Patents by Inventor Yohei Okamoto
Yohei Okamoto 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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Publication number: 20250105324Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and methods for cooling two or more fuel cell systems on a vehicle. The system includes at least two fuel cell systems connected to a common cooling system. The system also includes at least two pumping apparatuses connected, respectively, to the at least two fuel cell systems. The system further includes a processor connected to one or more controllers that are connected to the at least two pumping apparatuses. The processor is configured to determine a target flow rate of a fluid to be received by a first fuel cell system of the at least two fuel cell systems, determine a target pump speed of a first pumping apparatus of the at least two pumping apparatuses, and actuate the first pumping apparatus via a first controller of the one or more controllers based on the determined target pump speed of the first pumping apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2023Publication date: March 27, 2025Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Jared M. Farnsworth, Yohei Okamoto
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Publication number: 20250098351Abstract: There is provided a solid-state imaging device including: a first semiconductor layer including a photoelectric converter and an electric charge accumulation section for each pixel, the electric charge accumulation section in which a signal electric charge generated in the photoelectric converter is accumulated; a pixel separation section that is provided in the first semiconductor layer, and partitions a plurality of the pixels from each other; a second semiconductor layer that is provided with a pixel transistor and is stacked on the first semiconductor layer, the pixel transistor that reads the signal electric charge of the electric charge accumulation section; and a first shared coupling section that is provided between the second semiconductor layer and the first semiconductor layer, and is provided to straddle the pixel separation section and is electrically coupled to a plurality of the electric charge accumulation sections.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2024Publication date: March 20, 2025Applicant: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATIONInventors: Keiichi NAKAZAWA, Koichiro ZAITSU, Nobutoshi FUJII, Yohei HIURA, Shigetaka MORI, Shintaro OKAMOTO, Keiji OHSHIMA, Shuji MANDA, Junpei YAMAMOTO, Yui YUGA, Shinichi MIYAKE, Tomoki KAMBE, Ryo OGATA, Tatsuki MIYAJI, Shinji NAKAGAWA, Hirofumi YAMASHITA, Yasushi HAMAMOTO, Naohiko KIMIZUKA
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Patent number: 11681431Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to a technique automatically adapting a vehicle HMI to a user preference. The HMI includes a touchscreen displaying selectable icons associated with functions. Every time the HMI detects a selection of a first icon by a user among the icons, the HMI sends to the server, first information on a first function associated with the first icon, when the first icon is selected, and where the HMI is located when the first icon is selected. The server analyzes the first information to recognize a pattern of behavior taken by the user in selecting the first icon, generating a first user preference. The HMI updates an arrangement of the icons on the touchscreen based on the first user preference. The first user preference includes parameters that includes a certain day of a week, a certain time of that day, and a location.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2021Date of Patent: June 20, 2023Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATIONInventor: Yohei Okamoto
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Publication number: 20230178774Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for monitoring and controlling pump speeds to maintain a balanced pressure drop between each of the multiple fuel cell systems or circuits. In systems where a single radiator is used to maintain desired temperatures of multiple fuel cells, back flow can nevertheless be avoided. Control maps may be used to meet minimum pump speeds as a function of a flow splitting valve position and target flow rate (to prevent or avoid fluid back flow through a fuel cell stack). Control maps may also be used to determine a minimum pump speed as a function of three-way valve position (to prevent fluid back flow across a radiator path).Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2021Publication date: June 8, 2023Inventors: Luke A. Rippelmeyer, Yohei Okamoto, Daniel Charles Folick, Jared Farnsworth
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Publication number: 20230062004Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to a technique automatically adapting a vehicle HMI to a user preference. The HMI includes a touchscreen displaying selectable icons associated with functions. Every time the HMI detects a selection of a first icon by a user among the icons, the HMI sends to the server, first information on a first function associated with the first icon, when the first icon is selected, and where the HMI is located when the first icon is selected. The server analyzes the first information to recognize a pattern of behavior taken by the user in selecting the first icon, generating a first user preference. The HMI updates an arrangement of the icons on the touchscreen based on the first user preference. The first user preference includes parameters that includes a certain day of a week, a certain time of that day, and a location.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2021Publication date: March 2, 2023Inventor: Yohei OKAMOTO
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Patent number: 11491893Abstract: Provided is a method for controlling a fuel cell vehicle capable of informing a user outside of the vehicle of the possibility that the fuel stops power generation and external power-feeding stops, whereby problems due to unexpected stopping of power feeding can be avoided. In a method for controlling a fuel cell vehicle 100 including an external power-feeding device 50, when it is determined that a state of a fuel cell exceeds a limiting point where deterioration of the fuel cell 20 or a failure of a driving device to supply fuel to the fuel cell 20 occurs during external power feeding, warning is issued to outside of the vehicle 10 before the fuel cell 20 stops power generation.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2020Date of Patent: November 8, 2022Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yohei Okamoto, Hiroyuki Imanishi, Mitsuhiro Nada, Takashi Yamada
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Patent number: 11302938Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell stack; a first cooling medium circuit through which a cooling medium for cooling the fuel cell stack flows; an ion exchanger that removes ions in the cooling medium; a second cooling medium circuit in which the average ion concentration of the cooling medium is lower than that of the cooling medium in the first cooling medium circuit; a switching valve that switches between a flow state and a low flow state; a pump configured to cause the cooling medium in the second cooling medium circuit to flow into the first cooling medium circuit; and a control unit that, when a stop period of the fuel cell system is longer than a reference period, drives the pump with the switching valve switched to the flow state after the instruction to start the fuel cell system is input.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2020Date of Patent: April 12, 2022Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Keita Yamaue, Yohei Okamoto, Hiroyuki Imanishi
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Patent number: 11133515Abstract: A fuel cell system has a battery, a gas supply portion, a temperature acquisition portion configured to acquire a presumed temperature that is presumed to reach during the operation stop of the fuel cell; and a scavenging controlling portion. When it is determined that the presumed temperature is a predetermined temperature or more at the time of the operation stop of the fuel cell, the scavenging controlling portion performs the stop-time scavenging operation with a first scavenging ability; and when it is determined that the presumed temperature is less than the predetermined temperature, the scavenging controlling portion performs the stop-time scavenging operation with a second scavenging ability higher than the first scavenging ability.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 2017Date of Patent: September 28, 2021Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tomohiro Ogawa, Hiroyuki Imanishi, Yohei Okamoto
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Patent number: 11050072Abstract: The present invention provides a technique capable of satisfying both the restoration of an output voltage of a fuel cell and an improvement of electric power responsiveness in a fuel cell system in a situation in which its operation status is restored to a normal operation from an operation having low power generation efficiency. A controller updates a lower limit voltage threshold in accordance with the restoration of an FC voltage until the operation status is restored to a normal operation from an operation having low power generation efficiency, such as an intermittent operation and a warmup operation (step S1). The controller increases an FC current in accordance with the updated lower limit voltage threshold (steps S2 and S3) to thereby satisfy both the requirements of the restoration of the output voltage of the fuel cell stack and the improvement of the electric power responsiveness.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2015Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tomohiko Kaneko, Yoshiaki Naganuma, Yutaka Tano, Yohei Okamoto
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Publication number: 20210020966Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell stack; a first cooling medium circuit through which a cooling medium for cooling the fuel cell stack flows; an ion exchanger that removes ions in the cooling medium; a second cooling medium circuit in which the average ion concentration of the cooling medium is lower than that of the cooling medium in the first cooling medium circuit; a switching valve that switches between a flow state and a low flow state; a pump configured to cause the cooling medium in the second cooling medium circuit to flow into the first cooling medium circuit; and a control unit that, when a stop period of the fuel cell system is longer than a reference period, drives the pump with the switching valve switched to the flow state after the instruction to start the fuel cell system is input.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 14, 2020Publication date: January 21, 2021Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Keita YAMAUE, Yohei OKAMOTO, Hiroyuki IMANISHI
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Patent number: 10807472Abstract: A vehicular display device includes: a display board for displaying a scale; a liquid crystal display panel including an image display surface for displaying an image, and having an overlapping region in which the image display surface overlaps the display board further rearward than the display board; a light source for illuminating the liquid crystal display panel; and a first light guide body for receiving light from the light source via the liquid crystal display panel and emitting the light. The first light guide body includes: a light receiving part disposed between the overlapping region of the image display surface and the display board, for receiving the light from the light source via the liquid crystal display panel; and a light-emitting part exposed outwardly from the display board as viewed by a viewer, for emitting light from the first light guide body that is received by the light-receiving part.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2018Date of Patent: October 20, 2020Assignees: NIPPON SEIKI CO., LTD., SUBARU CORPORATIONInventors: Takanori Shimizu, Kazufumi Suzuki, Ryouta Fujiwara, Yuka Hayakawa, Ryousuke Kakimaru, Shouma Nakata, Yohei Okamoto, Yuichi Nozaki
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Publication number: 20200298729Abstract: Provided is a method for controlling a fuel cell vehicle capable of informing a user outside of the vehicle of the possibility that the fuel stops power generation and external power-feeding stops, whereby problems due to unexpected stopping of power feeding can be avoided. In a method for controlling a fuel cell vehicle 100 including an external power-feeding device 50, when it is determined that a state of a fuel cell exceeds a limiting point where deterioration of the fuel cell 20 or a failure of a driving device to supply fuel to the fuel cell 20 occurs during external power feeding, warning is issued to outside of the vehicle 10 before the fuel cell 20 stops power generation.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2020Publication date: September 24, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yohei OKAMOTO, Hiroyuki IMANISHI, Mitsuhiro NADA, Takashi YAMADA
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Patent number: 10744903Abstract: Provided is a method for controlling a fuel cell vehicle capable of informing a user outside of the vehicle of the possibility that the fuel cell stops power generation and external power-feeding stops, whereby problems due to unexpected stopping of power feeding can be avoided. In a method for controlling a fuel cell vehicle 100 including an external power-feeding device 50, when it is determined that a state of a fuel cell exceeds a limiting point where deterioration of the fuel cell 20 or a failure of a driving device to supply fuel to the fuel cell 20 occurs during external power feeding, warning is issued to outside of the vehicle 10 before the fuel cell 20 stops power generation.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2015Date of Patent: August 18, 2020Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yohei Okamoto, Hiroyuki Imanishi, Mitsuhiro Nada, Takashi Yamada
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Publication number: 20200215916Abstract: A vehicular display device includes: a display board (25) for displaying a scale; a liquid crystal display panel (53a) including an image display surface (53c) for displaying an image, and having an overlapping region (53d) in which the image display surface (53c) overlaps the display board (25) further rearward than the display board (25); a light source for illuminating the liquid crystal display panel (53a); and a first light guide body (23) for receiving light from the light source via the liquid crystal display panel (53a) and emitting the light.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2018Publication date: July 9, 2020Inventors: Takanori Shimizu, Kazufumi Suzuki, Ryouta Fujiwara, Yuka Hayakawa, Ryousuke Kakimaru, Shouma Nakata, Yohei Okamoto, Yuichi Nozaki
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Patent number: 10633500Abstract: A manufacturing method of a tow prepreg, comprising: an impregnation process of impregnating a reinforcement fiber with an anhydrous epoxy resin to obtain a tow prepreg; and a process of irradiating a specific surface of the tow prepreg with laser beam to cure the epoxy resin on the specific surface.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2017Date of Patent: April 28, 2020Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Yohei Okamoto
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Patent number: 10359754Abstract: A fuel cell system in which power generation is performed by a fuel cell, comprising: a power generation controller that performs: first control in which at least one of power control for preventing generated power from exceeding an upper limit value, voltage control for preventing generated voltage from falling below a lower limit value and current control for preventing generated current from exceeding an upper limit value is performed and second control in which the generated voltage is prevented from exceeding an upper limit value; and a priority instructor that instructs the power generation controller to prioritize the first control over the second control when the first control and the second control collide with each other.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2015Date of Patent: July 23, 2019Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yutaka Tano, Mitsuhiro Nada, Tomohiko Kaneko, Yohei Okamoto
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Publication number: 20190214037Abstract: A recommendation device includes: a providing unit configured to provide recommendation information to a plurality of occupants in a vehicle; a sound collection device configured to collect a voice indicating a reaction of each occupant of the plurality of occupants to the recommendation information; a determination unit configured to determine whether the reaction of each occupant of the plurality of occupants to the recommendation information is a positive reaction or a negative reaction, based on the voice indicating the reaction of the occupant to the recommendation information; and an evaluation unit configured to evaluate an overall reaction of the plurality of occupants to the recommendation information, based on the reaction of each occupant of the plurality of occupants.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2018Publication date: July 11, 2019Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, DENSO TEN LimitedInventors: Takashige Hori, Yohei Okamoto, Masanobu Washio, Tatsuya Kuwamoto
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Patent number: 10224558Abstract: The present invention enables the determination of an operating point of a fuel cell so as to prioritize the fulfillment of an amount of required power generation while avoiding various limitations, such as a current limit, in a fuel cell system that warms up the fuel cell by a low efficiency operation. A controller 70 multiplies a voltage command value Vcom obtained in step S3 by a current command value Icom obtained in step S1, then, this is divided by a final voltage command value Vfcom obtained in step S4, thereby obtaining a final current command value Ifcom to determine an operating point (Ifcom, Vfcom) during a warm-up operation (step S5), and then the process ends.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2015Date of Patent: March 5, 2019Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tomohiko Kaneko, Yoshiaki Naganuma, Yutaka Tano, Yohei Okamoto
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Patent number: 10218008Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell; a coolant circulation passage; a radiator; a water pump; a flow dividing valve; a fan; and a controller that, when a first prescribed period elapses in a state where a temperature of a coolant is equal to or more than a first prescribed temperature and an opening degree of the flow dividing valve makes the flow rate of the coolant flowing into the radiator equal to or more than a prescribed flow rate, gives a priority to the rise in a driving voltage of the fan over the increase in a flow rate by the water pump, and when a second prescribed period elapses in a state where the temperature of the coolant is equal to or more than a second prescribed temperature after the driving voltage of the fan is raised, increases the flow rate by the water pump.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2015Date of Patent: February 26, 2019Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takashi Yamada, Hiroyuki Imanishi, Yohei Okamoto
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Patent number: 10158136Abstract: A fuel cell system comprising: a power generation controller that controls a value subject to control, which is a value exhibiting a power generating state by a fuel cell and is a value that is affected by alternating current applied to the fuel cell, to approach a target value; a dead zone setter that sets a dead zone with the target value as a reference; and, a stopper that stops the control by the power generation controller when the value subject to control is contained in the dead zone.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2015Date of Patent: December 18, 2018Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yohei Okamoto, Yutaka Tano, Mitsuhiro Nada, Tomohiko Kaneko