# US 9,434,229 B2 · Suspension control system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,434,229 B2 - Document ID: US9434229B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/002,707 - Filed: 2012-02-08 - Published: 2014-02-27 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2011-03-01 - Assignees: Protean Electric Limited - Applicants: Christopher David Hilton - Inventors: Christopher David Hilton - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9434229B2 ## CPC - B60G 17/0157: {non-fluid unit, e.g. electric motor} - B60G 17/08: Characteristics of fluid dampers (adjusting fluid dampers in general F16F9/44 - F16F9/53) - B60L 15/20: for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed - B60G 2204/30: In-wheel mountings - B60G 2300/50: Electric vehicles; Hybrid vehicles - B60G 2500/10: Damping action or damper - B60K 1/00: Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units (B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00) - B60K 7/0007: {the motor being electric} - B60L 2220/44: Wheel Hub motors, i.e. integrated in the wheel hub - B60L 2260/28: Four wheel or all wheel drive - Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility - B60G: VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS (air-cushion vehicles B60V; {cycle suspensions B62K25/00}) - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A suspension control system for a vehicle having a wheel (52) mounted to the vehicle via a suspension device mounted to a mounting point on the vehicle with an electric motor being arranged to apply to the wheel a torque for driving the wheel, the suspension control system comprising a controller arranged to modulate a torque applied to the wheel by the electric motor based on the relative longitudinal movement of the wheel with respect to the mounting point on the vehicle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A suspension control system for a vehicle having a vehicle body, a wheel and a suspension device, wherein the wheel is mounted to the suspension device and the suspension device is mounted to the vehicle body at a mounting point on the vehicle body with an electric motor being arranged to apply to the wheel a torque for driving the wheel, the suspension control system comprising a controller arranged to modulate a torque applied to the wheel by the electric motor to dampen longitudinal movement of the wheel relative to the mounting point on the vehicle body based on a relative longitudinal or vertical movement of the wheel with respect to the mounting point on the vehicle body. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A suspension control system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to modulate the torque applied to the wheel to increase movement of wheel relative to the mounting point on the vehicle body. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A suspension control system according to claim 1 wherein the controller is arranged to modulate torque applied to the wheel based on b2({dot over (x)}s−{dot over (x)}u)r, where b2 is a damping coefficient, {dot over (x)}s is a velocity of sprung mass of the vehicle, {dot over (x)}u is a velocity of the unsprung mass of the vehicle and r is a rolling radius of the wheel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A suspension control system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to modulate torque applied to the wheel if a rate of change of longitudinal acceleration of the wheel relative to the mounting point exceeds a predetermined value. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A suspension control system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to modulate torque applied to the wheel based on a rate of change of longitudinal acceleration of the wheel with respect to the mounting point on the vehicle body. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A suspension control system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to modulate torque applied to the wheel based on a rate of change of longitudinal velocity of the wheel with respect to the mounting point on the vehicle body. ### Claim 7 A vehicle comprising a suspension control system having a vehicle body, a wheel and a suspension device, wherein the wheel is mounted to the suspension device and the suspension device is mounted to the vehicle body at a mounting point on the vehicle body with an electric motor being arranged to apply to the wheel a torque for driving the wheel, the suspension control system comprising a controller arranged to modulate a torque applied to the wheel by the electric motor to dampen longitudinal movement of the wheel relative to the mounting point on the vehicle body based on a relative longitudinal or vertical movement of the wheel with respect to the mounting point on the vehicle body. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising a sensor for determining the relative longitudinal movement of the wheel relative to the mounting point. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) A vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the electric motor is an in-wheel electric motor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) A vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising a plurality of wheels mounted to the vehicle via a respective suspension device mounted to a mounting point on the vehicle body, wherein at least two of the wheels are arranged to be driven by respective electric motors and the controller is arranged to modulate the torque of the respective electric motors based on the relative longitudinal movement of the wheel being driven by the respective electric motor with respect to the respective mounting points on the vehicle body.