The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 21, 2023
Filed:
Jan. 29, 2021
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US);
Clinton J. Williams, Saline, MI (US);
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US);
Abstract
A smart tonneau cover for a pickup truck includes an input system that receives information concerning a route and the weather forecast for the route to a destination, the height of a cargo, a precipitation sensor, a wind sensor, and to determine the limits to the height, position, and orientation of the portions of a tonneau cover, which can include solar panels that can be moved to optimize power generation and minimize power consumption while protecting the cargo. The solar panels can be positioned when stationary, such as while parked, and repositioned as needed during transit to maintain an optimal power efficiency.