Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Technologies, Inc.

Martin Saeger

Michael Seemann

Marc Simon

Simon Baales

Robert Spahl

Thomas Gerhards

Ashley Elizabeth Micks

Ralf Hintzen

Daniel Mainz

Rainer Souschek

Jens Dornhege

Edmund Halfmann

Advait Valluri

Venkatapathi Raju Nallapa

Frank Peter Engels

Uwe Hoffmann

Douglas Blue

Toni Kymaelaeinen

A method for operating a motor vehicle having an active roll control and an active steering system designed to map a steering-wheel setting angle predetermined by a driver of the motor vehicle in accordance with a predetermined steer response onto a steer angle of the motor vehicle. The method includes operating the active steering system in a normal operating mode having a normal steer response and upon determining an active roll control fault operating the active steering system in a fallback operating mode in accordance with an fallback steer response, the fallback steer response different from the normal steer response.

System and method for operating a vehicle having an active roll control system

A vehicle can have a vibration damping system, which has a characteristic curve that is adjustable. To control the characteristic curve of the vibration damping system, information regarding a profile of a road surface in front of the vehicle is detected. At least a portion of the road surface profile can be classified according to a change in height and a length of the portion. The classification can be based on the detected information. Based on the classification of the road surface profile, the characteristic curve of the vibration damping system of the vehicle can be adjusted.

Device and method for proactive control of a vibration damping system of a vehicle

A method for improving the accuracy with which a road profile ahead of a vehicle may be determined. The method may include receiving a plurality of inputs corresponding to a plurality of on-board sensors corresponding to a vehicle. An on-board computer system may estimate motion of the vehicle. The on-board computer system may correct data corresponding to a forward-looking sensor of the plurality of on-board sensors by accounting for the motion of the vehicle. Accordingly, the on-board computer system may use the corrected data to produce more accurate information characterizing the driving environment ahead of the vehicle. This more accurate information may be used to better estimate the motion of the vehicle in the future as the vehicle encounters that driving environment, which may improve the corrections that may be applied to the data corresponding to the forward-looking sensor at that time.

Motion compensation for on-board vehicle sensors

A method for generating training data. The method may include executing a simulation process. The simulation process may include traversing one or more virtual sensors over a virtual road surface defining a plurality of virtual anomalies that are each sensible by the one or more virtual sensors. During the traversing, each of the one or more virtual sensors may be moved with respect to the virtual road surface as dictated by a vehicle-motion model modeling motion of a vehicle driving on the virtual road surface while carrying the one or more virtual sensors. Virtual sensor data characterizing the virtual road surface may be recorded. The virtual sensor data may correspond to what a real sensor would have output had it sensed the road surface in the real world.

Sensor-data generation in virtual driving environment

An adjustment system and method for adjusting a chassis property of a motor vehicle wherein an understeering sensitivity of the motor vehicle is increased upon detecting that a trailer has been coupled to the motor vehicle. A detection unit operates to detect when a trailer is attached or coupled to the motor vehicle.

System and method for adjusting a motor vehicle chassis

A system and method for operating a motor vehicle having an active roll control system and an air suspension system including operating the air suspension system in a normal mode, according to a normal air spring setting. Upon determining a fault or malfunction of the active roll control system operating the air suspension in a fallback mode, according to a fallback air spring setting, wherein the fallback mode is different from the normal mode.

A wheel suspension unit is disclosed. The wheel suspension unit includes a stabilizer having a first end and a second end, a wheel suspension element, and a piston-cylinder unit. The piston-cylinder unit connects an end of the stabilizer to the wheel suspension element. The piston-cylinder unit is a roll damper. The roll damper includes a plurality of roll damping valves arranged in a piston of the roll damper. Each of the plurality of roll damping valves has a non-return valve and an adjustable throttle valve. The non-return valve is arranged in series with the adjustable throttle valve.

Wheel suspension unit with stabilizer arrangement

A suspension system for a laterally tiltable, multitrack vehicle may include a balancer system extending between first and second trailing arms. The suspension system may further include a rotary device acting between the trailing arms. One of the balancer system and the rotary device may be configured to provide a torque to influence a leaning angle of the vehicle and the other of the balancer system and the rotary device may be configured to suppress resonant vertical motion of the vehicle.

Rear suspension systems with rotary devices for laterally tiltable multitrack vehicles

A rear suspension system for a laterally tiltable, multitrack vehicle may include first and second trailing arms. The rear suspension system may further include first and second balancer systems acting between the first and second trailing arms. The first balancer system may create a torque to influence a leaning angle of the vehicle when the suspension system is in use. The second balancer system may suppress a resonant vertical motion of the vehicle when the suspension system is in use.

Rear suspension systems for laterally tiltable multitrack vehicles

A stabilizing arrangement for a tilting running gear of a non-rail-borne vehicle is disclosed. The stabilizing arrangement includes a balance beam configured to have each end coupled to a respective suspension side of a multi-track running gear axle of the tilting running gear. A pivot bearing is connected to a frame or body of the vehicle and defines a stationary axis of rotation. The pivot bearing rotatably supports the balance beam about the stationary axis of rotation. At least one stabilizing element is connected to the balance beam and is supported with respect to a frame or body of the vehicle. The at least one stabilizing element is configured to provide a reaction force to counteract a tilting moment of the vehicle. A non-rail-borne vehicle comprising the stabilizing arrangement also is disclosed.

Stabilizing arrangement for a tilting running gear of a vehicle and tilting running gear

A method of operating a tilting running gear for a non-rail-borne vehicle having at least one actuator is disclosed. The method includes calculating an angle of tilt of the vehicle around an axis of rotation based on prevailing values of centrifugal acceleration and gravitational acceleration as the vehicle enters a curve. Based on a comparison between an actual lateral acceleration of the vehicle and a desired lateral acceleration of the vehicle, the vehicle is accelerated or decelerated to achieve the calculated angle of tilt. When the calculated angle of tilt has been achieved, the actuator is deactivated. The actuator provides acceleration of the vehicle and a braking device provides deceleration of the vehicle.

Method for operating a tilting running gear and an active tilting running gear for a non-rail-borne vehicle

A method, carried out in a controller of a motor vehicle having a plurality of wheels, to counteract an undesired influence on the motor vehicle. The method comprises determining, during a braking recuperation process, the undesired influence that is caused by the braking recuperation process and counteracting the determined undesired influence using a vehicle system that affects torques present at one or more wheels of the plurality of vehicle wheels.

System and method for braking recuperation in motor vehicle

A system and method for steering torque compensation carried out in a controller of a vehicle that detects a braking event from a comparison of actual vehicle information with a corresponding threshold value, determines a steering torque compensation signal, generates a request to implement the steering torque compensation signal, and implements the steering torque compensation signal during the braking event.

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Pulheim, Germany

Martin Saeger