Ride-height control system
First Claim
1. A land vehicle comprising:
- sensors configured to provide information relating to a ride height of the land vehicle, the ride height being related to a distance from an axle center to vehicle rails;
a user input device configured to receive user input from a user of the vehicle, the user input comprising a selection of a mode from among a plurality of modes, the plurality of modes comprising a manual up mode, a manual down mode, and a plurality of automatic modes, wherein each of the plurality of automatic modes is associated with an action that can be performed using the vehicle and an automatic mode is activated responsive to receiving a user selection of a descriptive representation of the action associated with the automatic mode, wherein each of the plurality of automatic modes has an associated mode target ride height, wherein at least one of the automatic modes is an automatic loading mode, and wherein the automatic loading mode is associated with an action of loading the land vehicle onto a transport vehicle for transport and has an associated loading mode target ride height that is suitable for loading the land vehicle onto the transport vehicle; and
a processing circuit configured to determine a target ride height based on the mode selected by the user,wherein the processing circuit configured to monitor data from the sensors and to output a signal configured to cause adjustment of one or more vehicle systems that affect a vehicle ride height based on the data from the sensors and the target ride height, wherein the processing circuit is configured to cause the one or more vehicle systems to alternately adjust heights of at least one of opposing sides and opposing ends of the vehicle until the ride height has reached the target ride height, wherein the processing circuit is configured to cause the one or more vehicle systems toadjust a first height of a first side or end until a difference between the first height and a second height of an opposing second side or end exceeds a threshold,adjust the second height of the second side or end in a same direction in which the first height was adjusted, wherein the second height is adjusted until the difference between the first height and the second height exceeds the threshold, andcontinue adjusting the first height of the first side or end and the second height of the second side or end in an alternating manner until at least one of the first height and the second height reaches or passes the target ride height.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
In some embodiments, a land vehicle includes sensors that provide information relating to a ride height of the land vehicle. A processing circuit monitors data from the sensors and controls adjustment of one or more vehicle systems that affect the vehicle'"'"'s ride height based on the data from the sensors. In some embodiments, the processing circuit controls a suspension system and can control the suspension system to have any of a multiplicity of height settings. In some embodiments, the processing circuit controls the ride height based on a user selection of a pre-configured ride height setting. In some embodiments, the processing circuit is configured to maintain a ride height of the vehicle at a consistent ride height when the suspension is unlocked after a load is removed where the suspension was locked after the load was added.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A land vehicle comprising:
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sensors configured to provide information relating to a ride height of the land vehicle, the ride height being related to a distance from an axle center to vehicle rails; a user input device configured to receive user input from a user of the vehicle, the user input comprising a selection of a mode from among a plurality of modes, the plurality of modes comprising a manual up mode, a manual down mode, and a plurality of automatic modes, wherein each of the plurality of automatic modes is associated with an action that can be performed using the vehicle and an automatic mode is activated responsive to receiving a user selection of a descriptive representation of the action associated with the automatic mode, wherein each of the plurality of automatic modes has an associated mode target ride height, wherein at least one of the automatic modes is an automatic loading mode, and wherein the automatic loading mode is associated with an action of loading the land vehicle onto a transport vehicle for transport and has an associated loading mode target ride height that is suitable for loading the land vehicle onto the transport vehicle; and a processing circuit configured to determine a target ride height based on the mode selected by the user, wherein the processing circuit configured to monitor data from the sensors and to output a signal configured to cause adjustment of one or more vehicle systems that affect a vehicle ride height based on the data from the sensors and the target ride height, wherein the processing circuit is configured to cause the one or more vehicle systems to alternately adjust heights of at least one of opposing sides and opposing ends of the vehicle until the ride height has reached the target ride height, wherein the processing circuit is configured to cause the one or more vehicle systems to adjust a first height of a first side or end until a difference between the first height and a second height of an opposing second side or end exceeds a threshold, adjust the second height of the second side or end in a same direction in which the first height was adjusted, wherein the second height is adjusted until the difference between the first height and the second height exceeds the threshold, and continue adjusting the first height of the first side or end and the second height of the second side or end in an alternating manner until at least one of the first height and the second height reaches or passes the target ride height. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A land vehicle comprising:
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a ride height control system configured to adjust a ride height of the land vehicle, the ride height being related to a distance from an axle center to vehicle rails; a user input device configured to receive user input from a user of the vehicle, the user input comprising a selection of a mode from among a plurality of modes, the plurality of modes comprising a manual up mode, a manual down mode, and a plurality of automatic modes, wherein each of the plurality of automatic modes is associated with an action that can be performed using the vehicle and an automatic mode is activated responsive to receiving a user selection of a descriptive representation of the action associated with the automatic mode, wherein each of the plurality of automatic modes has an associated mode target ride height; and a processing circuit configured to determine a target ride height based on the mode selected by the user; and the processing circuit configured to output a signal configured to control the ride height control system, the processing circuit configured to control the ride height control system based on the selected mode and the target ride height, wherein, responsive to receiving the signal from the processing circuit, the ride height control system is configured to alternately adjust heights of a front end and a back end of the vehicle until the ride height has reached the target ride height, wherein the ride height control system is configured to; adjust a first end height of a first end of the vehicle until a difference between the first end height and a second end height of a second end of the vehicle exceeds a threshold, wherein the ride height control system is configured to adjust the first end height by adjusting heights of a first side of the first end and a second side of the first end in an alternating manner until a difference between the second end height and at least one of the heights of the first side and the second side of the first end exceeds the threshold, adjust the second end height in a same direction in which the first end height was adjusted until a difference between the first end height and the second end height exceeds the threshold, wherein the ride height control system is configured to adjust the second end height by adjusting heights of a first side of the second end and a second side of the second end in an alternating manner until a difference between the first end height and at least one of the heights of the first side and the second side of the second end exceeds the threshold, and continue adjusting the first end height and the second end height in an alternating manner until at least one of the first end height and the second end height reaches or passes the target ride height. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification