Active Vehicle Suspension System and Method for Managing Drive Energy

摘要

A vehicle drive energy management and active suspension control system and operative methodology in which ground/pathway anomalies are sensed and the relationship thereof to the vehicle chassis is used to enable or automatically effect adjustment of chassis supporting actuators to reduce resisting effects and/or increase assisting effects of the encountered ground/pathway anomalies and thus reduce the vehicle drive energy that would otherwise be required to efficiently move the vehicle in the intended direction, yet maintain the stability of the vehicle.

主权项

1. An active drive energy management and suspension system for a vehicle having a vehicle chassis supported above at least four ground/pathway engaging vehicle wheels, comprising:
a plurality of actuators, each adapted to exert a variable supporting force between an associated vehicle wheel and the vehicle chassis; means for determining the slope of the ground/pathway relative to the vehicle chassis in the direction of vehicle movement at the points of contact between each vehicle wheel and the ground/pathway, and for generating corresponding slope signals; and control means responsive to the inter relationships of the respective slope signals and, in the event that such inter relationships are evident of ground/pathway anomalies that can have an effect on the drive energy required to move the vehicle in the forward direction, the control means is operative to cause a first set of the actuators associated with a first set of diametrically opposite wheels to decrease the supporting forces exerted thereby and to simultaneously increase the supporting forces exerted by a second set of actuators associated with a second set of diametrically opposite wheels, thereby reducing the energy otherwise required to drive the vehicle in said direction of vehicle movement and over the ground/pathway anomaly or anomalies.