A center-of-mass height estimation device includes a roll moment calculation unit for calculating roll moment of a sprung portion in a vehicle on the basis of bearing capacities of left and right suspensions provided on the vehicle, a lateral acceleration measurement unit for measuring lateral acceleration, which is acceleration in a width direction of the vehicle, a mass measurement unit for measuring mass of the sprung portion, a transfer function calculation unit for calculating a transfer function of the roll moment with respect to the lateral acceleration, and a center-of-mass height calculation unit for dividing the gain of the transfer function by the mass of the sprung portion to calculate a height from a roll center of the vehicle to a center of mass of the sprung portion.

Aspects of the present invention relate to a control system, a suspension system, a vehicle and a method. A control system comprising one or more controllers is configured to: receive at least one vehicle dynamics signal, wherein the at least one vehicle dynamics signal is indicative of a vehicle dynamics parameter, determine a current dynamic usage of a vehicle in dependence on the received at least one vehicle dynamics signal, determine a control parameter for an actuator of the vehicle in dependence at least in part on the current dynamic usage of the vehicle, and output a control signal to control the actuator in dependence on the control parameter.

A method for controlling vehicle motion is described. The method includes accessing a set of control signals including a measured vehicle speed value associated with a movement of a vehicle. A control signal associated with user-induced input is also accessed. The method compares the measured vehicle speed value with a predetermined vehicle speed threshold value to achieve a speed value threshold approach status, and then compares the set of values to achieve a user-induced input threshold value approach status. The method monitors a state of a valve within the vehicle suspension damper, and determines a control mode for the vehicle suspension damper. The method also regulates damping forces within the vehicle suspension damper.

An apparatus for controlling a suspension of a vehicle includes: the electronically controlled suspension arranged between wheels and a vehicle body and configured to increase or decrease a contact force between a tire of the vehicle and a road surface; and a controller that adjusts a height of the vehicle depending on a type of road when it rains and adjusts an operating time of the suspension based on a lateral acceleration of the vehicle.

The ECU of the stabilizer control apparatus determines, based on a high frequency component of a wheel acceleration and a low frequency component of a wheel speed difference, whether a road surface state is a rough road state or a smooth road state. When the road surface state is determined to be the rough road state, the ECU sets a turning determination threshold to a rough road threshold. When the road surface state is determined to be the smooth road state, the ECU sets the threshold to a smooth road threshold. When a turning determination parameter is greater than the threshold, the ECU sets each of first, second, and third cylinders to a lock state to increase rigidity of stabilizers. When the turning determination parameter is smaller than the turning determination threshold, the ECU sets each of the cylinders to a free state to decrease the rigidity of the stabilizers.

An inertial regulation method and control system of vehicle active suspension based on a supporting force of each wheel comprises an inner loop control and an outer loop control. The inner loop control is to calculate, according to the dynamics, a theoretical supporting force of each wheel when the vehicle is driving on a virtual slope plane with a 6-dimensional acceleration and a pitch angle measured by an inertial measurement unit; compare the theoretical supporting force with the measured supporting force of each wheel; and control the expansion of each suspension cylinder according to the difference value, so that the supporting force of each wheel changes according to the theoretical supporting force. The outer loop control is to control each suspension cylinder for the same expansion of displacement, so that the average value of all the suspension cylinder strokes tends to a median value.

A vehicle, variable spring system and method of operating a corner actuator coupled to wheel of the vehicle. The vehicle includes the corner actuator and the variable spring system. The variable spring system includes a control chamber coupled to the corner actuator, a first spring, a second spring, and a valve. An applied resistance for the corner actuator is selected by selecting an amount of fluid coupling between the control chamber and each of the first spring and the second spring. A force is absorbed at the wheel using the applied resistance.

A method for determining a tyre normal force range (F.sub.z,min, F.sub.z,max) of a tyre force (F.sub.z) acting on a vehicle (100), the method comprising; obtaining (S1) suspension data (310) associated with a suspension system of the vehicle (100); obtaining (S2) inertial measurement unit, IMU, data (320) associated with the vehicle (100); estimating (S3), by a suspension-based estimator (330) a first tyre normal force range (F.sub.z1,min, F.sub.z1,max) based on the suspension data (310); estimating (S4), by an inertial force-based estimator (340), a second tyre normal force range (F.sub.z2,min, F.sub.z2,max)based on the IMU data (320); and determining (S5) the tyre normal force range (F.sub.z,min, F.sub.z,max) based on the first tyre normal force range (F.sub.z1,min, F.sub.z2max) and on the second tyre normal force range (F.sub.z2,min, F.sub.z2,max).

A system and method are provided for configuring suspension ratios in a multi-rear axle vehicle, the vehicle having a drive axle suspension and at least one tag axle suspension, each suspension having one or more air springs. The timing of the performance of an adjustment cycle series of steps for adjusting the suspension height and air spring pressure readings is optimized by monitoring the acceleration of the vehicle and conducting the adjustment cycle steps when the vehicle acceleration is below an acceleration threshold. Additionally, air spring pressure adjustments may be scaled based on a confidence factor of the air spring pressure readings. Finally, a method is provided for configuring suspension ratios in a multi-rear axle vehicle, the vehicle having a drive axle suspension and at least one tag axle suspension, and for adjusting the air suspension pressures.

A method for controlling vehicle motion is described. The method includes accessing a set of control signals including a measured vehicle speed value associated with a movement of a vehicle. A control signal associated with user-induced input is also accessed. The method compares the measured vehicle speed value with a predetermined vehicle speed threshold value to achieve a speed value threshold approach status, and then compares the set of values to achieve a user-induced input threshold value approach status. The method monitors a state of a valve within the vehicle suspension damper, and determines a control mode for the vehicle suspension damper. The method also regulates damping forces within the vehicle suspension damper.