System and method for determining appropriate conditions for leveling a vehicle having an air suspension system

1. A method of performing a leveling action on a vehicle having a height adjustable air suspension system and undergoing a vehicle acceleration, said method comprising steps of:

a) initiating a leveling action adjusting said suspension system toward a pre-determined height condition of the vehicle;

b) discontinuing said leveling action upon the vehicle acceleration exceeding a first pre-determined acceleration threshold prior to said suspension system achieving said pre-determined height condition;

c) waiting until the vehicle acceleration decreases below a second pre-determined acceleration threshold that is less than said first pre-determined threshold; and,

d) continuing said leveling action adjusting said suspension system toward said pre-determined height condition.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said suspension system includes a controller and said method includes said controller acting to at least partially execute step a).

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein said method includes said controller acting to at least partially execute at least one of steps b) and d).

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said method includes steps of determining the vehicle acceleration, comparing the vehicle acceleration with said first pre-determined acceleration threshold, and determining that the vehicle acceleration is greater than said first pre-determined acceleration threshold prior to step b).

5. A method according to claim 4 , wherein said air suspension system includes an accelerometer and a controller, and said method includes steps of said accelerometer measuring the vehicle acceleration and communicating a signal to said controller.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said first pre-determined threshold is an acceleration value of from about 0.2 g to about 0.4 g.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said second pre-determined threshold is an acceleration value of from about 0.05 g to about 0.25 g.

8. A method of executing a leveling action on a vehicle having a height adjustable air suspension system, said method comprising steps of:

a) initiating a leveling action adjusting said suspension system toward a pre-determined height condition of the vehicle;

b) determining an acceleration value of an acceleration acting on the vehicle;

c) comparing said acceleration value to a first pre-determined threshold value;

d) discontinuing said leveling action in response to said acceleration value exceeding said first pre-determined threshold value;

e) waiting until said acceleration value is one of less than and substantially equal to a second pre-determined threshold value that is less than said first pre-determined threshold value; and,

f) continuing said leveling action adjusting said suspension system toward a pre-determined height condition of the vehicle.

9. A method according to claim 8 , wherein said first pre-determined threshold value is from about 0.2 g to about 0.4 g.

10. A method according to claim 8 , wherein said air suspension system includes a controller and step a) includes said controller at least partially executing said leveling action.

11. A method according to claim 10 , wherein step d) includes said controller acting to at least partially discontinue said leveling action.

12. A method according to claim 10 , wherein step f) includes said controller acting to continue said leveling action once said acceleration value has been one of less than and substantially equal to said second pre-determined threshold value for a pre-determined duration.

13. A method according to claim 8 , wherein said air suspension system includes an acceleration-determining device, and step b) includes said acceleration-determining device determining said acceleration value.

14. A method according to claim 13 , wherein step e) includes said acceleration-determining device periodically determining an acceleration value corresponding to the acceleration and outputting a signal representative of said acceleration value.

15. A method according to claim 8 , wherein said air suspension system includes a comparator, and step b) includes said comparator receiving a signal representative of said acceleration value and comparing said signal to said first pre-determined threshold.

16. A method according to claim 15 , wherein step e) includes said comparator comparing a signal representative of said acceleration value to said second pre-determined value.

17. A method according to claim 8 , wherein said air suspension system includes a timer and step e) includes said timer monitoring a duration that said acceleration value is one of less than and substantially equal to said second pre-determined threshold.

18. A method of leveling a vehicle having a height adjustable air suspension system that includes a controller, an acceleration-determining device, a comparator and a memory storing a first pre-determined threshold value and a second pre-determined threshold value that is less than said first pre-determined threshold value, said method comprising steps of:

a) determining an acceleration value of an acceleration acting on the vehicle using said acceleration-determining device;

b) comparing said acceleration value to said first pre-determined threshold value using said comparator;

c) initiating a leveling action using said controller to adjust said suspension system toward a pre-determined height condition of the vehicle in response to said acceleration value being one of less than and substantially equal to said first pre-determined threshold value;

d) repeating steps a) through c) until said acceleration value is greater than said first pre-determined threshold value;

e) discontinuing said leveling action prior to said suspension system achieving said pre-determined height condition in response to said acceleration value being greater than said first pre-determined threshold value;

f) waiting until said acceleration value is one of less than and substantially equal to said second pre-determined threshold value; and,

g) continuing said discontinued leveling action adjusting said suspension system toward said pre-determined height condition.

19. A method according to claim 18 further comprising a step of repeating steps a) to g) after said suspension system has achieved said pre-determined height condition in step g).