Gear actuator control systems and methods for dual clutch transmissions

• US 8,190,343 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2009
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Chen, Yue-Ming, Neelakantan, Vijay A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US12/579,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20110093172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 701/67, 701/68, 701/51, 701/62, 701/63, 477/86, 477/174, 477/175, 477/70, 477/906, 477/181, 743/40, 743/35, 743/30, 743/31
• US Class Current: 701/67
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/2823 Controlling actuator force way characteristic, i.e. controlling force or movement depending on the actuator position, e.g. for adapting force to synchronisation and engagement of gear clutch
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/32 Electric motors actuators or related electrical control means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/688 with two inputs, e.g. selection of one of two torque-flow paths by clutches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19251 Control mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19288 Double clutch and interposed transmission

Abstract

A control system for a dual clutch transmission (DCT) of a vehicle comprises a difference module, a summer module, and a position control module. The difference module determines a difference between a desired position for a gear actuator and a measurement of a current position of the gear actuator. The summer module determines a sum of a derivative of the difference and a product of the difference and a predetermined gain. The position control module controls the current position of the gear actuator based on the sum. The current position of the gear actuator controls a position of a gear synchronizer that slides along an output shaft of the DCT. The position of the gear synchronizer controls coupling of a gear ratio with the output shaft.

Claims

1. A control system for a dual clutch transmission (DCT) of a vehicle, comprising:

a difference module that determines a difference between a desired position for a gear actuator and a measurement of a current position of the gear actuator;

a summer module that determines a sum of a derivative of the difference and a product of the difference and a predetermined gain; and

a position control module that controls the current position of the gear actuator based on the sum,

wherein the current position of the gear actuator controls a position of a gear synchronizer that slides along an output shaft of the DCT, and

wherein the position of the gear synchronizer controls coupling of a gear ratio with the output shaft.

2. The control system of claim 1 wherein the position control module performs a mathematical function based on the sum, determines a control input based on a second product of a predetermined value and a result of the mathematical function, and controls the current position based on the control input.

3. The control system of claim 2 wherein the position control module determines that the result is equal to one when the sum is greater than zero and that the result is equal to negative one when the sum is less than zero.

4. The control system of claim 2 wherein the position control module performs the mathematical function further based on a second predetermined value,

wherein the function is one of a hyperbolic tangent function and a saturation function.

5. The control system of claim 4 wherein the position control module performs the mathematical function based on a product of the sum and the second predetermined value.

6. The control system of claim 2 further comprising a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) module that determines a PID value based on the difference,

wherein the position control module determines the control input further based on the PID value.

7. The control system of claim 6 wherein the position control module determines the control input based on a second sum of the second product and the PID value.

8. The control system of claim 2 further comprising a proportional-derivative (PD) module that determines a PD value based on the difference,

wherein the position control module determines the control input further based on the PD value.

9. The control system of claim 8 wherein the position control module determines the control input based on a third sum of the second product and the PD value.

10. The control system of claim 2 further comprising first and second pressure control modules that control pressure in first and second chambers of the gear actuator, respectively, based on the control input.

11. A control system for a dual clutch transmission (DCT) of a vehicle, comprising:

a first difference module that determines a first difference between a measurement of a current position of a gear actuator and an expected position of the gear actuator after actuation based on a control input;

a second difference module that determines a second difference between a desired position for the gear actuator and the first difference; and

a position control module that updates the control input based on the second difference and controls the current position based on the control input,

wherein the current position of the gear actuator controls a position of a gear synchronizer that slides along an output shaft of the DCT, and

wherein the position of the gear synchronizer controls coupling of a gear ratio with the output shaft.

12. The control system of claim 11 further comprising an expected position module that determines the expected position based on the control input.

13. The control system of claim 12 wherein the expected position module determines the expected position further based on a first predetermined value, a second predetermined value, and a third predetermined value.

14. The control system of claim 13 wherein the position control module updates the control input further based on the first predetermined value, the second predetermined value, the third predetermined value, and a fourth predetermined value.

15. The control system of claim 12 wherein the expected position module determines the expected position using the equation,

16. The control system of claim 11 wherein the position control module updates the control input using the equation,

17. A control system for a dual clutch transmission (DCT) of a vehicle, comprising:

a desired position module that determines at least one desired position for a gear actuator;

a position control module that determines a control input for the gear actuator, that controls a current position of the gear actuator based on the control input, and that determines N future target positions for the gear actuator for N future control loops, respectively, wherein N is an integer greater than one; and

an expected position module that determines N expected future positions based on the N future target positions, respectively,

wherein the position control module selectively adjusts one or more of the N future target positions based on one or more of the N expected future positions,

wherein the position control module controls the current position during an M-th one of the N future control loops based on the M-th one of the N future target positions, and

wherein M is an integer and is one of less than and equal to N.

18. The control system of claim 17 wherein the position control module selectively adjusts one or more of the N future target positions based on a measurement of the current position after actuation based on the control input.