Patents by Inventor Shotaro INOUE

Shotaro INOUE 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: 11648984
    Abstract: A structure of a vehicle disclosed herein may include: a windshield; an instrument panel located below the windshield; in-vehicle equipment disposed such that the in-vehicle equipment projects upward above an upper surface of the instrument panel and is fixed to the instrument panel; and an impact relieving mechanism configured to, when a rearward and downward collision load is applied to the in-vehicle equipment, relieve the collision load by moving the in-vehicle equipment rearward and downward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shotaro Inoue, Marie Sakata, Masayuki Tado
  • Patent number: 11628790
    Abstract: A column cover unit may include: a column cover configured to cover a steering column of a vehicle and comprising a first cover portion and a second cover portion, wherein a boundary between the first cover portion and the second cover portion extends from a front end of the column cover at a front portion of the vehicle toward a rear portion of the vehicle; and a contact member configured to separate the first cover portion and the second cover portion from each other at the boundary by contacting the column cover when the column cover is moved toward the front portion of the vehicle with the steering column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shotaro Inoue, Yutaka Kondoh
  • Publication number: 20220324287
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a steering column, a radiant heater arranged in the steering column and configured to radiate radiant heat toward an area below the steering column, an instrument panel that defines part of an opening where the steering column passes and that extends in a lateral direction of the vehicle, an inside air sensor adjoining the opening in the instrument panel and configured to detect an indoor temperature of the vehicle, and a lower cover arranged below the steering column and defining the opening together with the instrument panel. At least the instrument panel or the lower cover includes a shielding wall positioned between the radiant heater and the inside air sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shotaro INOUE, Takafumi Miyahara
  • Publication number: 20220314802
    Abstract: An instrument panel includes a lower panel located in front of a front seat, a side panel facing a front door, and a switch. The lower panel includes a lower panel side overlapping the side panel on a back side of the side panel. The switch is fixed to the lower panel side, and an operating part of the switch is exposed through a hole provided in the side panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Takeshi YOKOI, Masayuki TADO, Shotaro INOUE
  • Publication number: 20220126649
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle includes an input signal detector and a processor. The input signal detector detects an input signal that is based on a predetermined switch operation of a switch in the vehicle. The processor controls a defroster of the vehicle and an idle reduction, on the basis of the detection of the input signal performed by the input signal detector. The input signal detector includes a first detector that detects rising of the input signal that is based on the switch operation, and a second detector that detects falling of the input signal that is based on the switch operation. The processor drives the defroster on the basis of the detection of the input signal performed by the first detector, and prohibits the idle reduction on the basis of the detection of the input signal performed by the second detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Shotaro INOUE, Yuki OHARA, Ayaka MINO
  • Patent number: 11294395
    Abstract: An accompanying vehicle selection system includes: a first vehicle that is provided with a driver's seat; a plurality of second vehicles that have different functions from the first vehicle, and that are configured to travel in accompaniment with the first vehicle; and a control unit that is provided in the first vehicle, and that determines, based on input information, which vehicle from among the plurality of second vehicles is to travel in accompaniment with the first vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshinori Yamada, Masaki Ito, Shotaro Inoue, Akihiro Muguruma, Michio Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20220081034
    Abstract: A structure of a vehicle disclosed herein may include: a windshield; an instrument panel located below the windshield; in-vehicle equipment disposed such that the in-vehicle equipment projects upward above an upper surface of the instrument panel and is fixed to the instrument panel; and an impact relieving mechanism configured to, when a rearward and downward collision load is applied to the in-vehicle equipment, relieve the collision load by moving the in-vehicle equipment rearward and downward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shotaro INOUE, Marie SAKATA, Masayuki TADO
  • Patent number: 11238092
    Abstract: There is provided an image processing device including: a first memory; a first processor that is connected to the first memory; and a storage section that stores image data related to a position information-appended image that is appended with position information relating to an imaging location. The first processor searches for one or more items of the image data including the position information within a predetermined range of a current position of a vehicle, and selects a position information-appended image related to image data found by the searching as an image to be displayed in the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshinori Yamada, Masaki Ito, Shotaro Inoue, Akihiro Muguruma, Michio Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20210316686
    Abstract: A column cover unit may include: a column cover configured to cover a steering column of a vehicle and comprising a first cover portion and a second cover portion, wherein a boundary between the first cover portion and the second cover portion extends from a front end of the column cover at a front portion of the vehicle toward a rear portion of the vehicle; and a contact member configured to separate the first cover portion and the second cover portion from each other at the boundary by contacting the column cover when the column cover is moved toward the front portion of the vehicle with the steering column.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Inventors: Shotaro INOUE, Yutaka KONDOH
  • Patent number: 10988081
    Abstract: A vehicle notification system performs audio notification regarding a driving status of a vehicle that is capable of self-driving, for an occupant of the vehicle at a predetermined timing during self-driving. The vehicle notification system includes a position identification section that is configured to identify a current position of the vehicle. Based on a destination and the current position, notification that the driving status is conforming to a plan is performed at regular intervals, and notification that the driving status is not conforming to the plan is performed if the driving status is no longer conforming to the plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Ito, Kihiro Kato, Michio Ikeda, Shotaro Inoue
  • Patent number: 10836290
    Abstract: A vehicle seat includes: a seat cushion; a seatback that is rotatably connected to a seat rear side of the seat cushion; a headrest that is provided at a seat upper side end portion of the seatback, and that is configured to support a head portion of a vehicle occupant; and a hardness changing section that changes a hardness of a seat front side of the headrest by compressing a pad at an interior of the headrest, in a case in which an angle of inclination of the seatback with respect to the seat cushion is smaller than a predetermined angle, and canceling a compressed state of the pad, in a case in which the angle of inclination is larger than the predetermined angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shotaro Inoue
  • Publication number: 20200122639
    Abstract: A vehicle notification system performs audio notification regarding a driving status of a vehicle that is capable of self-driving, for an occupant of the vehicle at a predetermined timing during self-driving. The vehicle notification system includes a position identification section that is configured to identify a current position of the vehicle. Based on a destination and the current position, notification that the driving status is conforming to a plan is performed at regular intervals, and notification that the driving status is not conforming to the plan is performed if the driving status is no longer conforming to the plan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Inventors: Masaki Ito, Kihiro Kato, Michio Ikeda, Shotaro Inoue
  • Publication number: 20200073406
    Abstract: An accompanying vehicle selection system includes: a first vehicle that is provided with a driver's seat; a plurality of second vehicles that have different functions from the first vehicle, and that are configured to travel in accompaniment with the first vehicle; and a control unit that is provided in the first vehicle, and that determines, based on input information, which vehicle from among the plurality of second vehicles is to travel in accompaniment with the first vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventors: Yoshinori Yamada, Masaki Ito, Shotaro Inoue, Akihiro Muguruma, Michio Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20200073884
    Abstract: There is provided an image processing device including: a first memory; a first processor that is connected to the first memory; and a storage section that stores image data related to a position information-appended image that is appended with position information relating to an imaging location. The first processor searches for one or more items of the image data including the position information within a predetermined range of a current position of a vehicle, and selects a position information-appended image related to image data found by the searching as an image to be displayed in the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventors: Yoshinori Yamada, Masaki Ito, Shotaro Inoue, Akihiro Muguruma, Michio Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20200047653
    Abstract: A vehicle seat includes: a seat cushion; a seatback that is rotatably connected to a seat rear side of the seat cushion; a headrest that is provided at a seat upper side end portion of the seatback, and that is configured to support a head portion of a vehicle occupant; and a hardness changing section that changes a hardness of a seat front side of the headrest by compressing a pad at an interior of the headrest, in a case in which an angle of inclination of the seatback with respect to the seat cushion is smaller than a predetermined angle, and canceling a compressed state of the pad, in a case in which the angle of inclination is larger than the predetermined angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventor: Shotaro Inoue
  • Patent number: 10513162
    Abstract: An air conditioner for a vehicle has a housing. The housing defines an air passage therein, includes a suction port, and houses a blower fan. The blower fan draws an air from the suction port and discharges the air into the air passage. The housing includes a facing portion that faces an inlet defining member including an air inlet. The facing portion includes the suction port. The facing portion has a rib that protrudes from the facing portion toward the inlet defining member. The facing portion and the rib define at least a part of an air guiding passage that guides the air from the air inlet to the suction port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taisuke Sakaguchi, Shotaro Inoue, Masaaki Okui, Tsuyoshi Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20180229578
    Abstract: An air conditioner for a vehicle has a housing. The housing defines an air passage therein, includes a suction port, and houses a blower fan. The blower fan draws an air from the suction port and discharges the air into the air passage. The housing includes a facing portion that faces an inlet defining member including an air inlet. The facing portion includes the suction port. The facing portion has a rib that protrudes from the facing portion toward the inlet defining member. The facing portion and the rib define at least a part of an air guiding passage that guides the air from the air inlet to the suction port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2018
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Inventors: Taisuke SAKAGUCHI, Shotaro INOUE, Masaaki OKUI, Tsuyoshi TANAKA