Methods and apparatus to calibrate height sensors of a vehicle suspension

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10532624-B2
Application number	US-201715450907-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2017
Priority date	Mar 6, 2017
Publication date	Jan 14, 2020
Grant date	Jan 14, 2020

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to calibrate height sensors of a vehicle suspension are described herein. An example method includes measuring a first voltage output of a height sensor coupled to a control arm of a suspension when the control arm is at a first position, associating the first voltage output to the first position of the control arm, measuring a second voltage output of the height sensor when the control arm is at a second position, associating the second voltage output to the second position of the control arm, measuring a third voltage output of the height sensor when the control arm is in a third position, and associating the third voltage output to the third position of the control arm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
during assembly of a frame subassembly:
measuring a first voltage output of a height sensor coupled to a control arm of a suspension when the control arm is at a first position;
associating the first voltage output to the first position of the control arm;
measuring a second voltage output of the height sensor when the control arm is at a second position;
associating the second voltage output to the second position of the control arm;

after assembling the frame subassembly:
measuring a third voltage output of the height sensor when the control arm is in a third position; and
associating the third voltage output to the third position of the control arm.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , further including moving the control arm to the first position when a suspension biasing element is not coupled to the control arm.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 , further including moving the control arm to the second position when a suspension biasing element is not coupled to the control arm.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 , further including moving the control arm to the third position after a suspension biasing element is coupled to the control arm.

5. The method as defined in claim 4 , wherein the third position of the control arm is representative of a curb height.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising moving the control arm to the first position and moving the control arm to the second position during assembly of the frame subassembly.

7. A method comprising:
mounting a height sensor to a vehicle frame subassembly;
connecting the height sensor to an external power supply;
moving at least a portion of the vehicle frame subassembly toward a first position to record a first measurement prior to assembly of the vehicle frame subassembly to a vehicle;
moving the at least the portion of the vehicle frame subassembly toward a second position to record a second measurement prior to assembly of the vehicle frame subassembly to the vehicle; and
disconnecting the external power supply.

8. The method as defined in claim 7 , assembling a vehicle including the vehicle frame subassembly.

9. The method as defined in claim 8 , further including recording a third measurement corresponding to a third position of the vehicle frame subassembly after assembly of the vehicle frame subassembly assembled to the vehicle.

10. The method as defined in claim 9 , further including associating the first, second, and third measurements to the corresponding first, second, and third positions.

11. The method as defined in claim 9 , wherein the third position corresponds to a curb height of the assembled vehicle.

12. The method as defined in claim 7 , wherein moving the at least the portion of the vehicle frame subassembly to the first position includes moving a control arm toward a first travel limit and moving the at least the portion of the vehicle frame subassembly to the second position includes moving the control arm toward a second travel limit.

13. The method as defined in claim 12 , further including:
detecting the control arm is at the first travel limit; and
detecting the control arm is at the second travel limit.

14. A system comprising:
a height sensor coupled to a control arm of a vehicle suspension; and
a processor, the processor to:
measure a first voltage output of the height sensor when the control arm is at a first position;
associate the first voltage output to the first position of the control arm;
measure a second voltage output of the height sensor when the control arm is at a second position;
associate the second voltage output to the second position of the control arm;
measure a third voltage output of the height sensor when the control arm is in a third position; and
associate the third voltage output to the third position of the control arm, wherein the first and second voltage outputs are measured during assembly of a frame subassembly and the third voltage output is measured after assembly of the frame subassembly.

15. The system as defined in claim 14 , further including a control arm operator to move the control arm to the first position when a suspension biasing element is not coupled to the control arm.

16. The system as defined in claim 15 , further including the control arm operator to move the control arm to the second position when the suspension biasing element is not coupled to the control arm.

17. The system as defined in claim 16 , wherein the control arm operator moves the control arm to the first position and moves the control arm to the second position during assembly of the frame subassembly.

18. The system as defined in claim 14 , wherein the third position of the control arm is representative of a curb height of a vehicle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Norton Russ Lee
• Panagis Timothy
• Grohnke Daniel Lee

Classifications

• G01B7/14

  for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures (G01B7/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60G2400/25

  Stroke; Height; Displacement · CPC title

• B60G2800/7022

  Calibration of a sensor, e.g. automatically · CPC title

• B60G17/01908 Primary

  Acceleration or inclination sensors (characterised by the use of gyroscopes B60G21/08) · CPC title

• G01B21/042

  Calibration or calibration artifacts (G01B3/30, G01B9/02072 take precedence) · CPC title