Method and apparatus for operating a cushioning system for a motor vehicle
AssigneeVolkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsDenis Stoof, Eckhard Babbel, Ulrich Sonnak, Matthias Klöpping
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Abstract
A method for operating a shock-absorber system with shock-absorber devices, in particular switching shock-absorber devices, wherein discretely selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves are provided. The method determines a driving behavior of the driver and/or of the motor vehicle on the basis of one or more driving state data items and/or one or more operating variables and, in automatic mode, automatically sets a shock-absorbing behavior of the shock-absorber system by selecting one of the selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves of the shock-absorber devices as a function of the determined driving behavior.
Claims13
A method for operating a shock-absorber system with switching shock-absorber devices, wherein discretely selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves are provided, the method comprising:
- determining a driving behavior of the driver and/or of the motor vehicle based on one or more driving state data items and/or one or more operating variables;
- in automatic mode, automatically setting a shock-absorbing behavior of the shock-absorber system by selecting one of the selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves of the shock-absorber devices as a function of the determined driving behavior;
- wherein the driving behavior of the driver and/or of the motor vehicle is determined based on at least one of the following data items of a driver assistance system:
- a requested deceleration which is set for an automatic cruise controller, a blind spot detection, a seat occupation state, an engaged state of the trailer coupling, a characterizing data item relating to music selected by the driver and data items relating to a distance lying ahead, and
- wherein in response to a decision being made to change the shock-absorbing behavior in the automatic mode as a function of the driving behavior of the driver and/or of the motor vehicle, the change in the shock-absorbing behavior is carried out only in a chronologically limited fashion, and the original shock-absorbing behavior is assumed again after expiry of a predetermined time period.
A shock-absorption control unit that operates a shock-absorber system with switching shock-absorber devices, which have discretely selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves, wherein the shock-absorption control unit:
- determines a driving behavior of the driver and/or of the motor vehicle based on one or more driving state data items and/or one or more operating variables;
- sets, in an automatic mode, a shock-absorbing behavior of the shock-absorber system by selecting one of the selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves of the switching shock-absorber devices as a function of the determined driving behavior;
- wherein the control unit sets shock absorbers on a left vehicle side to a first characteristic curve and shock absorbers on a right vehicle side to a different characteristic curve based on cornering behavior;
- and
- wherein the selected shock-absorbing behavior of the shock absorber-system is cancelled and switches back to an original shock-absorbing mode after the expiry of a predetermined time period.
A shock-absorber system, comprising:
- one or more shock-absorber devices each with a plurality of discretely selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves;
- and
- a shock-absorption control unit, for operating a shock-absorber system with switching shock-absorber devices, which have discretely selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves, wherein the shock-absorption control unit determines a driving behavior of the driver and/or of the motor vehicle based on one or more driving state data items and/or one or more operating variables;
- and sets, in an automatic mode, a shock-absorbing behavior of the shock-absorber system by selecting one of the selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves of the switching shock-absorber devices as a function of the determined driving behavior;
- wherein the control unit sets shock absorbers on a left vehicle side to a first characteristic curve and shock absorbers on a right vehicle side to a different characteristic curve based on cornering behavior;
- and
- wherein the selected shock-absorber characteristic curves of the shock absorber-system are cancelled and the system switches back to an original shock-absorbing mode after the expiry of a predetermined time period.
A motor vehicle having a shock-absorber system, comprising:
- one or more shock-absorber devices each with a plurality of discretely selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves;
- and
- a shock-absorption control unit that operates a shock-absorber system with switching shock-absorber devices, which have discretely selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves,
- wherein the shock-absorption control unit determines a driving behavior of the driver and of the motor vehicle based on one or more driving state data items and one or more operating variables;
- and sets, in an automatic mode, a shock-absorbing behavior of the shock-absorber system by selecting one of the selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves of the switching shock-absorber devices as a function of the determined driving behavior, and has a vehicle bus and having one or more sensors for making available one or more operating variables and one or more driving state data items to determine the driving behavior of the driver and of the motor vehicle;
- and
- wherein the set shock-absorber behavior of the shock absorber-system are cancelled and the system switches back to an original shock-absorbing mode after the expiry of a predetermined time period.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.