Attitude Change Suppressive Control (e.g., Antiroll Or Antipitch) Patents (Class 701/38)
  • Patent number: 8938330
    Abstract: A method is provided for characterizing a straight-line behavior of a given vehicle that includes at least one suspension device. For a given value of a parameter that when varied modifies a friction generated in each suspension device, the method includes steps of: applying a stress cycle to each suspension device so as to identify a friction present in each suspension device; determining, for each suspension device, a value of an indicator relating to the friction; repeating the applying step and the determining step by varying the parameter so as to obtain a variation of the indicator as a function of the parameter; and for each suspension device, determining an interval of a value of the parameter in which the indicator is greater than a predetermined threshold for the given vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignees: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin, Michelin Recherche et Techniques S.A.
    Inventors: Thibault Dailliez, Christophe Egerszegi
  • Patent number: 8935047
    Abstract: A damping-force-adjustable-damper control device includes a target damping force setting unit which sets target damping force, a stroke position detecting unit which detects a stroke position of the damping-force adjustable damper, a stroke speed calculating unit which calculates a stroke speed, and a target output calculating unit which calculates a target output value to be output to the damping-force adjustable damper in accordance with an obtained target damping force and an obtained stroke speed. The control device also includes a processing-period setting unit which sets the processing periods of the stroke speed calculating unit and the target output calculating unit in accordance with a resonant frequency of unsprung mass, and which sets the processing period of the target damping force setting unit to be longer than the processing periods of the stroke speed calculating unit and the target output calculating unit in accordance with a resonant frequency of sprung mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigenobu Sekiya
  • Patent number: 8935048
    Abstract: This invention public a multi-functional rollover judgment system and automatic anti-rollover device which are all belong to vehicle area. The mentioned system at least includes two displacement sensors and ECU which is connected with mentioned sensors correspondingly, and the output device (connected with ECU). The mentioned displacement sensor is distributed by a group of two, and at least one group mentioned displacement sensor is set between the frame and axle symmetrically. The mentioned device includes multi-functional judgment system and its connected actuator, and the mentioned actuator at least includes left actuator and right actuator which are symmetrically set on the frame. Both of the mentioned left actuator and right actuator include a telescopic shaft and the return wheel which is set on the outside of telescopic shaft. The invention can prevent the rollover accident from happening in any condition and have wide application range & high accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Inventor: Yuliang Sun
  • Publication number: 20150012177
    Abstract: A method for controlling a torque of a roll stabilizing system which acts on a wheel suspension system of a chassis for a vehicle in order to correct a rolling inclination of the bodywork of a vehicle, wherein a spring travel value of at least two wheels of the vehicle is detected. The torque is determined as a function of a difference between the spring travel values of the two wheels, and the determined torque is applied to the wheel suspension system. An actual torque which acts on the wheel suspension system is preferably determined on the basis of the differences between the spring travel values. The actual torque is used to calculate a setpoint torque for a roll stabilizing system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Inventors: Thorsten Koch, Hartmut Fischlein, Igor Illg
  • Publication number: 20150006031
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a friction brake orientation control device, a damping force control device, a state quantity detection device, and an orientation control device. The damping force control device calculates a brake orientation control amount for a friction brake to change the orientation of a vehicle body to a target orientation. The damping force control device calculates a shock absorber orientation control amount for a variable-damping-force shock absorber to change the orientation of the vehicle body to the target orientation. The state quantity detection device detects a state quantity indicating vehicle body orientation. The orientation control device controls vehicle body orientation when the value of the detected state quantity is less than a predetermined value, and controls vehicle body orientation via the friction brake orientation control device when the value of the detected state quantity is equal to or greater than the predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Hironobu Kikuchi, Katsuhiko Hirayama
  • Patent number: 8919788
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention describe methods, apparatuses, and systems for enhanced vehicle stabilization solutions. Embodiments of the invention may receive sensor information from at least one sensor coupled to a vehicle having two or more wheels, the at least one sensor coupled to at least one of a wheel, a suspension component, or a frame of the vehicle. A tilt angle of the vehicle is determined from the received sensor information, the tilt angle comprising an offset angle from a reference plane for the vehicle. A controller transmits a command to one or more control moment gyroscopes (CMGs) coupled to the frame of the vehicle to produce a total angular moment based, at least in part, on the tilt angle of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Lit Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Kee Young Kim, Eric Miller
  • Patent number: 8924116
    Abstract: A vehicle motion control device providing good trace performance with a simple configuration for performing a rollover prevention control involving suppressing rollover of a vehicle by applying a braking force to a front wheel located on the radially outer of the turning locus and a rear wheel located on the radially outer of the turning locus, comprises a braking control unit configured to restrict the application of the braking force to the front wheel located on the radially outer of the turning locus until a predetermined limit time elapses since the application of the braking force to the rear wheel located on the radially outer of the turning locus is started when the braking force is applied to the front wheel located on the radially outer of the turning locus and the rear wheel located on the radially outer of the turning locus as the rollover prevention control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Yamada, Hideaki Koto
  • Publication number: 20140371986
    Abstract: A method is described comprising modulating vehicle speed about a target speed by operating a vehicle with an engine at high output and then operating the vehicle with the engine off, and adjusting operation of a suspension system based on the vehicle operation with the engine at high output and the engine off to control vehicle pitch during the modulating of vehicle speed about the target speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Davor Hrovat, Dimitar Petrov Filev, Jianbo Lu
  • Publication number: 20140371985
    Abstract: A method for controlling an active suspension system of a vehicle during a curb parking operation, so as to position a portion of the vehicle on a street and a portion of the vehicle on a curb. The method includes steps of activating a curb parking function of the active suspension system, acquiring inputs pertinent to the curb parking operation, and determining, by a controller, if a curb parking operation is feasible for the vehicle. If a curb parking operation is deemed infeasible, an operator of the vehicle is notified that the curb parking operation is infeasible. If a curb parking operation is deemed feasible, actuatable elements of the active suspension system are controlled to facilitate curb parking.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Eric H. Tseng, Davor Hrovat, Jianbo Lu, Mitch McConnell, Matthias Dehmel, Michael Seemann, Fredrick V. Owens
  • Publication number: 20140371984
    Abstract: Methods of assessing driver behavior include monitoring vehicle systems and driver monitoring systems to accommodate for a driver's slow reaction time, attention lapse and/or alertness. When it is determined that a driver is drowsy, for example, the response system may modify the operation of one or more vehicle systems. The systems that may be modified include: visual devices, audio devices, tactile devices, antilock brake systems, automatic brake prefill systems, brake assist systems, auto cruise control systems, electronic stability control systems, collision warning systems, lane keep assist systems, blind spot indicator systems, electronic pretensioning systems and climate control systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Kin C. Fung, Timothy J. Dick
  • Publication number: 20140358372
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a detection portion detecting a master cylinder pressure which is an oil pressure applied by a master cylinder changing a depression force applied to a brake pedal into the oil pressure and a control portion controlling a suspension to restrain a vehicle from tilting forward caused by a depression of the brake pedal based on a variation of the master cylinder pressure, the control portion controlling the suspension to restrain the vehicle from swinging back from a tilting forward attitude caused by a release of the brake pedal based on the variation of the master cylinder pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Atsuto OGINO
  • Publication number: 20140358373
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle is configured to detect an abnormality of shock absorbers. When an abnormality detection means has detected an abnormality, braking/driving force posture control amount computation means computes an amount of braking/driving force posture control controlled by means of braking/driving force of the vehicle on the basis of target posture control amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Hironobu Kikuchi, Katsuhiko Hirayama
  • Publication number: 20140350787
    Abstract: A method of managing a vehicle load comprises measuring for one of a plurality of tire pressures with a tire sensor associated with each of the plurality of tires and a plurality of pressures and heights with a plurality of suspension sensors associated with each of a plurality of corner assemblies for an air suspension system. The vehicle load is calculated for each of the plurality of corner assemblies with an ECU based on the measured data. At least one load dependent vehicle characteristic is calculated based on the vehicle load at the individual corner assemblies with the ECU. At least one vehicle operating parameter is adjusted to compensate for the at least one load dependent vehicle characteristic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventor: Vaughn James Swanson
  • Patent number: 8892305
    Abstract: A motion control device for a vehicle, including a braking means for applying a brake torque to a wheel of the vehicle and maintaining a traveling stability of the vehicle by controlling the braking means, the motion control device for the vehicle, includes a steering angular velocity obtaining means for obtaining a steering angular velocity of the vehicle, a yaw angular acceleration obtaining means for obtaining a yaw angular acceleration of the vehicle, and a control means for controlling the brake torque on the basis of the steering angular velocity and the yaw angular acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yasui, Toshihisa Kato, Toshio Yasutake, Atsushi Ikematsu
  • Patent number: 8892303
    Abstract: In a vehicle control device, a dynamic characteristics description unit includes a model element simulating dynamic characteristics of motion or deformation of a controlled object. By using the model element, this unit simulates hysteresis characteristics caused during a process of motion or deformation of the controlled object based on at least one of an estimated value of the input manipulated variable and an estimated value of a disturbance input inputted in the controlled object, and defines a control target index of a motion state of the controlled object. A correction amount computing unit calculates a correction amount which adjusts the manipulated variable in such a way that the control target index related to the hysteresis characteristics becomes a desired state. A command output unit corrects manipulated variable based on the correction amount to produce a command for the corrected manipulated variable to output it to the controlled object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiki Matsumoto, Mamoru Sawada
  • Patent number: 8886404
    Abstract: The invention relates to a control system for a motor vehicle, especially for a commercial vehicle that has a box body supportable on a chassis, with at least one detection means generating detection data for detecting the road profile in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel and a control device for controlling at least one controllable spring and/or damper unit depending on the detected data, wherein the at least one spring and/or damper unit for suspension and damping of the box body in the direction of a vertical axis of the vehicle can be connected to the box body and the chassis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Bodo Hanisch, Martin Schumacher, Georg Hoppe
  • Patent number: 8880292
    Abstract: A vehicle body vibration estimating device for estimating a vehicle body vibration as a sprung mass of a vehicle where wheels are suspended via a suspension device. The vehicle body vibration estimating device includes a wheel speed physical quantity detecting section and a vibration estimating section. The wheel speed physical quantity detecting section detects a wheel speed physical quantity related to wheel speed, which is a circumferential velocity of a wheel. The vibration estimating section estimates the vehicle body vibration from a correlation relationship between displacements in a back-and-forth direction and displacements in an up-and-down direction of the wheels with respect to the vehicle body, and the wheel speed physical quantity detected by the wheel speed physical quantity detecting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuki Shiozawa, Masaaki Nawano, Yosuke Kobayashi, Tamaki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8880293
    Abstract: A vehicle motion control apparatus configured to be used with a vehicle including a brake force control unit capable of generating a brake force during a steering operation. The control apparatus includes a plurality of force generation apparatuses disposed between a vehicle body of the vehicle and a plurality of axles, each of which is capable of generating an adjustable force between the vehicle body and each wheel of the vehicle, a force adjustment unit configured to adjust the force of each of the force generation apparatuses, and a target pitch state calculation unit configured to calculate a target pitch state from a state in which the vehicle body turns. The force adjustment unit adjusts the force of each of the force generation apparatuses so that a pitch state of the vehicle body approaches the target pitch state calculated by the target pitch state calculation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryusuke Hirao, Nobuyuki Ichimaru, Makoto Yamakado
  • Patent number: 8874314
    Abstract: A vehicle damping control apparatus is basically provided with a braking/accelerating torque generating component, a corrective torque calculating component, a corrective torque command value output component and a priority level setting component. The braking/accelerating torque generating component is configured to generate braking/accelerating torque in a wheel. The corrective torque calculating component is configured to calculate a corrective torque to suppress vehicle pitching vibration and vehicle bouncing vibration. The corrective torque command value output component is configured to output a corrective torque command value to the braking/accelerating torque generating component based on the corrective torque. The priority level setting component is configured to set a priority level for calculating the corrective torque command value such that vehicle bouncing vibration is suppressed with priority over vehicle pitching vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yosuke Kobayashi, Mitsunori Ohta
  • Publication number: 20140316653
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a motive power source orientation control device, a friction brake orientation control device, a damping force control device, and an orientation control device. The orientation control device controls vehicle body orientation via the motive power source orientation control device when the absolute value of the amplitude of a detected state quantity is less than a first predetermined value, via the damping force control device in addition to the motive power source orientation control device when the absolute value of the amplitude is equal to or greater than the first predetermined value and less than a second predetermined value greater than the first predetermined value, and via the friction brake orientation control device in addition to the motive power source orientation control device and the damping force control device when the absolute value of the amplitude is equal to or greater than the second predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hironobu Kikuchi, Katsuhiko Hirayama
  • Patent number: 8862300
    Abstract: To suppress a change in a vehicle's attitude due to a pitch motion during vehicle braking, a pitch control device for an electric vehicle can prevent discontinuous negative acceleration from occurring at a moment of the vehicle stopping by appropriately controlling a braking force of the vehicle, thereby effectively controlling the pitch motion of the vehicle, and can enhance steering stability while ensuring riding comfort for passengers, even when traveling resistance significantly changes according to road surface gradient and when the vehicle weight significantly changes with increases/decreases in the number of drivers and in the quantity of goods loaded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanori Ichinose, Tomohiko Yasuda, Takayuki Satou
  • Patent number: 8855856
    Abstract: A system for providing vehicle roll control that controls the friction-force of dampers provided at the wheels of the vehicle. The system includes a lateral acceleration sensor for determining the lateral acceleration of the vehicle, a steering angle sensor for determining the steering angle of the vehicle and a speed sensor for determining the speed of the vehicle. The system calculates a current control signal for one or more of the dampers based on the lateral acceleration and/or the steering angle, and uses one or both of the current control signals to control the friction-force of the inside, outside or both of the dampers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Jihan Ryu, Chandra S. Namuduri
  • Publication number: 20140297119
    Abstract: A method for reducing power consumption in an active suspension system through the selective use of high performance, associated with high power demand, only in situations instantaneously deemed to provide a high ratio of benefit to cost. Input events are classified ahead of time, and are identified during operation of the system, ahead of time if possible through the use of look-ahead sensing or statistical analysis, or at the beginning of the event through the use of motion sensing. Once an event is detected, an estimation of the cost and benefits for an intervention of the active suspension system is made, and the intervention is scaled in a way to provide a good compromise. Relying on the nonlinearity of the cost and benefit expressions, this leads to overall reduced power consumption with small loss in perceived benefit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: Levant Power Corporation
    Inventors: Marco Giovanardi, Jonathan R. Leehey, Johannes Schneider, Zackary Martin Anderson
  • Publication number: 20140297118
    Abstract: When a vehicle decelerates quickly or otherwise experiences a hard brake event, the described systems and methods facilitate reducing load transfer between axles of a common set of axles (e.g. a tandem axle, a tridem axle, etc.). Transfer of suspension pressure from a dynamically unloaded axle to a more loaded axle is limited by a suspension control component such as a valve or solenoid or the like that closes upon detection of a hard brake event in order to lock air in the suspension components of the respective axles. This in turn limits the dynamically unloaded axle from lifting, thereby permitting it to contribute more significantly to the braking effort and improving stopping distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
    Inventor: Charles E. Eberling
  • Patent number: 8843275
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining a pitch-over condition of a vehicle comprises a first accelerometer for sensing acceleration in a Z-axis direction substantially perpendicular to both a front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and a side-to-side axis of the vehicle and for providing a first acceleration signal indicative thereof. A second accelerometer for senses acceleration in an X-axis direction substantially parallel to said front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and provides a second acceleration signal indicative thereof. A controller determines a Z-axis velocity value from the first acceleration signal and a pitch-over condition of the vehicle in response to both the determined Z-axis velocity value and the second acceleration signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: TRW Automotive U.S. LLC
    Inventors: Chek-Peng Foo, Huahn-Fern Yeh, Javier Backmann, Timur Uenlu, Harald Pfriender
  • Patent number: 8838336
    Abstract: A vehicle body attitude control apparatus capable improving cornering operability, steering stability, and ride comfort while a vehicle is running. A controller includes a gain, a determination unit, a multiplication unit, an FF control unit, a difference calculation unit, an FB control unit, an average value calculation unit, a target damping force calculation unit, and a damper instruction value calculation unit so as to enable such control that a pitch rate and a roll rate are set into a proportional relationship while the vehicle is cornering. The controller calculates a target pitch rate proportional to the roll rate, variably controls a damping force characteristic of a damping force variable damper disposed at each the wheels so as to achieve the target pitch rate, and generates a pitch moment to be applied to the vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryusuke Hirao, Makoto Yamakado, Nobuyuki Ichimaru
  • Patent number: 8825293
    Abstract: A method is described comprising modulating vehicle speed about a target speed by operating a vehicle with an engine at high output and then operating the vehicle with the engine off, and adjusting operation of a suspension system based on the vehicle operation with the engine at high output and the engine off to control vehicle pitch during the modulating of vehicle speed about the target speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Davor Hrovat, Dimitar Petrov Filev, Jianbo Lu
  • Patent number: 8818630
    Abstract: A vehicular vibration damping control apparatus calculates a correction torque to suppress vehicle body sprung vibration. In outputting a correction torque command to a driving/braking torque producing device, the control apparatus outputs a hunting time correction torque command smaller than a normal time correction toque command when a state in which amplitude of the correction torque is greater than or equal to a predetermined amplitude continues for a predetermined time length, and thereafter to return an output of the correction torque command from the hunting time correction torque command to the normal time correction torque command if a state in which the amplitude of the correction torque is smaller than or equal to the predetermined amplitude continues for a first predetermined time length. The frequency of performing the vibration damping control is increased by suppressing occurrence of hunting at the time of return to the normal vibration damping control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yosuke Kobayashi, Takeshi Kimura, Yuuki Shiozawa, Mitsunori Ohta, Hiroki Sasaki, Akihiro Itoh, Masahiko Yoshizawa
  • Publication number: 20140236425
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of controlling the stability of a two-wheeled vehicle including a first wheel associated with a first suspension and a second wheel associated with a second suspension. The method includes: detecting a signal representing the roll angle and detecting a signal representing the roll angular speed of the vehicle; detecting a signal representing the first force imposed on the first suspension; detecting a control signal representing the reference force to impose to the second suspension according to the signals representing the roll angle, of the roll angular speed and the first force. The present invention is also related to a system for controlling the stability of a two-wheeled vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: E-SHOCK S.R.L.
    Inventors: Sergio Matteo Savaresi, Pierpaolo De Filippi, Diego Delvecchio
  • Patent number: 8812191
    Abstract: A control device for an adjustable chassis system includes a connection to at least one sensor arrangement which provides at least one vehicle condition parameter of a vehicle. The measured vehicle condition parameter is spatially related to a position outside of the control device. The sensor arrangement is arranged inside the control device and forms a virtual miniature measurement plane which is extrapolated to an actual measurement plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Frankenberger, Stefan Rappelt, Toni Schuck, Stefan Kissner
  • Patent number: 8798869
    Abstract: A vehicle motion control system for a vehicle having a single front wheel, a right wheel and a left wheel. The control system includes (a) a rollover-probability judging portion configured to judge whether or not a vehicle-body acceleration falls in a high rollover-probability region; and (b) a rollover-prevention control executing portion configured, when the acceleration falls in the high rollover-probability region, to execute a rollover prevention control for controlling motion of the vehicle so as to reduce the probability of rollover of the vehicle. The rollover-probability judging portion is configured to obtain a direction and a magnitude of the acceleration by composing a component of the acceleration in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and a component of the vehicle-body acceleration in a width direction of the vehicle. The high rollover-probability region is defined by a threshold whose amount varies depending on the direction of the vehicle-body acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yutaka Ohnuma, Yasuaki Tsurumi
  • Publication number: 20140214274
    Abstract: Disclosed is a damping force control device for a vehicle that controls the damping coefficient of a damping force generation device on the basis of a final target control amount that is based on the target control amount for attitude control, which suppresses changes in the vehicle body attitude in at least the rolling direction, and the target control amount for riding comfort control, which increases riding comfort with regards to vehicle body vibrations in at least the rolling direction. The target control amount for riding comfort control is a control amount calculated as the total of a fixed basic control amount and a variable control amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yanqing LIU, Yuichi MIZUTA, Motohiko HONMA, Jin HOZUMI, Masaaki TABATA
  • Patent number: 8788171
    Abstract: An attitude angle estimating means computes a derivative amount of an attitude angle with respect to a vertical axis of a vehicle body, and integrates the computed derivative amount of the attitude angle, and estimates the attitude angle. On the basis of the sensor signal and the attitude angle estimated by the attitude angle estimating means, a computing means computes a derivative amount of the attitude angle obtained from equations of motion for vehicle motion. A drift amount estimating means estimates a sensor drift amount of the sensor signal by using a relationship that, when taking a sensor drift amount of the sensor signal into consideration, the derivative amount of the attitude angle computed by the attitude angle estimating means, and a value that considers a sensor drift amount in the derivative amount of the attitude angle computed by the computing means, are equal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Eiichi Ono, Yumiko Miura, Katsuyuki Yamaguchi, Taisuke Yasutomi
  • Patent number: 8786225
    Abstract: An inverter power generator includes a current controller 14a setting a current limit ratio according to a rotation speed of a synchronous motor 13 and controls a converter current according to the current limit ratio. The current controller sets the current limit ratio to 70% if the synchronous motor is at a rotational speed equal to an idle speed of an engine 11. Until the rotational speed of the synchronous motor reaches a rated speed, the output current limiter linearly increases the current limit ratio up to 100%. With this, the rotational speed of the engine becomes reasonably increasable even if a sudden load increase occurs when the engine is operating at low speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Toshiba Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Narutoshi Yokokawa, Tomoyuki Hoshikawa, Kazumi Murata, Junichi Kanai, Naoyuki Mashima
  • Patent number: 8781681
    Abstract: In an active suspension system for actively suspending a plant, a fail-safe system controlled by a failure-detector has a selectively-activated damper coupled to the plant. The damper may be a separate element from the actuator. Under normal circumstances, the damper is deactivated and therefore generates no damping force. However, if the failure detector detects an abnormal state in the system, it activates the damper, thereby causing a damping force that resists motion of the plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: James A. Parison, Jr., Upendra V. Ummethala
  • Publication number: 20140195116
    Abstract: A method is described comprising modulating vehicle speed about a target speed by operating a vehicle with an engine at high output and then operating the vehicle with the engine off, and adjusting operation of a suspension system based on the vehicle operation with the engine at high output and the engine off to control vehicle pitch during the modulating of vehicle speed about the target speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Davor Hrovat, Dimitar Petrov Filev, Jianbo Lu
  • Patent number: 8775024
    Abstract: A steering damper system for a saddle riding type vehicle having an MR damper includes a damping force calculating unit arranged to calculate a damping force according to a steering angle speed, and an adjusting command output unit arranged to determine a running state from a vehicle speed and a steering angle detected by sensors, with reference to a reference table, and correcting the damping force calculated according to the running state. The reference table has areas divided by a steering angle range according to vehicle speed, and damping force adjustment factors according to running states are assigned to these areas. The steering angle range dividing the areas becomes narrower with an increase in vehicle speed, to accurately reflect the running states of the vehicle. A proper damping force can be generated according to a running state of the vehicle. The steering damper system eases the rider's burden accompanying steering operations, and is excellent in controllability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuo Hara, Yasuhiro Oomura
  • Patent number: 8761999
    Abstract: A level control system for a vehicle includes a pressure generator (10) for generating a pressure difference between a reservoir (11) containing a pressurized medium and at least one pressure-controlled actuating mechanism (12i) in order to adjust a predefined vehicle chassis level (di,soll), and a valve unit (13) for performing an overflow process between the reservoir (11) containing the pressurized medium and the at least one pressure-controlled actuating mechanism (12i). An evaluation unit (24) decides whether and to what extent the predefined vehicle chassis level (di, soll) can be adjusted by exclusively actuating the valve unit (13) based on a vehicle chassis level (di,erw) that is to be expected in case the overflow process is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Continental Aktienesellschaft
    Inventors: Heike Ilias, Marc Nettelmann, Thomas Sprengel
  • Patent number: 8762004
    Abstract: A pulse active steering control system and method for use in a motor vehicle for improving vehicle stability by reducing a likelihood for rollover and/or skidding sends pulses to the steerable wheels whenever a rollover coefficient and/or the difference between the estimated and actual yaw rate is outside a predetermined range. The pulses are asymmetrical in the form of a smooth curve with a gradually increasing rapid rising edge and a slower falling edge and provide steering input that, along with the driver steering input, returns the rollover coefficient and/or yaw rate to the predetermined range to reduce the likelihood of rollover and/or skidding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Inventors: Amir Khajepour, Che-Jen Christoph Kuo, John Joseph McPhee
  • Patent number: 8762001
    Abstract: A tractor is provided for suppressing pitching in which a front part of a traveling vehicle body is lifted upward, while a suspension mechanism functions when work is carried out with a ground implement. When a raise control signal for raising the plow is detected in draft control for elevating/lowering the plow based on a draw load value detected by a draw load sensor, mode switching means suppresses or limits the suspension function, via control of the suspension control means to suppress an event in which the front part of the traveling vehicle body is lifted upward. When the raise control signal is not detected, the mode switching means causes the suspension mechanism to function via control of the suspension control means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro Matsuzaki, Kenichi Iwami, Toshimitsu Yazaki, Atsushi Hayashi, Shinnosuke Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 8751130
    Abstract: A vehicle travel control apparatus executes turning facilitation control that controls wheel longitudinal force such that the longitudinal force of a turning path inner side wheel becomes smaller than the longitudinal force of a turning path outer side wheel, and vehicle dynamics control that controls wheel longitudinal force so as to stabilize the turning motion of the vehicle. The vehicle speed range in which to permit the turning facilitation control is lower than the vehicle speed range in which to permit the vehicle dynamics control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihisa Nihei, Takashi Nonaka
  • Patent number: 8744681
    Abstract: Disclosed is a damping force control device for a vehicle that controls the damping coefficient of a damping force generation device on the basis of a final target control amount that is based on the target control amount for attitude control, which suppresses changes in the vehicle body attitude in at least the rolling direction, and the target control amount for riding comfort control, which increases riding comfort with regards to vehicle body vibrations in at least the rolling direction. The target control amount for riding comfort control is a control amount calculated as the total of a fixed basic control amount and a variable control amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yanqing Liu, Yuichi Mizuta, Motohiko Honma, Jin Hozumi, Masaaki Tabata
  • Patent number: 8738259
    Abstract: A movable body according to the present invention detects an operation state including attitude information of the movable body by using an operation state detector, generates a drive velocity command based on the detected attitude information and an attitude information command to be input, generates a torque command of the drive device based on the generated drive velocity command and a drive velocity detected by a drive velocity detector, and drives the drive device in accordance with the torque command generated by a velocity controller, to thereby move. In the movable body, the velocity controller performs velocity control so that the drive velocity detected by the drive velocity detector follows the drive velocity command generated by an attitude controller, and the attitude controller performs attitude control so that the attitude information detected by the operation state detector follows the attitude information command to be input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yusuke Kosaka
  • Patent number: 8731774
    Abstract: The present invention provides systems, methods, and computer-readable media for controlling a suspension for a vehicle in which a platform model and a suspension model are provided and a first neural oscillator model and a second neural oscillator model that feed back an output to each model to acquire displacements of the platform model and the suspension model from displacements inputted into a tire, acquire feedbacks of the first neural oscillator model and the second neural oscillator model from the displacements of the platform model and the suspension model, and acquire pressing force required in the suspension for the vehicle from the feedback of the second neural oscillator model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Woo Sung Yang
  • Patent number: 8725351
    Abstract: An active suspension system for a suspended device. The system has an electromagnetic actuator that produces force on the suspended device and that is powered by a power source, and a control system that provides control signals that cause the electromagnetic actuator to exert force on the suspended device. The control system is adapted to receive a turn-off signal that results in disabling the electromagnetic actuator from producing force on the suspended device. When the control system receives a turn-off signal it provides actuator turn-off control signals that cause the force exerted by the electromagnetic actuator to progressively transition to zero over a transition time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Selden, Antonio Sangermano
  • Patent number: 8718871
    Abstract: A method for setting the damping force for at least one motor vehicle vibration damper which is connected between a vehicle body and a wheel, wherein, for the vibration damper or for each vibration damper, a damping force is determined and set within an actuating range defined by a lower limiting value and an upper limiting value, as a function of a vertical movement of the vehicle body, and as a function of a vertical movement of the respective wheel, and wherein the lower limiting value of the actuating range is also determined as a function of the vertical movement of the vehicle body and as a function of the vertical movement of the respective wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. H.C. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jochen Liebold, Thorsten Brobeil
  • Patent number: 8718872
    Abstract: A vehicle attitude controller capable of improving turning operability, steering stability, and ride quality of a vehicle. In a normal-operation region, a pitch control unit for calculating a target pitch rate in accordance with a roll rate performs control in priority to a roll suppression section. In this case, a target damping force calculated in the pitch control unit is weighed to control a damping-force characteristic of the dampers so that a pitch rate becomes equal to the target pitch rate. In a critical region in which a road-surface gripping state of the vehicle tires is bad, the roll suppression section performs control in priority to the pitch control unit so as to weigh a target damping force calculated in the roll suppression section. As a result, the damping-force characteristic of the dampers is controlled so as to increase the amount of roll suppression control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryusuke Hirao, Toru Uchino
  • Patent number: 8708430
    Abstract: A pneumatic vehicle brake system includes first and second groups of wheel brakes belonging, respectively, to first and second brake circuits having first and second compressed air storage tanks for providing first and second stored pressures. At least one first circuit brake cylinder is a combined spring-store/diaphragm cylinder with a spring store part for providing a parking brake and a diaphragm part for providing a service brake. If the first circuit fails, the spring store part is deaerated to engage the parking brake. A pressure sensor for measuring the first stored pressure is connected to a control unit that controls a modulator for aerating and deaerating the spring store part. The control unit generates a signal for an electrically actuatable modulator solenoid valve if the value measured by the sensor falls below a minimum value, such that the spring store part can be aerated and deaerated via the valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: WABCO GmbH
    Inventors: Uwe Bensch, Jörg Helmer, Bernd-Joachim Kiel, Hartmut Rosendahl
  • Patent number: 8712639
    Abstract: A method of controlling a vehicle includes determining an acceleration-based longitudinal velocity, determining a wheel speed-based longitudinal velocity from a plurality of wheel speed sensors, combining the acceleration-based longitudinal velocity and the wheel speed-based longitudinal velocity to obtain a final longitudinal velocity and controlling vehicle with the final longitudinal velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies
    Inventors: Jianbo Lu, Joseph C. Meyers
  • Patent number: 8706366
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for controlling engine using height information capable of preventing an engine from stopping according to a position of a vehicle. An apparatus for controlling an engine of a vehicle using height information includes: a height information management unit storing a plurality of height information; and an idling controller that extracts one or more height information according to a position of the vehicle from the height information management unit to determine a slope of the vehicle and controls the idling of the vehicle according to the determination result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Jae-Chul Kim, Seong-Ho Lee, Yoon-Seop Chang, Jae-Jun Yoo, Sun-Rae Park