US 6,278,928 B1 · Transmission control device responsive to road information · patentgrep

Loading patent…

Abstract

A vehicle control device controls an automatic transmission by utilizing road information stored in a navigation system unit. In response to the road information stored in a data memory, the upper-limit of a shiftable transmission speed range is determined, thereby allowing shift-change only within the restricted transmission range. The actual down-shift is carried out after confirming a decelerating operation by the driver, such as release of the accelerator pedal, thereby providing favorable transmission control in conformity with the driver's intention.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An automatic transmission control device for a vehicle, comprising:

(a) road information obtaining means for obtaining road information pertaining to a scheduled drive route;
(b) current position sensor means for detecting a current on-road position of the vehicle;
(c) first gear ratio determining means for determining a first gear ratio range for the automatic transmission in accordance with a control program;
(d) second gear ratio determining means for determining a second gear ratio range with an upper limit gear ratio for the automatic transmission, in accordance with the vehicle current position detected by said current position sensor means and the road information obtained by said road information obtaining means;
(e) deceleration sensor means for detecting a decelerating operation by a driver of the vehicle;
and
(f) execution means for executing a down-shift of the automatic transmission to a gear ratio within the second gear ratio range responsive to detection of the driver's decelerating operation by said deceleration sensor means when a current gear ratio of the automatic transmission does not lie within the second gear ratio range determined by said second gear ratio determining means.

4 more elements

An automatic transmission control device for a vehicle, comprising:

(a) road information obtaining means for obtaining road information pertaining to a scheduled drive route;
(b) current position sensor means for detecting a current on-road position of the vehicle;
(c) vehicle speed sensor means for detecting a current speed of the vehicle;
(d) first gear ratio determining means for determining a first gear ratio range for the automatic transmission in accordance with a control program;
(e) deceleration sensor means for detecting a decelerating operation by a driver of the vehicle;
(f) distance calculating means for calculating, from the road information obtained by said road information obtaining means, a distance from the current vehicle position detected by said current position sensor means to a specific position located ahead on the scheduled drive route;
(g) speed calculating means for calculating a reference speed at which the vehicle would safely pass through said specific position;
(h) deceleration inference means for inferring a need for deceleration of the vehicle from said current vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor, said reference speed calculated by said speed calculating means and said distance calculated by said distance calculating means;
(i) gear ratio determining means for determining a second gear ratio range with an upper limit gear ratio providing deceleration from said current vehicle speed to achieve said reference speed by the time the vehicle reaches said specific position;
and
(j) execution means for executing a down-shift of the automatic transmission to a gear ratio within the second gear ratio range, responsive to detection of the driver's decelerating operation by said deceleration sensor means when said deceleration inference means affirmatively infers the need for deceleration and when a current gear ratio of the automatic transmission does not lie within said gear ratio range determined by said gear ratio determining means.

8 more elements

An automatic transmission control device for a vehicle, comprising:

(a) road information obtaining means for obtaining road information pertaining to a scheduled drive route;
(b) current position sensor means for detecting a current on-road position of the vehicle;
(c) vehicle speed sensor means for detecting a current speed of the vehicle;
(d) first gear ratio determining means for determining a first gear ratio range for the automatic transmission in accordance with a control program;
(e) deceleration sensor means for detecting a decelerating operation by a driver of the vehicle;
(f) distance calculating means for calculating, from the road information obtained by said road information obtaining means, a distance from the current vehicle position detected by said current position sensor means to a curve located ahead on the scheduled drive route;
(g) curvature calculating means for calculating a radius of curvature of said curve;
(h) second gear ratio determining means for determining, in accordance with said current vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor means, said distance calculated by said distance calculating means and said radius of curvature of said curve calculated by said curvature calculating means, a second gear ratio range with an upper limit gear ratio which provides sufficient deceleration from said current vehicle speed to a reduced speed at which the vehicle would safely pass through said curve;
and
(i) execution means for executing a down-shift of the automatic transmission to have a gear ratio within the second gear ratio range, responsive to detection of the driver's decelerating operation by said deceleration sensor means, when a current gear ratio of the automatic transmission does not lie within said second gear ratio range determined by said second gear ratio determining means.

7 more elements

An automatic transmission control device for a vehicle, comprising:

(a) road information obtaining means for obtaining road information pertaining to a scheduled drive route;
(b) current position sensor means for detecting a current on-road position of the vehicle;
(c) vehicle speed sensor means for detecting a current speed of the vehicle;
(d) first gear ratio determining means for determining a first gear ratio range for the transmission in accordance with a control program;
(e) deceleration sensor means for detecting a decelerating operation by a driver of the vehicle;
(f) distance calculating means for calculating, from the road information obtained by said road information obtaining means, a distance from the current vehicle position detected by said current position sensor means to a specific position located ahead on the scheduled drive route;
(g) speed calculating means for calculating a reference speed at which the vehicle would safely pass through said specific position;
(h) second gear ratio determining means for determining, in accordance with said current vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor, said distance calculated by said distance calculating means and said reference speed calculated by said speed calculating means, a second gear ratio range with an upper limit gear ratio which provides deceleration from said current vehicle speed to achieve said reference speed by the time the vehicle reaches said specific position;
and
(i) execution means for executing a down-shift of the automatic transmission to a gear ratio within the second gear ratio range responsive to detection of the driver's decelerating operation by said deceleration sensor means and when a current gear ratio of the automatic transmission does not lie within said second gear ratio range determined by said second gear ratio determining means.

7 more elements

An automatic transmission control device for a vehicle, comprising:

(a) road information obtaining means for obtaining road information pertaining to a scheduled drive route;
(b) current position sensor means for detecting a current on-road position of the vehicle;
(c) vehicle speed sensor means for detecting a current speed of the vehicle;
(d) first gear ratio determining means for determining a first gear ratio range for the automatic transmission in accordance with a control program;
(e) road discriminating means for calculating average curvature of one or more curves located within a predetermined section of the scheduled drive route;
(f) second gear ratio determining means for determining, in accordance with said current vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor and said average curvature calculated by said road discriminating means, a second gear ratio range with an upper gear ratio for the automatic transmission at which said vehicle would safely run through said predetermined section;
and
(g) execution means for, when a current gear ratio of the automatic transmission does not lie within said second gear ratio range determined by said second gear ratio determining means, executing a down-shift of the automatic transmission to a gear ratio within the second gear ratio range.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/973,681Filed 9 Dec 1997
Priority: JP 8-11557512 Apr 1996
Granted: 21 Aug 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

F16H 59/66
Inputs being a function of ambient conditions: road conditions, e.g. slope, slippery
F16H 61/0213
For gearshift control, e.g. control functions for performing shifting or generation of shift signal: characterised by the method for generating…
B60W 2556/50
External transmission of data to or from the vehicle: of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
F16H 59/48
Control inputs to control units of change-speed- or reversing-gearings for conveying rotary motion: inputs being a function of acceleration

Family

No related US applications are recorded in the indexed filing history.

Timeline

Citations

Open elsewhere