Active suspension with load detection and adaptation

• US 8,990,000 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2013
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Rhode, Doug S., Lu, Jianbo, Tseng, Eric Hongtei, Filev, Dimitar Petrov, Hrovat, Davor, Russell, David Michael, Hoffmann, Uwe, Zegelaar, Peter W. A., Lakehal-ayat, Moshen, Seemann, Michael, Baales, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ziaeianmehdizadeh, Navid
• Application Number:
  US13/868,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20140316637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/124
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/017 characterised by their use when the vehicle is stationary, e.g. during loading, engine start-up or switch-off
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0182 involving parameter estimation, e.g. observer, Kalman filter
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/02 Spring characteristics , e.g. mechanical springs and mechanical adjusting meansB60G17/005, B60G17/015 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/06 Characteristics of dampers , e.g. mechanical dampersB60G17/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/0511 Roll angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/0512 Pitch angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/0513 Yaw angle
• 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 2400/2042 Lateral speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/208 of wheel rotation
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/252 vertical
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/33 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/39 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/41 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/52 in tyre
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/62 Seat occupation; Passenger presence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/82 : Ground surface
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/174 : Radar
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/10 : Damping action or damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/20 : Spring action or springs

Abstract

A method for estimating a location of a center of gravity (CG) of a sprung mass of a vehicle includes steps of a) determining whether the vehicle is stationary or moving; b) if the vehicle is stationary, calculating estimated x and y coordinates of the CG; c) storing the estimated coordinates in memory; and d) repeating steps a)-c) until the vehicle is no longer stationary.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system configured for calculating x, y and z coordinates of a center of gravity (CG) of a vehicle having a plurality of wheels, the system comprising a controller configured for:

a) determining whether the vehicle is stationary or moving;

b) if the vehicle is stationary, calculating only estimated x and y coordinates of the x, y and z coordinates; and

c) if the vehicle is moving, calculating only a z-coordinate of the x, y and z coordinates.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to, if the vehicle is stationary:

b1) calculate most recent estimated x and y coordinates using a most recent set of sensor data;

b2) determine if previously calculated estimates of the x and y coordinates are stored in the memory; and

b3) if previously calculated estimates of the x and y coordinates are not stored in the memory, assign the most recent estimated x and y coordinates to the memory.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the controller is further configured to calculate, when the vehicle is stationary, estimated x and y coordinates of the CG by, if previously calculated estimates of the x and y coordinates are stored in the memory, recalculating the estimates of the x and y coordinates using the most recent estimated x and y coordinates and estimates of the x and y coordinates calculated at a previous point in time.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the controller is further configured to determine a weighting coefficient α

indicative of a weighting of the most recent x and y coordinate values with respect to the previously calculated x and y coordinate values, for use in recalculating the estimates of the x and y coordinates.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured for:

if the vehicle is moving, determining a roll acceleration of the vehicle;

if the roll acceleration is effectively non-zero, determining if the vehicle is in a turn; and

if the vehicle is in a turn, calculating an estimated z-coordinate of the CG of the vehicle sprung mass.

10. A vehicle including a system in accordance with claim 1.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising a sensor operatively coupled to each wheel of the plurality of wheels, each sensor being configured for providing sensor data to the controller, and wherein the controller is configured to calculate the estimated x and y coordinates of the CG using the sensor data.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the sensor operatively coupled to at least one wheel of the plurality of wheels is a wheel displacement sensor.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the sensor operatively coupled to at least one wheel of the plurality of wheels is a pressure sensor.

5. A vehicle control system configured for estimating a location of a center of gravity (CG) of a sprung mass of a vehicle, the system comprising a controller configured for:

a) determining whether the vehicle is stationary or moving;

b) if the vehicle is moving, determining a roll acceleration of the vehicle;

c) if the roll acceleration is effectively non-zero, determining if the vehicle is in a turn; and

d) if the vehicle is in a turn, calculating an estimated z-coordinate of the CG of the vehicle sprung mass.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the controller is further configured for:

if the vehicle is not in a turn, repeating steps (a)-(c) until it is determined that the vehicle is turning or until the vehicle is stationary.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein the controller is further configured for combining the estimated z-coordinate of the CG with most recently calculated values of x and y coordinates of the CG to provide an estimate of spatial coordinates (x_CG, y_CG, z_CG) of the vehicle CG with respect to a predetermined reference point.

11. The system of claim 5 wherein the controller comprises a vehicle dynamics control module.

12. A vehicle including a vehicle control system in accordance with claim 5.

9. A method for estimating values of coordinates of a location in space of a center of gravity (CG) of a vehicle, the method comprising steps of, by a controller in a vehicle control system:

a) determining whether the vehicle is stationary or moving; and

b) responsive to the determination made in step (a), calculating values for only one of a first portion of the coordinates and a second portion of the coordinates,

wherein coordinates in the second portion are different from coordinates in the first portion.

13. A vehicle configured for implementing a method in accordance with claim 9.