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Toyota Leads All Automakers in 2012 U.S. Patents Issued

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (July 5, 2013) --  The United States Patent and Trademark Office issued more patents to Toyota’s innovative designers and engineers in 2012 than to any other automaker, according to a recently-released survey by the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO).  The 1,491 patents issued to Toyota companies demonstrate Toyota’s commitment to ever better cars that achieve new environmental, safety and technological advancements.

“Since the days of Toyota’s founding, innovation has been a cornerstone of Toyota’s success,” said Kristin Tabar, vice president, electrical systems engineering, Toyota Technical Center (TTC), a division of Toyota Engineering and Manufacturing, Inc. (TEMA).  “We’re driven to listen to our customers and develop new ways to improve their experience.”

Toyota companies received thirty percent more patents in 2012 than the previous year, illustrating the company’s increasing success in fostering ingenuity and keeping a keen focus on the customer.
Whether it’s creating “smart materials” that can help cars resist insect splatter or improving vehicle communication systems, Toyota leads the way in anticipating and engineering the cars of tomorrow for today.

The Toyota Technical Center, located in Ann Arbor and Saline, Michigan, recently held their annual patent awards ceremony to honor last year’s patent recipients. Two team members each received their 20th patent in 2012, Minjuan Zhang, manager, Toyota Research Institute NA (TRINA) and Charan Lota, manager, electronic systems at Toyota Technical Center (TTC).

“Toyota is a great place to be an inventor,” said Ms. Zhang.  “Everyone here is passionate about improving the customer’s experience and it shows in the product.”

“You can tell a lot about a company by the new ideas they generate,” said Mr. Lota.  “And, what these patents show about Toyota is that we are never going to stop trying to make better cars.”

Courtesy of Toyota USA Newsroom

Toyota Eclipses 10 Million in Camry Sales

TORRANCE, Calif. (July 2, 2013) – Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today reported 10 million sales of its Toyota Camry, America’s top-selling car for the past 11 years, representing nearly 20 percent of all the vehicles Toyota has ever sold in the U.S. This milestone comes the same year Camry celebrates its 30 year anniversary in the U.S.

“We couldn’t be more excited about Camry’s 10 millionth sale in the U.S.,” said Bob Carter, senior vice president of automotive operations of Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.  “With the support of so many loyal customers, Camry has truly become part of the country’s fiber.  For seven generations, Toyota dealers have also been instrumental in getting Americans behind the wheel of a Camry.  Camry is definitely helping Toyota Go Places.”

Toyota’s first generation Camry was introduced to the U.S. market in 1983.  In its first full year of sales, Camry sold 52,651 vehicles.  Three decades later, 773 of those Camrys are still in operation.

Toyota brought Camry production to its plant in Georgetown, Ky. in May of 1988, marking the company’s early commitment to investment in North America.  In October 2006, the first Camry hybrid was produced, strengthening Toyota’s hybrid leadership position in the U.S.

Overall, there are approximately 6.4 million Camrys on the road, further echoing the quality, reliability and durability still represented by Camry seven generations down the line.

This year, J.D. Power and Associates underscored Camry’s value by ranking it number one in the midsize passenger car segment in its 2013 Initial Quality Study (IQS).

Today Camry is also the most American made car with 75 percent of its content sourced domestically, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Today, virtually all Camrys sold in the U.S. are produced in the U.S.

Courtesy of Toyota USA Newsroom

Toyota Financial Services Awards New Toyota to Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s National Youth of the Year Winner

July 1, 2013 - Torrance, Calif.– In support of its Making Life Easier for YOUthinitiative, Toyota Financial Services (TFS) recently awarded a new Corolla to the 2011-12 Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) National Youth of the Year Winner Nick Foley.  The vehicle presentation took place at Sarah Heinz House Boys & Girls Club of Pittsburgh on June 11.  Foley, the first national winner to come from the Club, was joined by representatives from Toyota, the Pittsburgh community and Club teens at the event.  Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl sent a proclamation in recognition of Foley’s community efforts, which include logging more than 1,500 service hours.

National Youth of the Year is BGCA’s premier recognition for teen Club members who have made outstanding contributions to their family, school, community and local Club while overcoming personal obstacles.  Nominations begin at the Club and continue through the state, regional and national levels.  Participants are chosen on local and state levels, with five regional winners meeting each September in Washington, D.C., to compete for the National Youth of the Year title. Five judges individually interview each candidate and select the national winner.

“By overcoming the odds, mentoring others and giving back to his community, Nick embodies the spirit of the Youth of the Year award,” said Mike Groff, Senior Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Product Development, TFS.  “Toyota is proud to join with Boys & Girls Clubs of America in supporting extraordinary youth like Nick.”

Foley’s early memories of life in Boston include fighting between his parents and living in a shelter with his mother.  After school one day when he was six, his mother didn’t come to pick him up.  He was placed in foster care until being adopted by his aunt and her partner in 2002.  Foley’s aunt introduced him to Sarah Heinz House Boys & Girls Club, where he quickly found a sense of belonging.  There, he became a leader as a Junior Staffer, excelled in athletics and worked as a counselor at BGCA’s summer resident camp.  He credits the Club with helping him build a bright future.

“The longer I’m involved with Boys & Girls Clubs, the more I realize that any dream can come true,” he said.  “I never dreamed that one day I would be able to have a brand new car.  Being recognized as National Youth of the Year and receiving a car from Toyota is an honor.  Toyota does so much for Boys & Girls Clubs and makes it possible for kids like me to have a great future.”

Foley is a graduate of Taylor Allderice High School in Pittsburgh and attends Pennsylvania State University, majoring in civil engineering.

Courtesy of Toyota USA Newsroom

Our sincerest thanks to Ana for this wonderful review!

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Toyota Helps Provide “Voice” for Robot Astronaut Headed to Space

A 13.4-inch humanoid robot named Kirobo will soon travel to the International Space Station. The mission: to participate in the first robot-human conversation experiments in space.

To prepare for the trip, the robot participated in zero-gravity and other safety tests. The training, Kirobo says, was tough.

Kirobo is one of two robots developed under the Kibo Robot Project, a collaborative research effort by various agencies. Toyota Motor Corporation provided the voice-recognition software for the robots and plans to use what it learns from the project to improve the company’s partner robots and interactive conversation technology.

And perhaps the trip will help fulfill Kirobo’s dream, “to create a world where humans and robots can live together.”

Courtesy of Toyota USA Newsroom