Automated manual transmission mode selection controller

• US 5,979,257 A
• Filed: 12/01/1997
• Issued: 11/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FCA US LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Chrysler Corporation (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Lawrie, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marmor, Charles A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parekh, Ankur
• Application Number:
  US08/982,099
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 477/2, 477/3, 477/5, 477/6, 74/335, 74/336 R, 74/339, 701/56, 701/51, 180/65.2
• US Class Current: 74/335
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline 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 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• 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 2050/0022 Gains, weighting coefficients or weighting functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0052 Filtering, filters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/945 Characterized by control of gearing, e.g. control of transmission ratio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/946 Characterized by control of driveline clutch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19251 Control mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19284 Meshing assisters

Abstract

A powertrain system for a hybrid vehicle. The hybrid vehicle includes a heat engine, such as a diesel engine, and an electric machine, which operates as both an electric motor and an alternator, to power the vehicle. The hybrid vehicle also includes a manual-style transmission configured to operate as an automatic transmission from the perspective of the driver. The engine and the electric machine drive an input shaft which in turn drives an output shaft of the transmission. In addition to driving the transmission, the electric machine regulates the speed of the input shaft in order to synchronize the input shaft during either an upshift or downshift of the transmission by either decreasing or increasing the speed of the input shaft. When decreasing the speed of the input shaft, the electric motor functions as an alternator to produce electrical energy which may be stored by a storage device. Operation of the transmission is controlled by a transmission controller which receives input signals and generates output signals to control shift and clutch motors to effect smooth launch, upshift shifts, and downshifts of the transmission, so that the transmission functions substantially as an automatic transmission from the perspective of the driver, while internally substantially functioning as a manual transmission.

Claims

1. A hybrid transmission system for a vehicle having an engine, a drive wheel, a drive shaft connected to the drive wheel for rotating the drive wheel, comprising:

a manual transmission having an input shaft and an output shaft, the input shaft being driven and driving the output shaft, the output shaft being adapted to cause motion of the drive wheel through the drive shaft, the input and output shafts having a plurality of gears which selectively mesh for engagement to vary a relative speed of rotation between the input shaft and the output shaft;

a plurality of shift motors to effect engagement and disengagement of the gears;

a clutch for selectively coupling the engine to the transmission;

a clutch motor for engaging and disengaging the clutch;

an electric machine connected to the input shaft for selectively increasing and decreasing the speed of the input shaft; and

a transmission controller which receives a plurality of input signals and generates a plurality of output signals, the output signals controlling the motors in order to effect changing gears of the transmission;

wherein the transmission operates in one of a plurality of modes, and the transmission controller selects between one of the plurality of modes in accordance with a hierarchy established to prioritize selection of the modes and wherein each of the plurality of modes is assigned a value that defines the mode, and the values define the hierarchy for prioritizing the modes, wherein either higher values take priority over lower values or lower values take priority over higher values.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transmission operates in one of eight modes comprising a coast mode, a downshift mode, an upshift mode, a kickdown mode, a drive mode, a regenerative braking mode, an idle drive mode, a reverse mode, and a park neutral mode.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the modes are assigned values 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, corresponding to the coast mode, the downshift mode, the upshift mode, the kickdown mode, the drive mode, the regenerative braking mode, the idle drive mode, the reverse mode, and the park neutral mode, respectively.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the modes having higher values have priority over modes having lower values.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transmission controller defines a default mode of operation.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electric machine varies the speed of the input shaft so that the relative speeds of the input shaft and output shaft enables synchronization of the gears.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transmission controller further comprises a logic controller for determining the output signals, wherein the logic controller includes a mode select controller which tests for each respective mode and outputs a mode in accordance with the hierarchy.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transmission controller includes a plurality of sections for controlling particular aspects of the transmission, comprising:

gear logic for determining a desired gear for operating the transmission;

torque reduction logic to vary a torque output by the engine;

shifter position logic for controlling the shift motors;

motor control logic to control the direction and output of the electric machine;

mode selection logic for testing for each respective mode and selecting a mode for output in accordance with the hierarchy;

shift state logic for controlling a sequence of events for operating the transmission; and

clutch command logic for positioning the clutch to effect smooth operation of the transmission.

9. A hybrid transmission system for a vehicle, the vehicle having an engine, a drive wheel, a drive shaft connected to the drive wheel for rotating the drive wheel, comprising:

a manual transmission having an input shaft and an output shaft, the input shaft being driven and driving the output shaft, the output shaft being adapted to cause of the drive wheel through the drive shaft, the input and output shafts having a plurality of gears which selectively mesh for engagement to vary a relative speed of rotation between the input shaft and the output shaft;

a plurality of shift motors to effect engagement and disengagement of the gears;

a clutch for selectively coupling the engine to the transmission;

a clutch motor for engaging and disengaging the clutch;

an electric machine connected to the input shaft for selectively increasing and decreasing the speed of the input shaft, the electric machine varying the speed of the input shaft so that the relative speed between the input shaft and output shaft enables synchronization of the gears; and

a transmission controller which receives a plurality of input signals and generates a plurality of output signals, the output signals controlling the motors in order to effect changing gears of the transmission;

wherein the transmission operates in one of a plurality of modes, and the transmission controller includes mode select logic for selecting between one of the plurality of modes in accordance with a hierarchy established to prioritize selection of the modes and each of the plurality of modes is assigned a value, and the values define the hierarchy for prioritizing the modes, wherein either higher values take priority over lower values or lower values take priority over higher values.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the transmission operates in one of eight modes comprising a coast mode, a downshift mode, an upshift mode, a kickdown mode, a drive mode, a regenerative braking mode, an idle drive mode, a reverse mode, and a park neutral mode.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the modes are assigned values 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, corresponding to the coast mode, the downshift mode, the upshift mode, the kickdown mode, the drive mode, the regenerative braking mode, the idle drive mode, the reverse mode, and the park neutral mode, respectively.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the modes having higher values have priority over modes having lower values.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the logic controller defines a default mode of operation.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the logic controller tests for each respective mode and outputs a mode in accordance with the hierarchy.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the transmission controller includes a plurality of sections for controlling particular aspects of the transmission, comprising:

gear logic for determining a desired gear for operating the transmission;

torque reduction logic to vary a torque output by the engine;

shifter position logic for controlling the shift motors;

motor control logic to control the direction and output of the electric machine;

mode selection logic for testing for each respective mode and selecting a mode for output in accordance with the hierarchy;

shift state logic for controlling sequence of events for operating the transmission; and

clutch command logic for positioning the clutch to effect smooth operation of the transmission.