Shiatsu seat massage via a shape memory alloy actuator. A number of them are mounted in the seat back so that the driver enjoys a relaxing shiatsu-style experience.
Toyota (NYSE:TM) said today it was awarded more patents than any other automaker by the United States Patent and Trademark Office based on an annual listing by the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO). In addition, Toyota moved up in overall patents being awarded to a single company to fourth overall this year.
The ranking represents the highest ever achieved in the list’s 40-year history. Toyota said that this further reinforces its position as a leader in technology and innovation among the world’s best-known brands. Of the 3056 patents the company was awarded in 2022, nearly half are for future mobility, including 26% around electrification targeting vehicles, batteries and materials, and 14% focused on automation and safety.
“As we aggressively pursue an electrified future, Toyota continues to amp up its investment in innovation,” said Sandra Phillips-Rogers, senior vice president of Corporate Resources and chief legal officer at Toyota Motor North America. “Our engineers, researchers and scientists are responding with technology that puts Toyota in the best position both now and for years to come.”
Patents awarded in 2022
- Optimizing Energy Transfer During EV Charging – Systems to optimize the amount of energy transferred to individual EVs from multiple sources and along a travel route, tracking through blockchain technique, in order to efficiently use energy sources.
- Vehicle Control Based on Driver Engagement – Systems and methods, developed by Toyota’s Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC), for safe maneuver and control of a vehicle using driver-state detection to measure ability of the human to safely handle external environment anomalies.
- Water System for a Fuel Cell Vehicle – Uses the water generated as a byproduct of the hydrogen fuel cell to provide further value to the operator of the vehicle. This includes functions such as increasing radiator capability on demand through misting as well as providing water for other on-board vehicle systems.
- Seat Massaging Technology – A shape memory alloy actuator that enables a new type of seat massage for a shiatsu-style experience. (available via licensing through Toyota IP Solutions)
- Vibration Isolation for Bicycles – A new vibration isolator seat post for bicycles to mitigate bumps from pavement otherwise felt through the saddle seat. (Available via licensing through Toyota IP Solutions)
Globally, Toyota said it spends more than $1 million per hour on R&D to ensure that the company remains a leader in mobility and vehicle technology “that is safe, high-quality, and appealing to both our customers and beyond.”
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About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Toyota Patents in Top Five of Intellectual Property Owners Assn
Shiatsu seat massage via a shape memory alloy actuator. A number of them are mounted in the seat back so that the driver enjoys a relaxing shiatsu-style experience.
Toyota (NYSE:TM) said today it was awarded more patents than any other automaker by the United States Patent and Trademark Office based on an annual listing by the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO). In addition, Toyota moved up in overall patents being awarded to a single company to fourth overall this year.
The ranking represents the highest ever achieved in the list’s 40-year history. Toyota said that this further reinforces its position as a leader in technology and innovation among the world’s best-known brands. Of the 3056 patents the company was awarded in 2022, nearly half are for future mobility, including 26% around electrification targeting vehicles, batteries and materials, and 14% focused on automation and safety.
“As we aggressively pursue an electrified future, Toyota continues to amp up its investment in innovation,” said Sandra Phillips-Rogers, senior vice president of Corporate Resources and chief legal officer at Toyota Motor North America. “Our engineers, researchers and scientists are responding with technology that puts Toyota in the best position both now and for years to come.”
Patents awarded in 2022
Globally, Toyota said it spends more than $1 million per hour on R&D to ensure that the company remains a leader in mobility and vehicle technology “that is safe, high-quality, and appealing to both our customers and beyond.”
AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.