METHOD FOR INSTRUCTING A COLLECTIVE GEAR SHIFT REQUEST IN A GEAR BOX AND A METHOD FOR COMMUNICATING A GEAR SHIFT INSTRUCTION TO A GEAR BOX

• US 20090222181A1
• Filed: 05/22/2006
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (AB Volvo)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: Eriksson, Anders, Lindgren, Anders
• Granted Patent: US 8,145,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/64
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/0252 with means for initiating skip or double gear shifts, e.g. by moving selection lever beyond a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0444 during fast shifting over two gearsteps, e.g. jumping from fourth to second gear
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2306/14 Skipping gear shift
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/0204 for automatic transmissions with means for range selection and manual shifting, e.g. range selector with tiptronic
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0213 characterised by the method for generating shift signals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19251 Control mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19437 Electrically operated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2003 Electrical actuator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20085 Restriction of shift, gear selection, or gear engagement

Abstract

Method and arrangement for providing an electronic gear shift selector associated with an automatic mechanical transmission for a heavy vehicle. The gear shift selector includes a toggle switch for asserting at least one gear shift request, a counter receiving the at least one gear shift request, and a time delay for preventing communication of the at least one gear shift request from the counter until a predefined time period has passed. A method for communicating a collective gear shift request to a gear box includes asserting one or more gear shift requests with a gear shift selector, communicating the gear shift requests to a counter, determining the collective gear shift requests occurring within a predefined time period, communicating the gear shift requests occurring within the predefined time period to a gearbox.

Claims

1. A method for communicating a gear shjft instruction to a gear box of an automatic mechanical transmission for a heavy vehicle, the method comprising:

indicating a currently engaged gear;

detecting one or more gear shift requests from a gear shift selector;

indicating a currently requested gear; and

delaying communication of the currently requested gear until a predefined period of time has elapsed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined time period is between 0.3 and 1 second.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined time period is between 0.3 and 0.6 second.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined time period is defined by a vehicle operator.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein the vehicle operator sets the predefined time by depressing the gear shift selector, while the heavy vehicle'"'"'s engine is not running and ignition is in an on position, until a desired time is shown in a display.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication delay is prolonged an additional predefined time period if another assertion is made within the predefined time from the last assertion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined period of time is reset if a further assertion is made within the predefined period of time.

8. The method as in claim 7, wherein the further assertion can be either in a same direction as the previous assertions or in an opposite direction.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method of indicating the currently engaged gear is via a visual display or audible alert.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the visual display is a display in which the currently engaged gear is indicated by numbers.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the audible alert comprises two distinct tones, one signifying an upshift request and one signifying a downshift request.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the audible alert is one in which an upshift is indicated by a high pitch tone and a downshift is indicated by a low pitch tone.