Vehicle Suspension Control Using Road Surface Recognition
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronically controlled suspensions (ECS) face difficulties in rapidly and stably coping with impulse and pitch rate impacts on vehicles due to direct road surface contact, lacking effective pre-estimation of impact levels and pitch rates.
Innovation Solution
An electronically controlled suspension control system that includes a road surface recognition unit, a profile determination unit, a behavior estimation and determination unit, a behavior information recording unit, and a control unit, which recognizes road surfaces, determines profiles, estimates vehicle behavior, and adjusts suspension parameters based on pre-recorded data to anticipate and mitigate impacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If conventional ECS directly performs suspension control when vehicle contacts road surface, then control response time is delayed, but system complexity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The road surface recognition unit detects road surface conditions (speed bumps, pot-holes, uneven surfaces) before the vehicle contacts them. The system performs preliminary estimation of impulse and pitch rate based on detected road profile, and pre-adjusts suspension parameters (spring rate, damping coefficient) before impact occurs. This preliminary action enables rapid response without requiring complex real-time sensing during contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a road surface recognition unit as an intermediary that detects road conditions in advance. This intermediary provides提前 information about upcoming road irregularities, allowing the control system to prepare appropriate suspension parameters before impact occurs, thereby improving response speed without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
2Measurement precision
If ECS uses real-time road surface detection, then measurement precision is improved, but response time is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The road surface recognition unit performs detection in advance before vehicle contact, allowing the system to process measurement data and compute control parameters without time pressure. The preliminary detection provides sufficient time for precise calculation of impulse and pitch rate estimation, achieving both high measurement precision and adequate response time.
3Reliability
If suspension control is adjusted dynamically based on road profile, then ride comfort is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts suspension parameters (spring rate, damping coefficient) based on detected road profile and estimated vehicle behavior. The control unit modifies suspension characteristics in real-time according to road conditions, enabling adaptive ride comfort optimization. This dynamic adjustment is achieved through algorithmic control rather than complex mechanical reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes suspension parameters (spring rate, damping coefficient) based on road surface detection results. By adjusting these parameters dynamically according to detected road conditions and estimated impulse/pitch rate, the system optimizes ride comfort and vehicle stability without requiring fundamentally new suspension hardware.
4Measurement precision
If the system pre-estimates impulse and pitch rate, then control accuracy is improved, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a virtual model (copy) of the road profile based on detection data and uses this model to estimate impulse and pitch rate through computation. This copying approach allows accurate estimation without requiring complex physical sensors for direct measurement of impact forces, reducing hardware complexity while maintaining estimation accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronically controlled suspension control system of a vehicle using road surface information may include a road surface recognition unit of recognizing a road surface, a road surface profile determination unit of determining a road surface profile using information as to the recognized road surface, a behavior estimation and determination unit of estimating and determining a vehicle behavior according to the determined road surface profile, a behavior information recording unit storing information as to the behavior of the vehicle, an electronically controlled suspension (ECS) control unit of controlling a suspension of the vehicle, and a behavior determination and control unit of comparing a determined value from the behavior estimation and determination unit with recorded values of the behavior information recording unit, determining a behavior level of the vehicle, based on results of the comparison, and sending a control command according to the determined behavior level to the ECS control unit.