Vehicle Air Suspension Control System

Abstract

A method of automatically adjusting the ride height of a vehicle each time the vehicle is in a particular location is provided, where the automatic ride height adjustment is based on location and ride height information previously gathered from a user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of adjusting a ride height of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
 accepting a first user selection, wherein said first user selection corresponds to a first selected location;   recording said first selected location in a memory;   accepting a second user selection, wherein said second user selection corresponds to a preferred ride height to be associated with said first selected location;   recording said preferred ride height in said memory;   monitoring a vehicle location, wherein said monitoring step is performed by an on-board global positioning system (GPS); and   automatically adjusting the ride height of the vehicle from a normal ride height to said preferred ride height every time said vehicle location corresponds to said first selected location.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of monitoring a vehicle speed corresponding to said vehicle and compensating for said vehicle speed when performing said step of automatically adjusting the ride height of the vehicle such that said ride height is adjusted to said preferred ride height when said vehicle location corresponds to said first selected location. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of automatically adjusting the ride height of the vehicle from said normal ride height to said preferred ride height is performed when said vehicle location is a preset distance away from said first selected location. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising the step of accepting a third user selection corresponding to said preset distance. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of maintaining said preferred ride height for a preset distance after said vehicle location corresponds to said first selected location. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising the step of accepting a third user selection corresponding to said preset distance. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 accepting a third user selection corresponding to a second selected location;   recording said second selected location in said memory; and   maintaining said preferred ride height when said vehicle location is between said first and second selected locations.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of automatically adjusting the ride height of the vehicle from said preferred ride height back to said normal ride height after said vehicle has traversed said first and second selected locations. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 accepting a third user selection corresponding to a size of a geo-fence, wherein said geo-fence is in the form of a circle, and wherein a center of said circle corresponds to said first selected location;   recording said size of said geo-fence in said memory; and   maintaining said preferred ride height when said vehicle location is within said geo-fence.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the step of automatically adjusting the ride height of the vehicle from said preferred ride height back to said normal ride height after said vehicle has traversed said geo-fence. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of automatically adjusting the ride height further comprises the step of altering air pressure within a plurality of vehicle air springs. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 adjusting said ride height from said normal ride height to a temporary ride height in response to a manually input ride height adjustment, wherein said manually input ride height adjustment is input via an on-board user interface coupled to a system controller; and   issuing a confirmation query, wherein a positive response to said confirmation query results in said system controller determining a current vehicle location using said on-board GPS and setting said current vehicle location as said first selected location and results in said system controller setting said temporary ride height as said preferred ride height, and wherein a negative response to said confirmation query results in said system controller not setting said current vehicle location as said first selected location and not setting said temporary ride height as said preferred ride height.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein after receiving said positive response to said confirmation query said method further comprises the steps of:
 adjusting said ride height from said preferred ride height back to said normal ride height in response to a second manually input ride height adjustment, wherein said second manually input ride height adjustment is input via said on-board user interface coupled to said system controller; and   issuing a second confirmation query, wherein a positive response to said second confirmation query results in said system controller determining a new current vehicle location using said on-board GPS and setting said new current vehicle location as a second selected location and recording said second selected location in said memory and maintaining said preferred ride height when said vehicle location is between said first and second selected locations.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein after receiving said positive response to said confirmation query said method further comprises the steps of:
 adjusting said ride height from said preferred ride height back to said normal ride height in response to a second manually input ride height adjustment, wherein said second manually input ride height adjustment is input via said on-board user interface coupled to said system controller;   determining a new current vehicle location using said on-board GPS and setting said new current vehicle location as a second selected location;   recording said second selected location in said memory; and   maintaining said preferred ride height when said vehicle location is between said first and second selected locations.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said manually input ride height adjustment is comprised of the step of selecting said temporary ride height from a plurality of available ride heights. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said on-board user interface is comprised of a touch-screen, and wherein said step of selecting said temporary ride height from said plurality of available ride heights further comprises the steps of:
 displaying said plurality of available ride heights on said touch-screen; and   accepting said temporary ride height as said manually input ride height adjustment in response to a user touching an icon representative of said temporary ride height, said icon displayed on said touch-screen.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said on-board user interface is comprised of a display screen, and wherein said step of selecting said temporary ride height from said plurality of available ride heights further comprises the steps of:
 displaying said plurality of available ride heights on said display screen; and   accepting said temporary ride height as said manually input ride height adjustment in response to a user activating a switch corresponding to said temporary ride height, said switch mounted in a location adjacent to said display screen.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said on-board user interface is comprised of a voice activated system, and wherein said step of selecting said temporary ride height from said plurality of available ride heights further comprises the steps of:
 accepting a request to adjust said ride height, wherein said request is an audible request input by a user of said on-board user interface;   accepting a selected ride height from said plurality of available ride heights in response to an audible ride height selection input by said user of said on-board user interface;   issuing an audible confirmation query requesting confirmation of said selected ride height; and   accepting said selected ride height as said temporary ride height after receiving an audible positive response to said audible confirmation query.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein after receiving said positive response to said confirmation query said method further comprises the steps of:
 accepting a third user selection corresponding to a size of a geo-fence, wherein said geo-fence is in the form of a circle, and wherein a center of said circle corresponds to said first selected location;   recording said size of said geo-fence in said memory; and   maintaining said preferred ride height when said vehicle location is within said geo-fence.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein after receiving said positive response to said confirmation query said method further comprises the steps of:
 setting a size of a geo-fence, wherein said geo-fence is in the form of a circle, wherein a center of said circle corresponds to said first selected location, and wherein said size is based on a preset size; and   maintaining said preferred ride height when said vehicle location is within said geo-fence.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of accepting said first user selection further comprises the step of accepting a set of GPS coordinates corresponding to said first selected location. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said on-board user interface is comprised of a touch-screen and wherein said set of GPS coordinates are input via said touch-screen. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said on-board user interface is comprised of a touch-screen, said method further comprising the steps of displaying a map on said touch-screen and accepting a user touch on said map displayed on said touch-screen, wherein said user touch corresponds to said first selected location. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said on-board user interface is comprised of a display screen, said method further comprising the steps of displaying a map on said display screen and accepting a user selection of said first selected location on said map displayed on said display screen, wherein said user selection is made using a cursor and an input device.