Look Ahead Vehicle Suspension System

• US 20180297438A1
• Filed: 06/19/2018
• Published: 10/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enpulz LLC
• Original Assignee: Enpulz LLC
• Inventors: Bennett, James D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,479,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 wheel based vehicle configured to travel along a roadway environment, the wheel based vehicle comprising: a first independent suspension element, a second independent suspension element, at least one electromagnetic sensing device, and processing circuitry. The first independent suspension element is configured to service a first wheel with a first suspension performance. The second independent suspension element configured to service a second wheel with a second suspension performance. The at least one electromagnetic sensing device is disposed and configured to capture image data of the roadway environment. The processing circuitry is configured to: identify, based on the captured image data and vehicle motion data, first future predictions of first drive situations to be accommodated, and second future predictions of second drive situations to be avoided; and accommodate the first future drive situations by selection of a third suspension performance for the first independent suspension element.

Claims

1. A wheel based vehicle configured to travel along a roadway environment, the wheel based vehicle comprising:

a first independent suspension element configured to service a first wheel with a first suspension performance;

a second independent suspension element configured to service a second wheel with a second suspension performance;

at least one electromagnetic sensing device disposed and configured to capture image data of the roadway environment;

processing circuitry configured to, based on the captured image data and vehicle motion data, identify both first future predictions of first drive situations to be accommodated and second future predictions of second drive situations to be avoided; and

the processing circuitry being configured to accommodate the first future drive situations by selecting a third suspension performance for the first independent suspension element, the third suspension performance differing from the first suspension performance.

2. The wheel based vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to mitigate the second future predictions by invocation of a drive override function.

3. The wheel based vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to further accommodate the first future drive situations by selection of a fourth suspension performance for the second independent suspension element, the fourth suspension performance differing from the third suspension performance, the fourth suspension performance and the third suspension performance being applied in preparation for the first drive situations.

4. The wheel based vehicle of claim 1, wherein the third suspension performance is achieved by adjustment of suspension settings over a period of time defined based at least in part on one of the first future predictions of one of the first drive situations.

5. The wheel based vehicle of claim 1, the at least one electromagnetic sensing device comprises a camera disposed to capture left side image data.

6. The wheel based vehicle of claim 1, the at least one electromagnetic sensing device comprises a camera disposed to capture rear side image data.

7. A method performed by a wheel based vehicle configured to travel along a roadway environment, the wheel based vehicle having both a first suspension element servicing a first wheel and a second suspension element servicing a second wheel, the method comprising:

identifying, based on image data associated with the roadway environment, both first predictions of first drive situations relating to the first wheel and second predictions of second drive situations relating to the second wheel;

selectively altering a first suspension performance associated with the first wheel in response to the first predictions; and

selectively altering a second suspension performance associated with the second wheel in response to the second predictions, wherein the first suspension performance differs from the second suspension performance.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the alteration of the first suspension performance is coordinated with the alteration of the second suspension performance.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the coordination involves a time delay.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first suspension performance is based at least in part on vehicle motion data.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the first suspension performance is based at least in part on the roadway environment.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising capturing image data from a plurality of camera systems.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising capturing image data from a left-side mounted camera system.

14. A wheel based vehicle configured to travel along a roadway environment, the wheel based vehicle comprising:

a plurality of sensing devices each being configured to produce sensed data, a first of the plurality of sensing devices comprises an electromagnetic sensing device that produces first sensed data representative of images of the roadway environment;

processing circuitry configured to, based on the sensed data produced, identify both a first drive related prediction associated with a first wheel and second drive related prediction associated with a second wheel; and

the processing circuitry being configured both to respond to the first drive related prediction by delivering a first suspension adjust signal to alter a first suspension profile of the first wheel and to respond to the second drive related prediction by delivering a second suspension adjust signal to alter a second suspension profile of the second wheel, the first suspension profile differing from the second suspension profile.

15. The wheel based vehicle of claim 14, wherein the electromagnetic sensing device comprises a left-side mounted camera system.

16. The wheel based vehicle of claim 14, wherein the alteration of the first suspension profile is coordinated with the alteration of the second suspension profile.

17. The wheel based vehicle of claim 16, wherein the coordination involves a time delay.

18. The wheel based vehicle of claim 14, wherein both of the alterations identified are tailored to counter the characteristics of the roadway environment.

19. The wheel based vehicle of claim 14, wherein a plurality of sensing devices comprises a rear-side mounted sensing device.

20. The wheel based vehicle of claim 14, wherein the processing circuitry is also configured to selectively perform a drive override function.