SUSPENSION CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20140058606A1
• Filed: 02/08/2012
• Published: 02/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Protean Electric Limited (China Evergrande Group)
• Original Assignee: Protean Electric
• Inventors: Hilton, Christopher David
• Granted Patent: US 9,434,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0157 non-fluid unit, e.g. electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/08 Characteristics of fluid dampers adjusting fluid dampers in general F16F9/44 - F16F9/53
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/30 In-wheel mountings
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/50 Electric vehicles; Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/10 Damping action or damper
• CPC Class Codes: 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; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/44 Wheel Hub motors, i.e. integrated in the wheel hub
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/28 Four wheel or all wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

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

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 the relative longitudinal or vertical movement of the wheel with respect to the mounting point on the vehicle body.

2. 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.

3. 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 an damping coefficient, {dot over (x)}_s is the velocity of sprung mass of the vehicle, {dot over (x)}_u is the velocity of the unsprung mass of the vehicle and r is the rolling radius of the wheel.

4. A suspension control system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to modulate torque applied to the wheel if the rate of change of longitudinal acceleration of the wheel relative to the mounting point exceeds a predetermined value.

5. A suspension control system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to modulate torque applied to the wheel based on the rate of change of longitudinal acceleration of the wheel with respect to the mounting point on the vehicle body.

6. A suspension control system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to modulate torque applied to the wheel based on the rate of change of longitudinal velocity of the wheel with respect to the mounting point on the vehicle body.

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 the relative longitudinal or vertical movement of the wheel with respect to the mounting point on the vehicle body.

8. A vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising a sensor for determining the relative longitudinal movement of the wheel relative to the mounting point.

9. A vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the electric motor is an in-wheel electric motor

10. 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.