In a method of creating a database for preview vibration damping control, road surface displacement-associated information detected by a detection device is acquired, positional information capable of identifying a position where the road surface displacement-associated information is detected is acquired, a road surface displacement-associated value associated with a vertical displacement of a road surface is calculated based on the road surface displacement-associated information, and a set of data obtained by linking the road surface displacement-associated value and the positional information with each other is stored into a storage device as part of a database. When it is determined that the magnitude of the road surface displacement-associated value exceeds a permissible reference value set in advance, the magnitude of the road surface displacement-associated value is corrected in a reducing manner, prior to the step of storing the set of data into the storage device.

A controller 10 as a generation mechanism control portion includes a base control portion 15 that determines a lower limit value on an instruction signal (i.e., a base instruction value) that serves as a lower limit on a force to be generated by a variable damper 6 (a force generation mechanism) according to at least a running speed of a vehicle. The base control portion 15 corrects the base instruction value by a base instruction value calculation portion 28 based on a result of a determination about a road surface output from a road surface determination portion 26 (i.e., a result of detection by a road surface state detection portion). A vehicle behavior control apparatus is configured to variably control a damping force characteristic of the variable damper 6 according to a road surface state with use of an instruction value output from the controller 10.

Methods and systems are provided for adjusting a height of an electric vehicle with an adjustable suspension system. In one example, a method comprises: during a vehicle stop event, adjusting a height of a skateboard frame of an electric vehicle via an adjustable suspension system, based on at least one sensor input indicative of a desired skateboard frame height. In this way, user activities, including loading and unloading, may be facilitated.

A vehicle suspension system includes: a road surface sensor provided in a vehicle body portion ahead of a front wheel to detect an unevenness of a road surface; an electromagnetic damper that applies a damping force and a propulsive force along a stroke direction to a vehicle body and the front wheel with the aid of a motor element; and an ECU. The road surface sensor includes: a first road surface sensor; and a second road surface sensor that overlaps the first road surface sensor in a vehicle width direction and is provided at a position behind the first road surface sensor. The ECU includes: a road surface height calculation unit that calculates a road surface height based on detection values from the road surface sensors and a movement amount of the vehicle; and a damper control unit that controls the motor element based on the calculated road surface height.

A vehicle includes a body including suspension components, multiple wheels coupled to the body, a suspension sensor coupled to one of the suspension components or at least one of said multiple wheels, a camera, a display connected to the camera to display at least part of the camera view, a processor receiving inputs from the suspension sensor, and memory coupled to the processor. The memory includes a program from which an actual horizontal wheel position relative to a path of travel of the vehicle is determined as a function of a vertical position of the at least one of said multiple wheels. And the processor causes an image representative of the actual horizontal wheel position to appear on the display, and wherein vertical is in the direction of gravity and horizontal is perpendicular to the direction of gravity.

Exemplary embodiments described in this disclosure are generally directed to a collaborative relationship between a vehicle and a UAV. In one exemplary implementation, a computer that is provided in the vehicle uses images captured by an imaging system in the UAV together with images captured by an imaging system in the vehicle, to modify a suspension system of the vehicle based on a nature of the terrain located below, or ahead, of the vehicle. The computer may, for example, modify a suspension system before the vehicle reaches a rock or a pothole on the ground ahead. In another exemplary implementation, the computer may generate an augmented reality image that includes a 3D model of the vehicle rendered on an image of a terrain located below, or ahead of, the vehicle. The augmented reality image may be used by a driver of the vehicle to drive the vehicle over such terrain.

A control method of a vehicle includes determining a look-ahead time, calculating a predicted passage position by using specific vehicle information having at least a position of a wheel at the current time point, velocity of the vehicle, and the proceeding direction of the vehicle, acquiring a road surface displacement-associated value at the predicted passage position, calculating a final target control force based on the road surface displacement-associated value at the predicted passage position, and controlling a control force generator based on the final target control force.

The cloud includes a server and a storage device. The storage device includes a road surface information map. When a first sampling distance is equal to or longer than a first distance threshold, the server performs re-sampling to interpolate data in such a manner that sampling positions located at a second sampling distance and unsprung mass member displacements of the respective sampling positions exist so as to produce re-sampled data-for-producing-map. The server stores a sub-sectional unsprung mass displacement in a storage area corresponding to a sub-section of the road surface information map, based on the re-sampled data-for-producing-map.

Theft deterrent systems and methods using onboard weight sensors are disclosed herein. An example method can include obtaining an image of a location where a scale is located in a vehicle, the scale being used for cargo weight measurement, determining from the image, when the location of the scale is located is empty, determining a weight value output by the scale, determining an offset for the scale when the weight value is greater than a weight threshold, and adjusting the scale using the offset to zero the scale.

A method for operating a vehicle that includes a passenger is described. In one example, the method adjusts vehicle suspension and exhaust system sound in response to characteristics of the passenger that are monitored via a camera and a microphone. The method may operate the vehicle suspension and exhaust system in a way that soothes the passenger.