Vehicle suspension event recording and/or reporting system
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsCalvin Trescott, Keith Weston, Michael Alan Mcnees, Stuart C. Salter, Brendan Diamond
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle monitoring system may include a sensor network operably coupled to suspension components of the vehicle and a controller operably coupled to the sensor network to determine a suspension event and vehicle speed, initiation angle and duration time associated with the suspension event. The controller further determines a vertical and/or horizontal component of the distance traveled during the suspension event based on the vehicle speed, initiation angle and duration time.
Claims19
A vehicle monitoring system comprising:
- a sensor network operably coupled to suspension components of the vehicle;
- and
- a controller operably coupled to the sensor network to determine a suspension event and vehicle speed, initiation angle and duration time associated with the suspension event,
- wherein the controller further determines a vertical and/or horizontal component of a distance traveled during the suspension event based on the vehicle speed, initiation angle and duration time,
- wherein the sensor network includes ride height sensors,
- wherein the ride height sensors determine a start and an end of the suspension event based on an amount of suspension droop measured for the vehicle, and
- wherein the start and the end of the suspension event is determined responsive to a selection of a suspension event mode and the vehicle being operated in a geo-fenced location that is reserved for off-road vehicle operation.
A method of monitoring vehicle operation for a suspension event, the method comprising:
- receiving sensor information from a sensor network of the vehicle;
- determining when a suspension event occurs based on the sensor information;
- determining vehicle speed and initiation angle at a start of the suspension event and duration time associated with the suspension event responsive to an end of the suspension event;
- and
- determining a vertical and/or horizontal component of distance traveled during the suspension event based on the vehicle speed, initiation angle and the duration time,
- wherein the determining of the vertical and/or horizontal component of the distance traveled is calculated using a modified vehicle speed,
- wherein the modified vehicle speed is the vehicle speed corrected for tire slip, and
- wherein the start of the suspension event and the end of the suspension event is determined by a vehicle ride height being over a ride height threshold for a pre-determined period of time and camera detection of a vertical distance above ground.
A vehicle monitoring system comprising:
- a sensor network operably coupled to suspension components of the vehicle;
- and
- a controller operably coupled to the sensor network to determine a suspension event and vehicle speed, initiation angle and duration time associated with the suspension event,
- wherein the controller further determines a vertical and/or horizontal component of a distance traveled during the suspension event based on the vehicle speed, initiation angle and duration time,
- wherein the sensor network comprises a camera, radar or lidar,
- wherein the vertical component of the distance traveled is determined based on a vertical distance measured above ground after maximum suspension droop during the suspension event detected via the camera, radar or lidar, and
- wherein the maximum suspension droop is a ride height where the vehicle is not exerting any contact forces on the ground determined via the sensor network.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.