GEAR SHIFT INDICATION DEVICE

• US 20140236441A1
• Filed: 11/09/2011
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Keita, Fukushiro, Eiji
• Granted Patent: US 9,074,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/64
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 23/00 Arrangement or mounting of control devices for vehicle transmissions, or parts thereof, not otherwise provided for movable cabs having special adaptations of vehicle control devices B62D33/06; such control devices per se F16D, F16H
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• 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 2510/246 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/188 Controlling power parameters of the driveline, e.g. determining the required power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0218 Calculation or estimation of the available ratio range, i.e. possible gear ratios, e.g. for prompting a driver with a display
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0232 Selecting ratios for bringing engine into a particular state, e.g. for fast warming up or for reducing exhaust emissions
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2063/426 with means for advising the driver for proper shift action, e.g. prompting the driver with allowable selection range of ratios
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 63/42 Ratio indicator devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/902 Prime movers comprising electrical and internal combustion motors

Abstract

In a hybrid vehicle provided with a continuously variable electric transmission mechanism capable of sequential shift mode, a minimum engine rotational speed is specified for each gear specified in the sequential shift mode so that the lower the gear, the greater the minimum engine rotational speed. When the engine rotational speed has decreased to the minimum rotational speed while driving in the sequential shift mode, an upshift lamp of a gear shift indication device is turned on to prompt the driver to manually shift to a higher gear. As the driver shifts to a higher gear in response to the prompt, the minimum engine rotational speed is specified to a lower value. That allows for further decrease of the engine rotational speed and improves fuel consumption rate.

Claims

1. A gear shift indication device applied to a vehicle provided with a driving force transfer system capable of transfer of a driving force from a driving force source to drive wheels and also capable of manual gear selection, said indication device prompting a driver to shift gears,

the driving force source having a minimum rotational speed specified for each gear,

if the driving force source will likely have a rotational speed decreasing below a current minimum rotational speed, said indication device prompting the driver to shift to a gear which allows for a minimum rotational speed lower than the current minimum rotational speed.

2. The gear shift indication device as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the driving force transfer system is capable of shifting gears in automatic gear shift mode and manual gear shift mode, and

in the manual gear shift mode, if the driving force source will likely have a rotational speed decreasing below the current minimum rotational speed, said indication device prompts the driver to shift to a gear which allows for a minimum rotational speed lower than the current minimum rotational speed.

3. The gear shift indication device as set forth in claim 1, wherein

if the rotational speed of the driving force source has decreased to the minimum rotational speed or has so decreased that a deviation of the rotational speed from the minimum rotational speed is less than or equal to a predetermined value, it is determined that the driving force source will likely have a rotational speed decreasing below the current minimum rotational speed.

4. The gear shift indication device as set forth in claim 1, wherein

if high rotational speed control in which a high rotational speed is specified for the driving force source is being carried out or if, upon shifting to a higher gear while the high rotational speed control is being carried out, the rotational speed of the driving force source will likely be below a required rotational speed for the driving force source under the high rotational speed control, said indication device does not prompt the driver to shift gears.

5. The gear shift indication device as set forth in claim 4, wherein

the high rotational speed control which specifies a high rotational speed for the driving force source:

(a) in the case of the driving force source being an internal combustion engine, specifies a high rotational speed for the internal combustion engine to warm up catalyst in an exhaust system;

(b) specifies a high rotational speed for the driving force source to reduce unwanted noise and vibration in the driving force source or the driving force transfer system;

(c) specifies a high rotational speed for the driving force source to reduce unwanted noise produced by gear teeth colliding each other due to loose engagement of gear teeth in the driving force transfer system;

(d) specifies a high rotational speed for the driving force source to maintain reacceleratability of the vehicle;

(e) specifies a high rotational speed for the driving force source in response to a request for interior air heating;

(e) specifies a high rotational speed for the driving force source in response to a request for interior air heating;

(f) specifies a high rotational speed for the driving force source because of a restriction on a maximum allowable torque of the driving force source;

(g) in the case of the driving force source being an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, specifies a high rotational speed for the internal combustion engine because of a restriction on a maximum rotational speed of the electric motor;

(h) in the case of the driving force source being an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, specifies a high rotational speed for the internal combustion engine in response to a malfunction of the electric motor;

(i) in the case of the driving force source being an internal combustion engine and a motor generator, specifies a high rotational speed for the internal combustion engine to eliminate a negative torque occurring in the motor generator;

(j) in the case of the driving force source being an internal combustion engine, specifies a high rotational speed for the internal combustion engine to maintain an oil pressure of engine oil by means of the driving force of the internal combustion engine;

or

(k) in the case of the driving force source being an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, transfers a rotational force of the electric motor to the internal combustion engine because of an insufficient output of the internal combustion engine to adjust the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine by means of the rotational force of the electric motor.

6. The gear shift indication device as set forth in claim 1, wherein

even if the driving force source will likely have a rotational speed decreasing below the current minimum rotational speed, said indication device does not prompt the driver to shift gears if a difference between the current minimum rotational speed and a minimum rotational speed for the driving force source for a gear to which the driver would shift if being prompted to do so is less than or equal to a predetermined value.

7. The gear shift indication device as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the vehicle is provided with an electric power generator which receives a driving force from the driving force source for generation of electric power and an electric storage device which stores the electric power generated by the electric power generator, and

when the electric storage device has a temperature which is below or equal to a predetermined value, said indication device does not prompt the driver to shift gears.

8. The gear shift indication device as set forth in claim 2, wherein

the driving force transfer system includes a continuously variable transmission mechanism capable of continuously variable gear ratio, and

the continuously variable transmission mechanism allows for switching between multiple gear ratios in the manual gear shift mode.

9. The gear shift indication device as set forth in claim 8, wherein

the driving force source is an internal combustion engine,

the driving force transfer system includes a power split mechanism comprising a planetary gear train including:

a planetary carrier connected to an output shaft of the internal combustion engine;

a sun gear connected to a first electric motor; and

a ring gear connected to a second electric motor, and

the driving force transfer system is capable of variable gear ratio by altering a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine through control of a rotational speed of the first electric motor.

10. A gear shift indication device applied to a vehicle provided with a driving force transfer system capable of transfer of a driving force from a driving force source to drive wheels and also capable of manual gear selection, said indication device prompting a driver to shift gears,

the driving force source having a minimum rotational speed specified for each gear,

if there is less fuel consumption at a rotational speed lower than a current minimum rotational speed for the driving force source, said indication device, in realizing a driving force required by the driver, prompting the driver to shift to a gear which allows for a minimum rotational speed lower than the current minimum rotational speed.

11. The gear shift indication device as set forth in claim 10, wherein

if there is less fuel consumption at a rotational speed lower than a current minimum rotational speed for the driving force source, said indication device, in realizing a driving force required by the driver, prompts the driver to shift to a gear which allows for a minimum rotational speed lower than the current minimum rotational speed when the rotational speed of the driving force source has decreased to the minimum rotational speed or has so decreased that a deviation of the rotational speed from the minimum rotational speed is less than or equal to a predetermined value.