This invention pertains to shock absorbers, and a method of controlling their operation. Specifically, this invention relates to use of a user interface allowing to control the sensitivity of various parameters used by a programmed electronic control unit. When in operation, said electronic control unit automatically send calculated and user-adjusted electronic signals to electronic control devices which proportionally regulate flow of fluid within each shock absorbers of a vehicle.

A system for minimizing data transmission latency between a sensor and a suspension controller of a vehicle is described. The system includes: a state determination module that determines a physical state of the vehicle; a plurality of data paths for transmitting a first signal from the sensor to the suspension controller; a data path configurator of the controller that selects a first data path of the plurality of data paths based on at least one characteristic of the first data path and the physical state and configures the first data path to transmit the first signal; and an actuation module that generates an actuation signal to control a damping characteristic of the suspension actuator based on at least the first signal.

The invention relates to a wheel suspension control system for a vehicle. The system comprises a suspension device, a wheel end bearing, at least one vibration sensor and a processing circuitry. The vibration sensor is provided at or in the wheel end bearing for measuring vibrations propagated from the road wheel to the wheel end bearing when the road wheel travels on a road having surface variations, wherein the vibration sensor is configured to transmit measurement signals representing the measured vibrations. The processing circuitry is configured to receive the transmitted measurement signals and to control at least one suspension parameter of the suspension device based on the received measurement signals. The invention also relates to a vehicle and to a method for controlling a suspension device.

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.

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.

An electric suspension apparatus includes electric actuators provided for a plurality of wheels, respectively, an acceleration sensor disposed in each of the electric actuators, the acceleration sensor detecting a first acceleration, and an electric suspension control ECU controlling each of the electric actuators based on the first acceleration, and the electric suspension control ECU decreases a control amount to the electric actuator, in a case where a first speed based on the first acceleration in an up-down direction is equal to or less than a predetermined speed.

Example illustrations are directed to a damping system for a vehicle suspension that includes a controller configured to determine a roughness of a ground surface associated with the vehicle. The controller is also configured to determine a damper setting for the damping system based on the determined roughness. A method is also provided that includes determining, using a controller, a roughness of a ground surface associated with the vehicle. The method may further include determining, using the controller, a damper setting of the vehicle based on the determined roughness.

A shock absorber including: a first cylinder having an interior, first and second ends and defining an axis, wherein the interior includes a damping fluid chamber and a damping piston movably mounted therein for movement between the first and second ends, wherein the damping piston is mounted on a first end of a shaft, wherein the first end of the shaft is movably retained within the interior of the first cylinder; first and second bypass openings configured for opening into the damping fluid chamber at first and second axially spaced-apart positions; a bypass channel fluidly coupling the first and second bypass openings; a fluid metering valve; and a floating piston dividing a portion of the shock absorber into a gas chamber and the reservoir chamber, wherein the fluid metering valve and the floating piston define the reservoir chamber there between.

A damping control system for a vehicle having a suspension located between a plurality of ground engaging members and a vehicle frame includes at least one adjustable shock absorber having an adjustable damping profile and a driver actuatable input. The driver actuatable input may be positioned to be actuatable by the driver in the absence of requiring a removal of either of the hands of the driver from a steering device of the vehicle.

A damping control system for a vehicle having a suspension located between a plurality of ground engaging members and a vehicle frame includes at least one adjustable shock absorber having an adjustable damping profile and a driver actuatable input. The driver actuatable input may be positioned to be actuatable by the driver in the absence of requiring a removal of either of the hands of the driver from a steering device of the vehicle.