Predictive Suspension Control for Vehicle Pitch at Speed Limit Changes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle suspension systems face a compromise between isolating occupants from road vibrations and suppressing body motion during acceleration and deceleration due to fixed speed limits, causing undesirable pitch motion and occupant discomfort.
Innovation Solution
A control system that identifies upcoming speed limit changes and adjusts vehicle suspension parameters, such as spring rate and damping rate, to proactively counteract pitch motion by increasing stiffness and damping when significant acceleration or deceleration is anticipated, while maintaining composed suspension settings otherwise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If suspension settings are adjusted to suppress body motion during acceleration and deceleration, then vehicle composure is improved, but road vibration isolation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The suspension system dynamically adjusts its parameters (spring rate and damping rate) based on predicted driving conditions. The system transitions between different suspension states (composed setting vs. pitch compensation setting) depending on whether significant acceleration or deceleration is anticipated, allowing optimal performance for each condition rather than compromising between the two.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system proactively adjusts suspension parameters before the actual acceleration or deceleration occurs by identifying upcoming speed limit changes in advance. This preliminary adjustment ensures the suspension is already optimized for the anticipated pitch motion before the driver applies throttle or brake, enhancing vehicle composure during the transition.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If suspension parameters are continuously adjusted to cater for road surfaces and terrain features, then ride comfort is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses advance information about upcoming speed limit changes to proactively adjust suspension parameters only when and where needed. This targeted approach avoids continuous adjustment based on real-time sensor feedback alone, reducing the computational burden and system complexity while maintaining ride comfort during critical transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adjusts specific physical parameters (spring rate and damping rate) of the suspension based on predicted longitudinal acceleration requirements. By changing these parameters in advance according to known road conditions (speed limit changes), the system achieves improved ride comfort without requiring complex real-time control algorithms.
Data Source
AI summary
A control system for a vehicle is provided, the control system comprising one or more controllers, the control system configured to identify an upcoming speed limit change, and in dependence on the identified speed limit change, requesting modification of one or more parameters of the vehicle suspension system. This prepares the vehicle suspension to reduce pitch forwards/backwards at a time when an acceleration/deceleration can be expected, while allowing more composed vehicle suspension settings to be used at other times.