Vehicle suspension control

Claim 1

A method for improving steering stability in a vehicle in which steering stability is a function of tire deflection, the vehicle including a plurality of wheels, each wheel having a tire, a hub, and an adjustable damper, and the vehicle having a center of gravity and a brake steer controller which provides a desired torque, the method comprising: a) estimating lateral force acting on one of the tires; b) estimating longitudinal force acting on said one tire; c) determining total torque generated about the center of gravity based upon the estimated lateral and longitudinal forces on said one tire; d) measuring relative velocity of the respective hub with respect to the vehicle body, wherein hub movement toward the body is positive and away from the body is negative; e) determining the sign of the product of the desired torque, the determined total torque and the measured relative velocity; f) setting the respective damper to its highest damping rate if the determined sign is positive; g) setting the respective damper to its lowest damping rate if said sign is negative; and h) repeating steps a) through g) for the remainder of said plurality of tires.

Claim 2

A method for improving steering stability in a vehicle in which steering stability is a function of tire deflection, the vehicle including a plurality of wheels, each wheel having a tire, a hub, and an adjustable damper, and the vehicle having a center of gravity and a brake steer controller which provides a desired torque, the method comprising: a) estimating lateral force acting on one of the tires; b) estimating longitudinal force acting on said one tire; c) determining total torque generated about the center of gravity based upon the estimated lateral and longitudinal forces on said one tire; d) measuring relative velocity of the respective hub with respect to the vehicle body, wherein hub movement toward the body is positive and away from the body is negative; e) determining the sign of the product of the desired torque, the determined total torque and the measured relative velocity; f) setting the respective damper to its highest damping rate if the determined sign is positive; g) setting the respective damper to its lowest damping rate if said sign is negative; and h) repeating steps a) through g) for the remainder of said plurality of tires.

Claim 3

A method for improving steering stability in a vehicle in which steering stability is a function of tire deflection, the vehicle including a plurality of wheels, each wheel having a tire, a hub, and an adjustable damper, and the vehicle having a center of gravity and a brake steer controller which provides a desired torque, the method comprising: a) estimating lateral force acting on one of the tires; b) estimating longitudinal force acting on said one tire; c) determining total torque generated about the center of gravity based upon the estimated lateral and longitudinal forces on said one tire; d) measuring relative velocity of the respective hub with respect to the vehicle body, wherein hub movement toward the body is positive and away from the body is negative; e) determining the sign of the product of the desired torque, the determined total torque and the measured relative velocity; f) adjusting the damping rate of the respective damper based upon said sign; and g) repeating steps a) through f) for the remainder of said plurality of tires.

Claim 4

A method for improving steering stability in a vehicle in which steering stability is a function of tire deflection, the vehicle including a plurality of wheels, each wheel having a tire, a hub, and an adjustable damper, and the vehicle having a center of gravity and a brake steer controller which provides a desired torque, the method comprising: a) estimating lateral force acting on one of the tires; b) estimating longitudinal force acting on said one tire; c) determining total torque generated about the center of gravity based upon the estimated lateral and longitudinal forces on said one tire; d) measuring relative velocity of the respective hub with respect to the vehicle body, wherein hub movement toward the body is positive and away from the body is negative; e) determining the sign of the product of the desired torque, the determined total torque and the measured relative velocity; f) adjusting the damping rate of the respective damper based upon said sign; and g) repeating steps a) through f) for the remainder of said plurality of tires.