Dog clutch engagement control system

A dog clutch engagement control system comprising:

• a dog clutch including:
• a first clutch member connected to an input shaft and having first engagement teeth arranged in a circumferential direction;
• and a second clutch member connected to an output shaft and having second engagement teeth arranged in a circumferential direction, the second engagement teeth being engageable with the first engagement teeth directly or via an intermediate member, wherein the first clutch member and the second clutch member are capable of switching between an engaged state and a disengaged state;
• a clutch actuator configured to move the first clutch member and the second clutch member in an axial direction relative to each other, or, when the intermediate member is used, to move the intermediate member in the axial direction relative to the first clutch member and the second clutch member;
• a phase difference sensor configured to detect a phase difference between the first clutch member and the second clutch member;
• and
• a controller that includes at least one of (i) a circuit and (ii) a processor with a memory storing computer program code executable by the processor, wherein the controller is configured to output a drive instruction to the clutch actuator in accordance with an engagement timing at which the dog clutch is engageable, wherein
• the controller is configured to, when a predetermined prediction execution condition is satisfied during execution of a synchronization operation in which a rotational speed of the input shaft is increased toward a rotational speed of the output shaft to synchronize rotation of the input shaft and the output shaft in response to an engagement instruction for engaging the dog clutch in the disengaged state:
• detect the engagement timing based on an output of the phase difference sensor;
• predict a future engagement timing, which is the engagement timing in future, based on a most recent past engagement timing and an estimated rotational speed of the input shaft;
• and
• drive the clutch actuator in accordance with the predicted future engagement timing.