Automatic transmission control system

• US 6,217,477 B1
• Filed: 03/31/1997
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshida, Hiromasa, Nobumoto, Hidetoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Dirk
• Application Number:
  US08/829,690
• Time in Patent Office: 1,478 Days
• Field of Search: 477/43, 477/107, 477/121
• US Class Current: 477/43
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/101 Infinitely variable gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/109 of the toroïd type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0644 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1819 Propulsion control with control means using analogue circuits, relays or mechanical links
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/188 Controlling power parameters of the driveline, e.g. determining the required power
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0015 Transmission control for optimising fuel consumptions
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/24 dependent on the throttle opening
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/36 Inputs being a function of speed
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/66 specially adapted for continuously variable gearings control of exclusively fluid gearing F16H61/38
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/6648 controlling of shifting being influenced by a signal derived from the engine and the main coupling

Abstract

An automatic transmission control system for controlling a gear ratio of an automatic transmission connected to an engine so as to bring an engine speed of rotation to a target speed of rotation predetermined according to a vehicle speed and a throttle opening of the engine. The control system includes an engine speed sensor for detecting an engine speed of rotation of the engine, a throttle opening sensor for detecting a throttle opening of a throttle of the engine, a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed a control mechanism for interrupting delivery of fuel to the engine while the engine speed of rotation is higher than a specified speed of rotation and the throttle opening is less than a specified opening, increasing the target engine speed of rotation while the throttle opening is less than the specified opening to increase the gear ratio and, when the trottle opening sensor detects a throttle opening increase above the specified opening after having once been decreased below the specified opening, the control mechanism controls the gear ratio according to the increased target engine speed of rotation until a target engine speed of rotation set according to the vehicle speed and a throttle opening becomes greater than the increased target engine speed of rotation.

Claims

1. An automatic transmission control system for controlling a gear ratio of an automatic transmission connected to an engine so as to bring an engine speed of rotation to a target speed of rotation predetermined according to a vehicle speed and a throttle opening of the engine, said control system comprising:

an engine speed sensor for detecting an engine speed of rotation of the engine;

throttle opening sensor for detecting a throttle opening of an throttle of the engine;

a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed; and

control means for interrupting delivery of fuel to the engine while said engine speed of rotation is higher than a specified speed of rotation and said throttle opening is less than a specified opening, increasing said target engine speed of rotation while said throttle opening is less than said specified opening to increase said gear ratio and, when said throttle opening sensor detects a throttle opening increased above said specified opening after having once been decreased below said specified opening, said control means controls said gear ratio according to said increased target engine speed of rotation until a target engine speed of rotation set according to a vehicle speed and a throttle opening becomes over said increased target engine speed of rotation.

2. An automatic transmission control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said control means interrupts control of said gear ratio according to said increased target engine speed of rotation when said throttle opening is less than said specified opening after a predetermined duration of no detection of said throttle opening less than said specified opening.

3. An automatic transmission control system as defined in claim 1, and further comprising pumping loss control means for changing pumping loss of the engine, wherein said control means causes said pumping loss control means to provide a decrease in pumping loss of the engine when said throttle opening is less than said specified opening.

4. An automatic transmission control system as defined in claim 3, and further comprising a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed, wherein said control means causes said pumping loss control means to provide a decrease in pumping loss of the engine when said throttle opening is less than said specified opening and said vehicle speed is lower than a specified speed.

5. An automatic transmission control system for controlling a gear ratio of an automatic transmission connected to an engine so as to bring an engine speed of rotation to a target speed of rotation predetermined according to a vehicle speed and a throttle opening of the engine, said control system comprising:

an engine speed sensor for detecting an engine speed of rotation of the engine;

throttle opening sensor for detecting a throttle opening of an throttle of the engine;

control means for interrupting delivery of fuel to the engine while said engine speed of rotation is higher than a specified speed of rotation and said throttle opening is less than a specified opening, calculating a first target engine speed of rotation based on a vehicle speed and a throttle opening and a second target engine speed of rotation based on a vehicle speed which is made to yield an increase in engine speed of rotation during deceleration, and adopting said first target engine speed of rotation when said throttle opening sensor detects a throttle opening greater than a specified opening and said second target engine speed of rotation when said throttle opening sensor detects a throttle opening less than said specified opening.

6. An automatic transmission control system as defined in claim 5, wherein, when said throttle opening sensor detects a throttle opening increased above said specified opening after having once been decreased below said specified opening, said control means controls said gear ratio according to said second target engine speed of rotation until said first target engine speed of rotation becomes over said second target engine speed of rotation.

7. An automatic transmission control system as defined in claim 6, wherein said control means interrupts control of said gear ratio according to said second target engine speed of rotation when said throttle opening is less than said specified opening after a predetermined duration of no detection of said throttle opening less than said specified opening.

8. An automatic transmission control system as defined in claim 5, and further comprising pumping loss control means for changing pumping loss of the engine, wherein said control means causes said pumping loss control means to provide a decrease in pumping loss of the engine when said throttle opening is less than said specified opening.

9. An automatic transmission control system as defined in claim 8, and further comprising a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed, wherein said control means causes said pumping loss control means to provide a decrease in pumping loss of the engine when said throttle opening is less than said specified opening and said vehicle speed is lower than a specified speed.

10. An automatic transmission control system for controlling a gear ratio of a continuously variably automatic transmission including a toroidal gear mechanism disposed between an engine and drive wheels which comprises an input disk to which input torque is transmitted from the engine, an output disk from which output torque is transmitted to the drive wheels, a roller interposed between the input and the output disks, a support for supporting the roller for rotation and a hydraulic actuator operative to shift the roller in a direction tangential to the input and the output disks from a neutral position through the support to decline the roller so as thereby to vary a speed ratio of the input and the output disks, said automatic transmission control system comprising:

a shift valve for controlling hydraulic pressure supplied to said hydraulic actuator to cause said support to shift and incline said roller;

a fuel injector operative to deliver fuel; and

an engine speed sensor for detecting an engine speed of rotation of the engine;

throttle opening sensor for detecting a throttle opening of an throttle of the engine;

a controller operative to control said shift valve and said fuel injector according to said engine speed of rotation and said throttle opening;

said controller, while determining a target engine speed of rotation according to said throttle opening on the basis of target engine speed characteristics predetermined according to throttle opening as a parameter to control said shift valve so as to bring said engine speed of rotation close to said target engine speed of rotation, controlling said fuel injector to interrupt delivery of fuel to the engine while said engine speed of rotation is higher than a specified speed of rotation and said throttle opening is less than a specified opening, increasing said target engine speed of rotation higher than said target engine speed of rotation determined according to said throttle opening to increase said gear ratio while said throttle opening is less than said specified opening and further, when said throttle opening sensor detects a throttle opening increased above said specified opening after having once been decreased below said specified opening, controlling said shift valve based on said increased target engine speed of rotation until said target engine speed of rotation determined according to said throttle opening based on said target engine speed characteristics becomes below said target engine speed of rotation increased when said throttle opening sensor detects a throttle opening increased above said specified opening.

11. An automatic transmission control system for controlling a gear ration of a continuously variably automatic transmission including a toroidal gear mechanism disposed between an engine and drive wheels which comprises an input disk to which input torque is transmitted from the engine, an output disk from which output torque is transmitted to the drive wheels, a roller interposed between the input and the output disks, a support for supporting the roller for rotation and a hydraulic actuator operative to shift the roller in a direction tangential to the input and the output disks from a neutral position through the support to decline the roller so as thereby to vary a speed ratio of the input and the output disks, said automatic transmission control system comprising:

an engine speed sensor operative to detect an engine speed of rotation of the engine;

a throttle opening sensor operative to detect a throttle opening of an throttle of the engine;

a vehicle speed sensor operative to detect a vehicle speed; and

a controller operative to control said shift valve and said fuel injector according to said engine speed of rotation and said throttle opening;

said controller determining a first target engine speed of rotation according to said throttle opening and said vehicle speed on the basis of target engine speed characteristics predetermined according to throttle opening and vehicle speed as parameters, determining a second target engine speed of rotation based on said vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor which is made to yield an increase in engine speed of rotation during deceleration, controlling said fuel injector to interrupt delivery of fuel to the engine while said engine speed sensor detects an engine speed of rotation is higher than a specified speed of rotation and said throttle opening sensor detects throttle opening less than a specified opening, and controlling said shift valve to bring said engine speed of rotation detected by said engine speed sensor close to said first target engine speed of rotation while said throttle opening sensor detects throttle opening greater than said specified opening and to bring said engine speed of rotation detected by said engine speed sensor close to said second target engine speed of rotation while said throttle opening sensor detects throttle opening less than said specified opening.