Integrated transmission and auxiliary gearbox control
AssigneeAllison Transmission, Inc.
InventorsBruce Faucett, Robert F. Combs, Leroy K. Johnson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A powertrain of a vehicle has a drive unit, a transmission and an auxiliary gearbox. Operation of the transmission and the auxiliary gearbox is controlled by a transmission control unit. The transmission control unit controls shifting of the auxiliary gearbox and the transmission while the vehicle is in operation. The auxiliary gearbox may be electronically shifted, independently of activity of the vehicle operator.
Claims20
A transmission assembly for a powered vehicle, comprising
- a transmission comprising first gearing and first selectively engageable torque transmitting mechanisms,
- an auxiliary gearbox coupled to the transmission and comprising second gearing and second selectively engageable torque transmitting mechanisms,
- a first speed sensor coupled to the transmission,
- a second speed sensor coupled to the auxiliary gearbox, and
- a control unit coupled to the transmission, the control unit having memory, processor circuitry, and executable routines stored in memory to receive electronic signals from the first and second speed sensors, determine whether the transmission needs to be shifted, determine whether the auxiliary gearbox needs to be shifted, and send a shift command to the auxiliary gearbox while the vehicle is in operation, independently of activity of the vehicle operator.
An electronic control for a transmission for a powered vehicle, the transmission having an auxiliary gearbox coupled thereto, the electronic control comprising
- a housing coupled to the transmission, and
- a control unit supported by the housing, the control unit having an interface, memory, processor circuitry, a shift schedule stored in the memory, the shift schedule indicating shift commands for the transmission and shift commands for the auxiliary gearbox, executable routines stored in the memory, the interface being configured to receive electrical inputs from the transmission and the auxiliary gearbox, the processor circuitry being configured to execute the executable routines to determine a transmission range, issue an electrical transmission range command to the transmission, determine an auxiliary gearbox range, and issue an electrical auxiliary gearbox range command to the auxiliary gearbox while the vehicle is in operation, without initiation by the vehicle operator.
A method executable by an electronic control system mounted to a transmission of a powered vehicle while the vehicle is in operation, the method comprising
- receiving a transmission output speed signal from a first speed sensor coupled to the transmission,
- receiving an auxiliary gearbox output speed signal from a second speed sensor coupled to an auxiliary gearbox, the auxiliary gearbox being coupled to the transmission,
- determining a transmission range,
- issuing a transmission range command to the transmission to cause the transmission to attain the transmission range,
- determining an auxiliary gearbox range independently of activity of the vehicle operator, and
- issuing an auxiliary gearbox range command to the auxiliary gearbox to cause the auxiliary gearbox to attain the auxiliary gearbox range.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.