Look ahead vehicle suspension system

• US 10,322,615 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2018
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enpulz LLC
• Original Assignee: Enpulz LLC
• Inventors: Bennett, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US16/012,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20180297436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 364 Days
• Field of Search: 701 45
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0165 to an external condition, e.g. rough road surface, side wind
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/019 characterised by the type of sensor or the arrangement thereof B60G17/01941 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/01908 Acceleration or inclination sensors characterised by the use of gyroscopes B60G21/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/01933 Velocity, e.g. relative velocity-displacement sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0195 characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/08 Characteristics of fluid dampers adjusting fluid dampers in general F16F9/44 - F16F9/53
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/821 Uneven, rough road sensing affecting vehicle body vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/823 Obstacle sensing
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/142 Visual Display Camera, e.g. LCD
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/162 Reducing road induced vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/91 Suspension Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/92 ABS - Brake Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/925 Airbag deployment systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/96 ASC - Assisted or power Steering control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/982 Active Cruise Control, e.g. DISTRONIC type
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/22 including control of suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/35 Road bumpiness, e.g. potholes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/18 : Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/20 : Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/22 : Suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 : Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 : Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/14 : Adaptive cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 : Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18172 : Preventing, or responsive to skidding of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/02 : related to ambient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 : Systems determining the presence of a target

Abstract

A lookahead vehicle suspension system comprises a first independently adjustable suspension system associated with a front wheel; a second independently adjustable suspension system associated with a rear wheel; at least one detector configured to at least assist in delivering electrical signals relating to a front wheel roadway concern, the front wheel roadway concern relating to a roadway defect; and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to receive, in advance of the rear wheel encountering the roadway defect, both vehicle motion data and the electrical signals, and identify, based on the vehicle motion data and the electrical signals, adjustments with associated timing to be made to the second independently adjustable suspension system to accommodate the encounter of the rear wheel with the roadway defect.

Claims

1. A vehicle configured to move along a roadway, the vehicle comprising:

a first independently adjustable suspension system associated with a front wheel;

a second independently adjustable suspension system associated with a rear wheel;

at least one detector configured to at least assist in delivering electrical signals relating to a front wheel roadway concern, the front wheel roadway concern relating to a roadway defect; and

processing circuitry configured to;

receive, in advance of the rear wheel encountering the roadway defect, both vehicle motion data and the electrical signals, and

identify, based on the vehicle motion data and the electrical signals, adjustments with associated timing to be made to the second independently adjustable suspension system to accommodate the encounter of the rear wheel with the roadway defect.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one detector comprises an imager based system.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to adjust the first independently adjustable suspension system to accommodate an encounter of the front wheel with the roadway defect.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the processing circuitry makes the adjustment of the first independently adjustable suspension system before making the adjustment of the second independently adjustable suspension system.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the identified adjustments are tailored to counter characteristics of the roadway defect.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle motion data comprises road curvature data.

7. A method performed by a vehicle configured to move along a roadway, the vehicle having an independently adjustable suspension system associated with a wheel, the method comprising:

detecting defect data associated with a roadway defect in advance of an encounter of the roadway defect with the wheel;

gathering motion data associated with the vehicle;

identifying, in advance of the encounter and based on both the defect data and motion data, suspensions adjustments; and

carrying out the suspension adjustments to the independently adjustable suspension system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the carrying out the suspension adjustments occurs after a time delay calculated from at least the motion data.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising adjusting a suspension characteristic of a front tire before carrying out the suspension adjustments, wherein the wheel comprises a rear tire.

10. The method of claim 9, the adjusting of the suspension characteristic is also based on the motion data.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the motion data comprises road curvature data.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the motion data comprises speed related data.

13. A vehicle configured to move along a roadway that has an upcoming roadway concern located in front of a wheel of the vehicle, the vehicle comprising:

an independently adjustable suspension system;

processing circuitry configured to receive roadway data relating to the upcoming roadway concern; and

the processing circuitry is also configured to coordinate adjustment of the independently adjustable suspension system to accommodate an encounter with the upcoming roadway concern, the coordinated adjustment being based on both the roadway data and vehicle motion data.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, further comprising a sensor disposed to capture the roadway data in advance of the encounter with the upcoming roadway concern.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the sensor comprises a camera element.

16. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the wheel comprises a rear wheel, and the independently adjustable suspension system is configured to support the rear wheel and a front wheel, and the processing circuitry being configured to carry out the coordinated adjustment by first altering suspension characteristics of the front wheel followed by a latter alteration of the suspension characteristics of the rear wheel to conform to a front wheel encounter and a back wheel encounter with the upcoming roadway concern.

17. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the wheel comprises a rear wheel.

18. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the vehicle motion data comprises road curvature data.

19. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the vehicle motion data comprises speed related data.

20. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the vehicle motion data comprises steering related data.