Binary clutch disengagement control in a neutral shift

An assembly comprising:

• a transmission having a friction clutch and a binary clutch assembly;
• and
• a controller in communication with the transmission, wherein the controller includes a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded instructions for executing a requested shift to neutral, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor causes the controller to:
• detect the requested shift of the transmission to neutral;
• and
• only when conditions are satisfied during the requested shift, to:
• automatically decrease pressure to the friction clutch such that torque capacity of the friction clutch decreases from a full torque capacity and begins to slip;
• hold the binary clutch assembly at a calibrated pressure while the friction clutch slips;
• disengage the binary clutch assembly only when the binary clutch assembly is released and not loaded;
• and
• increase the pressure to the friction clutch to thereby restore the full torque capacity to the friction clutch and complete the requested shift to neutral.

A method of shifting a transmission in a vehicle having an engine, a friction clutch, and a binary clutch assembly, the method comprising:

• detecting the requested shift of the transmission to neutral, including determining if a speed of the vehicle is below a low calibrated threshold and the engine is running;
• determining whether predetermined conditions are satisfied;
• and
• only when the predetermined conditions are satisfied during the requested shift:
• automatically decreasing pressure to the friction clutch such that a torque capacity of the friction clutch decreases from a full torque capacity and the friction clutch begins to slip;
• holding the binary clutch assembly at a calibrated pressure while the friction clutch slips;
• disengaging the binary clutch assembly only when the binary clutch assembly is released and not loaded;
• and
• increasing the pressure to the friction clutch to thereby restore the full torque capacity to the friction clutch and complete the requested shift to neutral.