Neutral controller for automatic transmission
AssigneeSuzuki Motor Corporation
InventorsYoshiki Ito, Shoji Yagi
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Abstract
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a neutral control method and a neutral controller for an automatic transmission which improves fuel efficiency and driving characteristics. According to the present invention, the neutral control method for the automatic transmission includes initiating the neutral control after every predetermined delay time, which begins with the neutral initiation conditions being satisfied, and continuing the neutral control as long as the neutral control initiation conditions remain satisfied. The neutral control ends when the neutral control initiation conditions are no longer satisfied.
Claims16
A method of neutral control for an automatic transmission comprising the steps of:
- inputting data necessary for neutral control initiation conditions;
- determining whether the neutral control initiation conditions are satisfied;
- initiating a neutral control after a predetermined delay time which begins with the neutral control initiation conditions being satisfied;
- continuing the neutral control as long as the neutral control initiation conditions remain satisfied;
- and
- ending the neutral control when the neutral control initiation conditions are no longer satisfied;
- wherein the predetermined delay time may vary from an original value according to a vehicle's running state before the neutral control initiation conditions are initially satisfied.
A neutral controller comprising:
- a control-initiation-determination device which determines whether neutral-control-initiation conditions are satisfied by acquiring information about a vehicle's running state;
- a vehicle-running-state-memory device storing a detected vehicle's running state;
- and
- a delay-time-setting device setting a delay time for a period of time after the neutral-control-initiation conditions are satisfied and before a neutral control is actually initiated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.