A vehicle control device includes: a control portion that makes, of a plurality of shock absorbers included in a vehicle, a first damping force of at least one shock absorber that is located on a first direction side on which acceleration acts in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle larger than a second damping force of at least one shock absorber of the plurality of shock absorbers that is located on a second direction side opposite to the first direction in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle before acceleration acting on the vehicle is detected by an acceleration sensor due to acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle.

Disclosed herein are a vehicle control system and controlling method thereof. The vehicle control system includes a plurality of sensors configured to measure a wheel speed, a steering angle, a yaw rate, and acceleration value, and a controller estimating the state of a vehicle based on the wheel speed, the steering angle, the yaw rate, and the acceleration value and updating a front and rear wheel stiffness of the vehicle when it is determined that the vehicle is running on an asymmetric friction surface from the estimated state of the vehicle.

A suspension system and associated control methods that reduce temperature related fluctuations in the internal pressures and stiffness of the suspension system. A manifold assembly is connected in fluid communication with a plurality of dampers via hydraulic circuits and a pump assembly via a pump hydraulic line. Onboard sensors generate real-time data regarding the vehicle. A suspension control unit, arranged in electronic communication with the aforementioned components, monitors the real-time data, sets a target stiffness and a target pressure, calculates an effective stiffness based on the real-time data, determines if the effective stiffness is above or below the target stiffness and sets a new target pressure accordingly by making stepwise decreases or increases until the new target pressure is reached.

A method and apparatus are disclosed for cooling damping fluid in a vehicle suspension damper unit. A damping unit includes a piston mounted in a fluid cylinder. A bypass fluid circuit having an integrated cooling assembly disposed therein is fluidly coupled to the fluid cylinder at axial locations that, at least at one point in the piston stroke, are located on opposite sides of the piston. The cooling assembly may include a cylinder having cooling fins thermally coupled to an exterior surface of the cylinder and made of a thermally conductive material. The bypass channel may include a check valve that permits fluid flow in only one direction through the bypass channel. The check valve may be remotely operated, either manually or automatically by an electronic controller. A vehicle suspension system may implement one or more damper units throughout the vehicle, controlled separately or collectively, automatically or manually.

Provided are a vehicle, a vehicle motion state estimation apparatus, and a method for estimating a vehicle motion state capable of highly accurately estimating a state quantity of a bounce motion of a vehicle having a non-linear suspension characteristic. The vehicle motion state estimation apparatus in a vehicle, in which wheels and a vehicle body are coupled via a suspension, includes a bounce motion estimation unit that estimates and outputs a state quantity of a bounce motion of the vehicle based on traveling state information of the vehicle, and a correction value estimation unit that calculates a correction value to correct an output the bounce motion estimation unit. The correction value estimation unit calculates the correction value in consideration of a non-linear characteristic of the suspension.

Methods and systems are provided for diagnosing a shock absorber coupled to a vehicle tire. In one example, a sensor of a tire pressure measurement system coupled inside a tire is used to measure a tire pressure as well as an oscillatory behavior of the tire. A state of health of a shock absorber coupled to the tire is estimated based on the oscillatory behavior.

A suspension assembly for a vehicle having a frame includes a control arm, knuckle, spring, damper, and control module. The control arm is pivotably coupled to the frame. The knuckle is coupled to the control arm and supports a wheel hub for rotation relative to the knuckle. The spring is mounted between the frame and the control arm or the knuckle. The damper has an adjustable damping force and includes a first end mounted to the frame and a second end mounted such that a change in caster angle of the knuckle extends or contracts the damper. The control module is in communication with the damper and configured to adjust a damping force of the damper based on an actual or predicted change in caster angle of the knuckle. The control module is configured to increase the damping force in a direction that resists a change in the caster angle.

The height of the center of gravity of a vehicle having at least 3 axles is estimated using the slippage rate of the wheels.

A traveling control system for a vehicle includes a first sprung structure acceleration sensor, a second sprung structure acceleration sensor, a third sprung structure acceleration sensor, a fourth sprung structure acceleration sensor, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to calculate a vertical acceleration, a roll acceleration, and a pitch acceleration at a gravity center position, calculate vertical accelerations of a sprung structure at positions of a front right wheel, a front left wheel, a rear right wheel, and a rear left wheel, and control traveling of the vehicle based on the vertical accelerations of the sprung structure at the positions of the front right wheel, the front left wheel, the rear right wheel, and the rear left wheel.

A method and apparatus are disclosed for cooling damping fluid in a vehicle suspension damper unit. A damping unit includes a piston mounted in a fluid cylinder. A bypass fluid circuit having an integrated cooling assembly disposed therein is fluidly coupled to the fluid cylinder at axial locations that, at least at one point in the piston stroke, are located on opposite sides of the piston. The cooling assembly may include a cylinder having cooling fins thermally coupled to an exterior surface of the cylinder and made of a thermally conductive material. The bypass channel may include a check valve that permits fluid flow in only one direction through the bypass channel. The check valve may be remotely operated, either manually or automatically by an electronic controller. A vehicle suspension system may implement one or more damper units throughout the vehicle, controlled separately or collectively, automatically or manually.