Motor vehicle having an automated transmission

• US 20080027612A1
• Filed: 07/20/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (AB Volvo)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: Steen, Marcus, Eriksson, Anders
• Granted Patent: US 7,949,452 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/54
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/11 Stepped gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/111 with separate change-speed gear trains arranged in series
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0025 Transfer function weighting factor
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0031 Mathematical model of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/106 Rate of change
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/188 Controlling power parameters of the driveline, e.g. determining the required power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/701 Information about vehicle position, e.g. from navigation system or GPS signal
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/702 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0215 in relation with elements of the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/023 in relation with the gear ratio shifting conjoint control for improving gear change B60W30/19
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/663 Road slope
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/666 Determining road conditions by using vehicle location or position, e.g. from global navigation systems [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0015 : Transmission control for optimising fuel consumptions
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0018 : Transmission control for optimising exhaust emissions
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0227 : Shift map selection, i.e. methods for controlling selection between different shift maps, e.g. to initiate switch to a map for up-hill driving
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2300/14 : Selecting a state of operation, e.g. depending on two wheel or four wheel drive mode
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/66 : Road conditions, e.g. slope, slippery
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0213 : characterised by the method for generating shift signals
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/70 : specially adapted for change-speed gearing in group arrangement, i.e. with separate change-speed gear trains arranged in series, e.g. range or overdrive-type gearing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems

Abstract

A motor vehicle includes a clutch and an automated transmission between the engine and the drive wheels of the vehicle. A method for shift control in the motor vehicle when starting off or under way includes continuously performing computer simulations of the future driving of the vehicle, at least in response to information on road incline and throttle opening position, for a set of different shift schedules with combinations of engine speeds when shifting and shift steps, and selecting a shift schedule from the set of shift schedules which is optimal with regard to a selected criterion.

Claims

1. A method for shift control in a motor vehicle when starting off or under way, the method comprising the steps of:

continuously performing computer simulations of the future driving of the vehicle, at least in response to information on road incline and throttle opening position, for a set of different shift schedules comprising combinations of engine speeds when shifting and shift steps; and

selecting a shift schedule from said set of shift schedules which is optimal with regard to a selected criterion.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of controlling a vehicle transmission in accordance with the selected gear schedule when an electronic gear selector is in a position for automatic shifting.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of performing the computer simulations in accordance with a criterion selected by a control, and selecting the shift schedule so that it is optimal in view of the selected criterion.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of instantaneously determining vehicle position by a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of receiving information from an electronic map on the topology surrounding the vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of weighing control parameters, including at least one of fuel consumption, average speed and exhaust emissions, in accordance with the selected criterion.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of performing said computer simulations of the future driving of the vehicle also in response to a stored engine model.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the stored engine model comprises information on engine exhaust emissions at various transients.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the stored engine model comprises a steady state torque.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said set of different shift schedules comprises shift schedules where one or more gears are skipped.