Active suspension of a motor vehicle passenger seat
First Claim
1. A method for controlling the operation of an active suspension system for a motor vehicle passenger seat, where the active suspension system comprises an actuator that is constructed and arranged to place force on the seat that can move the seat in a first degree of freedom and a control system that is responsive to a sensor system that detects motor vehicle accelerations in at least the first degree of freedom, where the sensor system comprises an accident detection system that detects motor vehicle accident conditions, where the control system provides control signals that cause the actuator to exert a force on the seat in the first degree of freedom, wherein in normal active suspension operation mode the actuator is controlled to output forces that reduce acceleration of the seat so as to counteract motions of the seat in the first degree of freedom, the method comprising:
- in response to the detection of an accident condition, using the control system to operate the actuator in a crash performance mode where the actuator is controlled to output a force on the seat that can move the seat, where the force is proportional to the velocity of the seat in the first degree of freedom.
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Abstract
A method for controlling the operation of an active suspension system for a motor vehicle passenger seat, where the active suspension system comprises an actuator that is constructed and arranged to place force on the seat in a first degree of freedom and a control system that is responsive to a sensor system that detects motor vehicle accelerations in at least the first degree of freedom, where the sensor system comprises an accident detection system that detects motor vehicle accident conditions, where the control system provides control signals that cause the actuator to exert a force on the seat in the first degree of freedom, wherein in normal active suspension operation mode the actuator is controlled to output forces that reduce acceleration of the seat so as to counteract motions of the seat in the first degree of freedom. In response to the detection of an accident condition, the control system is used to operate the actuator in a crash performance mode where the actuator is controlled to output a force that is proportional to the velocity of the seat in the first degree of freedom.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for controlling the operation of an active suspension system for a motor vehicle passenger seat, where the active suspension system comprises an actuator that is constructed and arranged to place force on the seat that can move the seat in a first degree of freedom and a control system that is responsive to a sensor system that detects motor vehicle accelerations in at least the first degree of freedom, where the sensor system comprises an accident detection system that detects motor vehicle accident conditions, where the control system provides control signals that cause the actuator to exert a force on the seat in the first degree of freedom, wherein in normal active suspension operation mode the actuator is controlled to output forces that reduce acceleration of the seat so as to counteract motions of the seat in the first degree of freedom, the method comprising:
in response to the detection of an accident condition, using the control system to operate the actuator in a crash performance mode where the actuator is controlled to output a force on the seat that can move the seat, where the force is proportional to the velocity of the seat in the first degree of freedom. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for controlling the operation of an active suspension system for a motor vehicle passenger seat, where the active suspension system comprises:
- a first actuator that is constructed and arranged to place force on the seat in a first translational degree of freedom that is generally vertical with respect to the earth;
a second actuator that is constructed and arranged to place force on the seat in a second translational degree of freedom that is different than the first degree of freedom and is generally horizontal with respect to the earth and transverse to the forward direction of travel of the motor vehicle; and
a control system that is responsive to a sensor system that detects motor vehicle accelerations in at least the first and second degrees of freedom and that comprises an accident detection system that detects motor vehicle accident conditions, where the control system provides control signals that cause the actuators to exert forces on the seat in the first and second degrees of freedom, wherein in normal active suspension operation mode the first actuator is controlled to output forces that reduce accelerations of the seat, the method comprising;in response to the accident detector detecting a rollover or impact accident condition, using the actuator control system to operate the actuators in a crash performance mode where the first actuator is controlled to output a force in the first degree of freedom and the second actuator is controlled to output a force in the second degree of freedom and in a direction along the second degree of freedom that is away from the side onto which the vehicle is rolling or the side that was impacted.
- a first actuator that is constructed and arranged to place force on the seat in a first translational degree of freedom that is generally vertical with respect to the earth;
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21. A method for controlling the operation of an active suspension system for a motor vehicle passenger seat, where the active suspension system comprises an actuator that is constructed and arranged to place force on the seat that can move the seat in a first degree of freedom and a control system that is responsive to a sensor system that detects motor vehicle accelerations in at least the first degree of freedom and that comprises an accident detection system that detects motor vehicle accident conditions, where the sensor system comprises an inertial sensor that senses motions of the seat and a non-inertial sensor that senses motions of the seat, and where the control system provides control signals that cause the actuator to exert a force on the seat that can move the seat in the first degree of freedom, wherein in normal active suspension operation mode the actuator is controlled to output forces that reduce accelerations of the seat, the method comprising:
wherein in the normal active suspension operation mode the control system is responsive to both the inertial and non-inertial sensors, and in response to the detection of an accident condition, the control system becomes responsive only to the non-inertial sensor, and is not responsive to the inertial sensor, and where in response to the detection of an accident condition the control system operates the actuator in a crash performance mode where the actuator is controlled to output a force on the seat that can move the seat, where the force is proportional to the velocity of the seat in the first degree of freedom.
Specification