Integrated systems for passenger bus

A passenger bus comprising:

• a frame supported by at least three wheels, at least two of the wheels supported by controllably extensible suspension units;
• a body supported by the frame and housing a plurality of passenger seats;
• a passenger door configured to enable access to the body;
• at least one deployable passenger access ramp configured to selectably provide a substantially continuous passenger path from a surface outside the body to the passenger door, the deployable access ramp comprising at least one deployable passenger support panel and, when deployed, a distal ramp edge;
• the controllably extensible curbside suspension units adapted to contract in conjunction with deployment of the access ramp, whereby a grade of at the least one passenger support panel can be controllably reduced when the distal edge of the deployed ramp is in contact with a surface outside the body of the bus.

A passenger bus comprising:

• a frame supported by at least three wheels;
• a body supported by the frame and housing a plurality of passenger seats;
• a passenger door comprising a sill and configured to enable access to the body housing;
• at feast one deployable passenger access ramp configured to selectably provide a substantially continuous passenger path from a surface outside the body to the passenger door sill, the deployable access ramp comprising at least one deployable passenger support panel;
• a controller adapted to control selectable deployment and retraction of the at least one passenger ramp, the controller comprising a ramp height module configured to generate signals usable by the controller in determining a desired vertical offset between the sill of the passenger door and a distal edge of the at least one deployable passenger support panel ramp when the ramp is in a deployed configuration.

A passenger bus comprising:

• a frame supported by at least two axles, each of the at least two axles having two ends, each end of each axle supported at by at least one controllably extensible suspension unit;
• a body supported by the frame and housing a plurality of passenger seats;
• a passenger door comprising a sill and configured to enable access to the body housing;
• at least one deployable passenger access ramp configured to selectably provide a substantially continuous passenger path from a surface outside the body to the passenger door sill;
• and
• a controller adapted to control selectable deployment and retraction of the at least one passenger ramp, and to control extension of each of the controllably extensible suspension units;
• the controller configured to received signals representing a location of the bus and, based at least partly on the represented location, selectively cause at least one of the following location-based actions:
• deployment of the passenger access ramp to a deployed position;
• retraction of the passenger access ramp to a stowed position;
• extension of one or more of the controllably extensible suspension units;
• and
• contraction of one or more of the controllable extensible suspension units.

A passenger bus comprising:

• a passenger compartment supported by at least two axles, each of the at least two axles supported by one or more controllably extensible suspension units;
• one or more body roll sensors adapted to generate signals associated with rotational accelerations of the passenger compartment about at least one of a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis of the passenger compartment;
• and
• a suspension controller controllably linked to the one or more controllably extensible suspension units and the one or more roll sensors;
• the suspension controller configured to vary a stiffness of at least one of the controllably extensible curbside suspension units in response to receipt of signals generated by the one or more roll sensors, and thereby to dampen roll of the passenger compartment about one or more of the longitudinal and transverse axes.

A passenger bus comprising:

• a passenger compartment supported by at least two axles, each of the at least two axles having two ends, each end of each axle supported at by at least one controllably extensible suspension unit, and each of the extensible suspension units comprising an extension sensor adapted to generate signals representing the extent to which the controllably extensible suspension unit is extended or contracted;
• and
• a suspension controller controllably linked to the each of the controllably extensible suspension units and configured to receive signals generated by each of the extension sensors;
• the suspension controller configured to determine, based at least partly on signals generated by extension sensors of suspension units at each end of a first one of said at least two axles, the average extension of the suspension units at each end of said first axle, and to route to at least one suspension unit supporting each end of at least a second of the at least two axles signals configured to cause the at least one suspension unit supporting each end of the at least second axle to extend to the determined average extension of the suspension units on the first axle.