Method for controlling shifts in an automated gearshift transmission

• US 8,095,286 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2009
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Wolfgang, Werner, Wurthner, Maik
• Primary Examiner(s): Elchanti, Hussein A.
• Application Number:
  US12/405,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20090240408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 701/51, 701/55, 701/93, 701/95
• US Class Current: 701/55
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/11 Stepped gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4042 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1061 Output power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/188 Controlling power parameters of the driveline, e.g. determining the required power
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A method for controlling a vehicle'"'"'s automated transmission, which is arranged in a drive train in the force flow between a engine and a drive axle or a transfer box, depending on certain operating parameters and control actions of an adaptive cruise control system (ACC) that can be operated using engine and brake mechanisms to regulate speed and distance from a car in front. The method controls the transmission when an engine torque demand differs from the torque demand of the ACC. The operating mode of the ACC, which is active at the time, and the load direction of the torque demand of the ACC are determined, and the torque demand, used for controlling the transmission when speed or distance regulation is activated, is determined depending on the ACC operating mode and the load direction of the torque demand.

Claims

1. A method of controlling shifts in an automated gearshift transmission which is arranged in a drivetrain of a motor vehicle in a force flow between a drive engine and one of a drive axle or a transfer box, shift operations of the transmission being controlled as a function of operating parameters and control actions of an adaptive cruise control system (ACC system) that is operable in a speed regulation mode and a distance regulation mode, for controlling the drive engine and at least one brake mechanism of the motor vehicle, to control the gearshift transmission, and when at least one specific operating condition exists, a torque demand (M_M—

_mod), for controlling the gearshift transmission, that differs from a torque demand (M<sub>M—

Soll</sub>) of the adaptive cruise control system (ACC system) on the drive engine is used, the method comprising the steps of;

determining an operating mode of the adaptive cruise control system (ACC system) that is active at the time and a load direction of the torque demand (M<sub>M—

Soll</sub>>

0;

M<sub>M—

Soll</sub><

0) of the adaptive cruise control system;

determining the torque demand (M<sub>M—

mod</sub>) for controlling the gearshift transmission when one of the speed regulation mode or the distance regulation mode is active as a function of the operating mode of the adaptive cruise control system (ACC system) that is active at the time and the load direction of the torque demand of the adaptive cruise control system (ACC); and

determining the torque demand (M<sub>M—

mod</sub>) used for controlling the gearshift transmission when the distance regulation mode is active during a traction operation (M<sub>M—

Soll</sub>>

0) from the torque demand (M<sub>M—

Soll</sub>) on the drive engine which decreases by a time-limited filter function (F_Filter(t)) such that the torque demand (M<sub>M—

mod</sub>) used for controlling the gearshift transmission equals the time-limited filter function (F_Filter(t)) multiplied by the torque demand (M<sub>M—

Soll</sub>) on the drive engine (M<sub>M—

mod</sub>=F_Filter(t)*M<sub>M—

Soll</sub>).

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step determining the torque demand (M_M—

_mod), used for controlling the gearshift transmission when the speed regulation mode is activated during a traction operation (M<sub>M—

Soll</sub>>

0), by a function (F₁(Δ

v)) that considers a speed difference (Δ

v=v_Soll−

v_Ist) between a desired speed (v_Soll) set in the adaptive cruise control system and an actual speed (v_Ist) of the motor vehicle at the time, with the function (F₁(Δ

v)) increasing proportionally to the speed difference (Δ

v).

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of utilizing only sensor and control data, which are available as standard in a data bus system (SAE J1939) of the drivetrain, for controlling the gearshift transmission.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of determining a distance from a leading vehicle when the distance regulation mode is active during a traction operation or a thrust operation (M_M—

_Soll>

0, M<sub>M—

Soll</sub><

0) and calculating a gradient of the distance from the leading vehicle from the determined distance from the leading vehicle, and carrying out one of a traction upshift or a thrust upshift, if a distance from the leading vehicle is increasing (one'"'"'s own vehicle is falling back).

5. A method of controlling shifts in an automated gearshift transmission which is arranged in a drivetrain of a motor vehicle in a force flow between a drive engine and one of a drive axle or a transfer box, shift operations of the transmission being controlled as a function of operating parameters and control actions of an adaptive cruise control system (ACC system) that is operable in a speed regulation mode and a distance regulation mode, for controlling the drive engine and at least one brake mechanism of the motor vehicle, to control the gearshift transmission, and when at least one specific operating condition exists, a torque demand (M_M—

_mod), for controlling the gearshift transmission, that differs from a torque demand (M<sub>M—

Soll</sub>) of the adaptive cruise control system (ACC system) on the drive engine is used, the method comprising the steps of;

determining an operating mode of the adaptive cruise control system (ACC system) that is active at the time and a load direction of the torque demand (M<sub>M—

Soll</sub>>

0;

M<sub>M—

Soll</sub><

0) of the adaptive cruise control system;

determining the torque demand (M<sub>M—

mod</sub>) for controlling the gearshift transmission when one of the speed regulation mode or the distance regulation mode is active as a function of the operating mode of the adaptive cruise control system (ACC system) that is active at the time and the load direction of the torque demand of the adaptive cruise control system (ACC); and

determining, as a fictitious desired thrust (M<sub>M—

mod</sub><

0), the torque demand (M<sub>M—

mod</sub>) for controlling the gearshift transmission when one of the speed regulation mode or the distance regulation mode is active during a thrust operation (M<sub>M—

Soll</sub><

0), the fictitious desired thrust (M<sub>M—

mod</sub><

0) is a function of the torque demand (M<sub>M—

Soll</sub>) on the drive engine and the at least one brake mechanism actuated (M<sub>Br—

Mot</sub><

0, M<sub>Br—

Ret</sub><

0, M<sub>Br—

Rad</sub><

0) such that

the torque demand (M<sub>M—

mod</sub>) used for controlling the gearshift transmission is a function of the torque demand (M<sub>M—

Soll</sub>) on the drive engine, a braking torque of the drive engine (M<sub>Br—

Mot</sub>), a braking torque of the permanent brakes (M<sub>br—

Ret</sub>), and a braking torque of the service brakes (M<sub>br—

Rad</sub>)(M<sub>M—

mod</sub>=F₂(M<sub>M—

Soll</sub>, M<sub>Br—

Mot</sub>, M<sub>Br—

Ret</sub>, M<sub>br—

Rad</sub>).

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of additionally determining climbing resistance when one of the speed or the distance regulation mode is activated during the thrust operation (M_M—

_Soll<

0), and calculating a gradient of the climbing resistance, from the climbing resistance, and, if the gradient of the climbing resistance is decreasing, carrying out a thrust upshift.

7. A method of controlling shifts in an automated gearshift transmission which is arranged in a drivetrain of a motor vehicle in a force flow between a drive engine and one of a drive axle or a transfer box, shift operations of the transmission being controlled as a function of operating parameters and control actions of an adaptive cruise control system (ACC system) that is operable in a speed regulation mode and a distance regulation mode, for controlling the drive engine and at least one brake mechanism of the motor vehicle, to control the gearshift transmission, and when at least one specific operating condition exists, a torque demand (M_M—

_mod), for controlling the gearshift transmission, that differs from a torque demand (M<sub>M—

Soll</sub>), of the adaptive cruise control system (ACC system) on the drive engine is used, the method comprising the steps of;

determining an operating mode of the adaptive cruise control system (ACC system) that is active at the time and a load direction of the torque demand (M<sub>M—

Soll</sub>>

0;

M<sub>M—

Soll</sub><

0) of the adaptive cruise control system;

determining the torque demand (M<sub>M—

mod</sub>) for controlling the gearshift transmission when one of the speed regulation mode or the distance regulation mode is active as a function of the operating mode of the adaptive cruise control system (ACC system) that is active at the time and the load direction of the torque demand of the adaptive cruise control system (ACC); and

monitoring with sensors, at least qualitatively, an automatic actuation of service brakes by the adaptive cruise control system (ACC system), when the distance regulation mode is activated during a thrust operation (M<sub>M—

Soll</sub><

0), and, if automatic actuation of the service brakes is detected, a determination of driving resistance is suspended for a duration of the actuation of the service brakes.

8. A method of controlling shifts in an automated gearshift transmission which is arranged in a drivetrain of a motor vehicle in a force flow between a drive engine and one of a drive axle or a transfer box, shift operations of the transmission being controlled as a function of operating parameters and control actions of an adaptive cruise control system (ACC system) that is operable in a speed regulation mode and a distance regulation mode, for controlling the drive engine and at least one brake mechanism of the motor vehicle, to control the gearshift transmission, and when at least one specific operating condition exists, a torque demand (M_M—

_mod), for controlling the gearshift transmission, that differs from a torque demand (M<sub>M—

Soll</sub>) of the adaptive cruise control system (ACC system) on the drive engine is used, the method comprising the steps of;

determining an operating mode of the adaptive cruise control system (ACC system) that is active at the time and a load direction of the torque demand (M<sub>M—

Soll</sub>0;

M<sub>M—

Soll</sub><

0) of the adaptive cruise control system;

determining the torque demand (M<sub>M—

mod</sub>) for controlling the gearshift transmission when one of the speed regulation mode or the distance regulation mode is active as a function of the operating mode of the adaptive cruise control system (ACC system) that is active at the time and the load direction of the torque demand of the adaptive cruise control system (ACC); and

monitoring one of a solo operation or a trailer operation and automatic actuation of service brakes by the adaptive cruise control system (ACC system) with a respective brake pressure sensor on each braked wheel when the distance regulation mode is active during a thrust operation (M<sub>M—

Soll</sub><

0), and calculating braking torque of the brakes (M<sub>Br—

Rad</sub>), from brake pressures (p<sub>Br—

Rad</sub>>

0), and calculating a driving resistance, if the solo operation is detected, while in contrast, suspending the calculation of the driving resistance for a duration of the brake actuation, if the trailer operation is detected.