Suspension coordinator subsystem and method

• US 20030205867A1
• Filed: 05/02/2002
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Coelingh, Erik, Ekmark, Jonas
• Granted Patent: US 6,816,764 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/5.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/018 characterised by the use of a specific signal treatment or control method
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0185 for failure detection
• 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 17/033 characterised by regulating means acting on more than one spring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/042 Monitoring means
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/85 System Prioritisation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/084 using suspension control

Abstract

A vehicle control system (10) including a vehicle motion control subsystem (12) that has an input receiving an intended driving demand (14) and a plurality of coordinator subsystems (16) for coordinating actuators of the vehicle. The vehicle motion control subsystem (12) communicates with the coordinator subsystems (16) to determine whether a single coordinator subsystem (16) can carry out the intended driving demand (14). The vehicle motion control subsystem (12) will distribute demand signals among one or more of the coordinator subsystems (16) to allow the vehicle to implement the intended driving demand (14).

Claims

1. A method of controlling a suspension of a vehicle with a suspension coordinator subsystem comprising:

inputting a suspension behavior modification demand signal into the suspension coordinator subsystem, the suspension behavior modification demand signal requesting a suspension behavior modification;

determining first capabilities of the first actuator control subsystem;

outputting a first capability signal from the first actuator control subsystem to the suspension coordinator subsystem, the first capability signal communicating the first capabilities of the first actuator control subsystem;

calculating a first partial suspension behavior modification demand signal and at least one second partial suspension behavior modification demand signal; and

outputting the first partial suspension behavior modification demand signal from the suspension coordinator subsystem to the first actuator control subsystem and the at least one second partial suspension behavior modification demand signal to at least one second actuator control subsystem;

wherein both the first partial suspension behavior modification demand signal and the at least one second partial suspension behavior modification demand signal and are calculated according to the first capabilities of the first actuator control subsystem; and

wherein the first partial suspension behavior modification demand signal and the at least one second partial suspension behavior modification demand signal provide directions for the first actuator control subsystem and the at least one second actuator control subsystem, respectively, to perform the suspension behavior modification of the suspension demand signal.

2. The method of controlling a suspension of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

the first and at least one second control modules include a damping control module, a roll control module and a leveling control module.

3. The method of controlling a suspension of a vehicle of claim 2, further including:

controlling damping of the vehicle with the damping control module;

controlling roll of the vehicle with the roll control module; and

controlling a level of the vehicle with the leveling control module.

4. The method of controlling a suspension of a vehicle of claim 1, further including:

inputting vehicle state measurements and first actuator state measurements into the first actuator control subsystem;

wherein the step of determining first capabilities of the first actuator subsystem is made with regard to the vehicle state measurements and the first actuator state measurements.

5. The method of controlling a suspension of a vehicle of claim 1, further including:

inputting vehicle state measurements and second actuator state measurements into the at least one second actuator control subsystem;

determining second capabilities of the at least one second actuator control subsystem with regard to the vehicle state measurements and the at least one second actuator state measurements; and

outputting at least one second capability signal from the at least one second actuator control subsystem to the suspension coordinator subsystem, the second capability signal communicating the second capabilities of the at least one second actuator control subsystem.

6. A method of controlling a suspension of a vehicle comprising:

providing a suspension coordinator subsystem configured to modify the suspension of the vehicle and at least one accompanying coordinator controller configured to modify other components of the vehicle that affect vehicle motion;

outputting an output signal from at least one accompanying coordinator controller;

calculating a demand signal;

inputting the demand signal into the suspension coordinator subsystem; and

modifying the suspension of the vehicle according to the demand signal;

wherein the demand signal is calculated in response to the output signal from the at least one accompanying coordinator controller.

7. The method of controlling a suspension of a vehicle of claim 6, wherein:

the output signal carries information about a capability of the at least one accompanying subsystem coordinator controller for implementing a vehicle behavior modification with the at least one accompanying coordinator controller.

8. The method of controlling a suspension of a vehicle of claim 7, wherein:

a suspension behavior modification of the suspension according to the demand signal and the capability of the at least one accompanying coordinator controller, in combination, allow the vehicle to perform the vehicle behavior modification.

9. The method of controlling a suspension of a vehicle of claim 6, wherein:

the step of modifying the suspension includes;

outputting a control subsystem signal from the suspension coordinator subsystem to at least one actuator control subsystem.

10. The method of controlling a suspension of a vehicle of claim 9, further including:

inputting vehicle state measurements and actuator state measurements into the at least one actuator control subsystem;

determining the capabilities of each at least one actuator control subsystem according to the vehicle state measurements and the actuator state measurements; and

outputting the capabilities of each at least one actuator control subsystem to the suspension coordinator subsystem.

11. The method of controlling a suspension of a vehicle of claim 10, wherein:

the demand signal does not request more from the suspension coordinator than the at least one actuator control subsystem is capable of providing as determined by a combination of all the capabilities of the at least one actuator control subsystem.

12. The method of controlling a suspension of a vehicle of claim 11, wherein:

the control subsystem signal does not request more from a particular actuator control subsystem than the particular actuator control subsystem is capable of providing as determined by the capabilities of the particular actuator control subsystem.

13. The method of controlling a suspension of a vehicle of claim 9, wherein:

the first and at least one second control modules includes a damping control module, a roll control module and a leveling control module.

14. The method of controlling a suspension of a vehicle of claim 13, wherein:

the step of modifying the suspension further includes at least one of;

controlling damping of the vehicle with the damping control module;

controlling roll of the vehicle with the roll control module; and

controlling a level of the vehicle with the leveling control module.

15. The method of controlling a suspension of a vehicle of claim 6, further including:

providing a vehicle motion control subsystem;

wherein the step of outputting includes outputting the output signal into the vehicle motion control subsystem;

wherein the step of calculating includes calculating the demand signal with the vehicle motion control subsystem; and

outputting the demand signal from the vehicle motion control subsystem.

16. A suspension control system for controlling a suspension of a vehicle comprising:

a suspension coordinator subsystem including at least one subsystem input for receiving a suspension behavior modification demand signal and a subsystem output, the suspension behavior modification demand signal requesting a suspension behavior modification;

a first actuator control subsystem including a first actuator input and a first actuator output; and

at least one second actuator control subsystem including a second actuator input;

wherein the first actuator control subsystem determines its first capabilities and outputs a first capability signal out of the first actuator output to the at least one subsystem input of the suspension coordinator subsystem, the first capability signal communicating the first capabilities of the first actuator control subsystem;

wherein the suspension coordinator subsystem calculates a first partial suspension behavior modification demand signal and at least one second partial suspension behavior modification demand signal;

wherein the suspension coordinator subsystem outputs, through the subsystem output, the first partial suspension behavior modification demand signal into the first actuator input of the first actuator control subsystem and the at least one second partial suspension behavior modification demand signal into the second actuator input of the at least one second actuator control subsystem;

wherein both the first partial suspension behavior modification demand signal and the at least one second partial suspension behavior modification demand signal and are calculated according to the first capabilities of the first actuator control subsystem; and

wherein the first partial suspension behavior modification demand signal and the at least one second partial suspension behavior modification demand signal provide directions for the first actuator control subsystem and the at least one second actuator control subsystem, respectively, to perform the suspension behavior modification of the suspension demand signal.

17. The suspension control system of claim 16, wherein:

the first and at least one second control modules include a damping control module, a roll control module and a leveling control module.

18. The suspension control system of claim 17, further including:

damping components controlled by the damping control subsystem;

roll control components controlled by the roll control subsystem; and

leveler components controlled by the level control subsystem.

19. The suspension control system of claim 16, wherein:

the first actuator control subsystem receives vehicle state measurements and first actuator state measurements; and

the first capabilities of the first actuator subsystem are determined with regard to the vehicle state measurements and the first actuator state measurements.

20. The suspension control system of claim 19, wherein:

the at least one second actuator receives the vehicle state measurements and second actuator state measurements;

the at least one second actuator control subsystem determines its second capabilities with regard to the vehicle state measurements and the second actuator state measurements; and

the at least one second actuator control subsystem outputs a second capability signal from a second actuator output to the at least one subsystem input of the suspension coordinator subsystem, the second capability signal communicating the second capabilities of the at least one second actuator control subsystem.