Engine speed and clutch synchronizing controls including transmission controls

Claim 1

A clutch control system for a vehicle having an engine which transmits power to a changeable gear transmission via a controlled clutch assembly, said control system comprising: a first speed detector means for detecting the number of revolutions per unit time of a mechanical input to said clutch assembly from said engine and for producing a first electrical signal related thereto, a second speed detector means effectively linked directly to an output shaft of said clutch assembly for directly detecting the number of revolutions per unit time of said output shaft and for producing a second electrical signal related thereto, a clutch actuating/deactuating means connected to said clutch assembly for actuating/deactuating said clutch assembly in response to clutch control signals applied thereto, air-fuel mixture controlling means connected to an intake of said engine for increasing or decreasing the speed of said engine and hence the speed of said mechanical input to said clutch assembly in response to engine speed control signals applied thereto, gear position signal generating means for supplying gear position signals indicative of the actual gear meshing conditions presently existing in said changeable gear transmission, shift signal generating means for supplying shift signals indicative of eminent changes soon to be effected in gear meshing conditions in said changeable gear transmission, and control means having inputs connected to outputs of said first and second speed detectors, of said gear position signal generating means and of said shift signal generating means and said control means having outputs connected to inputs of said clutch actuating/deactuating means and of said air-fuel mixture controlling means, said control means including a predictive computer means connected to said gear position signal generating means and to said shift signal generating means for utilizing said gear position signals and said shift signals in selectively processing said second electrical signal to produce a prediction signal representing the anticipated postshift clutch output speed before a gear shift has actually occurred and representing the actual clutch output speed after a gear shift has occurred, said control means further including comparison means connected to said air-fuel mixture controlling means, to said first speed detector and to an output of said predictive computer means for comparing said first electrical signal to said prediction signal and for generating said engine speed control signals in dependence upon the comparison therebetween whereby the engine speed and hence clutch input shaft speed is controlled to substantially match that of the clutch output during a shifting process said control means further including digital logic means connected to said clutch actuating/deactuating means, to said comparison means and to said shift signal generating means for generating said clutch control signals causing clutch deactuation in response to a change in said shift signals until a desired gear shift has occurred and said clutch input and output shaft speeds have a predetermined relationship.