Active suspension controller

• US 7,421,954 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Issued: 09/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ClearMotion Acquisition I LLC
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Bose, Amar G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morano; S. Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCarry, Jr.; Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US10/871,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20050279244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: 105/199.1, 105/199.2, 280/124.138, 280/6.12, 280/714, 364/424.5
• US Class Current: 105/209
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0162 mainly during a motion involving steering operation, e.g. cornering, overtaking B60G17/0164 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/018 characterised by the use of a specific signal treatment or control method
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/10 Acceleration; Deceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/102 vertical
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/104 lateral or transversal with regard to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/106 longitudinal with regard to vehicle, e.g. braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/204 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/25 Stroke; Height; Displacement
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/40 Steering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/51 in suspension unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/60 Load
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/10 Damping action or damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/20 Spring action or springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/012 Rolling condition

Abstract

An active suspension system for a motor vehicle, in which a controller has a first input and an output. The first input receives a roll command-signal generated in response to a turn executed by the vehicle. The output provides a control signal for causing a chassis of the vehicle to roll to an angle determined by the turn.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling an active suspension system in a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a controller having

a first input to receive a roll command-signal associated with a turn executed by the vehicle, the turn causing a force urging the vehicle to roll by a first angle; and

an output to provide a control signal to cause a chassis of the vehicle to tend to roll to a second angle, the extent of the second angle being dependent on the roll command-signal, the second angle being selected to have a sign opposite the sign of the first angle and to have an absolute value greater than the absolute value of the first angle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a roll command-signal generator having:

an input to receive data indicative of selected attributes of a turn; and

an output to provide the roll command-signal to the first input of the controller.

3. The apparatus claim 2, wherein the roll command-signal generator is configured to generate the roll command-signal at least in part on the basis of:

speed data indicative of a magnitude of a velocity of the motor vehicle; and

direction data indicative of a radius of curvature of the turn.

4. An active suspension system comprising

a controller having

a first input to receive a roll command-signal associated with a turn executed by the vehicle, the turn causing a force urging the vehicle to roll by a first angle;

and

an output to provide a control signal to cause a chassis of the vehicle to tend to roll to a second angle, the extent of the second angle being dependent on the roll command-signal, the second angle being selected to have a sign opposite the sign of the first angle and to have an absolute value greater than the absolute value of the first angle.

5. A motor vehicle comprising

a controller having

a first input to receive a roll command-signal associated with a turn executed by the vehicle, the turn causing a force urging the vehicle to roll by a first angle;

and

an output to provide a control signal to cause a chassis of the vehicle to tend to roll to a second angle, the absolute value of which is greater than the absolute value of the first angle, the extent of the second angle being dependent on the roll command-signal, the second angle being selected such that, during the turn, the body of the vehicle is banked into the turn at an angle having a sign opposite the sign of the first angle.

6. An apparatus for controlling an active suspension system in a motor vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a controller having

a first input to receive a roll command-signal associated with a turn executed by the vehicle, the turn causing a force urging the vehicle to roll by a first angle having a first value; and

an output to provide a control signal for causing a chassis of the vehicle to tend to roll a second angle having an absolute value greater than the absolute value of the first angle and a sign opposite the sign of the first angle, wherein the output is selected to cause the chassis to maintain an inward roll angle during the turn, the inward roll angle having a sign opposite the sign of the first angle.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to cause the chassis of the vehicle to roll inward toward the center of the turn to achieve a roll angle having a sign opposite the sign of the first angle.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a roll command-signal generator having:

an input to receive data indicative of selected attributes of a turn; and

an output to provide the roll command-signal to the first input of the controller.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the roll command-signal generator is configured to generate the roll command-signal at least in part on the basis of:

speed data indicative of a magnitude of a velocity of the motor vehicle; and

direction data indicative of a radius of curvature of the turn.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the roll command-signal generator is configured to derive a quantity indicative of the attributes of the turn.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the roll command-signal generator is configured to generate a roll command-signal that is a function of the quantity.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein, within a selected range of values of the quantity, the roll command-signal generator is configured to generate a roll command-signal for causing the controller to roll the chassis by an amount proportional to the quantity.

13. A motor vehicle comprising

a controller having

a first input to receive a roll command-signal associated with a turn executed by the vehicle, the turn causing a force urging the vehicle to roll by a first angle;

and

an output to provide a control signal for causing a chassis of the vehicle to tend to roll by a second angle having an absolute value greater than the absolute value of the first angle and a sign opposite the sign of the first angle, wherein the output is selected to cause the chassis to maintain a roll-angle during the turn, the roll-angle having a sign opposite the sign of the first angle.

14. An active suspension system comprising

a controller having

a first input to receive a roll command-signal associated with a turn executed by the vehicle, the turn causing a force urging the vehicle to roll by a first angle;

and

an output to provide a control signal for causing a chassis of the vehicle to tend to roll by a second angle having an absolute value greater than the absolute value of the first angle and a sign opposite the sign of the first angle, wherein the output is selected to cause the chassis to maintain a roll angle during the turn, the roll-angle having a sign opposite the sign of the first angle.