Vehicle suspension system and method

A vehicle suspension system for an associated vehicle having an associated unsprung mass and an associated sprung mass supported on the associated unsprung mass, said vehicle suspension system comprising:

• a fluid spring assembly operatively disposed between the associated sprung and unsprung masses and operating at a fluid pressure;
• an adjustable-rate damping member operatively disposed between the associated sprung and unsprung masses;
• and,
• a control system including a pressure sensor and a controller, said pressure sensor in communication with said fluid spring assembly and operative to generate a pressure signal corresponding to said fluid pressure, said controller in communication with said pressure sensor for receiving said pressure signal and in communication with said adjustable-rate damping member, said controller including a memory storing first through sixth predetermined damping rate values and a plurality of pressure ranges with each of said plurality of pressure ranges associated with at least one of said first through sixth damping rates, and said controller being capable of identifying said one of said first through sixth damping rates based at least in part on which one of said plurality of pressure ranges said fluid pressure falls within such that said control system is operable to:
• select a damping rate value for said adjustable-rate damping member from said first through sixth damping rate values stored in said memory based at least in part on said pressure signal;
• generate a damper adjustment signal corresponding to said selected damping rate value;
• and,
• communicate said damper adjustment signal to said adjustable-rate damping member.

A method of controlling a suspension system of a vehicle, the suspension system including an adjustable-rate damper and an air spring operating at an air pressure, said method comprising:

• a) providing a pressure sensor in communication with the air spring and generating a pressure signal having a relation to said air spring pressure using said pressure sensor;
• b) providing an electronic controller in communication with said pressure sensor and said adjustable-rate damper, said electronic controller including a memory storing no more than six predetermined damping rate values and a plurality of air pressure ranges with each air pressure range of said plurality of air pressure ranges being associated with one of said no more than six predetermined damping rate values;
• c) communicating said pressure signal from said pressure sensor to said electronic controller;
• d) identifying a target damping rate from one of said no more than six predetermined damping rate values using said electronic controller based at least partially on said pressure signal by comparing said air spring pressure with said plurality of air pressure ranges and selecting said target damping rate based upon which of said plurality of air pressure ranges said air spring pressure falls within;
• e) generating a damper adjustment signal having a relation to said target damping rate using said electronic controller and communicating said damper adjustment signal to the adjustable-rate damper;
• and,
• f) altering the adjustable-rate damper for operation at approximately said target damping rate using said damper adjustment signal.