Systems and methods for control of transmission and/or prime mover

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9365203-B2
Application number	US-201414464245-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2014
Priority date	Aug 5, 2008
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

Methods of controlling a prime mover and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) are described. The CVT has a group of spherical power adjusters. Each power adjuster has a tiltable axis of rotation. The methods may include optimizing a vehicle having a drive motor and a continuously variable transmission. The CVT has a plurality of spherical power adjusters, each power adjuster having a tiltable axis of rotation. The methods may include optimizing a drive system having a prime mover and a continuously variable transmission.

First claim

What we claim is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a drive motor;
a continuously variable transmission (CVT), the CVT having a plurality of spherical power adjusters, each power adjuster having a liftable axis of rotation; and
a processor coupled to a memory storing a data structure and a set of instructions executable by the processor to perform
receiving, from a user interface, an indication of a desired operating mode selected from a plurality of operating modes, wherein at least one operating mode allows the vehicle to operate in an efficiency mode and at least one operating mode allows the vehicle to operate in a performance mode,
receiving an input associated with a desired vehicle speed,
receiving an input associated with a motor speed,
receiving information associated with the CVT, wherein information includes information from a speed sensor and information from an actuator position sensor,
determining an input speed to the CVT based at least in part on the motor speed and the information associated with the CVT to achieve the desired vehicle speed, and
adjusting a ratio of the CVT based on one or more predefined parameters.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein adjusting a ratio of the CVT comprises:
monitoring a sensor to determine the current draw of the drive motor when operating the CVT and the drive motor at the desired vehicle speed;
comparing the motor current draw to a desired range of current; and
adjusting a ratio of the CVT based at least in part on the comparison of the motor current draw to a desired motor current draw and the desired vehicle speed.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein receiving an input associated with a motor speed comprises:
receiving an input associated with a motor current draw; and
determining, from a table stored in the memory, a motor speed associated with the motor current draw.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein determining an input speed to the CVT comprises creating a table indicative of the relationship between motor current draw and vehicle speed.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein creating a table comprises operating the vehicle for a range of vehicle operating speeds and creating a plurality of tables, wherein each table is created for a predetermined operating parameter of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein receiving an input associated with a desired vehicle speed comprises reading a throttle position.

7. A method of optimizing a vehicle having a drive motor and a continuously variable transmission (CVT), the CVT having a plurality of spherical power adjusters, each power adjuster having a tiltable axis of rotation, and a controller coupled to a memory storing a set of instructions, the method comprising the controller performing the steps of:
receiving, from a user interface, an indication of a desired operating mode selected from a plurality of operating modes, wherein at least one operating mode allows the vehicle to operate in an efficiency mode and at least one operating mode allows the vehicle to operate in a performance mode;
receiving an input associated with a desired vehicle speed;
receiving an input associated with a motor speed;
receiving information associated with the CVT, wherein information information from a speed sensor and information from an actuator position sensor;
determining an input speed to the CVT based at least in part on the motor speed and the information associated with the CVT to achieve the desired vehicle speed; and
adjusting a ratio of the CVT based on one or more predefined parameters.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein adjusting a ratio of the CVT comprises:
monitoring a sensor to determine the current draw of the drive motor when operating the CVT and the drive motor at the desired vehicle speed;
comparing the motor current draw to a desired range of current; and
adjusting a ratio of the CVT based at least in part on the comparison of the motor current draw to a desired motor current draw and the desired vehicle speed.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein receiving an input associated with a motor speed comprises:
receiving an input associated, with a motor current draw; and
determining, from a table stored in the memory, a motor speed associated with the motor current draw.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining an input speed to the CVT comprises creating a table indicative of the relationship between motor current draw and vehicle speed.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein creating a table comprises operating the vehicle for a range of vehicle operating speeds and creating a plurality of tables, wherein each table is created for a predetermined operating parameter of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of tables includes at least one table comprises a mode table for operating, the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein receiving an input associated with a desired vehicle speed comprises reading a throttle position.

Assignees

• Fallbrook Ip Co Llc

Inventors

• Keilers Cyril
• Rogers David Lynn
• Diehl Eric
• Orand Austin
• Bartholomew Mark Edward
• Vasiliotis Christopher M
• Mcdaniel Loren T
• Carter Jeremy

Classifications

• B60W2510/081

  Speed · CPC title

• Y02T10/642

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F16H61/6648

  controlling of shifting being influenced by a signal derived from the engine and the main coupling · CPC title

• B60W10/105 Primary

  of electric type · CPC title

• B60L2240/423

  Torque · CPC title