The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 18, 2000
Filed:
Aug. 13, 1997
Nobuyuki Ichimaru, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Tockico Ltd., Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Abstract
In the suspension control apparatus of the present invention, a CPU determines a desired damping force, based on an acceleration of a car body in a vertical direction, which is detected by an acceleration sensor, and also determines a PWM duty ratio corresponding to an intensity of a target current (an average intensity of the applied current) required for generating the desired damping force. Further, the CPU detects a voltage provided by a battery and adjusts the PWM duty ratio, based on the detected voltage value, so as to maintain a dither amplitude at a predetermined level. A PWM signal having the adjusted duty ratio is outputted to a transistor, to thereby apply a current which is obtained by superimposing a dither on the target current. By this arrangement, the dither amplitude can be maintained at a predetermined level, even when the voltage value changes, so that an undesirable increase in hysteresis with respect to a damping force can be avoided and pronounced noise and vibration of a proportional solenoid valve can be suppressed.