Toyota Motor Corp. (7203) sought a court order in the U.S. approving its use of technology in hybrid electric vehicles, including the Prius and Lexus RX 400h, after an auto-parts company claimed its patents were infringed.
Efficient Drivetrains Inc., based in Palo Alto, California, has an exclusive license from the University of California for use of the technology, including the way electricity is drawn from a battery to power an electric motor and an internal combustion engine, according to a July 20 federal court complaint filed by Toyota in San Jose, California.
“EDI has contended that the Toyota Hybrids infringe each of the asserted patents and has indicated it intends to enforce” them, according to the complaint filed by the Toyota City, Japan-based automaker. “Toyota denies that.”
Toyota, the world’s biggest maker of gasoline-electric hybrid cars, sought a court ruling declaring it didn’t infringe the patents and that the patents are invalid. Such a ruling would preempt a potential patent infringement lawsuit by EDI and the University of California.
The five patents at issue also include technology, invented by EDI co-founder Andy Frank, on ways to control the power output of an internal combustion engine and a method to draw electricity to operate the electric motor and the internal combustion engine, together or separately depending on driving conditions, according to the court documents.
Courtesy information from Bloomberg
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