Gearbox control device

• US 8,527,163 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2010
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2009
• 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: Staudinger, Joachim, Sauter, Ingo, Wurthner, Maik, Kemler, Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US13/263,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20120029776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 701/54, 701/55, 701/56, 701/61, 701/66, 701/67, 701/85, 701/86, 701/93, 701/95, 701/101, 701/102, 701/103, 701/104, 701/105, 701/29.1, 701/29.5, 701/65, 701/51, 701/58, 477/15, 477/111, 477/50, 477/69, 477/76, 477/98, 477/117, 477/37, 477/97, 477/91, 477/80, 477900-905, 477/120, 477/132, 477/135, 477/187, 477/140, 123/288, 123/258, 123/292, 123/321, 123/90.23, 123/90.4, 123/146, 123/336, 123/348, 123/47.AB, 123/65.V, 123/480, 735/93, 736/60, 738/20, 731/146.3, 7311441-11457, 732/041.9, 744/731, 745/67, 741/17, 748/21, 340/439
• 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 2059/666 Determining road conditions by using vehicle location or position, e.g. from global navigation systems [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0216 Calculation or estimation of post shift values for different gear ratios, e.g. by using engine performance tables
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0234 Adapting the ratios to special vehicle conditions
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0213 characterised by the method for generating shift signals
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/68 specially adapted for stepped gearings

Abstract

A transmission control device (6) for an automatic or automated transmission (2). A shifting strategy of the transmission control device (6) controls and/or regulates the operation of the transmission (2) based on driving condition data such as vehicle mass, driving resistance, vehicle inclination, vehicle velocity, vehicle acceleration, engine rotational speed and/or engine torque, and based on data about the driver'"'"'s wishes. The transmission control device (6) continuously calculates the driving condition data of the vehicle mass, driving resistance and/or vehicle inclination based on topographic data of a current position of the motor vehicle, and/or the shifting strategy determines a gear change from an actual gear into a target gear based on topographic data of a defined distance ahead of a motor vehicle. The defined distance ahead of the motor vehicle depends on the currently velocity of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A transmission control device for at least one of controlling and regulating operation of either an automatic or an automated transmission of a motor vehicle, the transmission control device comprising:

the transmission control device communicates with the automatic or the automated transmission, an engine control device, a navigation device and a plurality of sensors to transmit driving condition data, vehicle mass data, driving resistance data, vehicle inclination data, vehicle velocity data, vehicle acceleration data, engine rotational speed data, engine torque data, and data about a driver'"'"'s wishes therebetween,

a shifting strategy of the transmission control unit controls and regulates operation of the transmission based on at least one of the driving condition data, the vehicle mass data, the driving resistance data, the vehicle inclination data, the vehicle velocity data, the vehicle acceleration data, the engine rotational speed data, the engine torque data, and also based on the data about the driver'"'"'s wishes,

the automatic or the automated transmission comprises a plurality of gears which are controlled by the transmission control device, the shifting strategy of the transmission control device initiates a gear change from a current actual gear into a targeted gear based on topographic data of a defined distance ahead of a current position of the motor vehicle, the defined distance ahead of the motor vehicle being determined by the transmission control device depending on the vehicle velocity, and at least one of;

when the transmission control device detects from the topographic data of the defined distance ahead of the current position of the motor vehicle that a level section of drive surface follows an adjacent declined section of drive surface, the transmission control device triggers a gear upshift from the current actual gear to reduce engine braking effect;

when the transmission control device detects that either a steep decline lies ahead of the motor vehicle or that the motor vehicle is located at a start of an extended section of a decline, the transmission control device blocks coasting upshifts and only permits shifts in the transmission to protect the drive assembly from excessive rotational speed; and

when the transmission control device detects that the motor vehicle is currently located in a plane and that a decline section follows the plane, the transmission control device calculates which of the gears must be engaged in the transmission, such that the motor vehicle in the decline section is operable at a constant drive speed through a braking effect of the driving assembly using an engine drag moment.

2. The transmission control device according to claim 1, wherein the defined distance ahead of the motor vehicle is determined by the shifting strategy of the transmission control device depending on the vehicle velocity such that the defined distance ahead of the motor vehicle is greater when the vehicle velocity is higher.

3. The transmission control device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission control device comprises a shift monitor, the transmission control device modifies counter value increments of the shift monitor of the transmission control device, depending on a detected inclination which the transmission control device detects based on the topographic data at the defined distance ahead of the motor vehicle.

4. The transmission control device according to claim 3, wherein the transmission control device modifies the counter value increments of the shift monitor so that the shift monitor blocks tractive downshifts, when the detected inclination, at the defined distance ahead of the motor vehicle, becomes flatter.

5. The transmission control device according to claim 3, wherein the transmission control device modifies the counter value increments of the shift monitor so that the shift monitor blocks tractive up shifts when the detected inclination, at the defined distance ahead of the motor vehicle, becomes steeper.

6. The transmission control device according to claim 1, further comprising the navigation device is connected to the transmission control device, such that the navigation device exchanges the topographic data with the transmission control device;

the engine control device is connected to a drive assembly and the transmission control device, the engine control device controlling operation of the drive assembly and exchanging at least one of the data about the driver'"'"'s wishes and the driving condition data with the transmission control device; and

the plurality of sensors are connected to the transmission control device, the plurality of sensors sense and exchange at least one of the data about the driver'"'"'s wishes and the driving condition data with the transmission control device.

7. A method of controlling and regulating operation of either an automatic or an automated transmission of a motor vehicle with a transmission control device, the transmission control device communicates with the automatic or the automated transmission, an engine control device, a navigation device and a plurality of sensors to transmit driving condition data, vehicle mass data, driving resistance data, vehicle inclination data, vehicle velocity data, vehicle acceleration data, engine rotational speed data, engine torque data, and data about a driver'"'"'s wishes therebetween, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, with the transmission control device, the driving condition data from the automatic or the automated transmission, the engine control device, the navigation device and the plurality of sensors, the driving condition data comprising the vehicle mass data, the driving resistance data, the vehicle inclination data, the vehicle velocity data, the vehicle acceleration data, the engine rotational speed data and the engine torque data;

receiving, with the transmission control device, the driver wish data;

calculating, with the transmission control device, topographic data of a defined distance ahead of a current position of the motor vehicle, and the defined distance ahead of the motor vehicle being determined depending on a current velocity of the vehicle; and

determining a shifting strategy with the transmission control device-with based on the driving condition data, the driver wish data and the topographic data; and

controlling a gear shift in the transmission with the transmission control device from a current actual gear to a targeted gear based upon the shifting strategy determined by the transmission control device, and at least one of;

performing a gear upshift in coasting mode, with the transmission control device, to reduce an engine braking effect of the drive assembly, when the transmission control device detects from the topographic data of the defined distance ahead of the current position of the motor vehicle, that a level section of drive surface follows an adjacent declined section of the drive surface;

blocking coasting upshifts, with the transmission control device, and only permitting shifts in the transmission which protects the drive assembly from excessive rotational speed, when the transmission control device detects either that a steep decline lies ahead of the motor vehicle or that the motor vehicle is located at a start of a longer section of a decline; and

calculating, with the transmission control device, which gear must be engaged in the transmission, so that the motor vehicle in a decline section can operate with constant drive speed through a braking effect of the driving assembly using an engine drag moment, when the transmission control device detects that the motor vehicle is currently located in a plane and the decline section follows the plane.

8. The method of controlling and regulating the operation of either the automatic or the automated transmission according to claim 7, further comprising the step of recognizing an amount of activation of an accelerator pedal as an indication of the driver wish data.

9. The method of controlling and regulating the operation of either the automatic or the automated transmission according to claim 7, further comprising the step of continuously calculating, with the transmission control device, the driving resistance from the topographical data, an aerodynamic resistance fraction, a rolling resistance and the vehicle mass data.

10. The method of controlling and regulating the operation of either the automatic or the automated transmission according to claim 7, further comprising the step of continuously calculating, with the transmission control device, the vehicle mass from the topographical data, an aerodynamic resistance fraction, and at least one of the vehicle acceleration data and a tractive force.

11. The method of controlling and regulating the operation of either the automatic or the automated transmission according to claim 7, further comprising the step of detecting, with the transmission control device and from the topographic data of the defined distance ahead of the current position of the motor vehicle, that a level section of drive surface follows an adjacent declined section of drive surface and triggering a gear upshift from the current actual gear, with the transmission control device to reduce an engine braking effect.

12. The method of controlling and regulating the operation of either the automatic or the automated transmission according to claim 7, further comprising the step of detecting operation of the motor vehicle in city traffic, with the transmission control device and from the topographic data of the defined distance ahead of the current position of the motor vehicle, to reduce motor vehicle drive emissions, by reducing, with the transmission control device, the engine rotational speeds for shifting.