GPS altitude data for transmission control systems and methods

• US 8,504,258 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2006
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Tiberg, Richard L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kiswanto, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US11/561,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20080119999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,451 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/51
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/142 of driving resistance calculated from weight, slope, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/663 Road slope
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/50 Inputs being a function of the status of the machine, e.g. position of doors or safety belts
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/52 dependent on the weight of the machine, e.g. change in weight resulting from passengers boarding a bus
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/66 Road conditions, e.g. slope, slippery

Abstract

A control system for controlling a transmission of a vehicle including a telematics system is provided. The system includes: a grade module that determines a current grade based on an altitude signal received from the telematics system; a force balance module that computes a vehicle mass based on a force balance equation and the current grade; and a transmission control module that controls the transmission based on the vehicle mass.

Claims

1. A control system for controlling a transmission of a vehicle including a telematics system, comprising:

a grade module that determines a current grade based on an altitude signal received from the telematics system;

a force balance module that computes a vehicle mass based on a force balance equation and the current grade; and

a transmission control module that controls the transmission based on the vehicle mass.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the force balance module computes an aerodynamic drag factor based on the current grade and a force balance equation.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the force balance module initially computes the aerodynamic drag factor based on an initial predetermined vehicle mass value and thereafter based on the computed vehicle mass.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the force balance module initially computes the vehicle mass based on an initial aerodynamic drag factor and thereafter based on the computed aerodynamic drag factor.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the force balance module computes at least one of the vehicle mass and the aerodynamic drag factor based on at least one of a braking force, a gravitational force, an acceleration force, a frictional force, a tractive effort force, and an aerodynamic force wherein the gravitational force is based on the current grade.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the force balance module computes the vehicle mass (M) based on tractive effort force (F_TE), aerodynamic force (F_AERO), acceleration (A), a friction constant (R), the current grade (G_ACTUAL), and a gravity constant (G).

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the force balance module computes the vehicle mass (M) based on the following equation:

M=(F_TE−

F_AERO)/(A+R+Sin(G_ACTUAL)*G).

8. The system of claim 2 wherein the force balance module computes the aerodynamic drag factor (AD_FACTOR) based on tractive effort force (F_TE), frictional force (F_ROLLING), vehicle mass (M), acceleration (A), gravitational force (F_GRADE), and velocity (V).

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the force balance module computes the aerodynamic drag factor (AD_FACTOR) based on the following equation:

AD_FACTOR=F_TE−

F_ROLLING−

(M*A)−

F_GRADE/V².

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmission control module includes a tow/haul sub-module that controls shift patterns of the transmission based on the vehicle mass.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmission control module includes a powertrain braking sub-module that controls a powertrain braking function of the transmission based on the vehicle mass.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmission control module includes neutral idle sub-module that controls a neutral idle state of the transmission based on the current grade and the vehicle mass.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the grade module computes the grade based on a change in the altitude signal over a time period and a distance traveled over the time period.