# US 2019/0168765 A1 · Hybrid/electric vehicle motor control during step-ratio transmission engagement > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0168765 A1 - Document ID: US20190168765A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/252,208 - Filed: 2019-01-18 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-04-23 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Xiaoyong WANG; Rajit JOHRI; Mark Steven YAMAZAKI; Jeffrey Allen DOERING; Ming Lang KUANG; Wei LIANG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190168765A1 ## CPC - B60W 30/19: Improvement of gear change, e.g. by synchronisation or smoothing gear shift - B60K 6/36: characterised by the transmission gearings - B60K 6/387: Actuated clutches, i.e. clutches engaged or disengaged by electric, hydraulic or mechanical actuating means - B60K 6/48: Parallel type - B60K 6/547: the transmission being a stepped gearing - B60W 10/08: including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators - B60W 10/30: including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps - B60W 20/00: Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles {(hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L)} - F16H 61/0031: {using auxiliary pumps, e.g. pump driven by a different power source than the engine} - B60K 2006/4825: {Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox input shaft} - B60W 2510/081: Speed - B60W 2540/10: Accelerator pedal position - B60W 2540/12: Brake pedal position - B60W 2540/16: Ratio selector position - B60W 2710/081: Speed - B60W 2710/082: Speed change rate - B60W 2710/083: Torque - B60W 2710/1077: fluid pressure, e.g. oil pressure - B60Y 2200/91: Electric vehicles - B60Y 2200/92: Hybrid vehicles - B60Y 2300/42: Control of clutches - B60Y 2300/60: Control of electric machines, e.g. problems related to electric motors or generators - B60Y 2400/42: Clutches or brakes - F16H 2061/0488: {during range shift from neutral (N) to drive (D)} - Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles - Y10S 903/909: Gearing - Y10S 903/914: Actuated, e.g. engaged or disengaged by electrical, hydraulic or mechanical means - Y10S 903/93: Conjoint control of different elements - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - F16H: GEARING - B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A vehicle includes a step-ratio automatic transmission having clutches engageable to provide forward and reverse gears, an electric machine selectively coupled to the transmission, a main pump powered by the electric machine and supplying oil to actuate selected transmission clutches, a gear selector configured for selecting a transmission gear, and a controller configured to stop the electric machine when the gear selector selects park or neutral, to operate the electric machine in a speed control mode using a higher controller gain in response to the gear selector selecting forward or reverse while the electric machine is stopped until the electric machine and the main pump reach a first speed threshold to reduce engagement delay of at least one of the transmission clutches, and to operate the electric machine using a lower controller gain when the electric machine and the main pump exceed the first speed threshold. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle comprising: an electric machine coupled to an engine and a step-ratio automatic transmission by upstream and downstream clutches, respectively; and a controller configured to stop the electric machine when the transmission is in park or neutral and, in response to selection of a driving gear, command a higher electric machine current until the electric machine attains a first speed, and a lower electric machine current thereafter to reduce transmission clutch engagement delay. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising: a main transmission pump driven by the electric machine; and an electric auxiliary transmission pump, the controller further configured to operate the electric auxiliary transmission pump in response to the selection of the driving gear until the electric machine attains a second speed higher than the first speed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising: an electric oil pump, the controller further configured to operate the electric oil pump in response to the selection of the driving gear, and to stop the electric machine after the electric machine attains the first speed in response to depression of a brake pedal while maintaining operation of the electric oil pump. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, the controller operating the electric machine in a speed control mode using a higher control system gain until the electric machine attains the first speed, and a lower control system gain after the electric machine attains the first speed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vehicle of claim 4, the controller operating the electric machine in a torque control mode after the electric machine attains the first speed. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The vehicle of claim 4, the controller operating the electric machine in a torque control mode after the electric machine attains the first speed in response to depression of an accelerator pedal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The vehicle of claim 4, the controller further configured to operate the electric machine in the speed control mode using the lower control system gain in response to an accelerator pedal not being depressed after the electric machine attains the first speed to provide creep torque to vehicle wheels. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, the controller further configured to stop the electric machine in response to depression of a brake pedal while the driving gear is selected and the electric machine has attained the first speed. ### Claim 9 A method for controlling a hybrid vehicle having an electric machine coupled to an engine and a hydraulically actuated automatic transmission, comprising: in response to a controller receiving a signal indicating a gear selector change from a non-driving to a driving state, controlling the electric machine to accelerate a transmission pump rotational speed at a higher rate until the pump reaches a first speed, and a lower rate thereafter to reduce transmission engagement delay. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, the controller stopping the electric machine after the transmission pump speed reaches the first speed in response to depression of a brake pedal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, the controller operating an electric transmission pump in response to receiving the signal until the pump reaches a second speed higher than the first speed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, the controller applying a higher control system gain until the transmission pump reaches the first speed and a lower control system gain after the transmission pump reaches the first speed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, the controller changing operation of the electric machine from a speed control mode to operation in a torque control mode in response to a signal from an accelerator pedal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, the controller operating the electric machine in speed control mode to provide creep torque to vehicle wheels in response to the signal from the accelerator pedal indicating the accelerator pedal is not depressed. ### Claim 15 A method for controlling a vehicle having a traction motor coupled to an engine and a hydraulically actuated automatic transmission, comprising: in response to a controller receiving a signal indicating a gear selector change from a PARK or NEUTRAL to a forward or reverse gear: controlling the traction motor to accelerate a transmission pump of the automatic transmission at a first rate until the transmission pump reaches a first speed, and a second rate, different from the first rate thereafter, to reduce engagement delay of the automatic transmission; and stopping the traction motor after the transmission pump speed reaches the first speed in response to depression of a brake pedal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to apply a higher control system gain until the transmission pump reaches the first speed and a lower control system gain after the transmission pump reaches the first speed. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to change operation of the traction motor from a speed control mode to operation in a torque control mode in response to a signal from an accelerator pedal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to operate the traction motor in speed control mode to provide creep torque to vehicle wheels in response to the signal from the accelerator pedal indicating the accelerator pedal is not depressed.