Display system for automatic transmissions

• US 6,067,492 A
• Filed: 09/25/1997
• Issued: 05/23/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Niwa, Kenji, Tabata, Atsushi, Kodera, Haruyuki, Tomomatsu, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIS JACQUES, JACQUES H
• Application Number:
  US08/937,733
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 701/51, 701/53, 701/55, 701/56, 701/64, 701/62, 701/63, 477/79, 477/64, 477/122, 477/125, 477/906, 477/907, 74/335, 74/336 R, 74/475, 74/473.18, 74/473.1, 192/4 A
• US Class Current: 701/51
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/02 Selector apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/08 Range selector apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/32 Electric motors actuators or related electrical control means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 63/42 Ratio indicator devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 477/906 Means detecting or ameliorating the effects of malfunction or potential malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 477/907 Redundant
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19251 Control mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/1926 Speed responsive

Abstract

A display system for an automatic transmission including: a first range switching mechanism for switching a shift range by a mechanical operation; and a second range switching mechanism activated by electric enabling mechanism for switching the shift range by an electric operation. The display system comprises: a first display device for displaying the shift range which is selected by the first range switching mechanism; a second display device for displaying the active state of the enabling mechanism; and a third display device for displaying the shift range which is selected by the second range switching mechanism activated by the enabling mechanism.

Claims

1. A display system for an automatic transmission which has a first range switching mechanism for switching a shift range by mechanical means and a second range switching mechanism activated by electric enabling means for switching the shift range by electric means, comprising:

first display means for displaying the shift range which is selected by said first range switching mechanism;

second display means for displaying the acting state of said enabling means; and

third display means, which is different from said first display means, for displaying the shift range which is selected by the second range switching mechanism activated by said enabling means,

wherein said first display means and said third display means simultaneously respectively display the shift range which is selected by said first range switching mechanism and the shift range which is selected by the second range switching mechanism, which shift ranges displayed by said first and third display means may be different from one another.

2. A display system for an automatic transmission which has a first range switching mechanism for switching a shift range by mechanical means and a second range switching mechanism activated by electric enabling means for switching the shift range by electric means, comprising:

first display means for displaying the shift range which is selected by said first range switching mechanism;

second display means for displaying the acting state of said enabling means; and

third display means for displaying the shift range which is selected by the second range switching mechanism activated by said enabling means,

wherein said enabling means includes means for activating said second range switching mechanism when a predetermined shift range is set by said first range switching mechanism, and

wherein said third display means includes means for displaying the shift range which is set by operating said second range switching mechanism.

3. A display system according to claim 2,

wherein said third display means includes means for canceling the display of said predetermined shift range normally.

4. A display system for an automatic transmission enabled to switch a shift range by electric means, comprising:

fail display means for displaying that the switching of the shift range by said electric means is disabled by a failure; and

switching interrupt display means for displaying that the switching of the shift range by said electric means is temporarily unable to be switched on the basis of a running state and for displays an operation to cope with the temporary inability to switch the shift range.

5. A display system according to claim 4,

wherein said fail display means and said switching interrupt display means include:

a single display member shared in between; and

means for displaying different modes in said display member.

6. A display system for an automatic transmission which has a first range switching mechanism for switching a shift range by mechanical means and a second range switching mechanism for switching the shift range by electric means, comprising:

electric switching inhibition detecting means for detecting that the switching to an engine braking range by said second range switching mechanism is unable; and

manual switching display means for making a display to urge the switching to the engine braking range by said first range switching mechanism, when it is detected by said electric switching inhibition detecting means that the switching to the engine braking range by said second range switching mechanism is unable.

7. A display system according to claim 6,

wherein said electric switching inhibition detecting means includes means for detecting that the switching to the engine braking range by said second range switching mechanism is unable on the basis of a comparison of an RPM of a predetermined rotary member.

8. A display system according to claim 6,

wherein said electric switching inhibition detecting means includes means for detecting that the switching to the engine braking range by said second range switching mechanism is unable on the basis of a deceleration of a vehicle having said automatic transmission mounted thereon.

9. A display system according to claim 6,

wherein said first range switching mechanism includes means capable of executing the switching to the engine braking range even when an electric fail occurs.

10. A display system for an automatic transmission which has a first range switching mechanism for switching a shift range by mechanical means and a second range switching mechanism for switching the shift range by electric means, comprising:

electric shift detecting means for detecting that an engine braking range is selected by said second range switching mechanism;

deceleration detecting means for detecting a deceleration when the switching to the engine braking range is detected by said electric shift detecting means;

electric switching inhibited state detecting means for detecting a fail of the switching to the engine braking range by said second range switching mechanism on the basis of the deceleration which is detected by said deceleration detecting means; and

display means for displaying the detected result of said electric switching inhibited state detecting means.

11. A display system for an automatic transmission capable of switching a shift range by electric means, comprising:

display means for displaying a shift range; and

means for causing the display means to emphasize the display of the shift range which is set when the switching to the engine braking range by said electric means is rejected.

12. A display system according to claim 11,

wherein said emphasized display means includes means for displaying the shift range which is set by a mechanical operation at the instant when the electric switching to the shift range from a shift range by a mechanical operation is unable.

13. A display system according to claim 11,

wherein said emphasized display means includes means for performing a flashing display controlled in the duration and the frequency.

14. A display system according to claim 11, further comprising:

means for performing a voice notification when said emphasized display means performs the emphasized display.

15. A display system for an automatic transmission capable of switching a shift range by electric means, comprising:

a head-up display for displaying on a windshield of a vehicle at least one of the shift range set by said electric means and a gear stage set by said shift range.

16. A display system according to claim 15, further comprising:

means for turning ON said head-up display forcibly when the shift range is electrically switched,

wherein said head-up display includes means for displaying either the shift range electrically set or the gear stage.

17. A display system according to claim 15,

wherein said head-up display includes means for displaying the information on the electrically set shift range in place of the preceding display when the shift range is switched by the electric operation.

18. A display system according to claim 15,

wherein said automatic transmission includes gear change means for performing a gear change by a manual operation, and

wherein said head-up display includes means for displaying the information on the gear change which is executed by the manual operation.

19. A display system for an automatic transmission which has a range switching mechanism activated by electric enabling means for switching a shift range by electric means, comprising:

a momentary switch for outputting, when turned ON, a signal for activating said range switching mechanism;

control means for processing to enable/disable said range switching mechanism on the basis of said signal; and

display means for displaying the processed result by said control means.

20. A display system according to claim 19,

wherein said momentary switch is mounted on the steering wheel of a vehicle having said automatic transmission mounted thereon.

21. A display system according to claim 19,

wherein said control means includes means for holding the enabled/disabled state at the instant when said enabling means fails.

22. A display system according to claim 19,

wherein said control means includes means for performing the disabling processing by deciding it a fail that said enabling means is outputting its signal continuously for a predetermined or longer time period.

23. A display system according to claim 19,

wherein said control means includes means for restoring the disabled state by interrupting a power supply.

24. A display system according to claim 19,

wherein said control means includes means for holding the enabled state even when the shift range is mechanically switched.

25. A display system according to claim 19,

wherein said control means includes means for executing no enabling processing when said enabling means outputs its signal simultaneously as a power supply is turned ON.