Vehicle load management
AssigneeContinental Automotive Systems, Inc.
InventorVaughn James Swanson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of managing a vehicle load comprises measuring for one of a plurality of tire pressures with a tire sensor associated with each of the plurality of tires and a plurality of pressures and heights with a plurality of suspension sensors associated with each of a plurality of corner assemblies for an air suspension system. The vehicle load is calculated for each of the plurality of corner assemblies with an ECU based on the measured data. At least one load dependent vehicle characteristic is calculated based on the vehicle load at the individual corner assemblies with the ECU. At least one vehicle operating parameter is adjusted to compensate for the at least one load dependent vehicle characteristic.
Claims20
A vehicle load management system comprising:
- a plurality of tire sensors, wherein each of the plurality of tire sensors measures at least a pressure for an associated tire;
- an air suspension system having corner assemblies, wherein one corner assembly is located at a suspension position corresponding to each of the wheel corners for the vehicle and an air supply unit including an ECU connected to the corner assemblies, wherein the air supply unit is capable of independently adjusting the corner assemblies from one another;
- a plurality of suspension sensors , wherein each of the plurality of suspension sensors measures at least a pressure and a height for an associated corner assembly;
- wherein the vehicle load at the individual corner assemblies can be calculated based upon the data from at least one of the plurality of tire sensors and the plurality of suspension sensors;
- and
- wherein the vehicle load at each corner is used to calculate at least one load dependent vehicle characteristic which can be used by a vehicle system to adjust at least one vehicle operating parameter to compensate for the at least one load dependent vehicle characteristic.
A vehicle load management system comprising:
- a plurality of tire sensors, wherein each of the plurality of tire sensors measures at least a pressure for an associated tire;
- an air suspension system having four corner assemblies, wherein one corner assembly is located at a suspension position corresponding to each of the wheel corners for the vehicle and an air supply unit, wherein the air supply unit is capable of independently adjusting the corner assemblies from one another;
- a plurality of suspension sensors , wherein each of the plurality of suspension sensors measures at least a pressure and a height for an associated corner assembly;
- and
- an ECU connected to the corner assemblies, wherein the ECU includes instructions for;
- calculating vehicle load at the individual corner assemblies based upon the data from one of the plurality of tire sensors and the plurality of suspension sensors;
- calculating at least one load dependent vehicle characteristic based on the vehicle load at the individual corner assemblies;
- and
- adjusting at least one vehicle operating parameter to compensate for the at least one load dependent vehicle characteristic.
A method of managing a vehicle load comprising:
- measuring for one of;
- a plurality of tire pressures with a tire sensor associated with each of the plurality of tires;
- and
- a plurality of pressures and heights with a plurality of suspension sensors associated with each of a plurality of corner assemblies for an air suspension system;
- calculating vehicle load at each of the plurality of corner assemblies with an ECU based on the measured data;
- calculating at least one load dependent vehicle characteristic based on the vehicle load at the individual corner assemblies with the ECU;
- and
- adjusting at least one vehicle operating parameter to compensate for the at least one load dependent vehicle characteristic.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.