Suspension Event Detection Using Unsprung Mass Acceleration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle suspension systems face challenges in accurately capturing downward road irregularities using cost-effective forward-looking sensors due to self-shadowing effects and limited spatial resolution, leading to uncertainty in road event detection and pre-emptive suspension control.
Innovation Solution
A suspension control system that integrates unsprung mass accelerometers and GPS modules to provide pre-emptive road event classification, combining with forward-looking sensors like LiDAR or cameras, to dynamically adjust adaptive suspension settings based on unsprung mass acceleration data and vehicle location, enabling quick response to road events without requiring substantial on-board computing resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If cost-effective forward-looking sensors with shallow angle of incidence are used to scan the road scene, then the device complexity and cost are reduced, but the measurement precision and reliability of downward road irregularity detection deteriorate due to self-shadowing effects
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the road event detection task into two parts: forward-looking sensors detect upward irregularities and provide early warning, while unsprung mass accelerometers detect downward irregularities and verify road events. This segmentation allows each sensor type to operate in its optimal detection range, resolving the contradiction between cost and precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The unsprung mass accelerometer acts as an intermediary that verifies road events predicted by forward-looking sensors. It provides secondary confirmation by detecting actual wheel acceleration when hitting the road irregularity, compensating for the limitations of shallow-angle forward-looking sensors in detecting downward events.
2Ease of manufacture
If forward-looking sensors operate at shallow angle of incidence to reduce cost, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the reliability of road event detection deteriorates due to self-shadowing effects creating inaccurate geometric profile estimates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by using unsprung mass accelerometers to verify road events initially detected by forward-looking sensors. The accelerometer data provides feedback confirmation that validates or corrects the forward-looking sensor predictions, improving reliability without requiring more complex or expensive forward-looking sensors.
3Productivity
If pre-emptive suspension control is implemented using forward-looking sensor data, then the productivity and response time are improved, but the device complexity increases due to the need for integrating multiple sensor systems and processing algorithms
Solution Approach 1:
The forward-looking sensors perform preliminary detection of road irregularities before the vehicle reaches them, allowing the suspension system to prepare in advance. This preliminary action enables pre-emptive suspension control adjustments, improving response time while keeping the control logic relatively simple by triggering pre-defined suspension responses based on detected road events.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This system enables advanced pre-emptive state estimation and rapid suspension control adjustments, improving ride comfort and road safety while being scalable and cost-effective, with accurate road event detection and classification.
Implementation Method 1
an unsprung mass accelerometer positioned at each wheel of the vehicle... configured to provide unsprung mass acceleration data to the suspension control unit (SCU)
Implementation Method 2
a global positioning system (GPS) module... configured to provide vehicle location data to the suspension control unit (SCU)
Implementation Method 3
data from typical cost effective forward looking sensors that scan the road scene in front of the vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
A suspension control system including a suspension control unit, an unsprung mass accelerometer positioned at each wheel of the vehicle, and a global positioning system. The suspension control unit determines if a road irregularity, such as a bump or pothole, is approaching based on vehicle location data, provides pre-emptive road event classification information for the approaching road irregularity, and sets both a threshold based suspension pre-setting and a threshold based pre-trigger based on the pre-emptive road event classification information. The suspension control unit monitors the unsprung mass acceleration data, calculates a slope value for the unsprung mass acceleration data, and activates a suspension control action if the unsprung mass acceleration data exceeds the threshold based pre-trigger and the slope value exceeds a maximum slope value.