Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
252 words
A system for controlling a vehicle automatic transmission, comprising: first means for determining operating conditions of the vehicle including degree of throttle opening, vehicle speed, current gear position and intentional conditions; second means for establishing a membership function of a first set of parameters including at least one of the determined operating conditions in accordance with a first set of predetermined fuzzy production rules defining a set of respective gear shifting conclusions; third means for establishing a membership function of a second set of parameters including at least one of the determined operating conditions in accordance with a second set of at least one predetermined fuzzy production rule defining a respective gear ratio shifting conclusion; fourth means for establishing a membership function of a third set of parameters including at least one of the determined operating conditions in accordance with a third set of at least one predetermined fuzzy production rule defining a respective intentional condition conclusion; fifth means for carrying out a first fuzzy reasoning based on the third set of fuzzy production rules to adjust the value of said intentional condition based on the intentional condition conclusions; sixth means for carrying out a second fuzzy reasoning based on the first and second sets of fuzzy production rules to determine said respective gear shifting conclusions to determine a target gear to shift to based on the gear shifting conclusions; and actuator means for driving a gear shift mechanism in response to the determined target gear to shift to a final gear.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
14 words
A system according to claim 1 wherein said first means further determines driving resistance.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system according to claim 2 wherein said driving resistance is calculated by subtracting the product of the vehicle weight and acceleration from motive force.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
A system according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said intentional condition is an intention to decelerate and said intentional condition conclusion is an intention to decelerate conclusion.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
A system according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein said first means further determines vehicle acceleration.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
17 words
A system according to any preceding claim wherein said first means further determines vehicle speed during braking.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
21 words
A system according to any preceding claim wherein said first set of predetermined fuzzy production rules is comprised of basic rules.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
21 words
A system according to any preceding claim wherein said second set of predetermined fuzzy production rules is comprised of extra rules.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
20 words
A system according to any preceding claim wherein said third set of fuzzy production rules is comprised of extra rules.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
35 words
A system according to any preceding claim further comprising a seventh means for establishing a set of at least one metarule used to adjust said target gear to determine said final gear to shift to.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
267 words
A system for controlling a vehicle automatic transmission, comprising: first means for determining operating conditions of the vehicle including degree of throttle opening, vehicle speed, current gear position and intention to decelerate; second means for establishing a membership function of a first set of parameters from at least one of the determined operating conditions in accordance with a plurality of predetermined fuzzy production rules defining a plurality of respective gear shifting conclusions; third means for calculating driving resistance; fourth means for establishing a membership function of a second set parameters including at least one of the determined operating conditions and the driving resistance in accordance with a second plurality of predetermined fuzzy production rules defining a plurality of respective gear shifting conclusions; fifth means for establishing a membership function of a third fuzzy set of parameters including at least one of the determined operating conditions in accordance with a third set of predetermined fuzzy production rules defining a plurality of respective intention to decelerate conclusions; sixth means for carrying out fuzzy reasoning based on the third set of fuzzy production rules to determine said intention to decelerate based on the intention to decelerate conclusions; seventh means for carrying out fuzzy reasoning based on the first and second sets of fuzzy production rules to determine said respective gear shifting conclusions to determine a control value for determining a target gear to shift to; eighth means for adjusting said determined control value with reference to metarules; and actuator means for driving a gear shift mechanism in response to the adjusted control value to shift to a determined final gear.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
110 words
A system for controlling a vehicle automatic multi-step geared or continuously variable transmission, comprising: first means for determining operating parameters of the vehicle; second means for establishing a respective membership function of the determined operating parameters in accordance with a plurality of sets of predetermined fuzzy production rules including a respective rule conclusion which have been hierarchically prepared based on the analysis on human being's judgment; third means for carrying out fuzzy reasoning based on fuzzy production rules to determine a target gear ratio to shift to based on said rule conclusions; and actuator means for driving a gear ratio shift mechanism in response to the determined target gear ratio.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
166 words
A system for controlling a vehicle automatic multi-step geared or continuously variable transmission, comprising: first means for determining operating parameters of the vehicle; second means for establishing a respective membership function of a first set of parameters including at least one of the determined operating parameters in accordance with a first set of predetermined fuzzy production rules including a respective gear ratio shifting conclusion and defining rules directed toward entire shift control area; third means for establishing a respective membership function of a second set of parameters including at least one of the determined operating parameters in accordance with a second set of predetermined fuzzy production rules including a respective gear ratio shifting conclusion and defining rules directed toward a specific shift control area; fourth means for carrying out fuzzy reasoning based on said two sets of fuzzy production rules to determine a target gear ratio to shift to; and actuator means for driving gear ratio shift mechanism in response to the determined target gear ratio.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
48 words
A system according to claim 13 further comprising fifth means for checking appropriateness of the determined target gear ratio in accordance with a predetermined rule defining absolute limitation in shift control and said actuator means drives gear ratio shift mechanism in response to the checked target gear ratio.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
39 words
A system according to claims 13 or 14 wherein said fourth means carries out the fuzzy reasoning to determine a target gear ratio by calculating a mean value of the gear ratio shifting conclusions weighted by the membership functions.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
50 words
A system according to claims 13 or 14 wherein said determined operating parameters include a parameter which is determined through a second fuzzy reasoning based on a membership function of parameters including at least one of the determined operating parameters in accordance with third set of predetermined fuzzy production rules.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system according to claim 16 wherein said parameter determined through said second fuzzy reasoning is used in said second set of the rules.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
A system according to claim 17 wherein said parameter is a parameter which presumes the driver's intentional conditions.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system according to claim 18 wherein said parameter is the driver's intention to decrease the vehicle.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
27 words
A system according to any of claims 13 to 19 wherein said second set of the rules define shift control during driving up or down a hill.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
A system according to claim 20 wherein said second set of rules use a parameter onto driving resistance.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
35 words
A system according to any of claims 13 to 21 wherein the number of parameters used in the first set of the rules is less than those used in the second set of the rules.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
28 words
A system according to claim 22 wherein said first set of the rules uses, solely or in combination, vehicle speed, degree of throttle opening or current gear ratio.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
35 words
A system according to claim 22 wherein said second set of the rules uses, solely or in combination, driving resistance, degree of throttle opening, vehicle speed, current gear ratio or the driver's intention to decelerate.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
29 words
A system according to claim 16 wherein said third set of the rules uses, solely or in combination, degree of throttle opening, vehicle acceleration or vehicle speed during braking.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
151 words
A system for controlling a vehicle automatic multi-step geared or continuously variable transmission, comprising; first means for determining operating parameters of the vehicle; second means for establishing a respective membership function of the parameters in accordance with a plurality of predetermined fuzzy production rules defining a respective gear ratio shifting conclusion; third means for assigning a respective number to the parameters and the membership functions to identify them; fourth means for carrying out fuzzy reasoning based on the rules to determine a target gear ratio to shift to; said forth means calculating a respective value of the membership functions using the numbers assigned to the parameters and the membership functions and determining the target gear ratio to shift to based on the membership values and the gear ratio shifting conclusions of the rules; and actuator means for driving a gear ratio shift mechanism in response to the determined target gear ratio.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
37 words
A system according to claim 26 wherein said fourth means determines the target gear ratio by calculating a mean value of the gear ratio shifting conclusion of the rules weighted by the values of the membership functions.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
141 words
A system for controlling a vehicle automatic multi-step geared or continuously variable transmission, comprising: first means for determining operating parameters of the vehicle; second means for establishing a respective membership function of the parameters in accordance with a plurality of predetermined fuzzy production rules each having an antecedent and a consequent, the rule consequent defining a gear ratio shifting conclusion; third means for carrying out fuzzy reasoning based on the rules to determine a target gear ratio to shift to, by calculating a respective minimum value of the membership function of the rule antecedent successively to obtain a product of the value multiplied by the rule antecedent, by summing then the products to together and by then determining a gravity of the sum; and actuator means for driving a gear ratio shift mechanism in response to the determined target gear ratio.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
34 words
A system according to claim 28, wherein said gravity is determined from a weight and a gravity in the abscissa of the consequent membership functions weighted by the values of the antecedent membership functions.