Systems and methods for operating an engine and a torque converter are presented. In one example, slip of a torque converter is adjusted via at least partially closing or opening a torque converter clutch in response to vehicle vibration. The vehicle vibration may be based on road surface conditions and an actual total number of operating cylinders of the engine.

An electronically controller external damper reservoir assembly (eRESI) can be connected to a passive damper and/or substituted for an existing external reservoir to provide semi-active damping control. The eRESI includes a reservoir and a variable base valve assembly actuated by an actuator. A controller is in communication with the actuator and a sensor providing input signal indicative of vehicle movement and is programmed to generate a damping control signal to the actuator based on the input signal, to dynamically control the damping force outputted by a passive damper hydraulically connected to the eRESI. A P/T sensor can be installed to a gas chamber of a vehicle damper to generate a P/T signal indicative of the pressure and temperature of the gas. The controller is programmed to determine a damper position of the damper based on the P/T signal.

Example illustrations are directed to a damping system for a vehicle suspension that includes a controller configured to determine a roughness of a ground surface associated with the vehicle. The controller is also configured to determine a damper setting for the damping system based on the determined roughness. A method is also provided that includes determining, using a controller, a roughness of a ground surface associated with the vehicle. The method may further include determining, using the controller, a damper setting of the vehicle based on the determined roughness.

The present invention achieves suspension control that allows for synchronization of the roll and the pitch of a vehicle. This suspension control device that controls the damping force of a suspension comprises: a target pitch angle calculation unit that calculates a target pitch angle with reference to a roll angle signal; and a target control amount computation unit that calculates the roll posture target control amount referred to for controlling the damping force of the suspension by referring to a steering torque signal and the target pitch angle.

A road surface condition is determined appropriately. A road surface determining section (84) configured to determine a road surface condition with reference to a wheel speed signal indicative of wheel speeds includes a band-stop filter (841) which acts on the wheel speed signal and has a cutoff frequency band which is changed in accordance with the wheel speed signal.

A system for controlling an active suspension of a vehicle may include a sensor device mounted on the vehicle to detect a state of the vehicle, and a vehicle controller that estimates a pitch angle of the vehicle using the state information related to the vehicle when pulling of the vehicle occurs in a pitch control situation based on a willingness of a driver to accelerate or decelerate the vehicle, determines a sum of a control force of a front wheel of the vehicle and a control force of a rear wheel of the vehicle for minimizing the pitch angle, and compares a steering intention of the driver with a yaw rate signal of the vehicle to determine control amounts of a left active suspension of the vehicle and a right active suspension of the vehicle based on a magnitude of pulling of the vehicle.

Realized is a technique of highly accurately calculating a state quantity of a vehicle. An ECU (600) of a vehicle (900) includes a ground contact load calculating section (610), an input quantity calculating section (620), a first state quantity calculating section (630), an observable calculating section (640), a second state quantity calculating section (650), and a damper ECU (660). The ECU (600) calculates a first state quantity of the vehicle (900) by inputting, into a vehicle model, a value calculated from a G sensor value and/or the like, and calculates a second state quantity of the vehicle (900) by correcting the first state quantity with use of an observable which is calculated from a ground contact load and a spring constant gain of a tire.

An electronically controller external damper reservoir assembly (eRESI) can be connected to a passive damper and/or substituted for an existing external reservoir to provide semi-active damping control. The eRESI includes a reservoir and a variable base valve assembly actuated by an actuator. A controller is in communication with the actuator and a sensor providing input signal indicative of vehicle movement and is programmed to generate a damping control signal to the actuator based on the input signal, to dynamically control the damping force outputted by a passive damper hydraulically connected to the eRESI. A P/T sensor can be installed to a gas chamber of a vehicle damper to generate a P/T signal indicative of the pressure and temperature of the gas. The controller is programmed to determine a damper position of the damper based on the P/T signal.

A damping force of a suspension is controlled appropriately in accordance with a road surface condition. An ECU (600) includes: a road surface determining section (84) configured to determine a road surface condition; and a rolling attitude control section (682) configured to calculate a steering-based desired control variable, which is a candidate for a control variable for controlling a damping force of a suspension, in accordance with a result of the determination by the road surface determining section (84).

The present invention relates to a method for controlling wheel axle suspension of a vehicle (100), said vehicle (100) comprising a vehicle chassis (116), a prime mover (122) for propulsion of said vehicle (100), said prime mover (122) being connected to the vehicle chassis (116); and a front wheel axle (132) comprising an individually adjustable wheel axle suspension arrangement (104, 106) on a respective left and right hand side of the front wheel axle (132) as seen in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (100), said individually adjustable wheel axle suspension arrangement (104, 106) being connected between the front wheel axle (132) and the vehicle chassis (116); the method being comprising the steps of: determining (S1) an output torque from said prime mover (122); determining (S2) a rotation (302) of said vehicle chassis (116) caused by the determined output torque from the prime mover (122); comparing (S3) said rotation (302) with a predetermined threshold limit; and controlling (S4) the individually adjustable wheel axle suspension arrangement (104, 106) on at least one of the left and right hand sides of the front wheel axle (132) such that the rotation (302) of said vehicle chassis (116) is below said predetermined threshold limit.