Abstract: The suspension device for vehicles includes: an electric damper which operates by electricity; a fluid pressure damper which operates by hydraulic pressure; a road-surface state detector which detects a road-surface state ahead of a tire of a vehicle; and a controller which causes at least one to operate among the electric damper and the fluid pressure damper, based on a detection result of the road-surface state detector.

Abstract: A preview road surface detector capable of discontinuing predictive control is provided, which suppresses the energy consumption required to determine whether predictive control should be discontinued. The preview road surface detector includes: a distance sensor provided on a vehicle body member, the distance sensor detecting a value related to a distance between the vehicle body member and a measurement point on a road surface ahead of a vehicle, the measurement point corresponding to at least part of a road surface contact portion of a wheel; and a distance calculator that calculates a road surface distance as the distance from the vehicle body member to the measurement point, based on a detection value detected by the distance sensor, in which the distance sensor is deactivated under a predetermined condition.

Abstract: The vehicular state estimation apparatus includes: a physical quantity detector configured to detect a physical quantity indicating behavior by the vehicle; a vehicle behavior estimator configured to estimate current behavior by the vehicle; a distance sensor that is configured to detect a value pertaining to a distance between the vehicle body member and a measurement point on a road surface in front of the vehicle and corresponding to at least a central section of a road surface contact section on a wheel; a distance calculator configured to calculate a road surface distance; a spring constant calculator configured to calculate at least one of spring constants, in a vehicle stopped state; and a suspension controller configured to control operation of the active suspension apparatus based on the spring constants, the road surface distance, and vehicle behavior information.

Abstract: A preview road surface detector is provided, which is capable of suppressing the crosstalk of received detection waves. A preview road surface detector, including: a distance sensor including a plurality of transmitters and at least one receiver installed on a vehicle body member and arranged in a direction intersecting a travel direction of a vehicle, the distance sensor detecting a value related to a distance between the vehicle body member and a measurement point on a road surface ahead of a vehicle, the measurement point corresponding to at least part of a road surface contact portion of a wheel; and a distance calculator that calculates a road surface distance as the distance from the vehicle body member to the measurement point, based on a detection value detected by the distance sensor, in which the transmitters transmit detection waves with a time difference between the adjacent transmitters.

Abstract: An electrically powered suspension system includes: an actuator that is provided between a vehicle body and a wheel of a vehicle and generates a load for damping vibration of the vehicle body; an information acquisition part that acquires information on a sprung state amount and a road surface state; a target load calculation part that calculates a first target load related to skyhook control based on the sprung state amount and calculates a second target load related to preview control based on the road surface state; and a load control part. The target load calculation part calculates a third target load related to roll generation control based on a target roll angle and calculates a combined target load into which the first target load, second target load, and third target load have been combined. The load control part performs load control of the actuator using the combined target load.

Abstract: An electrically powered suspension system performs an accurate vibration damping of a vehicle with low power consumption even if a linear motor of an electromagnetic actuator strokes to reach an irregular region and includes an electromagnetic actuator generating a driving force for the vibration damping. A linear motor of the actuator includes a cylindrical rod member provided with a plurality of on-rod armature coils along its axis and a housing surrounding the rod member, mounted movable back and forth along the axis with respect to the rod member, and provided with a plurality of permanent magnets along the axis. The on-rod armature coils located on ends of the rod member are provided with short-circuit parts b suppressing the rod member and the housing from moving back and forth with respect to each other.

Abstract: A suspension device includes: a hydraulic damper including a rod provided with a valve for generating a hydraulic pressure when the rod is displaced between a first liquid chamber and a second liquid chamber; and an electric damper configured to electrically displace the rod by an actuator. The electric damper includes: an outer cylinder; an inner cylinder; a piston provided on the rod and configured to stroke in the inner cylinder; and a communication passage disposed inside the inner cylinder at a central portion where the piston strokes. The communication passage establishes communication between the first liquid chamber at one axial end side of the piston and the second liquid chamber at another axial end side of the piston.

Abstract: An ECU includes: a road surface height measurer which measures road surface heights at three or more points along a vehicle-width direction in front of a tire mounted on a wheel; a position detector which detects a position at which a difference of the road surface height from an adjacent road surface height is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold among the road surface heights at three or more points measured by the road surface height measurer; and a road surface condition determiner which excludes a value of the road surface height at the position at which the difference detected by the position detector is equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold, and determines a condition of the road surface based on the road surface heights at positions at each of which the difference from an adjacent road surface height is smaller than the predetermined threshold.

Abstract: An ECU includes: a road surface height measurer which measures road surface heights at three or more points along a vehicle-width direction in front of a tire mounted on a wheel; a position detector which detects a position at which a difference of the road surface height from an adjacent road surface height is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold among the road surface heights at three or more points measured by the road surface height measurer; and a corrector which corrects the road surface height at a position at which the difference detected by the position detector is equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold to a predetermined height.

Abstract: A damper control apparatus for controlling a front damper at a front wheel and a rear damper at a rear wheel. The damper control apparatus includes: a preview sensor configured to detect a road surface state in front of a vehicle; a steering angle sensor configured to detect a steering angle of the vehicle; and a controller configured to control the front and rear dampers based on a detected value of the preview sensor. In response to the steering angle sensor detecting a steering angle that exceeds a predetermined steering angle threshold, the controller is configured to reduce control of the rear damper that is based on the detected value of the preview sensor.

Abstract: A mounting structure of a vehicle sensor includes: an exterior member provided at a front side of a vehicle body; a frame member configured to support the exterior member or a drive source for driving a vehicle; and a road surface condition detector configured to detect a road surface condition at a front side of the vehicle. The road surface condition detector is fixed to a frame member located frontward of a front wheel.

Abstract: A vehicle suspension system includes: a road surface sensor provided in a vehicle body portion ahead of a front wheel to detect an unevenness of a road surface; an electromagnetic damper that applies a damping force and a propulsive force along a stroke direction to a vehicle body and the front wheel with the aid of a motor element; and an ECU. The road surface sensor includes: a first road surface sensor; and a second road surface sensor that overlaps the first road surface sensor in a vehicle width direction and is provided at a position behind the first road surface sensor. The ECU includes: a road surface height calculation unit that calculates a road surface height based on detection values from the road surface sensors and a movement amount of the vehicle; and a damper control unit that controls the motor element based on the calculated road surface height.

Abstract: A cooling system includes a cooling path through which a heat medium flows in an order of the first unit and the second unit, a temperature sensor detecting a temperature of the heat medium flowing into the first unit, and a control device controlling operations of the first unit and the second unit. The control device is configured to execute a temperature estimation process for estimating a temperature of the heat medium flowing into the second unit. The temperature estimation process includes a process of acquiring the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, a process of calculating a temperature increase amount of the heat medium in the first unit, and a process of determining an estimated value of the temperature of the heat medium flowing into the second unit by adding the calculated temperature increase amount to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

Abstract: A control device for a cooling system is provided. The cooling system includes a cooling path through which a heat medium flows in an order of a first unit and a second unit. The cooling system is configured to cool the first unit and the second unit. The control device includes a processor being configured to execute: a process of repeatedly detecting or estimating a temperature of the heat medium flowing out of the first unit at predetermined time intervals, a process of storing a plurality of pieces of temperature data of the temperature detected or estimated during an immediately preceding predetermined period as a data group including a predetermined number of pieces of data, and a process of estimating a temperature of the heat medium flowing into the second unit by finding a maximum value from the data group.

Abstract: An active suspension device includes: a preview sensor that detects a height of a road surface in front of a wheel; and an ECU that controls a stroke of a suspension to perform a preview control. The ECU includes: a front wheel preview control part that performs a preview control; a preview control success determination part that determines whether the preview control is successful; and a rear wheel control part that controls a stroke of a suspension of a rear wheel. When the preview control of the front wheel is successful, the rear wheel control part performs a preview control and a skyhook control of a rear wheel to control the stroke of the suspension of the rear wheel. When the preview control of the front wheel is unsuccessful, the rear wheel control part cancels the preview control of the rear wheel and perform the skyhook control of the rear wheel.

Abstract: A vehicle control system includes a steering input member rotatably supported by a vehicle body of a vehicle, a primary capacitive sensor provided along an outer edge of a steering input member and configured to detect a position on the steering input member at which a contact is made by a vehicle operator, a rotational angle sensor configured to detect a rotational angle of the steering input member, and a control unit configured to control a steering unit of the vehicle according to a signal from the rotational angle sensor and a signal from the primary capacitive sensor, wherein the control unit is configured to operate in a first operation mode and a second operation mode, the steering unit being controlled according to the signal from the rotational angle sensor in the first operation mode, and according to the signal from the primary capacitive sensor in the second operation mode.

Abstract: An electrically powered suspension system includes: an electromagnetic actuator that is provided between a vehicle body and a wheel of a vehicle and generates a load for damping vibration of the vehicle body; an information acquisition part that acquires information on a state of a road surface ahead of the vehicle; a target load calculation part that calculates a target load for preview control based on the road surface state, and a load control part that performs load control on the electromagnetic actuator. The target load calculation part estimates an actual input timing based on the vehicle speed and calculates an adjustment start timing related to suspension characteristics, based on the estimated actual input timing. When estimating the actual input timing based on the vehicle speed, the target load calculation part applies, to the vehicle speed, a correction coefficient for correcting a fluctuation of the vehicle speed.

Abstract: An electronic suspension control apparatus of the invention is an apparatus that controls an electronic suspension having an electric motor, and under a predetermined operation condition, gradually decreases a thrust force command for the electronic suspension and performs short circuit control on the electric motor once the thrust force command falls to or below a predetermined value. The operation condition is either detection of a command giving a prior notice of stopping power supply to the electronic suspension, a short circuit command as a measure against a collision, detection of a predetermined decelerating vehicle speed, or detection, by a preview sensor, of a change in a road surface which is equal to or above a predetermined value.

Abstract: The suspension device for vehicles includes: an electric damper which operates by electricity; a fluid pressure damper which operates by hydraulic pressure; a road-surface state detector which detects a road-surface state ahead of a tire of a vehicle; and a controller which causes at least one to operate among the electric damper and the fluid pressure damper, based on a detection result of the road-surface state detector.

Abstract: A vehicle with a road surface condition detector includes: a vehicle body configured to have one or more passengers; front and rear wheels configured to move the vehicle body; and a road surface condition detector configured to detect road surface conditions in front of the front and rear wheels, wherein the road surface condition detector includes front-wheel road surface condition detectors configured to detect road surface conditions in front of the front wheels and rear-wheel road surface condition detectors configured to detect road surface conditions in front of the rear wheels, and the rear-wheel road surface condition detectors detect areas located outer in a vehicle width direction than ends of detection areas detected by the front-wheel road surface condition detectors.