SUSPENSION CONTROL DEVICE, VEHICLE COMPRISING SAID DEVICE, PRODUCTION METHOD THEREOF AND ASSOCIATED PROGRAM

• US 20090055047A1
• Filed: 09/13/2006
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Poilbout, Francois
• Granted Patent: US 8,005,591 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/37
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0165 to an external condition, e.g. rough road surface, side wind
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/018 characterised by the use of a specific signal treatment or control method
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/019 characterised by the type of sensor or the arrangement thereof B60G17/01941 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/104 lateral or transversal with regard to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/202 Piston speed; Relative velocity between vehicle body and wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/204 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/252 vertical
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/821 Uneven, rough road sensing affecting vehicle body vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/10 Damping action or damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/02 Retarders, delaying means, dead zones, threshold values, cut-off frequency, timer interruption
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/07 Inhibiting means
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/14 Differentiating means, i.e. differential control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/91 Suspension Control

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for controlling the suspension of the body shell of a motor vehicle. According to the invention, the device comprises:

• • a means for measuring the travel speed (VDEB) of a front wheel in relation to the body shell,
  • a means (51, 52) for detecting an impact when the travel speed exceeds a determined threshold, a means for determining a corrected lateral acceleration of the vehicle,
  • a means for inhibiting the impact detected when the corrected lateral acceleration is greater than or equal to a determined lateral acceleration inhibition threshold in terms of absolute value, and
  • a means (53, 54) for calculating a set value (ERP) for the actuator of the shock absorber of the rear wheel located on the same side as the above-mentioned front wheel when an impact is detected.

Claims

1. Suspension control device for a motor vehicle body on its wheels, having a computer adapted to calculate a control magnitude for an actuator of at least one variable damper of the suspensions, a means for measuring the displacement speed of at least one front wheel with respect to the body, said computer having a means for detecting an impact, when the displacement speed of the front wheel exceeds a prescribed impact detection threshold,

wherein said device has a means for determining a corrected transverse acceleration of the vehicle,

a means for inhibiting the detected impact when the absolute value of the corrected transverse acceleration is greater than or equal to a prescribed transverse acceleration inhibition threshold.

2. Suspension control device according to claim 1, wherein the computer has

a means for calculating a setpoint magnitude for the actuator of the damper of the rear wheel located on the same side as said front wheel, when an impact is detected, and

a means for calculating said control magnitude for the actuator of the rear wheel damper as a function of at least said setpoint magnitude for the actuator of the rear wheel damper.

3. Suspension control device according to claim 1, which has a means for measuring the speed of the vehicle and a means for modifying the impact detection threshold as a function of the measured speed of the vehicle.

4. Suspension control device according to claim 1, which has a means for validating a detected impact when the displacement speed of the front wheel goes over the impact detection threshold during more than a prescribed duration, and for invalidating it otherwise,

wherein said means for calculating the setpoint magnitude calculates the setpoint magnitude for the actuator of the rear wheel damper for the detected impacts that have been validated.

5. Suspension control device according to claim 1, which has a means for measuring displacements of the front wheels with respect to the body, and a means for inhibiting the detected impact when at least one of the displacements of the front wheels becomes lower than a first threshold or higher than a second threshold.

6. Suspension control device according to claim 5, which comprises a means for measuring the speed of the vehicle, a means for measuring the transverse acceleration of the vehicle, and the means for calculating the corrected transverse acceleration is adapted to calculate the corrected transverse acceleration as a function of an anticipated transverse acceleration Ÿ

_ANT calculated as a function of a sprung mass of the vehicle, a front-rear mass distribution value of the vehicle, the measured speed VVH of the vehicle, an angle of rotation δ

of the steering wheel, and the measured transverse acceleration of the vehicle, according to the formula;

${\stackrel{\mathrm{¨<br><br>}}{Y}}_{\mathrm{ANT}}=\frac{D·<br><br>\mathrm{\delta <br><br>}·<br><br>V<br><br><br><br>V<br><br><br><br>H^2}{e<br><br>\left(1+K·<br><br>V<br><br><br><br>V<br><br><br><br>H^2\right)}$

where D is the gear reduction of the steering wheel, e is the predetermined wheel base of the vehicle, and K is an oversteer gain constant, calculated as a function of the front-rear mass distribution value and the sprung mass.

7. Suspension control device according to claim 6, wherein the means for calculating the corrected transverse acceleration is adapted to calculate the corrected transverse acceleration Ÿ

_COR according to the formula

Ÿ

_COR=ACCT+PH2(Ÿ

_ANT−

ACCT)

where ACCT is the measured transverse acceleration, and (PH2(Ÿ

_ANT−

ACCT) is the difference Ÿ

_ANT−

ACCT, filtrated by a high-pass filter (PH2) of the means for calculating the corrected transverse acceleration.

8. Suspension control device according to claim 6, which comprises:

a means for measuring the speed of the vehicle,

for each wheel, a displacement sensor of the wheel with respect to the body,

a means for calculating a front static attitude and a rear static attitude for the vehicle as a function of the displacement measurements provided by the displacement sensors,

a means for calculating a front apparent dynamic mass and a rear apparent dynamic mass as a function of the displacement measurements provided by the displacement sensors,

a means for calculating a front aerodynamic bias and a rear aerodynamic bias as a function of the vehicle speed,

a means for calculating the vehicle sprung mass and a front-rear mass distribution value for the vehicle as a function of the front apparent dynamic mass, the rear apparent dynamic mass, the front aerodynamic bias and the rear aerodynamic bias.

9. Suspension control device according to claim 8, wherein

the means for calculating the front static attitude and the rear static attitude of the vehicle is adapted to calculate the front or rear static attitude, respectively, as the mean displacement of the displacements of the front wheels or rear wheels, respectively, filtered through a low-pass filter, to which a respective front or rear attitude offset constant is then added.

10. Suspension control device according to claim 8, wherein

the means for calculating the front and rear apparent dynamic masses comprises means for

calculating the relative front or rear displacement, equal to the mean displacement of the displacements of the front wheels or the rear wheels, respectively, to which a respective front or rear offset constant is then added,

retrieving a front EDFAV or rear EDFAR spring flexure dynamic load value from a recorded table or curve that gives this load EDFAV or EDFAR as a function of the respective front or rear relative displacement,

calculating the respective front MDAAV or rear MDAAR apparent dynamic mass, using the formula:

MDAAV=(EDFAV·

2/g)+front constant,

MDAAR=(EDFAR·

2/g)+rear constant,

where g is the gravity acceleration constant=9.81 m/s<sup>−

2</sup>.

11. Suspension control device according to claim 8, wherein

the means for calculating the vehicle sprung mass and the front-rear mass distribution value for the vehicle comprises at least one low-pass filter for the sum of the respective front or rear apparent dynamic mass, and the respective front or rear aerodynamic bias, in order to obtain a respective front or rear sprung mass,

the sprung mass being equal to the sum of the front sprung mass and the rear sprung mass,

the vehicle front-rear mass distribution value being equal to the front sprung mass divided by the vehicle sprung mass.

12. Suspension control device according to claim 11, which comprises an opening panel information unit input means,

the means for calculating the vehicle sprung mass and the front-rear mass distribution value is adapted to record successive values for the respective front or rear sprung mass, and to retain the previously recorded value of the respective front or rear sprung mass instead of its subsequent value when at least one of the following conditions is met:

the vehicle speed is not between a preset low threshold and a preset high threshold,

the opening panel information unit indicates that this opening panel of the vehicle is open and the vehicle speed is not greater than a prescribed threshold,

the difference between said previously recorded value for the respective front or rear sprung mass and its subsequent value has an absolute value less than or equal to a prescribed difference.

13. Suspension control device according to claim 2, which has a means for measuring the speed of the vehicle,

a means for calculating a time lag for the encounter by the rear wheel with respect to the front wheels as a function of the measured speed of the vehicle,

the means for calculating the setpoint magnitude being adapted to apply the setpoint magnitude for the actuator of the rear wheel with said encounter time lag.

14. Suspension control device according to claim 2 which has a means for inhibiting the means for calculating the setpoint magnitude, when a predetermined number of impacts is detected during a predetermined time period.

15. Suspension control device according to claim 2, which has a means for measuring the speed of the vehicle and a means for inhibiting the means for calculating the setpoint magnitude when the measured speed of the vehicle is lower or equal than a prescribed vehicle speed threshold.

16. Suspension control device according to claim 14, which has

a means for calculating a first setpoint modal force F1 for the damper as a function of at least one absolute body modal speed estimated on the vehicle,

a means for calculating a second setpoint modal force F2 for the damper as a function of at least one relative body modal speed with respect to the mid-plane of the wheels, estimated on the vehicle,

a means for detecting at least one stress on the vehicle,

a means for calculating a weighting coefficient α

of the first setpoint force F1 and of the second setpoint force F2, for calculating said damper setpoint modal force F according to the formula

F=(1−

α

)·

F1+α

·

F2,

where the weighting coefficient α

is greater or equal to 0 and lower or equal to 1, an is normally 0 and takes the value 1 at least when the detected stress exceeds a prescribed threshold,

a means for inhibiting the impact detection when the weighting coefficient α

of the first setpoint force F1 and the second setpoint force F2 is above a prescribed coefficient threshold.

17. Suspension control device according to claim 2, wherein the means for calculating a setpoint magnitude for the actuator of the rear wheel damper is adapted to impose said setpoint magnitude for the actuator of the rear wheel damper during a prescribed processing time period.

18. Suspension control device according to claim 2, which has a means for calculating a setpoint magnitude for the actuator of the front wheel damper during a prescribed processing time period, when an impact is detected.

19. Suspension control device according to claim 2, wherein the control magnitude and the setpoint magnitude are damping laws determined from among a plurality of different prescribed damping laws, imposing the damper force as a function of its displacement speed.

20. Suspension control device according to claim 18, wherein the prescribed damping laws are numbered in ascending order for damping laws of increasing stiffness, the means for calculating the setpoint magnitude for the actuator of the rear wheel damper is adapted to impose a soft damping setpoint magnitude according to a prescribed law for the rear wheel damper, when an impact is detected, and the means for calculating the setpoint magnitude for the front wheel damper is adapted to impose a less soft damping setpoint magnitude of a prescribed law during a prescribed time period to the front wheel.

21. Suspension control device according to claim 20, which has a means for calculating a septoint magnitude for the actuator of the front wheel damper, when an impact is detected, the means for calculating the setpoint magnitudes for the rear wheel and for the front wheel being adapted to impose stiffer damping setpoint magnitudes of a prescribed law during prescribed post-processing time periods.

22. Motor vehicle having a body, wheels, a suspension of the body on the wheels, and a control device for the suspension according to claim 1.

23. Production method for a motor vehicle,

the motor vehicle being equipped with wheels, a body, a suspension having at least one damper with variable damping of the body on the wheels, and a suspension control device, the control device having at least one computer adapted to calculate a control magnitude for an actuator of said at least one suspension damper,

the production method having a step in which the computer is mounted on the vehicle,

wherein the production method has

at least one computer programming stage using at least one program having program instructions that employ the calculating means of the suspension control device according to claim 1.

24. Computer program for controlling a computer, having program instructions for calculating at least one setpoint magnitude for an actuator of a wheel damper, when an impact is detected, for calculating a control magnitude as a function of at least said setpoint magnitude, when it is employed in a suspension control device according to claim 1.