An apparatus for controlling a suspension of a vehicle includes: an illuminance sensor that measures illuminance outside the vehicle, a camera that takes an image of a road surface ahead the vehicle, and a controller that recognizes an obstacle located on the road surface based on the image of the road surface ahead the vehicle, determines a type of the obstacle depending on the measured illuminance outside the vehicle, and controls a damping force of the suspension based on control information corresponding to the type of the obstacle when the vehicle passes over the obstacle.

An apparatus for controlling a suspension of a vehicle to improve ride comfort of the vehicle includes: a sensor that measures rainfall around the vehicle, a camera that takes an image of a road surface ahead the vehicle, and a controller that recognizes an obstacle located on the road surface based on the image of the road surface ahead the vehicle. In particular, the controller determines a type of the obstacle depending on the measured rainfall around the vehicle, and controls a damping force of the suspension based on control information corresponding to the determined type of the obstacle when the vehicle passes over the obstacle.

The present invention relates to a method for operating a motor vehicle as a first road user on a road, comprising: obtaining information on the current and/or a possible future traffic situation on the road; determining, based on the obtained information, whether a deviation from the present travel and/or steering direction or from a navigation destination on the road is appropriate according to a predefined criterion in order to clear the way for a second road user directly or indirectly via third road users, and if yes: determining a new destination on or at the side of the road, determining whether it is necessary to drive onto an obstacle in order to reach the new destination, and if yes, checking whether an adjustment of the chassis of the motor vehicle is compatible with driving onto the obstacle, and if yes, prompting the motor vehicle to head for the new destination.

A vibration damping control apparatus for a vehicle executes preview vibration damping control while obtaining, from preview reference data, a road surface displacement related value relating to a vertical displacement of a road surface at a predicted passage position of a wheel of the vehicle. In the preview reference data, relationships are established among the road surface displacement related value obtained when a measurement vehicle actually traveled on the road surface, position information representing the position of a wheel of the measurement vehicle when the road surface displacement related value was obtained, and speed information representing the speed of the measurement vehicle when the road surface displacement related value was obtained or representing a speed range in which the speed of the measurement vehicle is contained.

A vehicle includes a vehicle body, a wheel, a suspension system that supports the wheel relative to the vehicle body, a sensing system for determining an environmental condition ahead of the vehicle and a control system. The suspension system includes a primary actuator that transfers force between the wheel and the vehicle body, and a wheel hop damper that includes a moving mass and that transfers force between the wheel and the moving mass independent of the vehicle body to inhibit resonance of an unsprung mass formed by the wheel and a portion of the suspension system coupled thereto. The control system operates the primary actuator to provide additional secondary ride control when the wheel hop damper exceeds a capacity threshold. The control system changes the capacity threshold according to the environmental condition. The wheel hop damper may be a reaction mass actuator or a tuned mass damper.

A method for controlling a suspension system of a vehicle, as well as suspension systems, and a vehicle including a suspension system is provided. The suspension system may include at least one adjustable damping device that is controlled via a control signal, such as from a controller of the suspension system, in order to dynamically adjust the damping characteristic of the damping device. The control signal may be generated on the basis of at least one of current driving dynamics data and optically recorded information about an area of a ground surface.

A damping control device is configured to acquire, as a preview condition amount, an unsprung condition amount at a predicted passing position where a wheel of a vehicle is predicted to pass, based on preview reference data being sets of data in which unsprung condition amounts and pieces of positional information of the wheel are linked to each other. The unsprung condition amounts indicate a displacement condition of an unsprung portion displaced in a vertical direction due to a displacement of a road surface acquired when the vehicle has traveled on the road surface. The damping control device is configured to execute, at a timing when the wheel passes through the predicted passing position, preview damping control to cause control force to agree with a target control force.

A method includes detecting whether a request to lower a vehicle is received, and when a request is received, determine potential obstructions under the undercarriage of the vehicle. The method further includes using the map and determining whether any interference with the undercarriage will occur when the vehicle is lowered and lowering the vehicle.

A vehicle suspension management via an IVI system is disclosed. The system includes an in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system and a vehicle suspension system communicatively coupled with the IVI system. The vehicle suspension system includes at least one active shock assembly. A suspension control application on the IVI system, the suspension control application to cause the IVI system to send a signal to the at least one active shock assembly, the signal used to modify a damping characteristic of the at least one active shock assembly.

A vehicle suspension management via an IVI system is disclosed. The system includes an in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system and a vehicle suspension system communicatively coupled with the IVI system. The vehicle suspension system includes at least one active shock assembly. A suspension control application on the IVI system, the suspension control application to cause the IVI system to send a signal to the at least one active shock assembly, the signal used to modify a damping characteristic of the at least one active shock assembly.