Suspension system integration with advanced driver assistance system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11904841-B2
Application number	US-202117499679-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2021
Priority date	Oct 12, 2021
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

A suspension system and associated control methods for improving the effectiveness of driver assistance systems is disclosed where the driver assistance systems can generate and send requests to a suspension control unit (SCU) of the suspension system to actuate (e.g., close) one or more comfort valves in the suspension system to increase the roll stiffness and/or pitch stiffness of the suspension system when the driver assistance systems are taking corrective action. As part of a two-way communication between the suspension control unit (SCU) and the driver assistance systems, the suspension control unit (SCU) communicates target stiffnesses and/or calculated effective stiffnesses to the driver assistance systems, which is used to update the vehicle stability models used by the driver assistance systems.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a suspension system of a vehicle, comprising:
connecting a plurality of dampers to each other and a plurality of comfort valves via a plurality of hydraulic circuits;
retrieving at least one of a target roll stiffness and a target pressure from a suspension control unit (SCU) of the suspension system;
monitoring real-time data from at least one onboard sensor or system, the real-time data including data reflecting at least one of fluid pressure within at least one of the hydraulic circuits, damper displacement for at least one of the dampers, lateral acceleration of the vehicle, vehicle speed, and steering wheel angle;
calculating an effective roll stiffness of the suspension system based on the real-time data;
reporting at least one of the target roll stiffness and the effective roll stiffness to a driver assistance system;
generating and updating a vehicle stability model in the driver assistance system based on a combination of the real-time data and at least one of the target roll stiffness and the effective roll stiffness;
utilizing the vehicle stability model to determine if the vehicle can complete an initiated turn without oversteer or understeer based on the target roll stiffness or the effective roll stiffness;
utilizing the vehicle stability model to determine if the vehicle can complete the initiated turn at a different target stiffness without oversteer or understeer if the vehicle cannot complete the initiated turn without oversteer or understeer at the target roll stiffness or the effective roll stiffness;
sending a request from the driver assistance system to the suspension control unit (SCU) for a new comfort valve setting corresponding to the different target stiffness in response to determining that the vehicle can complete the initiated turn at the different target stiffness without oversteer or understeer; and
initiating the new comfort valve setting corresponding to the different target stiffness by actuating at least one comfort valve in the plurality of comfort valves based on the new comfort valve setting.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
calculating a roll moment based on the fluid pressure monitored within at least one of the hydraulic circuits;
calculating a roll angle based on the damper displacement monitored for at least one of the dampers; and
calculating the effective roll stiffness by dividing the roll moment by the roll angle.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
calculating a roll angle based on the damper displacement monitored for at least one of the dampers; and
calculating the effective roll stiffness based on the roll angle and the lateral acceleration of the vehicle.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
calculating a roll moment based on the fluid pressure monitored within at least one of the hydraulic circuits; and
calculating the effective roll stiffness based on the roll moment and the lateral acceleration of the vehicle.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
reiterating the method in response to determining that the vehicle can complete the initiated turn without oversteer or understeer at the target roll stiffness or the effective roll stiffness by returning to said step of retrieving at least one of the target roll stiffness and the target pressure.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said step of utilizing the vehicle stability model to determine if the vehicle can complete the initiated turn without oversteer or understeer includes processing an initiated steering input that is derived from the real-time data for steering wheel angle.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
initiating a corrective action in response to determining that the vehicle cannot complete the initiated turn at any target stiffness without oversteer or understeer,
wherein the corrective action includes initiating at least one of an interventional throttle input, an interventional brake input, and an interventional steering input.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said step of initiating the new comfort valve setting corresponding to the different target stiffness by actuating at least one comfort valve in the plurality of comfort valves based on the new comfort valve setting includes closing at least one comfort valve in the plurality of comfort valves to increase roll stiffness in the suspension system.

9. A method of controlling a suspension system of a vehicle, comprising:
connecting a plurality of dampers to each other and a plurality of comfort valves via a plurality of hydraulic circuits;
retrieving at least one of a target pitch stiffness and a target pressure from a suspension control unit (SCU) of the suspension system;
monitoring real-time data from at least one onboard sensor or system, the real-time data including data reflecting at least one of fluid pressure within at least one of the hydraulic circuits, damper displacement for at least one of the dampers, longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle, and vehicle speed;
calculating an effective pitch stiffness of the suspension system based on the real-time data;
reporting at least one of the target pitch stiffness and the effective pitch stiffness to a driver assistance system;
generating and updating a vehicle stability model in the driver assistance system based on a combination of the real-time data and at least one of the target pitch stiffness and the effective pitch stiffness;
utilizing the vehicle stability model to determine if a different target stiffness should be implemented based on an initiated throttle input or an initiated brake input;
sending a request from the driver assistance system to the suspension control unit (SCU) for a new comfort valve setting corresponding to the different target stiffness in response to determining that a different target stiffness should be implemented for the initiated throttle input or initiated brake input; and
initiating the new comfort valve setting corresponding to the different target stiffness by actuating at least one comfort valve in the plurality of comfort valves based on the new comfort valve setting.

10. The method as set forth in claim 8 , further comprising the steps of:
calculating a pitch moment based on the fluid pressure monitored within at least one of the hydraulic circuits;
calculating a pitch angle based on the damper displacement monitored for at least one of the dampers; and
calculating the effective pitch stiffness by dividing the pitch moment by the pitch angle.

11. The method as set forth in claim 8 , further comprising the steps of:
calculating a pitch angle based on the damper displacement monitored for at least one of the dampers; and
calculating the effective pitch stiffness based on the pitch angle and the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle.

12. The method as set forth in claim 8 , further comprising the steps of:
calculating a pitch moment based on the fluid pressure monitored within at least one of the hydraulic circuits; and
calculating the effective pitch stiffness based on the pitch moment and the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle.

13. The method as set forth in claim 8 , wherein said step of utilizing the vehicle stability model to determine if a different target stiffness should be implemented is based at least in part on whether the driver assistance system has initiated a corrective action in the form of an interventional throttle input or an interventional brake input.

Assignees

• Driv Automotive Inc

Inventors

• VANDERSMISSEN Bert
• Boon Peter

Classifications

• B60W30/045 Primary

  Improving turning performance · CPC title

• B60G17/0152

  characterised by the action on a particular type of suspension unit (B60G17/01941 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60G17/0162

  mainly during a motion involving steering operation, e.g. cornering, overtaking (B60G17/0164 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60G17/0195

  characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems {(conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22)} · CPC title

• B60G17/08

  Characteristics of fluid dampers (adjusting fluid dampers in general F16F9/44 - F16F9/53) · CPC title