Apparatus and methods for determining vehicular transmission output torque

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016010746-A1
Application number	US-201414330933-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 14, 2014
Priority date	Jul 14, 2014
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Some embodiments relate to determining an estimated torque output by a vehicular transmission. A first controller determines a target gear number and an actual gear number during shifting between the gears of the transmission, the target gear number being equal to a value of a gear number to which the transmission is shifting, the actual gear number being equal to a value of a gear number from which the transmission is shifting. A second controller compares the target gear number to the actual gear number and retrieves a blended gear number if the target gear number is greater than the actual gear number, determines an approximate value for a gear ratio that decreases in proportion to a rate of decrease in torque output by the transmission based on the blended gear number, and estimates a value of the torque output by the transmission based on the determined gear ratio.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for determining an estimated torque output by a transmission of a vehicle, the transmission being shiftable between multiple gears, the apparatus comprising:
an electronic storage device that stores a blended gear number; a first controller configured to determine a target gear number and an actual gear number during shifting between the gears of the transmission, the target gear number being equal to a value of a gear number to which the transmission is shifting, the actual gear number being equal to a value of a gear number from which the transmission is shifting; and a second controller configured to:
compare the target gear number to the actual gear number, and to retrieve the blended gear number from the storage device if the target gear number is greater than the actual gear number,
determine an approximate value for a gear ratio that decreases in proportion to a rate of decrease in torque output by the transmission based on the blended gear number, and
estimate a value of the torque output by the transmission based on the determined gear ratio.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the target gear number and the actual gear number are each integer values from 1 to n, where n is equal to the total number of forward gear choices included in the transmission.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the blended gear number is any number between 1 and n, where n is the total number of gears included in the transmission, and the blended gear number varies during an upshift event in a manner that corresponds to a rate of decrease of an output torque signaled by the first controller to the transmission.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second controller is configured to utilize a first look-up table including values for the actual gear number, target gear number, and corresponding gear ratios.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second controller is configured to utilize a second look-up table including values for the blended gear number and corresponding gear ratios.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first controller continuously transmits the target gear number and the actual gear number to the second controller.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second controller is configured to: set a target gear check to a value that is equal to the current value of the target gear number; and compare the current value of the target gear number to the set target gear check.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein if, based on the comparison, the second controller determines that the current value of the target gear number is not equal to the set target gear check based on the comparison, then the second controller is configured to set values of a first timer flag equal to 0, and a first timer equal to 0.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein if the second controller determines that the current value of the target gear number is greater than the current value of the actual gear number, then the second controller is configured to compare the first timer flag and a type flag to respective predetermined values.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein if the second controller determines that the current value of the first timer flag is equal to 0 and the value of the type flag is equal to 1, then the second controller is configured to determine that a first stage of an upshift event is occurring and that a blended gear ratio is not advantageous; while if the second controller determines that the current value of the first timer flag is not equal to 0 and the value of the type flag is not equal to 1, then the second controller is configured to determine that a second stage of an upshift event is occurring and that a gear number blending operation would be advantageous.

11 . A method for determining an estimated torque output by a transmission of a vehicle, the transmission being shiftable between multiple gears, the method comprising:
storing a blended gear number; using a first processor to determine a target gear number and an actual gear number during shifting between the gears of the transmission, the target gear number being equal to a value of a gear number to which the transmission is shifting, the actual gear number being equal to a value of a gear number from which the transmission is shifting; and using a second processor to:
compare the target gear number to the actual gear number, and to retrieve the blended gear number from the storage device if the target gear number is greater than the actual gear number,
determine an approximate value for a gear ratio that decreases in proportion to a rate of decrease in torque output by the transmission based on the blended gear number, and
estimate a value of the torque output by the transmission based on the determined gear ratio.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the target gear number and the actual gear number are each integer values from 1 to n, where n is equal to the total number of forward gear choices included in the transmission.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the blended gear number is any number between 1 and n, where n is the total number of gears included in the transmission, and the blended gear number varies during an upshift event in a manner that corresponds to a rate of decrease of an output torque signaled by the first controller to the transmission.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of using the second processor includes utilizing a first look-up table including values for the actual gear number, target gear number, and corresponding gear ratios; and utilizing a second look-up table including values for the blended gear number and corresponding gear ratios.

15 . The method of claim 11 , further including using the first processor to continuously transmit the target gear number and the actual gear number to the second processor.

16 . The method of claim 11 , further including using the second processor to set a target gear check to a value that is equal to the current value of the target gear number; and to compare the current value of the target gear number to the set target gear check.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further including using the second controller to determine whether the current value of the target gear number is not equal to the set target gear check based on the comparison, and if so, then using the second controller to set values of a first timer flag equal to 0, and a first timer equal to 0.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further including using the second controller to determine whether the current value of the target gear number is greater than the current value of the actual gear number, and if so, then using the second controller to compare the first timer flag and a type flag to respective predetermined values.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further including using the second controller to determine whether the current value of the first timer flag is equal to 0 and the value of the type flag is equal to 1, and if so then using the second controller to determine that a first stage of an upshift event is occurring and that a blended gear ratio is not advantageous; while also using the second controller to determine whether the current value of the first timer flag is not equal to 0 and the value of the type flag is not equal to 1, and if so then using the second controller to determine that a second stage of an upshift event is occurring and that a gear number blending operation would be advantageous.

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Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Turner Steve
• Skiles Randy

Classifications

• F16H2061/0216

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

• F16H61/0213 Primary

  characterised by the method for generating shift signals · CPC title

• F16H2061/0241

  Adapting the ratio to special transmission conditions, e.g. shifts during warming up phase of transmission when fluid viscosity is high · CPC title

• F16H2061/0096

  using a parameter map · CPC title