Nissan Patents Granted

Patents granted to Nissan by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11940043
    Abstract: A baffle plate (4) including a body portion (5), a cover portion (8, 9) and a seal member (88, 98), a final gear (25) and a driven sprocket (DS) disposed in an accommodating chamber (Sa, Sb) of the baffle plate (4), an oil pump (OP) serving as a source of oil (OL) for lubrication, and an oil pan (16) are provided. At least one of the body portion (5), the cover portions (8, 9) and the seal members (88, 98) includes a material that shrinks as the temperature of the oil (OL) decreases. The baffle plate (4) is dimensioned such that a gap (CL1, CL2) is sealed by the seal member (88, 89) when the temperature of the oil (OL) is equal to or higher than a predetermined oil temperature and an aperture (CL?) is formed when the temperature of the oil (OL) is less than the predetermined oil temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignees: JATCO LTD, NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tsutomu Itou
  • Patent number: 11938965
    Abstract: Vehicle allocation system includes an information provision apparatus, a first apparatus: control apparatus, and a user's second apparatus: user terminal apparatus. Processor of the information provision apparatus calculates a first driving plan for a vehicle in response to request information. When a second driving plan different from the first driving plan is calculated based on detection information acquired from the vehicle, the processor determines the cause of a change in the driving plan on the basis of the detection information. The processor transmits cause information including the cause to the user terminal apparatus. The user terminal apparatus presents the cause information on a display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayasu Suzuki, Masahide Nakamura, Masaki Watanabe, Daisuke Saito
  • Patent number: 11938958
    Abstract: The present disclosure including determining that a state of a load on an occupant in a vehicle on the basis of at least one of a traveling state of the vehicle (100), an external environment state of the vehicle, and a state of the occupant in the vehicle, and executing a dialogue with the occupant by executing a dialogue program corresponding to the state of the load on the occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehito Teraguchi, Hirofumi Inoue, Jo Nishiyama, Shota Okubo, Yu Shikoda
  • Patent number: 11938807
    Abstract: A device cools a power train of a vehicle including an electric machine with a wound rotor coupled to a speed reducer. The device includes: an oil cooling circuit for cooling the electric machine, the circuit include a heat exchanger connected to an oil tank and a water circuit that connects members of the power train through the radiator of the vehicle; a temperature adjuster of the oil flow supplied at the outlet of the exchanger to a distribution circuit projecting the oil to elements for heating the electric machine; a circuit for lubricating the reducer, the circuit including a sump, the bottom of the sump forming a reserve of oil for lubricating the reducer; and a bypass channel at the outlet of the exchanger, for conveying a portion of the temperature-adjusted oil in contact with the bottom of the sump in order to cool the oil reserve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignees: RENAULT s.a.s., NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Bassel Assaad, Julien Borie
  • Patent number: 11938840
    Abstract: A control method includes acquiring the operation stop request of the fuel cell system, acquiring a next vehicle operation start timing, and calculating a first energy cost and a second energy cost at a predetermined timing after acquiring the operation stop request and the next vehicle operation start timing. The first energy cost is an energy cost required from the predetermined timing to completion of warming up of the fuel cell when a warm-up control is executed using the heater in accordance with the next vehicle operation start timing after the stop control is executed. The second energy cost is an energy cost required when an operation of the fuel cell is continued so as to maintain a temperature of the fuel cell at a warm-up temperature from the predetermined timing to the next vehicle operation start timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignees: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., RENAULT s.a.s.
    Inventors: Eisuke Fukushima, Hiroshi Takeda, Hayato Chikugo
  • Patent number: 11939928
    Abstract: An EGR valve is provided in an EGR passage circulating a part of an exhaust gas of an exhaust pipe in an intake pipe as an EGR gas, the EGR valve adjusting an EGR gas amount flowing in the EGR passage when an engine is in an EGR region, a differential pressure device is provided in the intake pipe, the differential pressure device adjusting a differential pressure of the EGR valve, a control unit is provided to control the EGR valve and the differential pressure device, and the EGR control method includes switching whether to adjust the EGR gas amount using the EGR valve and the differential pressure device or to adjust the EGR gas amount using the EGR valve only on the basis of an exhaust gas pressure of an inlet portion of the EGR passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Daisuke Takaki, Hirofumi Tsuchida, Takayuki Hamamoto
  • Patent number: 11938951
    Abstract: A vehicle motion control method controls a motion state of a vehicle during a vehicle transient motion in which an acceleration in a lateral direction is generated in the vehicle. The vehicle motion control method includes: setting a corrected longitudinal acceleration for correcting a basic longitudinal acceleration determined in accordance with a required driving force for traveling of the vehicle; and determining a target longitudinal acceleration from the basic longitudinal acceleration and the corrected longitudinal acceleration, and operating a traveling actuator of the vehicle based on the target longitudinal acceleration. A direction and a magnitude of the corrected longitudinal acceleration are determined from a viewpoint of suppressing a change in a posture of an occupant of the vehicle in a roll direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Makita, Atsushi Takamatsu
  • Patent number: 11933234
    Abstract: An engine is provided with a turbo charger including a wastegate valve. A first setpoint of opening of the wastegate valve is set in accordance with a target boost pressure. While a difference between the target boost pressure and a real boost pressure is large, the opening is controlled to a second setpoint, wherein the second setpoint is smaller than the first setpoint. While the opening is controlled to the second setpoint, it is determined whether a condition for limitation is satisfied in which an intake air quantity is above an intake air quantity criterion and an engine rotation speed is above an engine rotation speed criterion. When the condition is satisfied, the opening is controlled in a direction to increase from the second setpoint. The engine rotation speed criterion decreases as the intake air quantity increases. The intake air quantity criterion decreases as the engine rotation speed increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Kojima, Mitsuhiko Kubota, Daisuke Imai, Masashi Morikawa
  • Patent number: 11932258
    Abstract: A vehicle body speed estimation device and a vehicle body speed estimation method are provided for estimating a vehicle body speed of a four-wheel drive vehicle from a wheel speed of each wheel of the four-wheel drive vehicle. In the vehicle body speed estimation device and a vehicle body speed estimation method, a controller determines whether a deviation of at least two of the wheel speeds among the wheel speeds is within a first prescribed range. The controller switches a method for selecting the wheel speed used for estimating the vehicle body speed between a first method and a second method when a sign of a drive torque that is applied to each of the wheels is reversed and the deviation of at least two of the wheel speeds among the wheel speeds is within the first prescribed range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoshi Nishihashi, Yuki Nakajima
  • Patent number: 11931904
    Abstract: An abnormality determination apparatus of the present invention acquires state data from work equipment provided with an attaching part to which a plural kinds of work parts are attached in a replaceable manner, identifies the kind of a work part attached to the attaching part, sets, corresponding to the identified kind of the work part, abnormality determination data for determining an abnormality of the work equipment, acquires, from among state data acquired from the work equipment, state data of a time when the identified kind of the work part was being attached, and compares the acquired state data with the set abnormality determination data to determine an abnormality of the work equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiichi Kobayashi, Toru Takagi
  • Patent number: 11936241
    Abstract: A stator assembly for an electric machine includes a first housing portion, a second housing portion, a stator body inserted into at least the first housing portion, a link for rotatably linking the stator body with the first housing portion, a first attachment for attaching the stator body to the first housing portion, and a second attachment for attaching the two housing portions to one another. The assembly includes an annular seal inserted axially between the stator body and the first attachment as well as between the two housing portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignees: Renault s.a.s., NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Eric Dumas, Francois Paris, Thomas Kalos, Emmanuel Motte
  • Patent number: 11932235
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control method controls a hybrid vehicle having an electric power source, a vehicle electrical equipment and drive motor to which electric power is supplied from the electric power source. The vehicle electrical equipment and the drive motor are electrically connected to the electric power source via at least a shared harness. When a temperature of the harness is equal to or greater than a predetermined temperature, upper limit values of electric power supplied from the electric power source to the vehicle electrical equipment and the drive motor are both reduced, and a degree of reduction in the upper limit value for the vehicle equipment is greater than a degree of reduction in the upper limit value for the drive motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sadaharu Narita, Yuki Kawai, Shunsuke Baba
  • Patent number: 11935998
    Abstract: A battery device comprises a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery provided with an electric power generating element and a pressing member which presses the electric power generating element in the stacking direction. The electric power generating element comprises: a positive electrode with a positive electrode active material layer of a positive electrode active material on the surface of a positive electrode collector; a negative electrode with a negative electrode active material layer of a negative electrode active material on the surface of a negative electrode collector; and a separator which holds an electrolyte solution. This battery device satisfies (1) 0.1<(T1?T2)/T1×100<5, where T1 is the thickness of the thickest portion of the electric power generating element in the stacking direction, and T2 is the thickness of the thinnest portion of the of the electric power generating element in the stacking direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takamasa Nakagawa, Takeshi Nakano, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Yusuke Nakashima, Naofumi Shoji
  • Patent number: 11932253
    Abstract: A vehicle control method includes: detecting, on a planned travel route of a host vehicle, a merging section in which a travel lane in which the host vehicle is traveling merges with another lane; determining whether or not to execute merging assistance control for assisting the host vehicle to change lanes into the other lane in the merging section; and when the merging assistance control is determined not to be executed in the merging section, controlling the speed of the host vehicle to be a predetermined speed or less before the host vehicle passes through a starting point of the merging section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Ito
  • Patent number: 11937387
    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: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Arturo Cruz
  • Patent number: 11932127
    Abstract: A contactless electricity supply system for a vehicle includes a power transmitter coil unit provided on a ground-side and a lifting device for lifting up the power transmitter coil unit from the ground. The power transmitter coil unit supplies electricity to a power receiving coil unit by magnetic coupling therewith. The power transmitter coil unit includes a case that houses a power transmitter coil. A bulge is formed on an upper face of the case around a winding center axis of the power transmitter coil wounded in a planar manner in a plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Keishi Oyaizu
  • Patent number: 11932138
    Abstract: An electric vehicle control method for braking of an electric vehicle applies a front braking torque to a front drive motor that drives a front wheel and applies a rear braking torque to a rear drive motor that drives a rear wheel. The method includes: during the braking, executing a torque limiting process (process B, process C, front braking torque control) that reduces the front braking torque and the rear braking torque when a slip of the front wheel is detected; and executing a distribution torque changing process that increases the front braking torque while maintaining a sum of the front braking torque and the rear braking torque when a slip of the rear wheel is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahisa Kurosawa, Yohei Nakamura, Masahito Taira
  • Patent number: 11926900
    Abstract: A laminate includes a base substrate, and a coating layer formed on the base substrate. The coating layer includes a copper alloy portions derived from precipitation-hardening copper alloy particles and hard particle portions which are harder than the copper alloy portions, the hard particle portions are derived from hard particles, and the parts bond with each other via an interface. Each of the hard particle portions has a non-spherical shape. A sliding member includes the laminate in at least one sliding portion. A method for manufacturing a laminate includes a step of spraying a mixture in a non-molten state including precipitation-hardening copper alloy particles and hard particles having a non-spherical shape and being harder than the copper alloy particles onto a base substrate, to form a coating layer on the base substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignees: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., FUKUDA METAL FOIL & POWDER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Izawa, Junichi Arai, Yutaka Mabuchi, Katsunori Otobe, Shinichi Nishimura
  • Patent number: 11926217
    Abstract: A pendulum type mount system includes a pair of upper mounts that mount upper portions of a powerplant unit on a vehicle body, and a pair of first and second lower torque rods. The first and second lower torque rods are located on opposite sides to each other with respect to a reference plane including a gravity center of the powerplant unit. A first spring constant of the first lower torque rod is not smaller than a second spring constant of the second lower torque rod. A distance between a first plane including the first lower torque rod and the reference plane is not larger than a distance between a second plane including the second lower torque rod and the reference plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Manabu Yokawa, Keisuke Oba
  • Patent number: 11928619
    Abstract: A vehicle dispatch service boarding location determination method uses a vehicle dispatch information data server and a terminal to determine a boarding location for a dispatched vehicle based on a vehicle dispatch request from the terminal. When there is a vehicle dispatch request, position information of a vehicle dispatch request point is acquired. Boarding location candidates present in a periphery of the vehicle dispatch request point are calculated based on the position information point and map information. A boarding location recognition difficulty, which is a difficulty for the user in recognizing the boarding location candidate as a boarding location, is calculated for each of the boarding location candidates. A boarding location candidate for which the boarding location recognition difficulty is low among the boarding location candidates is determined as the boarding location where the user will be picked up by the dispatched vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Renault S.A.S.
    Inventor: Naoki Kojo
  • Patent number: 11929529
    Abstract: The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a first injection device associated with a supply of a fuel to the fuel cell, and a second injection device provided on an upstream side of the first injection device in a fuel flow passage from a fuel storage unit to the first injection device. The first and second injection devices switch a flow passage extending downstream from the fuel flow passage, between a first flow passage via the first injection device and second flow passage via the second injection device. The second injection device operates at a lower frequency than the first injection device during an operation of the fuel system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Susumu Maeshima, Akinobu Moriyama, Tatsuya Yaguchi, Masashi Sato, Tadaki Mano, Hiroyuki Wada
  • Patent number: 11927166
    Abstract: A control method is provided for an internal combustion engine which includes a turbocharger, and which is connected to a stepped automatic transmission. The control method includes judging whether or not an upshift of the automatic transmission is performed; performing a first torque down control by an ignition timing retard of the internal combustion engine during the upshift; judging whether or not a predicted torque estimated from a driving condition of the internal combustion engine is greater than a target torque at an end of the upshift; and performing a second torque down control by the ignition timing retard of the internal combustion engine when the predicted torque is greater than the target torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignees: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., RENAULT S.A.S.
    Inventors: Jooyong Jung, Yuzuru Tohta, Ryouichi Ootaki, Tetsuya Nishiyama, Charlotte Giordano, Tony De-Oliveira
  • Patent number: 11927225
    Abstract: A sliding spline shaft device of the present invention includes a male spline and a female spline that is fitted to the male spline in an axially slidable manner, and at least one of the splines has a surface processed layer. The surface processed layer includes an undercoat layer, an intermediate layer containing phosphate, and a topcoat layer containing solid lubricant, in this order. The undercoat layer contains iron nitride and/or iron carbide. Thus, the surface of a base material has high hardness. As a result, microscopic deformation of the sliding surface is reduced, and increase in a real contact area is suppressed, whereby stick-slip is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignees: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., NIHON PARKERIZING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigetoshi Kashiwabara, Kunio Katada, Shunsuke Hiraiwa, Akihumi Kawaguchi, Takeo Nishijima, Shinichi Suzuki, Yasuyuki Katsumada, Makoto Nakajima, Tokunori Kodama, Masato Ito, Aiki Iwasa
  • Patent number: 11926320
    Abstract: An autonomous speed control function for autonomously controlling a traveling speed of the vehicle and an autonomous steering control function for autonomously controlling steering of the vehicle include executing first autonomous control where, when an external situation of the vehicle is recognizable from a captured image by a camera on the vehicle, the vehicle is autonomously controlled using information recognized from the captured image; executing second autonomous control in which information indicating the external situation of the vehicle is acquired from stored map information provided in the vehicle and the vehicle is autonomously controlled using the acquired information; specifying an unrecognizable area in which the external situation of the vehicle is unrecognizable from the captured image; and when the unrecognizable area is present on a travel route of the vehicle, switching from the first autonomous control to the second autonomous control before the vehicle enters the unrecognizable area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yohei Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 11928458
    Abstract: A method updates a digital system in a vehicle having an onboard client computer that communicates with a remote server, an onboard monitor-control unit operatively connected to the onboard client computer, and an electrical energy accumulator device for powering the onboard client computer and the onboard monitor-control unit. The method includes downloading a file from the remote server using the onboard client computer as long as the electrical energy accumulator device is capable of being recharged. Then at least part of the file that was downloaded is distributed to the onboard monitor-control unit using the onboard client computer. Then, all or a portion of the at least part of the file that was distributed is installed in the onboard monitor-control unit. Then the at least part of the file that was installed is activated after stopping the vehicle using the onboard monitor-control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eric Abadie, Marie-Cecile Afantenos, Sébastien Bessiere, Solène Gros, Claire Tenor, Gregory Meunier
  • Patent number: 11921506
    Abstract: Real-time decision-making for a vehicle using belief state determination is described. Operational environment data is received while the vehicle is traversing a vehicle transportation network, where the data includes data associated with an external object. An operational environment monitor establishes an observation that relates the object to a distinct vehicle operation scenario. A belief state model of the monitor computes a belief state for the observation directly from the operational environment data. The monitor provides the computed belief state to a decision component implementing a policy that maps a respective belief state for the object within the distinct vehicle operation scenario to a respective candidate vehicle control action. A candidate vehicle control action is received from the policy of the decision component, and a vehicle control action is selected for traversing the vehicle transportation from any available candidate vehicle control actions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignees: Nissan North America, Inc., The University of Massachusetts
    Inventors: Kyle Hollins Wray, Stefan Witwicki, Shlomo Zilberstein
  • Patent number: 11920935
    Abstract: A navigation device includes an own vehicle position detecting unit configured to detect position information of own vehicle; a route setting unit configured to set a guidance route that guides the own vehicle to a destination on the basis of a first map including information of a traveling route and the position information of the own vehicle; a matching unit configured to match a position of the own vehicle as a first own position with the traveling route where the own vehicle travels on the first map on the basis of the position information of the own vehicle; a driving lane detecting unit configured to match the position of the own vehicle as a second own position with a driving lane where the own vehicle travels on a second map on the basis of the second map including information of the driving lane in the traveling route and the position information of the own vehicle; and a calculating unit configured to determine whether the second own position is included in the first own position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., RENAULT S.A.S.
    Inventors: Wataru Takeda, Junichi Hatayama, Tetsuya Ito, Katsumi Ohashi
  • Patent number: 11920549
    Abstract: The control device (50) operates to: calculate the ignition timing of each cylinder (101) of an engine (100) based on whether or not knocking is occurring; set, as a reference ignition timing, the ignition timing of any of the cylinders (101) for which the ignition timing is on the advanced angle side relative to the most retarded angle ignition timing on the most retarded angle side and on the retarded angle side relative to the most advanced angle ignition timing on the most advanced angle side; set an allowable timing difference range that is a range of an allowable timing difference with reference to the reference ignition timing; and when determining that the ignition timing of a cylinder (101) falls outside the allowable timing difference range, correct the ignition timing so that the timing difference with respect to the reference ignition timing falls within the allowable timing difference range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro Shikata, Kazuki Tanzawa, Isei Matsuzaki
  • Patent number: 11922953
    Abstract: A voice analyzer analyzes whether a voice signal input into a voice input unit includes a specific characteristic component. A voice recognizer recognizes a voice represented by the voice signal input into the voice input unit. A response instruction unit instructs a response to a response operation unit that operates in response to the voice recognized by the voice recognizer. A controller controls the voice recognizer not to execute voice recognition processing by the voice recognizer or controls the response instruction unit not to instruct the response operation unit about an instruction content by the voice recognized by the voice recognizer, when the voice analyzer analyzes that the voice signal includes the specific characteristic component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., RENAULT S.A.S.
    Inventor: Hideo Omura
  • Patent number: 11919451
    Abstract: A vehicle data display system includes an electronic display installed within a vehicle, a 3-D sensor and an electronic controller. The 3-D sensor configured to scan areas forward of and along lateral sides of the vehicle producing point cloud. Each data point of the cloud data corresponding to a surface portion of a physical feature. Each data point includes distance, direction and vertical location of each surface point. The electronic controller is connected to the electronic display and the 3-D sensor. The electronic controller receives and evaluates the point cloud from the 3-D sensor generating a 3-D model of detected ones of the physical features around the vehicle including ground surfaces, non-drivable features and driving limiting features relative to the vehicle. The non-drivable features are features that have predetermined geometric relationships with adjacent ground surfaces such that caution is to be taken when driving over or on driving limiting features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Atsuhide Kobashi, Christopher Ostafew
  • Patent number: 11920529
    Abstract: A first output limit value is determined as an intersection point of a knock-limit output line which is set according to an exhaust gas recirculation rate and ignition timing and an exhaust-temperature-limit output line which is set according to the exhaust gas recirculation rate and ignition timing; a second output limit value is determined as an intersection point of the knock-limit output line and an air-quantity-limit output line which is set according to the exhaust gas recirculation rate, ignition timing and atmospheric pressure; and a third output limit value is determined as an intersection point of the knock-limit output line and a thermal-management-limit output line which is set according to the exhaust gas recirculation rate, ignition timing and vehicle running speed. A value of the exhaust gas recirculation rate at which the condition “P1?P2 or P1?P3” is satisfied is set as a target exhaust gas recirculation rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takayoshi Kodama, Yoshihiko Iwabuchi
  • Patent number: 11919569
    Abstract: An aluminum cast part of a motor vehicle includes at least two upper walls rising from a bottom wall to form a passage, and at least two lower walls extending the upper walls beyond the bottom wall. The upper and lower walls form, with the bottom wall, a cross-section transverse to the passage which is generally H-shaped. In one or more predetermined cross-sections, at least one upper inner rib extends inside the H and transversely to the upper walls and the bottom wall, at least one outer rib extends outside the H to form an extension of the upper inner rib, and at least one lower inner rib extends inside the H to form an extension of the upper inner rib. A height of the upper inner rib in a central area of the H is compensated for by a height of the lower inner rib in the central area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jean-Baptiste Roy
  • Patent number: 11912275
    Abstract: An autonomous driving control method for stopping a host vehicle such that an inter-vehicle distance to a preceding vehicle is a predetermined at-stopping inter-vehicle distance includes: executing first stop control of setting the at-stopping inter-vehicle distance to a first at-stopping inter-vehicle distance shorter than a predetermined basic at-stopping inter-vehicle distance when a stop position of the host vehicle is within a forward stop limit area set in front of a crossing lane, and/or executing second stop control of setting the at-stopping inter-vehicle distance to a second at-stopping inter-vehicle distance longer than the basic at-stopping inter-vehicle distance when the stop position of the host vehicle is within a rearward stop limit area set behind the crossing lane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Renault S.A.S.
    Inventors: Machiko Hiramatsu, Yuji Takada
  • Patent number: 11912295
    Abstract: A travel information processing apparatus includes a voice input device configured to input voice data of a user, an output device configured to specify an object by estimating from the voice data based on a word extracted from the voice data and indicating the object around a traveling route and a word extracted from the voice data and indicating a positional relationship of the object and output image data or voice data indicating a specified object; and a travel information processor configured to change a traveling motion of a subject vehicle based on the specified object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Inoue, Jo Nishiyama, Takehito Teraguchi, Yu Shikoda, Shota Okubo
  • Patent number: 11912343
    Abstract: A structural element forms a motor vehicle dashboard body that is intended to be installed in a transverse installation position inside a vehicle passenger compartment. The structural element has a one-piece openwork structure produced by three-dimensional printing. The openwork structure defines: a first internal passage that passes all the way through the structural element and extends transversely when the structural element is in the installation position. The first passage is shaped so as to receive a crossmember that is in particular bent with a constant radius of curvature and having at least two fastening elements that are intended to be fastened to the crossmember. A second internal passage connects the first passage to a face of the structural element that is directed toward the rear of the vehicle when the structural element is in the installation position. The second passage has at least one fastening element that is intended to fasten a steering column fastening support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Loic Bezeaukt, Robin Law
  • Patent number: 11913400
    Abstract: During a predetermined operation state in which the opening degree of a throttle valve is fixed, an air flow meter positioned more on the upstream side than a pressure control valve detects a first intake air amount when the opening degree of the pressure control valve positioned on the upstream side of the throttle valve is set to a predetermined first valve opening degree and a second intake air amount when the opening degree of the pressure control valve is set to a predetermined second valve opening degree smaller than the first valve opening degree. On the basis of the first intake air amount and the second intake air amount, a diagnosis is made regarding whether there is an abnormality in a first pipe, a second pipe, a third pipe and the like which are included in a blow-by gas recirculation system for blow-by gas treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Koike, Takeshi Miyamoto, Hitoshi Ishii
  • Patent number: 11913261
    Abstract: A handle base bracket has a first handle receiving section and a fastener opening that extends through the first handle receiving section. In a fully assembled state the outboard surface of the handle base bracket overlays a portion of an inboard surface of a door panel. A first fastener member extends through the first handle opening and into the fastener opening. A head portion overlays a portion of the outboard surface of the door panel adjacent to the first handle opening. A metallic bracket has a main section fixedly attached to the handle base bracket. First and second side flanges of the metallic bracket extend toward the inboard surface of the door panel. An operation handle has a grip portion outboard of the door panel and a protrusion extending into the first handle receiving section of the handle base bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshio Muta, David Kovie, Richard Dryja, Mahiuddin Ahmed
  • Patent number: 11916469
    Abstract: A resonant power conversion device includes: a main circuit provided with a semiconductor switch, a capacitor and an inductor connected in series or parallel to the semiconductor switch; and a drive circuit configured to drive the switching element. The switching element enters an off-state or an on-state depending on a control voltage input to a gate terminal, and the drive circuit includes two or more types of control voltages, as a control voltage at which the switching element enters an off-state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., RENAULT S.A.S.
    Inventors: Taku Shimomura, Keiichiro Numakura, Akinori Okubo
  • Patent number: 11912136
    Abstract: A control method of an electric vehicle using one or a plurality of motors as a traveling drive source, includes: a motor torque command value calculating step that calculates a motor torque command value; an angular velocity detecting step that detects an angular velocity correlating with a rotation speed of a drive shaft which transmits a drive force of the motor to a drive wheel; a disturbance torque estimating step that estimates a disturbance torque acting on the motor based on the motor torque command value and the angular velocity; a limiting torque setting step that sets a limiting torque corresponding to the disturbance torque in a manner that a slipping rate of the drive wheel does not exceed a first predetermined value; and a motor torque limiting step that limits the motor torque command value using the limiting torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Akira Sawada
  • Patent number: 11906051
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a combustion chamber, a piston a plurality of piston rings. The combustion chamber has a bore wall. The piston is configured to move relative to the bore wall. The plurality of piston rings is provided to the piston. Each of the piston rings has a main body that is circular. Each of the pistons rings further has a stopper that protrudes from the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan North America Inc.
    Inventors: Williams Muñoz, Jaime Lopez Ku
  • Patent number: 11904664
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a ceiling structure for a passenger compartment of the vehicle. The ceiling structure has an opening. The vehicle further includes a sunvisor assembly that is mounted to the ceiling structure. The sunvisor assembly has a panel and a swivel rod received by the opening to attach the panel to the ceiling structure. The swivel rod is movable from a first position to a second position upon receiving a predetermined force to the panel. The second position is a position in which the swivel rod is positioned further into the opening of the ceiling structure than when in the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffery Dix
  • Patent number: 11904667
    Abstract: A vehicle door assembly a first reinforcing bracket, a fastener and a vibration absorbing member. The first reinforcing bracket extends from a forward portion of an inner door panel to a rearward portion of the inner door panel. The first reinforcing bracket has a first main surface. The fastener is attached to the first reinforcing member such that a head portion thereof is spaced apart from of the first main surface. The vibration absorbing member has a main body with a first end and a second end. The first end has a slot that extends from an edge of the first end inward. The slot is dimensioned and shaped for sliding installation on to the fastener such that the first end of the vibration absorbing member is located between the head portion of the fastener and the first surface of the first reinforcing bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Harrington
  • Patent number: 11906386
    Abstract: A wheel balancing tool includes a body member, an attachment member and an alignment member. The body member includes a notch configured to be aligned with a balancing mark on a rim of a vehicle wheel. The attachment member is connected to the body member. The attachment member includes at least one hook configured to attach the tool to the wheel rim. The alignment member extends outwardly from the body portion and is configured to indicate an attachment position on the wheel for a balancing weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan North America Inc.
    Inventors: Adam Miller, Eric Cohen
  • Patent number: 11898750
    Abstract: A method for controlling a catalytic combustion apparatus having a heater capable of heating fuel to be supplied to a catalyst includes a step of supplying oxidant gas to the catalytic combustion apparatus, and an injection step of injecting the fuel into the catalytic combustion apparatus. The injection step also includes an electric power feeding step of supplying electric power to the heater, and a setting step of setting an injection amount of the fuel to be injected into the catalytic combustion apparatus in response to output of the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Susumu Maeshima, Tadaki Mano, Hiroyuki Wada, Masamitsu Satake
  • Patent number: 11899454
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle traverses a vehicle transportation network using a multi-objective policy based on a model for specific scenarios. The multi-objective policy includes a topographical map that shows a relationship between at least two objectives. The autonomous vehicle receives a candidate vehicle control action associated with each of the at least two objectives. The autonomous vehicle selects a vehicle control action based on a buffer value that is associated with the at least two objectives. The autonomous vehicle traverses a portion of the vehicle transportation network in accordance with the selected vehicle control action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignees: Nissan North America, Inc., The University of Massachusetts, Renault S.A.S.
    Inventors: Kyle Hollins Wray, Stefan Witwicki, Shlomo Zilberstein
  • Patent number: 11898509
    Abstract: An EGR estimation method for an internal combustion engine 1 estimates an EGR rate in an intake and exhaust system 10, 20 of an internal combustion engine, the intake and exhaust system 10, 20 of an internal combustion engine including an intake system 10, an exhaust system 20, and an EGR device 40, the EGR device 40 includes an EGR passage 41 and an EGR valve 43. The EGR estimation method includes determining a gas replacement state by exhaust gas and fresh air in an upstream EGR passage, which is a portion of the EGR passage between the EGR valve and the exhaust passage, when fuel cut of the internal combustion engine is started and the EGR valve is fully closed; and estimating the EGR rate based on a result of the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Taichi Ando, Kenji Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11891048
    Abstract: A method generates a setpoint for controlling a steering system and a differential braking system of a motor vehicle. The method includes: acquiring a value relating to a total yawing moment to be applied to the motor vehicle such that it follows a required path, and the speed of the motor vehicle, calculating, as a function of the speed, at least one threshold relating to the maximum proportion of the total yawing moment that the steering system or that the differential braking system can provide, determining, as a function of the threshold, a distribution rate relating to the proportion of the total yawing moment that the steering system or that the differential braking system must provide, and generating a setpoint for controlling the steering system and the differential braking system as a function of the distribution rate and of the value relating to the total yawing moment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignees: Renault s.a.s., NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Anh Lam Do, Alain Haddad, Geoffrey Bruno, Khoa Duc Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11890938
    Abstract: An installation arrangement is provided for a vehicle having a front motor for driving a front wheel, a rear motor for driving a rear wheel, a high-voltage battery that stores electrical power for the motors, and a low-voltage battery that stores electrical power for various units. The installation arrangement is configured such that an intersection of a longitudinal center line and a lateral center line of the vehicle overlaps the high-voltage battery as seen in a plan view. In the front section of the vehicle, the front motor is arranged on one side of the longitudinal center line, and the internal combustion engine is arranged on the other side of the longitudinal center line. In the rear section of the vehicle, the low-voltage battery is arranged on one side of the longitudinal center line, and the rear motor is arranged on the other side of the longitudinal center line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryota Imura, Kei Nakazato
  • Patent number: 11891939
    Abstract: An under-floor catalyst (33) includes a GPF (41) capable of trapping fine exhaust particles in exhaust gas, and a downstream-side catalyst (42) positioned on the downstream side of GPF (41). GPF (41) can be supplied with secondary air. When an internal combustion engine (10) is stopped during travel, the secondary air is supplied to GPF (41) in which the fine exhaust particles are accumulated. At this time, the temperature of GPF (41) is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature. Thus, a deterioration in the exhaust gas purification performance of under-floor catalyst (33) at the time of the start of internal combustion engine (10) can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jin Yokoyama, Kouichi Murakami, Akikazu Sakai
  • Patent number: 11891052
    Abstract: A parking control method causes a control device of a vehicle to execute a first control instruction for moving the vehicle along a first route to a target parking space, on the basis of an operation command acquired from an operator located outside the vehicle. This method includes, when execution of the first control instruction is suspended or canceled, calculating a second route for the vehicle to leave with a predetermined distance or more from an object detected around the vehicle and causing the control device to execute a second control instruction for moving the vehicle along the second route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Suzuki, Yasuhisa Hayakawa