Fuel economy enhanced transmission manual/hold mode and low mode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10955048-B2
Application number	US-201715790443-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2017
Priority date	Apr 23, 2015
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

A method of controlling an automated manual transmission system having a transmission and a shifter is provided. The shifter includes a Drive Mode, a Low Mode and at least one of a Manual Mode and a Hold Mold. The Drive Mode automatically selects a default gear of the transmission and automatically performs all upshifts and downshifts. The Manual Mode permits an operator to manually select an upshift and a downshift of the transmission. The Hold Mode permits an operator to maintain a current operating gear. Control determines whether the shifter is in one of the Manual Mode and the Hold Mode. Control determines whether a vehicle operating condition is outside of a predetermined threshold. Control operates the transmission in Drive Mode based on the vehicle operating condition being outside of the predetermined threshold irrespective of the shifter being in one of the Low Mode, Manual Mode or Hold Modes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling an automated manual transmission system having a transmission and a shifter providing a Drive Mode and at least one of a Manual Mode and a Hold Mode, the Drive Mode automatically selecting a default gear of the transmission and automatically performing all upshifts and downshifts, the Manual Mode permitting an operator to manually select an upshift and a downshift of the transmission, the Hold Mode permitting an operator to maintain a current operating gear, the method comprising:
determining whether the shifter is in one of Manual Mode and Hold Mode;
determining whether a vehicle operating condition is outside of a predetermined threshold; and
operating the transmission in Drive Mode based on the vehicle operating condition being outside of the predetermined threshold irrespective of the shifter being in one of the Manual Mode and Hold Modes;
wherein the vehicle operating condition is a vehicle grade measurement and a vehicle weight, wherein control determines whether the vehicle grade measurement is above a predetermined threshold for the vehicle weight.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle operating condition further includes vehicle speed.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle operating condition further includes an engaged gear of the transmission.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle operating condition further includes a fuel delivery rate to an engine providing an input to the transmission.

5. A method of controlling an automated manual transmission system having a transmission and a shifter providing a Drive Mode and a Low Mode, the Drive Mode automatically selecting a default gear of the transmission and automatically performing all upshifts and downshifts, the Low Mode performing downshifts of the transmission at higher engine revolutions per minute (RPM) compared to Drive Mode, the method comprising:
determining whether the shifter is in Low Mode;
determining whether a vehicle operating condition is outside of a predetermined threshold; and
operating the transmission in Drive Mode based on the vehicle operating condition being outside of the predetermined threshold irrespective of the shifter being in Low Mode;
wherein the vehicle operating condition is a vehicle grade measurement and a vehicle weight, wherein control determines whether the vehicle grade measurement is above a predetermined threshold for the vehicle weight.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the vehicle operating condition further includes vehicle speed.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the vehicle operating condition further includes an engaged gear of the transmission.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the vehicle operating condition further includes a fuel delivery rate to an engine providing an input to the transmission.

9. A method of controlling an automated manual transmission system having a transmission and a shifter providing a Drive Mode, a Low Mode and at least one of a Manual Mode and a Hold Mode, the Drive Mode automatically selecting a default gear of the transmission and automatically performing all upshifts and downshifts, the Manual Mode permitting an operator to manually select an upshift and a downshift of the transmission, the Hold Mode permitting an operator to maintain a current operating gear, the Low Mode performing downshifts of the transmission at higher engine revolutions per minute (RPM) compared to Drive Mode the method comprising:
determining whether the shifter is in one of Manual Mode, Hold Mode and Low Mode;
determining whether a vehicle operating condition is outside of a predetermined threshold; and
operating the transmission in Drive Mode based on the vehicle operating condition being outside of the predetermined threshold irrespective of the shifter being in one of the Manual Mode, Hold Mode and Low Mode;
wherein the vehicle operating condition is a vehicle grade measurement and a vehicle weight, wherein control determines whether the vehicle grade measurement is above a predetermined threshold for the vehicle weight.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the vehicle operating condition further includes vehicle speed.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the vehicle operating condition further includes an engaged gear of the transmission.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the vehicle operating condition further includes a fuel delivery rate to an engine providing an input to the transmission.

Assignees

• Eaton Corp

Inventors

• Mckenzie Ian Daniel

Classifications

• F16H61/02 Primary

  characterised by the signals used · CPC title

• F16H2059/0221

  for selecting modes, e.g. sport, normal, economy · CPC title

• F16H2059/0243

  with push buttons, e.g. shift buttons arranged on steering wheel · CPC title

• F16H59/0204

  for automatic transmissions with means for range selection and manual shifting, e.g. range selector with tiptronic · CPC title

• F16H59/52

  dependent on the weight of the machine, e.g. change in weight resulting from passengers boarding a bus · CPC title