Methods and apparatus for adjusting a suspension of a vehicle are described herein. An example apparatus includes a memory storing a plurality of suspension profiles. Each of the suspension profiles includes a stored performance parameter of a vehicle and a suspension setting. The apparatus includes a sensor to detect a driver performance parameter of a driver driving the vehicle. The driver performance parameter represents a behaviour of the driver of the vehicle. The apparatus further includes a processor to compare the driver performance parameter to at least one of the plurality of suspension profiles stored in the memory, and a controller to adjust a suspension of the vehicle according to a first suspension setting of a first suspension profile of the plurality of suspension profiles if the driver performance parameter corresponds to a first stored performance parameter of the first suspension profile.

Methods and apparatus for adjusting a suspension of a vehicle are described herein. An example apparatus includes a memory storing a plurality of suspension profiles. Each of the suspension profiles includes a stored performance parameter of a vehicle and a suspension setting. The apparatus includes a sensor to detect a driver performance parameter of a driver driving the vehicle. The driver performance parameter represents a behaviour of the driver of the vehicle. The apparatus further includes a processor to compare the driver performance parameter to at least one of the plurality of suspension profiles stored in the memory, and a controller to adjust a suspension of the vehicle according to a first suspension setting of a first suspension profile of the plurality of suspension profiles if the driver performance parameter corresponds to a first stored performance parameter of the first suspension profile.

Methods are provided for proactively controlling a component of a system. The system may comprise a vehicle and the component may comprise a suspension of the vehicle. According to various aspects, methods may include obtaining information regarding a travel surface along a travel path that the system will travel at a future time and, based on the information regarding the travel surface, controlling the component of the system to traverse the travel surface. Controlling the component based on the information regarding the travel surface may comprise comparing the information regarding the travel surface to information regarding at least one physical constraint of the system and/or comparing frequency content of the information regarding the travel surface to a threshold frequency. Proactive control methods may provide improved response to disturbances and improved tracking and isolation because a suspension may be controlled with reduced or substantially zero delay.

The invention relates to a method for controlling the driving dynamics of a vehicle by means of dampers, wherein the vehicle comprises at least two axles, which each have at least two wheels including dampers, and wherein the method has the following control:

a) Obtaining a target driving dynamics variable;

b) determining a control deviation using the target driving dynamics variable and an actual driving dynamics variable;

c) Changing the damper force of at least one damper according to the control deviation;

d) Updating and feeding back the actual driving dynamics variable to once again determine the control deviation when the damper force changes.

It is an object of the present invention to improve accuracy in estimation of a state of a vehicle in order to achieve excellent ride comfort. An ECU (600) includes a reference vehicle model computation section (1100), which is configured to calculate a reference output by carrying out computation with respect to at least one of a plurality of state amounts in a planar direction and at least one of a plurality of state amounts in an up-down direction in an inseparable manner.

A steering device includes a steering power unit, a transmission unit, an upper control arm, a steering element, an eccentric bolt and a steering knuckle. The steering power unit has at least one torque-output end. The transmission unit is connected with the torque-output end. The steering element is connected with the transmission unit. The eccentric bolt, installed at the upper control arm, is connected with the steering power unit. The steering knuckle, mounted to a wheel disc, is connected with the steering element and the upper control arm, and used for controlling the wheel disc. The steering power unit drives the steering element to push or pull the steering knuckle for controlling a turning angle, and simultaneously drives the eccentric bolt to have the upper control arm to push or pull the steering knuckle for varying a camber angle of the wheel disc. In addition, a steering method is provided.

A control device executes caster angle change control for controlling a driving force applying device or each of the driving force applying device and a braking force applying device to reduce a caster angle of a steered tire-wheel assembly when a steering request is received in a stopped state or in a creeping state without exceeding a predetermined vehicle speed at a point starting from the stopped state. In the caster angle change control, the control device applies, to one tire-wheel assembly out of a front tire-wheel assembly and a rear tire-wheel assembly, a driving force in a direction toward the other tire-wheel assembly and applies, to the other tire-wheel assembly, a braking force or a driving force in a direction toward the one tire-wheel assembly to achieve the stopped state or the creeping state in response to a request for acceleration or deceleration.

A system and methods are provided for a suspension system of an off-road vehicle that allows the springs to be mounted remotely, in any location on the vehicle, enabling the use of spring sizes, spring rates, motion ratios, and damping profiles that would be impractical with traditional suspensions. The suspension system includes a hydraulic cylinder coupled between the wheel and the chassis, in lieu of a conventional spring. This cylinder is in fluid communication with another cylinder by way of a hydraulic hose. This second cylinder includes a piston that presses against a suspension spring that is in contact with a fixed spring stop, thus transferring spring forces to the wheel. Alternatively, the spring stop may comprise a control actuator that moves according to signals from an onboard computer control system, enabling active control over spring load and chassis attitude.

A system and methods are provided for a suspension system of an off-road vehicle that allows the springs to be mounted remotely, in any location on the vehicle, enabling the use of spring sizes, spring rates, motion ratios, and damping profiles that would be impractical with traditional suspensions. The suspension system includes a hydraulic cylinder coupled between the wheel and the chassis, in lieu of a conventional spring. This cylinder is in fluid communication with another cylinder by way of a hydraulic hose. This second cylinder includes a piston that presses against a suspension spring that is in contact with a fixed spring stop, thus transferring spring forces to the wheel. Alternatively, the spring stop may comprise a control actuator that moves according to signals from an onboard computer control system, enabling active control over spring load and chassis attitude.

In a vehicle, GV control and M+ control are executed by generating braking/driving forces from a brake hydraulic pressure control device and a drive device during steering. A controller estimates (calculates), by a posture estimation unit, a pitch amount and a roll amount (predicted pitch rate and predicted roll rate) that occur in the vehicle through use of a moment command of the M+ control and a longitudinal G command of the GV control. The controller adjusts damping forces of damping force variable dampers through use of the estimated pitch amount and the estimated roll amount (predicted pitch rate and predicted roll rate) so that a pitch amount calculated by a pitch control unit and a roll amount calculated by a roll suppression unit approach respective target values.