Patents Assigned to Nissan North America, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11027751
    Abstract: Methods and vehicles may be configured to gain experience in the form of state-action and/or action-observation histories for an operational scenario as the vehicle traverses a vehicle transportation network. The histories may be incorporated into a model in the form of learning to improve the model over time. The learning may be used to improve integration with human behavior. Driver feedback may be used in the learning examples to improve future performance and to integrate with human behavior. The learning may be used to create customized scenario solutions. The learning may be used to transfer a learned solution and apply the learned solution to a similar scenario.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignees: Nissan North America, Inc., The University of Massachusetts, Renault S.A.S.
    Inventors: Kyle Hollins Wray, Stefan Witwicki, Shlomo Zilberstein
  • Patent number: 11031830
    Abstract: A vehicle system for providing a service to a mobile device includes a WiFi emitter configured to emit a plurality of WiFi signals, each of the plurality of WiFi signals corresponding to a respective zone within the vehicle, and a WiFi control module that selectively controls the WiFi emitter to emit one or more signals to respective zones. Each zone corresponds to a particular occupant area within the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Sean Oliverio
  • Patent number: 11016485
    Abstract: Exception handing, such as of obstruction situations, by an autonomous vehicle (AV) is disclosed. A method includes identifying an exception situation; identifying a risk associated with autonomously resolving the exception situation; and in response to the risk exceeding a risk threshold, initiating a request for assistance from a tele-operator, and halting for the tele-operator to respond to the request; and receiving a response from the tele-operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignees: Nissan North America, Inc., Renault S.A.S.
    Inventors: Liam Pedersen, Ali Mortazavi, Stefan Witwicki, Christopher Ostafew
  • Patent number: 11001200
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant warning system includes a receiver, an electronic controller and a mitigation device. The receiver is disposed onboard a host vehicle and is configured to receive remote vehicle information representing a travel condition of a remote vehicle. The electronic is controller configured to determine whether the remote vehicle will pass adjacent a side of the host based on the remote vehicle information. The mitigation device is configured to perform a mitigation operation to prevent an occupant of the host vehicle from exiting the host vehicle when instructed by the electronic controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Neal Probert, Roy Goudy, Jeremy Chambers
  • Patent number: 10994787
    Abstract: A vehicle splash guard includes a flexible body and a body panel attachment area. The body panel attachment area is integrated with the flexible body, the body panel attachment area is configured to abut a vehicle body panel component, the body panel attachment area including a pair of positioning tabs extending towards the vehicle body panel component and receiving the vehicle body panel component therebetween in a state in which the splash guard is installed to the vehicle body panel component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Long Vu
  • Patent number: 10994748
    Abstract: According to some implementations of the present disclosure, a method for controlling an autonomous vehicle is disclosed. The method includes traversing the transportation network in accordance with a route and receiving vehicle sensor data from one or more vehicle sensors of the autonomous vehicle. The method also includes determining that the autonomous vehicle has encountered an occlusion scenario based on the vehicle sensor data. In response to determining that the autonomous vehicle has encountered the occlusion scenario, the method includes transmitting a request for infrastructure data to an external resource via a communication network, receiving infrastructure data from the external resource, determining a control action for the autonomous vehicle to perform based on the infrastructure data and the vehicle sensor data, and controlling the autonomous vehicle based on the control action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignees: Nissan North America, Inc., Renault S.A.S.
    Inventors: Ali Mortazavi, Maarten Sierhuis, Liam Pedersen
  • Patent number: 10995924
    Abstract: A headlight lens assembly includes a projector lens portion and an outer portion. The projector lens portion is configured to couple to a projector, and is formed by a multi-step molding process. The outer portion is formed as one piece with the projector lens portion during at least one step of the multi-step molding process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Kyle Happy
  • Patent number: 10967801
    Abstract: A vehicle step mounting assembly includes a vehicle frame member, a first mounting bracket and a retractable step assembly. The first mounting bracket is attached to the vehicle frame member, with the first mounting bracket being cantilevered from the vehicle frame member in an outboard direction. The retractable step assembly has a second mounting bracket and at least one step retraction link attached to an underside of the second mounting bracket. An upper side of the second mounting bracket is attached to the first mounting bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Sam Kaddouh, Josiah E. Wilson, III
  • Patent number: 10967907
    Abstract: A vehicle front end structure includes an engine cradle and a force receiving structure. The engine cradle has a front corner and an engine mounted to the engine cradle. The force receiving structure has a force receiving surface extending laterally outboard from proximate the front corner of the engine cradle and a force directing section located rearward of the force receiving surface. The force receiving structure is installed to the engine cradle by a vertically oriented first mechanical fastener designed and structured such that during an impact event where an impacting force is applied to the force receiving surface, the force receiving structure pivots about the first mechanical fastener with an outboard portion of the force receiving surface initially moving rearward relative to the engine cradle and the force directing section initially moving laterally inboard contacting the engine and imparting a portion of the impacting force thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kaoru Kobayashi, Naoya Kodama, Masaya Innami, Tadahiro Kawano, Jason Lyman
  • Patent number: 10968671
    Abstract: A hinge assembly for a vehicle closure panel includes a body mounting member configured to mount the hinge assembly to a vehicle body, a closure panel mounting member configured to mount the hinge assembly to the vehicle closure panel and a hinge connecting arm pivotally connected by a first pivotal connection at a first end to the body mounting member and pivotally connected by a second pivotal connection at a second end to the closure panel mounting member. A first fastening member is movably received by the closure panel mounting member. A first stop member limits movement of the first fastening member in a first direction toward the closure panel mounting member. A second stop member limits movement of the first fastening member in a second direction away from the closure panel mounting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignees: Nissan North America, Inc., Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Debraj Dey, Scott Watson, David Kovie, Ryohei Moriya
  • Patent number: 10969079
    Abstract: A vehicle taillamp assembly includes an attachment bracket and a lamp housing. The attachment bracket is configured for secure attachment to a vehicle body structure. The attachment bracket has an upright extending portion, an upper horizontally extending portion and a lower horizontally extending portion. The upright extending portion has a first projection extending therefrom and a second projection extending therefrom. The lamp housing is configured to attach to the first projection and the second projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Dearing, Scott Nydam, Kyle Happy
  • Patent number: 10967806
    Abstract: A cell phone holder structure includes a first part and a second part. The first part defines a downwardly facing recessed area. The second part is located below the first part and defines at least a first recessed area and a second recessed area. A first mobile device has a first dimension that allows the first mobile device to be inserted and retained between the first recessed area and the downwardly facing recessed area. A second mobile device has a second dimension greater than the first dimension that allows the second mobile device to be inserted and retained between the second recessed area and the downwardly facing recessed area. A display of the one of the first and second mobile devices set between the first part and the second part is viewable by a vehicle operator seated within the passenger compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Paulo Pliego
  • Patent number: 10972544
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle communication method comprises sensing a condition associated with the autonomous vehicle, and initiating, by a controller in response to the sensing of the condition, communication pertaining to the autonomous vehicle between a vehicle manager remote to the autonomous vehicle and an external agent external to the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle communication method further comprises controlling the autonomous vehicle remotely in response to a command that is based on the condition associated with the autonomous vehicle and the communication between the vehicle manager and the external agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Jingyi Zhang, Erik Stayton, Melissa Cefkin
  • Patent number: 10967782
    Abstract: A taillight assembly includes a lamp housing and a deformable member. The lamp housing is configured to be fixedly supported to a movable panel of a vehicle body structure. The lamp housing is positioned relative to an overhang of the movable panel such that the lamp housing and the overhang are separated by a space. The deformable member is attached to the lamp housing and disposed within the space. The deformable member has a first exposed surface that substantially aligns with a second exposed surface of the lamp housing and a third exposed surface of the overhang.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Mario Alberto Carrillo Pereira
  • Patent number: 10960928
    Abstract: The vehicle structure includes a vehicle frame and a stop structure. The vehicle frame has a first side member and a second side member. The first and second side members have respective front ends with each of the first side member and the second side member extending rearward from the front ends in a vehicle longitudinal direction. The stop structure is installed to the first side member at a location rearward of a front suspension structure. The stop structure extends in an outboard direction from the first side member. The stop structure has a top surface, a bottom surface, a forward-facing surface, and a rear surface. The bottom surface has a concaved area that extends from the forward-facing surface to the rear surface. The concaved area is dimensioned to receive a conduit such that the conduit is received and at least partially concealed within the concaved area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick Grattan
  • Patent number: 10960712
    Abstract: A tire tread wear system may include one or more vehicle sensors and a processor. The processor may include a control module, a geometrical model, a machine learning model, and a switch. The geometrical model may be configured to collect data from the vehicle sensors to determine a dynamic rolling radius of a tire. The geometrical model may be configured to output a tread wear estimation based on the dynamic rolling radius of the tire. The machine learning model may be configured to collect data from the vehicle sensors. The machine learning model may be configured to output a tread wear estimation based on a correlation of the tread wear estimation output from the geometrical model and one or more data instances with a tire tread state. The switch may be configured to activate the geometrical model, the machine learning model, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Gian Luca Storti, Mumtaz Vauhkonen, Gregory D. Dibb
  • Publication number: 20210078602
    Abstract: Traversing, by an autonomous vehicle, a vehicle transportation network, may include identifying a distinct vehicle operational scenario, wherein traversing the vehicle transportation network includes traversing a portion of the vehicle transportation network that includes the distinct vehicle operational scenario, communicating shared scenario-specific operational control management data associated with the distinct vehicle operational scenario with an external shared scenario-specific operational control management system, operating a scenario-specific operational control evaluation module instance including an instance of a scenario-specific operational control evaluation model of the distinct vehicle operational scenario, and wherein operating the scenario-specific operational control evaluation module instance includes identifying a policy for the scenario-specific operational control evaluation model, receiving a candidate vehicle control action from the policy for the scenario-specific operational contr
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Applicants: Nissan North America, Inc., The University of Massachusetts
    Inventors: Kyle Hollins WRAY, Stefan WITWICKI, Shlomo ZILBERSTEIN
  • Patent number: 10946511
    Abstract: A technician's work chair having a frame, an air cushion assembly, a seat assembly, and air hose and a pivoting hose support. The air cushion assembly is attached to the frame and supports the frame on an air cushion formed above a floor surface. The seat assembly has a cushion portion on the frame and a seatback portion with a mechanism that changes an angle of inclination of the seatback portion. A technician seated in the seat assembly can ergonomically operate tools and complete tasks with arms raised over the technician's head. The air hose having a first end connected to a compressed air source and a second end connected to the air cushion assembly. The pivoting hose support biases the air hose to move in a rearward direction relative to the technician's work chair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Mohammed Jamila
  • Patent number: 10941918
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp assembly includes a lamp lens having a smooth surface and a contoured surface. The contoured has a first portion, a second portion and a central section that together define a linear Fresnel lens. The first portion has a plurality of first parallel grooves and projections shaped to direct light passing therethrough in predetermined directions. The second portion has a plurality of second parallel grooves and projections shaped to direct light passing therethrough in directions approximately parallel to the predetermined directions of the first portion. The central section is disposed between the first portion and the second portion and has a first section with a vertex located a first distance from the smooth surface and a second section with a vertex located a second distance away from the smooth surface. The first section and the second section are adjacent to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Kyle Happy
  • Patent number: 10940785
    Abstract: A vehicle holding unit includes a cupholder and a holding member. The cupholder has a sidewall defining a cup receiving area. The holding member having a base movable between a stowed position and a deployed position. The base being mainly vertical in the stowed position. The base being mainly horizontal and extends into the cup receiving area in the deployed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Oliver Ruben Acosta Campos