Posts Tagged: "toyota"

Ford and Tesla have offered their patents for licensing in the hope of increasing electric vehicle (EV) adoption and improving the supporting infrastructure. In contrast, Toyota is banking on fuel cell vehicle (FCV) technology. The broader automotive innovation game is being won by “connected cars” at the moment because consumers are unwilling to pay more for physical car features, but they are influenced by software related innovations. Technology companies are now entering the car sector with their own EVs. This is leading to competition to access the talent needed to drive innovation and a willingness to open up technology investments. By opening their patent portfolio, Ford could be sharing their existing inventions in the hope that their technology is adopted more quickly and of acquiring the talent needed to be at the forefront of innovation.

The most recent patent applications published show that development of electric and hybrid electric vehicles are prominent among all three. Some of these patent applications describe novel applications of known energy generation and storage technologies, including air batteries and solar cells, to automobile environments. Self-driving cars manufactured by Toyota will benefit from a technology designed to improve the accuracy of determining a car’s actual location on the road. These three corporations each have strong patent portfolios which have increased in recent weeks and we took special notice of a couple of patents issued in the field of fuel cell technologies. Honda has earned the right to protect an indoor vehicle that drives in response to the tilting motion of a seated rider. We also feature two patents directed towards safety systems which are designed to provide warnings to drivers in response to potential road hazards.

Today’s featured application discusses a system designed to better provide warning information to drivers without distracting a driver or displaying redundant information on multiple screens. This system would also ensure that drivers receive the warning message even if the heads-up display or another screen is malfunctioning. Navigational systems for self-driving cars are described in another couple of patent applications which we discovered, as well as some inventions related to hybrid electric or hydrogen-powered vehicles. Patent grants make up the major part of any company’s strength in intellectual property, and Toyota enjoys the results of a very active organization in terms of patent filings. Toyota has recently been issued a great deal of patents related to vehicles powered by alternative forms of energy, including one which allows for pre-cooling of a hydrogen tank for faster refueling. We also discuss a patent which protects a system for measuring a safe distance between cars during nighttime, as well as another with protects a driving support system which incorporates information about the travel environment for aiding driver actions.

Recently, the Toyota Technical Center held a ceremony to celebrate the corporation’s top inventors for the past year. The corporation and its subsidiaries were awarded 1,491 patents in 2012, the most for any automobile manufacturer according to the Intellectual Property Owners Association. Today we take a look at recent Toyota patents to celebrate this incredible output of technological innovation from the Japanese car maker. One patent protects a new multi-layer exterior for vehicles that reflects a wider range of light, providing a vehicle better protection from damaging sunlight rays. Another patent protects a smart calendar system that can inform onboard GPS routing based on regular errands.

This case comes to light courtesy of the Docket Report daily e-mail newsletter. On Tuesday, January 26, 2010, the United States Federal District Court for the Middle District of Florida, per Magistrate Pizzo, granted summary judgment against Solomon Technologies, Inc. and in favor of Toyota Motor Corporation relating to claims of infringement relative to U.S. Patent No. 5,067,932. The case…