METHOD FOR ASSURING SYNCHRONIZATION BETWEEN AN ENGINE CONTROLLER AND A TRANSMISSION CONTROLLER AND COMPUTER PROGRAM AND PRODUCT

• US 20100036570A1
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (Volvo AB)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (Volvo AB)
• Inventors: Ekdahl, Anders, Johansson, Daniel, Templin, Peter
• Application Number:
  US12/441,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20100036570A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/54
• 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 2300/12 Trucks; Load vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1846 Preventing of breakage of drive line components, e.g. parts of the gearing

Abstract

Method and arrangement for assuring synchronization between an engine controller and a transmission controller on a heavy vehicle with an automatic mechanical transmission with respect to maximum allowable engine torque output levels. The engine controller is programmed to automatically communicate existing programmed maximum allowable engine torque capacities to the transmission controller under all, or predetermined circumstances in order to assure synchronous performance between the engine and transmission when executing program routines that depend upon program agreement existing between the two controllers in order to properly affect desired performance in the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for assuring synchronization between an engine controller and a transmission controller on a heavy vehicle, equipped with an automatic mechanical transmission, with respect to maximum allowable engine torque output levels, the method comprising:

programming the engine controller to automatically communicate existing programmed maximum allowable engine torque capacities to the transmission controller thereby assuring synchronous performance between the engine and transmission when executing program routines that depend upon program agreement existing between the two controllers in order to properly affect desired performance in the vehicle.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein a specialized communication routine is programmed into the engine controller such that when the engine controller receives an update regarding engine torque limitations, this information is shared with the transmission controller.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein when the engine controller receives an update regarding the torque limitations imposed, it transmits these new torque limitations to the transmission controller at the next vehicle start-up time.

4. A computer program comprising a program code for executing the method as claimed in claim 1, when the computer program is executed on a computer.

5. A computer program product comprising a program code, stored on a computer-readable medium, for executing the method as claimed in claim 1, when the computer program is executed on the computer.

6. A computer program product directly loadable into an internal memory in a computer, which computer program product comprises a computer program for executing the method as claimed in claim 1, when the computer program on the computer program product is executed on the computer.