Systems and methods for smart suspension control for a vehicle

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for determining a road profile along a predicted path. In one implementation, a system includes at least one image capture device configured to acquire a plurality of images of an area in a vicinity of a user vehicle; a data interface; and at least one processing device configured to receive the plurality of images captured by the image capture device through the data interface; and compute a profile of a road along one or more predicted paths of the user vehicle. At least one of the one or more predicted paths is predicted based on image data.

1 - 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . A suspension control system for a vehicle, comprising:
 a plurality of image capture devices to acquire a plurality of images of an area ahead of the vehicle;   an adaptive suspension system; and   an image processing system configured to:
 determine a vertical contour road condition of a road in the area ahead of the vehicle from the plurality of images; and 
 transmit a signal to the adaptive suspension system to dampen suspension of the vehicle based on estimating that the vehicle is to encounter the vertical contour road condition. 
   
     
     
         34 . The suspension control system of  claim 33 , wherein the vertical contour road condition comprises a pot hole. 
     
     
         35 . The suspension control system of  claim 33 , wherein the vertical contour road condition comprises a bump. 
     
     
         36 . The suspension control system of  claim 33 , wherein the vertical contour road condition includes multiple road conditions that are used to separately control suspension for different wheels. 
     
     
         37 . The suspension control system of  claim 33 , wherein the vertical contour road condition includes multiple road conditions that are used to separately control suspension for separate wheel tracks of the vehicle. 
     
     
         38 . The suspension control system of  claim 33 , wherein the suspension control system is integrable with an advanced vehicle system. 
     
     
         39 . The suspension control system of  claim 38 , wherein the advanced vehicle system comprises a braking system. 
     
     
         40 . The suspension control system of  claim 38 , wherein the advanced vehicle system comprises a steering system. 
     
     
         41 . An image processing system for a vehicle, comprising:
 a processing device configured to:
 access a plurality of images of an area ahead of the vehicle; 
 determine a vertical contour road condition of a road in the area ahead of the vehicle based on the plurality of images; and 
 transmit a signal to a suspension control system of the vehicle to dampen suspension of the vehicle if it is determined that the vehicle encounters the vertical contour road condition. 
   
     
     
         42 . The image processing system of  claim 41 , comprising a plurality of image capture devices to acquire the plurality of images. 
     
     
         43 . The image processing system of  claim 41 , wherein the vertical contour road condition comprises a pot hole. 
     
     
         44 . The image processing system of  claim 41 , wherein the vertical contour road condition comprises a bump. 
     
     
         45 . The image processing system of  claim 41 , wherein the vertical contour road condition includes multiple road conditions that are used to separately control suspension for different wheels. 
     
     
         46 . The image processing system of  claim 41 , wherein the vertical contour road condition includes multiple road conditions that are used to separately control suspension for separate wheel tracks of the vehicle. 
     
     
         47 . The image processing system of  claim 41 , wherein the image processing system is integrated with an advanced vehicle control system. 
     
     
         48 . A suspension control system, comprising:
 a processing device configured to:
 access a plurality of images of an area ahead of the vehicle; 
 determine a variation of height of a road surface of a road in the area ahead of the vehicle based on the plurality of images; and 
 transmit a signal to a suspension control subsystem to dampen suspension of the vehicle while the vehicle encounters the variation of height in the road surface. 
   
     
     
         49 . The suspension control system of  claim 48 , comprising a plurality of image capture devices to acquire the plurality of images. 
     
     
         50 . The suspension control system of  claim 48 , wherein the variation of height of the road surface comprises a pot hole. 
     
     
         51 . The suspension control system of  claim 48 , wherein the variation of height of the road surface comprises a bump. 
     
     
         52 . A vehicle comprising:
 a plurality of wheels coupled to a plurality of shock absorbers;   an active suspension system to interface with the plurality of shock absorbers, to dampen vertical movement of at least one of the plurality of wheels;   a plurality of image capture devices; and   an image processing system to:
 access a plurality of images of an area ahead of the vehicle captured by the plurality of image capture devices; 
 determine a variation of height of a road surface of a road in the area ahead of the vehicle based on the plurality of the images; and 
 transmit a signal to the active suspension system to dampen suspension of the vehicle as the vehicle traverses the variation of height of the road surface. 
   
     
     
         53 . The vehicle of  claim 52 , wherein the variation of height of the road surface comprises a pot hole. 
     
     
         54 . The vehicle of  claim 52 , wherein the variation of height of the road surface comprises a bump.