Vehicle state estimating apparatus, suspension control apparatus and suspension system

A suspension control apparatus operable to send an instruction signal to a control suspension which generates variable control force, comprising:

• a second motion state amount estimating unit operable to estimate at least one second motion state amount of a vehicle which is different from a first motion state amount corresponding to a motion state amount of the vehicle which is output by the vehicle;
• and
• a vehicle vibration controller operable to calculate the instruction signal based on the first motion state amount and the second motion state amount;
• wherein the second motion state amount estimating unit comprises
• a control force estimating unit operable to calculate an estimated static control force based on the static characteristic of the control suspension, and
• an observer which receives the estimated static control force as an input variable;
• the observer comprises
• a dynamic characteristic providing unit operable to calculate an estimated dynamic control force from the estimated static control force,
• a vehicle model operable to calculate an estimated first motion state amount and an estimated second motion state amount of the vehicle from the estimated dynamic control force,
• a dynamic characteristic gain unit operable to calculate a dynamic characteristic compensating signal from an output deviation corresponding to a difference between the first motion state amount provided from the vehicle and the estimated first motion state amount provided from the vehicle model, and
• a vehicle model gain unit operable to calculate a vehicle model compensating signal from the output deviation;
• and
• the dynamic characteristic compensating signal and the vehicle model compensating signal are fed back into the dynamic characteristic providing unit and the vehicle model, respectively.

A suspension system, comprising:

• a control suspension which generates variable control force;
• and
• a suspension control apparatus operable to send an instruction signal to the control suspension;
• wherein the suspension control apparatus comprises
• a second motion state amount estimating unit operable to estimate at least one second motion state amount of a vehicle which is different from a first motion state amount corresponding to a motion state amount of the vehicle which is output by the vehicle, and
• a vehicle vibration controller operable to calculate the instruction signal based on the first motion state amount and the second motion state amount;
• the second motion state amount estimating unit comprises
• a control force estimating unit operable to calculate an estimated static control force based on the static characteristic of the control suspension, and
• an observer which receives the estimated static control force as an input variable;
• the observer comprises
• a dynamic characteristic providing unit operable to calculate an estimated dynamic control force from the estimated static control force,
• a vehicle model operable to calculate an estimated first motion state amount and an estimated second motion state amount of the vehicle from the estimated dynamic control force,
• a dynamic characteristic gain unit operable to calculate a dynamic characteristic compensating signal from an output deviation corresponding to a difference between the first motion state amount provided from the vehicle and the estimated first motion state amount provided from the vehicle model, and
• a vehicle model gain unit operable to calculate a vehicle model compensating signal from the output deviation;
• and
• the dynamic characteristic compensating signal and the vehicle model compensating signal are fed back into the dynamic characteristic providing unit and the vehicle model, respectively.