A mechanically suspended vehicle has a travel measurement device (9), a control unit (10) and an algorithm stored in the control unit (10). The algorithm performs a method for determining an axle load. In a first test routine a level signal of a travel measurement device is acquired and evaluated, wherein, in a loading operation of the vehicle, a loading curve (F_i) is determined, and, in an unloading operation of the vehicle, an unloading curve (F_u) is determined. The values of the two curves are used to calculate an averaged load-travel characteristic curve (F_m) to be stored in the control unit. After each start of the vehicle, an axle load determination routine is repeated cyclically, and axle load values are continuously determined with the averaged load-travel characteristic curve (F_m). An axle load average value is calculated from the axle load values and displayed as the current axle load value.

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.

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).

Chassis arrangement for a motor vehicle for passenger transportation, having two axles which are arranged at a spacing from one another in the motor vehicle longitudinal direction and in each case have wishbones with the incorporation of a spring element for the independent wheel suspension system. A first axle, lying at the front in a driving direction, is lowered from a neutral position by from 5 to 50 mm, 10 to 20 mm, in order to drive in said driving direction, and a second axle, lying at the rear in the driving direction, is raised by from 5 to 50 mm, 10 to 20 mm, in each case by way of adjustment of the spring elements, it being possible for the driving direction to be reversed.

A vehicle with a road surface condition detector includes: a vehicle body configured to have one or more passengers; front and rear wheels configured to move the vehicle body; and a road surface condition detector configured to detect road surface conditions in front of the front and rear wheels, wherein the road surface condition detector includes front-wheel road surface condition detectors configured to detect road surface conditions in front of the front wheels and rear-wheel road surface condition detectors configured to detect road surface conditions in front of the rear wheels, and the rear-wheel road surface condition detectors detect areas located outer in a vehicle width direction than ends of detection areas detected by the front-wheel road surface condition detectors.

A preview road surface detection device of a vehicle of the present invention includes: a distance sensor that is disposed in a vehicle member and detects a distance to a measurement point on a road surface nearer to a front part of the vehicle, corresponding to at least a central portion of a contact patch to the road surface of a wheel of the vehicle; and a distance calculator that calculates a road surface distance from the vehicle member to the measurement point, based on a value detected by the distance sensor. A displacement of the road surface nearer to the front part of the vehicle is detected as a road surface condition. The displacement of the road surface is calculated from the road surface distance and a vehicle height of the vehicle member when the distance sensor detects the distance.

A device for controlling traveling of a vehicle is provided. The device includes a sensor that obtains vehicle traveling information, a navigation that obtains vehicle position information, and a controller that determines whether the vehicle has entered a building based on the vehicle traveling information and the vehicle position information. The controller calculates a traveling control amount based on the determination result. Accordingly, the device actively adjusts a vehicle height even when the vehicle enters the building and travels on a slope in the building preventing damage to a lower portion of the vehicle.

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-mounted motion simulation platform based on active suspension and a control method thereof is provided. The vehicle-mounted motion simulation platform includes a vehicle body, a motion simulation platform fixedly connected to the vehicle body, an upper computer for posture control, a gyroscope, a plurality of wheels, and suspension servo actuating cylinders and displacement sensors corresponding to the wheels respectively, an electronic control unit, and a servo controller group. The electronic control unit calculates posture control parameters based on the posture instructions of the motion simulation platform input by the upper computer for posture control and posture information of the motion simulation platform measured by the gyroscope, and then outputs the posture control parameters to the servo controller group. The servo controller group controls extension of the respective suspension servo actuating cylinders according to the posture control parameters to realize follow-up control over the posture of the motion simulation platform.

A damping force control apparatus for a vehicle in which road surface displacement-related information detected by an in-vehicle detection device is transmitted to a preview reference database control device together with detection position information, a preview reference database including road surface displacement-related values is made, preview damping control that reduces vibration of a sprung of the vehicle is performed using the road surface displacement-related values in the preview reference database, and it is assumed that a road surface displacement-related value in a predetermined adjacent region located in a direction crossing a traveling direction of the vehicle with respect to a point where the road surface displacement-related information was detected by the in-vehicle detection device is the same as the road surface displacement-related value at the above point.