Motor vehicle having an automated transmission

• US 7,561,952 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2003
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (AB Volvo)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: Eriksson, Anders, Steen, Marcus
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Dalena
• Application Number:
  US10/514,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20060089774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,259 Days
• Field of Search: 701/51, 701101-102, 701/54, 743/33, 743/35, 743/36.R, 743/59, 477110-111, 477/37, 477/44, 477/63
• US Class Current: 701/54
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/11 Stepped gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0025 Transfer function weighting factor
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0031 Mathematical model of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0623 Fuel flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18027 Drive off, accelerating from standstill
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/19 Improvement of gear change, e.g. by synchronisation or smoothing gear shift
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• 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 2061/022 Calculation or estimation of optimal gear ratio, e.g. best ratio for economy drive or performance according driver preference, or to optimise exhaust emissions
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0227 Shift map selection, i.e. methods for controlling selection between different shift maps, e.g. to initiate switch to a map for up-hill driving
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0213 characterised by the method for generating shift signals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19242 Combined gear and clutch

Abstract

A motor vehicle with a clutch (3) and an automated transmission (9) between the engine and the drive wheels of the vehicle. The vehicle has control elements (45,48) for engine function and transmission function depending on a set position of an electronic gear selector (46). The control elements, with the gear selector in its position for automatic shifting, selects a gear for starting off or under way, which is determined by the gear selection strategy stored in the control means as a function of various parameters fed into the control elements. The control elements, are arranged to perform, firstly, a simulation process related to the gear selection strategy with at least one alternative set of parameters (U2-UN) and, secondly; a comparative analysis based on a first set of control parameters (U1).

Claims

1. A motor vehicle with a clutch (3) and automated transmission (9) between the engine and the drive wheels of the vehicle, comprising control means (45,48) for controlling the engine and for controlling the transmission in accordance with a selected position for an electronic gear selector (46), where the control means, with the gear selector in its position for automatic shifting, upon movement, selects a gear which is determined by a gear setting preference, stored in the control means, as a function of various driving preference parameters fed into the control means, the control means comprising:

a first simulation of an intended path of the vehicle in response to measured and sensed information (360, 330, 320, 350) for a set of different shift schedules, and select an optimal shift schedule from said set of shift schedules with regards to a first set of weighted driving preference parameters (U1) derived from a weight assigned to each driving preference of the set of the various driving preferences,

a second simulation of the intended path of the vehicle in response to said measured and sensed information (360, 330, 320, 350) for a set of different shift schedules and select a shift schedule from said set of shift schedules which is optimal with regard to at least one alternative set of weighted driving preference parameters (U2-UN) and,

a comparative analysis of results (R1-RN) of the first simulation and the second simulation in order to identify the optimal set of the weighted driving preference parameters and an optimal selected shift schedule.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said control means comprise a first electronic control unit (48) for control of the engine and a second electronic control unit (45) for control of the transmission, both adapted for communication with each other.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the control means (45,48) are arranged to perform the simulation process for the alternative set of the driving preference parameters (U2-UN) in parallel in real time.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the control means (45,48) are arranged to perform the simulation process for the alternative set of the driving preference parameters (U2-UN) in series or in parallel, or as a combination thereof.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control means (45,48) are arranged to perform the second simulation for the alternative set of the driving preference parameters (U2-UN) in parallel in real time.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control means (45,48) are arranged to perform the comparative analysis, which includes an evaluation of the results(R1-RN) of the first simulation and the second simulation, in accordance with a model stored therein.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control means (45,48) are arranged to perform the second simulation for the alternative set of the driving preference parameters (U2-UN) in series or in parallel, or as a combination thereof.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a control center (600) is arranged to perform the second simulation for the alternative set of the driving preference parameters (U2-UN).

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the control center (600) is arranged to automatically update the control parameters and/or a setting schedule in the control means (45,48) based on the results (R1-RN) of the first simulation and the second simulation.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a memory(710) is arranged for storing the results (R1-RN) of the simulation process.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein presentation means(510) are arranged to present at least one of the results(R1-RN) of the first simulation and the second simulation from the comparative analysis in real time and an evaluation of the same.

12. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a control center (600) is arranged to receive the results (R1-RN) of the first simulation and the second simulation from a communications terminal (500) and carry out a comparative analysis including an evaluation of the results (R1-RN) of the first simulation and the second simulation for optimization purposes.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the control center (600) is arranged to automatically update the control parameters and/or a setting schedule in the control means (45,48) based on the results (R1-RN) of the first simulation and the second simulation.

14. The motor vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the setting schedule in the control means can be manually overridden.

15. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control center (600) is arranged to automatically update the various driving preference parameters and/or a setting schedule in the control means (45,48) based on the results (R1-RN) of the first simulation and the second simulation.

16. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means (45,48) are arranged to automatically update control parameters and/or setting schedules based on the results (R1-RN) of the first simulation and the second simulation.

17. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control means (45,48) are arranged to automatically update control parameters and/or setting schedules on the basis of the results(R1-RN) of the first simulation and the second simulation, when a switch (300) is manually set therefore.