Patents Assigned to Nissan North America, Inc.
  • Vehicle body structure
    Patent number: 11618305
    Abstract: A door structure is moveable to and from of a closed orientation covering a door opening and an open orientation exposing the door opening of a vehicle. The door structure has an inner door panel with an interior latch handle attachment area and an attenuation slot adjacent to the interior latch handle attachment area. The attenuation slot is defined between a first slot edge and a second slot edge. The interior latch handle is installed to the interior latch handle attachment area. A portion of the interior latch handle is located adjacent to the first slot edge of the attenuation slot. In response to an impact event proximate a central area of the door structure, the door structure and the interior latch handle attachment area deform such that the first slot edge and the interior latch handle move relative to the second slot edge of the attenuation slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: David Kovie, Mahiuddin Ahmed, Christopher Herrala
  • Route planner optimization for hybrid-electric vehicles
    Patent number: 11614335
    Abstract: Route planning for a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) includes obtaining a route between an origin and a destination, where the route is optimized for at least one of a noise level or energy consumption of an engine of the HEV that is used to charge a battery of the HEV, and where the route comprises respective engine activation actions for at least some segments of the route; and controlling the HEV to follow the segments of the route and to activate the engine according to the respective engine activation actions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kyle Hollins Wray, Liam Pedersen, Richard Lui, Christopher Ostafew
  • Learning safety and human-centered constraints in autonomous vehicles
    Patent number: 11613269
    Abstract: Traversing a vehicle transportation network includes operating a scenario-specific operational control evaluation module instance. The scenario-specific operational control evaluation module instance includes an instance of a scenario-specific operational control evaluation model of a distinct vehicle operational scenario. Operating the scenario-specific operational control evaluation module instance includes identifying a multi-objective policy for the scenario-specific operational control evaluation model. The multi-objective policy may include a relationship between at least two objectives. Traversing the vehicle transportation network includes receiving a candidate vehicle control action associated with each of the at least two objectives. Traversing the vehicle transportation network includes selecting a vehicle control action based on a buffer value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignees: Nissan North America, Inc., The University of Massachusetts, Renault S.A.S.
    Inventors: Kyle Hollins Wray, Stefan Witwicki, Shlomo Zilberstein
  • Vehicle air induction assembly
    Patent number: 11614057
    Abstract: A vehicle air induction assembly includes an air guide, an air duct and a bracket member. The air duct is configured to supply air to an engine air filter. The air guide has an opening therein and is configured to be connected to a vehicle fascia. The air duct is configured to be connected to the air guide such that air flowing through the opening flows into the air duct. The bracket member is connected to the air guide. The bracket member has a first side wall, a second side wall and a lower wall connecting the first and second side walls. The bracket member and the air duct are disposed on opposite sides of the air guide opening. An air inlet is defined by the air guide and the bracket member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Nancy Michelle Calahorrano, Cesar Sanchez
  • Vehicle door assembly
    Patent number: 11608659
    Abstract: A door has a latch mechanism, a reinforcement bracket and a jamming bracket within a cavity of the door. The latch mechanism retains the door in a closed orientation and in response to operation of the latch mechanism the door is released for movement to an open orientation. The reinforcement bracket is fixedly attached to structures of the vehicle door. The jamming bracket is fixed to the reinforcement bracket and has a locking portion that extends to an area adjacent to a release lever of the latch mechanism. With the door in a non-deformed state, the release lever is movable between a door opened orientation and a door closed orientation. In response to deformation of the door resulting from an exterior impact force, the locking portion of the jamming bracket moves toward the release lever preventing the release lever from moving to the door opened orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: David Kovie, Venkata Ramana Pavan Nadella, Barathwaj Nagarajan
  • Exhaust finisher assembly for a vehicle
    Patent number: 11608768
    Abstract: An exhaust finisher assembly for a vehicle includes an exhaust finisher and a deflector. The exhaust finisher is configured to be connected to a rear bumper fascia of the vehicle. The deflector is connected to the exhaust finisher. The deflector includes a first portion connected to the exhaust finisher and a second portion extending outwardly from the first portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Marco Antonio Flores Valdez, Carlos Alberto Fernandez Moreno
  • Intelligent engine activation planner
    Patent number: 11608048
    Abstract: A system includes a battery, an engine, and a processor. The processor is configured to plan, according to a model, an activation action of the engine of a vehicle for a next road segment subsequent to a current road segment; and activate, for the next road segment, the engine according to the activation action. The model includes a state space that includes a navigation map, which includes the current road segment of the vehicle, a current charge level of the battery, and whether the engine is currently on or off. The activation action is selected from a set comprising a first action to turn on the engine to charge the battery and a second action to turn off the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kyle Hollins Wray, Liam Pedersen, Richard Lui, Christopher Ostafew
  • Vehicle airbag system
    Patent number: 11597343
    Abstract: A vehicle airbag system includes an airbag module, a seat detector, and an electronic controller. The airbag module has an airbag that is configured to be movably mounted to a vehicle roof structure. The seat detector detects a position of a vehicle seat. The electronic controller is in communication with the airbag module and the seat detector. The controller controls the airbag module to inflate the airbag in a predetermined direction based on detected position of the vehicle seat by the seat detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Jessica Buice, Jeffrey Clark, Daniel Hoisington, Daniel Lin
  • Inverter assembly
    Patent number: 11596075
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a vehicle body, a vehicle seat, an inverter and an inverter cover. The vehicle body defines a vehicle interior. The vehicle seat is disposed on a floor of the vehicle interior. The inverter has a housing fixed to the floor of the vehicle interior at a location underneath the vehicle seat. The inverter cover is detachably attached to the inverter housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Roy Defauw, Ronald Morrow, Dale Butterworth
  • Front end module assembly
    Patent number: 11591028
    Abstract: A front end module assembly has a front end module structure of a vehicle, a heat exchanger support and a first heat exchanger unit. The heat exchanger support is supported to the vehicle front end module structure. The heat exchanger support has an opening. The first heat exchanger unit is accommodated in the opening of the heat exchanger support so that the transmission cooler is supported to the vehicle front end module structure via the heat exchanger support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Alvaro Menez Sánchez
  • Explainability of autonomous vehicle decision making
    Patent number: 11577746
    Abstract: A processor is configured to execute instructions stored in a memory to determine, in response to identifying vehicle operational scenarios of a scene, an action for controlling the AV, where the action is from a selected decision component that determined the action based on level of certainty associated with a state factor; generate an explanation as to why the action was selected, such that the explanation includes respective descriptors of the action, the selected decision component, and the state factor; and display the explanation in a graphical view that includes a first graphical indicator of a world object of the selected decision component, a second graphical indicator describing the state factor, and a third graphical indicator describing the action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignees: Nissan North America, Inc., The University of Massachusetts, United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of NASA, Renault S.A.S.
    Inventors: Kyle Hollins Wray, Omar Bentahar, Astha Vagadia, Laura Cesafsky, Arec Jamgochian, Stefan Witwicki, Najamuddin Mirza Baig, Julius S. Gyorfi, Shlomo Zilberstein, Sparsh Sharma
  • Vehicle lighting system
    Patent number: 11580798
    Abstract: A vehicle lighting system includes a light assembly and an electronic controller. The light assembly includes one or more lights configured to illuminate an external area that is in a vicinity of the vehicle. The electronic controller is programmed to receive a battery status signal from a battery of the vehicle. The electronic controller is further programmed to control the light assembly to illuminate the one or more lights to display a status of the battery when the vehicle is in a predetermined condition. The predetermined condition is at least one of a condition in which a remote electronic device is within a vicinity of the vehicle, a condition in which the vehicle has transitioned from a locked state to an unlocked state, and a condition in which the vehicle is about to be transitioned from the locked state to the unlocked state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: William J Weber, Matthew Cole
  • Vehicle front end assembly having frond bumper fascia and headlamp structure attached to vehicle frame
    Patent number: 11572011
    Abstract: A vehicle front end assembly includes a front portion of a vehicle frame structure. A bumper fascia is attached to the front portion of the vehicle frame structure. Further, a headlamp structure is attached to both the front portion of the vehicle frame structure and the bumper fascia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Omar Fernando Carrillo Fernandez, Md Hafizur Rahman, Diego Armando Salinas Ceballos
  • Passenger compartment storage assembly
    Patent number: 11572020
    Abstract: A passenger compartment storage assembly includes a storage structure, a first storage box and a box retaining structure. The storage structure is fixed to a floor of a passenger compartment of a vehicle and having a storage compartment defined therein. The first storage box has a predetermined overall shape. The box retaining structure is configured and dimensioned to releasably retain the first storage box. The storage compartment is dimensioned and configured to receive the first storage box and the box retaining structure within the storage compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: David Smolik, Neil Francus
  • VEHICLE TRACKING UNIT
    Publication number: 20230031482
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a cockpit module skin, a cross-bar and a vehicle tracking unit. The cockpit module skin separates a passenger compartment into a first area and a second area. The cross-bar is supported to a vehicle body component in the first area. The vehicle tracking unit has an electric tracking module and a mounting bracket supporting the electric tracking module to the cross-bar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Applicant: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Arturo CRUZ
  • Door lock assembly for a vehicle door panel
    Patent number: 11560738
    Abstract: A door lock assembly for a vehicle door includes a door panel, a stiffener bracket, a lock assembly, and a door pad. The door panel includes an inner door panel and an outer door panel. A stiffener bracket is connected to the inner door panel. A lock assembly is connected to the inner door panel. A door pad is connected to the stiffener bracket. The door pad is configured to interfere with the lock assembly to prevent the lock assembly from unlocking the vehicle door upon an object impacting the outer door panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Edgar Montes de Oca Contreras, Yosuke Nakai
  • Vehicle light assembly
    Patent number: 11560085
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a light assembly and an electric control module. The light assembly is assembled to an underbody of the vehicle. The light assembly has a light bar and an image projector. The light bar has a plurality of first light sources. The image projector has a housing that is fitted to a longitudinal end of the light bar. The housing has a circuit board and an emitting portion that houses a second light source. The circuit board is electrically connected to the second light source to regulate electric current to the light source. The electric control module is electrically connected to the light bar and the circuit board to provide electrical power to both the light bar and the image projector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: William Weber, Dale Butterworth
  • Vehicle door assembly
    Patent number: 11541732
    Abstract: A vehicle door assembly includes a door structure, an interior latch handle a panel and an interference member. The interior latch handle is installed to an inboard area of an inner door panel of the door structure. The interior latch handle has a housing and a release lever supported to the housing for pivotal movement. The panel is fixed to the inner door panel. The interference member is fixed to the panel and extends toward the release lever. With the door structure in a non-deformed state the interference member is spaced apart from the release lever. With the door structure in a deformed state in response to an impact event proximate a central area of the door structure, the panel can deformed and moves the interference member toward one end of the release lever preventing movement of the release lever to an door opening orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: David Kovie, Mahiuddin Ahmed, Christopher Herrala
  • Vehicle center console assembly
    Patent number: 11541819
    Abstract: A vehicle center console assembly includes a vehicle body structure and a center console assembly. The vehicle body structure includes a passenger compartment floor with a front seat assembly installed to the floor and a pair of second row seats installed to the floor rearward of the front seat assembly. The center console assembly is releasably attached to the floor between the pair of second row seats. The center console has a manually operated latch mechanism operable between a locked orientation in which the center console is fixedly attached to the floor in an installed orientation and a release orientation in which the center console is released from attachment to the floor and is movable away from the installed orientation and out of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Jessica Booth, Christian Dubrock, Katie Andersen
  • Vehicle body structure
    Patent number: 11535305
    Abstract: A vehicle body structure defines a vehicle longitudinal direction and a vehicle lateral direction perpendicular to the vehicle longitudinal direction and includes a rear sill structure. The rear sill assembly at least partially defines a rear opening of the vehicle body structure. The rear sill assembly extends in the vehicle lateral direction. The rear sill assembly includes a first body panel and a second body panel. The first body panel extends from a first side of the rear opening to a second side of the rear opening. The second body panel overlays a portion of the first body panel. The second body panel has a main section that includes a plurality of recessed rib portions that extend in directions that define an acute angle relative to the vehicle longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Nicholas Trifonoff