Electrically controlled suspension system

• US 7,526,665 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2006
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HL Mando Corporation (Halla Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mando Corporation (Halla Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Wan Il, Lee, Jeong Woo
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, VINCENT HUY
• Application Number:
  US11/347,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20060290078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 713/400, 713/500, 701/37, 701/41, 701/201, 364/424.05
• US Class Current: 713/500
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/015 the regulating means comprising electric or electronic elements B60G17/002, B60G17/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0152 characterised by the action on a particular type of suspension unit B60G17/01941 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/08 Characteristics of fluid dampers adjusting fluid dampers in general F16F9/44 - F16F9/53
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/102 vertical
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/202 Piston speed; Relative velocity between vehicle body and wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/82 Ground surface
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/10 Damping action or damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/702 Improving accuracy of a sensor signal

Abstract

An electronically controlled suspension system according to the present invention comprises a sensor unit for extracting and providing a vertical acceleration component of a vehicle body of a vehicle; a signal processing unit for calculating a vertical velocity of the vehicle body using the vertical acceleration component provided by the sensor unit; a control gain determining unit having a control gain set according to the amplitude of the vertical acceleration component, and detecting the amplitude of the vertical acceleration component provided by the sensor unit and extracting a control gain corresponding to the detected amplitude; a control command value calculating unit for calculating a control command value using the control gain provided by the control gain determining unit and the vertical velocity of the vehicle body provided by the signal processing unit; and a damper driving unit for driving the variable damper based in the control command value.

According to the present invention described above, a control command value for use in controlling a damping force of a damper is calculated using a nonlinear control gain according to a signal outputted from a speed or vertical acceleration sensor, thereby securing ride comfort and control stability.

Claims

1. An electronically controlled suspension system having a variable damper to be controlled using a control command value, comprising:

a sensor unit for extracting and providing a vertical acceleration component of a vehicle body of a vehicle;

a signal processing unit for calculating a vertical velocity of the vehicle body using the vertical acceleration component provided by the sensor unit;

a control gain determining unit having a control gain set according to the amplitude of the vertical acceleration component, and detecting the amplitude of the vertical acceleration component provided by the sensor unit and extracting a control gain corresponding to the detected amplitude from a nonlinear control map in which the control gain is set according to the amplitude of the vertical acceleration component, wherein the nonlinear control map comprises a plurality of linear relationships between the amplitude of the vertical acceleration component and the control gain, each of the plurality of linear relationships having a slope greater than zero;

a control command value calculating unit for calculating a control command value using the control gain provided by the control gain determining unit and the vertical velocity of the vehicle body provided by the signal processing unit; and

a damper driving unit for driving the variable damper based on the control command value.

2. The electronically controlled suspension system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of linear relationships includes a first linear relationship located between second and third linear relationships, the first linear relationship having a slope greater than slopes of the second and third linear relationships.

3. An electronically controlled suspension system having a variable damper to be controlled using a control command value, comprising:

a sensor unit for extracting and providing a vertical acceleration component of a vehicle body of a vehicle;

a signal processing unit for calculating a vertical velocity of the vehicle body using the vertical acceleration component provided by the sensor unit;

a control gain determining unit having a control gain set according to the amplitude of the vertical velocity component of the vehicle body, and detecting the amplitude of the vertical velocity component provided by the signal processing unit and extracting a control gain corresponding to the detected amplitude from a nonlinear control map in which the control gain is set according to the amplitude of the vertical velocity component, wherein the nonlinear control map comprises a plurality of linear relationships between the amplitude of the vertical acceleration component and the control gain, each of the plurality of linear relationships having a slope greater than zero;

a control command value calculating unit for calculating a control command value using the control gain provided by the control gain determining unit and the vertical velocity of the vehicle body provided by the signal processing unit; and

a damper driving unit for driving the variable damper based on the control command value.

4. The electronically controlled suspension system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of linear relationships includes a first linear relationship located between second and third linear relationships, the first linear relationship having a slope greater than slopes of the second and third linear relationships.