Embodiments described herein relate to methods and systems for improving control of vehicles.
While travelling over various road and off-road driving surfaces, it is sometimes necessary to traverse sections that include steep gradient changes or other obstructions. Various aspects of a vehicle's geometry may determine if a vehicle may be able to traverse such anomalies without interference between a surface on the vehicle body (e.g., a vehicle chassis or undercarriage) and a segment of the driving surface or obstruction.
This disclosure discusses systems and methods for using one or more suspension system actuators to adjust a posture (e.g., a pitch angle) of a vehicle body in response to information about driving surface anomalies (e.g., road transitions, rocks/boulders, driveway exits, etc.) that may interfere with one or more surfaces (e.g., a chassis, bumper) on the vehicle. In some embodiments, a vehicle's active suspension system may allow a ride height at each wheel to be adjusted individually.
According to one aspect, a method of operating a first motor vehicle is disclosed. The method includes, with one or more controllers, receiving information based on data from a first set of one or more sensors. The method also includes, with the one or more controllers, over a first segment of a driving surface, using at least a portion of the information based on data from the first set of one or more sensors to control a first set of one or more actuators to minimize relative motion between a sprung mass of the first motor vehicle and the first segment of the driving surface. The method also includes, with the one or more controllers, receiving information based on data from a second set of one or more sensors. The method also includes with the one or more controllers, over a second segment of the driving surface, using at least a portion of the information based on data from the second set of sensors to control a second set of one or more actuators to modify a vehicle angle selected from the group consisting of an approach angle, a departure angle, and a breakover angle, wherein the first set of actuators and the second set of actuators have at least one actuator in common.
In some embodiments, modifying the vehicle angle comprises increasing a pitch angle in at least one of a positive direction and a negative direction. In some instances, minimizing relative motion between the sprung mass of the first vehicle and the first segment of the driving surface includes using a skyhook control algorithm in at least one of the one or more controllers. In some instances, the first segment of the driving surface is a portion of a road selected from the group consisting of a public city road and a public highway. In some instances, the second segment of the driving surface is a portion of an off-road surface.
In some embodiments, the at least one actuator in common is selected from the group consisting of an active suspension actuator, an adjustable air spring, and an active roll bar.
In some embodiments, the information based on data received from at least one of the first set of one or more sensors and the second set of one or more sensors includes information about the location of the first vehicle relative to the driving surface.
In some embodiments the first set of sensors and the second set of sensors have at least one sensor in common. In some instances, the at least one sensor in common is selected from the group consisting of a LIDAR system, a radar system, and a GPS receiver.
In some embodiments, the method also includes providing, to a second vehicle or a central data storage facility, information about a modification of the vehicle angle and the location where the modification was made.
In some embodiments, modifying the vehicle angle comprises adjusting a ride height of the first vehicle while maintaining a pitch angle of the vehicle.
According to another aspect, a method of operating a motor vehicle that includes at least a first suspension system actuator is disclosed. The method includes obtaining information about a first motion of a sprung mass of the motor vehicle, operating a first controller configured to execute a first control algorithm that generates a first command signal based on the information about the first motion, providing the first command signal to the first suspension system actuator, generating a first force with the first suspension system actuator, and applying the first force to the sprung mass to mitigate the first motion. The method also includes obtaining information about a driving surface to be traversed by the motor vehicle, obtaining information about the geometry of the motor vehicle, and, based at least on the information about the driving surface and the information about the geometry of the motor vehicle, determining that a segment on the driving surface will interfere with a surface on the motor vehicle. The method also includes operating a second controller that includes a second control algorithm configured to execute a second command signal based on the information about the driving surface and the information about the geometry of the motor vehicle, providing the second command signal to the first suspension system actuator, generating a second force with the first suspension system actuator, and applying the second force to the sprung mass to induce a second motion.
In some embodiments, the first motion and the second motion include changes in a pitch angle of the vehicle. In some instances, the first motion occurs during fore-aft acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle, and wherein the second motion is induced to avoid interference between the surface on the vehicle and the segment on the driving surface.
In some embodiments, the first controller and the second controller are the same controller.
According to another aspect, a method of operating a suspension system of a vehicle having one or more front wheels, one or more rear wheels, and a vehicle body, is disclosed. The method includes obtaining information about a terrain ahead of the vehicle, and, based on the obtained information, determining that a slope of the terrain exceeds an approach angle of the vehicle. The method also includes in response to said determination, compressing at least one actuator arranged between a rear wheel and the vehicle body and extending at least one actuator arranged between a front wheel and the vehicle body, thereby increasing a pitch of the vehicle body to increase the approach angle.
According to another aspect, a method of operating a suspension system of a vehicle having one or more front wheels, one or more rear wheels, and a vehicle body is disclosed. In a first operating mode operating mode, at least one controller of an active suspension system may be used mitigate a motion of the vehicle body, such as road induced disturbances, while the vehicle is being driven. In a second operating mode, the at least one controller may be used increase the vehicle approach angle and/or the vehicle departure angle.
The foregoing summary, as well as description of the embodiments will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating one or more embodiments of the present inventions, and to explain their operation, drawings and schematic illustrations are shown. It should be understood, however, that the invention(s) are not limited to the precise arrangements, variants, structures, features, embodiments, aspects, methods, advantages, improvements and instrumentalities shown, and the arrangements, variants, structures, features, embodiments, aspects, methods, advantages, improvements and instrumentalities shown and/or described may be used singularly in the system or method or may be used in combination with other arrangements, variants, structures, features, embodiments, aspects, methods, advantages, improvements and instrumentalities.
The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component in various embodiments that is illustrated in various figures may be represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings:
In some instances, transitions between driving surfaces may be impassable by vehicles driving in a traditional mode. For example, vehicles exiting a steeply sloped driveway onto a flat road surface may scrape the surface of the road or the driveway during the transition from the driveway onto the road surface. Certain vehicles, for example vehicles with low ground clearance or other geometric features, may have a particularly difficult time transitioning between surfaces. By contrast, other vehicles, e.g., off road vehicles, typically have a geometry designed to allow larger transitions to be made. In this disclosure, systems and methods are disclosed for using one or more suspension system actuators to adjust a posture (e.g., a pitch angle) of a vehicle body in response to information about driving surface anomalies that may interfere with one or more surfaces on the vehicle. In some embodiments, a vehicle's active suspension system may allow the ride height at each wheel to be adjusted individually. Vehicle posture adjustment is helpful in increasing the ability of all vehicles (including low ground clearance and off road vehicles discussed above) to traverse driving surface anomalies without contacting the driving surface except at the vehicle's wheels.
In some embodiments, a vehicle may operate in multiple modes including, for example, a mode where one or more of the actuators are used to optimize comfort, safety and/or drivability during conventional (e.g., city and/or highway) driving by using, for example, a skyhook controller, and a second mode where a posture (e.g., a pitch angle) of the vehicle body is modified to avoid an anticipated interference or collision with portions of a driving surface (e.g., a road surface while entering or leaving steep ramps or driveways, and/or boulders/rock formations which may be climbed over or traversed during off-road driving).
As used herein, the term “pitch angle” refers to an angle between a vehicle body's longitudinal axis and a horizontal plane. As used herein, the term “increasing a pitch angle in a negative direction” refers to raising a front portion of the vehicle body relative to a rear portion of the vehicle body, while “increasing a pitch angle in a positive direction” refers to lowering a front portion of the vehicle body relative to a rear portion of the vehicle body. It is understood that references herein to a posture of a vehicle and a pitch of a vehicle may, based on the context, refer to a posture of the vehicle body and a pitch angle of the vehicle body, respectively. As used herein, the term “suspension system actuator” refers to an actuator which may be controlled to raise and/or lower one or more corners of a vehicle sprung mass (e.g., a vehicle body) relative to an unsprung mass (e.g., a wheel assembly) while the vehicle is moving in a fore/aft direction. Suspension system actuators may include, for example, controllable active suspension actuators, adjustable spring perches, active roll or sway bars, adjustable air springs, etc.
Modifying a posture (e.g., pitch) of a vehicle body may include adjusting various vehicle angles, e.g., approach angles, departure angles, breakover angles, etc. In some embodiments, while the vehicle is moving in a fore/aft direction, one or more suspension system actuators may be used to adjust a ride height at one or more corners of a vehicle to modify one or more vehicle angles.
In a first driving mode, one or more suspension system actuators may be configured to maintain a preselected posture relative to a road or to another driving surface. Control parameters of one or more controllers of such actuators may be selected to satisfy certain safety, drivability, and/or comfort requirements. A range of factors may be considered, including, for example: speed, direction of travel (e.g., turn radius), road surface conditions, etc. For example, one or more actuator controllers may be configured to control an amount of roll as a function of an instantaneous lateral acceleration of the vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, the suspension system (which includes the suspension system actuators), in a first driving mode, may be designed to limit changes in a pitch angle or a rate of change of the pitch angle for a particular rate of acceleration or deceleration.
By contrast, in a second driving mode, operation of one or more suspension system actuators may be modified to avoid interference between a surface of the vehicle body (and/or an object attached to the vehicle body) and a driving surface over which the vehicle is or will be travelling. In some instances, the vehicle may be an autonomous, semi-autonomous, or a driven vehicle and the one or more suspension system actuators may be modified to change a pitch angle or a roll angle.
In some embodiments, a vehicle may be equipped with an active suspension system and/or with other suspension system actuators, that are configured to operate in multiple modes. During a first driving mode, a vehicle's posture may be maintained by mitigating vertical motion relative to a driving surface (e.g., during city and highway driving) and during a second driving mode, the vehicle's posture may be changed by inducing vertical motion to avoid interference with a portion of the driving surface. In both modes, actuators may be utilized to apply appropriate forces to a vehicle body and to one or more wheels to either mitigate undesirable vertical motion or induce desired vertical motion. In the first driving mode, one or more controllers may be used to control the actuators according to, for example, ground hook and/or skyhook-based control algorithms.
In some embodiments, under exceptional operating conditions, such as, for example, during off-roading and/or traversing steep changes in road gradient, appropriate changes may need to be made to the control algorithms necessary to produce a desired vertical clearance between a portion of the vehicle and a road surface. Under these exceptional operating conditions, one or more of the actuators may be used to adjust a vehicle posture by, for example, adjusting a pitch angle and/or a ride height. The vehicle posture may be adjusted to increase a pitch angle, a departure angle, and/or a breakover angle.
In some embodiments, certain key vehicle parameters, one or more of which may typically not be considered during operation in the first driving mode, may need to be emphasized during operation in the second driving mode. As a result, certain suspension system actuator controllers may operate differently in the first driving mode compared to the second driving mode. In some embodiments, in the second driving mode, controllers may be used to control various actuators to avoid interference while ignoring certain constraints that may be in place in the first driving mode to mitigate, for example, changes in vehicle posture as determined by ground hook and/or skyhook algorithms.
In some embodiments, in a second driving mode, additional data may be obtained (e.g., from local or remote data storage) including information, for example, about certain geometric parameters of the vehicle, for example an approach angle, a departure angle, a breakover angle, and/or a wheelbase length. Geometric parameters such as vehicle angles (e.g. vehicle angles such as angle of approach, angle of departure and breakover angle) as a function of vehicle posture may be used to determine whether a driving surface anomaly may be traversed by establishing a certain vehicle posture. One or more actuator controllers may then be used to establish a desired posture for traversing the driving surface anomaly. Data about details of the driving surface anomaly may also be obtained. The details of the driving surface anomaly may include information such as dimensions or orientation of the anomaly (e.g., for identifying a railroad crossing, incline of a transition to a driveway, incline/height of a boulder). Data about the driving surface may be collected from one or more appropriate forward and/or downward looking sensors such as, for example, LIDAR, radar, laser ranging, and/or acoustic ranging. Information about the driving surface and/or certain vehicle parameters, e.g., vehicle geometry, vehicle angles, and actuator range of vertical motion, may also be obtained from a user interface and/or a data storage device.
In some embodiments, operation in the second driving mode may be limited to, for example, certain speed ranges due to for example, safety considerations, comfort, drivability, etc. In the second driving mode, one or more controllers may be configured to drive actuators to a maximum displacement to, for example, avoid an obstruction. With such positioning, a vehicle may become unstable at certain speeds, e.g. highway speed, and speeds between 20 miles per hour and 75 miles per hour. In some embodiments, a vehicle may be precluded from entering the second driving mode to avoid unexpectedly increasing pitch due to, for example, a sensor or another malfunction.
In certain embodiments, when in second mode operation, it may be necessary to consider, for example, how actuators may be utilized to help a vehicle navigate over a surface without getting stuck or causing the vehicle body (e.g., a bottom surface of the chassis or undercarriage, bumpers, add-ons such as an externally mounted spare tire, etc.) to contact (e.g., scrape against, strike, etc.) a surface of the road or driving surface or an obstruction on the road or ground (e.g., a boulder, a rock formation, etc.).
As used herein, the term “approach angle” refers to the maximum supplementary angle (which may be expressed in degrees) between a first plane onto which a vehicle may climb from a second plane (which may be horizontal or at an angle to the horizontal) on which the vehicle is travelling, without interference between a surface on the vehicle and the surface of the first plane. As used herein, the term “departure angle” refers to the maximum supplementary angle (which may be expressed in degrees) of a first plane that the vehicle may descend from onto a second plane on which it is travelling, without interference between a surface on the vehicle and the surface of the first plane. As used herein, the term “breakover angle” is the maximum supplementary angle (which may be expressed in degrees) between a first plane and a second plane that form a convex surface that a vehicle may drive over without any point on either plane touching any surface of the vehicle (other than the wheels).
These angles may be adjusted actively by using one or more suspension system actuators, such as, for example, hydraulic actuators, electrohydraulic actors, electromagnetic actuators, or pneumatic actuators (e.g., air springs). These various actuators may work individually or in cooperation with one or more other actuators (of the same and/or different types) to adjust one or more vehicle angles such as the angle of approach, the angle of departure and/or the breakover angle of a particular vehicle.
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In some embodiments, one or more controllers may be used in a first mode to control one or more actuators, such as for example, active suspension actuators to apply one or more forces to one or more corners of a vehicle sprung mass to mitigate vertical movement of the sprung mass. In some embodiments, a controller may be used to control the one or more actuators by implementing an algorithm that includes a skyhook control strategy. In some embodiments, mitigating the movement of the sprung mass may include mitigating the pitch of the vehicle body, e.g. during braking or accelerating maneuvers, and/or during traversal of non-level driving surfaces. In some embodiments, mitigating the movement of the sprung mass may include mitigating a roll of the vehicle body, e.g. during cornering maneuvers, and/or during traversal of non-level driving surfaces. Disturbances to the pitch and/or roll angle of the vehicle body may be mitigated, for example, by using a controller to implement a skyhook control algorithm in response to, for example, various sensors, such as, for example, accelerometers that measure the vertical component of the acceleration of at least a portion of the sprung mass.
In a second mode of operation, the one or more controllers may be used to control one or more actuators to apply one or more forces to one or more corners of a vehicle sprung mass to induce movement of the sprung mass. In some embodiments, the movement of the vehicle that may be induced, in the second mode, may include modification of the pitch angle of the vehicle. In the second mode, the controller may respond to information from one or more sensors, such as forward-looking sensors (e.g., LIDAR, radar, vision, acoustic, etc.) and/or a user interface that indicates the need for an increase of various vehicle angles (e.g., approach angle, departure angle, and/or breakover angle). In the second mode, alternatively or additionally, the controller may respond to information and/or commands provided by means of a user interface.
In some embodiments, a vehicle controller may prevent the vehicle from operating in the second mode when the one or more operating parameters are within a certain range. For example, in some embodiments, a controller may preclude operation in the second mode if the vehicle speed is between 20 mph and 100 mph. In some embodiments, a controller may preclude operation in the second mode if the vehicle speed is between 10 mph and 100 mph. In some embodiments, a controller may preclude operation in the second mode unless it receives a predetermined signal from a user interface. In some embodiments, changes to the vehicle angles may be at least partially controlled by an operator using a user interface.
In some embodiments, the central controller 119 may be combined with the dedicated controller 115 and serve the functions of both. In some embodiments, the central controller 119 may be used to directly control multiple actuators without the need for dedicated controllers.
The dedicated controller 119 may also exchange information with a user interface 120 and receive information from one or more sensors 121, 122, and 123, such as for example, LIDAR, radar, laser range detector, acoustic range detector, etc. The central controller 119 may also exchange information with a storage device 124 which may include information about the geometry or dimensions of the vehicle, digital map data, information about obstructions, and/or rapid transitions in road surface slope including, for example, their locations.
These controllers may work individually or cooperatively to mitigate vertical vehicle motion during a first mode of operation, but to adjust the posture of the vehicle during the second mode to, for example, temporarily increase one or more of the angle of approach, the angle of departure, and the breakover angle. In various embodiments the functions ascribed to a single controller herein may be distributed among a set of controllers.
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/795,807, filed Jan. 23, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62795807 | Jan 2019 | US |