Ride performance optimization in an active suspension system
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsRuss Lee NORTON, Ben BULAT, Gregory SUTER, Albert Chenouda SALIB, David Michael RUSSELL, Uwe HOFFMANN, Marc SUERMANN
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An active vehicle suspension system includes an active damping mechanism operatively coupled to a vehicle wheel and configured for controlling a damping force applied to the wheel responsive to a control signal. A controller is operatively coupled to the damping mechanism and configured for generating a control signal to the damping mechanism responsive to velocity of the wheel in a downward vertical direction.
Claims20
A method of controlling a vehicle suspension for a wheel via a controller, the method comprising:
- repeatedly calculating a vertical velocity of the wheel until the vertical velocity exceeds a first velocity threshold;
- in response to the vertical velocity exceeding the first velocity threshold, initiating a timer and maintaining a damping level of an adjustable damping mechanism of the vehicle suspension at an initial value while repeatedly recalculating the vertical velocity of the wheel until the recalculated vertical velocity exceeds a second velocity threshold;
- and
- in response to the recalculated vertical velocity exceeding the second velocity threshold before the timer exceeds a first time threshold, sending an adjustment signal to the adjustable damping mechanism of the vehicle suspension to increase the damping level of the suspension.
A vehicle suspension system, comprising:
- an active damping mechanism operatively coupled to a vehicle wheel and configured to control damping applied to the wheel;
- and
- a controller operatively coupled to the active damping mechanism, the controller being configured to:
- repeatedly calculate a vertical velocity of the wheel until the vertical velocity exceeds a first velocity threshold;
- in response to the vertical velocity exceeding the first velocity threshold, initiate a timer and maintain a damping level of the active damping mechanism at an initial value of damping while repeatedly recalculating the vertical velocity of the wheel until the recalculated vertical velocity exceeds a second velocity threshold;
- and
- in response to the recalculated vertical velocity exceeding the second velocity threshold before the timer exceeds a first time threshold, adjust the active damping mechanism to increase the damping level applied to the wheel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.