Ride control tuning for mode differentiation in active suspension systems

Abstract

A vehicle may include a chassis and / or body, a plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies, an active suspension system operably coupled to the plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies and the chassis and / or body, and at least one processor configured to control the active suspension system. The at least one processor may be configured to obtain a tuning parameter, determine a first vehicle parameter, determine a second vehicle parameter, determine a hybrid vehicle parameter based at least in part on the tuning parameter, the first vehicle parameter, and the second vehicle parameter, and transmit the hybrid vehicle parameter to the processor. And commanding at least one actuator to apply a force between at least one of the plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies and the chassis and / or the vehicle body based at least in part on the hybrid vehicle parameter.

Description

[0001] Related Applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Application No. 63 / 491,371, filed Mar. 21, 2023, and U.S. Application No. 63 / 405,645, filed Sep. 12, 2022, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. Technical Field

[0003] The disclosed embodiments relate to a ride control tuning system and related methods for mode differentiation in an active suspension system. Background Art

[0004] Suspension systems are generally designed to properly support and orient a vehicle, provide safe handling in various intended operating environments, and ensure a comfortable ride for the occupants. Traditional suspension systems are typically passive, having largely constant operating and performance parameters. Some suspension systems are semi-active in that their overall damping response can be adjusted, for example, to provide a trade-off between occupant comfort and vehicle handling. Fully active suspension systems use actuators to react to changing road conditions using inputs from sensors and other measuring devices to provide appropriate damping and / or active forces in response to sensed road conditions. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle that includes: a chassis and / or a body; a plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies; an active suspension system operatively coupled to the plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies and to the chassis and / or the body, wherein the active suspension system includes at least one actuator configured to apply an active force to at least one of the plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies in at least one operating mode; and at least one processor configured to control the active suspension system, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: obtain tuning parameters, determine a first vehicle parameter, determine a second vehicle parameter, determine a hybrid vehicle parameter at least in part based on the tuning parameters, the first vehicle parameter, and the second vehicle parameter, and command the at least one actuator to apply a force between at least one of the plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies and the chassis and / or the body at least in part based on the hybrid vehicle parameter.

[0006] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method of controlling a vehicle that includes a chassis and / or body, a plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies, and an active suspension system, where the active suspension system is operably coupled to the plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies, and where the active suspension system includes at least one actuator configured to apply an active force to at least one of the plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies in at least one operating mode. The method includes: obtaining tuning parameters; determining a first vehicle parameter; determining a second vehicle parameter; determining a hybrid vehicle parameter based at least in part on the tuning parameters, the first vehicle parameter, and the second vehicle parameter; and commanding at least one actuator to apply a force between at least one of the plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies and the chassis and / or body based at least in part on the hybrid vehicle parameter.

[0007] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may include processor-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform the above method.

[0008] It should be understood that the foregoing concepts, as well as additional concepts discussed below, may be arranged in any suitable combination, as the present disclosure is not limited in this respect. Further, other advantages and novel features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of various non-limiting embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures may be represented by the same reference numeral. For the sake of clarity, each component may not be labeled in every figure. In the drawings:

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of one embodiment of a vehicle including an active suspension system;

[0011] Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of a vehicle under chassis and / or body isolation control;

[0012] Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of a vehicle under road tracking control;

[0013] Figure 4 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of a vehicle under hybrid chassis and / or body isolation and road isolation control;

[0014] Figure 5 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a vehicle control system;

[0015] Figure 6 depicts one embodiment of a tuning strategy for a vehicle control system including different modes;

[0016] Figure 7 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method for controlling a vehicle; and

[0017] Figure 8 is a flowchart of another embodiment of a method for controlling a vehicle. Detailed Embodiment

[0018] A vehicle is a complex dynamic system with multiple different tuning parameters that can affect the vehicle's performance when exposed to different road conditions. For example, the spring and damping characteristics of the suspension system can affect how the vehicle responds to external forces (e.g., encountering road features such as potholes or bumps) and / or user inputs (e.g., throttle input, brake input, steering input). Additional parameters include, for example, wheel or wheel assembly travel, unsprung weight, sprung weight, weight distribution, and other parameters that can affect how the vehicle chassis and / or body move in response to certain conditions. The vehicle response resulting from the interaction of these various parameters is perceivable by the driver or other occupants of the vehicle and can affect the driver's and / or occupants' subjective perception of the driving experience.

[0019] Since a vehicle includes multiple systems that may affect each other, tuning the various parameters of a vehicle control system (and in particular, the suspension system) is a difficult and time-consuming complex process. For example, tuning a particular parameter to be perceived as a positive change in one aspect of vehicle performance may result in a negative change in another aspect of vehicle performance. For example, reducing the damping rate in a suspension system can improve comfort, but can also make the vehicle feel unresponsive to steering inputs. In cases where active or semi-active control of various vehicle systems (e.g., an active suspension system) is employed, the tuning problem can become even more complex because applying active forces may create instabilities or otherwise result in undesirable vehicle performance. Tuning the gain factors in a vehicle system control module (including an active or semi-active suspension system control module) is complex and time-consuming. In many vehicles, different driving modes (e.g., sport, comfort, economy) can be employed, which change the various control parameters of the vehicle, meaning that the tuning process must be completed for each additional mode, further increasing the complexity and time required to perform such a process. Since many different vehicle systems operate together and affect each other, multiple different control schemes are typically used for different vehicle modes. That is, in a conventional system, completely different control modules (employing different gain factors and / or inputs) may be used to control different subsystems of the vehicle in different modes. For example, a vehicle including an active suspension system operating in comfort mode may employ a chassis and / or body isolation control module, while a vehicle in sport mode may employ a separate road tracking control module. The use of different control modules requires separate and independent tuning of each control module, increasing the amount of time and complexity involved in providing a vehicle control system for different operating modes.

[0020] In view of the foregoing, the inventors have recognized the benefits of a vehicle control system that employs a consistent control topology for different vehicle operating modes and one or more tuning parameters that can be used to effectively adapt the common control topology to different vehicle modes. That is, the inventors have recognized the benefits of a method for ride control tuning in an active suspension system for a vehicle such that the vehicle can exhibit different dynamic characteristics without implementing completely different control modules. By adjusting one or more tuning parameters, a single control topology can be used to support vehicle modes such as comfort (e.g., maximizing passenger comfort), sport (e.g., maximizing road tracking), and economy (e.g., reducing energy consumption) vehicle operating modes. In some embodiments, the method can include tuning the frequency mixing of chassis and / or body isolation control (e.g., skyhook) and road tracking control (e.g., groundhook). As further discussed herein, the inventors have recognized the particular benefits of setting separate frequencies for mixing chassis and / or body control and road tracking control to achieve different vehicle modes. The control strategies disclosed relative to the various exemplary embodiments described herein can be general and applicable to controlling various vehicle chassis and / or body motions, including but not limited to vehicle heave, pitch, and / or roll motions.

[0021] The inventors have also recognized the benefits of a vehicle control system having different modes that operate different vehicle subsystems in different ways. For example, in some cases, a user of a vehicle may desire a sport mode, in which the vehicle control system can increase throttle response, increase steering effort, control an active suspension to improve road tracking and reduce chassis and / or body pitch and roll, while increasing force feedback provided to the user through the chassis and / or body (e.g., by increasing the passive or active damping of the suspension), and / or provide other suitable vehicle performance modifications. In some embodiments, in the sport mode, the active suspension can change the active forces applied to the wheels or wheel assemblies of the vehicle to provide the feel of a stiffer, more sporty suspension. In some cases, the inventors have recognized that a vehicle control system that achieves more road tracking control may feel more sporty than a vehicle control system that achieves more chassis and / or body isolation control. As another example, in some cases, a user of a vehicle may desire a comfort mode, in which the vehicle control system can reduce throttle response, lighten steering effort, control an active suspension to improve isolation of the chassis and / or body from external disturbances (e.g., by reducing the passive or active damping of the suspension), and / or provide other suitable vehicle performance modifications. In some embodiments, in the comfort mode, the active suspension can change the active forces applied to the wheels or wheel assemblies of the vehicle to provide a feeling of floating above the road surface, where the force transfer from the wheels or wheel assemblies to the vehicle chassis and / or body associated with road inputs can be at least partially alleviated such that little or no force from the disturbances associated with these road inputs is transferred to the vehicle's chassis and / or body. In some cases, the inventors have recognized that a vehicle control system that achieves more chassis and / or body isolation control may feel more comfortable than a vehicle control system that achieves more road tracking control. As yet another example, in some cases, a user of a vehicle may wish to save energy in an economy mode, in which the vehicle control system can limit the throttle, improve coasting, regulate the climate control system, control an active suspension to reduce energy use (e.g., by limiting the application of active forces) and / or provide other suitable vehicle performance modifications. In some embodiments, in the economy mode, the active suspension can apply less active force to the wheels or wheel assemblies of the vehicle, which can reduce the energy consumption of the active suspension.

[0022] In some embodiments, a vehicle control system for a vehicle including an active suspension system can be configured to receive one or more tuning parameters to achieve a desired vehicle operation mode. In some embodiments, the vehicle operation mode can include comfort, sport, and economy. In other embodiments, other vehicle modes can be implemented as the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the comfort mode can be configured to provide enhanced isolation of passengers from road disturbances. In some embodiments, the sport mode can be configured to provide enhanced road tracking. In some embodiments, the economy mode can represent, for example, an intermediate mode between the sport mode and the comfort mode, such as providing a moderate amount of isolation without excessive energy consumption (e.g., caused by force application at the active suspension system).

[0023] In some embodiments, a vehicle can include a chassis and / or a body, a plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies (e.g., unsprung mass), and an active suspension system operatively coupled to the plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies and the chassis and / or the body. The active suspension system can include at least one actuator configured to be interposed between at least one of the plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies and the chassis and / or the body. The vehicle can also include a vehicle control system that includes at least one processor configured to control the active suspension system. The at least one processor can be an active suspension system control module or part of an active suspension system control module. The at least one processor can be configured to obtain tuning parameters. In some embodiments, a tuning parameter can be, for example, a single parameter that can be used to adjust the overall control of the suspension system based on a particular value of the tuning parameter. For example, as further discussed below, in some embodiments, the tuning parameter can be a frequency used when determining the force to be applied between the plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies and the chassis and / or the body. For example, the tuning parameter frequency can be used to determine a filter for an input applied to the vehicle control system. In other embodiments, the tuning parameter can be a weighting factor and can have any unit or no unit. The tuning factor can be based on a user's selection of a vehicle mode and can be obtained as a user input. The at least one processor can also be configured to determine two different vehicle parameters. In some embodiments, a vehicle parameter can be an input to the control module and can be measured or otherwise determined based on feedback or sensor information. In some embodiments, a first vehicle parameter can be a parameter of the vehicle chassis and / or body (e.g., chassis and / or body speed, chassis and / or body acceleration, etc.). In some embodiments, a second vehicle parameter can be a parameter of the vehicle suspension (e.g., suspension speed, suspension acceleration, etc.). Based on the two vehicle parameters and the tuning parameter, the at least one processor can mix the two vehicle parameters to create a mixed vehicle parameter. Then, the at least one processor can use the mixed vehicle parameter to determine the force applied by the active suspension system between the wheel or wheel assembly and the chassis and / or the body. By implementing this arrangement, the tuning parameter can enable faster and more direct vehicle mode tuning because adjustment of the tuning parameter can change the vehicle dynamics by changing the mixed vehicle parameter used as an input for force determination. Specific examples of tuning parameters and determining the mixed vehicle parameter based on the tuning parameter are further described below.

[0024] In some embodiments, a vehicle control system may employ a complementary filter to create a frequency mixed input of a first vehicle parameter input and a second vehicle parameter input. In some embodiments, the first vehicle parameter input may be a suspension speed (e.g., the speed of extension and / or retraction of a suspension system), and the second vehicle parameter input may be a chassis and / or body speed (e.g., an inertial speed). As used herein, "inertial speed" or "chassis and / or body speed" may refer to the speed of the chassis and / or body in a vertical direction relative to the underlying support surface. As used herein, "suspension speed" may refer to the speed of a component of a suspension system (e.g., a suspension system actuator) or an unsprung mass (e.g., a wheel or wheel assembly) in a vertical direction relative to the underlying support surface. The complementary filter may be based on one or more tuning parameters. For example, one or more tuning parameters may include a crossover frequency, where the suspension speed is the primary input in content below the crossover frequency and the inertial speed is the primary input in content above the crossover frequency. For example, the complementary filter includes applying a low-pass filter to one input and a high-pass filter to the other input at the crossover frequency. In this example, the resulting filtered inputs may then be added together to create a mixed input. This frequency mixing may provide continuous vehicle mode possibilities. When the crossover frequency is reduced towards zero, the mixed speed becomes closer to the pure inertial speed, such that the signal is suitable for chassis and / or body isolation dominant control (which may be used for a comfort mode). Conversely, if the frequency is further increased above zero, the signal contains a greater suspension speed content, such that the signal is suitable for road tracking dominant control (which may be used for a sport mode). This simple adjustment of the crossover frequency may help to change the primary driving characteristics of the vehicle, such that the vehicle may simply adopt different vehicle operation modes for an active suspension system based on different crossover frequencies associated with these different vehicle modes. Thus, a comfort mode may be associated with a first crossover frequency, a sport mode may be associated with a second crossover frequency greater than the first crossover frequency, and an economy mode may be associated with a third crossover frequency between the first crossover frequency and the second crossover frequency. The vehicle control system may be configured to receive user input related to a desired vehicle mode (e.g., via a user interface, such as a touch screen, buttons, switches, etc.). Based on the user input, the vehicle control system may modify the crossover frequency of the complementary filter. Although addition of signals may be employed in the exemplary embodiments herein, in other embodiments, other types of combinations of signals may be employed to form the mixed input, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0025] In some embodiments, the vehicle control system may employ different damping gains for different vehicle modes, and the different damping gains may be determined at least in part based on the specific vehicle mode to be achieved. The damping gain may be applied after determining a hybrid input parameter based on one or more tuning parameters (e.g., a separation frequency). The level of the damping gain may allow for a continuous damping level based on the hybrid input parameter. For an underdamped response in the economy mode, a smaller damping gain (e.g., close to zero) may be employed. For an overdamped response in the comfort mode, a larger damping gain (e.g., far from zero) may be employed. A medium damping gain (e.g., between the smaller damping gain and the larger damping gain) may be used for a critically damped response in the sport mode.

[0026] In some embodiments, through a combination of the control parameters (such as the separation frequency and the damping gain) described above, the vehicle control system may employ a single control topology, thereby greatly simplifying vehicle tuning by limiting the number of tuning parameters. That is, the present disclosure describes a single control topology that can provide a range of vehicle modes without the need to implement more complex software for multiple different control modules for a vehicle suspension system. The number of parameters is relatively small, resulting in a system that can be more easily tuned.

[0027] Although in some embodiments one or more tuning parameters (e.g., the separation frequency and the damping gain) may be primary parameters, certain modes may be enhanced by additional linear filters. Thus, in some embodiments, the vehicle control system may employ one or more filters. More specifically, in some embodiments, a low-pass filter may be used in the sport mode to increase the apparent natural frequency of the system. In some embodiments, a phase-lead filter may be used in the comfort mode to increase isolation at secondary ride frequencies (e.g., high frequencies).

[0028] In some embodiments, tuning parameters for a vehicle control system can be received as user input. For example, a vehicle can include an infotainment system or other user interfaces that allow a user to input information. In some embodiments, the vehicle can include buttons, switches, dials, touchscreens, keyboards, voice recognition systems, or other input devices that a user can use to provide user input. In some embodiments, the tuning parameters can be associated with a particular vehicle mode. For example, a predetermined value can be assigned to a tuning parameter based on a user's selection of a vehicle mode. According to this example, the tuning parameter can have a first value for a sport mode, a second different value for a comfort mode, a third different value for an economy mode, or any other suitable value for any number or type of vehicle modes that can be defined for the vehicle. In some embodiments, to provide vehicle performance that better matches a user's desired subjective experience, it may be desirable to allow a user to modify the tuning parameters associated with a particular vehicle mode. In one such embodiment, a user can directly input a tuning parameter or otherwise adjust the value of a tuning parameter for one or more vehicle modes. For example, a tuning parameter can have a predetermined range for a vehicle mode within which a user can select a particular value to fine-tune the preferred feel of the vehicle. In some embodiments, a tuning parameter can be adjusted within a predetermined range based on feedback from user input at an input device. For example, a user's request for more chassis and / or body isolation or more road tracking control can result in a corresponding change in the associated tuning parameter within the predetermined range to provide a desired change in vehicle performance.

[0029] In some embodiments, in the comfort mode, the tuning parameters of the vehicle control system can be specified such that isolation control is favored. That is, a control scheme that favors more skyhook control is implemented. In some embodiments where the tuning parameter is the separation frequency and a complementary filter is employed, the separation frequency can be relatively low compared to other vehicle modes. In some embodiments, in the comfort mode, the separation frequency can be specified to be a minimum value. As described above, in the complementary filter, the first input can be the dominant input for content below the separation frequency, and the second input can be the dominant input for content above the separation frequency. Thus, a mixed input can be determined, where the input content for frequencies below the separation frequency can be dominated by the first input, and the input content for frequencies above the separation frequency is dominated by the second input. By reducing the separation frequency in the comfort mode, the mixed input is dominated by the second input compared to the first input. The second input can be a vehicle parameter related to the movement of the vehicle's chassis and / or body (e.g., chassis and / or body speed), while the first input can be a vehicle parameter related to the movement of the vehicle's suspension (e.g., suspension speed). Therefore, setting the separation frequency to the minimum value can make the chassis and / or body movement information dominate when entering the vehicle control system as the mixed input for determining the force to be applied with one or more actuators of the suspension system. In some embodiments, the separation frequency in the comfort mode can be, for example, about 0.2 Hz, or between 0.1 Hz and 0.5 Hz. Thus, the overall control of the vehicle will tend to isolate the vehicle chassis and / or body. In some alternative embodiments, the comfort mode can further include: increasing the damping gain applied after determining the mixed input parameter based on the separation frequency (or other tuning parameter) compared to other vehicle modes. The increase in the damping gain can result in an overdamped control module that better reduces the movement of the chassis and / or body compared to other modes. In some alternative embodiments, a phase - lead filter can be employed to increase the isolation at the secondary ride frequencies (e.g., frequencies approximately equal to or greater than 3 Hz and less than or equal to 10 Hz). Other frequencies of the phase - lead filter and the separation frequency, whether greater than and less than the above - mentioned values, are also considered, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0030] In some embodiments, in the sport mode, tuning parameters of the vehicle control system can be specified such that tracking control is favored. That is, a control scheme that favors achieving more hook control is favored. In some embodiments where the tuning parameter is the crossover frequency and a complementary filter is employed, the crossover frequency can be higher relative to other vehicle modes. In some embodiments, in the sport mode, the crossover frequency can be specified at a maximum value. As described above, in the complementary filter, the first input can be the dominant input for content below the crossover frequency, and the second input can be the dominant input for content above the crossover frequency. Thus, a mixed input can be determined, where the input content for frequencies below the crossover frequency can be dominated by the first input, and the input content for frequencies above the crossover frequency is dominated by the second input. By increasing the crossover frequency in the sport mode, the mixed input is dominated by the first input compared to the second input. The second input can be a vehicle parameter related to the movement of the vehicle's chassis and / or body (e.g., chassis and / or body speed), while the first input can be a vehicle parameter related to the movement of the vehicle's suspension (e.g., suspension speed). Thus, setting the crossover frequency to the maximum value can cause suspension movement information to dominate when entering the vehicle control system as the mixed input for determining the force to be applied with one or more actuators of the suspension system. In some embodiments, the crossover frequency of the sport mode can be about 3 Hz, or between 1 Hz and 4 Hz. Thus, at least compared to the comfort mode, the overall control of the vehicle will tend to ground tracking of the vehicle chassis and / or body. In some embodiments, the overall control of the vehicle can still achieve some chassis and / or body isolation and control, but less isolation and more ground tracking. The inventors have recognized that by performing frequency mixing of the suspension speed and the inertial speed according to the crossover frequency, high-frequency noise in the final control signal can be reduced. However, the advantage of favoring the suspension speed as an input at lower frequencies is not lost. In the sport mode, different from a conventional suspension system, the vehicle control system can provide a sport feeling at the primary ride frequencies (e.g., frequencies between 0 Hz and 3 Hz) without accompanying secondary ride degradation (e.g., frequencies between 3 Hz and 12 Hz). In some alternative embodiments, the sport mode can further include applying a damping gain that produces a critically damped control module. This damping gain can be less than the damping gain of the comfort mode. In some alternative embodiments, a low-pass filter can be employed in the sport mode to increase the apparent natural frequency of the system. In some embodiments, the low-pass filter can be applied, for example, at a frequency of about 3 Hz. Other frequencies for the low-pass filter and the crossover frequency are also considered, whether greater than and less than the above values, are also considered.

[0031] In some embodiments, in the economy mode, tuning parameters of the vehicle control system can be allocated such that the actuators of the suspension system use less energy. That is, a control scheme that tends to achieve a hybrid of isolation and tracking control is preferred, and this scheme requires less active force to be applied. In some embodiments where the tuning parameter is the separation frequency and a complementary filter is employed, the separation frequency can be between other vehicle modes (e.g., between the sport mode and the comfort mode). As described above, in the complementary filter, the first input can be the dominant input for the content below the separation frequency, and the second input can be the dominant input for the content above the separation frequency. Thus, a hybrid input can be determined, where the input content for frequencies below the separation frequency can be dominated by the first input, and the input content for frequencies above the separation frequency is dominated by the second input. By specifying an intermediate frequency between the frequencies specified in the sport mode and the comfort mode in the economy mode, the hybrid input is not dominated by the first input or the second input, but rather the contributions of the two inputs to the overall hybrid input for the main ride frequencies (e.g., between 0 Hz and 3 Hz) are relatively balanced. The second input can be a vehicle parameter related to the movement of the vehicle's chassis and / or body (e.g., chassis and / or body speed), while the first input can be a vehicle parameter related to the movement of the vehicle's suspension (e.g., suspension speed). Therefore, setting the separation frequency to an intermediate value can allow both the suspension movement information and the chassis and / or body movement information to be combined into a hybrid input for determining the force to be applied to one or more actuators of the suspension system. In some embodiments, the separation frequency in the economy mode can be about 1 Hz, or between 0.5 Hz and 2 Hz. Thus, compared to at least the comfort mode and the sport mode, the overall control of the vehicle will achieve combined isolation control and ground tracking for the vehicle chassis and / or body. The inventors have recognized that by performing frequency mixing of the suspension speed and the inertial speed according to the intermediate separation frequency, the energy consumed by one or more actuators of the suspension system can be reduced. In some alternative embodiments, the economy mode can also include applying a low damping gain that results in an underdamped control module, which further reduces the energy usage of one or more actuators. In some embodiments, in the economy mode, no additional linear filter can be applied to the hybrid input.

[0032] In some embodiments, the inputs to the various control modules described herein can be provided by one or more sensors mounted on the vehicle or from on-vehicle or remote databases. In some cases, multiple sensors and / or redundant sensors can be employed to provide information (e.g., current information and / or preview information), based on which the control module can determine force commands (e.g., via proportional, integral, and / or derivative control). The sensors can provide information associated with different components of the vehicle, including, for example, wheels or wheel assemblies, suspension components, chassis and / or body components, user interface components, transmission components, engine components, etc. In some embodiments, one or more accelerometers can be employed to provide acceleration information about vehicle components. For example, accelerometers disposed on the chassis and / or body can provide chassis and / or body acceleration information or chassis and / or body velocity information (e.g., via integration of acceleration). In some embodiments, information from one or more accelerometers on the chassis and / or body can be used to determine the inertial heave, pitch, and roll velocities of the chassis and / or body, each of which is a parameter that can be used for skyhook control. As another example, one or more accelerometers can be disposed on one or more components of the vehicle suspension and / or wheel assembly and can be configured to provide suspension acceleration information (e.g., in the direction of travel such as the vertical direction) and suspension velocity information (e.g., via integration of acceleration or via the derivative of position from a position sensor). In some embodiments, information from one or more accelerometers on the suspension can be used to determine the heave, pitch, and roll velocities of the suspension relative to the road surface, each of which is a parameter that can be used for groundhook control. Other sensors can also be employed, including encoders, potentiometers, displacement sensors, distance sensors, and / or other suitable types of sensors on any suitable part of the vehicle, to sense position, velocity, and / or acceleration information of the associated part of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the suspension actuator can provide feedback information to the control module regarding its force output, position, velocity, and / or acceleration. For example, suspension velocity information can be determined based on the derivative of the position sensor of the suspension actuator. Given the foregoing, any suitable inputs and sensors can be used as inputs to the control modules described herein, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0033] In some embodiments, the control module described herein can be a vehicle-level control module. That is, the control module can output an overall force command for the suspension system to execute. The suspension can include one or more actuators, and the overall force command can be distributed to the individual actuators to achieve the overall force command and the desired overall response of the vehicle chassis and / or body. In some embodiments, the methods described herein can be applicable to controlling the vehicle at each corner or actuator level after a mixing process for the control module inputs described herein according to the exemplary embodiments herein. Corresponding to the described vehicle-level control, in some embodiments, the inputs to the control module described herein can also be at the vehicle level. For example, in some embodiments, information from various sensors (e.g., associated with individual wheels or actuators) can be combined with information from other sensors to provide overall information about the movement of the entire vehicle chassis and / or body or the entire vehicle suspension system. For example, the individual inputs regarding the suspension system associated with a single wheel or wheel assembly can be averaged with the other wheels or wheel assemblies of the vehicle to obtain a per-corner average input provided to the vehicle-level control module. Any suitable method for combining information from multiple sensors can be employed to obtain the overall information provided to the control module, including but not limited to summing, averaging, matrix multiplication, and / or any other suitable method for combining information.

[0034] According to the exemplary embodiments herein, "skyhook" can refer to a control that seeks to isolate the vehicle chassis and / or body from external disturbances, regardless of the profile of the underlying road surface. For example, under perfect skyhook control, the vehicle chassis and / or body may not experience roll, pitch, and / or heave accelerations. It should be understood that when skyhook control is implemented by an actual active suspension system, depending on the magnitude and frequency of the road input from the corresponding features on the road surface to the vehicle, the active suspension system may only mitigate a portion of the road input, such that the vehicle chassis and / or body still experiences some forces / accelerations due to the road input. However, compared to the case where skyhook control is not applied, this force / acceleration can be reduced.

[0035] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, "ground-hook" may refer to a control that seeks to maintain a fixed distance between a vehicle chassis and / or body and the underlying road surface. For example, under perfect or virtually perfect ground-hook control, the distance between the wheels or wheel assemblies and the vehicle chassis and / or body may be maintained constant or virtually constant. It should be understood that when ground-hook control is implemented by an actual active suspension system, depending on the size and frequency of the road input from the corresponding features on the road surface to the vehicle, the active suspension system may not maintain a constant distance between the chassis and / or body and the road surface. Instead, some variations from the target distance may be experienced, although these variations relative to the target distance may be reduced compared to the case where ground-hook control may not be applied.

[0036] In some embodiments, the implementation of sky-hook control or ground-hook control may depend on the value of a tuning parameter and the resulting hybrid input. For example, depending on the content of the input to the control module or control system, the same control module may implement sky-hook control or ground-hook control. According to this example, more input from the suspension system may tend towards ground-hook control, while more input from the vehicle chassis and / or body may tend towards more isolation control. The same control module performing the same function in other ways may seek to reduce the motion of the suspension system (e.g., ground-hook) or reduce the motion of the chassis and / or body (e.g., sky-hook) based on the input to the control module. The weights of the two inputs into the hybrid input may be automatically determined according to a tuning parameter, such as by a complementary filter.

[0037] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the control methods described herein may be applicable to controlling the movement of a vehicle chassis and / or body in one or more degrees of freedom. In some embodiments, a control method including a tuning parameter may be implemented to control the heave, pitch, and / or roll of a vehicle chassis and / or body. In some embodiments, an overall force command may be configured to modify the heave, pitch, and / or roll movement of the chassis and / or body, and the overall force command may be distributed to individual actuators to achieve an overall control objective. In some embodiments, the control methods described herein may be applied to a single degree of freedom of a vehicle chassis and / or body (e.g., one of pitch, roll, and heave). In some embodiments, multiple control modules may be implemented for each degree of freedom of a vehicle chassis and / or body such that each degree of freedom may be assigned an independent tuning parameter that may be adjusted according to a vehicle mode. In other embodiments, the control methods described herein may be employed to control other vehicle motion parameters, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0038] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the described processes may be formed as blocks of a linear control module. Accordingly, the various processes described herein may be reordered within the linear control module. For example, a damping gain and / or a filter (such as a phase lead filter or a low pass filter) may be applied before a complementary filter for determining a hybrid input. Accordingly, the processes described herein in an exemplary order may be reordered in some embodiments, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0039] It should be noted that the control method described herein may achieve frequency mixing of different inputs. That is, a hybrid input may be determined based on one or more frequency filters applied to input information. Accordingly, the embodiments described herein may be applicable to an active suspension system, where an active force may be applied by one or more actuators of the active suspension system. Such a system may achieve frequency mixing in feedback control when an active force is applied by the suspension system. In contrast, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a passive or semi-active suspension system where no active force is applied may not be able to achieve frequency mixing.

[0040] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a vehicle may include a chassis and / or a body and one or more wheels or wheel assemblies (e.g., four wheels or wheel assemblies) that support the chassis and / or the body. The vehicle may include an active suspension system operably inserted between the one or more wheels or wheel assemblies and the chassis and / or the body. The active suspension system may be configured to adjust a normal force (e.g., via a tire) between any one or more of the vehicle's wheels and the ground by applying a force between the wheel or wheel assembly and the vehicle's chassis and / or body. In some embodiments, the active suspension system may be configured to produce an extension or compression of a main spring of a suspension assembly. The force applied between the wheel or wheel assembly and the chassis and / or the body may be transmitted to the chassis and / or the body through the active suspension system, thereby allowing the active suspension system to control one or more motion parameters of the vehicle's chassis and / or body. Vehicle motion parameters may include, but are not limited to, rotations about various axes (e.g., roll and pitch). Vehicle motion parameters may also include, but are not limited to, translations along various axes (e.g., translation along a vertical z-axis, otherwise referred to as "heave"). In some embodiments, three Cartesian principal axes may be established relative to a support surface (e.g., a plane) below the vehicle. In some embodiments, when the vehicle is disposed on a horizontal ground, three Cartesian principal axes may be established relative to the direction of local gravity. As further discussed below, the active suspension system may control one or more vehicle motion parameters of the chassis or the body by applying an active or reactive force between the chassis and / or the body and the one or more wheels or wheel assemblies. Changing the force output by the active suspension system may change one or more vehicle motion parameters. In some embodiments, the vehicle may include at least one processor configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in an associated volatile or non-volatile memory, the computer-readable instructions, when executed, performing any method disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the at least one processor may be configured to control the active suspension system to control one or more vehicle motion parameters of the chassis and / or the body. In some embodiments, the at least one processor may operate as part of one or more control modules of the vehicle.

[0041] In some embodiments, an active suspension system can be configured to operably intervene between one or more wheels or wheel assemblies and the chassis and / or body of a vehicle. The active suspension system can include one or more actuators configured to be associated with one or more wheels or wheel assemblies. For example, the active suspension system can include at least one actuator at each wheel or wheel assembly of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the actuators of the active suspension system include a hydraulic device operably coupled to an electric motor / generator. The term hydraulic device can refer to a hydraulic motor, a hydraulic pump, a hydraulic motor operating as a pump, and / or a hydraulic pump operating as a hydraulic motor. The hydraulic device can be capable of providing fixed displacement, variable displacement, fixed speed, and / or variable speed, as the present disclosure is not limited to any particular device. Suitable types of hydraulic devices can include, but are not limited to, gerotor pumps, vane pumps, gear pumps, screw pumps, and / or any other suitable type of hydraulic device. The term electric motor / generator can refer to an electric motor and / or a generator. In either case, in some embodiments, the associated hydraulic device can drive the electric motor / generator in at least one operating mode such that it functions as a generator to provide damping to the hydraulic actuator while also generating electrical energy. The electric motor / generator can also drive the hydraulic device as a pump in at least one operating mode to generate a fluid flow to drive the operation of the actuator and / or resist the movement of the piston of the actuator. Depending on the particular embodiment, the electric motor / generator can operate only as a generator, only as a drive motor, and / or both as a generator and a drive motor, depending on the particular application. Suitable types of electric motor / generators can include, but are not limited to, brushless DC motors, brushed DC motors, induction motors, generators, or any other type of device capable of converting electrical power into rotational motion and / or capable of converting rotational motion into electrical power. The actuator can be configured to apply an active force and / or a reactive force (which can also be referred to herein as a damping force) between the wheel or wheel assembly of the vehicle and the chassis and / or body of the vehicle. The application of the active force and / or the reactive force can be employed to control the movement of the chassis and / or body and / or the wheels. In some embodiments, the active suspension system can include one or more physical springs or dampers that can apply a reactive force to one or more wheels or wheel assemblies and the chassis and / or body of the vehicle.

[0042] Although the actuator of the active suspension system disclosed above is described as including a hydraulic device and an electric motor / generator, the present disclosure is not limited to any particular type of active suspension system. Thus, other suitable types of active suspension systems including different types of actuators may also be used. For example, an electric actuator (such as a solenoid-based actuator, an actuator using a linear electric motor, a hydraulic actuator associated with a central pressure source (e.g., a pump) and associated valves, and / or any other suitable type of actuator capable of operating an active suspension system) may be used with the various embodiments disclosed herein, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0043] As used herein, an "active force" is a force generated by a vehicle suspension system and is at least partially oriented in the direction of motion at the point where the force is applied to the associated structure. For example, an active force may include applying a force to a wheel or wheel assembly in the direction of motion of the wheel or wheel assembly via an active suspension system actuator. As used herein, a "passive force", "damping force", or other similar terms may be a force that can be applied to a structure in a direction at least partially opposite to the motion at the point of application of the force. For example, a suspension system actuator may generate a damping force in response to movement of a wheel or wheel assembly due to road features (e.g., a force resisting the movement of the wheel or wheel assembly and / or the vehicle body), but note that an active suspension system may also apply a damping force that resists the motion of an associated mass. For example, in some embodiments, the actuator may apply a damping force in a direction at least partially opposite to the direction of motion of the component being damped. According to the exemplary embodiments described herein, certain vehicle systems (e.g., an active suspension system) may apply an active force and / or a passive force depending on the operating mode of the vehicle system. For example, an active suspension system may operate in a first mode in which the actuator is used to apply an active force to one or more parts of the vehicle (e.g., the chassis and / or body of the vehicle and the wheels or wheel assemblies), and in a second mode, only apply a passive force in response to an external force input to the vehicle. In some operating modes, a vehicle system including an active suspension system may generate both an active force and a passive force.

[0044] As used herein, "road event" is any event that can occur when a vehicle is traveling on a road. In some embodiments, a road event can include encountering a road feature. A "road feature" is any non-nominal road condition that a vehicle may encounter while traveling on a road surface. For example, road features can include, but are not limited to, rough road surfaces, potholes, manhole covers, storm drains, bumps, uneven lanes, variable road materials (e.g., dirt, gravel, pavement, concrete, metal, etc.), road coverings (e.g., snow, ice, salt, sand, dirt, water, etc.), and / or any other suitable feature that can involve a change in the force applied to a vehicle traversing the road surface. In some embodiments, a road event can include a turn (e.g., going around a corner) or a braking event (e.g., applying one or more brakes to slow down the vehicle).

[0045] According to the exemplary embodiments described herein, a vehicle control system, a control module, or other suitable systems can be operated by one or more processors. The one or more processors can be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in volatile or non-volatile memory. The one or more processors can communicate with one or more actuators associated with various systems of the vehicle (e.g., braking system, active suspension system, steering system, rear steering system, driver assistance system, etc.) to control the activation and movement of the various systems of the vehicle. The one or more processors can receive information from one or more sensors that provide feedback on the various systems of the vehicle. For example, the one or more processors can receive position information about the vehicle from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) or other positioning system. Sensors on board the vehicle can include, but are not limited to, wheel speed sensors, accelerometers, Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), optical sensors (e.g., camera devices, LIDAR), radar, suspension position sensors, gyroscopes, and / or any other suitable type of sensor. In this way, the vehicle control system can implement proportional control, integral control, derivative control, combinations thereof (e.g., PID control), or other control strategies for the various systems of the vehicle. Other feedback or feedforward control schemes can also be considered, and the present disclosure is not limited in this regard. Any desired number of any suitable sensors can be employed to provide feedback information to the one or more processors. Information from the sensors can be used in conjunction with desired processing techniques (e.g., machine vision). The one or more processors can also communicate with other control modules, computers, and / or processors on a local area network, a Controller Area Network (CAN), a wide area network, a cloud-based database, or the Internet using appropriate wireless or wired communication protocols. It should be noted that although the exemplary embodiments described herein are described with reference to a single processor, any suitable number of processors can be used as part of the vehicle, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0046] Turning to the drawings, specific non - limiting embodiments are described in further detail. It should be understood that the various systems, components, features, and methods described with respect to these embodiments can be used alone and / or in any desired combination, as the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein.

[0047] Figure 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a vehicle 100. The vehicle includes a chassis and / or a body 102 that supports various components of the vehicle. The vehicle 100 includes a first wheel 106A and a second wheel 106B operatively coupled to the chassis and / or the body 102. The first wheel 106A and the second wheel 106B can be driven by a propulsion system (e.g., an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, etc.). The chassis and / or the body 102 can represent the unsprung mass of the vehicle above the first wheel 106A and the second wheel 106B. The first wheel or wheel assembly 106A and the second wheel or wheel assembly 106B can be the unsprung mass of the vehicle. Although Figure 1 the embodiment shows two wheels or wheel assemblies, in some embodiments, the vehicle can include two, three, four, five, six, or any other number of wheels or wheel assemblies, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0048] As Figure 1 shown, the vehicle includes a vehicle control system 200, and the vehicle control system 102 can communicate with various subsystems via a communication system 201. As Figure 1 shown, the vehicle 100 includes an active suspension system 107, and the active suspension system 107 is operatively inserted between the first wheel 106A or associated wheel assembly and the second wheel 106B or associated wheel assembly (e.g., the unsprung mass) of the vehicle and the chassis and / or the body 102 (e.g., the sprung mass). The first wheel 106A and the second wheel 106B can represent the associated wheel assemblies. For example, in some cases, the active suspension system 107 can be coupled to a wheel assembly or other intermediate component rather than directly to the wheel. As Figure 1 shown, the active suspension system 107 includes one or more active suspension actuators 108A, 108B, which can be operatively inserted between each wheel or wheel assembly 106A, 106B of the vehicle and the vehicle chassis or body, such that the individual actuators of the active suspension can independently control the movement of each wheel or wheel assembly of the vehicle. In Figure 1In an embodiment, the first actuator 108A is coupled to the first wheel 106A, and the second actuator 108B is coupled to the second wheel 106B. The actuators 108A, 108B can be configured to apply forces between the wheels 106A, 106B and the chassis and / or body 102 to adjust the normal component of the force between the wheels and the road surface 300 by applying active extension or compression forces on the wheels or wheel assemblies and the chassis and / or body. Such forces applied by the actuators 108A, 108B can affect the motion response of the chassis and / or body 102, and in particular one or more vehicle motion characteristics.

[0049] As Figure 1 shown in an embodiment, the vehicle 100 may further include a braking system that includes a first brake 110A and a second brake 110B. The first brake 110A can be coupled to the first wheel 106A, and the second brake 110B can be coupled to the second wheel 106B. In Figure 1 an embodiment, the braking system includes independent brakes coupled to each of the vehicle wheels 106A, 106B such that braking forces can be applied to each wheel independently.

[0050] As Figure 1 shown, the vehicle can travel on the road surface 300. The road surface 300 may include one or more road features 302. The road features 302 may cause fluctuations in the normal loads on the wheels 106A, 106B of the vehicle 100 (e.g., by accelerating the wheels and associated wheel assemblies upward and / or downward). In some embodiments, the road features 302 can generate a vehicle chassis and / or body motion response based on one or more vehicle motion characteristics of the chassis and / or body 102. For example, the road features 302 can introduce roll motion, pitch motion, heave motion, or torsional motion in the vehicle chassis and / or body 102 that may be perceivable by the user of the vehicle 100. The vehicle control system 200 can control the active suspension system 107 and the forces applied by each of the actuators 108A, 108B to provide desired vehicle motion characteristics in response to disturbances caused by the road features 302. As discussed further below, forces can be allocated to achieve a desired level of isolation of the chassis and / or body 102 from the disturbances to improve user comfort within the vehicle.

[0051] It should be noted that, for illustrative purposes, Figure 1A vehicle. Vehicle 100 may include any number of systems that affect the dynamics of the vehicle and its response to disturbances from road feature 302. For example, user input devices such as steering, throttle, and brakes may affect the response of the vehicle based on user input. The vehicle control system may include at least one processor configured to execute computer-readable instructions and control one or more vehicle outputs. For example, vehicle control system 200 may include at least one processor configured to receive input from a user and command one or more systems of the vehicle to perform certain actions (e.g., accelerate, decelerate, steer). In some embodiments, vehicle control system 200 may include an electronic stability control system and an anti-lock braking system (ABS). The electronic stability control system may be configured to automatically apply brakes 110A, 110B when traction is lost to help steer the vehicle to where the driver intends to go. The ABS is configured to prevent wheel lockup and skidding. Vehicle control system 200 may receive multiple inputs from various vehicle sources, including but not limited to user input, sensors attached to the sprung mass of the vehicle, sensors attached to the unsprung mass of the vehicle, feedback from one or more actuators, or any combination of the foregoing. Vehicle control system 200 may utilize the multiple inputs to determine one or more outputs (e.g., force commands) to one or more systems of the vehicle (e.g., active suspension system 107, brakes 110A, 110B, throttle, etc.) to achieve a desired vehicle response. Exemplary operating modes and control schemes for vehicle control system 200 are discussed further below.

[0052] In Figure 1In some of the illustrated embodiments, vehicle 100 may include a real-time two-way communication system 201 that enables communication between various subsystems and vehicle outputs. The communication system 201 may employ any suitable connection protocol, including, for example, Controller Area Network (CAN), Local Interconnect Network (LIN), Vehicle Area Network (VAN), FlexRay, D2B, Ethernet, direct communication links (such as wires and optical fibers), or wireless communication links. The communication system may be used to share information between subsystems (such as ABS or ESC), while receiving vehicle state parameters or other information from these same or other systems. Information that may be shared between subsystems and used for vehicle output control includes, but is not limited to, for example, vehicle yaw and yaw rate, vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration, vehicle lateral acceleration, steering wheel or wheel assembly position, steering wheel or wheel assembly torque (if brakes are being applied), suspension spring compression, chassis and / or body heave speed, and wheel or wheel assembly heave speed. The vehicle control system 200 may control the active suspension system 107 based on information from the vehicle, such as the status of one or more vehicle subsystems, such as ABS and ESC, that are enabled during an abnormal event. For example, if one or more systems are enabled, the system may provide different control of the wheels or wheel assemblies and the vehicle.

[0053] In some embodiments, the active suspension system 107 may sense a number of parameters related to road, wheel, and body movement, and / or other parameters that may be beneficial to other vehicle subsystems. Such information may be sent from the active suspension system to the vehicle control system 200 and other subsystems via the communication system 201. Other vehicle subsystems may change their control based on information from the active suspension system. Thus, two-way information may be transferred between the active suspension system 107 and other subsystems, and control of both the active suspension system and other vehicle systems may be provided at least in part based on this information transfer. In some embodiments, the communication system 201 may include a transceiver configured to send or receive information.

[0054] In some embodiments, the vehicle control system 200 may include a forward-looking sensor. The forward-looking sensor may sense road characteristics, road features, or objects in front of vehicle 100, which may be provided as forward-looking road information to at least one processor. In Figure 1 embodiments, the vehicle control system may also include reference road information, which may be stored in a memory on the on-vehicle vehicle control system 200 or at a remote location. In some embodiments, forward-looking information may be employed in the control of vehicle 100, for example, to reduce or eliminate undesired movement of the chassis and / or body 102.

[0055] In some embodiments, a vehicle may include a user interface 118 through which a user may provide user input to affect control of the vehicle. In Figure 1 embodiments, the user interface 118 may include a touchscreen of an infotainment unit. In other embodiments, the user interface may include a touchscreen, a steering wheel, buttons, switches, a microphone (e.g., for voice commands), a keyboard, pedals, or any other suitable input device. The user interface 118 may be configured to receive input from the user that may be used to update one or more parameters (e.g., tuning parameters) for controlling various vehicle subsystems, including the active suspension system. In some embodiments, a user may provide user input at the user interface 118 to select an operating mode (e.g., comfort, sport, etc.). Based on the selected mode, various control parameters of the vehicle may change, including but not limited to tuning parameters for determining a hybrid input to the active suspension system control module, engine tuning, throttle response, braking response, steering response, and suspension control. For example, as further discussed below with reference to Figures 5 to 8 embodiments, user input may be employed to update the separation frequency of a complementary filter that combines two inputs into a hybrid input.

[0056] In some embodiments, a vehicle control system 200 is configured to control various vehicle subsystems, including the active suspension system 107. Specifically, as will be described below with reference to Figures 2 to 4Further discussed, the vehicle control system can be configured to determine force commands for the actuators 108A, 108B of the active suspension system to control vehicle motion parameters of the chassis and / or the body 102. For example, the vehicle control system 200 can command the actuators 108A, 108B to generate forces and / or motions of the wheels or wheel assemblies 106A, 106B to achieve a desired motion or isolation of the chassis and / or the body 102, which is perceptible to the occupants of the chassis and / or the body. In one mode of operation, the vehicle control system 200 commands the actuators 108A, 108B to at least partially isolate the chassis and / or the body from accelerations caused by external disturbances (e.g., caused by road features 302). In such a mode of operation, the wheels or wheel assemblies 106A, 106B can move relative to the chassis and / or the body 102 within their respective motion ranges 112A, 112B to at least partially compensate for forces that would otherwise be transmitted by the road features 302 to the vehicle chassis and / or the body or inertial forces due to accelerations of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the vehicle control system 200 can determine the output of the actuators 108A, 108B based on multiple inputs of different vehicle parameters. For example, the vehicle control system 200 can determine the actuator output based on a hybrid input that includes components from suspension motion parameters (e.g., suspension speed) and chassis and / or body motion parameters (e.g., chassis and / or body speed). Depending on the specific tuning parameters, the contribution of each input may change, thereby affecting the overall output of the control system. For example, the frequency range assigned to each input can be changed based on the tuning parameters. Refer to Figures 2 to 4 Exemplary tuning parameters and their impact on the control of the motion parameters of the chassis and / or the body 102 are further discussed.

[0057] Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of the vehicle 100 under chassis and / or body isolation control, where the tuning parameter employs an input based on chassis and / or body motion parameters (e.g., chassis and / or body speed). In Figure 2In an embodiment, the vehicle control system has implemented a control scheme that seeks to reduce the movement of a portion of the vehicle's contribution input. The vehicle control system can operate based on feedback including a first input and a second input. The first input can be a suspension motion parameter, such as suspension speed, and the second input can be a chassis and / or body motion parameter, such as chassis and / or body speed. The two inputs can be mixed based on a tuning parameter (e.g., a single tuning parameter). In some embodiments, the tuning parameter can be a separation frequency that establishes a frequency threshold, where frequencies below the separation frequency are contributed by the first input (e.g., suspension motion parameter), and frequencies above the separation frequency are contributed by the second input (e.g., chassis and / or body motion parameter). In this way, the mixed input is a frequency mix of the first input and the second input, where the exact mix is affected by the tuning parameter. Depending on the setpoint established by the tuning parameter, lower frequencies can be assigned to the suspension motion parameter, and higher frequencies can be assigned to the chassis and / or body motion parameter. Increasing the tuning parameter may mean that more of the mixed input frequency space is contributed by the suspension motion parameter, causing the vehicle control system to seek to implement more ground hook control. Decreasing the tuning parameter may mean that more of the mixed input frequency space is contributed by the chassis and / or body motion parameter, causing the vehicle control system to seek to implement more skyhook control. In some embodiments, the tuning parameter can be predetermined for a specific vehicle mode. In some embodiments, the tuning parameter can be received as a user input (e.g., via the user interface of vehicle 100).

[0058] In Figure 2 the example of, compared to a suspension motion parameter such as suspension speed, the selected tuning parameter can cause a chassis and / or body motion parameter such as chassis and / or body speed to contribute more to the mixed input. For example, the tuning parameter can be a separation frequency of about 0.3 Hz. According to this example, the frequency content of the vehicle control system input below 0.3 Hz will be based on the suspension motion parameter, and the frequency content of the input above 0.3 Hz will be based on the chassis and / or body motion parameter. Since the tuning parameter favors the chassis and / or body motion parameter, the vehicle control system seeks to avoid or minimize the acceleration of the chassis and / or body 102 for one or more motion parameters (e.g., pitch, roll, and / or heave) because the input is mainly driven by the chassis and / or body motion parameter. For example, in the vertical heave direction, in certain modes, the vehicle control system can seek to keep the vehicle's center of mass 104 in a horizontal plane as the vehicle travels along the road surface. As Figure 2As shown, the isolation control line 114A represents an idealized goal of a vehicle control system that, when the vehicle moves along the road surface 300, controls the heave motion parameters of the vehicle chassis and / or body 102 based only on inputs of chassis and / or body motion parameters (e.g., a hybrid input based only on chassis and / or body motion parameters). The isolation control line 114A is horizontal with respect to the page such that the chassis and / or body 102 does not move up or down (e.g., in the heave direction) in response to road features or does not actually move up or down. The isolation control line 114A can represent the heave motion parameters of the chassis and / or body, although the vehicle control system can similarly control other motion parameters. For example, the chassis and / or body pitch (e.g., rotation clockwise or counterclockwise about the center of mass 104 with respect to the page) can also have a goal of remaining constant, actually constant, or substantially constant when the input is only chassis and / or body motion parameters.

[0059] As Figure 2 shown, the vehicle includes a first wheel or wheel assembly 106A and a second wheel or wheel assembly 106B that support the chassis and / or body 102 (and other sprung mass) on the road surface 300. The first wheel or wheel assembly 106A and the second wheel or wheel assembly 106B are via an active suspension system (e.g., see Figure 1)Coupled to the chassis and / or the vehicle body 102. The first wheel or wheel assembly 106A is movable relative to the chassis and / or the vehicle body 102 within a first range of motion 112A. The position of the first wheel or wheel assembly 106A within the first range of motion 112A can be controlled by passive and active components including, for example, actuators and springs. In particular, the first wheel or wheel assembly 106A can be controlled via an actuator of an active suspension system that can apply a force to the first wheel or wheel assembly 106A to achieve a desired position of the first wheel or wheel assembly relative to the chassis and / or the vehicle body 102. The actuator can apply a force between the chassis and / or the vehicle body 102 and the first wheel or wheel assembly 106A to obtain the desired position and also apply a force to the chassis and / or the vehicle body to control the movement of the chassis and / or the vehicle body. Similarly, the second wheel or wheel assembly 106B is movable relative to the chassis and / or the vehicle body 102 within a second range of motion 112B. The position of the second wheel or wheel assembly 106B within the second range of motion 112B can be controlled by passive and active components including actuators and springs. In particular, the second wheel or wheel assembly 106B can be controlled via an actuator of an active suspension system that can apply a force to the second wheel or wheel assembly 106B to achieve a desired position of the second wheel or wheel assembly relative to the chassis and / or the vehicle body 102. The actuator can apply a force between the chassis and / or the vehicle body 102 and the second wheel or wheel assembly 106B to obtain the desired position and also apply a force to the chassis and / or the vehicle body to control the movement of the chassis and / or the vehicle body.

[0060] According to Figure 2Example, the road surface 300 includes a plurality of road features 302A, 302B, 302C, 302D. These road features represent bumps or variations in an otherwise smooth road surface that impart forces to the vehicle 100 when the first wheel or wheel assembly 106A and the second wheel or wheel assembly 106B contact them. In a conventional vehicle suspension, springs and dampers soften or delay the force transmission to the chassis and / or body 102. However, a passive suspension system can transmit some of the forces to the vehicle chassis and / or body 102, resulting in the center of mass 104 deviating from the ideal isolation control line 114A. In an active suspension system, an active force that counteracts the forces imparted to the wheel or wheel assembly by the road features 302A, 302B, 302C, 302D can reduce or eliminate the forces imparted to the chassis and / or body 102 that would cause deviation from the ideal isolation control line 114A. For example, when the first wheel or wheel assembly encounters a first road feature, the active suspension system can reduce the distance between the first wheel or wheel assembly and the chassis and / or body (e.g., move the wheel or wheel assembly upward) to compensate for the elevation of the first road feature, rather than maintaining a fixed distance between the first wheel or wheel assembly 106A and the chassis and / or body 102. Thus, the vehicle control system of the vehicle 100 can be capable of compensating for the effects of the first road feature 302A on the vehicle chassis and / or body and substantially maintaining the isolation control line 114A based on chassis and / or body motion parameters (e.g., chassis and / or body speed) as inputs. Figure 2 The example can correspond to the comfort mode of the vehicle, where the purpose of the vehicle control system is to isolate the chassis and / or body from all disturbances. In some other embodiments, ideal skyhook control based only on chassis and / or body speed may not be employed because such an arrangement may result in the end of the suspension system's travel events depending on specific road conditions and road features. In some such other embodiments, weak skyhook control or weak groundhook control can be implemented based on a hybrid input of both suspension motion parameters and chassis and / or body motion parameters. In weak skyhook control, the vehicle will exhibit the behavior shown by the isolation control line 114A, but with some deviation from the disturbances (e.g., moving the chassis and / or body) encountered by the road features. Refer to Figure 4 Further discuss examples of hybrid implementations.

[0061] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the vehicle 100 under control, where the suspension motion parameter is the main input to the vehicle control system. As with Figure 2 the embodiment, in Figure 3In an implementation, the vehicle control system has implemented a control scheme that seeks to reduce the movement of a portion of the contribution input of the vehicle. The vehicle control system can operate based on feedback including a first input (e.g., suspension movement parameters) and a second input (e.g., chassis and / or body movement parameters). The two inputs can be mixed in the frequency domain based on tuning parameters (e.g., a single tuning parameter). In some implementations, the tuning parameter can be a separation frequency that establishes a frequency threshold, where frequencies below the separation frequency are contributed by the first input (e.g., suspension movement parameters), and frequencies above the separation frequency are contributed by the second input (e.g., chassis and / or body movement parameters).

[0062] In Figure 3 an implementation, the selected tuning parameter can cause the suspension movement parameters (e.g., suspension speed) to contribute more to the mixed input compared to the chassis and / or body movement parameters (e.g., chassis and / or body speed). For example, the tuning parameter can be a separation frequency of about 3 Hz. According to this example, the frequency content of the input to the vehicle control system below 3 Hz can be based on the suspension movement parameters, and the frequency content of the input to the vehicle control system above 3 Hz can be based on the chassis and / or body movement parameters. Since the tuning parameter favors the suspension movement parameters, the vehicle control system seeks to reduce the movement of the suspension, thereby maintaining a fixed distance between the chassis and / or body of the vehicle and the road surface 300 that is at least as large as the distance that an active suspension system (e.g., ground hook control) can physically impose. In this way, forces generated by external disturbances such as road features 302A, 302B, 302C, 302D are transmitted to the chassis and / or body 102 via the first wheel or wheel assembly 106A and the second wheel or wheel assembly 106B. Figure 3 An exemplary tracking control line 114B is shown in, which shows the path of the center of mass 104 as the vehicle traverses the road surface 300. As Figure 3 shown, the tracking control line 114B reflects the profile of the road features 302A, 302B, 302C, 302D. Under the tracking control of Figure 3 , the first wheel or wheel assembly 106A can be maintained at the center point (or other predetermined point) of its movement range 112A. Similarly, the second wheel or wheel assembly 106B can be maintained at the center point (or other predetermined point) of its movement range 112B. The tracking control line 114B can represent an idealized ground hook control, where the controller operates only based on the suspension movement parameter input. It should be noted that for illustrative purposes Figure 3Shows the ground hook control. In other embodiments, the vehicle may not implement ground hook control based solely on the input of suspension motion parameters because the force transmission from the road surface 300 to the chassis and / or body 102 may be undesirable. In such other embodiments, a weak ground hook may be employed, which exhibits the tracking behavior shown by the tracking control line 114B but has some compensation for disturbances (e.g., by allowing the wheels or wheel assemblies to travel to absorb the disturbances). The weak ground hook control may be based on a hybrid input of both suspension motion parameters and chassis and / or body motion parameters. Refer to Figure 4 Further discuss examples of hybrid implementations.

[0063] As previously discussed, the inventors have recognized the benefits of a vehicle control system that creates a hybrid input in the frequency domain based on tuning parameters, a first input (e.g., suspension motion parameters), and a second input (e.g., chassis and / or body motion parameters). Such an arrangement allows a single control system or control module to achieve different performances of the active suspension system by changing, for example, a single parameter (e.g., the tuning parameter) in some embodiments. By adjusting the tuning parameter according to the vehicle mode, different control results can be achieved. For example, a vehicle in comfort mode may be similar to Figure 2 the example operation, where chassis and / or body isolation is the goal of the vehicle control system and the hybrid input mainly consists of chassis and / or body motion parameters. As another example, a vehicle in sport mode may be similar to Figure 3 the example operation, where road tracking is the goal of the vehicle control system and the input mainly consists of suspension motion parameters. However, the inventors have recognized that the mixing of the two inputs may not be complete, such that the hybrid input includes some components of the suspension motion parameters as well as components of the chassis and / or body motion parameters. Thus, as Figure 4 shown, the vehicle performance can be Figure 2 and Figure 3 a hybrid of the examples.

[0064] As Figure 4 shown, the vehicle 100 can be controlled such that both suspension motion parameters and chassis and / or body motion parameters contribute to the hybrid input to the vehicle control system. Similar to Figures 2 to 3 the embodiments, in Figure 4 the embodiments, the vehicle control system has implemented the following control scheme, which may seek to reduce the motion of a portion of the contribution input of the vehicle. The vehicle control system may operate based on feedback including a first input (e.g., suspension motion parameters) and a second input (e.g., chassis and / or body motion parameters). The two inputs may be mixed in the frequency domain based on a tuning parameter (e.g., a single tuning parameter), and the tuning parameter may be a separation frequency. In Figure 4In the embodiments, the selected tuning parameters can cause both the suspension motion parameters and the chassis and / or body motion parameters to contribute to different frequency domains in the hybrid input to achieve a hybrid response of ground hook control and skyhook control. As Figure 4 shown, a hybrid control line 114C is shown between an idealized isolation control line 114A and an idealized tracking control line 114B. Figure 4 The tuning parameters in the example of Figure 2 and Figure 3 can be approximately between the tuning parameters of the example of

[0065] According to Figure 4 the example of Figure 3 increasing the tuning parameter (e.g., increasing the separation frequency) can result in performance more similar to the example of Figure 2 That is, increasing the tuning parameter can result in more road tracking performance because a larger portion of the hybrid input is contributed by the suspension motion parameters. Conversely, decreasing the tuning parameter (e.g., decreasing the separation frequency) can result in performance more similar to the example of Figure 4 The example shown in

[0066] It should be noted that what is described herein and with reference to Figures 2 to 4An exemplary vehicle control system discusses filtering input information according to tuning parameters (e.g., separation frequency). It should be noted that while the filter may be complete in some embodiments, filtering may be partial in other embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, a complementary filter may filter out all contributions of suspension motion parameters above the separation frequency and may filter out all contributions of chassis and / or body motion parameters below the separation frequency. In some other embodiments, the complementary filter may filter out some contributions of suspension motion parameters above the separation frequency and may filter out some contributions of chassis and / or body motion parameters below the separation frequency. According to some such examples, the filter may apply a reduction factor to a portion of the filtering parameter without completely eliminating its contribution to the mixed input. In some embodiments, the filter may reduce the contribution of vehicle parameters by 51% to 100% in a frequency range configured to be dominated by another parameter. Of course, other ranges different from the above may also be used, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0067] Figure 5 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a vehicle control system 200. In Figure 5 the embodiment, the vehicle control system 200 may be configured to control the active suspension system of the vehicle. In block 202, the vehicle control system is configured to receive a vehicle mode selection. For example, the vehicle mode selection may be received as a user input at a user interface (e.g., a touch screen of an infotainment system) or as other user inputs disclosed elsewhere herein. In block 204, based on the vehicle mode selection, control tuning parameters may be specified or otherwise obtained for use by the vehicle control system. In the depicted embodiment, three control tuning parameters are specified. Specifically, a separation frequency is specified, a damping gain is specified, and a filter parameter is specified. In other embodiments, the vehicle mode selection may be associated with setting a value for a single tuning parameter, and the values of other parameters may remain constant for different vehicle modes, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. As previously mentioned, in some embodiments, one or more tuning parameters may be predetermined tuning parameters associated with one or more predetermined vehicle modes. In any case, using the one or more control tuning parameters specified in block 204, the output of the vehicle control system 200 to the active suspension system may be changed. As previously mentioned, a limited number of control parameters may be beneficial because the same control scheme may be used for multiple vehicle modes by adjusting a limited number of parameters without separate mode controllers or extensive tuning. As Figure 5As shown, a separation frequency is provided to block 210, where an input frequency mix is determined. A damping gain is provided at block 212, and a gain factor is applied at block 212 to determine the force exerted by the active suspension system. Filter parameters are provided at block 214, and one or more filters are applied at block 214 to the force output from block 212 to determine an overall force command for the active suspension system at block 216. Each of these blocks is discussed in detail below.

[0068] Block 210 of vehicle control system 200 is configured to receive vehicle motion parameter inputs and determine a mixed input based on tuning parameters received from block 204, the mixed input including contributions from two inputs. In Figure 5 an example, block 210 can be a complementary filter that is used to combine inputs in the frequency domain based on a separation frequency. As Figure 5 shown, a first input 206 can be a suspension velocity. The suspension velocity can be determined by the vehicle control system based on sensor information or otherwise obtained. For example, the suspension velocity can be determined based on the derivative of the suspension position provided by a position sensor. A second input 208 can be an inertial velocity (e.g., chassis, body, or sprung mass velocity). The chassis and / or body velocity can be determined by the vehicle control system based on sensor information or otherwise obtained. For example, the inertial velocity can be determined based on the integration of acceleration information provided by accelerometers disposed on the chassis and / or body. The complementary filter can be configured to add the suspension velocity and inertial velocity input signals together to produce an overall mixed velocity input used in the determination of the force command. After filtering the signals in a specific frequency range driven by the separation frequency, the content of the suspension velocity and inertial velocity is added. As Figure 5As shown, a second-order low-pass filter can be applied to the first input 206 of the suspension speed. The low-pass filter can be based on a separation frequency such that the content of the suspension speed signal having a frequency greater than the separation frequency can be reduced or completely eliminated. An inverse second-order low-pass filter (e.g., a high-pass filter applied to the inertial speed) can be applied to the inertial speed as the second input. The filter applied to the inertial speed can also be based on the separation frequency such that the content of the inertial speed signal having a frequency less than the separation frequency is reduced or eliminated. The filtered first input 206 and the filtered second input 208 can then be combined to generate a hybrid input. The hybrid input signal will consist of the content of both the first input and the second input, where the first input dominates at frequencies below the separation frequency and the second input dominates at frequencies above the separation frequency. When the separation frequency is changed based on the vehicle mode selection in block 202, the response of the vehicle control system 200 can be changed by changing the frequency content of the hybrid input. The inventors have recognized the particular benefits of control schemes that use the suspension speed as an input at lower frequencies (e.g., less than about 3 Hz) because higher frequencies can reduce the comfort of passengers within the vehicle. The inventors have further recognized the particular benefits of control schemes that use the chassis and / or body speed as an input at higher frequencies (e.g., between 0.3 Hz and 10 Hz) because the chassis and / or body speed can be a clean signal at higher frequencies but performs poorly at lower frequencies (e.g., less than 0.3 Hz). This is because at lower frequencies, in some cases, the chassis and / or body speed can generate large commands that use an undesired amount of wheel or wheel assembly travel. Accordingly, the inventors have recognized the benefits of a high-pass filter applied to the chassis and / or body speed signal to avoid such commands that may use an excessive amount of wheel or wheel assembly travel.

[0069] In some embodiments, in Figure 5 the example of block 210, the low-pass filter can be complete such that all frequency content above the separation frequency or all frequency content below the separation frequency is eliminated from the hybrid input signal. In other embodiments, the filtering can be partial such that a portion of the signal for both inputs is included in the hybrid input but does not dominate outside of its specified frequency range. For example, in some other embodiments, a complementary filter can filter out some contribution of the suspension speed above the separation frequency and can filter out some contribution of the chassis and / or body speed below the separation frequency. In some embodiments, the filter can reduce the contribution of a vehicle motion parameter by 51% to 100% in a frequency range dominated by another motion parameter, although other ranges can also be used. Such an arrangement can ensure that most of the hybrid input signal within the specified frequency range is contributed by the correspondingly specified vehicle motion parameter input.

[0070] In block 212, the hybrid input from block 210 is converted into a force using a damping gain. That is, the damping gain from block 204 can be used to determine the force based at least in part on the hybrid velocity signal. The force can be based on the contributions of the suspension velocity first input 206 and the inertial velocity second input 208.

[0071] In block 214, the force from block 212 can be shaped by one or more filters. The filter parameters can determine which filters are applied to the force output from block 212. Thus, the application of the filters in block 214 can be based on the vehicle mode selection in block 202. For example, the selection of a sport mode can include: applying a general low-pass filter (e.g., at approximately 3 Hz) to shape the force output to focus on the target frequency range of force application for improving sport performance. As another example, a comfort mode can include: applying a phase-lead filter (e.g., at approximately 7 Hz) to increase isolation at the secondary ride frequency (e.g., at a frequency approximately equal to or greater than 7 Hz). In some embodiments, the filters of block 214 can be optional.

[0072] At block 216, the vehicle control system provides an overall force command. In some embodiments, the overall force command can be at the vehicle level and can be distributed to the individual actuators of the active suspension system. However, since the present disclosure is not limited to determining the force using the disclosed control method, embodiments are also contemplated in which the desired force commands are determined for each corner of the vehicle. The overall force command can be based on the outputs of blocks 210, 212, and 214, each of which can be modified based on the vehicle mode selection in block 202. Figure 5 The general control scheme can be used for various vehicles and can enable rapid tuning of different vehicle modes by mixing vehicle motion parameter inputs (e.g., velocity parameters) in the frequency domain.

[0073] Figure 6 Depicts one embodiment of a tuning strategy for a vehicle control system including different modes. Specifically, Figure 6 Depicts for a vehicle control system similar to Figure 5 Exemplary values for tuning parameters. The inventors have recognized that Figure 6 The values and relative relationships shown in Figure 6 Can be beneficial in terms of vehicle performance. However, the specific values listed are exemplary and not restrictive in this regard. As Figure 2responses, with priority given to chassis and / or body isolation. In the economy mode, the separation frequency can be about 1 Hz, greater than the separation frequency of the comfort mode. The damping gain can be low so that the force output from the vehicle control system is reduced to save power. An additional filter may not be employed. In the sport mode, the separation frequency can be about 3 Hz, greater than the comfort mode or the economy mode. The damping gain can be medium, between the comfort mode and the economy mode. A low-pass filter can be applied at about 3 Hz.

[0074] It should be noted that while specific inputs are described with reference to Figures 5 to 6 examples, other inputs are contemplated, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The techniques described herein can be applicable to mixing various vehicle motion parameters to provide tuning parameters that allow for direct adjustment of the vehicle controller output for different vehicle modes. Additionally, while specific values of the parameters are described with reference to Figure 6 , other values are contemplated, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the separation frequency in the comfort mode can be between about 0.1 Hz and about 0.5 Hz. In some embodiments, the separation frequency in the sport mode can be between about 1 Hz and about 3 Hz. In some embodiments, the separation frequency in the economy mode can be between about 0.5 Hz and about 2 Hz. In some embodiments, for various vehicle modes, the separation frequency can be between 0.1 Hz and 3 Hz. Of course, while specific ranges for different modes are mentioned above, ranges both greater than and less than the ranges for the different vehicle modes above can be used, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0075] Figure 7It is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method for controlling a vehicle. In block 400, a first vehicle parameter is determined. In some embodiments, determining the vehicle parameter may include receiving information from one or more sensors. In some embodiments, the information from one or more sensors may be processed to determine the first vehicle parameter. For example, derivatives or integrals of the sensor information may be taken. In some embodiments, the sensor information may be transformed from the time domain to the frequency domain, for example, using a Fourier transform. In block 402, a second vehicle parameter is determined. Similar to the first vehicle parameter, the second vehicle parameter may be determined based on the received sensor information, which may be further processed. The first vehicle parameter and the second vehicle parameter may be different from each other. In some embodiments, the first vehicle parameter and the second vehicle parameter are vehicle motion parameters, which are signals representing some motion of a part of the vehicle. The first vehicle parameter may be associated with the suspension of the vehicle, while the second vehicle parameter may be associated with the chassis or body of the vehicle. For example, the first vehicle parameter may be the suspension speed (e.g., the speed of the unsprung mass of the vehicle), and the second vehicle parameter may be the chassis and / or body speed (e.g., the speed of the sprung mass of the vehicle). The first vehicle parameter and the second vehicle parameter may be inputs to a vehicle controller for feedback control of an active suspension system.

[0076] At block 404, a hybrid vehicle parameter can be determined based on a tuning parameter, a first vehicle parameter, and a second vehicle parameter. In some embodiments, the tuning parameter can be predetermined for a particular vehicle. In some embodiments, the tuning parameter can be based on a vehicle mode. In some embodiments, the vehicle mode selection can be received as a user input, which in turn can establish the tuning parameter. In some embodiments, the tuning parameter can be a frequency. In some such embodiments, the determination of the hybrid vehicle parameter can include applying a filter (e.g., a complementary filter or other suitable filter) to the first vehicle parameter and the second vehicle parameter. As discussed in other examples herein, a complementary filter can include adding the first vehicle parameter and the second vehicle parameter together in the frequency domain after filtering certain frequency ranges from each of the first vehicle parameter and the second vehicle parameter. For example, for a first frequency range below the frequency of the tuning parameter, the content of the second vehicle parameter (e.g., chassis and / or body motion parameters) can be filtered such that it is reduced or eliminated from the hybrid vehicle parameter. Correspondingly, for a second frequency range above the frequency of the tuning parameter, the content of the first vehicle parameter (e.g., suspension motion parameters) can be filtered such that it is reduced or eliminated from the hybrid vehicle parameter. In this way, in the first frequency range below the tuning parameter frequency, the hybrid vehicle parameter can be primarily composed of the first vehicle parameter, and in the second frequency range above the tuning parameter frequency, the hybrid vehicle parameter can be primarily composed of the second vehicle parameter. In some embodiments, the hybrid vehicle parameter can be a hybrid speed.

[0077] In block 406, a force command can be determined based at least in part on hybrid vehicle parameters. In some embodiments, determining the force command can include applying a gain factor to the hybrid vehicle parameters. The force command can represent a vehicle-level force request to achieve a particular movement of the vehicle (e.g., isolation or reduction of movement). Since the force command is based on a hybrid input which in turn is determined based on tuning parameters, changing the tuning parameters can change the force command determined in block 406 for the same first and second vehicle parameters. In the case where the first and second vehicle parameters are suspension movement parameters and chassis and / or body movement parameters respectively, changing the tuning parameters can shift the overall content of the hybrid vehicle parameters to be more suspension-oriented or chassis and / or body-oriented. Thus, depending on the value of the tuning parameters, the force command can seek to isolate the movement of the suspension (e.g., ground hook) or seek to isolate the movement of the chassis and / or body (e.g., skyhook). In this way, for example, the response of the vehicle can be changed by adjusting a single parameter. In some embodiments, the method can include optionally adjusting the tuning parameters, e.g., by receiving an updated vehicle mode selection from a user. Thus, the hybrid vehicle parameters can be re-determined based on the new tuning parameters and the force command can be updated accordingly. In block 408, at least one actuator of the active suspension is commanded to apply an active force between at least one of a plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies of the vehicle and the chassis or body of the vehicle based at least in part on the force command. In some embodiments, the force command can be distributed to each actuator of the active suspension system on a per-wheel or per-wheel-assembly basis.

[0078] Optionally, Figure 7 the method can be cyclically repeated on any appropriate time scale to allow for proper active control of the active suspension system or other appropriate systems during vehicle operation. In some embodiments, Figure 7 the method can be executed by a vehicle control system and specifically by at least one processor of the vehicle control system. Figure 7 the method can be stored as computer-readable instructions in a non-transitory computer-readable medium for execution by at least one processor. In some embodiments, Figure 7 the steps can be reordered. In some embodiments, some of the Figure 7 steps can be executed in parallel simultaneously. For example, as part of a parallel process, the first vehicle parameter can be determined simultaneously with the second vehicle parameter.

[0079] Figure 8A flowchart of another embodiment of a method for controlling a vehicle. At block 500, a user input is received from a user. For example, the input can be received from the user at a user interface in the vehicle. At block 502, a separation frequency can be determined based on the user input. For example, a specific separation frequency value can be assigned to a selected vehicle mode. As another example, the user can directly input a separation frequency value within a range (e.g., between 0.3 Hz and 3 Hz). At block 504, a chassis and / or body speed can be determined. In some embodiments, the chassis and / or body speed can be determined based on integrating the chassis and / or body acceleration received from an accelerometer. At block 506, a suspension speed can be determined. In some embodiments, the suspension speed can be determined based on taking the derivative of the suspension position (e.g., in the direction of suspension travel (such as the vertical direction)). At block 508, based on the separation frequency, the chassis and / or body speed, and the suspension speed, a hybrid speed parameter can be determined. As discussed with reference to other embodiments herein, the hybrid speed parameter can be a frequency mixing of the chassis and / or body speed and the suspension speed. The content of the hybrid speed below the separation frequency may be mainly contributed by the suspension speed. The content of the hybrid speed above the separation frequency may be mainly contributed by the chassis and / or body speed. At block 510, a force command can be determined based on the hybrid speed parameter. At block 512, at least one actuator of an active suspension can be commanded to apply an active force between at least one of a plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies of the vehicle and the chassis or body of the vehicle, at least in part based on the force command. In some embodiments, the force command can be assigned to each actuator of the active suspension system on a per-wheel or per-wheel-assembly basis.

[0080] Optionally, Figure 8 the method can be cyclically repeated on any suitable time scale to allow for proper active control of the active suspension system or other suitable system of the vehicle in operation. In some embodiments, Figure 8 the method can be executed by a vehicle control system and specifically by at least one processor of the vehicle control system. Figure 8 the method can be stored as computer-readable instructions in a non-transitory computer-readable medium for execution by at least one processor. In some embodiments, Figure 8 the steps can be reordered. In some embodiments, some of the steps of Figure 8 can be executed simultaneously in parallel. For example, as part of a parallel process, the chassis and / or body speed can be determined simultaneously with the suspension speed.

[0081] The above-described embodiments of the technology herein can be implemented in any of a number of ways. For example, an embodiment can be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination thereof. When implemented in software, the software code can be executed on any suitable processor or collection of processors, whether disposed in a single computer or distributed among multiple computers. Such processors can be implemented as integrated circuits having one or more processors in the integrated circuit components, including commercially available integrated circuit components known by such names in the art, such as CPU chips, GPU chips, microprocessors, microcontrollers, or coprocessors. Alternatively, the processor can be implemented in a custom circuit system such as an ASIC or in a semi-custom circuit system created by configuring programmable logic devices. As another alternative, the processor can be part of a larger circuit or semiconductor device, whether commercially available, semi-custom, or custom. As a specific example, some commercially available microprocessors have multiple cores such that one or a subset of those cores can constitute the processor. However, the processor can be implemented using any suitable format of circuit system.

[0082] In addition, it should be recognized that a computer can be implemented in any of a variety of forms, such as a rack-mounted computer, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a tablet computer. Additionally, a computer can be embedded in a device that is not typically considered a computer but has suitable processing capabilities, including a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart phone, or any other suitable portable or fixed electronic device.

[0083] Furthermore, a computer can have one or more input and output devices. These devices can be used to present a user interface, among other things. Examples of output devices that can be used to provide a user interface include a printer or a display for visual presentation of output and a speaker or other sound generating device for auditory presentation of output. Examples of input devices that can be used for a user interface include a keyboard and pointing devices such as a mouse, a touchpad, and a digitizing tablet. As another example, a computer can receive input information by voice recognition or in other audible formats.

[0084] Such computers can be interconnected via one or more networks in any suitable form, including a local area network or a wide area network, such as a corporate network or the Internet. Such networks can be based on any suitable technology and can operate according to any suitable protocol and can include wireless networks, wired networks, or fiber optic networks.

[0085] In addition, the various methods or processes outlined herein can be encoded as software that can be executed on one or more processors employing any of a variety of operating systems or platforms. Additionally, such software can be written using any of a number of suitable programming languages and / or programming or scripting tools, and can also be compiled into executable machine language code or intermediate code that is executed on a framework or virtual machine.

[0086] In this regard, the embodiments described herein can be implemented as a computer-readable storage medium (or multiple computer-readable media) (e.g., computer memory, one or more floppy disks, optical discs (CDs), optical disks, digital video discs (DVDs), magnetic tapes, flash memories, circuit configurations in field-programmable gate arrays or other semiconductor devices, or other tangible computer storage media), which is encoded with one or more programs that, when executed on one or more computers or other processors, perform the methods implementing the various embodiments described above. As is apparent from the foregoing examples, a computer-readable storage medium can retain information for a sufficient time to provide computer-executable instructions in a non-transitory form. Such computer-readable storage media or media can be transportable, such that the one or more programs stored thereon can be loaded onto one or more different computers or other processors to implement various aspects of the present disclosure as discussed above. As used herein, the term "computer-readable storage medium" encompasses only non-transitory computer-readable media that can be considered to be a manufacture (i.e., a manufactured article) or a machine. Alternatively or additionally, the present disclosure can be implemented as a computer-readable medium other than a computer-readable storage medium, such as a propagated signal.

[0087] The term "program" or "software" is used herein in a general sense to refer to any type of computer code or set of computer-executable instructions that can be used to program a computer or other processor to implement various aspects of the present disclosure as discussed above. Additionally, it should be understood that, according to one aspect of this embodiment, one or more computer programs that, when executed, perform the methods of the present disclosure need not reside on a single computer or processor, but can be distributed in a modular fashion among a number of different computers or processors to implement various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0088] Computer-executable instructions can come in many forms, such as program modules, executed by one or more computers or other devices. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Generally, in various embodiments, the functionality of program modules can be combined or distributed as desired.

[0089] In addition, the data structure can be stored in a computer-readable medium in any suitable form. For simplicity of illustration, the data structure can be shown as having fields that are related by their positions in the data structure. Such a relationship can also be achieved by allocating storage locations for the fields in the computer-readable medium, which conveys the relationship between the fields. However, any suitable mechanism can be used to establish the relationship between the information in the fields of the data structure, including by using pointers, tags, or other mechanisms that establish relationships between data elements.

[0090] Aspects of the present disclosure can be used alone, in combination, or in various arrangements not specifically discussed in the embodiments described above, and thus are not limited in their application to the details and arrangements of the components set forth in the foregoing description or illustrated in the drawings. For example, aspects described in one embodiment can be combined with aspects described in other embodiments in any manner.

[0091] In addition, the embodiments described herein can be implemented as methods for which examples have been provided. The actions performed as part of the method can be sequenced in any suitable manner. Accordingly, embodiments can be constructed in which the actions are performed in an order different from that illustrated, which can include performing some actions simultaneously, even if those actions are shown as sequential actions in the illustrative embodiments.

[0092] In addition, some actions are described as being taken by a "user". It should be understood that a "user" need not be a single individual, and in some embodiments, actions attributable to a "user" can be performed by a group of individuals and / or individuals in combination with computer-aided tools or other mechanisms.

[0093] Although the present teachings have been described in conjunction with various embodiments and examples, it is not intended to limit the present teachings to such embodiments or examples. On the contrary, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, the present teachings include various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are provided by way of example only.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising: Chassis and / or body; A plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies; An active suspension system operatively coupled to the plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies and the chassis and / or body, wherein the active suspension system includes at least one actuator configured to apply an active force to at least one of the plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies in at least one operating mode; and At least one processor configured to control the active suspension system, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: Obtain tuning parameters, Determine a first vehicle parameter, Determine a second vehicle parameter, Determine a hybrid vehicle parameter at least in part based on the tuning parameters, the first vehicle parameter, and the second vehicle parameter, and Command the at least one actuator to apply a force between at least one of the plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies and the chassis and / or body at least in part based on the hybrid vehicle parameter.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, The first vehicle parameter is the chassis and / or body speed, and wherein the second vehicle parameter is the suspension speed.

3. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 2, further comprising at least one first sensor and at least one second sensor, wherein, The at least one processor is further configured to: Receive first sensor information from the at least one first sensor; Determine the first vehicle parameter based on the first sensor information; Receive second sensor information from the at least one second sensor; And Determine the second vehicle parameter based on the second sensor information.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein, The at least one first sensor includes a first accelerometer disposed on the chassis and / or body, and wherein the at least one second sensor includes an accelerometer disposed on the active suspension system.

5. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The tuning parameter is a separation frequency, and wherein determining the hybrid vehicle parameter includes applying a complementary filter to the first vehicle parameter and the second vehicle parameter based on the separation frequency.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein, The separation frequency is between 0.2 Hz and 3 Hz.

7. The vehicle according to any one of claims 5 to 6, wherein, Applying the complementary filter includes: Filtering frequencies of the first vehicle parameter above the separation frequency; Filtering frequencies of the second vehicle parameter below the separation frequency; and Adding the filtered first vehicle parameter and the filtered second vehicle parameter together.

8. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The at least one processor is further configured to obtain a damping gain, wherein the command to the at least one actuator is at least in part based on the damping gain.

9. The vehicle according to claim 8, wherein, Obtaining the damping gain includes receiving a user input of a vehicle mode.

10. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The at least one processor is further configured to apply a low-pass filter to the hybrid vehicle parameter, wherein the command to the at least one actuator is at least in part based on the filtered hybrid vehicle parameter.

11. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The at least one processor is further configured to apply a phase-lead filter to the hybrid vehicle parameter, wherein the command to the at least one actuator is at least in part based on the filtered hybrid vehicle parameter.

12. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein, The command is configured to control the heave and / or pitch of the vehicle.

13. A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein, Obtaining the tuning parameters includes receiving a user input of a vehicle mode, wherein the tuning parameters are based on the vehicle mode.

14. A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein, The tuning parameter is a first tuning parameter, wherein the hybrid vehicle parameter is a first hybrid vehicle parameter, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: Change the first tuning parameter to a second tuning parameter; Determine a second hybrid vehicle parameter at least in part based on the second tuning parameter, the first vehicle parameter, and the second vehicle parameter; and Command the at least one actuator to apply a force between at least one of the plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies and the chassis and / or body at least in part based on the second hybrid vehicle parameter, wherein the command at least in part based on the second hybrid vehicle parameter changes the vehicle's response to a road event relative to the command at least in part based on the first hybrid vehicle parameter.

15. A method of controlling a vehicle, the vehicle comprising a chassis and / or a body, a plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies, and an active suspension system, wherein, The active suspension system is operatively coupled to the plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies, and wherein the active suspension system includes at least one actuator configured to apply an active force to at least one of the plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies in at least one operating mode, the method comprising: Obtain a tuning parameter; Determine a first vehicle parameter; Determine a second vehicle parameter; Determine a hybrid vehicle parameter at least in part based on the tuning parameter, the first vehicle parameter, and the second vehicle parameter; and Command the at least one actuator to apply a force between at least one of the plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies and the chassis and / or body at least in part based on the hybrid vehicle parameter.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein, The first vehicle parameter is the chassis and / or body speed, and wherein the second vehicle parameter is the suspension speed.

17. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 16, comprising: Receive first sensor information from at least one first sensor; Determine the first vehicle parameter based on the first sensor information; Receive second sensor information from at least one second sensor; And Determine the second vehicle parameter based on the second sensor information.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein, The at least one first sensor includes a first accelerometer disposed on the chassis and / or body, and wherein the at least one second sensor includes an accelerometer disposed on the active suspension system.

19. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein, The tuning parameter is a separation frequency, and wherein determining the hybrid vehicle parameter includes applying a complementary filter to the first vehicle parameter and the second vehicle parameter based on the separation frequency.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein, The separation frequency is between 0.2 Hz and 3 Hz.

21. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 20, wherein, Applying the complementary filter includes: Filtering the frequencies of the first vehicle parameter above the separation frequency; Filtering the frequencies of the second vehicle parameter below the separation frequency; and Adding the filtered first vehicle parameter and the filtered second vehicle parameter together.

22. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 21, further comprising obtaining a damping gain, wherein, Command the at least one actuator at least in part based on the damping gain.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein, Obtaining the damping gain includes receiving user input of a vehicle mode.

24. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 23, further comprising applying a low-pass filter to the hybrid vehicle parameters, wherein, Command the at least one actuator at least in part based on the filtered hybrid vehicle parameter.

25. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 23, further comprising applying a phase lead filter to the hybrid vehicle parameters, wherein, Command the at least one actuator at least in part based on the filtered hybrid vehicle parameter.

26. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 25, wherein, The command is configured to control the heave and / or pitch of the vehicle.

27. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 26, wherein, Obtaining the tuning parameter includes receiving a user input of a vehicle mode, wherein the tuning parameter is based on the vehicle mode.

28. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 27, wherein, The tuning parameter is a first tuning parameter, wherein the hybrid vehicle parameter is a first hybrid vehicle parameter, and wherein the method further includes: Changing the first tuning parameter to a second tuning parameter; Determining a second hybrid vehicle parameter at least in part based on the second tuning parameter, the first vehicle parameter, and the second vehicle parameter; and Commanding the at least one actuator to apply a force between at least one of the plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies and the chassis and / or body at least in part based on the second hybrid vehicle parameter, wherein the command at least in part based on the second hybrid vehicle parameter changes the vehicle's response to a road event relative to the command at least in part based on the first hybrid vehicle parameter.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform the method according to any one of claims 15 to 28.

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