Control system for transmissions

• US 6,182,000 B1
• Filed: 12/17/1997
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohta, Takashi, Iwatsuki, Kunihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US08/992,080
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 701/55, 701/96, 701/53, 701/70, 701/95, 701/200, 180/179, 180/170
• US Class Current: 701/55
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0058 responsive to externally generated signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/36 Global Positioning System [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• 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 10/196 acting within the driveline, e.g. retarders
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/146 Speed limiting
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18145 Cornering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/06 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/701 Information about vehicle position, e.g. from navigation system or GPS signal
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/666 Determining road conditions by using vehicle location or position, e.g. from global navigation systems [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/66 Road conditions, e.g. slope, slippery
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0213 characterised by the method for generating shift signals
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/21 Providing engine brake control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles

Abstract

A control system for an automatic transmission includes a route information detector which detects route information for the vehicle and a transmission which is controlled by the route information detector. The control system also includes a device for detecting the places where it is necessary to decrease speed in the determined traveling distance, a device for calculating the vehicle target speed for each corner, a device for calculating the required vehicle speed at the present position of the vehicle to decrease present vehicle speed to the vehicle target speed for the place where it is necessary to decrease speed. And if the target deceleration from the present speed to the required vehicle speeds lager than a threshold value, the place is regarded as the target place, and it is counted as the target place, and the automatic transmission is shifted down.

Claims

1. A control system for a transmission, which is controlled by a shift instruction based on a predetermined shift diagram and a route information detector which detects information on a route that a vehicle follows, comprising:

a vehicle speed decreasing point detector which detects a vehicle speed decreasing point on the route where it is necessary to decrease vehicle speed;

a vehicle target speed calculator which calculates a vehicle target speed for the vehicle speed decreasing point;

a target deceleration calculator which calculates a decrease speed to the vehicle target speed;

a vehicle deceleration calculator which calculates a deceleration to make a present vehicle speed be the target speed;

a deceleration judgment device which decides whether said deceleration is larger than a threshold value; and

a transmission condition change device which changes a transmission condition to effect an engine braking condition when the deceleration judgment device decides that the deceleration is larger than the threshold value.

2. A control system for a transmission, which is controlled by a shift instruction based on a predetermined shift diagram and a route information detector which detects information on a route that a vehicle follows, comprising:

a vehicle speed decreasing point detector which detects a vehicle speed decreasing point on the route where it is necessary to decrease vehicle speed;

a vehicle target speed calculator which calculates a vehicle target speed for the vehicle speed decreasing point;

a target deceleration calculator which calculates a decrease speed to the vehicle target speed;

a vehicle deceleration calculator which calculates a deceleration to make a present vehicle speed be the target speed;

a deceleration judgment device which decides whether said deceleration is larger than a threshold value; and

a transmission condition change device which changes a transmission condition to effect an engine braking condition when the deceleration judgment device decides that the deceleration is larger than the threshold value, wherein the vehicle speed decreasing point where it is necessary to decrease the vehicle speed includes a corner.

3. A control system for a transmission, which is controlled by a shift instruction based on a predetermined shift diagram and a route information detector which detects information on a route that a vehicle follows, comprising:

a vehicle speed decreasing point detector which detects a vehicle speed decreasing point on the route where it is necessary to decrease vehicle speed;

a vehicle target speed calculator which calculates a vehicle target speed for the vehicle speed decreasing point,

a target deceleration calculator which calculates a decrease speed to the vehicle target speed;

a vehicle deceleration calculator which calculates a deceleration to make a present vehicle speed be the target speed;

a deceleration judgment device which decides whether said deceleration is larger than a threshold value;

a transmission condition change device which changes a transmission condition to effect an engine braking condition when the deceleration judgment device decides that the deceleration is larger than the threshold value, and further comprising a transmission condition change device which shifts down a gear stage.

4. A control system for a transmission, which is controlled by a shift instruction based on a predetermined shift diagram and a route information detector which detects information on a route that a vehicle follows, comprising:

a vehicle speed decreasing point detector which detects a vehicle speed decreasing point on the route where it is necessary to decrease vehicle speed;

a vehicle target speed calculator which calculates a vehicle target speed for the vehicle speed decreasing point;

a target deceleration calculator which calculates a decrease speed to the vehicle target speed;

a vehicle deceleration calculator which calculates a deceleration to make a present vehicle speed be the target speed;

a deceleration judgment device which decides whether said deceleration is larger than a threshold value; and

a transmission condition change device which changes a transmission condition to effect an engine braking condition when the deceleration judgment device decides that the deceleration is larger than the threshold value, wherein the vehicle target speed is set to maintain good behavior of the vehicle, stability of the operation, and good drivability if the vehicle rounds a corner.

5. A control system for a transmission, which is controlled by a shift instruction based on a predetermined shift diagram and a route information detector which detects information on a route that a vehicle follows, comprising:

a vehicle seed decreasing point detector which detects a vehicle speed decreasing point on the route where it is necessary to decrease vehicle speed;

a vehicle target speed calculator which calculates a vehicle target speed for the vehicle speed decreasing point;

a target deceleration calculator which calculates a decrease speed to the vehicle target speed;

a vehicle deceleration calculator which calculates a deceleration to make a present vehicle speed be the target speed;

a deceleration judgment device which decides whether said deceleration is larger than a threshold value; and

a transmission condition change device which changes a transmission condition to effect an engine braking condition when the deceleration judgment device decides that the deceleration is larger than the threshold value, wherein the threshold value is set so the driver may not feel the deceleration.

6. A control system for a transmission, which is controlled by a shift instruction based on a predetermined shift diagram and a route information detector which detects information on a route that a vehicle follows, comprising:

a vehicle speed decreasing point detector which detects a vehicle speed decreasing point on the route where it is necessary to decrease vehicle speed;

a vehicle target speed calculator which calculates a vehicle target speed for the vehicle speed decreasing point;

a target deceleration calculator which calculates a decrease speed to the vehicle target speed;

a vehicle deceleration calculator which calculates a deceleration to make a present vehicle speed be the target speed;

a deceleration judgment device which decides whether said deceleration is larger than a threshold value;

a transmission condition change device which changes a transmission condition to effect an engine braking condition when the deceleration judgment device decides that the deceleration is larger than the threshold value; and

a distance detector which detects whether a distance from the present position to an immediate corner is less than a threshold value.

7. The control system for a transmission according to claim 6, wherein the driver'"'"'s intention detector detects driver'"'"'s intention by detecting a brake pedal operation or an acceleration pedal operation.

8. A control system for a transmission, which is controlled by a shift instruction based on a predetermined shift diagram and a route information detector which detects information on a route that a vehicle follows, comprising:

a vehicle speed decreasing point detector which detects a vehicle speed decreasing point on the route where it is necessary to decrease vehicle speed;

a vehicle target speed calculator which calculates a vehicle target speed for the vehicle speed decreasing point;

a target deceleration calculator which calculates a decrease speed to the vehicle target speed;

a vehicle deceleration calculator which calculates a deceleration to make a present vehicle speed be the target speed;

a deceleration judgment device which decides whether said deceleration is larger than a threshold value;

a transmission condition change device which changes a transmission condition to effect an engine braking condition when the deceleration judgment device decides that the deceleration is larger than the threshold value; and

a driver'"'"'s intention detector which detects whether the driver intends to decrease the vehicle speed based on an operating condition of the vehicle by the driver.

9. The control system for a transmission according to claim 8, wherein the driver'"'"'s intention detector detects a predetermined amount of the operation of a brake pedal.

10. The control system for a transmission according to claim 8, wherein the driver'"'"'s intention detector detects a predetermined amount of the operation of an accelerator pedal.

11. A control system for a transmission, which is controlled by a shift instruction based on a predetermined shift diagram and a route information detector which detects information on a route that a vehicle follows, comprising:

a vehicle speed decreasing point detector which detects a vehicle speed decreasing point on the route where it is necessary to decrease vehicle speed;

a vehicle target speed calculator which calculates a vehicle target speed for the vehicle speed decreasing point;

a target deceleration calculator which calculates a decrease speed to the vehicle target speed;

a vehicle deceleration calculator which calculates a deceleration to make a present vehicle speed be the target speed;

a deceleration judgment device which decides whether said deceleration is larger than a threshold value;

a transmission condition change device which changes a transmission condition to effect an engine braking condition when the deceleration judgment device decides that the deceleration is larger than the threshold value;

a diverging point detector which detects whether a diverging point exists on the route; and

a vehicle speed decreasing detection prohibit device which prohibits from detecting a vehicle speed decreasing point where it is necessary to decrease the vehicle speed.

12. A control system for a transmission, which is controlled by a shift instruction based on a predetermined shift diagram and a route information detector which detects information on a route that a vehicle follows, comprising:

a vehicle speed decreasing point detector which detects a vehicle speed decreasing point on the route where it is necessary to decrease vehicle speed;

a vehicle target speed calculator which calculates a vehicle target speed for the vehicle speed decreasing point;

a target deceleration calculator which calculates a decrease speed to the vehicle target speed;

a vehicle deceleration calculator which calculates a deceleration to make a present vehicle speed be the target speed;

a deceleration judgment device which decides whether said deceleration is larger than a threshold value;

a transmission condition change device which changes a transmission condition to effect an engine braking condition when the deceleration judgment device decides that the deceleration is larger than the threshold value; and

a target deceleration correction device which corrects the deceleration based on a slope of the road.

13. A control system for a transmission, which is controlled by a shift instruction based on a predetermined shift diagram and a route information detector which detects information on a route that vehicle follows,

comprising:

a vehicle speed decreasing point detector which detects a point where it is necessary to decrease vehicle speed;

a vehicle target speed calculator which calculates a vehicle target speed for the vehicle speed decreasing point;

a target deceleration calculator which calculates a decrease speed to the vehicle target speed;

a vehicle deceleration calculator which calculates a deceleration to make a present vehicle speed be the target speedl;

fiber channels coupling said host computers to said storage device

a deceleration judgment device which decides whether said deceleration is larger than a threshold value;

a transmission condition change device which changes a transmission condition to effect an engine braking condition when the deceleration judgment device decides that the deceleration is larger than the threshold value; and

a target deceleration correction device which corrects the deceleration based on the braking condition.

14. A method for controlling a transmission, which controls the transmission by a shift instruction based on a predetermined shift diagram and route information for a route that a vehicle follows, comprising the steps of:

detecting a vehicle speed decreasing point on the route where it is necessary to decrease the vehicle speed;

calculating a vehicle target speed for the vehicle speed decreasing point;

calculating a decrease speed to the vehicle target speed;

calculating a deceleration to make the present vehicle speed be the target speed;

determining whether said deceleration is larger than a threshold value; and

changing the transmission condition effects an engine braking condition when the deceleration is larger than the threshold value.

15. A method for controlling a transmission, which controls the transmission by a shift instruction based on a predetermined shift diagram and route information for a route that a vehicle follows, comprising the steps of:

detecting a vehicle speed decreasing point on the route where it is necessary to decrease the vehicle speed;

calculating a vehicle target speed for the vehicle speed decreasing point;

calculating a decrease speed to the vehicle target speed;

calculating a deceleration to make the present vehicle speed be the target speed;

determining whether said deceleration is larger than a threshold value; and

changing the transmission condition effects an engine braking condition when the deceleration is larger than the threshold value

detecting a corner on the route as a vehicle speed decreasing point where it is necessary to decrease the vehicle speed.

16. A method for controlling a transmission, which controls the transmission by a shift instruction based on a predetermined shift diagram and route information for a route that a vehicle follows, comprising the steps of:

detecting vehicle speed decreasing point on the route where it is necessary to decrease the vehicle speed;

calculating a vehicle target speed for the vehicle speed decreasing point;

calculating a decrease speed to the vehicle target speed;

calculating a deceleration to make the present vehicle speed be the target speed;

determining whether said deceleration is larger than a threshold value;

changing the transmission condition effects an engine braking condition when the deceleration is larger than the threshold value; and

shifting down the gear stage.