Automotive productivity manager for power shift transmissions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10196066-B2
Application number	US-201615166332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2016
Priority date	Jan 11, 2016
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

A system includes an engine, a transmission driven by the engine, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive a speed input, receive feedback indicative of a load of the engine at a current engine speed, compare the load to a predetermined load threshold at the current engine speed, determine an expected engine speed based at least on the current engine speed, a current gear ratio, and an expected gear ratio, determine an estimated engine power at the expected engine speed and a current engine power at the current engine speed, and command a gear downshift when the load is greater than or equal to the predetermined load threshold and when the estimated engine power is greater than the current engine power.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A work vehicle, comprising:
an engine;
a transmission with multiple gear ratios driven by the engine; and
a controller configured to:
receive a speed input;
receive feedback indicative of a load of the engine at a current engine speed;
compare the load to a predetermined load threshold at the current engine speed;
determine an expected engine speed based at least on the current engine speed, a current gear ratio at the current engine speed, and an expected gear ratio after a gear downshift;
determine an estimated engine power at the expected engine speed and a current engine power at the current engine speed; and
command the gear downshift when the load is greater than or equal to the predetermined load threshold and when the estimated engine power is greater than the current engine power.

2. The work vehicle of claim 1 , comprising a user interface configured to enable an operator to enter the speed input, wherein the user interface sends a signal to the controller that includes the speed input.

3. The work vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the feedback indicative of the load is a ratio of a current engine torque divided by a desired engine torque at the current speed.

4. The work vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to compare the load to the predetermined load threshold using a load-RPM curve.

5. The work vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the expected engine speed by multiplying the current engine speed by an adjustment factor.

6. The work vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the adjustment factor comprises a ratio between the current gear ratio and the expected gear ratio.

7. The work vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the estimated engine power at the expected engine speed using a power-engine speed curve.

8. The work vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the estimated engine power at the expected engine speed using a look-up table relating power to engine speed.

9. The work vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the lookup table is stored in a memory of the controller.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Omran Ashraf Mohammed Kandeel
• Bulgrien Garth Harvey
• Hartman Brian Allen

Classifications

• B60W2510/1005

  Transmission ratio engaged · CPC title

• F16H61/0204

  for gearshift control, e.g. control functions for performing shifting or generation of shift signal · CPC title

• B60W2510/0666

  Engine power · CPC title

• F02D41/023

  in relation with the gear ratio shifting (conjoint control for improving gear change B60W30/19) · CPC title

• F16H2061/0216

  Calculation or estimation of post shift values for different gear ratios, e.g. by using engine performance tables · CPC title