Transmission control system for multi-ratio gear arrangement

Claim 2

A control system for regulating gear ratio changes in a multi-ratio automatic transmission coupled between an engine and an output mechanical drive connection, which transmission has at least 3 forward speeds, comprising: gear ratio command means operative to provide a ratio-change command signal upon receiving information input signals including range selector information; a supervisory logic circuit, connected to receive the ratio-change command signal and to receive range selector information, and to provide a shift-initiate signal when a gear ratio change is indicated; a routing logic circuit, connected to receive said shift-initiate signal from the supervisory logic circuit, range selector information, and shift quality control signals, operative to provide selective output signals which respectively regulate selected means for placing the automatic transmission in the desired gear ratio, and only one upshift control circuit, connected to regulate the 1-2 and 2-3 upshifts, and only one downshift control circuit connected to regulate the 3-2 and 2-1 downshifts, each connected to provide said shift quality control signals to the routing logic circuit upon receipt of the appropriate shift-initiate signal from the supervisory logic circuit.

Claim 3

A control system as claimed in claim 1, and further characterized in that the gear ratio command means includes a shift point computer, connected to receive a first input signal which varies as a function of torque demand, a second input signal including said range selector information, and a third input signal, which varies as a function of the speed of the output mechanical drive connection, which shift point computer is operative to provide the ratio-change command signal.

Claim 4

A control system as claimed in claim 1, and further characterized in that the gear ratio command means includes a manual gear selection arrangement for receiving a first input signal indicating a desired gear ratio, and a second input signal including said range selector information.

Claim 5

A control system as claimed in claim 1, and further characterized by the upshift control circuit being connected to provide a shift-completed signal to the supervisory logic circuit upon termination of an upshift gear ratio change sequence.

Claim 6

A control system as claimed in claim 1 and further characterized by the downshift control circuit being connected to provide a shift-completed signal to the supervisory logic circuit upon termination of a downshift gear ratio change sequence.

Claim 7

A control system for regulating gear ratio changes in a multi-ratio automatic transmission coupled between an engine and an output mechanical drive connection, which transmission has at least 3 forward speeds, comprising: gear ratio command means operative to provide a ratio-change command signal upon receiving information input signals including range selector information; a supervisory logic circuit, connected to receive the ratio-change command signal and to receive range selector information; a routing logic circuit, connected to receive a shift-initiate signal from the supervisory logic circuit, range selector information, a status signal denoting the actual gear ratio, and shift quality control signals, operative to provide selective output signals which respectively regulate selected means for placing the automatic transmission in the desired gear ratio; a single upshift control circuit, connected to regulate both the 1-2 and 2-3 upshifts, to receive the shift-initiate and status signals from the supervisory logic circuit, to provide said shift quality control signals to the routing logic circuit, and to provide a shift-completed signal to the supervisory logic circuit upon termination of an upshift gear ratio change sequence; and a single downshift control circuit, connected to regulate both the 3-2 and 2-1 downshifts, to receive the shift-initiate and status signals from the supervisory logic circuit, to provide said shift quality control signals to the routing logic circuit, and to provide a shift-completed signal to the supervisory logic circuit upon termination of a downshift gear ratio change sequence.

Claim 8

A control system for regulating gear ratio changes in a multi-ratio automatic transmission coupled between an engine and an output mechanical drive connection, which transmission has at least 3 forward speeds, comprising: gear ratio command means operative to provide a ratio-change command signal upon receiving information input signals including range selector information; a supervisory logic circuit, connected to receive the ratio-change command signal and to receive range selector information; a routing logic circuit, connected to receive a shift-initiate signal from the supervisory logic circuit, range selector information, a status signal denoting the actual gear ratio, and shift quality control signals, operative to provide selective output signals which respectively regulate selected means for placing the automatic transmission in the desired gear ratio; a single upshift control circuit, connected to regulate both the 1-2 and 2-3 upshifts, to receive the shift-initiate and status signals from the supervisory logic circuit, to provide said shift quality control signals to the routing logic circuit, and to provide a shift-completed signal to the supervisory logic circuit upon termination of an upshift gear ratio change sequence; and a single downshift control circuit, connected to regulate both the 3-2 and 2-1 downshifts, to receive the shift-initiate and status signals from the supervisory logic circuit, to provide said shift quality control signals to the routing logic circuit, and to provide a shift-completed signal to the supervisory logic circuit upon termination of a downshift gear ratio change sequence.

Claim 9

A control system as claimed in claim 6, and further characterized in that the gear ratio command means includes a shift point computer, connected to receive a first input signal which varies as a function of torque demand, a second input signal including said range selector information, and a third input signal, which varies as a function of the speed of the output mechanical drive connection, which shift point computer is operative to provide the ratio-change command signal.

Claim 10

A control system as claimed in claim 6, and further characterized in that the gear ratio command means includes a manual gear selection arrangement for receiving a first input signal indicating a desired gear ratio, and a second input signal including said range selector information.

Claim 11

A control system for regulating gear ratio changes in a multi-ratio automatic transmission coupled between an engine and an output mechanical drive connection, which transmission has at least 3 forward speeds, comprising: a shift point computer, connected to receive a first input signal which varies as a function of torque demand, a second input signal including range selector information, and a third input signal, which varies as a function of the speed of the output mechanical drive connection, which shift point computer is operative to provide a ratio-change command signal; a supervisory logic circuit, connected to receive the ratio-change command signal and to receive range selector information; a routing logic circuit, connected to receive a shift-initiate signal from the supervisory logic circuit, range selector information, a status signal denoting the actual gear ratio, and shift quality control signals, operative to provide selective output signals which respectively regulate selected means for placing the automatic transmission in the desired gear ratio; a single upshift control circuit, connected to receive the shift-initiate and status signals from the supervisory logic circuit, to provide said shift quality control signals to the routing logic circuit, and to provide a shift-completed signal to the supervisory logic circuit upon termination of an upshift gear ratio change sequence to thus control both the 1-2 and 2-3 upshifts; and a single downshift control circuit, connected to receive the shift-initiate and status signals from the supervisory logic circuit, to provide said shift quality control signals to the routing logic circuit, and to provide a shift-completed signal to the supervisory logic circuit upon termination of a downshift gear ratio change sequence to thus control both the 3-2 and 2-1 downshifts.

Claim 12

A control system for regulating gear ratio changes in a multi-ratio automatic transmission coupled between an engine and an output mechanical drive connection, which transmission has at least 3 forward speeds, comprising: a shift point computer, connected to receive a first input signal which varies as a function of torque demand, a second input signal including range selector information, and a third input signal, which varies as a function of the speed of the output mechanical drive connection, which shift point computer is operative to provide a ratio-change command signal; a supervisory logic circuit, connected to receive the ratio-change command signal and to receive range selector information; a routing logic circuit, connected to receive a shift-initiate signal from the supervisory logic circuit, range selector information, a status signal denoting the actual gear ratio, and shift quality control signals, operative to provide selective output signals which respectively regulate selected means for placing the automatic transmission in the desired gear ratio; a single upshift control circuit, connected to receive the shift-initiate and status signals from the supervisory logic circuit, to provide said shift quality control signals to the routing logic circuit, and to provide a shift-completed signal to the supervisory logic circuit upon termination of an upshift gear ratio change sequence to thus control both the 1-2 and 2-3 upshifts; and a single downshift control circuit, connected to receive the shift-initiate and status signals from the supervisory logic circuit, to provide said shift quality control signals to the routing logic circuit, and to provide a shift-completed signal to the supervisory logic circuit upon termination of a downshift gear ratio change sequence to thus control both the 3-2 and 2-1 downshifts.

Claim 13

A control system for a multi-ratio automatic transmission having an output shaft, comprising: a shift point computer, connected to receive input information including torque demand and at least one indication of an automatic transmission output parameter, and to provide an output signal denoting the desired gear ratio of the transmission; a supervisory control circuit connected to receive the output signal from the shift point computer, to continually compare that output signal with a status signal denoting the actual gear ratio, to both interrupt the comparison of signals and initiate a gear ratio change when the status signal differs from the desired-gear-ratio signal produced by the shift point computer, and to provide controlling signals to the automatic transmission to effect the desired change of gear ratio; and a shift quality control circuit, coupled to the supervisory control circuit, for providing signals to the supervisory control circuit to effect precise control of the gear ratio change, and for signalling termination of the gear ratio change to allow the supervisory control circuit to resume comparison of the desired-gear-ratio signal with the actual gear ratio signal.

Claim 14

A control system for a multi-ratio automatic transmission having an output shaft, comprising: a shift point computer, connected to receive input information including torque demand and at least one indication of an automatic transmission output parameter, and to provide an output signal denoting the desired gear ratio of the transmission; a supervisory control circuit connected to receive the output signal from the shift point computer, to continually compare that output signal with a status signal denoting the actual gear ratio, to both interrupt the comparison of signals and initiate a gear ratio change when the status signal differs from the desired-gear-ratio signal produced by the shift point computer, and to provide controlling signals to the automatic transmission to effect the desired change of gear ratio; and a shift quality control circuit, coupled to the supervisory control circuit, for providing signals to the supervisory control circuit to effect precise control of the gear ratio change, and for signalling termination of the gear ratio change to allow the supervisory control circuit to resume comparison of the desired-gear-ratio signal with the actual gear ratio signal.

Claim 15

A control system as claimed in claim 10, including a transducer, positioned adjacent the output shaft of the automatic transmission, for providing the indication of the transmission output parameter to the shift quality control circuit and to the shift point computer.

Claim 16

A control arrangement for controlling the changes of gear ratio in a multi-range automatic transmission having at least 3 forward speeds, which receives drive from an engine and has an output drive connection for supplying drive torque to a load, comprising: a shift point computer connected to receive input information, including torque demand, and to provide a desired-gear-ratio signal; sensor means, operatively associated with the output drive connection, for developing an output signal which varies as a function of the drive at the output connection; and a control system, coupled to the shift point computer and the sensor means, including only one upshift control circuit for regulating both the 1-2 and the 2-3 upshifts and only one downshift control circuit for regulating both the 3-2 and the 2-1 downshifts, for continually monitoring the desired-gear-ratio signal to detect any difference from the actual gear ratio, initiating a gear ratio change when such difference is detected and interrupting the monitoring function during the change, and resuming the monitoring function upon completion of the gear ratio change.

Claim 17

A control arrangement for controlling the changes of gear ratio in a multi-range automatic transmission having at least 3 forward speeds, which receives drive from an engine and has an output drive connection for supplying drive torque to a load, comprising: a shift point computer connected to receive input information, including torque demand, and to provide a desired-gear-ratio signal; sensor means, operatively associated with the output drive connection, for developing an output signal which varies as a function of the drive at the output connection; and a control system, coupled to the shift point computer and the sensor means, including only one upshift control circuit for regulating both the 1-2 and the 2-3 upshifts and only one downshift control circuit for regulating both the 3-2 and the 2-1 downshifts, for continually monitoring the desired-gear-ratio signal to detect any difference from the actual gear ratio, initiating a gear ratio change when such difference is detected and interrupting the monitoring function during the change, and resuming the monitoring function upon completion of the gear ratio change.

Claim 18

A control arrangement as claimed in claim 12, in which the output signal developed by the sensor means varies as a function of drive torque.

Claim 21

The method of controlling gear ratio changes as claimed in claim 14, and comprising the additional steps of determining whether the output torque signal exceeds a predetermined level, initiating a closed-loop controlled ratio change when the torque signal exceeds the predetermined level, and initiating an open-loop sequence of ratio change when the torque signal is less than said predetermined level.

Claim 24

The method of regulating a gear ratio change including the steps defined in claim 16, in which the input information further includes engine control information.

Claim 25

The method of regulating a gear ratio change including the steps defined in claim 16, in which the input information further includes signals transmitted manually by the automobile driver.

Claim 28

The method of regulating a gear-ratio change including the steps defined in claim 19, and further including the steps of generating a shift-completed signal in the assigned routing path at the end of the gear ratio change sequence, and utilizing the shift-completed signal to reset the gear ratio status signal.