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US 4,361,060 AGranted
Mechanical automatic transmission
OwnerRobert R. Smythinventor
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OwnerRobert R. Smythinventor
Estimating the term…
An electro-mechanical automatic transmission system for use in motor vehicles. The automatic transmission comprises a mechanical transmission, gear synchronizer and clutch which have been automated by the addition of electro-mechanical and pneumatic operators and an analog and digital electronic control system. The electronic control system receives operator commands regarding the mode of transmission operation (either automatic or manual) and monitors throttle position, engine speed, transmission countershaft speed, drive shaft (vehicle) speed, and rates of change of these speeds. It also receives information of the present gear ratio and stores data indicating the direction of the last shift. By utilizing this information, the electronic control system selects the optimum transmission gear ratio, effects synchronization of the selected transmission gear elements and controls clutch engagement according to a logic program.
An electro-mechanical automatic transmission system for vehicles having a throttle-controlled engine, a drive shaft operably connected to ground engaging drive wheels, a mechanical transmission having a plurality of forward and reverse gear ratio combinations selectively engageable between a transmission input shaft and a transmission output shaft, said transmission output shaft connected to said drive shaft, a clutch operably connected between said engine and said transmission input shaft, and a transmission synchronizer assembly effective to synchronize the speed of transmission elements rotating with said input shaft to transmission elements rotating with said output shaft prior to engagement therewith, said automatic transmission system comprising an electronic information processing unit having means for receiving and generating a plurality of input and output signals from a plurality of input and output signals generating and receiving means, respectively, said input signal means including (1) means interconnected with the engine throttling control effective to supply an electric input signal indicating the position of said throttling control, (2) means interconnected with said engine effective to supply an electric input signal indicating the speed of said engine, (3) means interconnected with said transmission input shaft effective to supply an electric input signal indicating the speed of said input shaft, (4) means effective to supply an electric signal indicating the speed of said vehicle and (5) means interconnected with said transmission effective to indicate when said transmission is in neutral;
The electro-mechanical automatic transmission system of claim 17, further including operator means responsive to said electric signal effective to actuate said transmission for effecting the engagement of one of said gear combinations, wherein said counting means includes clock means for producing timing pulses which activate said counting means, said clock means having a clock frequency sufficiently high to cycle said counting means through said distinct binary logic codes representing each transmission gear prior to movement of said operator means.
A transmission control system for controlling a transmission of a motor vehicle having an engine, throttle means for controlling the speed of said engine and a clutch operably connected between said engine and said transmission;
A transmission system for vehicles having a throttle-controlled engine, a drive shaft operably connected to ground engaging drive wheels, a transmission having an input shaft, an output shaft operably connected to said drive shaft and a plurality of gear ratio combinations selectively engageable between said input and output shafts, and means operably connecting said input shaft to said engine, said transmission system comprising means for generating a plurality of input signals indicative of at least (1) the speed of said input shaft, (2) the speed of said vehicle and (3) the position of said engine throttling control, an electronic signal processor including memory means for storing data indicating the direction of the previous shift and means for processing said stored data and said input signals in accordance with a program to select an optimum one of said gear ratio combinations, means responsive to a change in said selected gear ratio for shifting said transmission to the newly selected gear ratio, and means responsive to a predetermined change in the position of said engine throttling control for modifying the point at which said transmission is shifted from one selected gear ratio to another selected gear ratio.
A transmission system for vehicles having a throttle controlled engine, a drive shaft operably connected to ground engaging drive wheels, a transmission having an input shaft, an output shaft operably coupled to said drive shaft and a plurality of gear ratio combinations selectively engageable between said input and output shafts, and means operably connecting said input shaft to said engine, said transmission system comprising means for generating a plurality of input signals indicative of at least (1) the speed of said input shaft, (2) the speed of said vehicle and (3) the rate of acceleration and deceleration of said vehicle, an electronic signal processor including memory means for storing data indicating the direction of the previous shift and means for processing said stored data and said input signals in accordance with a program to select an optimum one of said gear ratio combinations, means responsive to a change in said selected gear ratio for shifting said transmission to the newly selected gear ratio, and means responsive to said input signal indicative of said rate of acceleration and deceleration for modifying the point at which said transmission is shifted from one selected gear ratio to another gear ratio.
An automatic transmission control system for controlling a transmission of a motor vehicle having a throttle controlled engine, and a clutch operably connected between said engine and said transmission;
An automatic transmission system for devices having a throttle-controlled engine, throttling control means and a transmission having a plurality of gear ratio combinations selectively engageable between a transmission input shaft and a transmission output shaft, said transmission input shaft being operatively connected to said engine, said transmission system comprising,
An automatic transmission system for vehicles having a throttle-controlled engine, a throttling control means and a transmission having a plurality of gear ratio combinations selectively engageable between a transmission input shaft and a transmission output shaft, said transmission input shaft being operatively connected to said engine, said transmission system comprising an information processing unit having means for receiving a plurality of input signals and means for generating output signals, said input signals including (1) a signal indicating the position of said throttling control means and (2) a signal indicating the rotational speed of said engine, (3) a signal indicative of output shaft speed, said transmission including means responsive to said output signals effective to actuate said transmission to effect engagement of one of said gear ratio combinations, said processing unit including means differentiating with respect to time said input signal indicating output shaft speed to generate a signal representative of vehicle acceleration and deceleration, said processing unit including means for processing said input signals in accordance with a program to provide a predetermined gear ratio for a given combination of input signals and for generating output signals whereby said vehicle transmission system is operated in accordance with said program, said program setting forth a predetermined engine speed at which upshifts and downshifts are commanded for each sensed throttling control position, and wherein said processing unit includes means for modifying said program including means for modifying the engine speed at which upshifts and downshifts are commanded by lowering the engine speed at which a downshift will be commanded in proportion to the acceleration of the vehicle, raising the engine speed at which a downshift will be commanded in proportion to the deceleration of the vehicle and raising the engine speed at which an upshift will be commanded in proportion to the deceleration of the vehicle.
An automatic transmission system for vehicles having a throttle-controlled engine, a throttling control means and a transmission having a plurality of gear ratio combinations selectively engageable between a transmission input shaft and a transmission output shaft, said transmission input shaft operatively connected to said engine, said transmission system comprising an information processing unit having means for receiving a plurality of input signals and means for generating output signals, said input signals including (1) a signal indicating the position of said throttling control means and (2) a signal indicating the rotational speed of said engine, (3) a signal indicative output shaft speed, said transmission including means responsive to said output signals effective to actuate said transmission to effect engagement of one of said gear ratio combinations, said processing unit including means for processing said input signals in accordance with a program to provide a predetermined gear ratio for a given combination of input signals and for generating the output signals whereby said vehicle transmission system is operated in accordance with said program, said program setting forth a predetermined engine speed at which upshifts and downshifts are commanded for each sensed throttling control position, and wherein said processing unit includes means for modifying said program including means for modifying the engine speed at which upshifts and downshifts are commanded by modifying said program for a predetermined time interval following the selection of a new gear ratio.
An automatic transmission system for vehicles having a throttle-controlled engine, a throttling control means and a transmission having a plurality of gear ratio combinations selectively engageable between a transmission input shaft and a transmission output shaft, said transmission input shaft operatively connected to said engine, said transmission system comprising an information processing unit having means for receiving a plurality of input signals and means for generating output signals, said input signals including (1) a signal indicating the position of said throttling control means and (2) a signal indicating the rotational speed of said engine, (3) a signal indicative of output shaft speed, said transmission including means responsive to said output signals effective to actuate said transmission to effect engagment of one of said gear ratio combinations, said processing unit including means for processing said input signals in accordance with a program to provide a predetermined gear ratio for a given combination of input signals and for generating the output signals whereby said vehicle transmission system is operated in accordance with said program, said program setting forth a predetermined engine speed at which upshifts and downshifts are commanded for each sensed throttling control position, and wherein said processing unit includes means for modifying said program including means for modifying the engine speed at which upshifts and downshifts are commanded, and wherein said input signal indicating position of said throttling control means varies in proportion to the position of the throttling control and said processing unit comprises means to differentiate said input signal indicating position of throttling control with respect to time and means responsive to all of said input signals including said differentiated throttle control position signal, for modifying the engine speed at which said transmission is shifted from one predetermined gear ratio to another predetermined gear ratio.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.