# US 5,706,197 A · Continuous selection control for semi-automatic mechanical transmission

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- Number: US 5,706,197 A
- Document ID: US5706197A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/506,798
- Filed: 1995-07-25
- Granted: 1998-01-06
- Earliest claimed: 1994-08-06
- Assignees: Eaton Corporation
- Inventors: Anthony Stasik; Kwok Wah Chan; John Ernest Stainton
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5706197A

## CPC

- F16H 61/66: specially adapted for continuously variable gearings (control of exclusively fluid gearing F16H61/38)
- B60W 10/02: including control of driveline clutches
- B60W 10/06: including control of combustion engines
- B60W 10/11: Stepped gearings
- B60W 30/18: Propelling the vehicle
- F16H 63/42: Ratio indicator devices
- B60W 2510/1015: Input shaft speed, e.g. turbine speed
- B60W 2520/10: Longitudinal speed
- B60W 2540/16: Ratio selector position
- B60W 2710/021: Clutch engagement state
- B60W 2710/0605: Throttle position
- F16H 59/02: Selector apparatus
- F16H 59/24: dependent on the throttle opening
- F16H 59/36: Inputs being a function of speed
- F16H 59/42: Input shaft speed
- F16H 59/44: dependent on machine speed {, e.g. the vehicle speed} (F16H59/46 takes precedence)
- F16H 59/56: dependent on signals from the main clutch
- F16H 61/0248: {Control units where shifting is directly initiated by the driver, e.g. semi-automatic transmissions}
- F16H 61/16: Inhibiting {or initiating} shift during unfavourable conditions {, e.g. preventing forward-reverse shift at high vehicle speed, preventing engine overspeed} (F16H61/18 takes precedence)
- F16H 2059/0239: {Up- and down-shift or range or mode selection by repeated movement}
- F16H 2063/426: {with means for advising the driver for proper shift action, e.g. prompting the driver with allowable selection range of ratios}
- Y10T 74/19251: Control mechanism
- F16H: GEARING
- 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
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A control system and method for a vehicular semi-automatic mechanical transmission system (10) is provided for continuously informing the operator of available ratios and for permitting selection of a desired shift (GR.sub.T(2)), which will be immediately implemented, regardless of the previous selection or ongoing shift implementation, of engagement of a previously selected target ratio (GR.sub.T(2)). During a shift transient to engage a selected target ratio (GR.sub.T(1)), the display will show the maximum available upshifts and downshifts from the target ratio, and shift requests will be interpreted as requests for upshifts and downshifts from the initial target ratio (GR.sub.T(1)) into a new target ratio (GR.sub.T(1)).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of controlling a vehicular semi-automatic mechanical change-gear transmission system (10) comprising a multi-speed change-gear mechanical transmission (12), a manually operated shift selection lever (1) movable in a first direction from a centered position to select upshifts and in a second direction from said centered position to select downshifts, a control display (2) having an upshift section (2') indicating a maximum number of upshifts from a base gear ratio under current vehicle operating conditions and a downshift section (2") indicating a maximum number of downshifts from said base gear ratio under current vehicle operating conditions, a central processing unit (38) for receiving inputs indicative of transmission input shaft rotational speed, of vehicle speed and of operation of said shift selection lever and for processing same according to predetermined logic rules to determine the currently allowably engaged gear ratios and to issue command output signals to non-manually controlled operators including a transmission operator (34) and to said control display, said method comprising:
if a shift from an engaged ratio into a selected target ratio (GR.sub.T(1)) has been selected or is being implemented, causing said base gear ratio to equal said selected target ratio;
if a shift from a currently engaged ratio has not been selected or is not being implemented, causing said base gear ratio to equal said currently engaged ratio; and
sensing for shift requests during a shift into a selected target ratio (GR.sub.T(1)), interpreting said requests as requests for a specific shift from the initial selected target ratio (GR.sub.T(1)) into a later selected target ratio (GR.sub.T(2)), and immediately initiating a shift into said later selected ratio.

### Claim 2

A method of controlling a vehicular semi-automatic mechanical change-gear transmission system (10) comprising a multi-speed change-gear mechanical transmission (12), a manually operated shift selection lever (1) movable in a first direction from a centered position to select upshifts and in a second direction from said centered position to select downshifts from a base gear ratio, a central processing unit (38) for receiving inputs indicative of transmission input shaft rotational speed, of vehicle speed and of operation of said shift selection lever and for processing same according to predetermined logic rules to determine the currently allowably engaged gear ratios and to issue command output signals to non-manually controlled operators including a transmission operator (34), said processing unit sensing operation of said manual shift selection lever including the direction of movement thereof; said method comprising:
if a shift from an engaged ratio into a selected target ratio (GR.sub.T(1)) has been selected or is being implemented, causing said base gear ratio to equal said selected target ratio;
if a shift from a currently engaged ratio has not been selected or is not being implemented, causing said base gear ratio to equal said currently engaged ratio; and
regardless of an existing request or of an ongoing implementation of a shift into a previously selected, permissibly engaged target ratio (GR.sub.T(1)), upon a later shift request to a permissibly engaged target ratio (GR.sub.T(2)), immediately commanding implementation of a shift into the later selected, permissibly engaged target ratio.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising determining the target transmission gear ratio selected by the operator to be shifted directly into from the base gear 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.

### Claim 4

A system for controlling a vehicular semi-automatic mechanical change-gear transmission system (10) comprising a multi-speed change-gear mechanical transmission (12), a manually operated shift selection lever (1) movable in a first direction from a centered position to select upshifts and in a second direction from said centered position to select downshifts from a base gear ratio, a central processing unit (38) for receiving inputs indicative of transmission input shaft rotational speed, of vehicle speed and of operation of said shift selection lever and for processing same according to predetermined logic rules to determine the currently allowably engaged gear ratios and to issue command output signals to non-manually controlled operators including a transmission operator (34), said processing unit sensing operation of said manual shift selection lever including the direction of movement thereof and the number of displacements of said lever within a first predetermined period of time from said centered position, and, in a first mode of operation, determining the transmission gear ratio selected by the operator to be shifted directly into from the base gear 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; said system comprising:
means for causing said base gear ratio to equal a currently engaged ratio if a shift from the currently engaged ratio has not been selected and for causing said base gear ratio to equal a selected target ratio if a shift into said selected target ratio is selected; and
means effective, regardless of an existing selection or an ongoing implementation to engage a previously selected, permissibly engaged target ratio (GR.sub.T(1)), to respond to a later selection to engage a permissibly engaged target ratio (GR.sub.T(2)) by discontinuing implementation of engaging said previously selected, permissibly engaged target ratio (GR.sub.T(1)) and commanding implementation of engaging said later selected, permissibly engaged target ratio (GR.sub.T(2)).

### Claim 5

A method of controlling a vehicular semi-automatic mechanical change-gear transmission system comprising a multi-speed change-gear mechanical transmission and a fuel-controlled engine, a manually operated shift selection device movable in a first direction from a centered position to select upshifts and in a second direction from said centered position to select downshifts from a base gear ratio, a central processing unit for receiving inputs indicative of transmission input shaft rotational speed, of vehicle speed and of operation of said shift selection device and for processing same according to predetermined logic rules to determine ,currently engaged and selected target gear ratios and to issue command output signals to system operators including an engine fuel controller, said processing unit sensing operation of said manual shift selection lever including the direction of movement thereof; said method comprising:
if a shift from an engaged ratio into a selected target ratio (GR.sub.T(1)) has been selected or is being implemented, causing said base gear ratio to equal said selected target ratio;
if a shift from a currently engaged ratio has not been selected or is not being implemented, causing said base gear ratio to equal said currently engaged ratio; and
regardless of an existing request or of an ongoing implementation of a shift into a previously selected target ratio (GR.sub.T(1)), upon a later shift request to a permissibly engaged target ratio (GR.sub.T(2)), immediately commanding implementation of a shift into the later selected target ratio.

### Claim 6

A system for controlling a vehicular partially automated mechanical change-gear transmission system comprising a multi-speed change-gear mechanical transmission, a fuel-controlled engine, a manually operated shift selection lever movable in a first direction from a centered position to select upshifts and in a second direction from said centered position to select downshifts from a base gear ratio, a central processing unit for receiving inputs indicative of transmission input shaft rotational speed, of vehicle speed and of operation of said shift selection lever and for processing same according to predetermined logic rules to determine currently engaged and selected target gear ratios and to issue command output signals to non-manually controlled operators including an engine fueling controller, said processing unit sensing operation of said manual shift selection lever including the direction of movement thereof for determining the target gear ratio selected by the operator to be shifted into from the base gear ratio, said system comprising:
means for causing said base gear ratio to equal a currently engaged ratio if a shift from the currently engaged ratio has not been selected and for causing said base gear ratio to equal a selected target ratio if a shift into said selected target ratio is selected; and
means effective, regardless of an existing selection or an ongoing implementation to engage a previously selected target ratio (GR.sub.T(1)), to respond to a later selection to engage a different target ratio (GR.sub.T(2)) by discontinuing implementation of engaging said previously selected target ratio (GR.sub.T(1)) and commanding implementation of engaging said later selected target ratio (GR.sub.T(2)).

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6 wherein implementation to engage a target gear ratio includes controlling fueling of said engine.