Method and apparatus for controlling vehicle suspension such that suspension characteristics are changed at a point in time when a vehicle wheel reaches a road surface irregularity detected in front of the vehicle
First Claim
1. A vehicular suspension control apparatus for controlling a suspension, having at least one of spring rigidity and damper rigidity characteristics, which is provided between at least one wheel and a body of a vehicle, comprising:
- suspension characteristic changing means for changing at least one of said spring rigidity and damper rigidity characteristics of said suspension;
a forward road surface sensor means attached to said vehicle body for detecting an irregularity of a road surface located in front of said vehicle body;
a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed;
control means, responsive to said vehicle speed sensor, for calculating a point in time when said wheel reaches the irregularity of the road surface, in accordance with said vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor, when the irregularity of the road surface is detected by said forward road surface sensor, and delivering a command signal, for lowering at least one of said spring rigidity and said damper rigidity characteristics of said suspension, to said suspension characteristic changing means not later than said calculated point in time; and
vehicle body attitude sensing means for detecting a vehicle height and an inclination of said vehicle body;
said control means, responsive to said attitude sensing means, for correcting said point in time in accordance with said detected vehicle height and inclination of said vehicle body, and said vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicular suspension control apparatus includes a selector valve for changing at least one of spring rigidity or damper rigidity of a suspension which is installed between a wheel and a body of a vehicle and extensibly and retractably supports the vehicle body on the wheel, a forward road surface sensor attached to the vehicle body and adapted to detect an irregularity of a road surface located in front of the vehicle body at a predetermined distance from the mounting position of the sensor when the vehicle body is in a predetermined attitude, a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed, and a controller for calculating a point of time when the wheel reaches the irregularity of the road surface, in accordance with the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor, when the irregularity of the road surface is detected by the forward road surface sensor, and delivering a command signal for lowering at least one of the spring rigidity and the damper rigidity of the suspension to the selector valve by not later than the calculated time point.
171 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A vehicular suspension control apparatus for controlling a suspension, having at least one of spring rigidity and damper rigidity characteristics, which is provided between at least one wheel and a body of a vehicle, comprising:
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suspension characteristic changing means for changing at least one of said spring rigidity and damper rigidity characteristics of said suspension; a forward road surface sensor means attached to said vehicle body for detecting an irregularity of a road surface located in front of said vehicle body; a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed; control means, responsive to said vehicle speed sensor, for calculating a point in time when said wheel reaches the irregularity of the road surface, in accordance with said vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor, when the irregularity of the road surface is detected by said forward road surface sensor, and delivering a command signal, for lowering at least one of said spring rigidity and said damper rigidity characteristics of said suspension, to said suspension characteristic changing means not later than said calculated point in time; and vehicle body attitude sensing means for detecting a vehicle height and an inclination of said vehicle body; said control means, responsive to said attitude sensing means, for correcting said point in time in accordance with said detected vehicle height and inclination of said vehicle body, and said vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A vehicular suspension control apparatus for controlling a suspension having at least one of spring rigidity and damper rigidity characteristics, which is provided between at least one wheel and a body of a vehicle, comprising:
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suspension characteristic changing means for changing at least one of said spring rigidity and damper rigidity characteristics of said suspension; a forward road surface sensor means attached to said vehicle body for detecting an irregularity of a road surface located in front of said vehicle body at a predetermined distance from said sensor when said vehicle body is at a predetermined height and a predetermined inclination, said predetermined height and said predetermined inclination jointly referred to as a predetermined attitude; a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed; control means, responsive to said vehicle speed sensor, for calculating a point in time when said wheel reaches the irregularity of the road surface, in accordance with said vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor, when the irregularity of the road sensor is detected by said forward road surface sensor, and delivering a command signal, for lowering at least one of said spring rigidity and said damper rigidity characteristics of said suspension, to said suspension characteristic changing means not later than said calculated point in time; and vehicle body attitude sensing means for detecting a vehicle height and an inclination of said vehicle body; wherein said control means corrects said predetermined distance in accordance with a variation of said detected vehicle height and said detected vehicle body inclination from said predetermined attitude, and calculates said point in time in accordance with said corrected predetermined distance and said vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor; wherein said vehicle includes front and rear wheels; wherein said vehicle body attitude sensing means includes vehicle height sensing means for detecting vehicle heights at least at the respective locations of said front and rear wheels; and wherein said control means executes said correction of said predetermined distance when any of said vehicle heights detected by said vehicle height sensing means deviates from a range defined by predetermined upper and lower limit values. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A method of controlling a vehicular suspension having spring rigidity and damper rigidity characteristics, which is provided between at least one wheel and a body of vehicle, and which extensibly and retractably supports said vehicle body on said wheel, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) detecting an irregularity of a road surface located in front of said vehicle body using a forward road surface sensor; (b) detecting a vehicle speed; (c) calculating a point in time when said wheel reaches the irregularity of the road surface in accordance with said detected vehicle speed when the irregularity of the road surface is detected; (d) detecting a vehicle height and an inclination of said vehicle body; (e) correcting said point in time in accordance with said detected vehicle height and inclination of said vehicle body, and said detected vehicle speed; (f) delivering a command signal, for lowering at least one of said spring rigidity and said damper rigidity characteristics of said suspension, to a suspension characteristic changing means not later than said calculated point in time; (g) changing at least one of said spring rigidity and damper rigidity characteristics of said suspension using said suspension characteristics changing means based on said command signal. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification