Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10969004-B2
Application number	US-201916239656-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2019
Priority date	Jan 5, 2018
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle includes a main body, a transmission having a plurality of gear stages, a data storage, and an electronic controller. The data storage stores vehicle running condition data that includes at least one of a prescribed vehicle running condition, a sensed vehicle running condition, or a transmitted vehicle running condition. The electronic controller determines a gear shift of the gear stages of the transmission based on a future vehicle speed that has been estimated based on the vehicle running condition data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a main body;
a transmission having a plurality of gear stages;
a data storage storing vehicle running condition data that includes at least one of a prescribed vehicle running condition, a sensed vehicle running condition, or a transmitted vehicle running condition; and
an electronic controller configured to determine a gear shift of the gear stages of the transmission based on a current vehicle speed and a future vehicle speed that has been estimated based on the vehicle running condition data, wherein
the electronic controller is further configured not to perform a gear upshift upon determining that the vehicle is accelerating and that the current vehicle speed is below a first prescribed threshold for a current gear stage, and
the electronic controller is further configured not to perform the gear upshift upon determining that the vehicle is accelerating and that the future vehicle speed is below a second prescribed threshold for the current gear stage.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the electronic controller is further configured to perform the gear upshift upon determining that the current vehicle speed is above the first prescribed threshold for the current gear stage, and that the future vehicle speed is above the second prescribed threshold for the current gear stage.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the first prescribed threshold for the current gear stage is smaller than the second prescribed threshold for the current gear stage.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the future vehicle speed is estimated using maximum and minimum vehicle speeds along a predicted route based on the vehicle running condition data.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein
the maximum and minimum vehicle speeds are maximum and minimum vehicle speeds within a predetermined range of the predicted route.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein
the predetermined range of the predicted route has a predetermined time period.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the electronic controller is further configured to determine the gear shift of the gear stages of the transmission further based on at least one of a slope of a road, a camber of the road, a bank of the road, or a road surface condition.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein
the electronic controller is further configured to perform a gear downshift to maintain the future vehicle speed upon determining a change in the slope of the road based on the vehicle running condition data.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising
an external vehicle actuator including the electronic controller, the external vehicle actuator being configured to operate the transmission and steer the vehicle.

10. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising
an internal vehicle actuator configured to operate the transmission and steer the vehicle.

11. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising
a handlebar, and
a single steerable front wheel mounted to the main body via a front fork.

12. A vehicle comprising:
a main body;
a transmission having a plurality of gear stages;
a data storage storing vehicle running condition data that includes at least one of a prescribed vehicle running condition, a sensed vehicle running condition, or a transmitted vehicle running condition; and
an electronic controller configured to determine a gear shift of the gear stages of the transmission based on a current vehicle speed and a future vehicle speed that has been estimated based on the vehicle running condition data, wherein
the electronic controller is further configured not to perform a gear downshift upon determining that the vehicle is deaccelerating and that the current vehicle speed is above a third prescribed threshold for a current gear stage, and
the electronic controller is further configured not to perform the gear downshift upon determining that the vehicle is deaccelerating and that the future vehicle speed is above a fourth prescribed threshold for the current gear stage.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein
the electronic controller is further configured to perform the gear downshift upon determining that the current vehicle speed is below the third prescribed threshold for the current gear stage, and that the future vehicle speed is below the fourth prescribed threshold for the current gear stage.

14. The vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein
the third prescribed threshold for the current gear stage is larger than the fourth prescribed threshold for the current gear stage.

15. The vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein
the future vehicle speed is estimated using maximum and minimum vehicle speeds along a predicted route based on the vehicle running condition data.

16. The vehicle according to claim 15 , wherein
the maximum and minimum vehicle speeds are maximum and minimum vehicle speeds within a predetermined range of the predicted route.

17. The vehicle according to claim 16 , wherein
the predetermined range of the predicted route has a predetermined time period.

18. The vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein
the electronic controller is further configured to determine the gear shift of the gear stages of the transmission further based on at least one of a slope of a road, a camber of the road, a bank of the road, or a road surface condition.

19. The vehicle according to claim 18 , wherein
the electronic controller is further configured to perform a gear downshift to maintain the future vehicle speed upon determining a change in the slope of the road based on the vehicle running condition data.

20. The vehicle according to claim 12 , further comprising
a handlebar, and
a single steerable front wheel mounted to the main body via a front fork.

Assignees

• Stanford Res Inst Int
• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nishimura Keiji
• Low Thomas

Classifications

• F16H59/74

  Inputs being a function of engine parameters (F16H59/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16H63/02

  Final output mechanisms therefor; Actuating means for the final output mechanisms · CPC title

• F16H2306/30

  characterised by the way or trajectory to a new ratio, e.g. by performing shift according to a particular algorithm or function · CPC title

• F16H59/68

  Inputs being a function of gearing status · CPC title

• F16H2059/666

  Determining road conditions by using vehicle location or position, e.g. from global navigation systems [GPS] · CPC title