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 control device applies a target control force to a variable damping force damper in a suspension mechanism based on a damping coefficient of the variable damping force damper to eliminate unsprung tramp sensations and feelings of hardness when the stroke speed decreases in a conventional skyhook control. The control device includes a state estimation unit for calculating the sprung mass speed of the sprung mass based on a value detected by several of a plurality of sensors, an application control unit for calculating and outputting a damping coefficient of the variable damping force damper based on the calculated sprung mass speed, and a target control amount management unit for determining the target control force based on the damping coefficient output by the application control unit.

Disclosed herein are a damper control system and method according to rough road determination in which the number of sensors is reduced and a state of a road surface is subdivided and determined by a 6D sensor since an existing wheel G sensor is not used at the time of determining the state of the road surface.

A system for controlling the stability of a vehicle equipped with semi-active dampers includes: an actuator, a plurality of sensors, a low-level control unit, a high-level control unit and a mid-level control unit adapted to execute an algorithm for calculating a damping level (C.sub.ref).

Provided is an electric suspension device including an electromagnetic actuator that is provided between a body and wheel of a vehicle and generates damping force for damping vibration of the body. It includes: an information acquisition unit that acquires information on a wheel speed and a sprung speed of the vehicle; an estimation unit that estimates a stroke speed of the actuator based on the wheel speed; a determination unit that determines whether a wheel slip has occurred; and an orientation control unit that performs orientation control of the vehicle based on the sprung speed and the estimated stroke speed. When a wheel slip occurs, the orientation control unit performs orientation control of the vehicle based on a fixed stroke speed whose direction is the same as a direction of the sprung speed and whose magnitude is set at a predetermined fixed value, instead of the estimated stroke speed.

Provided is an electric suspension device including an electromagnetic actuator that is provided between a body and wheel of a vehicle and generates damping force for damping vibration of the body. It includes: an information acquisition unit that acquires information on a sprung speed and sprung acceleration of the vehicle; a bounce target value computation unit that computes a bounce target value for controlling the vehicle's bounce orientation based on the sprung speed; and a driving control unit that controls driving of the actuator with a control target load which is based on the bounce target value. The bounce target value computation unit has a bounce target load map in which the bounce target value is associated with the sprung speed. The bounce target value computation unit adjusts a width of a dead zone set in the map based on the information on the sprung speed and sprung acceleration.

A suspension device includes: a hydraulic damper including a rod provided with a valve for generating a hydraulic pressure when the rod is displaced between a first liquid chamber and a second liquid chamber; and an electric damper configured to electrically displace the rod by an actuator. The electric damper includes: an outer cylinder; an inner cylinder; a piston provided on the rod and configured to stroke in the inner cylinder; and a communication passage disposed inside the inner cylinder at a central portion where the piston strokes. The communication passage establishes communication between the first liquid chamber at one axial end side of the piston and the second liquid chamber at another axial end side of the piston.

An electromechanical vehicle height adjustment unit comprises an upper spring pad operative to support an upper end of a vehicle spring, a top mount that is displaceable relative to the upper spring pad, and a displacement mechanism coupled to the upper spring pad and the top mount and operative to displace the top mount relative to the upper spring pad in a height direction. The displacement mechanism comprises a rotary-to-linear motion conversion mechanism and an electric motor.

An electromechanical vehicle height adjustment unit comprises a control arm, a lower spring pad operative to support a lower end of a vehicle spring, and a displacement mechanism supported on the control arm. At least a portion of the displacement mechanism is integrated into the control arm. The displacement mechanism is coupled to the lower spring pad and is operative to displace the lower spring pad relative to the control arm. The displacement mechanism comprises a rotary-to-linear motion conversion mechanism and an electric motor.

A method for adjusting the damper hardness of a vibration damper of a wheel of a transportation vehicle, wherein the transportation vehicle body movement signal is generated by a control device of the transportation vehicle from a first sensor signal of the first sensor unit connected fixedly in to a transportation vehicle body, a wheel movement signal is generated from a second sensor signal of a second sensor unit which detects a wheel position of the wheel with respect to the body, a speed signal which describes a speed of the transportation vehicle body is generated based on the transportation vehicle body movement signal, and the wheel movement signal and an actuation signal for setting the damper hardness is generated based on the speed signal. The transportation vehicle body movement signal is filtered by a first filter unit and/or the wheel movement signal is filtered by a second filter unit.