Clutchless shifting of a manual transmission

An apparatus, comprising:

• a drive shaft including a drive gear, the drive shaft configured to transmit power to a wheel of a vehicle;
• a transmission including an input shaft, an output shaft and an intermediate gear, the input shaft including a transmission input gear and a plurality of input shaft gears, the output shaft including a transmission output gear and a plurality of output shaft gears, the input shaft and the output shaft being aligned such that the input shaft gears mesh with the output shaft gears, the output shaft including a first shifting element to selectively engage an output shaft gear from the plurality of output shaft gears to adjust a ratio between an input shaft speed and an output shaft speed, the transmission output gear operably coupled to the drive gear such that power is transmitted between the transmission output gear and the drive gear when the output shaft gear is engaged, the transmission input gear operably coupled to an engine shaft by a linkage devoid of a friction clutch;
• and
• a motor shaft configured to be coupled to a motor, the motor shaft having a first motor gear and a second motor gear, the first motor gear operably coupled to the drive gear, the second motor gear operably coupled to the intermediate gear, the motor shaft including a second shifting element to selectively engage the first motor gear and the second motor gear, the first motor gear configured to transmit power between the motor shaft and the drive shaft when the second shifting element engages the first motor gear, the intermediate gear configured to transmit power between the motor shaft and the engine shaft when the second shifting element engages the second motor gear,
• wherein:
• the first shifting element is a first synchronizer;
• and
• the second shifting element is a second synchronizer.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a drive shaft including a drive gear, the drive shaft configured to transmit power to a wheel of a vehicle;
• a transmission including an input shaft, an output shaft and an intermediate gear set, the input shaft including a transmission input gear and a plurality of input shaft gears, the output shaft including a transmission output gear and a plurality of output shaft gears, the input shaft and the output shaft being aligned such that the input shaft gears mesh with the output shaft gears, the output shaft including a first shifting element to selectively engage an output shaft gear from the plurality of output shaft gears to adjust a ratio between an input shaft speed and an output shaft speed, the transmission output gear operably coupled to the drive gear such that power is transmitted between the transmission output gear and the drive gear when the output shaft gear is engaged, the transmission input gear operably coupled to an engine shaft;
• a first motor shaft configured to be coupled to a first motor, the first motor shaft having a first motor gear and a second motor gear, the first motor gear operably coupled to the drive gear, the second motor gear operably coupled to a first intermediate gear of the intermediate gear set, the first motor shaft including a second shifting element to selectively engage the first motor gear and the second motor gear, the first motor gear configured to transmit power between the first motor shaft and the drive shaft when the second shifting element engages the first motor gear, the intermediate gear set configured to transmit power between the first motor shaft and the engine shaft when the second shifting element engages the second motor gear;
• and
• a second motor shaft configured to be coupled to a second motor, the second motor shaft having a third motor gear operably coupled to a second intermediate gear of the intermediate gear set, the intermediate gear set configured to transmit power between the second motor shaft and at least one of the engine shaft or the first motor shaft,
• wherein:
• the first shifting element is a first synchronizer;
• and
• the second shifting element is a second synchronizer.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a controller configured to be operably coupled to a motor, an engine, and a transmission, the transmission including an input shaft, an output shaft, and an intermediate gear, the input shaft including a transmission input gear and a plurality of input shaft gears, the output shaft including a transmission output gear and a plurality of output shaft gears, the input shaft and the output shaft being aligned such that the input shaft gears mesh with the output shaft gears, the output shaft including a first shifting element to selectively engage an output shaft gear from the plurality of output shaft gears to adjust a ratio between an input shaft speed and an output shaft speed, the transmission output gear operably coupled to a drive shaft to transmit power therebetween when the first shifting element is engaged with the output shaft gear, the motor including a motor shaft having a first motor gear and a second motor gear, the first motor gear operably coupled to the drive shaft, the second motor gear operably coupled to the intermediate gear, the motor shaft including a second shifting element to selectively engage the first motor gear and the second motor gear, the first motor gear configured to transmit power between the motor shaft and the drive shaft when the second shifting element engages the first motor gear, the intermediate gear configured to transmit power between the motor shaft and the engine shaft when the second shifting element engages the second motor gear,
• the controller implemented in at least one of a memory or a processor, the controller including a speed matching module including circuitry to produce a control signal to adjust at least one of a speed of the engine shaft or a speed of the motor shaft when the first shifting element is being shifted,
• wherein:
• the first shifting element is a first synchronizer;
• and
• the second shifting element is a second synchronizer.

A method, comprising:

• shifting a motor synchronizer to engage a motor gear coupled to a motor shaft such that the motor gear transmits power between the motor shaft and a drive shaft, the drive shaft configured to transmit power to a wheel of a vehicle, the shifting the motor synchronizer performed when an engine synchronizer is disengaged from a transmission input gear to interrupt engine power transmission between an engine output shaft and an input shaft of a transmission, the input shaft including a plurality of input shaft gears meshed with a plurality of output shaft gears;
• shifting the engine synchronizer to engage the transmission input gear to transmit engine power from the engine output shaft to the input shaft of the transmission;
• adjusting a speed of the engine shaft to match a speed of an output shaft gear from the plurality of output shaft gears to a speed of a corresponding input shaft gear from the plurality of input shaft gears, the adjusting performed while engine power is continuously transmitted from the engine shaft to the input shaft;
• and
• shifting, after the adjusting and while engine power is continuously transmitted from the engine shaft to the input shaft, a transmission synchronizer to engage the output shaft gear such that engine power is transferred via the output shaft gear and the output shaft to the drive shaft.

A non-transitory processor readable medium storing code representing instructions to be executed by a processor, the code comprising code to cause the processor to:

• transmit a first shifting element control signal to cause a motor synchronizer to engage a motor gear coupled to a motor shaft such that the motor gear transmits power between the motor shaft and a drive shaft, the drive shaft configured to transmit power to a wheel of a vehicle, the processor configured to transmit the first shifting element control signal when an engine synchronizer is disengaged from a transmission input gear to interrupt engine power transmission between an engine output shaft and an input shaft of a transmission, the input shaft including a plurality of input shaft gears meshed with a plurality of output shaft gears;
• transmit a second shifting element control signal to cause the engine synchronizer to engage the transmission input gear to transmit engine power from the engine output shaft to the input shaft of the transmission;
• transmit a speed matching signal to match a speed of an output shaft gear from the plurality of output shaft gears to a speed of a corresponding input shaft gear from the plurality of input shaft gears, the speed being matched while engine power is continuously transmitted from the engine shaft to the input shaft;
• and
• transmit a third shifting element control signal, after the transmission of the speed matching signal and while engine power is continuously transmitted from the engine shaft to the input shaft, to cause a transmission synchronizer to engage the output shaft gear such that engine power is transferred via the output shaft gear and the output shaft to the drive shaft.