Method for controlling a vehicle attitude

• US 4,805,102 A
• Filed: 01/29/1987
• Issued: 02/14/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Minegishi, Harumasa, Harada, Hiroshi, Ise, Kiyotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US07/008,326
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424, 364/426, 280/707, 303/103, 303/105, 303/110, 303/112
• US Class Current: 701/37
• 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 2800/214 by varying the load distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/00 Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force by changing number of effective brake cylinders in power brake systems B60T17/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17616 Microprocessor-based systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/3285 the other fluid systems being suspension elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/48 connecting the brake actuator to an alternative or additional source of fluid pressure , e.g. traction control systems

Abstract

An effective vehicle attitude control method in which the abrupt change of the vehicle attitude due to the acceleration slip control can be quickly controlled. When the slippage of a drive wheel is determined to be greater than a predetermined value, the drive force of the drive wheel is controlled and, at the same time, the suspension characteristic is altered to a harder state. For preferentially keeping maneuverability and riding comfort, the altered suspension characteristic may be restored to the original state when a preset time period has passed.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a suspension characteristic of a vehicle having at least one drive wheel, a braking system and suspensions associated with wheels including said one drive wheel, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting a slippage of said one drive wheel of the vehicle;

determining whether or not the detected slippage is greater than a reference value;

controlling a drive force of the drive wheel by means of said braking system when the slippage is determined to be greater than the reference value; and

altering an original state suspension characteristic of at least said drive wheel to a harder state when the slippage is determined to be greater than the reference value.

2. A method for controlling a suspension characteristic of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises a step of restoring the characteristic of the suspension to said original state when a preset time period has passed since said altering step.

3. A method for controlling a suspension characteristic of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the drive force of the drive wheel is controlled by said brake system of the vehicle.

4. A method for controlling a suspension characteristic of a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the drive force of the drive wheel is controlled by said brake system of the vehicle.

5. A method for controlling a suspension characteristic of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the slippage is detected by comparing a peripheral speed of the drive wheel with a body speed of the vehicle.

6. A method for controlling a suspension characteristic of a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the slippage is detected by comparing a peripheral speed of the drive wheel with a body speed of the vehicle.

7. A method for controlling a suspension characteristic of a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the vehicle has a non-driven wheel and the body speed is detected by detecting a revolution speed of the non-driven wheel.

8. A method for controlling a suspension characteristic of a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the body speed is detected by detecting a revolution speed of a non-driven wheel.

9. A method for controlling a suspension characteristic of a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein damping force of a shock absorber of at least said drive wheel is increased in order to accomplish the step of altering the suspension characteristic to said harder state.

10. A method for controlling a suspension characteristic of a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the spring rate of a spring of at least said drive wheel is increased for altering the suspension characteristic to said harder state.