TRANSMISSION TURBINE ACCELERATION CONTROL FOR MANAGING VEHICLE ACCELERATION

• US 20090215586A1
• Filed: 02/21/2008
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allison Transmission Incorporated (Allison Transmission Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Allison Transmission Incorporated (Allison Transmission Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kresse, John P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,275,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 477/110
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/026 of lock-up clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/115 with planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/30 Control strategies involving selection of transmission gear ratio control of change speed gearings, together with other vehicle sub-units B60W10/10; HEV transmission gearing B60K6/36; gearings and control thereof F16H
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/1015 Input shaft speed, e.g. turbine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/104 Output speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/165 Rate of change
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/024 of torque converter lock-up clutch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1022 Input torque
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility

Abstract

Methods and systems for managing acceleration of a motor vehicle having an automatic transmission by controlling transmission turbine acceleration are provided. A desired transmission turbine acceleration is determined based on vehicle speed, turbine speed, and other information obtained from the vehicle transmission. One or more torque limits are determined as a function of the turbine acceleration. The torque limits are applied to manage acceleration of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A control module for a motor vehicle, the control module including a processor and circuitry configured to:

receive a turbine speed from an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle,

receive a vehicle speed from the vehicle,

determine a desired transmission turbine acceleration limit based on the transmission turbine speed and the vehicle speed,

generate a transmission input torque limit based on the desired transmission turbine acceleration limit, and

output the transmission input torque limit to manage acceleration of the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein determining a desired transmission turbine acceleration limit includes determining a desired vehicle acceleration based on the vehicle speed.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein determining a desired vehicle acceleration includes selecting a vehicle speed-vehicle acceleration relationship table from a plurality of predetermined vehicle speed-vehicle acceleration relationship tables.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein determining a desired transmission turbine acceleration limit includes determining a transmission output speed to vehicle speed ratio.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein determining a desired transmission turbine acceleration limit includes determining a gear ratio.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein determining a desired transmission turbine acceleration limit includes multiplying the gear ratio by the transmission output speed to vehicle speed ratio by the desired vehicle acceleration.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein generating the transmission input torque limit includes determining a vehicle mass.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the control module is a transmission control module coupled to the automatic transmission of the motor vehicle and outputting the transmission input torque limit includes outputting the transmission input torque limit to another control module of the vehicle.

9. A transmission for a motor vehicle comprising:

a torque conversion apparatus couplable to a vehicle mover,

a gear arrangement operably coupled to the torque conversion apparatus,

a gear control assembly operably coupled to the gear arrangement, and

a control module operable to control operation of the transmission, the control module including a processor and circuitry configured to receive a first value representative of a transmission turbine speed, determine a second value representative of a desired transmission turbine acceleration based on the first value, compute at least one torque limit as a function of the second value, and output the torque limit for use by another control module to manage acceleration of the vehicle.

10. The transmission of claim 9, wherein the vehicle mover includes an engine and a motor, and the control module is adapted to compute a first torque limit, output the first torque limit for use by the engine, compute a second torque limit, and output the second torque limit for use by the motor.

11. A computer program product embodied in a tangible medium, for controlling transmission turbine acceleration to manage acceleration of a motor vehicle, including instructions executable by a controller to:

receive data representative of a transmission turbine speed and a current vehicle speed,

select a vehicle acceleration mode by determining at least one of whether a vehicle operator is requesting the vehicle to move forward and whether a low torque condition is present, and

calculating at least one transmission input torque limit based on the selected vehicle acceleration control mode.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein if the vehicle acceleration mode indicates that a request to move forward is in progress, calculating the at least one transmission input torque limit includes a feedforward component and a ramp component.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein if the vehicle acceleration mode indicates a low torque condition, calculating the at least one transmission input torque limit includes a feedforward component and does not include a ramp component and does not include a feedback component.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein if the vehicle acceleration mode does not indicate a shift in progress condition and the vehicle acceleration mode does not indicate a low torque condition, calculating the at least one transmission input torque limit includes a feedforward component and includes a feedback component.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein calculating the at least one transmission input torque limit includes selecting a gain region based on transmission output speed to vehicle speed ratio and transmission torque ratio and adjusting a feedback loop gain based on the selected gain region.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the feedback component includes a proportional term based on the selected gain region.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the feedback component includes an integrator.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, comprising determining whether the gain region has changed from a first gain region to a second gain region based on the transmission output speed to vehicle speed ratio and the transmission torque ratio and adjusting the integrator if the gain region has changed.

20. The computer program product of claim 11, comprising determining a current transmission range and disabling acceleration control if the range is not forward.

19. The computer program product of claim C8, comprising applying wind-up logic to the integrator if the gain region has not changed.

21. A method implemented in computer circuitry for managing acceleration of a motor vehicle having an automatic transmission, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of data signals from an automatic transmission of a vehicle,

determining a current vehicle speed,

determining a desired turbine acceleration based only on the vehicle speed and the data signals received from the automatic transmission, and

converting the desired turbine acceleration to at least one torque limit to be applied by the vehicle to manage acceleration of the vehicle.