Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Other

Delco Electronics Corporation

David Andrew Shal

Timothy John Juuhl

Scott Wilson Badenoch

Albert Victor Fratini

Raymond Kurt Schubert

Gary R Denton

David A Hoptry

James M Petrofes

David John Barta

Robin Oakley

Michael R Lukuc

Chinh Trong Nguyen

Khaled M Jundi

Karen Marie Connair

Dennis P Griffin

John F Hoying

Vardarajan R Iyengar

Bruce A Heaston

Eldon Gerrald Leaphart

Scott A Stacey

Albert Victor Fratini, Jr

Olivier Valee

Brandon J Fedders

Perry K Arnold

David Tsui

Olivier Raynauld

Kevin J Zelenka

Darin Duane Dellinger

Roy Mwangi

Robert J Reuter

Darin Duane Delinger

Alexander Apostolos

Jesse D Jones

Steven Paul Sammut

Harold David Hamilton

Richard Clarkson Griffin

Wayne Dale Moore

A first method of the invention is for establishing a limit on the time rate of change of a damper command signal applied to a damper associated with a wheel of a vehicle, wherein the damper has damping characteristics, wherein a change in the damper command signal changes the damping characteristics, and wherein the damper command signal is derived at least from an algorithm for vehicle body control. The first method includes steps a) through c). Step a) includes identifying a noise indicating signal predictive of noise occurring in the vehicle due to operation of the damper, wherein the noise indicating signal is derived from the algorithm. Step b) includes calculating the noise indicating signal. Step c) includes determining the limit based at least on the calculated noise indicating signal.

Method for establishing a rate limit on the damper command signal of a vehicle damper

Method for determining a present coil temperature of a coil of a magnetorheological (MR) damper of an operating automotive vehicle, wherein the coil is powered by an output of a controller connected to the coil through a conductor. One step includes calculating a coil-plus-conductor resistance from the voltage and the current of the output of the controller when the controller applies a test current to the coil and the conductor. Another step includes calculating the present coil temperature using at least the coil-plus-conductor resistance and compensating for the resistance of the conductor.

Determining the coil temperature of a magnetorheological damper of a vehicle

A temperature compensation method for controlling a damping force of a magnetorheological (MR) damper is disclosed. First, a base operating current as a function of a desired force level of a damping force of the MR damper is determined, and a temperature compensation as a function of an operating temperature of the MR damper is determined. Finally, the temperature compensation is applied to the base operating current to generate a compensated operating current as a function of the desired force level of the damping force and the operating temperature of the MR damper. To refine the compensated operating current, the temperature compensation can be determined as both a function of the operating temperature of the MR damper and a relative velocity of the MR damper.

Temperature compensation for magnetorheological fluid dampers

A suspension control for vehicle dampers uses a trimset value to compensate signals from relative body/wheel position sensors associated with the dampers. Each trimset value is determined by recording a sensor value with the body and wheel in a predetermined relative state, such as by lifting the vehicle until the associated wheel is free of the ground and hanging in a low limit position determined by the suspension apparatus. In vehicle operation, the trimset value is used as an offset to the relative position sensor signal to accurately determine damper position relative to its compression and rebound limit positions. When the damper is within a predetermined bump stop region near either of the compression and rebound limit positions, a bump stop value is determined and applied to the damper to provide a high minimum damping level creating an electronic bump stop for the damper.

Vehicle suspension control having electronic bumpstop with trimset compensation

The invention provides a method and apparatus for controlling dampers in a suspension system of a vehicle body. A heave velocity of a vehicle body is derived from sensed dynamic variables of the vehicle body. A slew rate limit for a damping control command is derived in response to the heave velocity of the vehicle body. The damping control command for at least one dampers is generated in accordance with the slew rate limit. The limited damping control command is applied to the at least one damper

Method and apparatus for determining slew rate limits and controlling dampers in a suspension system

The invention provides a method for independent axle control of a variable force damper system by providing at least one axle velocity signal from at least one vehicle sensor. The method then applies an axle control algorithm to the at least one axle velocity signal, thus determining at least one axle damping command as a function of the axle control algorithm.

Method and system for independent axle control of a variable force damper system

A method, system and computer readable medium storing a computer program is provided for independent control of a variable force damper system. The variable force damper system can be applied to control a vehicle suspension system. The system provides individual wheel control independent of vehicle body forces. In operation, at least one relative velocity signal and at least one body demand force is received. At least one body damper command is determined based on the body demand force. At least one wheel motion indicating parameter is determined based on the relative velocity signal. At least one wheel damper command is determined based on the wheel motion indicating parameter and a damper command is determined based on the larger of the body damper command and the wheel damper command.

Method and system for independent control of a variable force damper system

A method of determining a vehicle steering wheel angle by receiving at least one steering sensor output from at least one steering sensor. The method then receives a vehicle speed signal. A centered steering angle is determined based on the received vehicle speed signal and the steering sensor output.

Method of determining a vehicle steering wheel angle

A vehicle suspension control stores, for each direction of vehicle lateral acceleration, a first set of enhanced vehicle damping commands that provide enhanced damping in compression for the suspension dampers on the outside of a turn and in rebound on the inside of the turn and a second set of enhanced body damping commands that provide enhanced damping in compression and rebound on both sides of the vehicle. Responsive to a sensed vehicle lateral acceleration, the control applies the first set of enhanced damping commands to the suspension dampers if a sensed steering angle is in the same direction as the sensed lateral acceleration and applies the second set of enhanced body damping commands to the suspension dampers if the sensed steering angle is in the opposite direction as the sensed lateral acceleration. The control may derive a demand force command for each of the dampers from the determined relative velocities of the dampers and apply each of the demand force commands to its respective damper only when a comparison of the direction of the demand force command with the sensed relative velocity of the damper indicates that a force corresponding to the demand force command can be effectively exerted by the damper. The enhanced body damping commands are applied to the suspension dampers without regard for any application of the demand force command.

Vehicle suspension control with enhanced body control in steering crossover

A vehicle suspension control derives demand force commands from relative velocities of the suspension dampers at the corners of the vehicle and applies the demand force commands only when a force corresponding to the demand force command can be effectively exerted by the damper. The control is also responsive to a sensed vehicle handling event to derive a body control enhancement damping commands for selected suspension dampers and apply the body control enhancement damping commands without regard for the direction of demand force for the suspension dampers. Each body control enhancement damping command is derived from one or more measured vehicle dynamic variables associated with the sensed vehicle handling event and modified in magnitude in response to the direction and/or magnitude of the sensed relative velocity of damper to which the body control enhancement damping command is to be applied.

Vehicle suspension control with vehicle handling enhancement having relative velocity dependent adjustment

A vehicle suspension control includes a vehicle body control responsive to body/wheel velocity at the corners of the vehicle body to derive a demand force command for dampers at each corner of the vehicle body for vehicle body control and applies each of the derived demand force commands to its respective damper only when a comparison of the direction of the demand force command with the sensed relative velocity of the damper indicates that a force corresponding to the demand force command can be effectively exerted by the damper. But the suspension control also includes a vehicle stability control responsive to an indicated vehicle lateral acceleration in a turn to determine, independently of the vehicle body control, a stability compression damping command for the suspension dampers on the side of the vehicle opposite the direction of the lateral acceleration and a stability rebound damping command for the suspension dampers on the side of the vehicle in the direction of the lateral acceleration. While the lateral acceleration is sensed, the vehicle stability control applies the stability compression damping command to the suspension dampers on the side of the vehicle opposite the direction of the lateral acceleration and the stability rebound damping command to the suspension dampers on the side of the vehicle in the direction of the lateral acceleration, without regard for the direction of demand force for any of the suspension dampers. The resulting stiffening of the suspension on the outside of the turning vehicle in compression and on the inside of the turning vehicle during rebound helps keep the tires of the vehicle firmly in contact with the road surface in spite of road surface irregularities.

Vehicle suspension control with stability in turn enhancement

A vehicle suspension system is responsive to an active brake signal from a brake system indicating the application of a greater braking force to one front corner brake than to the other front corner brake to affect vehicle yaw rate. The vehicle suspension system determines the relative velocities of the front corner suspension adjacent the front corner brake receiving the greater braking force and the diagonally opposed rear corner suspension and further determines a compression damping command for the front corner suspension and a rebound damping command for the rear corner suspension. While the active brake signal is present, the suspension control applies the compression damping command for the front corner suspension when its relative velocity indicates that it is in compression. While the active brake signal is present, the suspension control also applies the rebound damping command for the rear corner suspension when its relative indicates that it is in rebound.

Vehicle suspension control with compensation for yaw correcting active brake control

In a vehicle with four corner suspensions, wherein during a transient turning maneuver, a body of the vehicle tends to compress two of the corner suspensions on a first side of the vehicle and expand two of the corner suspensions on a second side of the vehicle, wherein road inputs cause random compression and rebound of the four corner suspensions, a suspension control method comprising the steps of: sensing vehicle speed; monitoring steering wheel velocity; responsive to the vehicle speed and the steering wheel velocity, determining a signal indicative of a transient turning maneuver of the vehicle; responsive to the signal, determining compression damping commands for the two corner suspensions on the first side of the vehicle; responsive to the signal, determining rebound damping commands for the two corner suspensions on the second side of the vehicle; monitoring relative velocity of each corner suspension; applying the compression damping commands for the two corner suspensions on the first side of the vehicle when the relative velocities for those two corner suspensions indicate that they are in compression and terminating the compression damping commands for the two corner suspensions on the first side of the vehicle during the random rebounds of those two corner suspensions caused by the road inputs; and applying the rebound damping commands for the two corner suspensions on the second side of the vehicle when the relative velocities for those two corner suspensions indicate that they are in rebound and terminating the rebound damping commands for the two corner suspensions on the first side of the vehicle during the random compressions of those two corner suspensions caused by the road inputs.

Vehicle suspension control system and method

In a first controller that runs a first control algorithm and a first interrupt service, wherein the first control algorithm includes a first series of commands repeatedly executed in sequence, wherein the first interrupt service performs a second series of commands when the first interrupt service is triggered, wherein the first controller includes a first free running counter with a counter timer value that repeatedly increments and resets when the counter timer overflows, a data communication method comprising the steps of: in each sequential execution of the first series of commands: reading a data signal to be transmitted; responsive to the data signal, computing an on-time; setting a first edge of a serial transmission signal; and loading a register with a value equal to a sum of the first counter value and the on time; independent of the first series of commands: comparing the first counter value to the register value; when the first counter value equals the register value, triggering the first interrupt service; and when the first interrupt service is triggered, resetting a second edge of the serial transmission signal, wherein the first edge is not set again until a new data signal to be transmitted is read.

Data communication apparatus and method

A suspension system control according to the steps of: determining an actuator demand force command; determining, responsive to vehicle speed, a first signal indicative of a first maximum demand force; determining, responsive to ambient temperature, a second signal indicative of a second maximum demand force; and constraining the determined actuator demand force command so that it is no greater than the lesser of the first and second maximum demand forces, wherein vehicle body isolation from suspension events is maintained during low temperature and low speed operation of the vehicle to thereby minimize suspension noise and ride harshness.

Growing community of inventors

Bellbrook, OH, United States of America

David Andrew Shal