IP Library Granted Patent US 11,713,093
Granted Patent B2
US 11,713,093 · App. 17/005,174 · Granted Aug 1, 2023

Smart device application with customizable tunes for active valve control

Inventors: Everet Owen Ericksen (Woodland, CA); Evan Peterson (Santa Cruz, CA); Nobuhiko Negishi (Santa Cruz, CA); James T. Pickett (Santa Cruz, CA); Andrew Diao (Santa Cruz, CA); Mike Fraguglia (Meadow Vista, CA)
Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
B62K25/04B62K3/00H04W4/029H04W4/80B62K2025/042B62K2201/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,713,093
App. No.
17/005,174
Granted
Aug 1, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system and method for utilizing an active valve customizable tune application is disclosed. The system includes a mobile device having a memory, an active valve tune application, and at least one processor. The processor initiates the active valve tune application, receives, from a database, an active valve suspension tune having a number of performance range adjustable settings, and receives user related input information. At least one of the performance range adjustable settings is modified based on the received input information to generate a modified active valve suspension tune. The system includes an active suspension of a vehicle, wherein the modified active valve suspension tune is implemented by the active suspension.

Claims (82)

1. A system comprising:

a mobile device, said mobile device comprising:

a memory;

an active valve tune application; and

at least one processor to:

initiate said active valve tune application;

receive, from a database, an active valve suspension tune comprising a number of performance range adjustable settings;

receive user related input information; and

modify at least one of said performance range adjustable settings based on said received input information to generate a modified active valve suspension tune;

an active suspension of a vehicle, wherein said modified active valve suspension tune is implemented by said active suspension;

a positional switch coupled with said vehicle, said positional switch to:

cycle through a number of different active valve suspension tunes stored at said active valve suspension;

cycle through a number of different active valve suspension tunes stored at said active valve tune application;

select another active valve suspension tune comprising a number of performance range adjustable settings from said number of different active valve suspension tunes; and

provide said selected another active valve suspension tune to said active valve tune application to replace said active valve suspension tune.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said active suspension comprises:

at least one sensor to generate sensor data related to said active suspension;

at least one damping assembly comprising at least one active valve; and

a suspension controller to:

implement said modified active valve suspension tune at said at least one damping assembly;

repeatedly receive said sensor data from said at least one sensor;

repeatedly evaluate said sensor data; and

automatically adjust, at said at least one damping assembly, one or more of said performance range adjustable settings of said modified active valve suspension tune based on a result of said repeated evaluation of said sensor data.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a communication system to communicatively couple said active valve tune application with said active suspension.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said user related input information comprises:

a rider specific information comprising:

a physical information; and

a skill level information.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said user related input information comprises:

a vehicle specific information comprising:

a make and model;

a use type; and

a geometry.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said vehicle specific information further comprises:

information about at least one component of said vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said user related input information comprises:

a location information to define an area of operation for the vehicle, the location information selected from the group consisting of: a GPS location data, a geofence, an elevation level, and a terrain type.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said active valve suspension tune is a peer generated tune.

9. A system comprising:

a mobile device, said mobile device comprising:

a memory;

an active valve tune application; and

at least one processor to:

initiate said active valve tune application;

receive, from a database, an active valve suspension tune comprising a number of performance range adjustable settings;

receive user related input information;

modify at least one of said performance range adjustable settings based on said received input information to generate a modified active valve suspension tune; and

an active suspension of a vehicle, said active suspension comprising:

at least one sensor to generate sensor data related to said active suspension;

at least one damping assembly comprising at least one active valve; and

a suspension controller to:

receive said modified active valve suspension tune from said mobile device;

implement said modified active valve suspension tune at said at least one damping assembly;

repeatedly receive said sensor data from said at least one sensor;

repeatedly evaluate said sensor data;

automatically adjust, at said at least one damping assembly, one or more of said performance range adjustable settings of said modified active valve suspension tune based on a result of said repeated evaluation of said sensor data;

a positional switch coupled with said vehicle, said positional switch to:

cycle through a number of different active valve suspension tunes stored at said active valve suspension;

cycle through a number of different active valve suspension tunes stored at said active valve tune application;

select another active valve suspension tune comprising a number of performance range adjustable settings from said number of different active valve suspension tunes; and

provide said selected another active valve suspension tune to said active valve tune application to replace said active valve suspension tune.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said user related input information comprises:

a rider specific information comprising:

a physical information; and

a skill level information;

a vehicle specific information comprising:

a make and model;

a use type;

a geometry; and

information about at least one component.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein said user related input information comprises:

a location information to define a real time area of operation of the vehicle, the location information comprising:

an elevation level;

a terrain type; and

a GPS location.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein said active valve suspension tune is a peer generated tune.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein said at least one processor is further to:

receive said sensor data from said active suspension;

evaluate said sensor data in view of said received user related input information to determine an actual performance of said active suspension using said modified active valve suspension tune;

modify at least one of said performance range adjustable settings based on a result of said actual performance evaluation to generate a sensor modified active valve suspension tune; and

provide said sensor modified active valve suspension tune to said active suspension.

Assignments (3)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 27, 2025
From: FOX FACTORY, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 073270/0027 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 5, 2022
From: FOX FACTORY, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 059616/0435 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 27, 2020
From: ERICKSEN, EVERET OWEN; PETERSON, EVAN; NEGISHI, NOBUHIKO; PICKETT, JAMES T.; DIAO, ANDREW; FRAGUGLIA, MIKE
To: FOX FACTORY, INC.
Reel/Frame 053621/0292 →