Dynamic ground hook control in vehicle using active suspension system

Abstract

A vehicle may include a body, a plurality of wheels, an active suspension system operatively coupled to the plurality of wheels and the body, and at least one processor configured to control the active suspension system. The at least one processor may be configured to: determine a first force command based on a vehicle body parameter; determining a second force command based on the body parameter and the suspension parameter; determining a mixing ratio based on the first force command; determining a third force command based at least in part on the mix ratio, the first force command, and the second force command; and commanding the at least one actuator to apply a force between at least one of the plurality of wheels and the vehicle body based at least in part on the third force command.

Description

[0001] Related Applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Application Serial No. 63 / 438,134, filed on January 10, 2023, and U.S. Application Serial No. 63 / 405,645, filed on September 12, 2022, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Technical Field

[0003] The disclosed embodiments relate to dynamic ground hook control and related methods in vehicles using an active suspension system. Background Art

[0004] Suspension systems are generally designed to properly support and orient a vehicle, provide safe handling in various expected operating environments, and ensure a comfortable ride for occupants. Conventional suspension systems are typically passive, where the operating and performance parameters are substantially constant. Some suspension systems are semi-active, as their overall response can be adjusted by changing the damping force applied by these semi-active systems, e.g., to provide a trade-off between occupant comfort and vehicle handling. Fully active suspension systems use actuators to react to changing road conditions using a combination of active and damping forces according to an operating mode, controlling the active and damping forces using inputs from sensors and other measurement devices. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In some embodiments, a vehicle includes a body, a plurality of wheels, and an active suspension system operatively coupled to the plurality of wheels and 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 in at least one operating mode; and at least one processor configured to control the active suspension system. The at least one processor is configured to: determine a first force command based on body parameters; determine a second force command based on body parameters and suspension parameters; determine a mixing ratio based on the first force command; determine a third force command at least in part based on the mixing ratio, the first force command, and the second force command; and command the at least one actuator to apply a force between at least one of the plurality of wheels and the body at least in part based on the third force command.

[0006] In some embodiments, a method of controlling a vehicle includes: determining a first force command based on body parameters; determining a second force command based on body parameters and suspension parameters; determining a mixing ratio based on the first force command; determining a third force command at least in part based on the mixing ratio, the first force command, and the second force command; and commanding at least one actuator of the active suspension system to apply an active force between at least one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle and the body of the vehicle at least in part based on the third force command.

[0007] It should be understood that the foregoing concepts and additional concepts discussed below can be arranged in any suitable combination, as the present disclosure is not limited in this regard. Additionally, when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, other advantages and novel features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of various non-limiting embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The drawings are not necessarily to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component shown in various figures may be represented by the same reference numeral. For clarity purposes, each component may not be labeled in every figure. In the drawings:

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a vehicle including an active suspension system;

[0010] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vehicle under body isolation control;

[0011] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vehicle under road tracking control;

[0012] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vehicle under combined body isolation and road tracking control;

[0013] Figure 5 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a vehicle control system;

[0014] Figure 6 is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for controlling a vehicle;

[0015] Figure 7 is a flowchart of another embodiment of a method for controlling a vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] In a conventional vehicle, a vehicle suspension can be responsible for controlling multiple vehicle motion parameters. Such vehicle motion parameters can include, but are not limited to, roll, heave, pitch, and yaw. In some cases, an active suspension can be employed in the vehicle to provide active control of one or more of these or other vehicle motion parameters. In some cases, an active suspension system that provides excellent comfort isolation control on small road inputs may suffer poor performance on large road events (e.g., hills, dips, large bumps, etc.), where, for example, the amplitude of the road event exceeds the capabilities of the suspension travel. In some cases, an active suspension system can be employed to isolate the vehicle body from external disturbances (e.g., skyhook control) such that, despite the external disturbances, the center of mass of the vehicle body remains at a substantially constant or effectively substantially constant height. Such vehicle control may sometimes cause the wheels of the vehicle to reach the end of their travel (e.g., exceed a wheel travel threshold) because the isolation control uses an excessive amount of suspension travel to compensate for large amplitude road events. Reaching the end of travel can result in a sudden transfer of noise or force to the vehicle body, which may be undesirable. Accordingly, the inventors have recognized a need to use an active suspension system for isolation control of the vehicle body to accommodate conditions that occur on the road surface and thereby avoid reaching the end of the suspension travel. The inventors have also recognized the benefits of a vehicle body isolation control method that is robust to work effectively over a wide range of road surfaces and for various road events, thereby maintaining user comfort while avoiding the suspension system reaching the end of travel.

[0017] In addition to the above, the inventors also understand, for example, the challenges of attempting to predict and compensate for a vehicle's future movement in the absence of, for example, forward-looking information. Conventional suspension systems may apply constant control methods which, while still effectively applicable to all conditions that may be encountered on a road network, may reduce the overall performance of the suspension system. In contrast, the inventors of the present application have recognized the benefits of a control method that (e.g., in the absence of forward-looking information) uses current information to adapt to different road conditions to improve suspension performance. In particular, the inventors have recognized the benefits of providing enhanced body isolation for a greater variety of road conditions, for example, by using information previously measured related to the road surface. For example, the inventors have recognized that, when encountering, for example, a hill or a slope, a suspension system control method that operates well for isolating small bumps may not work well. According to this example, an isolation control module operating without forward-looking information may initially incorrectly conclude, based on current information, that a hill is a small bump, resulting in a suspension response that is not at all suitable for the hill (e.g., reaching the end of the stroke, tipping the body, etc.). The inventors have recognized this problem, and the systems and methods of the exemplary embodiments herein provide a technical solution for suspension control for improved isolation control in various road conditions. However, it should be understood that it is also contemplated to implement instances of the systems and methods disclosed herein with a vehicle assisted by forward-looking sensors during the current road traversal or by information about the road ahead of the vehicle collected during a previous road traversal.

[0018] In view of the above, the inventors have recognized the benefits of a vehicle control system that dynamically mixes body isolation of the vehicle control system with road tracking control outputs. On a road surface with small amplitude road events (e.g., events that result in a suspension response less than reaching the end of travel), the mixing can be biased towards body isolation control (e.g., skyhook control), which can improve passenger comfort by reducing or eliminating overall body movement due to vibrations imposed on the body by disturbances from various types of road events. On a road surface with large amplitude road events (e.g., events that may result in a suspension response equal to or greater than reaching the end of travel), the mixing can be biased towards road tracking control (e.g., groundhook control). Road tracking control can be aimed at maintaining the body at a determined height relative to the road surface profile. Road tracking control can prevent end-of-travel events within the active suspension. The mixing between body isolation control (e.g., skyhook) and road tracking control (e.g., groundhook) may result in a controller that can dynamically switch between a rigid body isolation control (e.g., rigid skyhook) that is more beneficial for body isolation and a weak body isolation control (e.g., weak skyhook) that is more beneficial for road tracking control. Such a vehicle control system can provide robust comfort control over a range of road surfaces and can help avoid the occurrence of end-of-suspension-travel events without significantly reducing user comfort. Additionally, such a vehicle control system can be simply implemented and, in some embodiments, may not necessarily require direct monitoring of the position of the suspension system relative to its range of motion to achieve the desired reduction in the number and / or intensity of end-of-travel events.

[0019] In some embodiments, a vehicle may include a body, a plurality of wheels, and an active suspension system operatively coupled to the plurality of wheels and the body. The active suspension system may include at least one actuator configured to apply an active force to at least one of the plurality of wheels in at least one operating mode. The vehicle may include at least one processor configured to control the active suspension system and, in particular, to control the active force and / or damping force applied by the active suspension system between the wheels and the body to affect the response of the vehicle chassis or body when traveling along a road surface. In some embodiments, the at least one processor may operate a first suspension control module and a second suspension control module. The suspension control modules may operate based on one or more inputs, where the output of each suspension control module is a force command that can be used to command the at least one actuator to apply an active force and / or damping force between the body and the wheels. The first suspension control module may be an isolation control module and may provide a first force command based at least in part on inputs including body parameters (e.g., body speed). Thus, the first force command may be a force command designed to avoid body movement when the vehicle encounters road features (e.g., bumps, potholes, etc.) that may cause body movement (e.g., skyhook control). The second suspension control module may be a tracking control module and may provide a second force command based at least in part on inputs including body parameters and / or suspension parameters (e.g., suspension speed). Thus, the second force command may be a force command designed to hold the body at a fixed position (in the vertical direction) relative to the ground, with limited isolation from external disturbances (e.g., groundhook control or weak skyhook control).

[0020] The inventors have recognized that multiple force commands (e.g., the first and second force commands described above) may be mixed by the at least one processor according to a mixing ratio to produce a mixed (e.g., third) force command that can be used to operate the at least one actuator of the active suspension system. In some embodiments, the mixing ratio may vary based on the output of the first suspension control module, such that the relative weighting of the first and second forces, for example, used to provide the mixed (e.g., third) force, changes. For example, a large increase in the output of the first force controller module may be associated with a large disturbance such as a hill rather than a smaller disturbance such as a bump, and thus the mixing ratio may be adjusted to more heavily weight the second force from the output of the second suspension control module to provide the mixed force command. In this way, a combination of isolation control and ground tracking control may be dynamically and automatically adopted based on the output of the isolation control module to improve overall isolation performance while helping to avoid or eliminate undesirable events such as reaching the end of wheel travel (e.g., exceeding a threshold wheel travel).

[0021] According to the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein, an isolation control module (e.g., a first control module) can be adjusted to provide a first level (e.g., maximum) of isolation of the vehicle chassis or body from road inputs. The control objective of the isolation control module can be to avoid the vertical acceleration of the body for one or more motion parameters of the body (e.g., heave, pitch, roll, etc.). Such isolation control can be referred to as "skyhook" control. Skyhook control can be implemented to keep the body flat while absorbing road inputs with the suspension travel. In some implementations, this control strategy can work well in an active suspension system when there is sufficient suspension travel to allow the force commands requested by the isolation control module. However, as discussed above, during large road inputs, this type of control module may cause excessive suspension travel and thus be vulnerable to end-stop impacts (e.g., the wheel reaches the end of the suspension travel). In some embodiments, the suspension travel range of the vehicle can be ±7 cm (a total suspension travel of 14 cm from end to end). In other embodiments, any suspension travel range can be employed on the vehicle, including ranges greater than or less than ±7 cm. Compared with the isolation control module, a tracking control module (e.g., a second control module) can be adjusted to include some "groundhook control" to provide a reduced level of isolation of the body from road inputs. In contrast, groundhook control can work to keep the body at a set distance from the underlying road surface. Thus, in some embodiments, the tracking control module can be configured to provide a moderate level of isolation of the body from road inputs but with reduced suspension travel. In some embodiments, to avoid sudden transitions in suspension control, the contribution of the groundhook control can be made less sudden by using a non-linear gain curve. Additionally, in some embodiments, the tracking control module can provide greater damping during rebound compared to compression.

[0022] It should be noted that although the isolation control module and the tracking control module can be described herein as implementing skyhook control or groundhook control respectively, in some embodiments, the control module can implement a hybrid of skyhook control and groundhook control. In some such embodiments, the isolation control module can weight skyhook control more heavily compared to groundhook control. In some embodiments, the tracking control module can weight groundhook control more heavily compared to skyhook control.

[0023] To help achieve relative weighting of different suspension control modules, the inventors have recognized the benefits of a hybrid module that includes appropriate decision logic for mixing the outputs of an isolation controller module and a tracking controller module. The mixing of the outputs of the two control modules can be determined, for example, by monitoring the magnitude and frequency characteristics of the isolation control force. This method relies on the property that the output of the isolation control module is strongly correlated with the suspension travel. When the isolation control module output (e.g., force command) is small or short in duration, full isolation control can be achieved. However, when the isolation control module output (e.g., force command) is large, an extended tracking control period can be achieved according to the mixing ratio. The mixing ratio can be formulated, for example, and automatically calculated based on information from the isolation control module and / or other inputs regarding the vehicle. In this way, the overall control of the vehicle's active suspension can vary in real time to accommodate small road features for isolation (e.g., bumps, potholes, etc.) or compensate for large road features (e.g., hills), while avoiding undesired events such as reaching the wheel travel end (e.g., exceeding the wheel travel threshold). Although the embodiments herein describe an isolation control module and a tracking control module, the methods described herein can be applied to combine the outputs of any number of control modules. That is, the embodiments described herein can be applied to various combinations of control modules associated with various parameters.

[0024] In some embodiments, a mixing ratio can be employed to represent the transition between the isolation control module and the tracking control module. In some embodiments, the mixing ratio can be a value representing the contribution of the output from one or more of the control modules to the overall force command. For example, the mixing ratio can be the ratio of tracking control to isolation control, where, in some embodiments, the mixing ratio can be between 0 and 1 or equal to 0 and 1. In such embodiments, 0 can indicate full isolation module control (e.g., the overall force command output equals the isolation control module force command output), while 1 indicates full tracking module control (e.g., the overall force command output equals the tracking control module force command output). Of course, different ranges of mixing ratios greater and smaller than the above range can also be used.

[0025] In some embodiments, the mixing ratio can be adjusted via a notch filter, a PI filter, and / or a deadband parameter further described herein. Such modifiers can shape the desired sensitivity to different frequency and amplitude content for different control modules. In some embodiments, a mixing ratio can be employed to create a linear blend of the tracking control module output force and the isolation control module output force to generate an overall force command. In some cases, this can create a composite force signal that provides a robust comfort pattern over a variety of road surfaces while reducing or minimizing end-of-stroke events. In other embodiments, the mixing ratio can be non-linear, polynomial, or represent another relationship that combines the outputs of the two controllers into an overall output. For example, in some embodiments, the mixing ratio can represent a weight or scaling between the force commands of the two controllers to generate an overall force command. The mixing ratio value can vary linearly based on the first control module output, non-linearly based on the first control module output, and / or can vary based on another function of the first control module output.

[0026] In some embodiments, because the original mixing ratio is a function of the instantaneous isolation force command, the original mixing ratio can change rapidly. Accordingly, the inventors have recognized the benefit of suppressing the repetitive cycling between full tracking and full isolation control with a hold / hit module. In some embodiments, when a threshold output from the first control module is detected, the hold / hit module can set the mixing ratio to a predetermined level for a threshold time period. For example, the hold / hit module can set the mixing ratio to provide a full tracking state (e.g., with zero contribution from the isolation control module) for a suitable time period during a large event (e.g., greater than or equal to 1 second). In some embodiments, the mixing ratio can be further smoothed by implementing a low-pass filter to avoid repetitive cycling. The low-pass filter can remove high-frequency content that may undesirably contribute to the filtered mixing ratio used to determine the overall mixed force output.

[0027] In some embodiments, the inputs of the various control modules described herein can be provided by one or more vehicle sensors 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 and / or preview information) from which force commands can be determined by a control module (e.g., via proportional, integral, and / or derivative control). The sensors can provide information associated with different vehicle components, including, for example, wheels, suspension components, 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, an accelerometer can be disposed on the vehicle body, and the accelerometer can provide body acceleration information or body velocity information (e.g., via integration of the acceleration). In some embodiments, information from one or more accelerometers on the vehicle body can be used to determine the heave velocity, pitch velocity, and roll velocity of the 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 stroke direction, such as the vertical direction) and suspension velocity information (e.g., via integration of the acceleration). In some embodiments, information from one or more accelerometers on the suspension can be used to determine the heave velocity, pitch velocity, and roll velocity of the suspension relative to the road surface, each of which is a parameter that can be used for groundhook control. Other sensors (including encoders, potentiometers, and / or other suitable types of sensors on any suitable part of the vehicle) can also be employed to sense position, velocity, and / or acceleration information of vehicle-associated parts. In some embodiments, a suspension actuator can provide feedback information to the control module about the force output, position, velocity, and / or acceleration of the suspension actuator. Given the foregoing, any suitable inputs and sensors can be employed as inputs to the controller described herein, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0028] In some embodiments, the control module described herein may be a vehicle level control module. That is, the control module may output an overall force command for the suspension system to execute. The suspension may include one or more actuators, and the overall force command may be distributed to the individual actuators to achieve the overall force command of the vehicle body and the desired overall response. In some embodiments, the methods described herein may be applicable to controlling the vehicle at each corner or each actuator level after a blending process described in accordance with the exemplary embodiments herein. Corresponding to the described vehicle level control, in some embodiments, the inputs to the control module described herein may also be at the vehicle level. For example, in some embodiments, information from a single sensor (e.g., associated with a single wheel or actuator) may be combined with information from other sensors to provide overall information about the motion of the entire vehicle body or the entire vehicle suspension system. For example, the individual inputs regarding the suspension system associated with a single wheel may be averaged with the other wheels of the vehicle to obtain an average per corner input provided to the vehicle level controller. Any suitable method of combining information from multiple sensors may be employed to obtain the overall information provided to the control module, including but not limited to summing, averaging, or other matrix multiplication. In accordance with some embodiments herein, a control method including a blending ratio may be implemented to control the heave and / or pitch of the vehicle body. In some embodiments, the overall force command may be configured to modify the heave and / or pitch motion of the vehicle body, and the overall force command may be distributed to the individual actuators to achieve the overall control objective. In other embodiments, the control methods described herein may be employed to control other vehicle motion parameters such as vehicle body roll, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0029] In some embodiments, a vehicle may include a user interface through which a user may provide user input to affect the control of the vehicle. For example, the user interface may include a touch screen, buttons, switches, a microphone (e.g., for receiving voice commands), etc. In some embodiments, the user interface may be configured to receive input from the user, and the input from the user may be used to update one or more parameters for controlling the vehicle. For example, in some embodiments, the user interface may be configured to receive user input. Then, the user input as discussed herein may be at least partially used to determine a mixture ratio. According to such an example, the user may provide input regarding operation mode selection (e.g., comfort, sport, etc.). Based on the mode selection, the determination of the mixture ratio may change. For example, in comfort mode, the mixture ratio determination may be set to be more favorable for isolation control mode to increase body isolation. For example, in sport mode, the mixture ratio determination may be set to be more favorable for tracking control mode to introduce increased motion to the body to more closely track changes in road surface height to provide increased driving feedback, e.g., more of a sports car feel. In some cases, the formula for mixture ratio determination and / or one or more parameters in the formula for mixture ratio determination may be updated based on the received user input. In some embodiments, the formula for mixture ratio determination and / or one or more parameters in the formula for mixture ratio determination may be updated based on information from the user and / or identification of the driver and / or occupants of the vehicle. For example, an occupant may be prone to motion sickness such that when the occupant is identified, the formula is updated to favor control strategies that avoid body motions associated with motion sickness. In some embodiments, the vehicle control system may determine the identity of the driver or occupant by detecting a credential (e.g., a key, a phone, an RFID, etc.) associated with a particular driver or occupant. In some embodiments, the driver or occupant may identify themselves (e.g., via user input at a graphical user interface). In some embodiments, the driver or occupant may be identified by detecting a biometric by a biometric sensor (e.g., face recognition by a camera device, fingerprint recognition by a fingerprint sensor, etc.). In some embodiments, other methods of identifying the driver and / or occupant may also be implemented.

[0030] Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, the vehicle may include at least one forward-looking sensor. The at least one forward-looking sensor may be configured to obtain forward-looking information regarding upcoming road conditions, road events, or road features. In some embodiments, the at least one forward-looking sensor may include one or more of a LIDAR sensor, a camera device, a radar sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a terrain-based navigation system, and / or any other suitable forward-looking sensor. In some embodiments, the mixing ratio may be determined based on the forward-looking information obtained by the forward-looking sensor. For example, the forward-looking information may indicate small road features (e.g., bumps or potholes) that can be fully compensated by the isolation control module. According to this example, the mixing ratio may be determined to favor the isolation control module. As an alternative example, the forward-looking information may indicate large road features (e.g., hills) that cannot be fully compensated by the isolation control module. According to this example, the mixing ratio may be determined to incorporate additional output from the tracking control module into the overall output (e.g., force command). In this way, the forward-looking information may optionally be incorporated into the methods described herein to improve the amount of body isolation that can be provided while still accommodating changing road conditions that cannot be fully compensated by the isolation control module.

[0031] According to an exemplary embodiment herein, "skyhook" may refer to a control that attempts to isolate the vehicle body from external disturbances regardless of the profile of the underlying road surface. For example, under perfect or effectively perfect skyhook control, the vehicle body may not experience acceleration or may experience virtually no acceleration during roll, pitch, and / or heave. It should be understood that when skyhook control is implemented by an actual active suspension system, depending on the amplitude and frequency of the vehicle's road input corresponding to features on the road surface, the active suspension system may only mitigate a portion of the road input such that the vehicle body still experiences some force / acceleration due to the road input. However, this force / acceleration may be reduced compared to the case where skyhook control is not applied.

[0032] According to an exemplary embodiment herein, "groundhook" may refer to a control that attempts to maintain a fixed distance or an effectively fixed distance between the vehicle body and the underlying road surface. For example, the distance between the wheel and the vehicle body under perfect groundhook control may remain constant. It should be understood that when groundhook control is implemented by an actual active suspension system, depending on the amplitude and frequency of the vehicle's road input corresponding to features on the road surface, the active suspension system cannot maintain a constant distance between the vehicle body and the road surface. Instead, some variation from the target distance may be experienced, although these variations from the target distance may be mitigated compared to the case where groundhook control is not applied.

[0033] In some embodiments, variations of skyhook and groundhook can be implemented. For example, "rigid" can refer to the control module being more inclined towards the perfect form of its control objective, while "weak" can refer to the controller being weaker and more inclined towards other forms of control. For example, for a given active suspension system, a "rigid skyhook" controller may attempt to achieve as much perfect skyhook control as possible (e.g., provide the maximum level of body isolation for the active suspension system). In some embodiments, a "rigid skyhook" can achieve skyhook control at frequencies as low as 0.2 Hz. As an alternative example, a "weak skyhook" controller can implement some skyhook control but can also implement some groundhook control. In some embodiments, a "weak skyhook" can achieve skyhook control at frequencies as low as 1 Hz, with a gain that is less than the gain of the "rigid skyhook" controller. In some embodiments, the tracking control module can be a weak skyhook controller to achieve some groundhook control while maintaining some isolation of the body. In some embodiments, skyhook control and groundhook control and their variations can be implemented to at least partially control the heave and / or pitch of the vehicle. In some embodiments, skyhook control and groundhook control can also at least partially control the roll of the vehicle.

[0034] According to embodiments herein, a vehicle may include a body and one or more wheels (e.g., four wheels) supporting the body. The vehicle may include an active suspension system operatively disposed between the one or more wheels and the body. The active suspension system may be configured to adjust a normal force between any one or more of the vehicle's wheels and the ground by applying a force (e.g., via a tire) between the wheel and the chassis or body of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the active suspension system may be configured to generate extension or compression of a main spring of a suspension assembly. The force applied between the wheel and the body may be transferred to the body by the active suspension system to allow the active suspension system to control one or more motion parameters of the body. Vehicle motion parameters may include, but are not limited to, rotation about various axes (e.g., roll and pitch). Vehicle motion parameters may also include, but are not limited to, translation 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 supporting surface (e.g., a plane) beneath 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 discussed further below, the active suspension system may control one or more vehicle motion parameters of the vehicle's body by applying an active or passive force between the body and the one or more wheels. 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 one of the methods 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 body. In some embodiments, the at least one processor may operate as part of one or more control modules of the vehicle.

[0035] In some embodiments, an active suspension system is operatively disposed between one or more wheels of a vehicle and the vehicle body. The active suspension system can include one or more actuators associated with one or more wheels. For example, the active suspension system can include at least one actuator at each wheel of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the actuators of the active suspension system include a hydraulic device operatively 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 a fixed displacement, a variable displacement, a fixed speed, and / or a 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 such that it functions as a generator to provide damping to a hydraulic actuator while also generating electrical energy in at least one operating mode. The electric motor / generator can also drive the hydraulic device acting as a pump to create a fluid flow to drive the operation of the actuator and / or resist the movement of the piston of the actuator in at least one operating mode. According to a particular embodiment, the electric motor / generator can operate as only a generator, only a drive motor, and / or as both 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, dynamos, or any other type of device capable of converting electrical power into rotational motion and / or converting rotational motion into electrical power. The actuator can be configured to apply an active force and / or a passive force (which can also be referred to herein as a damping force) between a wheel of the vehicle and the chassis or body of the vehicle. The application of the active force and / or the passive force can be used to control the movement of the vehicle 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 passive force to one or more wheels and the chassis or body of the vehicle.

[0036] Although the actuators of the active suspension system disclosed above are 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 can also be used. For example, electric actuators (such as solenoid-based actuators, actuators using linear motors, hydraulic actuators 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) can be used with the various embodiments disclosed herein, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0037] As used herein, an "active force" is a force generated by a vehicle suspension system, and the "active force" is at least partially oriented in the direction of motion at the point where the force is applied to an associated structure. For example, an active force can include applying a force to a wheel in the direction of motion of the wheel via an active suspension system actuator. As used herein, a "passive force", "damping force", or other similar term can be a force that is applied to a structure at least partially in a direction opposite to the motion at the point where the force is applied. For example, a suspension system actuator can generate a damping force (e.g., a force that resists the movement of the wheel and / or the vehicle body) in response to the wheel moving over a road feature, but it should be noted that an active suspension system can also apply a damping force that resists the motion of an associated mass. For example, in some embodiments, an actuator can apply a damping force at least partially in a direction 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) can apply an active force and / or a passive force depending on the operating mode of the vehicle system. For example, an active suspension system can operate in a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode, an actuator is used to apply an active force to one or more parts of the vehicle (e.g., the vehicle body and wheels), and in the second mode, only a passive force is applied in response to an external force input to the vehicle. In some operating modes, a vehicle system including an active suspension system can generate both an active force and a passive force.

[0038] As used herein, a "road event" is any event that can occur when a vehicle is traveling on a roadway. In some embodiments, a road event can include encountering a road feature. A "road feature" is any non-nominal road condition that can be encountered when a vehicle is traveling on a road surface. For example, road features can include, but are not limited to, a rough road surface, 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., traversing a corner). In some embodiments, a road event can include a braking event. A braking event is any situation or time period in which one or more brakes of a vehicle are applied, for example, to decelerate or stop the vehicle or to decelerate the vehicle by applying a drag to one or more rotating components in a drive. A braking event can have any duration, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, a braking event can include a single application of a brake or multiple applications of a brake, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0039] According to the exemplary embodiments described herein, a vehicle control system, a control module, or other suitable systems may be operated by one or more processors. The one or more processors may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in volatile or non-volatile memory. The one or more processors may communicate with one or more actuators associated with various systems of the vehicle (e.g., a braking system, an active suspension system, a steering system, a rear steering system, a driver assistance system, etc.) to control the activation and movement of the various systems of the vehicle. The one or more processors may receive information from one or more sensors that provide feedback regarding the various systems of the vehicle. For example, the one or more processors may receive position information regarding the vehicle from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) or other positioning system. On-vehicle sensors may include, but are not limited to, wheel rotation 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 manner, the vehicle control system may implement proportional control, integral control, derivative control, combinations thereof (e.g., PID control), or other control strategies of the various systems of the vehicle. Other feedback or feedforward control schemes are also contemplated, and the present disclosure is not limited in this regard. Any desired number of any suitable sensors may be employed to provide feedback information to the one or more processors. Information from the sensors may be used in conjunction with desired processing techniques (e.g., machine vision). The one or more processors may also communicate with other controllers, 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 may be used as part of the vehicle, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0040] It should be understood that, as used herein, the body may refer to any suitable type of body construction, including but not limited to: a unitary, one-piece, or monocoque body construction; a body including a separately formed vehicle chassis attached to other parts of the body; and / or any other suitable type of body construction that serves as the sprung mass attached to the suspension system of the vehicle. Additionally, it should be understood that references to the body disclosed herein may be replaced with a vehicle chassis, and it should be understood that, where the context permits, references to the operating parameters and physical characteristics of the body and the vehicle chassis may be used interchangeably in any of the embodiments disclosed herein, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0041] Turning to the drawings, specific non - limiting embodiments are described in more detail. It should be understood that the various systems, components, features, and methods described in relation to these embodiments can be used alone and / or in any desired combination, as the present disclosure is not limited to only the specific embodiments described herein.

[0042] Figure 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a vehicle 100. The vehicle includes a body 102 that supports various components of the vehicle. The vehicle 100 includes a first wheel 106A and a second wheel 106B that are operatively coupled to the body 102. The first wheel 106A and the second wheel 106B can be coupled to a propulsion system (e.g., an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, etc.). The body 102 can represent the sprung mass of the vehicle that bounces off the first wheel 106A and the second wheel 106B. The first wheel 106A and the second wheel 106B can be two of the unsprung masses in the unsprung mass of the vehicle. Although Figure 1 the embodiment shows two wheels, in some embodiments, the vehicle can include two, three, four, five, six, or any other number of wheels, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Figure 1 The vehicle has a center of mass 104, which can represent the center point about which the body 102 can rotate (e.g., pitch, roll, and yaw).

[0043] As Figure 1 shown, the vehicle 100 includes a vehicle control system 200 that can communicate with various subsystems via a communication system 201. As Figure 1 shown, the vehicle 100 includes an active suspension system 107 that is operatively disposed between the first wheel 106A and the second wheel 106B (e.g., unsprung mass) of the vehicle and the body 102 (e.g., sprung mass). In some embodiments, the first wheel 106A and the second wheel 106B can represent 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 that can be operatively disposed between each wheel 106A, 106B of the vehicle and the body, such that individual actuators of the active suspension can independently control the movement of individual wheels 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 may be configured to apply a force between the wheels 106A, 106B and the vehicle body 102 to adjust the normal force component between the wheels and the road surface 300 by applying an intervening active extension or compression force between the wheel or wheel assembly and the vehicle body. Such force application by the actuators 108A, 108B may affect the motion response of the vehicle body 102 and, in particular, one or more vehicle motion parameters.

[0044] 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 may be coupled to the first wheel 106A, and the second brake 110B may be coupled to the second wheel 106B. In Figure 1 an embodiment, the braking system includes independent brakes coupled to each of the wheels 106A, 106B such that braking force may be independently applied to each wheel.

[0045] As Figure 1 shown, the vehicle may traverse on the road surface 300. The road surface 300 may include one or more road features 302. When the wheels traverse over a road feature and pass through the road feature (e.g., by accelerating the wheels upward and / or downward), the road feature 302 may cause fluctuations in the normal load on the wheels 106A and / or 106B of the vehicle 100. In some embodiments, the road feature 302 may generate a vehicle body motion response based on one or more vehicle motion parameters of the vehicle body 102. For example, the road feature 302 may introduce a roll motion, a pitch motion, a heave motion, or a twist motion in the vehicle body 102 that may be perceivable by a user of the vehicle 100. The vehicle control system 200 may control the active suspension system 107 and the forces applied by each of the actuators 108A, 108B to provide a desired vehicle motion response characterized by one or more vehicle motion parameters (e.g., heave, pitch, roll, etc.). As discussed further below, force commands may be assigned to the different actuators 108A, 108B of the active suspension system 107 to provide a desired level of isolation of the vehicle body 102 from disturbances, thereby improving user comfort and / or properly tracking the road surface.

[0046] According to Figure 1In an embodiment, wheels 106A, 106B may have movement ranges 112A, 112B relative to the vehicle body 102 provided by the active suspension system 107. That is, wheels 106A, 106B may be able to move a certain distance to compensate for or mitigate the effects of disturbances caused by road features 302. At the ends of the movement ranges 112A, 112B, the suspension system may reach end stops of the vehicle body 102 that stop further movement of the wheels in their current direction of movement. In most cases, contact with the end stops may be undesirable because forces and resulting vibrations can be transmitted directly between wheels 106A, 106B and the vehicle body 102 without being mitigated by the active suspension system 107. In some embodiments, the end stops may have some shock absorption, but the shock absorption may be limited. Thus, as previously discussed, the inventors have recognized the benefits of the active suspension system 107, which may utilize the movement ranges 112A, 112B of the wheels 106A, 106B to provide vehicle body 102 isolation while avoiding wheel travel end events that may disturb vehicle occupants. Such exemplary active suspension systems and related methods will be discussed further below. In some other embodiments, the movement ranges 112A, 112B may not be physical movement ranges but rather movement ranges implemented by limits set by the vehicle control system 200.

[0047] It should be noted that, for illustrative purposes, Figure 1Vehicle. Vehicle 100 may include any number of systems that affect vehicle dynamics and its response to disturbances from road feature 302. User input devices such as steering, throttle, and brakes may affect the vehicle's response 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 a particular action (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 in the presence of traction loss to help steer the vehicle where the driver intends to go. The ABS is configured to inhibit wheel lockup and skidding. Vehicle control system 200 may receive multiple inputs from various 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, data from a local or remote database, or any combination of the above. 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 of vehicle control system 200 are discussed further below.

[0048] In as Figure 1In some of the embodiments shown, vehicle 100 may include a real-time communication system 201 that enables communication between various subsystems and the vehicle output. 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 position, steering wheel torque (if brakes are applied), suspension spring compression or extension, body heave speed, and wheel heave speed (e.g., suspension 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) involved during an abnormal event. For example, if one or more systems are involved, the system may provide different control of the wheels and the vehicle.

[0049] In some embodiments, the active suspension system 107 may sense several parameters related to road, wheel, and body movement, as well as other parameters that may be beneficial to other vehicle subsystems. Such information may be transmitted 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 transmitted 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 transmission. In some embodiments, the communication system 201 may include a transceiver configured to send or receive information. In some embodiments, the transceiver may be configured to receive reference road information from another vehicle or a cloud service (e.g., one or more servers). The transceiver may be configured to communicate wirelessly via any suitable wireless protocol, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0050] In some embodiments, the vehicle control system 200 may include a front view sensor 116. The front view sensor may sense road characteristics, road features, or objects in front of the vehicle 100, and the road characteristics, road features, or objects may be provided as front view road information to the vehicle control system (e.g., at least one processor of the vehicle control system). In some embodiments, the front view sensor 116 may include one or more of a LIDAR sensor, a camera device, a radar sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or any other suitable front view sensor. In some embodiments, the front view information obtained by the front view sensor may be provided to a processor for controlling the vehicle (e.g., determining a mixture ratio). In Figure 1 embodiments, the vehicle control system may further include reference road information that may be stored in the vehicle's on-board memory. In some embodiments, the front view information may be used to control the vehicle 100, e.g., to reduce or eliminate undesired movement of the vehicle body 102.

[0051] In some embodiments, the vehicle may include a user interface 118 through which a user may provide user input to affect the control of the vehicle. In Figure 1 embodiments, the user interface 118 may include a touch screen of an infotainment unit. In other embodiments, the user interface may include a touch screen, a steering wheel, buttons, switches, a microphone (e.g., for voice commands), pedals, or any other suitable input device. The user interface 118 may be configured to receive input from the user, and the input may be used to update one or more parameters to control various subsystems of the vehicle, including the active suspension system. In some embodiments, the user may provide user input at the user interface 118 to select an operation mode (e.g., comfort, sport, etc.). Based on the selected mode, various control parameters of the vehicle may be changed, including but not limited to engine regulation, throttle response, brake response, steering response, and suspension control. For example, the user input may be used to update parameters that affect the determination of the forces to be applied by the actuators 108A, 108B of the active suspension system 107.

[0052] In some embodiments, the vehicle control system 200 is configured to control various vehicle subsystems including the active suspension system 107. In particular, 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 actuators 108A, 108B of the active suspension system to control vehicle motion parameters of the vehicle body 102. For example, the vehicle control system 200 can command actuators 108A, 108B to generate forces and / or movement of wheels 106A, 106B to achieve a desired motion of the vehicle body 102 that is perceptible to vehicle occupants or isolation. In one mode of operation, the vehicle control system 200 commands actuators 108A, 108B to isolate the vehicle body from accelerations caused by external disturbances (e.g., caused by road feature 302). In such a mode of operation, wheels 106A, 106B can move relative to the vehicle body 102 within their respective motion ranges 112A, 112B to at least partially compensate for forces caused by road feature 302 or forces caused by inertial forces induced by the acceleration of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the vehicle control system 200 can include one or more controllers that can contribute to the overall force commands for commanding actuators 108A, 108B. Refer to Figures 2 to 3 Further discuss an exemplary individual controller and its impact on the control of the motion parameters of the vehicle body 102. Refer to Figure 4 Further discuss the combination or mixing of multiple controller outputs and the impact of such combination on the control of the motion parameters of the vehicle body.

[0053] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of vehicle 100 under vehicle body isolation control. In Figure 2 the embodiment, the vehicle control system has implemented an isolation control module that may attempt to implement rigid skyhook control. That is, the vehicle control system attempts to avoid, minimize, or effectively eliminate the acceleration of the vehicle body 102 for one or more motion parameters (e.g., pitch, roll, and / or heave). For example, in the vertical heave direction, when the vehicle travels along a road surface, the vehicle control system may attempt to keep the center of mass 104 of the vehicle in a horizontal plane in certain modes. As Figure 2 shown, the isolation control line 114A represents the goal of the vehicle control system in controlling the heave motion parameter of the vehicle body 102 as the vehicle moves along the road surface 300. The isolation control line 114A is horizontal relative to the page such that the vehicle body 102 does not move up or down (e.g., in the heave direction) in response to road features. The isolation control line 114A can represent the heave motion parameter of the vehicle body, although the vehicle control system can similarly control other motion parameters. For example, vehicle body pitch (e.g., clockwise or counterclockwise rotation about the center of mass 104 relative to the page) can also have a goal of remaining constant, effectively constant, or substantially constant under rigid skyhook control.

[0054] As Figure 2As shown, the vehicle includes a first wheel 106A and a second wheel 106B that support the vehicle body 102 (and other sprung mass) on a road surface 300. The first wheel 106A and the second wheel 106B may be coupled to the vehicle body 102 via an active suspension system (e.g., see Figure 1 ). The first wheel 106A may be capable of moving relative to the vehicle body 102 within a first range of motion 112A. The position of the first wheel 106A within the first range of motion 112A may be controlled by active and passive components including, for example, an actuator and a spring. In particular, the first wheel 106A may be controlled via an actuator of the active suspension system, which may apply a force to the first wheel 106A to achieve a desired position of the first wheel relative to the vehicle body 102. The actuator may apply a force between the vehicle body 102 and the first wheel 106A to obtain the desired position and also apply a force to the vehicle body to control the movement of the vehicle body. Similarly, the second wheel 106B may be capable of moving relative to the vehicle body 102 within a second range of motion 112B. The position of the second wheel 106B within the second range of motion 112B may be controlled by active and passive components including an actuator and a spring. In particular, the second wheel 106B may be controlled via an actuator of the active suspension system, which may apply a force to the second wheel 106B to achieve a desired position of the second wheel relative to the vehicle body 102. The actuator may apply a force between the vehicle body 102 and the second wheel 106B to obtain the desired position and also apply a force to the vehicle body to control the movement of the vehicle body.

[0055] According to Figure 2For example, 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, effectively smooth, or nominal road surface that will exert a force on the vehicle 100 when the first wheel 106A and the second wheel 106B contact. In a conventional vehicle suspension, springs and dampers will reduce or delay the force transmission to the vehicle body 102. However, a fully passive suspension will transmit some force to the vehicle body 102, resulting in the deviation of the center of mass 104 from the ideal isolation control line 114A. In an active suspension system, the active force that resists the force exerted on the wheels by the road features 302A, 302B, 302C, 302D can reduce or eliminate the force exerted on the vehicle body 102, and the force exerted on the vehicle body 102 will cause deviation from the ideal isolation control line 114A. For example, the active suspension system can reduce the distance between the first wheel and the vehicle body (e.g., move the wheel upward) to compensate for the increased height of the first road feature, rather than maintaining a fixed distance between the first wheel 106A and the vehicle body 102 when the first wheel encounters the first road feature. However, as previously discussed, the ability of the active suspension system to compensate for road features depends at least in part on the range of motion of the vehicle's wheels and the amplitude and length of the specific road features. For example, road features with an amplitude smaller than the range of motion of the wheels can be compensated by the active suspension system, while road features with an amplitude larger than the range of motion of the wheels cannot be compensated by the active suspension. In addition, such road features may cause end-of-travel events (e.g., collision with an end stop). As an alternative example, road features with a length less than a threshold length and a corresponding threshold duration when traversing the road feature can be compensated by the active suspension without compromising the suspension's ability to compensate for future road features, while road features with a length greater than the threshold length or duration can be compensated (depending on the amplitude as previously described), but may compromise the active suspension system's ability to compensate for future road features or may otherwise affect the vehicle's dynamics. The length of the road feature can also correspond to the frequency of the force exerted on the vehicle. For example, compared to the higher frequency force of a pothole (at the same forward speed), a hill may cause a lower frequency force of the exerted force and can be compensated in different ways by the vehicle control system and the active suspension system disclosed herein.

[0056] As Figure 2 shown, the road surface 300 includes four road features 302A, 302B, 302C, 302D. The first road feature 302A has a first amplitude M1 and a first length L1. In some embodiments, the amplitude of the road feature can be measured as the vertical displacement from the average road surface (e.g., horizontal). In Figure 2In the example, the first amplitude M1 is respectively smaller than the first movement range 112A of the first wheel 106A and the second movement range 112B of the second wheel 106B. Therefore, the vehicle control system of the vehicle 100 can be capable of compensating for the influence of the first road feature 302A on the vehicle body and substantially maintaining the isolation control line 114A. The first length L1 is also smaller than the threshold length or duration, which can indicate instantaneous road features such as bumps, cracks, potholes, etc. compared to larger road features such as hills. Therefore, the active suspension system of the vehicle can be capable of controlling the suspension when the vehicle crosses the road feature to maintain the isolation control line 114A and returning the wheels 106A, 106B to their original positions once the first road feature is cleared. Similar to the first road feature 302A, the second road feature 302B has a second amplitude M2 that is smaller than the movement ranges 112A, 112B of the wheels 106A, 106B. The second length L2 of the second road feature is also smaller than the threshold length or duration. The third road feature 302C has the same amplitude and length as the first road feature 302A. The fourth road feature 302D has the same amplitude and length as the first road feature 302A. Therefore, the vehicle 100 can cross multiple road features while maintaining or substantially maintaining the isolation control line 114A and avoiding end-of-travel events. Therefore, in cases such as Figure 2 it may be possible or appropriate to implement isolation control with rigid skyhook control to completely isolate the vehicle body 102 from external disturbances, or at least as much as can be physically isolated using the active suspension system.

[0057] Figure 3 FIG. is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the vehicle 100 under road tracking control and represents a scenario different from Figure 2 the scenario of. In Figure 3 the scenario, the road surface 300 includes a fifth road feature 302E. The fifth road feature 302E can represent a hill or other large road feature. The fifth road feature includes a third amplitude M3, which is respectively greater than the movement ranges 112A, 112B of the first wheel 106A and / or the second wheel 106B. Therefore, the isolation control shown and described with reference to Figure 2 does not work in the scenario of Figure 3 because when attempting to compensate for the fifth road feature 302E, the first wheel 106A and the second wheel 106B may reach the end of travel (e.g., and contact the end stop). As shown in Figure 3 , the fifth road feature 302E also includes a third length L3, which is greater than the threshold length or duration. Therefore, the force generated by the interaction between the vehicle and the fifth road feature is related to Figure 2The force can be at a lower frequency compared to. In some embodiments, the threshold length can be the length traversed by the vehicle within a threshold time length greater than about 1 second (e.g., a frequency less than 1 Hz). However, other durations and / or frequencies less than or greater than this range are also contemplated, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0058] In Figure 3 embodiments, the vehicle 100 can employ a tracking control module that implements rigid ground hook control. In rigid ground hook control, the center of mass 104 of the vehicle can be controlled to maintain a fixed distance between the body of the vehicle and the road surface 300 that is at least as much as can be physically imposed by the active suspension system. In this way, forces generated by external disturbances such as the fifth road feature 302E can be transmitted to the body 102 via the first wheel 106A and the second wheel 106B. Figure 3 An exemplary tracking control line 114B is shown in, showing 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 fifth road feature 302E. Under the tracking control of Figure 3 , the first wheel 106A can be maintained at the center point (or other predetermined point) of its motion range 112A. Similarly, the second wheel 106B can be maintained at the center point (or other predetermined point) of its motion range 112B. Thus, as Figure 3 shown, the first wheel 106A and the second wheel 106B can avoid contact with the end stops under tracking control. It should be noted that, for illustrative purposes, Figure 3 rigid ground hook control is shown. In other embodiments, the vehicle may not implement rigid ground hook control, as force transmission from the road surface 300 to the body 102 may be undesirable. In such other embodiments, a weak ground hook can be employed, but with some compensation for the disturbance (e.g., by allowing wheel travel to at least partially absorb the disturbance).

[0059] As previously discussed, the inventors have recognized the benefits of a vehicle control system that dynamically mixes the isolation control shown in Figure 2 with the tracking control shown in Figure 3 . Such a vehicle control system can be capable of employing isolation control, as shown in Figure 2 , to at least partially or completely isolate the body from road features having an amplitude and / or length less than a predetermined threshold (e.g., the motion range of the wheels, or the threshold length or duration). However, in the case of encountering a road feature such as the fifth road feature 302E shown in Figure 3 , if the isolation control module is not specialized for all cases, the vehicle control system can also be capable of avoiding end-of-travel events.Figure 4 The results of such an exemplary mixing process are shown.

[0060] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of vehicle 100 under hybrid body isolation and road following control. As Figure 4 shown therein, the scenario is similar to Figure 3 the scenario of. That is, the road surface 300 includes a fifth road feature 302E having a third amplitude M3 and a third length L3. The amplitude M3 respectively exceeds the motion ranges 112A, 112B of the wheels 106A and 106B. For comparison purposes, Figure 4 two previous control strategies are also shown therein. The isolation control line 114A is shown. The isolation control line 114A will cause the wheels 106A, 106B to reach the end of the stroke, and cause a sudden disturbance to the vehicle body 102, and prevent the vehicle from following the desired path. The tracking control line 114B is also shown. The tracking control line 114B will not reduce the disturbance caused by the third road feature, but will avoid the end-of-stroke event of the wheels. In some embodiments, Figure 4 the vehicle of can achieve the hybrid body isolation and road following control demonstrated by the hybrid control line 114C. In some embodiments, the vehicle control system can (e.g., using a corresponding control module) respectively determine Figure 2 the output (e.g., force command) of the isolation control strategy of and Figure 3 the tracking control strategy of. Then, the vehicle control system can apply a mixing ratio to determine the contribution of each of the control strategies to the overall output (e.g., force command) for controlling the active suspension of the vehicle. The mixing ratio can vary based on the output of the isolation control module, such that a larger output of the isolation control module causes a greater contribution from the tracking control module in the mixed output. In this way, the influence of road features such as the fifth road feature 302E can be mitigated with some isolation control without causing end-of-stroke events. Referring to Figures 5 to 7 Exemplary embodiments of such a vehicle control system and related methods are further discussed.

[0061] Figure 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a vehicle control system 200. In Figure 5 the embodiment of, the vehicle control system 200 can be configured to control the active suspension system of the vehicle to modify and / or control one or more motion parameters of the vehicle body. As Figure 5 shown therein, the vehicle control system includes an isolation control module 208 and a tracking control module 210. The isolation control module can be configured to implement rigid skyhook control (e.g., see Figure 2), or other skyhook control that provides an increased amount of body isolation compared to other control strategies implemented by the vehicle control system. In some embodiments, the isolation control module 208 may have, for example, symmetric gains in suspension compression and rebound that are applicable to body isolation. In Figure 5 embodiments, the inertial body speed 202 (e.g., a body parameter) is an input to the isolation control module 208 and, in some embodiments, the only input. In some embodiments, the inertial speed may be measured by one or more accelerometers disposed on the vehicle body. In other embodiments, other body information such as body parameters may be input to the isolation control module, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the tracking control module 210 may implement a hybrid skyhook and groundhook control (e.g., weak skyhook or weak groundhook) such that the tracking control module may provide a reduced amount of body isolation compared to the skyhook control implemented by the isolation control module. In some embodiments, the tracking control module 210 may have asymmetric gains in suspension compression and rebound. For example, in some embodiments, the tracking control module 210 may provide greater damping in rebound compared to compression. In Figure 5 embodiments, the tracking control module 210 has the suspension speed 204 (e.g., a suspension parameter) and the inertial speed 202 (e.g., a body parameter) as inputs. In some embodiments, the suspension speed may be provided by one or more sensors of the active suspension system and / or provided as feedback from the active suspension system actuators. In other embodiments, any suitable combination of body information and suspension information may be used as an input to the tracking control module. Both the isolation control module 208 and the tracking control module 210 may generate outputs based on their respective inputs. Each of these outputs may be an overall force command for controlling body movement. These outputs may be determined independently of each other based on the control objectives of the different controllers. As discussed below, these independent outputs may ultimately be used to determine the hybrid force 218 output. It should be noted that in some embodiments, the processes described below with reference to the exemplary Figure 5 may occur repeatedly and in real time.

[0062] The vehicle control system 200 can use the output of the isolation control module 208 to determine a mixing ratio at block 212. In some embodiments, the mixing ratio can be a value between 0 and 1, where the value represents the relative contribution of the tracking control module 210 to the overall mixed output. As shown at block 216, the overall mixing force 218 can be determined according to the formula F1*(1-k)+F2*k, where k is the mixing ratio, F1 is the output of the isolation control module 208, and F2 is the output of the tracking control module 210. For example, a mixing ratio of 0 can represent full control by the isolation control module 208 (e.g., 100% of the mixed force output is contributed by the output of the isolation control module). Alternatively, a mixing ratio of 1 can represent full control by the tracking control module 210 (e.g., 100% of the mixed force output is contributed by the output of the tracking control module). In some embodiments, the mixing ratio can be represented as an antecedent and a consequent. In such embodiments, the antecedent can be between 0 and 1, and the consequent can be between 0 and 1, where the sum of the antecedent and the consequent is 1. The antecedent of the mixing ratio can be proportional to the contribution of the isolation control module 208 (or another controller in other embodiments). The consequent can be proportional to the contribution of the tracking control module 210 (or another controller in other embodiments). For example, the mixing ratio can be represented as an antecedent of 0.25 and a consequent of 0.75. In such an example, the isolation control module 208 can contribute 25% of the overall mixed output, and the tracking control module 210 can contribute 75% of the overall mixed output. The mixing ratio can be represented as any suitable value or relationship that can be applied to determine the combined overall output, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0063] According to some embodiments as shown Figure 5 in, the mixing ratio can be determined by the vehicle control system based only on the output from the isolation control module 208. The inventors have recognized that the isolation control module output can be related to the suspension stroke height and can provide a cleaner signal that is less susceptible to sensor noise compared to determining the mixing ratio on direct sensor inputs. Notably, in Figure 5In an exemplary embodiment, the mixing ratio is not determined based on the output of the tracking control module. Thus, the mixing ratio can be a function of the output of the isolation control module and is automatically determined based on the instantaneous output of the isolation control module, although it is also contemplated that the mixing ratio can be determined based on the output of the isolation control module over a time period. In some embodiments, the mixing ratio can be proportional to the output of the isolation control module. For example, the mixing ratio can be proportional to the force command output by the isolation control module. In some embodiments, when the requested isolation force command output exceeds 80% of the maximum actuator capacity, the proportional action can move the mixing ratio toward the tracking force command output. In some such embodiments, if the isolation force command output is less than 80% of the maximum actuator capacity, the mixing ratio can favor the isolation force command output and can be constant or otherwise not proportional to the isolation force command output. The proportionality of the mixing ratio to the output of the isolation control module can allow the mixing ratio to be sensitive to large increases in the output of the isolation control module, which can otherwise generate end-of-stroke events. In some embodiments, the mixing ratio can be related to the integral of the output of the isolation control module, which can help modify the mixing ratio when an extended force (e.g., greater than a threshold length or duration) is applied. In some embodiments, other tuning parameters can be employed to determine the mixing ratio based on the output from the isolation control module. For example, in some embodiments, a notch filter can be employed to remove energy from the force command at a selected frequency, thereby reducing trigger sensitivity. As an example, a filter at 1 Hz to 3 Hz can create a bias toward the isolation mode where the vehicle exhibits an inherent frequency resonance. As another example, a deadband parameter can be employed to allow the integrator to ignore a portion of the force output, thereby avoiding increasing the mixing ratio for lower force outputs where the force is less than or equal to 50% of the actuator capacity. In other embodiments, any suitable parameter can be employed to convert the output of the isolation control module into a mixing ratio, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, optional information including user input and forward-looking information can be employed to determine the mixing ratio. In some embodiments, an external trigger 206 can cause the vehicle control system to modify one or more parameters of the mixing ratio determination in block 212.

[0064] In an exemplary Figure 5In some embodiments shown, optionally, the forward road information 220 may contribute to determining the mixing ratio in block 212 based on the output of the isolation control module 208. The forward road information may be received from one or more forward sensors (e.g., LIDAR, camera devices, etc.) or from one or more in-vehicle or remote databases N. In some embodiments, the forward information may be used to adjust one or more parameters for mixing ratio determination (e.g., coefficients for the proportional and integral components used in the determination). In some embodiments, the forward road information may be used to establish a lower or upper limit for the mixing ratio. The lower limit may be a threshold mixing ratio that the mixing ratio is greater than or equal to. The upper limit may be a threshold mixing ratio that the mixing ratio is less than or equal to. In some such embodiments, the forward information may indicate small road features (e.g., bumps or potholes or other road features less than a threshold size, length, and / or time duration during traversal) that can be fully compensated by the isolation control module. In some embodiments, an upper limit may be applied to the mixing ratio such that the output from the isolation control module 208 may correspond to most of the resulting mixing force command. In some other such embodiments, the forward information may indicate large road features (e.g., hills or other road features greater than a threshold size, length, and / or time duration during traversal) that cannot be fully compensated by the isolation control module. According to this example, a lower limit may be applied to the mixing ratio to set a minimum contribution of the tracking control module to the overall output, which minimum contribution avoids end-of-trip events. In yet another other embodiment, the forward information may be combined with the output from the isolation control module and used as part of the calculation.

[0065] In as Figure 5In some of the embodiments shown, optionally, the user input 222 may contribute to determining the mixing ratio in block 212. For example, the user input 222 may be received from a user of the vehicle at a user interface. In some embodiments, the user input may indicate a setting or an operating mode. The vehicle control system 200 may determine the mixing ratio in block 212 at least in part based on the user input, e.g., by updating one or more parameters in the mixing ratio determination based on the output of the isolation control module 208. As an example of the user input 222 as a mode, in a comfort mode, the mixing ratio determination may be set to be more favorable to the isolation control module to maximize body isolation. For example, in some embodiments, the mixing ratio may have one or more parameters that are modified to be less sensitive to an increase in the output of the isolation control module (e.g., the proportionality coefficient may be decreased). As another example, in some embodiments, an upper limit of the mixing ratio may be set such that the contribution of the tracking control module to the mixing force 218 is limited. In a sport mode, the mixing ratio determination may be set to be more favorable to the tracking control module to introduce motion into the body for driving feedback. For example, in some embodiments, the mixing ratio may have one or more parameters that are modified to be more sensitive to an increase in the output of the isolation control module (e.g., the proportionality coefficient may be increased). As another example, in some embodiments, a lower limit of the mixing ratio may be set such that the contribution of the tracking control module to the mixing force 218 may have a non-zero predetermined minimum value. Other modes are also contemplated as the present disclosure is not limited in this regard.

[0066] In some cases, the inventors have recognized that since the original mixing ratio determined in block 212 is a function of the instantaneous isolation force command from the isolation control module 208, the original mixing ratio determined in block 212 may change rapidly. To suppress the repetitive cycling between full tracking and full isolation control, in some embodiments, in block 214, a hit / hold module may be applied to the original mixing ratio determined in block 212. If a road event longer than a threshold duration is detected, the hit / hold module may implement a predetermined mixing ratio. In some embodiments, the hit / hold module may hold the mixing ratio greater than a threshold mixing ratio for a predetermined time period (e.g., the hit / hold module may implement the lower limit of the mixing ratio for a predetermined time period). For example, if a road event longer than a threshold duration is detected, the hit / hold module may assign the mixing ratio a value of 1. In some embodiments, the threshold duration may be one second. In some embodiments, the predetermined time period may be about one second, although time periods greater than one second and less than one second may also be used as the present disclosure is not limited in this regard. Regarding the previous example herein, it may be traversed in a time period less than the threshold duration Figure 2road characteristics and can cross within a time period greater than a threshold duration Figure 3 road characteristics. In some embodiments, the hit / hold module can assign a lower limit different from 1 to the mixing ratio. In some embodiments, block 214 can also smooth the variations in the mixing ratio by applying a low-pass filter to obtain a filtered mixing ratio. The low-pass filter can remove high-frequency content that may be undesirable for suspension control. Suitable cut-off frequencies for the low-pass filter can include 0.5 Hz to 2 Hz. In some embodiments, the smoothing of block 214 can be optional. After the smoothing of block 214, in block 216, the filtered and / or smoothed mixing ratio can be used to determine the contributions of the isolation control module 208 and the tracking control module 210. Based on this determination, a hybrid force 218 output can be obtained, and the hybrid force 218 output can be used to command various actuators in the active suspension system.

[0067] Referring to Figure 5 The hybrid force 218 output of the process described is the overall force output for reflecting the desired control of the vehicle body. The hybrid force output can be assigned to the respective actuators of the active suspension system through a separate process of the vehicle control system. It should also be noted that although specific formulas for the application of the mixing ratio are described with reference to Figure 5 other formulas can also be used, as the present disclosure is not limited in this regard. For example, the isolation control module 208 and the tracking control module 210 can have different gains, such that the scaling of the respective outputs of the isolation control module 208 and the tracking control module 210 is not equal. Therefore, in some embodiments, the mixing ratio values and formulas for determining the hybrid force 218 can vary to compensate for these differences in scaling.

[0068] Figure 6 is a flowchart of an exemplary embodiment of a method for controlling a vehicle. In block 400, vehicle information is received from at least one sensor. The vehicle information can include suspension information (e.g., suspension parameters such as suspension speed) and body information (e.g., body parameters such as body speed). In block 402, the body isolation force command is determined by the isolation control module based on the body information. For example, in some embodiments, the body isolation force command can be determined based only on the body speed. In block 404, the road tracking force command is determined by the tracking control module based on the suspension information and the body information. For example, the road tracking force command can be determined based on the body speed and the suspension speed.

[0069] In block 406, a mixing ratio is determined by a mixing module, such as based on a body isolation force command. In some embodiments, the mixing ratio can be proportional to the body isolation force command from block 402 as previously described above. In some embodiments, the mixing ratio can vary between 0 and 1 and can represent a ratio or a weighting factor. In block 408, an overall force command is determined at least in part based on the mixing ratio, the body isolation force command, and the road following force command. For example, in some embodiments, the body isolation force command and the road following force command can each be composed of percentage components of the overall force command based on the mixing ratio. For example, if the mixing ratio is 0.25, the overall force command will be the sum composed of 25% of the road following force command and 75% of the body isolation force command. According to this example, the overall force command can include a first part and a second part, where the first part is based on the mixing ratio and the body isolation force command, and the second part is based on the mixing ratio and the road following force command. In some embodiments, the first part can be proportional to the mixing ratio and the body isolation force command, and the second part can be proportional to the mixing ratio and the road following force command. The overall force command can represent the force requested by the vehicle control system to achieve the desired motion of the vehicle body (e.g., a mixture of isolation control and tracking control). In block 410, at least one actuator of the active suspension system can be commanded to apply an intervention force between at least one wheel of the vehicle and the vehicle body at least in part based on the overall force command.

[0070] Optionally, the method of Figure 6 can be repeated during active control of the vehicle. In some embodiments, Figure 6 the method of Figure 6 can be executed by the vehicle control system and particularly by at least one processor of the vehicle control system. Figure 6 The method of Figure 6 can be stored as computer-readable instructions in a non-transitory computer-readable medium for execution by at least one processor. In some embodiments,

[0071] Figure 7Flowchart of another embodiment of a method for controlling a vehicle. In block 500, the body speed of the vehicle is determined. For example, information from a sensor (such as an accelerometer) can be used to determine the body speed. In block 502, the suspension speed of the vehicle (e.g., suspension parameters) is determined. For example, one or more suspension sensors (such as accelerometers) and / or feedback from the suspension actuator can be used to determine the speed of the suspension or the wheel along its range of motion. In block 504, a first output of a first control module is determined based on the body speed (e.g., body parameters). For example, the first control module can be an isolation control module that implements rigid skyhook control or other skyhook control based on the body speed as an input. In some embodiments, the first output can be a first force command. In block 506, a second output of a second control module is determined based on the body speed and the suspension speed. For example, the second control module can be a road tracking control module that implements weak skyhook or weak ground hook control based on the body speed as an input, and the road tracking control module provides a reduced level of skyhook control compared to the isolation control module. In some embodiments, the second output can be a second force command.

[0072] In block 508, a mixing ratio is determined based on the first output. In some embodiments, the mixing ratio can be proportional to the first output from block 504. In some embodiments, the mixing ratio can vary between 0 and 1 and can represent a ratio or a weighting factor. In block 510, a force command is determined at least in part based on the mixing ratio, the first output, and the second output of the road. For example, in some embodiments, the first output and the second output can each be composed of percentage components of the force command based on the mixing ratio. For example, if the mixing ratio is 0.50, the force command will be the sum composed of 50% of the first output and 50% of the second output. According to this example, the force command can include a first part and a second part, where the first part is based on the mixing ratio and the first output, and the second part is based on the mixing ratio and the second output. In some embodiments, the first part can be proportional to the mixing ratio and the first output, and the second part can be proportional to the mixing ratio and the second output. The force command can represent the force requested by the vehicle control system to achieve the desired motion of the body (e.g., a mixture of two controllers). In block 512, at least one actuator of the active suspension system can be commanded to apply an active force between at least one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle and the chassis or body of the vehicle at least in part based on the force command.

[0073] Optionally, the method can be repeated during active control of the vehicle. Figure 7 In some embodiments, Figure 7 the method can be executed by the vehicle control system and particularly by at least one processor of the vehicle control system. Figure 7The 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. For example, the second output can be determined before the first output. In some embodiments, Figure 6 some of the steps can be performed simultaneously in parallel. For example, the first output can be determined at the same time as the second output as part of a parallel process.

[0074] The above-described embodiments of the techniques herein can be implemented in any of a variety of ways. For example, the embodiments 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 provided in a single computer or distributed among multiple computers. Such processors can be implemented as integrated circuits, where one or more of the integrated circuit components include commercially available integrated circuit components known in the art by names 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 a semi-custom circuit system created by configuring programmable logic devices. As yet 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 commercial 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.

[0075] In addition, it should be understood that a computer can be embodied in any of a variety of forms, such as a rack-mounted computer, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a tablet computer. Further, 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 smartphone, or any other suitable portable or stationary electronic device.

[0076] In addition, a computer can have one or more input and output devices. Among other things, these devices can be used to present a user interface. Examples of output devices that can be used to provide a visual presentation for output include a printer or a display, and examples of output devices that can be used to provide an auditory presentation for output include a speaker or other sound-generating device. Examples of input devices that can be used for a user interface include a keyboard and a pointing device, 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 auditory formats.

[0077] Such computers can be interconnected via one or more networks in any suitable form, said one or more networks including, such as, local area networks or wide area networks, such as enterprise networks 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.

[0078] In addition, the various methods or processes outlined herein can be encoded as software that is capable of being executed on one or more processors employing any one of a variety of operating systems or platforms. In addition, 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.

[0079] In this regard, the embodiments described herein can be implemented as a computer-readable storage medium (or multiple computer-readable media) encoded with one or more programs (e.g., computer memory, one or more floppy disks, compact discs (CDs), optical discs, 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), said one or more programs, when executed on one or more computers or other processors, perform the methods implementing the various embodiments discussed above. It is apparent from the foregoing examples that the computer-readable storage medium can retain information for a sufficient time to provide non-transitory computer-executable instructions. Such one or more computer-readable storage 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 the various aspects of the present disclosure as discussed above. As used herein, the term "computer-readable storage medium" includes only non-transitory computer-readable media that can be considered a manufacture (i.e., article of manufacture) or machine. Alternatively or additionally, the present disclosure can be embodied as a computer-readable medium other than a computer-readable storage medium, such as a propagated signal.

[0080] 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 employed to program a computer or other processor to implement the various aspects of the present disclosure as discussed above. In addition, 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 the various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0081] Computer-executable instructions can be 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, the functionality of program modules can be combined or distributed as needed in various embodiments.

[0082] In addition, data structures can be stored in a computer-readable medium in any suitable form. For simplicity of illustration, a data structure can be shown as having fields related by their positions in the data structure. Such a relationship can also be achieved by allocating storage locations in the computer-readable medium for the fields that convey the relationship between the fields. However, any suitable mechanism can be used to establish the relationship between the information in the fields of a data structure, including by using pointers, tags, or other mechanisms that establish relationships between data elements.

[0083] Aspects of the present disclosure can be used alone, in combination, or in a variety of 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 shown in the drawings. For example, aspects described in one embodiment can be combined with aspects described in other embodiments in any manner.

[0084] In addition, the embodiments described herein can be embodied as methods for which examples have been provided. The actions performed as part of the method can be ordered in any suitable way. Accordingly, embodiments can be constructed in which the actions are performed in a different order than shown, and such embodiments can include performing some actions simultaneously, even though shown as sequential actions in the illustrative embodiments.

[0085] 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 team of individuals and / or an individual in combination with computer-aided tools or other mechanisms.

[0086] 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 by way of example only.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising: Vehicle body; Multiple wheels; An active suspension system operatively coupled to the multiple wheels and the vehicle body, wherein the active suspension system includes at least one actuator configured to apply an active force to at least one of the multiple wheels 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: Determine a first force command based on vehicle body parameters; Determine a second force command based on the vehicle body parameters and suspension parameters; Determine a mixing ratio at least in part based on the first force command; Determine a third force command at least in part based on the mixing ratio, the first force command, and the second force command, and Command the at least one actuator to apply a force between at least one of the multiple wheels and the vehicle body at least in part based on the third force command.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, The vehicle body parameters are vehicle body speed, and wherein the suspension parameters are 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 vehicle information from the at least one first sensor; Determine the vehicle body parameters based on the vehicle information; Receive suspension information from the at least one second sensor; And Determine the suspension parameters based on the suspension information.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein, The at least one first sensor includes a first accelerometer disposed on the vehicle 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, Determining the third force command includes: Determining a first part of the third force command based on the mixing ratio and the first force command; and Determining a second part of the third force command based on the mixing ratio and the second force command.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein, The first part of the third force command is proportional to the mixing ratio and the first force command, and wherein the second part of the third force command is proportional to the mixing ratio and the second force command.

7. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein, The at least one processor is further configured to: Determine whether a road event longer than a threshold duration is occurring; and After determining that the road event longer than the threshold duration is occurring, maintain the mixing ratio greater than a threshold mixing ratio within a predetermined time period.

8. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein, The first part of the third force command is proportional to the antecedent of the mixing ratio, and wherein the second part of the third force command is proportional to the consequent of the mixing ratio.

9. The vehicle according to claim 8, wherein, The antecedent of the mixing ratio is between 0 and 1, wherein the consequent of the mixing ratio is between 0 and 1, and wherein the sum of the antecedent and the consequent is 1.

10. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein, The at least one processor is further configured to: Apply a low-pass filter to the mixing ratio to obtain a filtered mixing ratio, wherein the first part of the third force command is determined based on the filtered mixing ratio, and wherein the second part of the third force command is determined based on the filtered mixing ratio.

11. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein, The first force command is configured to isolate the vehicle body from movement, and wherein the second force command is configured to cause the vehicle body to move with the road surface.

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

13. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising a user interface, wherein, The user interface is configured to receive input from a user, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine the mixing ratio at least in part based on the input from the user.

14. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising a front view sensor configured to obtain front view road information, wherein, The at least one processor is further configured to determine the mixing ratio at least in part based on the forward-looking road information.

15. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein, The first force command is a first output from a first control module, and wherein the second force command is a second output from a second control module.

16. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein, The at least one processor is further configured to determine the mixing ratio to avoid exceeding a wheel travel threshold of the plurality of wheels.

17. A method of controlling a vehicle, comprising: Determine a first force command based on vehicle body parameters; Determine a second force command based on the vehicle body parameters and suspension parameters; Determine a mixing ratio based on the first force command; Determine a third force command at least in part based on the mixing ratio, the first force command, and the second force command, and Command at least one actuator of the active suspension system to apply an active force between at least one of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle and the vehicle body at least in part based on the third force command.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein, The vehicle body parameter is vehicle body speed, and wherein the suspension parameter is suspension speed.

19. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 18, further comprising: Receive vehicle information from at least one first sensor; Determine the vehicle body parameters based on the vehicle information; Receive suspension information from at least one second sensor; And Determine the suspension parameters based on the suspension information.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein, The at least one first sensor includes a first accelerometer disposed on the vehicle body, and wherein the at least one second sensor includes an accelerometer disposed on the active suspension system.

21. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein, Determining the third force command includes: Determining a first portion of the third force command based on the mixing ratio and the first force command; and Determining a second portion of the third force command based on the mixing ratio and the second force command.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein, The first portion of the third force command is proportional to the mixing ratio and the first force command, and wherein the second portion of the third force command is proportional to the mixing ratio and the second force command.

23. The method according to claim 21, further comprising: Determine whether a road event longer than a threshold duration is occurring; And After determining that the road event longer than the threshold duration is occurring, maintain the mixing ratio greater than a threshold mixing ratio within a predetermined time period.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein, The first portion of the third force command is proportional to the antecedent of the mixing ratio, and wherein the second portion of the third force command is proportional to the consequent of the mixing ratio.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein, The antecedent of the mixing ratio is between 0 and 1, wherein the consequent of the mixing ratio is between 0 and 1, and wherein the sum of the antecedent and the consequent is 1.

26. The method according to claim 21, further comprising applying a low-pass filter to the mixing ratio to obtain a filtered mixing ratio, wherein, Determine the first portion of the third force command based on the filtered mixing ratio, and wherein determine the second portion of the third force command based on the filtered mixing ratio.

27. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 26, wherein, The first force command is configured to isolate the vehicle body from movement, and wherein the second force command is configured to move the vehicle body with the road surface.

28. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 27, wherein, The third force command is configured to control the heave and / or pitch of the vehicle.

29. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 28, further comprising receiving an input from a user at a user interface, wherein, Determine the mixing ratio at least in part based on the input from the user.

30. The vehicle according to any one of claims 17 to 29, further comprising obtaining forward-looking road information with a forward-looking sensor, wherein, Determine the mixture ratio at least partially based on the forward road information described above.

31. The vehicle according to any one of claims 17 to 30, wherein, The first force command is the first output from the first control module, and wherein the second force command is the second output from the second control module.

32. The vehicle according to any one of claims 17 to 31, further comprising determining the mixing ratio to avoid exceeding a wheel travel threshold of the plurality of wheels.

33. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium, the non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, perform the method according to any one of claims 17 to 32.

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