Patents by Inventor Hisashi Niioka
Hisashi Niioka has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Patent number: 9751423Abstract: A vehicle control system has a battery installed in a vehicle and capable of being charged with electricity supplied from an external power source outside the vehicle, an auxiliary device that operates by consuming the electricity supplied from the external power source or the battery, a communication unit that transmits information about the vehicle outward from the vehicle, and a control unit that directs the communication unit to transmit information about predetermined notice to a user of the vehicle when a predetermined condition for activating the auxiliary device is fulfilled and when the external power source is not available. The predetermined condition is that a request for activating the auxiliary device is made but the auxiliary device cannot start or continue operating.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2013Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTDInventors: Hisashi Niioka, Naoki Yamamoto
-
Patent number: 9608280Abstract: Provided is a battery temperature control device configured to automatically heat a battery with a battery-driven heater so that the battery does not freeze at a minimum electric power consumption when the battery is out of use. The battery temperature control device predicts, based on a combination of a battery temperature and an outside air temperature, a predictive time that the battery temperature is likely to be less than a first set temperature, while the battery temperature is higher than or equal to the first set temperature at which there is no risk of freezing, and sets the predictive time as the next controller startup time, and determines whether or not the battery temperature has fallen to below the first set temperature with a control program wakeup when the predictive time has expired, and battery-drives the heater when the battery temperature fall has occurred, to heat the battery.Type: GrantFiled: February 29, 2012Date of Patent: March 28, 2017Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Takuya Kinoshita, Atsushi Takano, Takashi Iimori, Kazuhiko Okino, Hisashi Niioka, Naoki Yamamoto
-
Patent number: 9496734Abstract: When completion of timer charge before elapse of a designated time is designated by a timer charge reservation means for allowing a user to designate a predetermined charge time zone and a target amount of electric power to be charged to the battery, a timer charge start time is determined. Upon carrying out the timer charge, when it is predicted that the timer charge and battery heating are simultaneously carried out, a required amount of extension of a charge time period is determined so as to complete charge of the battery by the designated time, and starts charge of the battery at a time advanced relative to the timer charge start time by the required amount of extension of a charge time period. With this control, charge of the battery can be completed at a predetermined time without unnecessary enhancement in a required capacity of a battery heater.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2012Date of Patent: November 15, 2016Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Naoki Yamamoto, Kazuhiko Okino, Hisashi Niioka, Shinsuke Higuchi, Takashi Iimori, Atsushi Takano
-
Patent number: 9455481Abstract: At a timing of time t1 battery temperature Tbat lowers to Tbat_start and a warm-up request occurs, SOC at this time is a level, like time t2, which allows a vehicle to travel by itself up to a battery charging facility and allows a battery charger to be connected to the battery charging facility. Since a warm-up permission judging value is set to SOCs_low that is substantially 0 at time t1, in response to judgment of “SOC?SOCs_low (?0)”, warm-up of the battery is carried out from time t1 as shown by a solid line, then Tbat can be increased from time t1. A battery charge time can be thus shortened. With this, in order that the battery does not freeze while the battery is unused, a control that warms up the battery by a battery-driven heater is performed while shortening the battery charge time.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2012Date of Patent: September 27, 2016Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Tsutomu Soga, Atsushi Takano, Naoki Yamamoto, Takashi Iimori, Kazuhiko Okino, Hisashi Niioka
-
Patent number: 9246201Abstract: Even when temperature sensors (12, 13) used in a device for warming a battery (1) being not in use by using a battery-driven heater (2) have failed, the battery (1) is prevented from freezing. Based on a battery temperature (Tb) and an outside air temperature (Ta), times (?t1 to ?t8) during which Tb will decrease down to a warming start temperature (Tb_start) are each set to the next controller startup time (?t). A controller (9) is started up every ?t, at t2, t3, and t4, and checks whether Tb<Tb_start is satisfied or not. At t4 when Tb<Tb_start is satisfied, a heater (2) is battery-driven to warm the battery (1). After t0 when the outside air temperature sensor (13) fails, the outside air temperature (Ta) is set to a fixed value (Ta_const) and based on this Ta=Ta_const and the battery temperature (Tb), the above control is repeated.Type: GrantFiled: February 29, 2012Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Yuki Takanezawa, Atsushi Takano, Takashi Iimori, Kazuhiko Okino, Hisashi Niioka, Naoki Yamamoto
-
Publication number: 20150210181Abstract: A vehicle control system has a battery installed in a vehicle and capable of being charged with electricity supplied from an external power source outside the vehicle, an auxiliary device that operates by consuming the electricity supplied from the external power source or the battery, a communication unit that transmits information about the vehicle outward from the vehicle, and a control unit that directs the communication unit to transmit information about predetermined notice to a user of the vehicle when a predetermined condition for activating the auxiliary device is fulfilled and when the external power source is not available. The predetermined condition is that a request for activating the auxiliary device is made but the auxiliary device cannot start or continue operating.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2013Publication date: July 30, 2015Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hisashi Niioka, Naoki Yamamoto
-
Patent number: 8962204Abstract: A fuel cell stack includes a heat exchange unit that performs heat exchange between a gas mixture containing source hydrogen and a circulating gas and cooling water used for controlling the temperature of the fuel cell stack. A system controller adjusts the temperature of the cooling water by controlling a temperature control unit on the basis of the temperature of source hydrogen flowing into a junction at which the source hydrogen and a circulating gas are mixed such that the temperature of a source/recirculated hydrogen mixture that is mixed at the junction and that is supplied to the fuel cell stack is kept within a managed temperature range.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2008Date of Patent: February 24, 2015Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Yonekura, Masatoshi Iio, Hisashi Niioka, Takatada Usami, Hayato Chikugo, Mitsunori Kumada, Naoto Todoroki, Ikuhiro Taniguchi, Yoshinao Ootake, Hitoshi Igarashi
-
Publication number: 20130302658Abstract: At a timing of time t1 battery temperature Tbat_lowers to Tbat_start and a warm-up request occurs, SOC at this time is a level, like time t2, which allows a vehicle to travel by itself up to a battery charging facility and allows a battery charger to be connected to the battery charging facility. Since a warm-up permission judging value is set to SOCs_low that is substantially 0 at time t1, in response to judgment of “SOC?SOCs_low (?0)”, warm-up of the battery is carried out from time t1 as shown by a solod line, then Tbat can be increased from time t1. A battery charge time can be thus shortened. With this, in order that the battery does not freeze while the battery is unused, a control that warms up the battery by a battery-driven heater is performed while shortening the battery charge time.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2012Publication date: November 14, 2013Inventors: Tsutomu Soga, Atsushi Takano, Naoki Yamamoto, Takashi Iimori, Kazuhiko Okino, Hisashi Niioka
-
Publication number: 20130288089Abstract: Provided is a battery temperature control device configured to automatically heat a battery with a battery-driven heater so that the battery does not freeze at a minimum electric power consumption when the battery is out of use. The battery temperature control device predicts, based on a combination of a battery temperature and an outside air temperature, a predictive time that the battery temperature is likely to be less than a first set temperature, while the battery temperature is higher than or equal to the first set temperature at which there is no risk of freezing, and sets the predictive time as the next controller startup time, and determines whether or not the battery temperature has fallen to below the first set temperature with a control program wakeup when the predictive time has expired, and battery-drives the heater when the battery temperature fall has occurred, to heat the battery.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 29, 2012Publication date: October 31, 2013Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., LtdInventors: Takuya Kinoshita, Atsushi Takano, Takashi Iimori, Kazuhiko Okino, Hisashi Niioka, Naoki Yamamoto
-
Publication number: 20130183554Abstract: Even when temperature sensors (12, 13) used in a device for warming a battery (1) being not in use by using a battery-driven heater (2) have failed, the battery (1) is prevented from freezing. Based on a battery temperature (Tb) and an outside air temperature (Ta), times (?t1 to ?t8) during which Tb will decrease down to a warming start temperature (Tb_start) are each set to the next controller startup time (?t). A controller (9) is started up every ?t, at t2, t3, and t4, and checks whether Tb<Tb_start is satisfied or not. At t4 when Tb<Tb_start is satisfied, a heater (2) is battery-driven to warm the battery (1). After t0 when the outside air temperature sensor (13) fails, the outside air temperature (Ta) is set to a fixed value (Ta_const) and based on this Ta=Ta_const and the battery temperature (Tb), the above control is repeated.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 29, 2012Publication date: July 18, 2013Inventors: Yuki Takanezawa, Atsushi Takano, Takashi Iimori, Kazuhiko Okino, Hisashi Niioka, Naoki Yamamoto
-
Patent number: 8034142Abstract: A gas/liquid separator is provided in which separation performance for fluid into gas and liquid is enhanced. A gas/liquid separator includes a body which separates a circulation gas into water and hydrogen gas in a separating space, a supply port from which the circulation gas flows into the inner space, the supply port being provided on the side wall surface forming the separating space, and a discharge port through which the separated hydrogen gas flows out of the separating space, the discharge port being provided on the side wall surface. In this case, the discharge port is provided above the supply port.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2006Date of Patent: October 11, 2011Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Akihiro Sakakida, Hiroshi Tanaka, Junichi Hasegawa, Ken Nakayama, Kazuhiro Kageyama, Satoshi Okano, Takayoshi Nabeta, Yoshinori Nakano, Nobuo Sakatsume, Kotaro Akashi, Hisashi Niioka, Douglas Vanderwees, Mark Britton, Manaf Hasan, Craig Hogg
-
Publication number: 20100304260Abstract: A fuel cell stack includes a heat exchange unit that performs heat exchange between a gas mixture containing source hydrogen and a circulating gas and cooling water used for controlling the temperature of the fuel cell stack. A system controller adjusts the temperature of the cooling water by controlling a temperature control unit on the basis of the temperature of source hydrogen flowing into a junction at which the source hydrogen and a circulating gas are mixed such that the temperature of a source/recirculated hydrogen mixture that is mixed at the junction and that is supplied to the fuel cell stack is kept within a managed temperature range.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2008Publication date: December 2, 2010Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Yonekura, Masatoshi Iio, Hisashi Niioka, Takatada Usami, Hayato Chikugo, Mitsunori Kumada, Naoto Todoroki, Ikuhiro Taniguchi, Yoshinao Ootake, Hitoshi Igarashi
-
Publication number: 20090205297Abstract: A gas/liquid separator in which separation performance for fluid into gas and liquid is enhanced is provided. A gas/liquid separator 10 includes a body 40 which separates a circulation gas into water and hydrogen gas in a separating space S1, a supply port 45 from which the circulation gas flows into the inner space S1, the supply port 45 being provided on the side wall surface 43 forming the separating space S1, and a discharge port48 through which the separated hydrogen gas flows out of the separating space S1, the discharge port 48 being provided on the side wall surface 43. In this case, the discharge port 48 is provided above the supply port 45.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2006Publication date: August 20, 2009Applicants: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., DANA CANADA CORPORATIONInventors: Akihiro Sakakida, Hiroshi Tanaka, Junichi Hasegawa, Ken Nakayama, Kazuhiro Kageyama, Satoshi Okano, Takayoshi Nabeta, Yoshinori Nakano, Nobuo Sakatsume, Kotaro Akashi, Hisashi Niioka, Douglas Vanderwees, Mark Britton, Manaf Hasan, Craig Hogg