Patent classifications
B60G2600/044
Recognition of Degraded Performance in a Vehicle Suspension System
A method for estimating damping characteristics of shock absorbers in an active or semi-active suspension involves providing a reference model of a nominal relation between a road severity index related to vertical acceleration values, and the mean driving current of the control valves of the shock absorbers, acquiring respective relative acceleration or speed data of at least the front wheels of the vehicle with respect to the vehicle body, determining a value of the road severity index starting from relative acceleration or speed data of the front wheels of the vehicle with respect to the vehicle body, acquiring values representative of the mean driving current of the control valve of each shock absorber, comparing acquired value of the mean driving current with an expected value of the nominal mean driving current determined as a function of the road severity index according to the reference model, and determining a degradation condition if the acquired value does not correspond to the expected value.
VEHICLE HEIGHT ADJUSTING DEVICE
A vehicle height adjusting device includes a vehicle height adjusting unit, a prediction unit, and a vehicle height control unit. The vehicle height adjusting unit adjusts a vehicle height to one of a first state and a second state. In the first state, the vehicle height is set to a predetermined height, and in the second state, the vehicle height is set lower than the first state. The prediction unit predicts whether a drive battery (lower portion) of a vehicle interferes with a road surface in the second state. The vehicle height control unit controls the vehicle height adjusting unit to set the vehicle height to one of the first state and the second state. When the prediction unit predicts an interference between the drive battery of the vehicle and the road surface, the vehicle height adjusting unit restricts a transition from the first state to the second state.
TRAILER TONGUE LOAD DETECTION AND RELATED METHODS
A method includes detecting whether a negative load has been placed on a hitch with a load detection assembly, determining if a rear axle height has changed from a predetermined value, determining if rear axle has been raised if the rear axle height increased from the predetermined value and whether a negative tongue load is present, and informing driver of the increase in rear axle height due to the negative load on the hitch.
DYNAMIC CHASSIS AND TIRE STATUS INDICATIONS
Systems, methods, and computer readable storage media provide dynamic chassis and tire status indications associated with a vehicle. Lift axle status data may be graphically represented by a lift axle indicator dynamically provided in a shared notification/messaging space positioned within the driver's line of sight during a lift axle transition. The lift axle indicator may include a side-view representation of the vehicle including a plurality of axle sections indicating the status of each axle. The lift axle indicator may be suppressed when air pressure is stabilized. Additionally, a graphical representation of data associated with statuses (e.g., air pressure, temperature) of each tire may be provided in a top-down view representation of the vehicle including its associated tire/axle configuration and the tire pressure for each tire. The graphical representation may be configured to reflect the correct number of axles and tires per position, and may further include a tractor versus trailer designation.
System and method for operating a vehicle having an active roll control system
A method for operating a motor vehicle having an active roll control and an active steering system designed to map a steering-wheel setting angle predetermined by a driver of the motor vehicle in accordance with a predetermined steer response onto a steer angle of the motor vehicle. The method includes operating the active steering system in a normal operating mode having a normal steer response and upon determining an active roll control fault operating the active steering system in a fallback operating mode in accordance with an fallback steer response, the fallback steer response different from the normal steer response.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DYNAMIC MONITORING OF VIBRATION DAMPERS
A method for checking status of a vibration damper of a motor vehicle includes selecting a suitable section of a roadway, via processing circuitry at a server, based on section selection criteria comprising a number of passing vehicles, a data input sufficient for correlation analyses of the vibration damper, and homogeneity of the roadway. The method further includes acquiring data from a plurality of other vehicles while the other vehicles are driving through the section, grouping data items from the acquired data that are specifically associated with vibration damper status, classifying the status of the vibration damper based on the data items, and informing the driver about the status of the vibration damper. The data on the number of the other vehicles may include data indicative of other vehicle vibration dampers in new condition defining reference values for a degree of wear of the vibration damper.
OSCILLATING AXLE FOR A LIFTING DEVICE, LIFTING DEVICE COMPRISING SUCH AN AXLE AND CONTROL METHOD
This oscillating axle (3) for a lifting device (1) comprises an axle bridge (5) at the ends of which are mounted two ground connection members (7), an oscillation axis (X3), a left jack (9) and a right jack (11), each jack (9, 11) having a rod (90, 110) in contact with the bridge (5) and a body (92, 112) fixed on a fixed part (13) of a chassis (2) of the lifting device (1), the body (92, 112) forming a chamber (94, 114) in which the rod (90, 110) moves. The axle comprises a hydraulic circuit (15) interconnecting the chambers (92, 112) of the left (9) and right (11) jacks, in which a fluid is present at a given pressure, making it possible to press the rods (90, 110) of the left jack (9) and of the right jack (11) against the bridge (5), and at least one solenoid valve (150, 152) on a branch (15A) of the hydraulic circuit (15) connected to the chamber (94) of the left jack (9), and at least one solenoid valve (154, 156) on a branch (15B) of the hydraulic circuit (15) connected to the chamber (114) of the right jack (11), wherein each of these solenoid valves (150, 152, 154, 156) may be positioned in an open position, in which fluid may flow freely, and a closed position, in which the fluid is trapped in the chamber (94, 114) of the corresponding jack (9, 11). Each of the chambers (94, 114) of the left jack (9) and of the right jack (11) has a pressure sensor (23, 25) designed to measure the pressure of the fluid in each of the chambers (94, 114). Control means (21) are provided to detect a pressure in one of the chambers (94, 114) that is greater than a first threshold, and/or a differential between the pressures in each of the chambers (94, 114) that is greater than a second threshold, so as to detect the blocking of a solenoid valve (150, 152, 154, 156) in the closed position, and to initiate a safety procedure.
SHOCK ABSORBER
A frequency sensing system for a vehicle includes a shock absorber. The shock absorber has a frequency sensor configured to generate signals indicative of a shock frequency. The frequency sensing system includes a transmitter. The frequency sensing system includes an output device. The output device has a receiver for receiving the signals indicative of a shock frequency from the transmitter. One of the shock absorber and the output device is configured to compare the signals indicative of a shock frequency with a target frequency range. Further, the output device displays a notification when the shock frequency is outside of the target frequency range.
SHOCK ABSORBER
A frequency sensing system for a vehicle includes a shock absorber. The shock absorber has a frequency sensor configured to generate signals indicative of a shock frequency. The frequency sensing system includes a transmitter. The frequency sensing system includes an output device. The output device has a receiver for receiving the signals indicative of a shock frequency from the transmitter. One of the shock absorber and the output device is configured to compare the signals indicative of a shock frequency with a target frequency range. Further, the output device displays a notification when the shock frequency is outside of the target frequency range.
METHOD FOR DETERMINING A DESIRED SPEED OF A VEHICLE
The present invention relates to a method for determining a desired speed of a vehicle (1), preferably an autonomous vehicle. The vehicle comprises a shock absorber arrangement (2), preferably an hydraulic shock absorber arrangement, having an elastic hysteresis. The method comprisesobtaining (501) a reference value indicative of the energy dissipated by the shock absorber arrangement (2) in a reference driving condition of a vehicle anddetermining (502) a speed of the vehicle for which the value indicative of the energy dissipated by the shock absorber arrangement (2) in a similar driving condition is expected to fall within a predetermined energy dissipation range, using said reference value.