Method and apparatus for operating a cushioning system for a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9809077-B2
Application number	US-201414471990-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2014
Priority date	Sep 6, 2013
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

A method for operating a shock-absorber system with shock-absorber devices, in particular switching shock-absorber devices, wherein discretely selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves are provided. The method determines a driving behavior of the driver and/or of the motor vehicle on the basis of one or more driving state data items and/or one or more operating variables and, in automatic mode, automatically sets a shock-absorbing behavior of the shock-absorber system by selecting one of the selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves of the shock-absorber devices as a function of the determined driving behavior.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating a shock-absorber system with switching shock-absorber devices, wherein discretely selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves are provided, the method comprising:
determining a driving behavior of the driver and/or of the motor vehicle based on one or more driving state data items and/or one or more operating variables;
in automatic mode, automatically setting a shock-absorbing behavior of the shock-absorber system by selecting one of the selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves of the shock-absorber devices as a function of the determined driving behavior;
wherein the driving behavior of the driver and/or of the motor vehicle is determined based on at least one of the following data items of a driver assistance system: a requested deceleration which is set for an automatic cruise controller, a blind spot detection, a seat occupation state, an engaged state of the trailer coupling, a characterizing data item relating to music selected by the driver and data items relating to a distance lying ahead, and
wherein in response to a decision being made to change the shock-absorbing behavior in the automatic mode as a function of the driving behavior of the driver and/or of the motor vehicle, the change in the shock-absorbing behavior is carried out only in a chronologically limited fashion, and the original shock-absorbing behavior is assumed again after expiry of a predetermined time period.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the automatic mode and one or more manually selectable shock-absorbing modes are made available for manual selection using an operator control unit, wherein each of the manually selectable shock-absorbing modes is assigned a defined shock-absorbing behavior with specific, discretely selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves of the shock-absorber devices.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein, in the automatic mode, the shock-absorbing behavior is set automatically as a function of the determined driving behavior, as a shock-absorbing behavior of one of the manually selectable shock-absorbing modes.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the shock-absorbing behaviors which are adjusted in the automatic mode correspond to the shock-absorbing behaviors which are determined by the manually selectable shock-absorbing modes.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the automatic mode, the shock-absorbing behavior of the shock-absorber system is set by the respective selection of one of the discretely selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves of all the shock-absorber devices as a function of the determined driving behavior.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the driving behavior of the driver and/or of the motor vehicle is further determined based on one or more of the following driving state data items and/or one or more operating variables or profiles of the corresponding operating variables:
a braking behavior of the driver or of the motor vehicle, which is determined by at least one of the following operating variables: a brake pressure, a brake pressure rate of increase, a profile of the brake pressure and a profile of the brake pressure rate of increase;
a cornering behavior of the driver or of the motor vehicle, which is determined by at least one of the following operating variables: a steering angle, a change in the steering angle, a jolt in the steering angle, a lateral acceleration, a yaw rate and presence of an ESP/ABS intervention; and
an acceleration driving behavior of the driver or of the motor vehicle, which is determined based on at least one of the following operating variables and/or at least one of the following driving state data items: a switching frequency of a manual transmission, a measure of the use of a rotational speed range of the drive engine, a data item relating to a selection of a sporty setting in an automatic transmission, an accelerator pedal position, a vehicle speed, a vehicle acceleration, a driver's requested torque which is predefined by a driver, as well as gradients and profiles of the accelerator pedal position, the vehicle speed, the vehicle acceleration and the driver's requested torque which is predefined by a driver.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined time period depends on the driving behavior.

8. A shock-absorption control unit that operates a shock-absorber system with switching shock-absorber devices, which have discretely selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves, wherein the shock-absorption control unit:
determines a driving behavior of the driver and/or of the motor vehicle based on one or more driving state data items and/or one or more operating variables;
sets, in an automatic mode, a shock-absorbing behavior of the shock-absorber system by selecting one of the selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves of the switching shock-absorber devices as a function of the determined driving behavior;
wherein the control unit sets shock absorbers on a left vehicle side to a first characteristic curve and shock absorbers on a right vehicle side to a different characteristic curve based on cornering behavior; and
wherein the selected shock-absorbing behavior of the shock absorber-system is cancelled and switches back to an original shock-absorbing mode after the expiry of a predetermined time period.

9. A shock-absorber system, comprising:
one or more shock-absorber devices each with a plurality of discretely selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves; and
a shock-absorption control unit, for operating a shock-absorber system with switching shock-absorber devices, which have discretely selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves, wherein the shock-absorption control unit determines a driving behavior of the driver and/or of the motor vehicle based on one or more driving state data items and/or one or more operating variables; and sets, in an automatic mode, a shock-absorbing behavior of the shock-absorber system by selecting one of the selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves of the switching shock-absorber devices as a function of the determined driving behavior;
wherein the control unit sets shock absorbers on a left vehicle side to a first characteristic curve and shock absorbers on a right vehicle side to a different characteristic curve based on cornering behavior; and
wherein the selected shock-absorber characteristic curves of the shock absorber-system are cancelled and the system switches back to an original shock-absorbing mode after the expiry of a predetermined time period.

10. The shock-absorber system of claim 9 , wherein an operator control unit is provided for making available the automatic mode and/or at least one manually selectable shock-absorbing mode for selection.

11. The shock-absorber system of claim 10 , wherein the operator control unit displays information about the selection of the automatic mode or of the at least one shock-absorbing mode.

12. The shock-absorber system of claim 9 , wherein the operator control unit displays information about the selected shock-absorbing mode in the automatic mode.

13. A motor vehicle having a shock-absorber system, comprising:
one or more shock-absorber devices each with a plurality of discretely selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves; and
a shock-absorption control unit that operates a shock-absorber system with switching shock-absorber devices, which have discretely selectable shock-absorber characteristic curves,
wherein the shock-absorption control unit determines a driving behavior of the driver and of the motor vehicle based on one or more driving state data items and one or more operating variables; and sets,

Assignees

• Volkswagen Ag

Inventors

• Stoof Denis
• Babbel Eckhard
• Sonnak Ulrich
• Klöpping Matthias

Classifications

• B60G2500/10

  Damping action or damper · CPC title

• B60G2400/96

  Presence, absence or inactivity of driver · CPC title

• B60G17/016 Primary

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

• B60G17/00

  Resilient suspensions having means for adjusting the spring or vibration-damper characteristics, for regulating the distance between a supporting surface and a sprung part of vehicle or for locking suspension during use to meet varying vehicular or surface conditions, e.g. due to speed or load {(levelling or stabilising systems for tippers B60P1/045)} · CPC title

• B60G17/06

  Characteristics of dampers {, e.g. mechanical dampers}(B60G17/015 takes precedence) · CPC title