Active vehicle suspension

• US 9,925,841 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2015
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hrovat, Davor David, Tseng, Hongtei Eric, Xu, Li, Filev, Dimitar Petrov
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): GREENE, DANIEL LAWSON
• Application Number:
  US14/853,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20170072763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0165 to an external condition, e.g. rough road surface, side wind
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/96 Presence, absence or inactivity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/70 Computer memory; Data storage, e.g. maps for adaptive control

Abstract

A user device is identified as being operated by a vehicle occupant. An operation being performed by the user device is identified. A road condition is determined. A vehicle suspension is adjusted based at least in part on the identified user device operation and the road condition.

Claims

1. A system, comprising a computer including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the computer to:

identify a user computing device operated in a vehicle;

identify, from a plurality of applications available on the user computing device, a specific application currently in use on the user computing device;

determine a road condition; and

adjust a vehicle suspension based at least in part on the identified specific application and the road condition.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to receive data from one or more user computing device sensors to identify the specific application.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the received data include at least one of user computing device acceleration, user computing device orientation, user computing device rotation rate, user input error rate, user input legibility, and user computing device location.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to adjust a vehicle seat based on at least one of the road condition and the identified specific application.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to identify a second application from the plurality of applications available on the user computing device that is in use on the user computing device and to adjust the vehicle suspension based on at least one of the specific application and the second application.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of applications includes applications for at least one of word processing, spreadsheet management, viewing content, gaming, and a computing device resting state.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to adjust at least one of light intensity and volume of a vehicle entertainment system based on the identified application.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to adjust at least one of longitudinal smoothness of the vehicle suspension, the longitudinal smoothness being a measure of forward and backward movement of the vehicle;

lateral smoothness of the vehicle suspension, the lateral smoothness being a measure of left and right movement of the vehicle; and

vertical smoothness of the vehicle suspension, the vertical smoothness being a measure of up and down movement of the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine a user input error rate of the application, the user input error rate being a measure of input errors by the user, and adjust the vehicle suspension to reduce the user input error rate.

10. The system of claim 1, the instructions further including instructions to alert a vehicle occupant when the occupant'"'"'s attention is needed.

11. A method, comprising:

identifying a user computing device operated in a vehicle;

identifying, from a plurality of applications specific application currently in use on the user computing device;

determining a road condition; and

adjusting a vehicle suspension based at least in part on the identified specific application and the road condition.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving data from one or more user computing device sensors to identify the specific application.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the received data include at least one of user computing device acceleration, user computing device orientation, user computing device rotation rate, user input error rate, user input legibility, and user computing device location.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising adjusting a vehicle seat based on at least one of the road condition and the identified specific application.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising identifying a second application of the user computing device that is in use on the user computing device and to adjust the vehicle suspension based on at least one of the specific application and the second application.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of applications includes applications for at least one of word processing, spreadsheet management, viewing content, gaming, and a computing device resting state.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising identifying at least one of light intensity and volume of a vehicle entertainment system based on the identified application.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising adjusting at least one of longitudinal, lateral, and vertical smoothness of the vehicle suspension.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining a user input error rate of the application, the user input error rate being a measure of input errors by the user, and adjust the vehicle suspension to reduce the user input error rate.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising alerting a vehicle occupant when the occupant'"'"'s attention is needed.