米国 ハイブリッド自動車特許戦争の戦線拡大

Green Patent Blogによるとトヨタ自動車がハイブリッド自動車関係の特許U.S. Patent No. 7,392,871 (’871 特許,ファミリー) に関してフロリダのハイブリッド技術関係企業 Paice LLCから訴えられとのことです。これはトヨタ自動車とPaice社の間の3番目のハイブリッド特許訴訟です。
’871 特許は7月1日に発効となり、Paice社はその日のうちにテキサス州マーシャルの連邦裁判所へ提訴したそうです。
トヨタ自動車のハイランダー（ハイブリッド）とレクサスRX400h（ハイブリッド）が’871特許を直接侵害しているとして、差し止め、損害賠償、故意侵害の認定と弁護士費用の支払いを申し立てたとのことです。'871特許はPatent No. 5,343,970 (’970 特許,ファミリー)を改良した特許ファミリーの中の最新の物で、AC-DCコンバータをそれぞれ持った3個の電動モータを有するハイブリッド自動車をクレームしています。
1. A hybrid vehicle, comprising:

• at least two pairs of wheels, each pair of wheels operable to receive power to propel said hybrid vehicle;
• a first alternating current (AC) electric motor, operable to provide power to a first pair of said at least two pairs of wheels to propel said hybrid vehicle;
• a second alternating current (AC) electric motor, operable to provide power to a second pair of said at least two pairs of wheels to propel said hybrid vehicle a third AC electric motor;
• an engine coupled to said third electric motor, operable to provide power to at least one of said two pairs of wheels to propel the hybrid vehicle, and/or to said third electric motor to drive the third electric motor to generate electric power;
• a first alternating current-direct current (AC-DC) converter having an AC side coupled to said first electric motor, operable to accept AC or DC current and convert the current to DC or AC current respectively;
• a second alternating current-direct current (AC-DC) converter having an AC side coupled to said second electric motor, operable to accept AC or DC current and convert the current to DC or AC current respectively;
• a third alternating current-direct current (AC-DC) converter coupled to said third electric motor, at least operable to accept AC current and convert the current to DC;
• an electrical storage device coupled to a DC side of said AC-DC converters, wherein the electrical storage device is operable to store DC energy received from said AC-DC converters and provide DC energy to at least said first and second AC-DC converters for providing power to at least said first and second electric motors;
• and a controller, operable to start and stop the engine to minimize fuel consumption.

Patent No. 5,343,970 (’970 特許,ファミリー)に関する2件の特許係争において、1件はテキサス東部連邦地裁で進行中であり、もう1件ではトヨタは$4.3 millionの賠償を命じられました。これらの詳細はGreen Patent Blogの記事（1）（2）（3）を参照してください。