IP Library Granted Patent US 11,186,135
Granted Patent B2
US 11,186,135 · App. 16/433,479 · Granted Nov 30, 2021

Active vehicle suspension

Inventors: Zackary Martin Anderson (Cambridge, MA); Marco Giovanardi (Melrose, MA); Clive Tucker (Charlestown, MA); Jonathan R. Leehey (Wayland, MA); Colin Patrick O'Shea (Boston, MA); Johannes Schneider (Cambridge, MA); Vladimir Gorelik (Medford, MA); Richard Anthony Zuckerman (Somerville, MA); Patrick W. Neil (Randolph, MA); Tyson David Sawyer (Mason, NH); Ross J. Wendell (Medford, MA)
Assignee: ClearMotion, Inc.
B60G17/016B60G13/14B60G17/0157B60G17/0182B60G17/08B60G99/002F16F9/064F16F9/3292F16F9/466H02K7/06H02P21/06B60G2202/15B60G2202/30B60G2202/413B60G2202/416B60G2202/42B60G2204/40B60G2206/41B60G2400/051B60G2400/5182B60G2400/821B60G2401/172B60G2500/02B60G2500/10B60G2600/182B60G2600/1871B60G2600/21B60G2600/73B60G2600/82B60G2800/162B60G2800/85B60G2800/916
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,186,135
App. No.
16/433,479
Granted
Nov 30, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of on-demand energy delivery to an active suspension system is disclosed. The suspension system includes an actuator body, a hydraulic pump, an electric motor, a plurality of sensors, an energy storage facility, and a controller. The method includes 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.

Claims (36)

1. A method of energy delivery to an active suspension system, comprising:

providing an active suspension system in a vehicle, the active suspension system comprising a hydraulic pump and an electric motor, the hydraulic pump and electric motor being operatively coupled, one or more sensors, an energy storage facility, one or more bypass valves, a controller, and one or more active suspension actuators, each actuator comprising an actuator body, a compression volume, an extension volume, and a piston;

detecting a road induced movement of a wheel of the vehicle with at least one of the one or more sensors;

sending data representing the movement from the at least one of the one or more sensors to the controller;

determining, at the controller, based on the data representing the movement, a first torque command to be applied to a shaft of the hydraulic pump;

receiving a required amount of energy at the electric motor from the energy storage facility;

applying a first torque corresponding to the first torque command to the shaft of the hydraulic pump using at least a portion of the required amount of energy received thereby altering a pressure in at least one of the compression volume or the extension volume; and

modifying flow of hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic pump from at least one of the compression volume or the extension volume with at least one of the one or more bypass valves.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising flowing hydraulic fluid into and out of an accumulator that is in fluid communication with at least one of the compression volume and the extension volume.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising producing a second torque with the hydraulic pump due to another road induced movement of the wheel, and driving the electric motor as generator using the second torque to generate a second amount of energy.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising storing at least a portion of the second amount of energy generated from the second torque at the energy storage facility.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising operating at least one of the one or more active suspension actuators in at least three of four quadrants of a force/velocity domain.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising updating the first torque at a frequency of at least 1 Hertz.

7. The method of claim 3 , further comprising operating at least one of the one or more active suspension actuators in at all four quadrants of a force/velocity domain.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more bypass valves includes a blow-off valve.

9. The method of claim 2 , further comprising controlling at least one of the one or more bypass valves to selectively bypass the flow of hydraulic fluid.

10. The method of claim 2 , wherein movement of the wheel comprises a wheel event.

11. An active suspension system for a vehicle, the active suspension system comprising:

one or more active suspension actuators, each actuator comprising an actuator body, a compression volume, an extension volume, and a piston;

a hydraulic pump in fluid communication with the compression volume and the extension volume;

an electric motor operatively coupled to the hydraulic pump;

an energy storage facility electrically connected to the electric motor;

a controller configured to send one or more torque commands to the electric motor and configured to source an amount of energy from the energy storage facility;

one or more sensors configured to detect movement of a wheel of the vehicle and send data representing the movement of the wheel to the controller; and

one or more bypass valves configured to modify flow of hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic pump from at least one of the compression volume or the extension volume,

wherein the controller is configured to determine and send one or more torque commands to the electric motor and configured to source energy from the energy storage facility based at least partially on data received from at least one of the one or more sensors, and

wherein the controller is configured to apply a first torque corresponding to a first torque command to a shaft of the hydraulic pump using at least a portion of the required amount of energy, thereby altering a pressure in at least one of the compression volume or the extension volume.

12. The active suspension system of claim 11 , further comprising an accumulator that is in fluid communication with at least one of the compression volume and the extension volume.

13. The active suspension system of claim 12 , wherein the electric motor is configured to be driven as a generator using a second torque produced at the hydraulic pump due to another road induced movement of the wheel to generate a second amount of energy.

14. The active suspension system of claim 13 , wherein the energy storage facility is configured to store at least a portion of the second amount of energy generated from the second torque.

15. The active suspension system of claim 13 , wherein the active suspension system is configured to operate at least one of the one or more active suspension actuators in at least three of four quadrants of a force/velocity domain.

16. The active suspension system of claim 13 , wherein the controlleris configured to update the first torque at a frequency of at least 1 Hertz.

17. The active suspension system claim 13 , wherein the active suspension system is configured to operate at least one of the one or more active suspension actuators in at all four quadrants of a force/velocity domain.

18. The active suspension system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more bypass valves includes a blow-off valve.

19. The active suspension system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to control at least one of the one or more bypass valves to selectively bypass the flow of hydraulic fluid.

20. The active suspension system claim 12 , wherein movement of the wheel comprises a wheel event.

Assignments (8)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 10, 2025
From: CLEARMOTION ACQUISITION I LLC; CLEARMOTION, INC.
To: ACADIA WOODS PARTNERS, LLC
Reel/Frame 072836/0921 →
TERMINATION OF AMENDED & RESTATED PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 12, 2023
From: FRANKLIN STRATEGIC SERIES - FRANKLIN GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES FUND; FRANKLIN STRATEGIC SERIES - FRANKLIN SMALL CAP GROWTH FUND; FRANKLIN TEMPLETON INVESTMENT FUNDS - FRANKLIN U.S. OPPORTUNITIES FUND; NEWVIEW CAPITAL FUND I, LP; WIL FUND I, L.P.; BRIDGESTONE AMERICAS, INC.; MICROSOFT GLOBAL FINANCE; FHW LIMITED PARTNERSHIP; TEW LIMITED PARTNERSHIP; THE PRIVATE SHARES FUND; BRILLIANCE JOURNEY LIMITED
To: CLEARMOTION, INC.; CLEARMOTION ACQUISITION I LLC
Reel/Frame 062705/0684 →
TERMINATION OF AMENDED & RESTATED PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 8, 2023
From: ACADIA WOODS PARTNERS, LLC
To: CLEARMOTION, INC.; CLEARMOTION ACQUISITION I LLC
Reel/Frame 062687/0713 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ADDING ASSIGNEE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 059361 FRAME: 0433. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY AGREEMENT. Recorded Apr 6, 2022
From: CLEARMOTION, INC.; CLEARMOTION ACQUISITION I LLC
To: ACADIA WOODS PARTNERS, LLC; FRANKLIN STRATEGIC SERIES - FRANKLIN GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES FUND; FRANKLIN TEMPLETON INVESTMENT FUNDS - FRANKLIN U.S. OPPORTUNITIES FUND; FRANKLIN STRATEGIC SERIES - FRANKLIN SMALL CAP GROWTH FUND; NEWVIEW CAPITAL FUND I, LP; WIL FUND I, L.P.; BRIDGESTONE AMERICAS, INC.; MICROSOFT GLOBAL FINANCE; FHW LIMITED PARTNERSHIP; TEW LIMITED PARTNERSHIP; THE PRIVATE SHARES FUND; BRILLIANCE JOURNEY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 060130/0001 →
AMENDED & RESTATED PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 11, 2022
From: CLEARMOTION, INC.; CLEARMOTION ACQUISITION I LLC
To: ACADIA WOODS PARTNERS, LLC
Reel/Frame 059361/0433 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 4, 2022
From: CLEARMOTION, INC.
To: NEWVIEW CAPITAL FUND I, L.P.; ACADIA WOODS PARTNERS, LLC; WIL FUND I, L.P.; FRANKLIN STRATEGIC SERIES - FRANKLIN GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES FUND; FRANKLIN TEMPLETON INVESTMENT FUNDS - FRANKLIN U.S. OPPORTUNITIES FUND; FRANKLIN STRATEGIC SERIES - FRANKLIN SMALL CAP GROWTH FUND
Reel/Frame 058644/0007 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 22, 2019
From: ANDERSON, ZACKARY M.; GIOVANARDI, MARCO; TUCKER, CLIVE; LEEHEY, JONATHAN R.; O'SHEA, COLIN PATRICK; SCHNEIDER, JOHANNES; GORELIK, VLADIMIR; ZUCKERMAN, RICHARD ANTHONY; NEIL, PATRICK W.; SAWYER, TYSON DAVID; WENDELL, ROSS J.
To: LEVANT POWER CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 050791/0069 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 22, 2019
From: LEVANT POWER CORPORATION
To: CLEARMOTION, INC.
Reel/Frame 050794/0387 →