Drive shaft torque controlling apparatus for use in a vehicle having a power transmission mechanism and method therefor

Claim 2

A drive shaft torque controlling apparatus for use in a vehicle comprising an engine, an automatic transmission having a torque converter, and a controlling apparatus installing at least one microcomputer therein and for controlling said automatic transmission, characterized in that the drive shaft torque controlling apparatus comprises a detecting means for detecting an input information such as an engine speed, a throttle opening degree, and an output shaft speed and a gear position signal of said automatic transmission; and an executing and assuming means for determining a numerical value of an output shaft torque and an input/output rotation velocity ratio between an input shaft side rotation velocity and an output shaft side rotation velocity of said automatic transmission so as to control said engine and said automatic transmission through said input information, an engine characteristic map, a torque converter characteristic, and a calculation formula relating to an input shaft speed of said automatic transmission, a slip ratio of said automatic transmission, an input torque of said torque converter, and an accessory of said engine.

Claim 3

A drive shaft torque controlling method for use in a vehicle comprising an engine, an automatic transmission having a torque converter, and a controlling apparatus installing at least one microcomputer therein and for controlling said automatic transmission, characterized in that the drive shaft torque controlling method comprises steps of: when said automatic transmission is during a non gear shift in which said automatic transmission is completed to met at a predetermined gear, from an input information, executing and assuming an input/output rotation velocity ratio between an input shaft side rotation velocity and an output shaft side rotation velocity, an input shaft speed, a slip ratio, a pump torque at during a non gear shift, and said input shaft torque; and using a numerical value information relating to said assumed input/output rotation velocity ratio and said assumed input shaft torque so as to control said engine and said automatic transmission.

Claim 4

A drive shaft torque controlling method for use in a vehicle comprising an engine, an automatic transmission having a torque converter, and a controlling apparatus installing at least one microcomputer therein and for controlling said automatic transmission, characterized in that the drive shaft torque controlling method comprises steps of: when said automatic transmission is during a gear shift in which said automatic transmission is not met with a predetermined gear, from an input information, executing an engine torque; from a numerical value information relating to said engine torque immediately after a gear shift starting and a pump torque during a non gear shift immediately before the gear shift starting, executing, assuming and storing an accessory torque being loaded to said engine as said accessory torque; from said numerical value information relating to said accessory torque and said engine torque being changed from moment to moment, executing and assuming said pump torque during a gear shift; executing and assuming said slip ratio and said input shaft torque; from said input information and said slip ratio, executing and assuming said input shaft speed and an input/output rotation velocity ratio between an input shaft side rotation velocity and an output shaft side rotation velocity during the gear shift; and using said assumed numerical value information relating to said input shaft torque and said input/output rotation velocity ratio during said gear shift time so as to control said engine and said automatic transmission.

Claim 5

A drive shaft torque controlling method for use in a vehicle comprising an engine, an automatic transmission having a torque converter, and a controlling apparatus installing at least one microcomputer therein and for controlling said automatic transmission, characterized in that the drive shaft torque controlling method comprises steps of: when said automatic transmission is during said gear shift and said torque converter is connected directly, from an input information, executing an engine torque; from said numerical value information relating to said engine torque immediately after said direct connection condition and a pump torque during a non gear shift immediately before said direct connection condition, executing, assuming and storing an accessory torque as said accessory torque; from a numerical value information relating to said accessory torque and said engine torque, executing and assuming said pump torque at said direct connection condition; executing and assuming a slip ratio and an input shaft torque; from said input information and said slip ratio, executing and assuming an input shaft speed and an input/output rotation velocity ratio between an input shaft side rotation velocity and an output shaft side rotation velocity of said automatic transmission at said direct connection condition; and using said assumed numerical value information relating to said input shaft torque and said input/output rotation velocity ratio at said direct connection condition so as to control said engine and said automatic transmission.

Claim 6

A drive shaft torque controlling method according to claim 3, characterized in that the drive shaft torque controlling method comprises steps of: when said engine braking operates and a velocity of the automobile is transferred to a deceleration condition, giving a settled and predetermined value in advance to a value of said input shaft torque.

Claim 7

A drive shaft toque controlling apparatus for use in a vehicle comprises a drive shaft torque operation means in which an engine is connected to a multi-stepped automatic transmission through a torque converter and a torque of a drive shaft being an output shaft of said multi-stepped automatic transmission is variable, an engine speed sensor for detecting a speed of said engine, and a drive shaft speed sensor for detecting a speed of said drive shaft, characterized in that the drive shaft torque controlling apparatus comprises: an engine torque executing means for obtaining an engine torque from an engine torque characteristic in which a relationship between said engine speed and an engine torque is determined and said engine speed detected through said engine speed sensor; a turbine speed grasping means for grasping a speed of a turbine for constituting said torque converter; a torque ratio executing means for obtaining a torque ratio of said torque converter from said grasped turbine speed and said detected engine speed; a turbine torque executing means for obtaining a torque of said turbine from said torque ratio and said engine torque; an input/output rotation velocity ratio executing means for obtaining an input/output rotation velocity ratio between an input shaft side rotation velocity and an output shaft side rotation velocity of said multi-stepped automatic transmission from said grasped turbine speed and said drive shaft speed detected by said drive shaft sensor; a drive shaft torque executing means for obtaining said drive shaft torque from said turbine torque and said input/output rotation velocity ratio; a torque control period setting means for setting a control period of said drive torque during a gear shift time; a reference drive shaft torque setting means for predetermining a reference drive shaft torque during said control period in response to a value of said drive shaft torque of before mechanical gear shift motion starting of said multi-stepped automatic transmission; a torque deviation execution for obtaining a deviation between said reference drive shaft torque determined by said reference drive shaft torque setting means and said drive shaft torque determined by said drive shaft torque executing means; and    an operation amount controlling means for outputting an operation amount to said drive shaft torque operation means by obtaining said operation amount of said drive shaft torque operation means in response to said deviation varying said drive shaft torque so as to decrease substantially zero said deviation.

Claim 8

A drive shaft toque controlling apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that said turbine speed grasping means comprises: a capacity coefficient executing means for obtaining a capacity coefficient of said torque converter from said engine torque and said engine speed; a slip ratio executing means for obtaining a slip ratio of said torque converter from a predetermined relationship between said capacity coefficient of said toque converter and said rotation ratio and said capacity efficiency obtained by said capacity coefficient executing means; and a turbine speed executing means for obtaining said turbine speed multiplying said engine speed by said speed ratio.

Claim 9

A drive shaft toque controlling apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that said turbine speed grasping means comprises: a turbine speed detecting means for measuring directly the speed of said turbine.

Claim 10

A drive shaft toque controlling apparatus according to any one of claims 7-9, characterized in that in a case that said torque control period setting means is an up-shift: when said turbine torque obtained by said turbine torque executing means has a slightly larger value more than said turbine torque of before mechanical gear shift motion starting of said multi-stepped automatic transmission, a control starting period of said drive shaft torque is performed, and when said input/output rotation velocity ratio obtained by said input/output rotation velocity ratio executing means has a slightly larger value less than said turbine torque before a mechanical gear shift motion finishing of said multi-stepped automatic transmission, a control finishing period of said drive shaft torque is performed.

Claim 11

A drive shaft toque controlling apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that in a case that said reference drive shaft torque setting means is an up-shift: a value of said drive shaft torque before a mechanical gear shift motion starting of said multi-stepped automatic transmission is made as a basic point, and a reference drive shaft torque for changing said drive shaft torque according to a predetermined inclination every said gear shift stage is generated.

Claim 12

A drive shaft toque controlling apparatus according to any one of claims 7-11, characterized in that in a case that said torque control period setting means is a down shift: by dividing said drive shaft torque before a mechanical gear shift motion starting of said multi-stepped automatic transmission by an established drive shaft torque in which said mechanical gear shift motion of said multi-stepped automatic transmission has been finished at a predetermined rate, a first drive shaft torque level and a second drive shaft torque level are determined, said second drive shaft torque level is larger than said first drive shaft toque level; when said drive shaft torque obtained by said drive shaft torque executing means has a value more than said first drive shaft torque level, a first control starting period is performed, and when said input/output rotation velocity ratio obtained by said input/output rotation velocity ratio executing means has a small value slightly more than said input/output rotation velocity ratio of a mechanical gear shift motion finishing time of said multi-stepped automatic transmission, a first control finishing period is performed; and when said drive shaft torque obtained by said drive shaft torque executing means has a value more than said second drive shaft torque level, a second control starting period is performed, and when said input/output rotation velocity ratio obtained by said input/output rotation velocity ratio executing means has a small value slightly more than of said input/output rotation velocity ratio of a mechanical gear shift motion finishing period of said multi-stepped automatic transmission, a second control finishing period is performed.

Claim 13

A drive shaft toque controlling apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that in a case that said reference drive shaft torque setting means is a down shift: during from said first control starting period to said first control finishing period, as said first drive shaft torque level is as a base point a reference drive shaft torque for varying said drive shaft torque according to a predetermined inclination every gear shift stage is generated, and during from said second control starting period to said second control finishing period, as said second drive shaft torque level is as a base point a reference drive shaft torque for varying said drive shaft torque according to a predetermined inclination every gear shift stage is generated.

Claim 14

A drive shaft toque controlling apparatus according to any one of claims 7-13, characterized in that said operation amount is selected from at least one of an ignition period of said engine, an air flow amount for supplying said engine, and a flow amount of a fuel for supplying to said engine.

Claim 15

A drive shaft toque controlling apparatus according to any one of claims 7-12 and 14, characterized in that when said drive shaft torque obtained by said drive shaft torque executing means is smaller than said reference drive torque, said operation amount controlling means controls to make large said flow amount of air for supplying to said engine.

Claim 16

A drive shaft toque controlling apparatus according to any one of claims 7-15, characterized in that    said multi-stepped automatic transmission comprises a gear shift gear at every gear shift step, plural gear shift clutches for connecting said gear at every gear shift step to said torque converter, and an adjusting mechanism for adjusting a meeting force of said gear shift clutch at every gear shift step; and during a gear shift period, said operation amount controlling means controls an operation amount of said adjusting mechanism.

Claim 17

In a drive shaft toque controlling apparatus for use in a vehicle comprises a drive shaft torque operating means in which an engine is connected to a multi-stepped automatic transmission through a torque converter and a torque of a drive shaft being an output shaft of said multi-stepped automatic transmission is variable, characterized in that the drive shaft torque controlling apparatus comprises: a drive shaft torque grasping means for grasping said drive shaft torque; a torque control period setting means for setting a control period of said drive torque during a gear shift time; a reference drive shaft torque setting means for determine a reference drive shaft during said control period in response to said drive shaft before mechanical gear shift motion starting of said multi-stepped automatic transmission; a torque deviation execution for obtaining a deviation between said reference drive shaft torque determined by said reference drive shaft torque setting means and said drive shaft torque determined by said drive shaft torque executing means; and an operation amount controlling means for outputting an operation amount to said drive shaft torque operation means by obtaining said operation amount of said drive shaft torque operation means in response to said deviation varying said drive shaft torque so as to decrease substantially zero said deviation; when said drive shaft torque obtained by said drive shaft torque executing means is smaller than said reference drive torque, said operation amount controlling means controls to make large the said flow amount of air for supplying to said engine.