Patents by Inventor Yamato NIWA

Yamato NIWA 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: 11780341
    Abstract: A charging inlet, to which a charging connector provided external to a vehicle is connected, includes a housing and a terminal unit provided in the housing. The terminal unit includes a first DC pin, a second DC pin, a first communication pin, a second communication pin, and a ground pin. The housing includes a blocking member. When an AC/DC charging connector complying with CCS and supporting AC charging and DC charging is to be connected to the charging inlet, blocking members interfere with at least one of a first AC terminal, a second AC terminal, a third AC terminal, and a neutral point terminal that are provided in the AC/DC charging connector, to block connection between the AC/DC charging connector and the charging inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yamato Niwa, Tomoya Ono, Toru Ando
  • Publication number: 20230302912
    Abstract: A vehicle configured such that an on-board battery is chargeable by receiving electric power from a power supply outside the vehicle includes an inlet, a voltage sensor that detects an input voltage that is a voltage input from the power supply to the inlet, and a control device configured to execute a detection process when connected to the inlet. The detection process includes a first process that suspends charging when a difference between the input voltage before a start of the charging and the input voltage after the start of the charging is equal to or larger than a threshold value, and a second process that stops the charging when a difference between the input voltage during suspension of the charging in the first process and the input voltage after resumption of the charging is equal to or larger than the threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yamato NIWA, Toshihiko MINAMII, Toru ANDO, Yu SHIMIZU, Toshiki MIYAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20230056926
    Abstract: In a first state, a control device executes processes including a step of determining whether a predetermined time has elapsed from a previous cleaning time, a step of determining whether a movable portion has been elevated a predetermined number of times from the previous cleaning time, a step of determining whether there is precipitation from the previous cleaning time, a step of executing injection control, and a step of resetting an elapsed time, the number of elevations, and a precipitation flag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2022
    Publication date: February 23, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yamato NIWA
  • Patent number: 11524598
    Abstract: A vehicle control device is configured to perform timer charging, using preset start time and end time. The vehicle control device starts the timer charging of a battery mounted in a vehicle upon arrival of the start time, and ends the timer charging upon arrival of the end time. During the timer charging, power is supplied to the vehicle from a power supply device outside the vehicle through a charging cable. The vehicle control device is configured to: suspend the timer charging when the charging cable is disconnected during the timer charging; resume the suspended timer charging when predetermined resume conditions are met, the predetermined resume conditions including a condition in which the charging cable is reconnected after the timer charging is suspended and before the end time; and end) the suspended timer charging without waiting for the end time when the resume conditions are not met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuka Niikawa, Yamato Niwa
  • Publication number: 20220388411
    Abstract: A vehicle is configured to enable electric power to be fed from a charging stand to the vehicle and/or fed from the vehicle to the charging stand. The charging stand includes a movable unit and an elevation unit. The movable unit includes a charging connector to be connected to the vehicle. The elevation unit lifts and lowers the movable unit between a stored state in which the movable unit is stored underground and an exposed state in which the movable unit is exposed from ground. The vehicle includes an HMI and an ECU that controls the HMI. When the charging stand is available, the ECU controls the HMI to display that the charging stand is available, in a manner that the position of the charging stand can be identified from the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Inventors: Yamato NIWA, Shigeki KINOMURA, Yoshiyuki TSUCHIYA
  • Publication number: 20220388407
    Abstract: A control device of a charging equipment executes a process including a step of determining whether or not a vehicle approaches a charging equipment, a step of determining, in a case where the vehicle approaches the charging equipment, whether or not the approaching vehicle is a non-target vehicle that is not a usage target of the charging equipment, a step of, in a case where the approaching vehicle is the non-target vehicle, elevating a movable portion, and a step of, in a case where the approaching vehicle passes the charging equipment, lowering the movable portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yamato Niwa
  • Publication number: 20220379754
    Abstract: A charging system includes three charging stands, an exhaust heat pipe provided underground, and a heat utilization device that utilizes exhaust heat. The charging stand has an opening and an exhaust heat port. The exhaust heat port is connected to an exhaust heat pipe. Cooling air taken in through the opening exchanges heat with a power supply circuit of the charging stand, and is then discharged from the exhaust heat port into the exhaust heat pipe. The temperature of the cooling air discharged into the exhaust heat pipe is raised by heat exchange with the power supply circuit. The cooling air flows through the exhaust heat pipe and is supplied to a heat utilization device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yamato Niwa
  • Publication number: 20220368140
    Abstract: A charging controller carries out charging control of a power storage mounted on a vehicle. The vehicle includes a DC charging inlet. The charging controller carries out first charging control when a charging cable which is not a prescribed charging cable is connected to the DC charging inlet and carries out second charging control when the prescribed charging cable is connected to the DC charging inlet. For example, a time period for ground fault detection carried out during charging of the power storage is set differently between first charging control and second charging control. Alternatively, a response delay margin of a charging command is set differently between first charging control and second charging control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoya ONO, Toru ANDO, Yamato NIWA
  • Publication number: 20220314826
    Abstract: Power supply equipment at least partially provided under a ground surface and capable of supplying power to a vehicle comprises a connector connectable to the vehicle in order to supply power to the vehicle on the ground surface, a power supply circuit (a power conversion circuit) that supplies power to the connector, and a cooler (a fin) that cools the power supply circuit using a substance existing under the ground surface. Thus, the power supply circuit that supplies power for feeding power to the vehicle is cooled by using the substance existing under the ground surface. The substance existing under the ground surface is normally lower in temperature than a heat generating portion of the power supply circuit. Therefore, the substance having a low temperature is used to cool the heat generating portion of the power supply circuit. The power supply equipment can thus efficiently exhaust heat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventor: Yamato NIWA
  • Publication number: 20220305932
    Abstract: A controller executes a process including: a step of acquiring weather information when a first state is attained; and a step of executing lift-up control in the case of precipitation or in the case where precipitation is predicted within a first time; a step of maintaining the second state in the case where the precipitation is ended; and a step of executing lift-down control in the case of passage of a second time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Shigeki KINOMURA, Yamato NIWA
  • Publication number: 20220288999
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a lock device, a gas generator, an air conditioner, and an ECU. The gas generator generates, in a vehicle compartment of the vehicle, a gas having a sterilizing effect or a deodorizing effect. The air conditioner ventilates the vehicle compartment. The ECU starts operation of the gas generator when a request for operation of the gas generator is made and the door is in the locked state, starts ventilation by the air conditioner after the gas generator is stopped, and keeps the door in the locked state when a request to switch from the locked state to the unlocked state is made during a period from start of the operation of the gas generator to end of the ventilation by the air conditioner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yamato NIWA
  • Publication number: 20220242264
    Abstract: A charging cable includes: an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality in a charging cable; and a CCID controller that outputs a first control pilot signal to a control pilot signal line to notify a vehicle about a rated current of the charging cable. The first control pilot signal provides a notification about the rated current in a state where a duty ratio of the first control pilot signal is controlled to fall within a prescribed range while a frequency of the first control pilot signal is fixed to a specific value. When the abnormality detection unit detects an abnormality, the CCID controller outputs a second control pilot signal for notifying the vehicle about details of the detected abnormality to the control pilot signal line. The second control pilot signal is different in duty ratio from the first control pilot signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yamato NIWA
  • Publication number: 20220247191
    Abstract: A portable charger includes: an AC input unit; a DC output unit; a power conversion circuit; and a controller. The DC output unit includes a start switch. When the start switch is operated by a user, the start switch instructs the controller to control the power conversion circuit such that the DC output unit outputs DC power. However, when at least one of the AC input unit and the DC output unit is unconnected, the start switch is disabled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yamato Niwa, Tomoya Ono, Toru Ando
  • Publication number: 20220234454
    Abstract: A charging inlet, to which a charging connector provided external to a vehicle is connected, includes a housing and a terminal unit provided in the housing. The terminal unit includes a first DC pin, a second DC pin, a first communication pin, a second communication pin, and a ground pin. The housing includes a blocking member. When an AC/DC charging connector complying with CCS and supporting AC charging and DC charging is to be connected to the charging inlet, blocking members interfere with at least one of a first AC terminal, a second AC terminal, a third AC terminal, and a neutral point terminal that are provided in the AC/DC charging connector, to block connection between the AC/DC charging connector and the charging inlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yamato NIWA, Tomoya ONO, Toru ANDO
  • Patent number: 11241972
    Abstract: A vehicle performs external charging in which a battery mounted on the vehicle is charged with power supplied from a charger provided external to the vehicle in accordance with a prescribed charging standard. The vehicle includes: a short-distance communication module and a navigation screen that provide a user of the vehicle with information on the external charging; and an ECU that controls the short-distance communication module and the navigation screen. The ECU controls the short-distance communication module and the navigation screen, when failure to perform the external charging in accordance with the charging standard is caused by the charger, to provide the user with at least one of information that the failure is caused by the charger and information that it is recommended to use another charger other than the charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yamato Niwa, Tomoya Ono
  • Patent number: 11198372
    Abstract: An ECU of a vehicle performs processing for diagnosing sticking of a charge relay with an SMR being open. The sticking diagnosis processing is performed while electric power is being supplied from a DC power feed facility to the vehicle. The sticking diagnosis processing includes both-element sticking diagnosis processing and one-element sticking diagnosis processing. The ECU performs both-element sticking diagnosis processing by outputting an output command to the DC power feed facility. When it is determined that both of the charge relays have not stuck in the both-element sticking diagnosis processing, the ECU performs one-element sticking diagnosis processing and diagnoses whether or not sticking has occurred in each of the charge relays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yamato Niwa
  • Patent number: 11117480
    Abstract: When DC charging is completed, an ECU of a vehicle performs first diagnosis processing for diagnosing whether or not charge relays have stuck with an SMR being closed. In the first diagnosis processing, whether or not the charge relays have stuck is diagnosed based on an open/close command to the charge relays and a voltage applied to a charge port. When both of the charge relays are determined as having stuck in the first diagnosis processing, the ECU performs second diagnosis processing on the assumption that a DC power feed facility falls under a specific DC power feed facility. In the second diagnosis processing, whether or not the charge relays have stuck is diagnosed based on the open/close command to the charge relays, the voltage applied to the charge port (a first voltage), and a voltage (a second voltage) between a first power line and a second power line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shingo Yumoto, Koichi Kojima, Yamato Niwa
  • Patent number: 11088574
    Abstract: The notification system is applicable to a wireless power transfer system configured to transmit power in a wireless manner from a power transmission coil of a power transmission device provided in a parking space to a power reception coil mounted on a vehicle. The notification system includes a display device and a control device. When the distance between the power transmission device and the vehicle is less than a predetermined distance, a wireless communication is established between the power transmission device and the vehicle. After the wireless communication is established between the power transmission device and the vehicle, the control device performs a foreign object detection process to detect whether or not a foreign object is present above the power transmission coil. If a foreign object is detected by the foreign object detection process, the control device displays a foreign object detection image on a screen of the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yamato Niwa
  • Patent number: 10894483
    Abstract: The power transfer system includes a power transmission device and a power reception device disposed in the vehicle. The power transmission device includes a power transmission coil configured to transmit power in a wireless manner to the power reception device, an inverter configured to generate an AC transmission power and supply it to the power transmission coil, and a power supply ECU. When the transmission of power to the power reception device is started, the power supply ECU sets the transmission power at the start of power transmission to a first power which is lower than a second power, and performs the operating point search control in that state. If the reception power is lower than a tai et reception power after the operating point search control is completed, the power supply ECU sets the transmission power to the second power which is higher than the first power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yamato Niwa
  • Patent number: 10886791
    Abstract: The power reception device includes a power reception unit configured to receive power from a power transmission unit, a power storage device, a charging relay provided between the power reception unit and the power storage device, and a controller. The controller executes a first fail-safe control when a malfunction is detected during external charging in which the charging relay is switched to the ON state. In the first fail-safe control, an output power of the power transmission unit is reduced lower than a target value with the charging relay being maintained at the ON state, the output power is restored to the target value if the malfunction is solved before a standby time has passed, and the charging relay is switched to the OFF state so as to stop the external charging if the malfunction is not solved after the standby time has passed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yamato Niwa