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.

A method to control an active shock absorber of a road vehicle. The active shock absorber is part of a suspension connecting a frame of the road vehicle to a hub of a wheel and has: a first element, which defines an end of the active shock absorber, a second element, which defines another end of the active shock absorber and is mounted so as to slide relative to the first element; and an actuator, which is configured to generate a force, which is applied between the two elements. The control method comprises the steps of: determining a vertical acceleration of the hub; determining a speed of translation between the two elements of the active shock absorber; determining a target force for the actuator of the active shock absorber based on the vertical acceleration of the hub and based on the speed of translation between the two elements of the active shock absorber; and controlling the actuator (10) of the active shock absorber so as to pursue the target force.

A control system configured to control a damping force of an actuator of an active suspension system of a vehicle in response to an external disturbance of a wheel with which the actuator is associated includes one or more controllers and is configured to: receive a sensed displacement parameter indicative of suspension displacement associated with the wheel; determine whether an entry condition is satisfied, based on the sensed displacement parameter exceeding an entry condition threshold; and output a signal to control the damping force to be greater, during a suspension restoring phase associated with the external disturbance, than if the entry condition is not satisfied, until an exit condition is satisfied, based on satisfaction of the at entry condition, wherein satisfaction of the exit condition is dependent on the sensed displacement parameter indicating an end of the suspension restoring phase, comprising the sensed displacement parameter being below an exit condition threshold.

The present invention provides a control device that controls a suspension mechanism of a straddle type vehicle, comprising: a wheel speed sensor configured to detect a wheel speed of the straddle type vehicle; an estimation unit configured to estimate a stroke speed of the suspension mechanism, based on a change in the wheel speed detected by the wheel speed sensor; and a correction unit configured to correct the stroke speed estimated by the estimation unit, in accordance with a circumferential length of a grounding part of a tire changed by turning of the straddle type vehicle.

A method for determining an operation state of a suspension damper of a vehicle that may include receiving first data, determining whether the vehicle may be in a steady state condition based on the first data, and responsive to the vehicle being determined to be in the steady state condition, determining damping oscillation magnitude data for a set of suspension dampers based on second data. The method may further include performing a comparison between the damping oscillation magnitude data for a reference suspension damper and the damping oscillation data for remaining suspension dampers, determining an operation state of the reference suspension damper based on the comparison, cycling the reference suspension damper to one of the remaining suspension dampers, and repeating the method until the operation state of each one of a set of suspension dampers has been determined.

Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to use front load estimates for body control are disclosed herein. An example vehicle includes a front axle, a suspension system including a suspension element, and a processor to execute instructions to generate, based on a load on the front axle and a velocity of the vehicle, a body control adjustment, determine a modified body control output based on the body control adjustment and an unmodified body control output, and apply the modified body control output to the suspension element of the vehicle.

A damping force variable shock absorber includes a damping force variable mechanism including a damping force generator, a damping force variable actuator, and a damping force controller which controls an operation of the damping force variable actuator, and a vehicle height control mechanism including a self-pumping mechanism configured to, using a vibration caused by traveling of a vehicle as a driving force, pressurize a hydraulic oil and push a spring, a vehicle height variable actuator which switches a flow path of the hydraulic oil pressurize by self-pumping, and a vehicle height controller which controls an operation of the vehicle height variable actuator. The damping force controller performs a damping force variable control in which a damping force in a pushing process of the spring while a vehicle height is increasing is set to be weaker than a damping force during a period in which the vehicle height is not increasing.

A method for controlling a traction control system, ABS and actively controlled suspension. The method includes receiving an sensor output from at least one suspension sensor at a controller. The sensor output is indicative of a vertical height of the suspension relative to a road. The method determines an amplitude of vertical motion of the suspension over time using the received sensor output. The method identifies peaks and valleys in the amplitude of vertical motion of the suspension over time. The method determines that a rough road condition is present in response to a number of peaks and valleys exceeding a predefined threshold amplitude occurring more often than a predefined threshold frequency. An active suspension control of at least one wheel system of a vehicle is adapted in response to determining that a rough road condition is present.

Active suspension actuator systems including an actuator with a compression volume and an extension volume are described. In some embodiments, the system includes one or more flow control devices in fluid communication with the compression volume and/or the extension volume of the actuator. In some instances, a flow control device may include a pressure balanced blow-off valve (PBOV). In some embodiments, the system includes a high capacity bidirectional base valve. In some embodiments, two or more flow control devices cooperate to, for example, damp low amplitude oscillations in the extension and/or compression volumes, and to allow the build-up of pump generated differential pressures while discharging rapid road induced differential pressure spikes between the extension and compression volumes.

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.