Automatic transmission, control apparatus and control method for the same

An automatic transmission control apparatus used for an automatic transmission comprising:

• plural friction transfer mechanisms for transferring and cutting off output power from a driving power source,
• plural transmission-input shafts connected to said friction transfer mechanisms, respectively, and
• plural change gear trains for selectively connecting between one of said input shafts and a transmission-output shaft by selectively engaging to anyone selected among plural synchromeshes,
• wherein a desired change gear transmission is set by connecting one of said input shafts to said output shaft by engaging the selected synchromesh to the selected change gear and engaging one friction transfer mechanism corresponding to one input shaft to be connected to said output shaft while disengaging other friction transfer mechanism,
• a controller which predicts a next gear change position while executing transmission under a current gear change position, and controls a predetermined synchromesh in accordance with a result of said prediction to execute a standby control so that a transmission-input shaft connected to a friction transfer mechanism not being used for said current gear change position and said output shaft are connected to each other via gears predicted to be said next gear change position,
• wherein said controller makes a maximum value in the synchromesh-engagement load when the synchromesh engages to the selected change gear in accordance with the result of said prediction smaller than that when the synchromesh engages to the selected change gear under a condition other than the result of said prediction.

An automatic transmission comprising:

• plural friction transfer mechanisms for transferring and cutting off output power from a driving power source,
• plural transmission-input shafts connected to said friction transfer mechanisms, respectively,
• plural change gear trains for selectively connecting between one of said input shafts and a transmission-output shaft by selectively engaging to anyone selected among plural synchromeshes,
• wherein a desired change gear transmission is set by connecting one of said input shafts to said output shaft by engaging the selected synchromesh to the selected change gear and engaging one friction transfer mechanism corresponding to one input shaft to be connected to said output shaft while disengaging other friction transfer mechanism,
• a controller which predicts a next gear change position while executing transmission under a current gear change position, and controls a predetermined synchromesh in accordance with a result of said prediction to execute a standby control so that a transmission-input shaft connected to a friction transfer mechanism not being used for said current gear change position and said output shaft are connected to each other via gears predicted to be said next gear change position,
• wherein said controller makes the engagement load of the synchromesh when the synchromesh engages to the selected change gear in accordance with the result of said prediction smaller than a synchromesh-engagement load when the synchromesh engages to the selected change gear under a condition other than the result of said prediction.

A control method for an automatic transmission having:

• plural friction transfer mechanisms for transferring and cutting off output power from a driving power source,
• plural transmission-input shafts connected to said friction transfer mechanisms, respectively, and
• plural change gear trains for selectively connecting between one of said input shafts and a transmission-output shaft by selectively engaging to anyone selected among plural synchromeshes,
• wherein a desired change gear transmission is set by connecting one of said input shafts to said output shaft by engaging the selected synchromesh to the selected change gear and engaging one friction transfer mechanism corresponding to one input shaft to be connected to said output shaft while disengaging other friction transfer mechanism,
• said control method comprising:
• predicting a next gear change position while executing transmission under a current gear change position,
• controlling a predetermined synchromesh in accordance with a result of said prediction to execute a standby control so that a transmission-input shaft connected to a friction transfer mechanism not being used for said current gear change position and said output shaft are connected to each other via gears predicted to be said next gear change position,
• such that a synchromesh-engagement load when the synchromesh engages to the selected change gear in accordance with the result of said prediction is made to be different from a synchromesh-engagement load when the synchromesh engages to the selected change sear under a condition other than the result of said prediction.