ClearMotion, Inc.

A vehicle control system for a vehicle having a braking system and active suspension system is provided. The vehicle control system may be configured to adjust a normal component of a wheel force at one or more wheels of the vehicle to increase an average traction force at the one or more wheels during a braking event. The vehicle control system may adjust a normal component of a wheel force at one or more wheels based on reference road information, forward-looking road information, and/or vehicle sensor data.

A vehicle may include a chassis, four wheels, and an active suspension system operatively coupled to the four wheels and the chassis, where the active suspension system comprises at least one actuator configured to apply active forces to at least one of the four wheels. A processor may be configured to control the active suspension system by receiving a first force request for force to alter a first motion characteristic of the chassis, allocating a first force allocation to the first force request based on a force capacity, receiving a second force request for force to alter a second motion characteristic of the chassis, allocating a second force allocation to the second force request based on the first force allocation, and commanding the at least one actuator to apply force based on the first force allocation and the second force allocation.

A vehicle may include a chassis and/or vehicle body, a plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies, an active suspension system operatively coupled to the plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies and the chassis and/or vehicle body, and at least one processor configured to control the active suspension system. The at least one processor may be configured to obtain a tuning parameter, determine a first vehicle parameter, determine a second vehicle parameter, determine a blended vehicle parameter based at least partly on the tuning parameter, the first vehicle parameter, and the second vehicle parameter, and command the at least one actuator to apply force between at least one of the plurality of wheels or wheel assemblies and the chassis and/or vehicle body based at least partly on the blended vehicle parameter.

A method of terrain-based localization of a vehicle is provided. The method may include determining the vehicle is within a threshold distance of a road segment end point and comparing a measured road profile to a reference road profile associated with the road segment. A method of identifying a track (e.g., a lane) of a road segment road profile is provided. The method may include determining if a number of stored road profiles exceeds a threshold number of road profiles and identifying one or more clusters in the stored road profiles if the threshold number is exceeded.

Active suspension systems including actuators with combinations of accumulators and flow restrictions, as well as their methods of operation, are described. In some embodiments, methods and constructions for mitigating pump ripple and/or resonances between different hydraulic components are also described.

In one embodiment, one or more suspension systems of a vehicle may be used to mitigate motion sickness by limiting motion in one or more frequency ranges. In another embodiment, an active suspension may be integrated with an autonomous vehicle architecture. In yet another embodiment, the active suspension system of a vehicle may be used to induce motion in a vehicle. The vehicle may be used as a testbed for technical investigations and/or as a platform to enhance the enjoyment of video and/or audio by vehicle occupants. In some embodiments, the active suspensions system may be used to perform gestures as a means of communication with persons inside or outside the vehicle. In some embodiments, the active suspensions system may be used to generate haptic warnings to a vehicle operator or other persons in response to certain road situations.

Methods and systems are presented for planning and commanding motions of a vehicle in the plane of a road and in the vertical direction, relative to the plane of a road, to enhance vehicle performance, as it may relate to, for example, vehicle safety, occupant comfort, wear and tear on the vehicle, and/or vehicle efficiency. One or more processors may be used to plan XYZ vehicle trajectories and to provide commands to systems such as, for example, active suspension systems, semi-active suspension systems, propulsion systems, braking systems (e.g. ABS), and/or steering systems. The one or more processors may also receive road information from, for example, look-ahead sensors (e.g. LiDAR), local or remote databases, and motion sensors (e.g. IMUs, accelerometers). The one or more processors may also exchange information with a driver and/or other vehicle occupants, various on-board or remote databases, and/or infrastructure systems (e.g. GPS) by means of one or more communication devices.

A vehicle may include a vehicle body, a plurality of wheels, an active suspension system operatively coupled to the plurality of wheels and the vehicle body, and at least one processor configured to control the active suspension system. The at least one processor may be configured to determine a first force command based on a vehicle body parameter, determine a second force command based on the vehicle body parameter and a suspension parameter, determine a blend ratio based on the first force command, determine a third force command based at least partly on the blend ratio, the first force command, and the second force command, and command the at least one actuator to apply force between at least one of the plurality of wheels and the vehicle body based at least partly on the third force command.

A method of on-demand energy delivery to an active suspension system comprising an actuator body, hydraulic pump, electric motor, plurality of sensors, energy storage facility, and controller is provided. The method comprises disposing an active suspension system in a vehicle between a wheel mount and a vehicle body, detecting a wheel event requiring control of the active suspension; and sourcing energy from the energy storage facility and delivering it to the electric motor in response to the wheel event.

Systems and methods described herein include implementation of road surface-based localization techniques for advanced vehicle features and control methods including lane drift detection, passing guidance, bandwidth conservation and caching based on road data, vehicle speed correction, suspension and vehicle system performance tracking and control, road estimation calibration, and others.