An airshock assembly is disclosed. The airshock assembly includes a shock absorber an airspring, and an air compressor assembly. The airspring is axially coupled with a portion of the shock absorber and used to modify a ride height of the shock absorber. The air compressor assembly is coupled with a portion of the shock absorber. The air compressor assembly is used to modify an air pressure in the airspring without requiring the airshock assembly to utilize an air reservoir.

A ramp-equipped vehicle includes: a vehicle-height adjusting mechanism configured to adjust a vehicle height of a vehicle; a ramp configured to be movable between a deployed state and a stored state, the deployed state being a state where the ramp protrudes outwardly from the vehicle, the stored state being a state where the ramp is stored inside the vehicle; and a camera configured to detect a person coming closer to the vehicle. When the camera detects a person coming closer to a doorway of the vehicle during vehicle height adjustment by the vehicle-height adjusting mechanism, the vehicle height adjustment by the vehicle-height adjusting mechanism is interrupted.

In a method of creating a database for preview vibration damping control, road surface displacement-associated information detected by a detection device is acquired, positional information capable of identifying a position where the road surface displacement-associated information is detected is acquired, a road surface displacement-associated value associated with a vertical displacement of a road surface is calculated based on the road surface displacement-associated information, and a set of data obtained by linking the road surface displacement-associated value and the positional information with each other is stored into a storage device as part of a database. When it is determined that the magnitude of the road surface displacement-associated value exceeds a permissible reference value set in advance, the magnitude of the road surface displacement-associated value is corrected in a reducing manner, prior to the step of storing the set of data into the storage device.

A method is provided for diminishing the effect of roadway anomalies on a vehicle by dynamically adjusting an actuating element for regulating damper forces of a vibration damper of a vehicle wheel when passing over a roadway anomaly, in particular a pothole, wherein, when the falling edge of the roadway anomaly is reached, the actuating element is switched into its hardest setting and, when the rising edge of the roadway anomaly is reached, the force request is set equal to 0 and, thereafter, a force request is calculated based on the parameters of the vehicle and the suspension and is transmitted to the damping.

The present disclosure discloses a preview vehicle height control system and a method of controlling the same. The system includes a monitoring device configured to detect the road surface condition of a driving path of a vehicle, an active suspension configured to adjust a vehicle height, a memory configured to store a plurality of data maps distinguished based on a type of bump, each data map having a vehicle dynamic characteristic as an input and a tuning factor as an output, and a controller configured to derive the tuning factor based on a data map, among the plurality of data maps of the memory, corresponding to the bump detected by the monitoring device, derive a target vehicle height in a form of a Gaussian distribution by substituting the tuning factor, and control the active suspension to follow the derived target vehicle height.

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.

Exemplary embodiments described in this disclosure are generally directed to a collaborative relationship between a vehicle and a UAV. In one exemplary implementation, a computer that is provided in the vehicle uses images captured by an imaging system in the UAV together with images captured by an imaging system in the vehicle, to modify a suspension system of the vehicle based on a nature of the terrain located below, or ahead, of the vehicle. The computer may, for example, modify a suspension system before the vehicle reaches a rock or a pothole on the ground ahead. In another exemplary implementation, the computer may generate an augmented reality image that includes a 3D model of the vehicle rendered on an image of a terrain located below, or ahead of, the vehicle. The augmented reality image may be used by a driver of the vehicle to drive the vehicle over such terrain.

A pneumatic suspension system may include, for each wheel of a vehicle, a strut and an adjustment cylinder in fluid communication with the strut. Adjustment cylinders associated with an end of the vehicle may be mechanically coupled while keeping the cylinders isolated pneumatically. A suspension control system can control fluid flow at each of the adjustment cylinders to selectively engage or disengage an anti-roll feature. By allowing fluid flow at the adjustment cylinders, the struts are free to oscillate in response to forces at the associated wheel, e.g., caused by an uneven road. By inhibiting fluid flow at the adjustment cylinders, forces experienced at the struts can be transferred between multiple struts. In some examples, the fluid flow at the adjustment cylinders can be controlled to vary the travel distance of the struts, to selectively provide a stiffer or looser suspension.

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.

An apparatus for controlling a suspension of a vehicle to improve ride comfort of the vehicle includes: a sensor that measures rainfall around the vehicle, a camera that takes an image of a road surface ahead the vehicle, and a controller that recognizes an obstacle located on the road surface based on the image of the road surface ahead the vehicle. In particular, the controller determines a type of the obstacle depending on the measured rainfall around the vehicle, and controls a damping force of the suspension based on control information corresponding to the determined type of the obstacle when the vehicle passes over the obstacle.