Abstract: In an apparatus and method for a vehicular system, a control gain of a control signal to be outputted to the vehicular system is varied when a change in a weight of load applied to a vehicle body between an originally designed weight of load applied to a vehicle body and a present weight of load applied to the vehicle body occurs. The change in the weight of load applied to the vehicle body is determined according to a load mounted state determination signal R.sub.M which is derived on the basis of a front road wheel side vertical status variable and a rear road wheel side vertical status variable.

Abstract: A suspension control system for use with shock absorbers provided between sprung and unsprung masses of an automotive vehicle at the positions of the respective vehicle road wheels for providing variable damping force characteristics. The suspension control system includes sensors mounted on the vehicle for sensing sprung mass vertical accelerations acting in a predetermined direction with respect to the vehicle at the respective road wheel positions. A component of the vehicle longitudinal acceleration acting in the predetermined direction is calculated as a function of vehicle pitching angle and vehicle longitudinal acceleration. The sensed sprung mass vertical accelerations are corrected in a direction to cancel the calculated vehicle longitudinal acceleration component. The shock absorbers are controlled based on the respective corrected sprung mass vertical accelerations.

Abstract: In apparatus and method for controlling a damping force characteristic of each vehicular shock absorber, when such a vehicular acceleration or deceleration as to determine an occurrence in an inclination of a vehicle body with respect to a road surface on which the vehicle runs occurs, bouncing components from among components constituting each of control signals to control the damping force characteristic of each shock absorber are nullified to prevent signal drifts from being generated due to the influence of the vehicle body inclination and due to the vehicular acceleration or deceleration.

Abstract: In apparatus and method for controlling a damping force characteristic of each of front and rear left and right road wheel positioned shock absorbers based on a Sky Hook control theory, rear left and right road wheel position vehicular behaviors are estimated using a predetermined transfer function established between front road wheel position vehicular behaviors and rear road wheel position vehicular behaviors from front left and right road wheel position vehicular behavior related signals with the damping force characteristics of the rear road wheel positioned shock absorbers controlled on the basis of rear road wheel position control signals formed for the rear left and right road wheel positioned shock absorbers on the basis of the estimated rear road wheel position vehicular behaviors.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling damping force characteristics of respective vehicular shock absorbers in which vehicular vertical behavior(s) at the position(s) of the vehicular body which are forward by a predetermined distance from a tread of rear left and right road wheels are determined, the positions including front left and right road wheel sides, and corresponding vertical behavior signals are derived. Control signals for front left and right and rear left and right road wheel side shock absorbers are formed on the basis of respective processed signals having frequency-dependent characteristics formed from the vehicular behavior signal(s). The damping force characteristics of front left and right road wheel side shock absorbers are controlled on the basis of the control signals formed on the basis of the processed signal based on the front left and right road wheel vehicular behavior signals.

Abstract: A suspension control system for use with an automotive vehicle supported on front and rear road pairs of road wheels. Shock absorbers are provided between sprung and unsprung masses of the vehicle at the front and rear road wheel side tower positions for providing variable damping force characteristics. First behaviors of the vehicle at the front road wheel side tower positions are sensed. A predetermined transfer function is used to calculate second behaviors of the vehicle at the rear road wheel side tower positions based, on the sensed first vehicle behaviors. The damping force characteristics of the shock absorbers mounted at the front road wheel side tower positions are controlled based on the sensed first vehicle behaviors. The damping force characteristics of the shock absorbers mounted at the rear road wheel side tower positions are controlled based on the calculated second vehicle behaviors.

Abstract: In apparatus and method for controlling a damping force characteristic of each of front and rear left and right road wheel positioned shock absorbers based on a Sky Hook control theory, rear left and right road wheel position vehicular behaviors are estimated using a predetermined transfer function established between front road wheel position vehicular behaviors and rear road wheel position vehicular behaviors from front left and right road wheel position vehicular behavior related signals with the damping force characteristics of the rear road wheel positioned shock absorbers controlled on the basis of rear road wheel position control signals formed for the rear left and right road wheel positioned shock absorbers on the basis of the estimated rear road wheel position vehicular behaviors.

Abstract: An apparatus for a cab over type truck, comprising: a) at least one shock absorber interposed between a vehicle cab of the truck and a vehicle chassis of the truck and having a damping force characteristic varying member arranged so as to enable a variation in the damping force characteristic of the shock absorber in response to a control signal; b) a vertical behavior sensor arranged on the vehicle chassis of the truck for detecting a vertical behavior on the chassis; and c) a control unit arranged for estimating the vertical behavior on the cab of the truck from the detected vertical behavior on the chassis, and providing a control signal for the shock absorber so as to control the damping force characteristic of the shock absorber on the basis of the estimated vertical behavior on the cab of the truck.