commercial facility. The commercial facility management system includes a system controller. The system controller performs processing for associating the vehicle with a user of the vehicle when the vehicle enters the parking lot, and cooperates with the vehicle controller of the vehicle associated with the user to control the vehicle to travel from a parking place to a pick-up/drop-off place for the user when the user finishes payment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Sakuma, Shuhei Yamamoto, Munehiro Kamiya, Hideo Hasegawa, Shinji Kurachi, Tomoya Shimizu
  • Patent number: 10586453
    Abstract: A controller of a first vehicle specifies a position of an unoccupied parking space, from a detected position of the first vehicle and an image shot with a camera. A server-side controller transmits target parking space information indicating a position of a parking space within a predetermined range from a position of a second vehicle which has transmitted a request, of the positions of the parking spaces indicated by vacant parking space information from the first vehicle, to the second vehicle. A controller of the second vehicle obtains the target parking space information from the server. An informer of the second vehicle informs the position of the parking space indicated by the obtained target parking space information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Sakuma, Shuhei Yamamoto, Munehiro Kamiya, Hideo Hasegawa, Shinji Kurachi, Tomoya Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20200017101
    Abstract: A vehicle management system includes a vehicle controller mountable in a vehicle, and a commercial facility management system for managing a parking lot and payment in a commercial facility. The commercial facility management system includes a system controller. The system controller performs processing for associating the vehicle with a user of the vehicle when the vehicle enters the parking lot, and cooperates with the vehicle controller of the vehicle associated with the user to control the vehicle to travel from a parking place to a pick-up/drop-off place for the user when the user finishes payment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru SAKUMA, Shuhei YAMAMOTO, Munehiro KAMIYA, Hideo HASEGAWA, Shinji KURACHI, Tomoya SHIMIZU
  • Patent number: 10490071
    Abstract: A traffic light information providing system includes a vehicle and a server configured to communicate with the vehicle, and provides information on change in color of a traffic light to the vehicle. The vehicle transmits to the server, vehicle data including time information and position information of the vehicle at the time when the vehicle resumes running from a state of stop at an intersection. The server operates and stores a period of change from the red light to the green light of a traffic light provided at the intersection based on the vehicle data. The server transmits information indicating timing of change to the green light of the traffic light based on the stored period of change, to a vehicle which approaches the intersection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Sakuma, Shuhei Yamamoto, Munehiro Kamiya, Hideo Hasegawa, Shinji Kurachi, Tomoya Shimizu
  • Patent number: 10464556
    Abstract: A vehicle management system includes a vehicle controller mountable in a vehicle, and a commercial facility management system for managing a parking lot and payment in a commercial facility. The commercial facility management system includes a system controller. The system controller performs processing for associating the vehicle with a user of the vehicle when the vehicle enters the parking lot, and cooperates with the vehicle controller of the vehicle associated with the user to control the vehicle to travel from a parking place to a pick-up/drop-off place for the user when the user finishes payment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Sakuma, Shuhei Yamamoto, Munehiro Kamiya, Hideo Hasegawa, Shinji Kurachi, Tomoya Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20190137278
    Abstract: An electric efficiency prediction method for a vehicle includes: the first step of obtaining “object vehicle information” showing information about a status of use of a vehicle that is an electrically powered vehicle; and the second step of, for each link connecting nodes virtually set on an expected traveling route of the vehicle, by using the object vehicle information, correcting an electric efficiency actual value of electric efficiency collected from each of a plurality of vehicles to calculate an electric efficiency predicted value in each link for the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2018
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru SAKUMA, Shuhei YAMAMOTO, Munehiro KAMIYA, Hideo HASEGAWA, Shinji KURACHI, Tomoya SHIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20190135231
    Abstract: A server causes a storage to store identification information of a vehicle and a position of the vehicle as a set of information; specifies, based on position information of an abnormality occurring vehicle which is a vehicle that has transmitted abnormality occurrence information to the server, an image-shooting instructed vehicle which is a vehicle that can shoot an image of the abnormality occurring vehicle with a camera, using position information stored in the storage, without causing activation of a vehicular alarm; transmits, to the image-shooting instructed vehicle, an instruction to shoot the image of the abnormality occurring vehicle with the camera mounted in the image-shooting instructed vehicle; and transmits the image shot by the image-shooting instructed vehicle to a mobile terminal of a user of the abnormality occurring vehicle, as a description of an abnormality occurring in the abnormality occurring vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru SAKUMA, Shuhei YAMAMOTO, Munehiro KAMIYA, Hideo HASEGAWA, Shinji KURACHI, Tomoya SHIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20190139161
    Abstract: A charging reservation system includes a quota manager configured to manage allocation of a charging reservation quota defined by a charging location and a charging time zone in accordance with information transmitted from each of a plurality of vehicles. When a vehicle requests allocation of a reservation quota in a state where the reservation quota is allocated to a vehicle, the quota manager inquires of a user of the vehicle as to whether the user of the vehicle can agree to transfer the reservation quota or not. Then, when the user of the vehicle agrees to transfer the reservation quota, the quota manager allocates the reservation quota to the vehicle. The vehicle pays a charging point as an allocation reception fee for receiving allocation of the reservation quota. The vehicle obtains a charging point as an allocation transfer fee by transferring the reservation quota.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2018
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru SAKUMA, Shuhei YAMAMOTO, Munehiro KAMIYA, Hideo HASEGAWA, Shinji KURACHI, Tomoya SHIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20190126943
    Abstract: An information providing system includes a plurality of vehicles, and a server configured to communicate with the plurality of vehicles. A vehicle-side controller of each of a plurality of first vehicles of the plurality of vehicles determines whether or not an act detected by an act detector is an abnormal act that meets a predetermined condition, and, when the vehicle-side controller determines that the act is the abnormal act, the vehicle-side controller transmits, to the server, abnormal act occurrence information including a position of each first vehicle detected by a position detector. A server-side controller collects the occurrence information transmitted from the first vehicles as collected information, and transmits the collected information to a second vehicle of the plurality of vehicles to notify a user of the second vehicle of the collected information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru SAKUMA, Shuhei YAMAMOTO, Munehiro KAMIYA, Hideo HASEGAWA, Shinji KURACHI, Tomoya SHIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20190126767
    Abstract: A plurality of charging stations and a plurality of commercial facilities where a user of a vehicle can stay during charging in one of the plurality of charging stations are provided. An information providing method for the vehicle includes: causing a charging server to select a plurality of candidates from among the plurality of charging stations in accordance with location information about each of the vehicle and the plurality of commercial facilities; causing the charging server to provide a car navigation device with information showing the plurality of candidates selected; causing the server to deliver an advertisement for a commercial facility associated with each of the plurality of candidates selected; and causing the charging server to receive information about a candidate selected with the car navigation device from among the plurality of candidates by the user referring to the advertisement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru SAKUMA, Shuhei YAMAMOTO, Munehiro KAMIYA, Hideo HASEGAWA, Shinji KURACHI, Tomoya SHIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20190122553
    Abstract: A controller of a first vehicle specifies a position of an unoccupied parking space, from a detected position of the first vehicle and an image shot with a camera. A server-side controller transmits target parking space information indicating a position of a parking space within a predetermined range from a position of a second vehicle which has transmitted a request, of the positions of the parking spaces indicated by vacant parking space information from the first vehicle, to the second vehicle. A controller of the second vehicle obtains the target parking space information from the server. An informer of the second vehicle informs the position of the parking space indicated by the obtained target parking space information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru SAKUMA, Shuhei YAMAMOTO, Munehiro KAMIYA, Hideo HASEGAWA, Shinji KURACHI, Tomoya SHIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20190122548
    Abstract: A traffic light information providing system includes a vehicle and a server configured to communicate with the vehicle, and provides information on change in color of a traffic light to the vehicle. The vehicle transmits to the server, vehicle data including time information and position information of the vehicle at the time when the vehicle resumes running from a state of stop at an intersection. The server operates and stores a period of change from the red light to the green light of a traffic light provided at the intersection based on the vehicle data. The server transmits information indicating timing of change to the green light of the traffic light based on the stored period of change, to a vehicle which approaches the intersection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru SAKUMA, Shuhei YAMAMOTO, Munehiro KAMIYA, Hideo HASEGAWA, Shinji KURACHI, Tomoya SHIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20190118802
    Abstract: A vehicle management system includes a vehicle controller mountable in a vehicle, and a commercial facility management system for managing a parking lot and payment in a commercial facility. The commercial facility management system includes a system controller. The system controller performs processing for associating the vehicle with a user of the vehicle when the vehicle enters the parking lot, and cooperates with the vehicle controller of the vehicle associated with the user to control the vehicle to travel from a parking place to a pick-up/drop-off place for the user when the user finishes payment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru SAKUMA, Shuhei YAMAMOTO, Munehiro KAMIYA, Hideo HASEGAWA, Shinji KURACHI, Tomoya SHIMIZU