A federal judge has ruled that Japan-based Toyota Motor Corp. and its U.S. sales unit did not infringe a hybrid vehicle technology patent. Judge Richard A. Jones of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington granted Toyota’s motion for summary judgment on Friday and stated that the patent-in-suit did not satisfy at least one claim limitation. The court had previously construed two limitations of the patent to mean that an engine drives one set of wheels and an electric motor drives a different set of wheels, according to the judge. But in the Prius, Camry, and two-wheel-drive Highlander vehicles, the engine and the electric motor drive the same set of wheels, he pointed out. In fact, plaintiffs' counsel conceded at oral argument that these three vehicles do not infringe the patent for this reason, Judge Jones said. Toyota is represented by Finnegan.