Apparatus and method for manually shifting an automatic transmission

• US 6,199,003 B1
• Filed: 05/21/1999
• Issued: 03/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FCA US LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Corporation (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Miller, Scott A., Rzepecki, John M. II, Hollingsworth, Rita D., Czarnecki, Edward W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/316,946
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 701/51, 701/52, 744/731.8, 743/35
• US Class Current: 701/52
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/0239 Up- and down-shift or range or mode selection by repeated movement mechanical step by step selection devices F16H63/14
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/0204 for automatic transmissions with means for range selection and manual shifting, e.g. range selector with tiptronic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19251 Control mechanism

Abstract

An apparatus and method for providing manual shift modes for an automatic transmission for a motor vehicle is provided. A plurality of sensors are coupled to the automatic transmission and the motor vehicle and are adapted to sense a plurality of parameters thereof and produce a plurality of respective sensor signals. An input device, responsive to manipulation by a driver, is adapted to produce one of an upshift signal and a downshift signal and a mode setting signal in response thereto. A controller is coupled to the automatic transmission and the input device and is adapted to receive the mode setting signal and the sensor signals and select one of a first and second manual modes in response thereto and to receive one of the upshift and downshift signals and responsively shift the automatic transmission in response to the sensor signals and the selected one of the first and second manual modes.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an automatic transmission for a motor vehicle;

a plurality of sensors coupled to the automatic transmission and the motor vehicle and adapted to sense a plurality of parameters thereof and produce a plurality of respective sensor signals; and

,

an input device responsive to manipulation by a driver and adapted to produce one of an upshift signal and a downshift signal and a mode setting signal in response thereto;

a controller coupled to the automatic transmission and the input device, and being adapted to receive the mode setting signal and the sensor signals and select one of a first and second manual modes in response thereto and to receive one of the upshift and downshift signals and responsively shift the automatic transmission in response to the sensor signals and the selected one of the first and second manual modes, the controller being programmable to provide first and second sets of operating characteristics thereto.

2. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to shift the transmission to a higher gear ratio in response to receiving the upshift signal and to shift the transmission to a lower gear ratio in response to receiving the downshift signal.

3. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the controller is adapted to control the rate of shifting operations, the being defined by the first and second sets of operating characteristics.

4. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 3, wherein the first set of operating characteristics define faster, more aggressive shifts than the second set of operating characteristics.

5. An apparatus, comprising:

an automatic transmission for a motor vehicle;

a plurality of sensors coupled to the automatic transmission and the motor vehicle and adapted to sense a plurality of parameters thereof and produce a plurality of respective sensor signals; and

,

an input device responsive to manipulation by a driver and adapted to produce one of an upshift signal and a downshift signal and a mode setting signal in response thereto;

a controller coupled to the automatic transmission and the input device, and being adapted to receive the mode setting signal and the sensor signals and select one of a first, second and third manual modes in response thereto and to receive one of the upshift and downshift signals and responsively shift the automatic transmission in response to the sensor signals and the selected one of the first, second, and third manual modes, the controller being programmable to provide respective first, second, and third sets of operating characteristics thereto.

6. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 5, wherein the controller is adapted to shift the transmission to a higher gear ratio in response to receiving the upshift signal and to shift the transmission to a lower gear ratio in response to receiving the downshift signal.

7. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 5, wherein the controller is adapted to control the rate of shifting operations, the rate being defined by the first, second and third sets of operating characteristics.

8. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 5, wherein the second set of operating characteristics defined faster, more aggressive shifts than the third set of operating characteristics and the first set of operating characteristics define faster, more aggressive shifts than the second set of operating characteristics.

9. A method for providing first and second manual shift modes for an automatic transmission, including the steps of:

selecting a selected manual mode as one of the first and second manual modes;

sensing a plurality of parameters related to the automatic transmission and producing a plurality of respective sensor signals; and

,

receiving one of an upshift and a downshift signal in response to manipulation of an input device by a driver;

receiving the sensor signals and the one of the upshift and downshift signals and shifting the automatic transmission as a function of the sensor signals and a first set of operating characteristics in response to the selected manual mode being equal to the first manual mode and a second set of operating characteristics in response to the selected manual mode being equal to the second manual mode.

10. A method, as set forth in claim 9, wherein the step of shifting the automatic transmission includes the steps of:

shifting the transmission to a higher gear ratio in response to receiving the upshift signal; and

,

shifting the transmission to a lower gear ratio in response to receiving the downshift signal.

11. A method, as set forth in claim 10, wherein steps of shifting the transmission to a higher gear ratio and shifting the transmission to a lower gear ratio include the step of controlling the rate of shifting operations, the rate being defined by the first and second sets of operating characteristics.

12. A method, as set forth in claim 11, wherein the first set of operating characteristics define faster, more aggressive shifts than the second set of operating characteristics.

13. A method for providing first, second, and third manual shift modes for an automatic transmission, including the steps of:

selecting a selected manual mode as one of the first, second, and third manual modes;

sensing a plurality of parameters related to the automatic transmission and producing a plurality of respective sensor signals; and

,

receiving one of an upshift and a downshift signal in response to manipulation of an input device by a driver;

receiving the sensor signals and the one of the upshift and downshift signals and shifting the automatic transmission as a function of the sensor signals and a first set of operating characteristics in response to the selected manual mode being equal to the first manual mode, a second set of operating characteristics in response to the selected manual mode being equal to the second manual mode and a third set of operating characteristics in response to the selected manual mode being equal to the third manual mode.

14. A method, as set forth in claim 13, wherein the step of shifting the automatic transmission includes the steps of:

shifting the transmission to a higher gear ratio in response to receiving the upshift signal; and

,

shifting the transmission to a lower gear ratio in response to receiving the downshift signal.

15. A method, as set forth in claim 13, wherein steps of shifting the transmission to a higher gear ratio and shifting the transmission to a lower gear ratio include the step of controlling the rate of shifting operations, the rate being defined by the first, second, and third sets of operating characteristics.

16. A method, as set forth in claim 13, wherein the second set of operating characteristics defined faster, more aggressive shifts than the third set of operating characteristics and the first set of operating characteristics define faster, more aggressive shifts than the second set of operating characteristics.