Semi-automatic mechanical transmission control

A method of controlling a semi-automatic mechanical change gear transmission system comprising a manual fuel throttle control, a fuel throttle controlled engine, multi-speed change gear mechanical transmission, a friction master clutch interposed the engine and transmission, a manual clutch control for selectively engaged and disengaging the master clutch, a manually operated shift selection lever moveable in a first direction from a centered position to select upshifts and in a second direction from said centered position to select downshifts from the currently engaged gear ratio, a central processing unit for receiving inputs indicative of transmission input shaft and output shaft rotational speeds, and operation of said shift selection lever and for processing same according to predetermined logic rules to issue command output signals to non-manually controlled operators including a clutch operator, a fuel throtle control operator, and a transmission operator, the method of controlling characterized by;

• processing said input signals to determine the currently engaged gear ratio of said transmission and to determine permissibly engaged gear ratios of said transmission under sensed vehicle operating conditions;
• sensing operation of said manual shift selection lever including the direction of movement thereof and the number of displacements of said lever within a predetermined period of time from said centered position;
• determining the transmission gear ratio selected by the operator to be shifted directly into from the currently engaged ratio by assuming each repetition of displacement from the centered position of said shift selection lever in a given direction indicates operator selection of a change of one additional consecutive ratio in said direction;
• issuing command output signals to cause an automatic upshift or downshift from the currently engaged gear ratio to the least displaced gear ratio from currently engaged gear ratio of (1) the operator selected gear ratio or (2) the most displaced from currently engaged ratio of the permissible gear ratios in the selected direction of shifting, said command output signals causing said transmission to be shifted directly from said currently engaged gear ratio to said least displaced gear ratio;
• providing a first display section for indicating the currently engaged gear ratio;
• providing a second display section for indicating the maximum number of permissible consecutive upshifts from said currently engaged gear ratio;
• and,
• providing a third display section for indicating the maximum number of permissible consecutive downshifts from said currently engaged gear ratio;
• said first display section interposed said second and third display sections, said second display section displaced from said first display section in said first direction and said third display section displaced from said first display section in said second direction, said first section providing a numerical display, said second and third display sections providing a display of zero, one, two or three symbols corresponding to a maximum of zero, one, two or three, respectively, consecutive gear changes in a given direction being permissible.

A method of controlling a semi-automatic mechanical change gear transmission system comprising a manual fuel throttle control, a fuel throttle controlled engine, a multi-speed change gear mechanical transmission, a friction master clutch interposed the engine and transmission, a manual clutch control for selectively engaged and disengaging the master clutch, a manually operated shift selection lever moveable in a first direction from a centered position to select upshifts and in a second direction from said centered position to select downshifts from the currently engaged gear ratio, a central processing unit for receiving inputs indicative of transmission input shaft and output shaft rotational speeds, and operation of said shift selection lever and for processing same according to predetermined logic rules to issue command output signals to non-manually controlled operators including a clutch operator, a fuel throttle control operator, and a transmission operator, the method of controlling characterized by;

• sensing operation of said manual shift selection lever including the direction of movement thereof and the number of displacements of said lever from said centered position within a predetermined period of time;
• determining the transmission gear ratio selected by the operator to be shifted directly into from the currently engaged ratio by assuming each repetition of displacement from the centered position of said shift selection lever in a given direction indicates operator selection of a change of one additional consecutive ratio in said direction.