Abstract: Embodiments related to active vibration isolation systems for a vehicle seat, as well as their methods of use, are disclosed. In some embodiments, an active suspension system may be configured to support a seat above a floor of a vehicle. The active suspension system may include two or more actuators that may be operated cooperatively to control both the roll and heave of the vehicle seat. In some instances, these actuators may also be non-back-drivable actuators. Additionally, in some embodiments, an active suspension system may include one or more torsion springs that apply torques in parallel with associated actuators of the active suspension system to support at least a portion of the loads applied to the active suspension system during operation.

Abstract: The present disclosure discusses an active seating system that includes a load leveling mechanism. The load leveling mechanism includes a force bias actuator assembly, a roll actuator assembly, a heave actuator assembly, a first torsion rod connected to the force bias actuator and the roll actuator, and a second torsion rod connected to the force bias actuator and the heave actuator. Each of the force bias actuator assembly, roll actuator assembly, and heave actuator assemblies comprises a housing, a DC motor disposed within the housing, and a ball screw with a driveshaft, the driveshaft of the ball screw being coaxial with a rotor of the DC motor. The active seating system also includes a seat top and an interface configured to mount the seat top to the load leveling mechanism.

Abstract: An active suspension system for a sprung mass that is supported and movable relative to an unsprung mass. The active suspension system has a suspension that comprises an electromagnetic actuator that is adapted to produce an arbitrary force on the sprung mass that is independent of the position, velocity and acceleration of the sprung mass, a control system that provides control signals that cause the suspension to exert force on the sprung mass, to control the position of the sprung mass relative to the unsprung mass, wherein the control system implements a control algorithm with one or more constants, and a user interface that is operable to cause a change of one or more of the control algorithm constants so as to vary how closely motion of the sprung mass follows motion of the unsprung mass.

Abstract: An active vibration isolation system for isolating a suspended platform from vibration input to the vibration isolation system base includes an exoskeleton, a rotary actuator, and a drive mechanism separate from the exoskeleton for providing force output from the rotary actuator to the suspended plant. The rotary actuator may include inner and outer rotors which rotate relative to each other. The rotary actuator may be free to translate relative to the vibration isolation system base and the suspended platform, and both the inner and outer rotors may be free to rotate relative to the exoskeleton.

Abstract: Embodiments related to the operation of an active seat suspension using prefiltered road data are described. In one embodiment, the prefiltered road data may be filtered to exclude road and/or driving inputs with low frequencies, or long length scales, such as hills, curves Such an embodiment may at least partially reduce operation of an active seat suspension in response to these low frequency long length scale of inputs where displacements of the vehicle may be greater than a range of motion of the active seat suspension while still permitting the active seat suspension to respond to higher frequency inputs.

Abstract: Embodiments related to active seat suspensions as well as their methods of operation are disclosed. In one particular embodiment, a failure state of an active seat suspension may be detected after which operation of one or more actuators of the active seat suspension may be limited in response to the detected failure state. In another embodiment, a crash or imminent crash of a vehicle may be detected and an active seat suspension may be operated to lower a seat connected thereto to lower the seat toward an underlying portion of the vehicle. In yet another embodiment, operation of an active seat suspension may be limited to reduce a temperature of the active seat suspension when a rate of change and/or a magnitude of a sensed temperature of an actuator of an active seat suspension is greater than a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: Embodiments related to systems and methods for controlling an active vehicle seat are described. In some embodiments, the active vehicle seat is controlled based at least partly on internal sensor information, external sensor information, and operator input from a user interface.

Abstract: Embodiments related to systems and methods for controlling the relative amounts of rotation and heave motions applied to a seat by an active seat suspension system are described.

Abstract: Embodiments related to active vibration isolation systems for a vehicle seat, as well as their methods of use, are disclosed. In some embodiments, an active suspension system may be configured to support a seat above a floor of a vehicle. The active suspension system may include two or more actuators that may be operated cooperatively to control both the roll and heave of the vehicle seat. In some instances, these actuators may also be non-back-drivable actuators. Additionally, in some embodiments, an active suspension system may include one or more torsion springs that apply torques in parallel with associated actuators of the active suspension system to support at least a portion of the loads applied to the active suspension system during operation.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improving ride quality of an active payload support system. In one example, a seat system for a vehicle includes a seat, a support structure including an actuator configured to rotate the seat about an axis of a pivot, a first sensor positioned to detect movement of the vehicle, and a controller configured to receive a first input from the first sensor, determine a cornering lateral acceleration of the vehicle in a direction perpendicular to an axis parallel to a direction of travel of the vehicle around a turn, the cornering lateral acceleration determined based at least on the first input, generate a command signal based at least on the cornering lateral acceleration to instruct an actuator to rotate the seat about the axis of the pivot in a direction of the turn, and provide a force command to the actuator to move the seat.

Abstract: Systems and methods for actively isolating a payload from a disturbance. In one example, a seat system for a vehicle includes a seat, a support structure that allows the seat to move about an axis of a pivot, a first sensor positioned to detect movement of the vehicle, a second sensor positioned to detect lateral acceleration of the pivot, an actuator configured to move the seat, and a controller configured to receive a first signal from the first sensor and a second signal from the second sensor, generate a command signal based at least on the first and the second signal to instruct the actuator to position the seat at a desired command angle, wherein the controller is configured to correct the command signal for lateral accelerations caused by steering the vehicle, and provide a force command to the actuator to move the seat at the desired command angle.

Abstract: Embodiments related to active vibration isolation systems for a vehicle seat, as well as their methods of use, are disclosed. In some embodiments, an active suspension system may be configured to support a seat above a floor of a vehicle. The active suspension system may include two or more actuators that may be operated cooperatively to control both the roll and heave of the vehicle seat. In some instances, these actuators may also be non-back-drivable actuators. Additionally, in some embodiments, an active suspension system may include one or more torsion springs that apply torques in parallel with associated actuators of the active suspension system to support at least a portion of the loads applied to the active suspension system during operation.

Abstract: A seat system for a vehicle includes a seat having a seat bottom on which a person can sit. An intermediate support structure is secured to the seat and the vehicle which allows the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. An actuator can interact with the seat to cause the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. The combined motion of the vehicle relative to the earth and the seat relative to the vehicle results in motion of the seat moving about a virtual pivot point. A user control is provided for adjustment of the location of the virtual pivot point.

Abstract: Active vibration isolation (AVI) systems are becoming more available in various markets, one such market being vehicle operator seating. Unfamiliarity with the performance of such systems may cause users initial perceptions of system performance to be unfavorable. AVI systems can include a demonstration system capable of providing simulations too users of various types of vibration isolation systems under various input conditions, so that users can be introduced to the system benefits over other systems before using an AVI equipped product in its intended application.

Abstract: An active vibration isolation system for a motor vehicle seat that is adapted to be occupied by a user, includes an active suspension system that supports the seat above a floor of the motor vehicle, where the suspension system comprises at least one actuator that can be controlled to move the seat up and down in the direction of a vertical axis, a first sensor system mounted to the vehicle and that is adapted to sense vehicle height position changes along or parallel to the vertical axis, a second sensor system that is adapted to determine the seat translational position along or parallel to the vertical axis, and a controller that, in response to the first and second sensor systems, is adapted to provide control signals to the active suspension system that cause motions of the seat that are designed to control the height of the user's head or torso as the vehicle undergoes translations along the vertical axis.

Abstract: In an aspect, in general, a system and method compensate for a misalignment characteristic of one or more acceleration sensors fixed to a sprung mass of a vehicle, each acceleration sensor having a location on the vehicle and a desired orientation relative to the vehicle.

Abstract: A method performed by one or more processing devices for ensuring that a vehicle seat top is qualified for use with a seat base for a vehicle seat, the method comprising: receiving information that identifies a type of vehicle seat top for coupling to the seat base; verifying that the vehicle seat top is authorized for use with the seat base; and in response to verifying, retrieving, based on the received information that identifies the type of vehicle seat top, pre-determined values of controller parameters of a closed loop control system for isolating vibrations from the vehicle seat top, wherein the predetermined values of the controller parameters are specifically tuned for the vehicle seat top.

Abstract: A system and method that establishes a confidence in a vehicle position determined by a vehicle position determination system and uses the established confidence to change a behavior of an active suspension system of a plant in the vehicle.

Abstract: An active suspension system that interfaces a sprung mass and an unsprung mass is disclosed. The active suspension system includes a suspension comprising one or more actuators capable of exerting a force on the sprung mass to at least partially isolate motion of the sprung mass from motion of the unsprung mass. A user interface allows a user to indicate a desired degree of motion isolation.

Abstract: An active suspension system for a sprung mass that is supported and movable relative to an unsprung mass. The active suspension system has a suspension that comprises an electromagnetic actuator that is adapted to produce an arbitrary force on the sprung mass that is independent of the position, velocity and acceleration of the sprung mass, a control system that provides control signals that cause the suspension to exert force on the sprung mass, to control the position of the sprung mass relative to the unsprung mass, wherein the control system implements a control algorithm with one or more constants, and a user interface that is operable to cause a change of one or more of the control algorithm constants so as to vary how closely motion of the sprung mass follows motion of the unsprung mass.