Patent ID: 11970037
Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 6:
7. A vehicle suspension system with vertical vibration damping of at least one wheel of the vehicle, the system comprising:
a vibration damper; and
a control element operably coupled to the vibration damper, the control element including at least one actuating element for adapting a damping characteristic of the vibration damper;
wherein the vehicle comprises:
a first sensor for detecting roadway anomalies in a region of a roadway surface situated ahead in a movement direction of the vehicle,
a second sensor for detecting a vertical displacement (Δh) of the wheel, and
a control unit operably coupled to the first sensor, the second sensor, and the control element,
wherein the control unit is configured for:
detecting roadway anomalies with the first sensor during movement of the vehicle;
detecting the vertical displacement with the second sensor; and
switching the vibration damper with the control element at a first point in time from a first state with a first damping characteristic into a second state with a second damping characteristic when a first sensor signal generated by the first sensor indicates a roadway anomaly with a minimum height,
wherein a reset of the vibration damper with the control element from the second state into the first state takes place when a second sensor signal generated by the second sensor does not indicate a change of the vertical displacement by at least the minimum height within a detection period starting with the first point in time and/or a speed of the change of the vertical displacement exceeds a minimum speed,
wherein the control unit is configured for switching the vibration damper into the second state by:
applying a force requirement to the control element that depends on a classification of the roadway anomaly with respect to a vertical dimension, a gradient of edges of the roadway anomaly, and the speed of the vehicle, or
operating the control element with a skyhook control reduced as compared to a skyhook control in the first state with a reduced force requirement, and
wherein the control unit is configured for switching the vibration damper into the second state by determining a plurality of possible force requirements and, from the possible force requirements determined, selecting a minimum force requirement to be applied to the control element.