Suspension systems for an electric vehicle

Abstract

Methods, systems and apparatus for providing a suspension adapted for a vehicle that moves along a surface. In response to a speed of the vehicle moving along the surface being greater than a threshold value, employing force provided by air flowing between a passenger compartment and an undercarriage to lift the passenger compartment away from direct physical contact with the undercarriage.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
         1 . A suspension system adapted for a vehicle, the system comprising:
 a first suspension component that is coupled to an undercarriage of the vehicle, wherein the first suspension component is employed to actively dampen one or more types of physical force applied to the undercarriage as the vehicle is moving along a surface;   a second suspension component that is coupled to a passenger compartment of the vehicle, wherein the second suspension component is employed to actively dampen one or more types of physical force applied to the passenger compartment by direct contact with the undercarriage; and   in response to a speed of the vehicle moving along the surface being greater than a threshold value, employing force provided by air flowing between the passenger compartment and the undercarriage to lift the passenger compartment away from direct physical contact with the undercarriage, wherein one or more tethers are configured to limit a non-contact physical distance between the undercarriage and the passenger compartment during the lift of the passenger compartment by the air flow.   
     
     
         2 . The suspension system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more of an aileron or a rudder to stabilize the force of the air flowing towards the passenger component.   
     
     
         3 . The suspension system of  claim 1 , further comprises:
 a map showing one or more physical conditions of the surface for one or more roads, wherein the map is employed to adjust a height of the undercarriage from the surface based on the one or more physical conditions of the surface.   
     
     
         4 . The suspension system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a drone that is adapted to fly above the vehicle, wherein the drone is employed to scan the surface to compare a current scan of the surface to a previous scan of the surface, and wherein the comparison is employed to identify when the surface is tampered or altered since the previous scan occurred.   
     
     
         5 . The suspension system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an inductive charging system embedded in the surface that adds an electromagnetic down force to the undercarriage, wherein the down force provides further adhesion of the plurality of wheels to the surface as the vehicle is moving along the surface.   
     
     
         6 . The suspension system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more headlight scanning assemblies that include at least one camera and are coupled to one or more of the undercarriage or the passenger compartment of the vehicle, wherein the one or more headlight scanning assemblies provide fast foveated detection of one or more objects on the surface ahead of the vehicle.   
     
     
         7 . The suspension system of  claim 1 , wherein the undercarriage further comprises one or more of a plurality of batteries, electrical propulsion component, steering component, braking component, and a plurality of wheels; and
 wherein the passenger compartment further comprises one or more of steering controls, propulsion controls, braking controls, and one or more seats.   
     
     
         8 . A method for providing a suspension system that is adapted for a vehicle, wherein one or more processors execute instructions to perform actions, comprising:
 coupling a first suspension component to an undercarriage of the vehicle, wherein the first suspension component is employed to actively dampen one or more types of physical force applied to the undercarriage as the vehicle is moving along a surface;   coupling a second suspension component to a passenger compartment of the vehicle, wherein the second suspension component is employed to actively dampen one or more types of physical force applied to the passenger compartment by direct contact with the undercarriage; and   in response to a speed of the vehicle moving along the surface being greater than a threshold value, employing force provided by air flowing between the passenger compartment and the undercarriage to lift the passenger compartment away from direct physical contact with the undercarriage, wherein one or more tethers are configured to limit a non-contact physical distance between the undercarriage and the passenger compartment during the lift of the passenger compartment by the air flow.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 providing one or more of an aileron or a rudder to stabilize the force of the air flowing towards the passenger component.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprises:
 providing a map showing one or more physical conditions of the surface for one or more roads, wherein the map is employed to adjust a height of the undercarriage from the surface based on the one or more physical conditions of the surface.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 providing a drone that is adapted to fly above the vehicle, wherein the drone is employed to scan the surface to compare a current scan of the surface to a previous scan of the surface, and wherein the comparison is employed to identify when the surface is tampered or altered since the previous scan occurred.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 providing an inductive charging system embedded in the surface that adds an electromagnetic down force to the undercarriage, wherein the down force provides further adhesion of the plurality of wheels to the surface as the vehicle is moving along the surface.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 providing one or more headlight scanning assemblies that are adapted for the vehicle and include at least one camera and are coupled to one or more of the undercarriage or the passenger compartment of the vehicle, wherein the one or more headlight scanning assemblies provide fast foveated detection of one or more objects on the surface ahead of the vehicle.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the undercarriage further comprises one or more of a plurality of batteries, electrical propulsion component, steering component, braking component, and a plurality of wheels; and
 wherein the passenger compartment further comprises one or more of steering controls, propulsion controls, braking controls, and one or more seats.   
     
     
         15 . An apparatus adapted for a vehicle, comprising:
 a first suspension component that is coupled to an undercarriage of the vehicle, wherein the first suspension component is employed to actively dampen one or more types of physical force applied to the undercarriage as the vehicle is moving along a surface;   a second suspension component that is coupled to a passenger compartment of the vehicle, wherein the second suspension component is employed to actively dampen one or more types of physical force applied to the passenger compartment by direct contact with the undercarriage; and   in response to a speed of the vehicle moving along the surface being greater than a threshold value, employing force provided by air flowing between the passenger compartment and the undercarriage to lift the passenger compartment away from direct physical contact with the undercarriage, wherein one or more tethers are configured to limit a non-contact physical distance between the undercarriage and the passenger compartment during the lift of the passenger compartment by the air flow.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 one or more of an aileron or a rudder to stabilize the force of the air flowing towards the passenger component.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprises:
 a map showing one or more physical conditions of the surface for one or more roads, wherein the map is employed to adjust a height of the undercarriage from the surface based on the one or more physical conditions of the surface.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a drone that is adapted to fly above the vehicle, wherein the drone is employed to scan the surface to compare a current scan of the surface to a previous scan of the surface, and wherein the comparison is employed to identify when the surface is tampered or altered since the previous scan occurred.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 an inductive charging system embedded in the surface that adds an electromagnetic down force to the undercarriage, wherein the down force provides further adhesion of the plurality of wheels to the surface as the vehicle is moving along the surface.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 one or more headlight scanning assemblies that include at least one camera and are coupled to one or more of the undercarriage or the passenger compartment of the vehicle, wherein the one or more headlight scanning assemblies provide fast foveated detection of one or more objects on the surface ahead of the vehicle.