Vehicle attitude modification
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorAndrew E. Fida
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for modifying an attitude of a vehicle are disclosed. A user selects a trailer mode for a vehicle body. The selected trailer mode has a corresponding configuration. The vehicle determines one or more features about a trailer based on the selected trailer mode. The vehicle determines a location of a trailer hitch needed to achieve the configuration corresponding to the selected trailer mode. The location is based on the one or more features about the trailer. The vehicle actuates at least one active component in the vehicle's active suspension system to change the attitude of the vehicle body so as to cause the trailer hitch to be located in the determined location thereby causing the vehicle body to be in the selected trailer mode.
Claims20
An attitude modification system in a vehicle having a trailer attached thereto, the system comprising:
- an active suspension system connected to a body of the vehicle, the active suspension system including at least one active component structured for controlling a distance between the vehicle body and a wheel of the vehicle so as to change an attitude of the vehicle body;
- one or more processors operatively connected to the active suspension system;
- and
- a memory operatively connected to the one or more processors for storing data and program instructions usable by the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to:
- receive a selection of a trailer mode;
- receive one or more commands in accordance with the selected trailer mode;
- and
- actuate the at least one active component in the active suspension system of the vehicle to control the distance between the vehicle body and the wheel of the vehicle so as to change the attitude of the vehicle body, so as to change the configuration of the attached trailer.
An attitude modification system in a vehicle in an immobile state, comprising:
- an active suspension system including at least one active component for controlling a distance between a vehicle body and a wheel, the active suspension system being configured to change an attitude of the vehicle body;
- a trailer hitch structured to enable attachment of a trailer thereto;
- and
- a processor operatively connected to the active suspension system, the processor configured to initiate executable instructions to receive a selection of a trailer mode;
- and
- determine a target location of the trailer hitch needed to achieve a configuration associated with the selected trailer mode;
- and
- actuate the at least one active component in the active suspension system of the vehicle to change the attitude of the vehicle body so as to cause the trailer hitch to have the target location.
A method of modifying an attitude of a vehicle in an immobile state, the method comprising steps of:
- receiving a selection of a trailer mode associated with a corresponding configuration;
- determining one or more features about a trailer based on the selected trailer mode;
- determining a location of a trailer hitch needed to achieve the configuration corresponding to the selected trailer mode, the location being based on the one or more features about the trailer;
- and
- actuating at least one active component in an active suspension system of the vehicle to change an attitude of the vehicle body so as to cause the trailer hitch to be located in the determined location, thereby causing the vehicle body to be in the selected trailer mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.