Engine transmission control system

• US 6,418,367 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2000
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kimura, Tomoya, Tanaka, Yoshinori, Toukura, Nobusuke, Iwasaki, Yoshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/669,738
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 701/54, 701/65, 701/208, 477/97
• US Class Current: 701/54
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/101 Infinitely variable gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/105 Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/663 Road slope
• 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 61/66 specially adapted for continuously variable gearings control of exclusively fluid gearing F16H61/38

Abstract

A control system for an engine-CVT powertrain controls the target driving force during traveling on a ramp to meet operator power demand and/or the target input speed of the CVT to accomplish the ramp target window during traveling on the ramp to meet operator deceleration command.

Claims

1. A control system for an engine-transmission powertrain of a vehicle having a transmission to establish various speed ratios between input and output shafts of the transmission, an accelerator pedal with various positions including a released position, and an engine with various output torque levels, the control system comprising:

a vehicle navigation system including a map database with map information including kinds of roadways, said vehicle navigation system being operable to provide information as to a current position of the vehicle and information as to a kind of roadway which the current vehicle position is on;

a ramp detection unit operatively connected with said vehicle navigation system to determine whether or not the vehicle is on a ramp;

an accelerator pedal sensor operatively connected to the accelerator pedal to detect operator demand by detecting current position of the accelerator pedal; and

a controller, which receives output signals of said ramp detection unit and said accelerator pedal sensor, and generates a command upon determination by said ramp detection unit that the vehicle is on the ramp and applying said command to the engine transmission powertrain, affecting control of the engine-transmission powertrain to meet the detected operator demand.

2. The control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said controller commands the engine-transmission powertrain to accomplish a ramp target driving force that has been set for traveling on the ramp to meet operator power demand.

3. The control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said controller commands the engine-transmission powertrain to accomplish a target window of vehicle acceleration for traveling on the ramp to meet operator deceleration command upon detection by said accelerator pedal sensor that the accelerator pedal is at the released position.

4. The control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said controller determines a routine target driving force for use in traveling on routine roadways as a function of an accelerator pedal angle of the accelerator pedal, and said controller corrects said routine target driving force to give said ramp target driving force.

5. The control system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said controller increases said routine target driving force to give said ramp target driving force.

6. The control system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said controller calculates a sum of a predetermined value and said routine target driving force to give said ramp target driving force.

7. The control system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said controller provides varying values against various measures of vehicle speed and calculates a sum of one of said varying values and said routine target driving force to give said ramp target driving force.

8. The control system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said controller calculates a product of a predetermined gain greater than one and the accelerator pedal angle and determines said ramp target driving force as a function of said product.

9. The control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said controller determines a routine target driving force for use in traveling on routine roadways as a first function of an accelerator pedal angle of the accelerator pedal, and said controller determines said ramp target driving force as a second function of the accelerator pedal angle.

10. The control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein at vehicle speeds higher than a predetermined value, said controller prohibits control to accomplish said ramp target driving force.

11. The control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said controller commands the engine-transmission powertrain to accomplish a ramp target window of vehicle acceleration for traveling on the ramp to meet operator deceleration command upon detection by said accelerator pedal sensor that the accelerator pedal is at the released position.

12. The control system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said controller determines a routine target window for vehicle acceleration, and wherein there is a shift in a direction toward deceleration from said routine target window to said ramp target window.

13. The control system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said shift falls in a range from −

0.03G to −

0.05G.

14. The control system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said routine target window is defined by a first upper limit of vehicle acceleration and a first lower limit of vehicle acceleration,wherein said ramp target window is defined by a second upper limit of vehicle acceleration and a second lower limit of vehicle acceleration, and wherein said second upper and lower limits are moved in the direction of deceleration from said first upper and lower limits, respectively.

15. The control system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said controller affects ratio control of the speed ratio of the transmission to accomplish one of said routine and ramp target windows.

16. The control system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said controller prohibits the ratio control to accomplish said ramp target window at vehicle speeds less than a predetermined value upon determination by said ramp detector unit that the vehicle is traveling on the ramp.

17. A control method for an engine-transmission powertrain of a vehicle having a transmission to establish various speed ratios between input and output shafts of the transmission, an accelerator pedal with various positions including a released position, and an engine with various output torque levels, the control method comprising:

determining whether or not the vehicle is on a ramp;

detecting operator demand by detecting current position of the accelerator pedal; and

generating a command upon determination that the vehicle is on the ramp and applying said command to the engine-transmission powertrain, affecting control of the engine-transmission powertrain to meet the detected operator demand.

18. A control system for an engine-transmission powertrain of a vehicle having a transmission to establish various speed ratios between input and output shafts of the transmission, an accelerator pedal with various positions including a released position, and an engine with various output torque levels, the control system comprising:

means for determining whether or not the vehicle is on a ramp;

means for detecting operator demand by detecting current position of the accelerator pedal; and

means for generating a command upon determination that the vehicle is on the ramp and applying said command to the engine-transmission powertrain, affecting control of the engine-transmission powertrain to meet the detected operator demand.