Performance mode and economy mode shift scheduling in an automatic transmission

A system for controlling gearshifts in an automatic, multiple gear ratio transmission for an automotive vehicle having an engine controlled by the position of an engine throttle, comprising:

• multiple ratio gearing and pressure-actuated friction elements selectively engaged and released to produce multiple gear ratios through said gearing;
• a pressurized valve system having multiple shift control valves for selectively engaging and releasing said friction elements;
• solenoid valve means in said circuit for distributing selectively to said shift control valves a fluid pressure signal actuating said friction elements;
• an electronic processor having a memory accessible to the processor, the memory containing predetermined performance weighting factors PWF having values associated with paired combinations of the current throttle position and current time rate of change of throttle position;
• means communicating with said processor for generating a throttle position signal representing the current position of the engine throttle;
• means communicating with said processor for generating a vehicle speed signal representing current vehicle speed;
• means communicating with said processor for generating a gear signal representing the currently engaged gear ratio;
• the processor having
• means for determining the time rate of change of the throttle;
• means for establishing first vehicle speeds FNXXN corresponding to the current throttle position at which gear ratio changes are scheduled to occur from each gear ratio when the vehicle is in a reference mode of operation, and for establishing the difference FNXXP between said first vehicle speeds and the vehicle speeds corresponding to the current throttle position at which gear ratio changes are scheduled to occur from each gear ratio when the vehicle is in a second mode of operation;
• means for calculating second vehicle speeds corresponding to upshifts and downshifts from the current gear ratio from the relation [FNXXN+(PWF*FNXXP)];
• means for commanding a change to a higher gear ratio from the current gear ratio if the current vehicle speed exceeds the second vehicle speed corresponding to an upshift from the current gear ratio, and for commanding a change to a lower gear ratio from the current gear ratio if the current vehicle speed exceeds the second vehicle speed corresponding to a downshift from the current gear ratio;
• and
• means for energizing and deenergizing the solenoid valve means to produce the commanded gear ratio change selectively engaging and releasing the friction elements.