Vehicle height adjustment system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10160277-B2
Application number	US-201615355588-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2016
Priority date	Nov 27, 2015
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle height adjustment system includes: a vehicle height adjustment actuator provided for each wheel of a vehicle; a pressure medium intake and exhaust device configured to supply and exhaust a pressure medium to and from the vehicle height adjustment actuator; and a vehicle height adjustment unit including a computer, the vehicle height adjustment unit configured to: adjust a vehicle height by controlling the pressure medium intake and exhaust device, the vehicle height being a distance between the wheel and a vehicle body; adjust the vehicle height when a get-in estimation condition is satisfied; and limit a number of times the vehicle height is adjusted within a set period to a number of times smaller than a set number of times.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle height adjustment system comprising:
a vehicle height adjustment actuator provided for each wheel of a vehicle;
a pressure medium intake and exhaust device configured to supply and exhaust a pressure medium to and from the vehicle height adjustment actuator; and
a vehicle height adjustment unit including a computer, the vehicle height adjustment unit being configured to:
adjust a vehicle height by controlling the pressure medium intake and exhaust device, the vehicle height being a distance between each wheel and a vehicle body;
adjust the vehicle height when a get-in estimation condition is satisfied; and

limit, upon the get-in estimation condition being satisfied, a number of times the vehicle height is adjusted within a set period of time to less than a predetermined number of times.

2. The vehicle height adjustment system according to claim 1 , wherein the set period is a period from a time an ignition switch of the vehicle is switched from ON to OFF to a time the ignition switch is switched from OFF to ON.

3. The vehicle height adjustment system according to claim 1 , wherein the set period includes a plurality of periods, each being a period from a time an ignition switch of the vehicle is switched from ON to OFF to a time the ignition switch is switched from OFF to ON.

4. The vehicle height adjustment system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the vehicle height adjustment system operates on power supplied from a battery, and
the vehicle height adjustment unit is configured to determine the predetermined number of times based on a state of the battery.

5. The vehicle height adjustment system according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined number of times is a value equal to or larger than three.

6. The vehicle height adjustment system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the vehicle height adjustment system operates on a power supplied from a battery, and
the vehicle height adjustment unit is configured to determine an operation amount of the vehicle height adjustment actuator based on a state of the battery.

7. The vehicle height adjustment system according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle height adjustment unit is configured in such a way that an operation amount of the vehicle height adjustment actuator decreases as the number of times vehicle height is adjusted increases.

8. The vehicle height adjustment system according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle height adjustment unit is configured to count the number of times the vehicle height is adjusted within the set period of time, upon the get-in estimation condition is satisfied.

9. The vehicle height adjustment system according to claim 8 , wherein the vehicle height adjustment unit is configured not to count the number of times the vehicle height is adjusted within the set period of time, upon a thing-left-behind condition is satisfied.

10. The vehicle height adjustment system according to claim 9 , wherein the vehicle height adjustment unit is configured to determine that the thing-left-behind condition is satisfied upon the get-in estimation condition being satisfied before a set time elapses from a time a previous vehicle height adjustment is terminated.

11. The vehicle height adjustment system according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a communication device that carries out communication with a mobile apparatus,
wherein the vehicle height adjustment unit is configured to determine the thing-left-behind condition is satisfied upon the get-in estimation condition being satisfied between a time when a previous vehicle height adjustment is performed to a time prior to the mobile apparatus leaving a communication area.

12. A vehicle height adjustment system comprising:
a vehicle height adjustment actuator provided for each wheel of a vehicle;
a pressure medium intake and exhaust device configured to supply and exhaust a pressure medium to and from the vehicle height adjustment actuator; and
a vehicle height adjustment unit including a computer, the vehicle height adjustment unit being configured to:
adjust a vehicle height by controlling the pressure medium intake and exhaust device, the vehicle height being a distance between each wheel and a vehicle body; and
limit, upon a get-in estimation condition being satisfied, a number of times the vehicle height adjustment is performed while an ignition switch is set to OFF to less than a predetermined number of times.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ohashi Hideki
• Sano Katsuyuki
• Tokumitsu Jun
• Kanda Ryo
• Tanaka Shogo

Classifications

• B60G17/016

  characterised by their responsiveness, when the vehicle is travelling, to specific motion, a specific condition, or driver input {(B60G17/017 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60G17/017

  characterised by their use when the vehicle is stationary, e.g. during loading, engine start-up or switch-off · CPC title

• B60G17/0157

  non-fluid unit, e.g. electric motor · CPC title

• B60G2204/80

  Interactive suspensions; arrangement affecting more than one suspension unit · CPC title

• B60G2400/952

  of door or bonnet · CPC title