US 6,308,124 B1 · System for determining an equivalent throttle valve for controlling automatic transmission shift points

Abstract

A system is disclosed for determining an effective throttle value of an internal combustion engine for controlling automatic transmission shift points. In one embodiment, the system is operable to determine an effective throttle value as a function of commanded fueling and engine speed under operating conditions wherein engine torque is requested by a system/component other than manual throttle control to thereby provide a throttle value indicative of what throttle position or percentage would be under present operating conditions if engine torque was being requested via manual throttle control. The present invention accordingly overcomes deficiencies in known automatic transmission shift point control systems by continuously computing an equivalent throttle percentage whenever fueling or requested torque values are not dominated by actual throttle (e.g. accelerator pedal) percentage. The equivalent throttle parameter value is approximately what the throttle percentage would be if manual throttle percentage was the dominant source of requested torque. Transmission shift point logic may resultantly be simplified by basing transmission shift points on the equivalent throttle parameter during non-manual fueling control just as transmission shift points are based on throttle percentage during manual fueling conditions.

Claims22

Dependent claims

System for determining an equivalent throttle value, comprising:

means for determining engine speed of an internal combustion engine and producing an engine speed signal corresponding thereto;
an accelerator pedal responsive to manual actuation thereof to produce a first torque request signal;
means for producing a second torque request signal;
and
a control computer producing a fueling command as a function of a dominant one of said first and second torque request signals, said control computer producing an equivalent throttle value as a function of said engine speed signal and said fueling command when said second torque request signal is dominant over said first torque request signal, said equivalent throttle value corresponding to a relative position of said accelerator pedal otherwise required to produce engine operating conditions defined by said engine speed signal and said fueling command.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System for determining an equivalent throttle valve for controlling automatic transmission shift points

Life of this patent

System for determining an equivalent throttle valve for controlling automatic transmission shift points

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22