IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,731,478
Granted Patent B2
US 11,731,478 · App. 17/166,901 · Granted Aug 22, 2023

Vehicle damping control

Inventors: David Michael Russell (Ann Arbor, MI); Charles Gavin McGee (Brighton, MI); Ben Bulat (Plymouth, MI); Russ Lee Norton (Brownstown Township, MI); John Keller (Farmington Hills, MI); Darrell Erick Butler (Macomb, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
B60G17/018B60G17/01908B60G17/01933B60G17/06B60G2400/10B60G2400/20B60G2600/182
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,731,478
App. No.
17/166,901
Granted
Aug 22, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for damping control for a vehicle includes a parameter component and a damping adjustment component. The parameter component is configured to determine one or more driving parameters of a vehicle. The one or more driving parameters include a velocity of the vehicle. The damping adjustment component is configured to adjust damping of suspension of the vehicle during driving based on the one or more driving parameters. The damping adjustment component is also configured to adjust damping of suspension at a zero velocity for a threshold time period in response to transitioning from a non-zero velocity to the zero velocity.

Claims (43)

1. A method comprising:

determining whether one or more driving parameters of a vehicle exceeds a threshold value associated with that driving parameter, wherein the one or more driving parameters comprises brake pressure, longitudinal acceleration, or pitch rate; and

in response to at least one of the one or more driving parameters exceeding the threshold value associated with that driving parameter, adjusting damping of suspension of the vehicle after the vehicle transitions from a non-zero velocity to a zero velocity.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

tracking velocity of the vehicle; and

determining whether the brake pressure of the vehicle exceeds the threshold value associated with the brake pressure during a deceleration of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to the vehicle transitioning from a non-zero velocity to a zero velocity, adjusting the damping of the suspension of the vehicle for a threshold time period when the vehicle remains at the zero velocity.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting the damping of the suspension of the vehicle during driving based on the one or more driving parameters.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising deactivating adjusting the damping of the suspension of the vehicle after the vehicle has been at the zero velocity for a threshold time period.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, during deceleration of the vehicle, determining whether one or more of:

a deceleration rate of the vehicle exceeds a deceleration threshold; or

the pitch rate of the vehicle exceeds the threshold value associated with the pitch rate; and

adjusting the damping of the suspension of the vehicle in response to the deceleration rate exceeding the deceleration threshold and/or the pitch rate exceeding threshold value associated with the pitch rate.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the damping of the suspension of the vehicle comprises independently controlling damping of suspension for each wheel based on the one or more driving parameters.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the damping of the suspension of the vehicle comprises providing a current to dampers at one or more wheels of the vehicle to control an amount of damping after the vehicle has reached the zero velocity.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more driving parameters further comprises road surface information and sideways velocity.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold values associated with the one or more driving parameters comprises:

a brake pressure threshold associated with the brake pressure of the vehicle;

a longitudinal acceleration threshold associated with the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle; and

a pitch rate threshold associated with the pitch rate of the vehicle.

11. A system comprising:

vehicle sensors for sensing one or more driving parameters of a vehicle, the one or more driving parameters comprising a brake pressure of the vehicle, longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle, and pitch rate of the vehicle;

a suspension of the vehicle; and

a processor that is programmable to execute instructions stored in non-transitory computer readable storage media, the instructions comprising:

determining whether the one or more driving parameters of the vehicle exceeds a threshold value associated with that driving parameter; and

in response to at least one of the one or more driving parameters exceeding the threshold value associated with that driving parameter, adjusting damping of suspension of the vehicle after the vehicle transitions from a non-zero velocity to a zero velocity.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the instructions further comprise deactivating adjusting the damping of the suspension of the vehicle after the vehicle has been at the zero velocity for a threshold time period.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the instructions further comprise, during deceleration of the vehicle, determining whether one or more of:

a deceleration rate of the vehicle exceeds a deceleration threshold; or

the pitch rate of the vehicle exceeds the threshold value associated with the pitch rate; and

adjusting the damping of the suspension of the vehicle in response to the deceleration rate exceeding the deceleration threshold and/or the pitch rate exceeding the threshold value associated with the pitch rate.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein adjusting the damping of the suspension of the vehicle comprises independently controlling damping of suspension for each wheel of the vehicle based on the one or more driving parameters.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein adjusting the damping of the suspension of the vehicle comprises providing a current to dampers at one or more wheels of the vehicle to control an amount of damping after the vehicle has reached the zero velocity.

16. Non-transitory computer readable storage media storing instructions executable by one or more processors, the instructions comprising:

determining whether one or more driving parameters of a vehicle exceeds a threshold value associated with that driving parameter, wherein the one or more driving parameters comprises brake pressure, longitudinal acceleration, or pitch rate; and

in response to at least one of the one or more driving parameters exceeding the threshold value associated with that driving parameter, adjusting damping of suspension of the vehicle after the vehicle transitions from a non-zero velocity to a zero velocity.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further comprise, in response to the vehicle transitioning from a non-zero velocity to the zero velocity, adjust damping of the suspension of the vehicle for a threshold time period when the vehicle remains at the zero velocity.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further comprise adjusting damping of the suspension of the vehicle during driving based on the one or more driving parameters.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further comprise deactivating adjusting the damping of the suspension of the vehicle after the vehicle has been at the zero velocity for a threshold time period.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 16 , wherein the threshold values associated with the one or more driving parameters comprises:

a brake pressure threshold associated with the brake pressure of the vehicle;

a longitudinal acceleration threshold associated with the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle; and

a pitch rate threshold associated with the pitch rate of the vehicle.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 3, 2021
From: RUSSELL, DAVID MICHAEL; MCGEE, CHARLES GAVIN; BULAT, BEN; NORTON, RUSS LEE; KELLER, JOHN; BUTLER, DARRELL ERICK
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC.
Reel/Frame 055137/0290 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16374296 · Apr 3, 2019
Continuation 15345231 · Nov 7, 2016
Related Publication 20210155067A1 · May 27, 2021