Vehicle Suspension Data Path Control for Low-Latency Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current suspension control systems face latency issues when sensing, computing, and sending actuation signals for damper and spring control, particularly exacerbated by rapid changes in vehicle speed and direction, especially in off-road conditions where road conditions are severe and varied.
Innovation Solution
The system addresses latency by employing shared and co-processing of data, co-location of subroutines, corner-specific scheduling of applications, mirroring data, load balancing, data shunting, sensor pruning, and statistical minimization, along with data path configuration control to reserve higher speed data paths, memory, and cache, ensuring all elements operate as one cohesive unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If traditional suspension control systems are used with standard data transmission protocols, then system complexity is reduced and ease of operation is maintained, but data transmission latency increases and response time deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the suspension control system into multiple independent processing units, each handling specific sensor data and actuator control for different vehicle corners. This segmentation allows parallel processing of suspension control data, reducing overall transmission latency while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hierarchical data transmission architecture with multiple dimensions: local corner-level processing, vehicle-level coordination, and cloud-based analytics. By adding these dimensional layers, the system achieves faster local responses while distributing complexity across different operational levels
2Productivity
If more sensors and processing units are added to reduce latency, then response time improves and control precision increases, but device complexity increases and manufacturing cost rises
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges sensor data acquisition, processing, and actuator control functions into integrated corner units that handle multiple tasks simultaneously. This consolidation achieves fast response times by co-locating processing functions while avoiding the complexity of fully distributed independent systems
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs universal corner processing units that can handle multiple sensor types and actuator configurations across different vehicle corners. These multi-functional units reduce overall system complexity by using standardized components rather than specialized hardware for each function
3Speed
If data is transmitted over standard vehicle networks, then system reliability is maintained and ease of operation is preserved, but transmission speed decreases and latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces intermediary high-speed communication channels between corner processing units and the central controller, while standard vehicle networks maintain connectivity to other vehicle systems. This intermediary layer enables fast data transmission for critical suspension control while preserving system reliability through redundant communication paths
Data Source
AI summary
A system for minimizing data transmission latency between a sensor and a suspension controller of a vehicle is described. The system includes: a state determination module that determines a physical state of the vehicle; a plurality of data paths for transmitting a first signal from the sensor to the suspension controller; a data path configurator of the controller that selects a first data path of the plurality of data paths based on at least one characteristic of the first data path and the physical state and configures the first data path to transmit the first signal; and an actuation module that generates an actuation signal to control a damping characteristic of the suspension actuator based on at least the first signal.