US 11,833,875 B2
Motor-vehicle with multi-mode extreme travel suspension—ground plane detection and control
Christopher M. Morgan, Ann Arbor, MI (US); John Edward Ustick, Bloomfield Hills, MI (US); and Guido Francesco Ritelli, Farmington Hills, MI (US)
Assigned to PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING AND FABRICATION, LLC, New Hudson, MI (US)
Appl. No. 17/048,971
Filed by PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING AND FABRICATION, INC., New Hudson, MI (US)
PCT Filed Apr. 19, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/028309
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 19, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/204717, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 24, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/660,430, filed on Apr. 20, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0252932 A1, Aug. 19, 2021
Int. Cl. B60G 17/0165 (2006.01); B60G 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60G 17/0165 (2013.01) [B60G 7/001 (2013.01); B60G 2400/0511 (2013.01); B60G 2400/0512 (2013.01); B60G 2400/82 (2013.01); B60G 2401/16 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A ground plane detection system for a vehicle with maneuverability characteristics of a type including a frame structure, a pair of front road engaging wheels, a pair of rear road engaging wheels, the detection system comprising:
a body controller configured for determining a ground plane including receiving at least one of a GPS signal and an inertial navigation system signal, the body controller configured for providing a roll and a pitch signal with respect to the ground plane; and the body controller combining the signals with inputs from one or more sensors detecting displacement of the front and rear road engaging wheels,
the body controller further configured to determine a terrain plane reference to the ground plane, and providing control signals to cause the vehicle to selectively undertake either an earth level orientation mode or a terrain following orientation mode.