AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS AND METHODS THEREFOR

• US 20170343105A1
• Filed: 08/18/2017
• Published: 11/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fallbrook Intellectual Property Company LLC (Fallbrook Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Fallbrook Intellectual Property Company LLC (Fallbrook Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Vasiliotis, Christopher M., McDaniel, Loren T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,704,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 11/14 with planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 11/16 built in, or adjacent to, the ground-wheel hub
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 25/08 with electrical or fluid transmitting systems
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 6/40 Rider propelled cycles with auxiliary electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 15/52 in which a member of uniform effective diameter mounted on a shaft may co-operate with different parts of another member
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/66 specially adapted for continuously variable gearings control of exclusively fluid gearing F16H61/38
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/6645 controlling shifting exclusively as a function of speed and torque
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/6646 controlling shifting exclusively as a function of speed

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling transmissions and associated vehicles, machines, equipment, etc., are disclosed. In one case, a transmission control system includes a control unit configured to use a sensed vehicle speed and a commanded, target constant input speed to maintain an input speed substantially constant. The system includes one or more maps that associate a speed ratio of a transmission with a vehicle speed. In one embodiment, one such map associates an encoder position with a vehicle speed. Regarding a specific application, an automatic bicycle transmission shifting system is contemplated. An exemplary automatic bicycle includes a control unit, a shift actuator, various sensors, and a user interface. The control unit is configured to cooperate with a logic module and an actuator controller to control the cadence of a rider. In one embodiment, a memory of, or in communication with, the control unit includes one or more constant cadence maps that associate transmission speed ratios with bicycle speeds.

Claims

1. A method of automatically controlling a continuously variable transmission (CVT) of a bicycle comprising an electronic controller in communication with a data input interface, a speed sensor for determining a speed of the bicycle, and an actuator, the electronic controller configured to receive a first input associated with a target user pedaling speed from the data input interface and a second input associated with a speed of the bicycle from the speed sensor, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a third input associated with a present user pedaling speed; and

determining one of a first map that identifies a target CVT ratio based on bicycle speed and the target user pedaling speed when a user cadence is non-zero and a second map that identifies a target CVT ratio based on bicycle speed when a user cadence is substantially zero.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a target CVT ratio for one of the first map and the second map, wherein identifying a target CVT ratio comprises determining an actuator position based on the speed of the bicycle or the target user pedaling speed and the speed of the bicycle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining an actuator position comprises determining an encoder position value from an encoder position data structure.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying a target CVT ratio comprises determining a unique speed ratio (SR).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein power is supplied to the electronic controller via a dynamo

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the speed of the bicycle is determined from a wheel speed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data input interface is mounted on the bicycle.

8. A computer program product for automatically controlling a continuously variable transmission (CVT) of a bicycle having an electronic controller in communication with a data input interface, a speed sensor for determining a speed of the bicycle, and an actuator, the computer program product comprising a set of instructions executable by the electronic controller to perform:

storing a set of maps correlating speed ratios with bicycle speeds and user pedaling speeds, wherein at least one map in the set of maps correlates speed ratios with bicycle speeds when the user pedaling speed is zero;

receiving a first input associated with a target user pedaling speed from the data input interface;

receiving a second input associated with a speed of the bicycle from the speed sensor; and

receiving a third input associated with a present user pedaling speed; and

determining a map in the set of maps based on the present user pedaling speed and the speed of the bicycle.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the set of maps correlates speed ratios with actuator positions, each actuator position corresponding to one of a speed ratio and a range of speed ratios.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer program product comprises a set of instructions executable by the electronic controller to perform adjusting a speed ratio of the CVT, and wherein adjusting a speed ratio of the CVT comprises commanding the actuator to move to an encoder position.

11. A bicycle having a continuously variable transmission (CVT) controllable by an electronic controller in communication with a data input interface, a speed sensor for determining a speed of the bicycle, and an actuator, the electronic controller configured to receive a first input associated with a target user pedaling speed from the data input interface and a second input associated with a speed of the bicycle from the speed sensor, wherein the electronic controller is configured to:

store a set of maps correlating speed ratios with bicycle speeds and user pedaling speeds, wherein at least one map in the set of maps correlates speed ratios with bicycle speeds when the user pedaling speed is zero;

receive a first input associated with a target user pedaling speed from the data input interface;

receive a second input associated with a speed of the bicycle from the speed sensor;

receive a third input associated with a present user pedaling speed; and

determine a map in the set of maps based on the present user pedaling speed and the speed of the bicycle; and

adjust the CVT to a target transmission ratio based on the determined map.

12. The bicycle of claim 11, wherein determining a map comprises identifying a target transmission ratio, and wherein identifying a target transmission ratio comprises determining an actuator position based on the speed of the bicycle or the target user pedaling speed and the speed of the bicycle.

13. The bicycle of claim 12, wherein the set of maps includes a first set of maps correlating speed ratios with bicycle speeds and user pedaling speeds and a second set of maps correlating actuator positions and speed ratios.

14. The bicycle of claim 12, wherein the set of maps includes a first set of maps correlating speed ratios with bicycle speeds and user pedaling speeds and a second set of maps correlating encoder positions and speed ratios.

15. The bicycle of claim 12, wherein the set of maps includes a first set of maps correlating speed ratios with bicycle speeds and user pedaling speeds and a second set of maps correlating encoder positions and actuator positions.

16. The bicycle of claim 11, wherein determining a map comprises determining a target transmission ratio, and wherein determining a target transmission ratio comprises determining a unique speed ratio (SR).

17. The bicycle of claim 11, wherein power is supplied to the electronic controller via a dynamo

18. The bicycle of claim 11, wherein the speed of the bicycle is determined from a wheel speed.

19. The bicycle of claim 11, wherein the data input interface is mounted on the bicycle.