Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

Mitsubishi Jidosha Engineering Kabushiki Kaisha

Tadao Tanaka

Mitsuhiko Harara

Minoru Tatemoto

Yasutaka Taniguchi

Naotake Kumagai

Shozo Takizawa

Masanaga Suzumura

Sunao Chikamori

Hiroki Abe

Takao Morita

Shunichi Wada

Masanori Tani

Akihiko Togashi

Hiroaki Yoshida

Shinichi Takeuchi

Shigeki Ohtagaki

Tsutomu Matsukawa

Hiromichi Yasunaga

Yoshiki Miichi

Hiroshi Yoshida

Hiroyuki Masuda

Naohiro Kishimoto

Hidekazu Suzuki

Kazuyoshi Kobayashi

Masayoshi Nishimori

Tsuyoshi Takeo

Yoshinori Miichi

Tetsuya Terada

Youichi Yamamoto

Kouji Mitsuhata

Kiichi Yamada

Masayoshi Ito

Yasunobu Miyata

Masayuki Hashiguchi

Nobuo Momose

Kenji Hayase

Katsunori Otake

Keiji Isoda

Kazuo Fukuyama

Toshio Shigehara

Hiroo Yuasa

Takeshi Mitsui

Takahiro Yanagi

Masayoshi Nishimore

Mitsuhiko Hara

Hiroshi Fujii

Tasutaka Taniguchi

Masayoshi Osaki

A wheel alignment control method for a motor vehicle and a control apparatus therefor in which every time a vehicle drive state, steering history, and high-speed steering-hold mode are discriminated by sensor outputs, a processor determines target values of a caster angle, camber angle, and toe angle in accordance with inference outputs computed by fuzzy inference based on fuzzy rules, corresponding individually to a plurality of vehicle drive modes, steering modes, and high-speed steering-hold mode, and discrimination results. Operating sections adjust the camber and the like by means of a driver circuit which responds to the processor outputs. Thus, a fine adjustment for alignment is made, and wheel alignment adaptable to the vehicle drive modes and the like is established.

Wheel alignment control method for a motor vehicle and a control

An electronically controlled power steering apparatus responsive to a running condition of a vehicle includes a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a running speed of the vehicle, a detector for detecting a lateral acceleration of the vehicle, and a control unit for setting an aimed assist amount setting based upon the running speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor and the lateral acceleration detected by the lateral acceleration detector in accordance with a fuzzy rule.

Electronically controlled power steering apparatus and method therefor

A power steering apparatus for a vehicle including a steering mechanism having a torsion bar, a rotary valve connected to an oil pump and disposed between an input shaft and an output shaft, a valve driving mechanism having a pressed portion projected on either the input shaft or the output shaft and a plunger on the one shaft of the input shaft or output shaft on which the pressed portion is not projected for pressing the pressed portion, setting a target assist force of an assist force of an assist force obtained by rotating the rotary valve in the torsion direction of the torsion bar and an assist force obtained by rotating the rotary valve in the reverse direction to the torsion direction, a plunger driving mechanism for driving the plunger so that the preset assist force is obtained, controlling the pressure itself of the rotary valve to the operation angle of the rotary valve, whereby varying the steering force of the steering wheel over a wide range of steering condition with a reduced burden to the driver.

Power steering apparatus for vehicle

A control system and control method for a power steering apparatus includes a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a running speed V of a vehicle and a steering angle sensor for detecting a steering angle ha of the vehicle. It further includes a steering holding degree calculation unit to determine a steering holding coefficient K.sub.S from a steering angular velocity ha', a steering angle changing amount H, and a lateral acceleration G.sub.Y. Finally, a fuzzy logic calculation unit is included for setting a target steering assist amount in accordance with a fuzzy logic rule using the vehicle speed V and a product V.multidot.G.sub.Y of the vehicle speed V and the lateral acceleration G.sub.Y as input conditions (membership functions). Thereby, a steering assist amount in a steering mechanism of the vehicle is controlled to the target steering assist amount the control system and control method of a power steering apparatus can provide an optimum steering characteristic according to the high speed running condition of the vehicle.

Control system and control method for controlling power steering

In a control system for a power steering apparatus, in which a steering assist amount in a steering mechanism of a vehicle is controlled to a target assist amount, a vehicle speed sensor 41 for detecting a running speed V of the vehicle and a steering angle sensor 52 for detecting a steering angle ha of the vehicle are provided. A lateral acceleration calculation unit calculates a lateral acceleration GY from the vehicle speed V and the steering angle ha and further determines the product V.GY of the vehicle speed V and the lateral acceleration GY. A fuzzy logic calculation unit then sets the target assist amount in accordance with a fuzzy logic rule using the vehicle speed V and the product V.GY as input conditions (membership functions). This thereby provides a control system and control method for controlling a power steering apparatus which presents an optimum steering characteristic in response to the running condition of the vehicle.

Operation amounts of actuators are controlled in response to a steering wheel angle .theta.h, a steering wheel angular velocity .theta.hs, and a road surface .mu., in addition to a vehicle speed Vel, to change a caster angle. The caster angle is increased to increase a righting moment of vehicle wheels during steering. The caster angle is increased according to the vehicle speed Vel in non-steering and initial steering conditions, to stabilize the vehicle. This thereby improves the vehicle stability in normal and transitional conditions.

Caster angle control apparatus and method for suspension

A control method and an apparatus therefor, in which the braking force distribution to rear wheels is increased in a normal state, while the braking force distribution to the rear wheels is reduced to prevent the rear wheels from being locked in an early stage when the road surface is slippery. There are provided a pressure sensor (74) for detecting a master cylinder pressure, proportioning valves (57.sub.1, 57.sub.2) arranged in passages which connect a master cylinder and rear wheel cylinders and adapted to operate so that the ratios of the wheel cylinder pressures to the master cylinder pressure are low in a region where the master cylinder pressure is not lower than a predetermined pressure, normally-open switching valves (62, 63) by-passing the two valves, and a controller (71). The controller closes the switching valves to actuates the proportioning valves when the master cylinder pressure detected by the pressure sensor is not lower than a set pressure which lowers depending on the slipperiness of the road surface.

Rear wheel braking force control method and an apparatus therefor

In an actuator structure of a vehicle suspension apparatus, an operation rod of an actuator is swingably connected to a vehicle body side end of a lower suspension arm through a rubber bushing, the operation rod is contained in a body and is slidable in a longitudinal direction of the lower suspension arm, and the body is mounted on a vehicle body through a rubber mount, thereby improving durability, environmental resistance, and mounting workability of the actuator structure.

Mounting for suspension arm control actuator

A system is for controlling a suspension performance detecting the road surface condition in front of an automotive vehicle. A road surface sensor generates an output corresponding to the size of roughness on a road surface located at a predetermined distance in front of the vehicle. A suspension damping coefficient is changed to a smaller value upon lapse of a delay time. The delay time is calculated on the basis of the output of a speed sensor, the delay time being the time required for the wheel to reach the detected rough roads surface. The changing of the suspension damping coefficient occurs on condition that the output of the road surface sensor falls within a control region defined by a lower threshold value and an upper threshold value. Accordingly, the change of the suspension damping coefficient to a smaller value is inhibited when an extremely rough road surface is detected in front of the vehicle, whereby a bottoming out of the suspension which may occur is prevented when the vehicle runs over the extremely rough road surface. Further, the ride feeling is improved when the vehicle runs over a moderately rough road surface.

Suspension control system for automotive vehicle

An electronically controlled power steering apparatus for controlling the steering assist amount of a steering mechanism of a vehicle is controlled in accordance with a fatigue condition of a driver of the vehicle. The apparatus includes means for setting an aimed assist amount, and means for detecting a degree of fatigue of a steering operator. The aimed assist amount setting means receives, as an input thereto, a value calculated by the fatigue detecting means and sets the aimed assist amount in accordance with a fuzzy rule so that the steering assist amount may increase as the degree of fatigue steering operator increases.

An alignment control unit and method for an automotive suspension are provided in which a basic control amount is determined in accordance with a detected steering angle, and the alignment is controlled in accordance with a product value obtained by multiplying the determined basic control amount by a control gain. The control gain may be set such that an actual control amount of an actuator is changed to be increased when the detected steering angle exceeds a specified value or may be set in accordance with a detected lateral acceleration such that it increases as the lateral acceleration increases. The toe angle or camber angle of a wheel may be controlled in accordance with the basic control amount.

Alignment control unit and control method for an automotive suspension

A pneumatic active suspension apparatus is provided wherein, when a sprung vertical acceleration (ZG), which causes a wafting phenomenon perceptible by a person in a vehicle, occurs during travel of the vehicle, supply/discharge of air to/from air spring chambers of suspension units is carried out for a supply/discharge control time determined based on the maximum value (ZGmax) of the sprung vertical acceleration. The supply/discharge control is started at an advanced time based on the sprung acceleration whose phase is advanced by 90 degrees from that of the sprung velocity, to thereby produce a force acting to cancel out the sprung vertical velocity at proper timing. As a result, the operation delay of the suspension apparatus is compensated for and the sprung vertical motion is suppressed.

Fluid active suspension apparatus and operation control method therefor

A vehicular suspension control apparatus includes a selector valve for changing at least one of spring rigidity or damper rigidity of a suspension which is installed between a wheel and a body of a vehicle and extensibly and retractably supports the vehicle body on the wheel, a forward road surface sensor attached to the vehicle body and adapted to detect an irregularity of a road surface located in front of the vehicle body at a predetermined distance from the mounting position of the sensor when the vehicle body is in a predetermined attitude, a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed, and a controller for calculating a point of time when the wheel reaches the irregularity of the road surface, in accordance with the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor, when the irregularity of the road surface is detected by the forward road surface sensor, and delivering a command signal for lowering at least one of the spring rigidity and the damper rigidity of the suspension to the selector valve by not later than the calculated time point.

Method and apparatus for controlling vehicle suspension such that

A rear wheel braking force control apparatus of a vehicle includes a pressure sensor 74 for detecting master cylinder pressure, right and left proportioning valves 57.sub.1 and 57.sub.2 individually disposed in passages for transmitting master cylinder pressure to right and left wheel cylinders of the rear wheels for controlling to decrease changes in wheel cylinder pressure relative to changes in master cylinder pressure, right and left PCV bypass valves 62 and 63 for individually bypassing the proportioning valves, and a controller 71 which, when the vehicle is determined by a steering angle sensor 77 or the like to be turning, closes the PCV bypass valve at the outer wheel side when the master cylinder pressure is higher than the pressure of the PCV bypass valve at the inner wheel side.

Apparatus and method for controlling rear wheel braking force of vehicle

An active suspension apparatus is provided for a vehicle which includes an actuator being extensible and retractable and provided between a vehicle body and a wheel so that the force of the vehicle body to support the wheel is adjustable, a sprung G sensor or a vehicle height sensor for detecting a vibration input to the vehicle body, and a control valve and a controller for controlling the supporting force of the actuator in accordance with the vibration input detected by the sprung G sensor or the vehicle height sensor, and thereby restraining the stroke of the actuator. The suspension apparatus further comprises a forward road surface sensor for detecting the size of irregularities of a road surface in front of the vehicle, and the control valve and the controller are adapted to execute normal control such that the equivalent spring constant of the actuator is adjusted to a first spring constant when a surface irregularity of a size larger than a predetermined size is detected by the forward road surface sensor, and to execute inverse spring control such that the equivalent spring constant of the actuator is adjusted to a second spring constant lower than the first spring constant, and thereby lengthening the stroke of the wheel, when no surface irregularity of a size larger than the predetermined size is detected by the forward road surface sensor. As a result, the ride is greatly improved when the vehicle runs on a smooth road.

Active suspension apparatus for a vehicle

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Okazaki, Japan

Tadao Tanaka