Control device for automatic transmission

• US 8,068,963 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Takei, Yosuke, Tsutsui, Hiroshi, Ogasawara, Hideaki, Sugiura, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US12/318,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20090171542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 701/51, 701/65, 701/57, 701/60, 701/61, 477/97, 477/901, 477/46, 477/48, 477/49, 477/110, 477/120
• US Class Current: 701/51
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/663 Road slope
• 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 61/0248 Control units where shifting is directly initiated by the driver, e.g. semi-automatic transmissions generation of movements for final actuating mechanisms F16H61/28

Abstract

A control device for an automatic transmission capable of operating in an automatic shift mode in which a gear ratio is automatically selected based on driving conditions of a vehicle, and also capable of operating in a manual shift mode in which the gear ratio is changed based on an upshift command or a downshift command by manual operation of a manual operation device, the control device includes a manual shift control unit that changes and sets the gear ratio after downshift depending on road conditions when the downshift command has been operated by the manual operation device in the manual shift mode, and performs the downshift to the gear ratio that has been changed and set.

Claims

1. A control device for an automatic transmission capable of operating in an automatic shift mode in which a gear ratio is automatically selected based on driving conditions of a vehicle, and also capable of operating in a manual shift mode in which the gear ratio is changed based on an upshift command or a downshift command by manual operation of a manual operation device, the control device comprising:

a road gradient determination unit that determines a road gradient during driving; and

a manual shift control unit that changes and sets the gear ratio after downshift depending on road conditions when the downshift command has been operated by the manual operation device in the manual shift mode, and performs the downshift to the gear ratio that has been changed and set, wherein;

the manual shift control unit includes a road gradient reflecting unit that changes and sets the gear ratio after downshift depending on the road gradient serving as the road condition,

a gear ratio width between before and after the downshift is made larger as the road gradient becomes larger,

the manual shift control unit stores road gradient reflecting maps each of which, for each gear ratio before downshift, preliminarily stores gear ratios after downshift corresponding to road gradient and vehicle speed, and

the manual shift control unit obtains the vehicle speed, and changes and sets the gear ratio width based on the road gradient, the vehicle speed and the road gradient reflecting maps.

2. The control device for the automatic transmission according to claim 1, wherein:

the manual shift control unit includes a gear ratio changing and setting unit that changes and sets the gear ratio after downshift when the downshift command has been operated by the manual operation device, and

the road gradient reflecting unit changes and sets the gear ratio after downshift by correcting, depending on the road gradient serving as the road condition, the gear ratio after downshift that has been set by the gear ratio changing and setting unit.

3. The control device for the automatic transmission according to claim 1, further comprising:

a corner geometry determination unit that determines corner geometry during driving,

wherein the manual shift control unit includes a corner geometry reflecting unit that changes and sets the gear ratio after downshift depending on the corner geometry serving as the road condition.

4. The control device for the automatic transmission according to claim 3, wherein the corner geometry reflecting unit changes and sets the gear ratio after downshift so that the gear ratio width between before and after downshift is made larger on a mild corner than on a straight road or on a tight corner.

5. The control device for the automatic transmission according to claim 3, wherein the manual shift control unit stores corner geometry reflecting maps each of which, for each gear ratio before downshift, preliminarily stores gear ratios after downshift corresponding to corner geometry and vehicle speed.

6. The control device for the automatic transmission according to claim 3, wherein:

the manual shift control unit includes a gear ratio changing and setting unit that changes and sets the gear ratio after downshift when the downshift command has been operated by the manual operation device, and

the corner geometry reflecting unit changes and sets the gear ratio after downshift by correcting, depending on the corner geometry serving as the road condition, the gear ratio after downshift that has been set by the gear ratio changing and setting unit.

7. The control device for the automatic transmission according to claim 1, wherein:

the automatic transmission is formed by a multi-stage automatic transmission that achieves a plurality of shift speeds by changing a transmission path of a speed change gear mechanism, and

the manual shift control unit changes and sets the gear ratio after downshift by changing and setting, depending on the road conditions, the number of shift speeds to be downshifted by one issuance of the downshift command.

8. A method of operating an automatic transmission capable of operating in an automatic shift mode in which a gear ratio is automatically selected based on driving conditions of a vehicle, and also capable of operating in a manual shift mode in which the gear ratio is changed based on an upshift command or a downshift command by manual operation of a manual operation device, the method comprising:

determining a road gradient during driving;

determining whether the downshift command has been operated by the manual operation device in the manual shift mode;

changing and setting the gear ratio after downshift depending on road conditions when the downshift command has been operated by the manual operation device in the manual shift mode; and

performing the downshift to the gear ratio that has been changed and set;

wherein;

the changing and setting of the gear ratio after downshift depends on the road gradient serving as the road condition,

a gear ratio width between before and after the downshift is made larger as the road gradient becomes larger,

road gradient reflecting maps each of which, for each gear ratio before downshift, preliminarily stores gear ratios after downshift corresponding to road gradient and vehicle speed is stored, and

the vehicle speed is obtained, and the gear ratio width is changed and set based on the road gradient, the vehicle speed and the road gradient reflecting maps.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the changing and setting of the gear ratio after downshift is set by correcting, depending on the road gradient serving as the road condition, the gear ratio after downshift that has been set.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

determining a corner geometry during driving,

wherein the changing and setting of the gear ratio after downshift depends on the corner geometry serving as the road condition.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the changing and setting of the gear ratio after downshift is set such that the gear ratio width between before and after downshift is made larger on a mild corner than on a straight road or on a tight corner.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein corner geometry reflecting maps each of which, for each gear ratio before downshift, preliminarily stores gear ratios after downshift corresponding to corner geometry and vehicle speed is stored.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the changing and setting of the gear ratio after downshift is set by correcting, depending on the corner geometry serving as the road condition, the gear ratio after downshift that has been set.

14. An automatic transmission system comprising:

an automatic transmission capable of operating in an automatic shift mode in which a gear ratio is automatically selected based on driving conditions of a vehicle, and also capable of operating in a manual shift mode in which the gear ratio is changed based on an upshift command or a downshift command by manual operation of a manual operation device;

a road gradient determination unit that determines a road gradient during driving; and

a manual shift control unit that changes and sets a gear ratio after downshift depending on road conditions when the downshift command has been operated by the manual operation device in the manual shift mode, and performs the downshift to the gear ratio that has been changed and set, wherein;

the manual shift control unit includes a road gradient reflecting unit that changes and sets the gear ratio after downshift depending on the road gradient serving as the road condition,

a gear ratio width between before and after the downshift is made larger as the road gradient becomes larger,

the manual shift control unit stores road gradient reflecting maps each of which, for each gear ratio before downshift, preliminarily stores gear ratios after downshift corresponding to road gradient and vehicle speed, and

the manual shift control unit obtains the vehicle speed, and changes and sets the gear ratio width based on the road gradient, the vehicle speed and the road gradient reflecting maps.