Integrated vehicle braking system
AssigneeClearMotion, Inc.
InventorAllen Chung-Hao Chen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle control system for a vehicle having a braking system and active suspension system is provided. The vehicle control system may be configured to adjust a normal component of a wheel force at one or more wheels of the vehicle to increase an average traction force at the one or more wheels during a braking event. The vehicle control system may adjust a normal component of a wheel force at one or more wheels based on reference road information, forward-looking road information, and/or vehicle sensor data.
Claims18
A vehicle comprising:
- a first wheel;
- a second wheel;
- a braking system configured to apply braking force to the first wheel and the second wheel;
- an active suspension system operatively coupled to the first wheel and the second wheel, wherein the active suspension system is configured to apply active forces to the first wheel and the second wheel in at least one mode of operation to adjust a normal component of a first wheel contact force between the first wheel and a road surface and to adjust a normal component of a second wheel contact force between the second wheel and the road surface, wherein the first wheel is a front wheel of the vehicle, the second wheel is a rear wheel of the vehicle, and the first wheel and second wheel are positioned at opposite corners of the vehicle;
- a forward-looking road information system configured to receive forward-looking road information;
- and
- at least one processor configured to control the braking system and the active suspension system, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
- receive the forward-looking road information from the forward-looking road information system,
- detect a road disturbance based on the forward-looking road information received from the forward-looking road information system, the road disturbance comprising a change in friction of the road surface relative to a nominal road friction,
- control the braking system and the active suspension system based at least partially on the detected road disturbance, and
- control the active suspension system to increase the normal component of the first wheel and the normal component of the second wheel based at least partially on the detected road disturbance, such that a twist force is applied to the vehicle during braking.
A method of controlling a vehicle including a braking system and an active suspension system, wherein the active suspension system is operatively coupled to a first wheel and a second wheel, wherein the first wheel is a front wheel of the vehicle and the second wheel is a rear wheel of the vehicle, and the first wheel and the second wheel are positioned at opposite corners of the vehicle, the method comprising:
- receiving forward-looking road information with a forward-looking road information system;
- determining a presence of a road disturbance based on the forward-looking road information, wherein a friction of the road disturbance is less than a nominal road friction;
- controlling the braking system and the active suspension system based at least partially on the road disturbance, wherein controlling the active suspension system includes applying active forces to the first wheel and the second wheel to adjust a normal component of a first wheel contact force between the first wheel and a road surface and to adjust a normal component of a second wheel contact force between the second wheel and the road surface;
- and
- during braking, controlling the active suspension system to apply a twist force to the vehicle by increasing the normal component of the first wheel contact force and the normal component of the second wheel contact force.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.