Method and system for adjusting a gear map

• US 8,694,217 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2010
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Fleming, Matthew Eugene, Francisco, Avernethy, Gregg, Christopher Bartlett
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALHARBI, ADAM MOHAMED
• Application Number:
  US12/898,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20120083976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/55
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0225 Modifying of shift maps by manual control, e.g. by learning values from the driver during manual shift mode
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/6616 the shifting of the transmission being manually controlled
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/66259 using electrical or electronical sensing or control means

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method and system for adjusting a gear map. The present invention can be an automobile including a continuously variable transmission system, an ignition detecting ignition data, and/or a display unit. The continuously variable transmission system can include a continuously variable transmission, a memory storing a gear map including virtual gears, a gear adjustment mode input unit detecting gear adjustment mode data, and/or a processor. The processor can control the continuously variable transmission to operate at a desired engine speed for a specific automobile speed using the gear map. The processor can adjust the gear map using the gear adjustment mode data, and/or the ignition data. The processor can control the display unit to display information to prompt the user to supply the gear adjustment mode data.

Claims

1. A continuously variable transmission system comprising:

an input device for receiving user generated gear adjustment mode data;

a memory for storing the user generated gear adjustment mode data corresponding to a gear map including a plurality of virtual gears; and

a processor connected to the memory, the processor configured to adjust the gear map based on the user generated gear adjustment mode data and control a continuously variable transmission based on the adjusted gear map.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a gear adjustment mode input unit connected to the processor and detecting the user generated gear adjustment mode data.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to adjust a number of virtual gears in the gear map based on the user generated gear adjustment mode data.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to adjust a gear ratio of one or more of the virtual gears based on the user generated gear adjustment mode data.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to adjust a location on the gear map of one or more of the virtual gears based on the user generated gear adjustment mode data.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the processor is configured to adjust a location on the gear map of one or more of the virtual gears based on an available virtual gear placement area in the gear map.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the gear map indicates a desired operation of the continuously variable transmission.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the memory is configured to store a default gear map and the adjusted gear map, and the processor is configured to control a desired operation of the continuously variable transmission using the default gear map or the adjusted gear map based on the user generated gear adjustment mode data.

9. An automobile comprising:

a continuously variable transmission;

a gear adjustment mode input unit for detecting user generated gear adjustment mode data indicating a gear map adjustment;

a memory for storing the user generated gear adjustment mode data corresponding to a gear map including a plurality of virtual gears; and

a processor connected to the continuously variable transmission, the gear adjustment mode input unit, and the memory, the processor configured to adjust the gear map by adjusting at least one of the plurality of virtual gears in the gear map based on the user generated gear adjustment mode data and to control a desired operation of the continuously variable transmission based on the adjusted gear map.

10. The automobile of claim 9 wherein the processor is configured to adjust a number of virtual gears in the gear map, a gear ratio of one or more of the gears, or a location on the gear map of one or more of the virtual gears, based on the user generated gear adjustment mode data and an available virtual gear placement area in the gear map.

11. The automobile of claim 9 wherein the memory is configured to store a default gear map and the adjusted gear map.

12. The automobile of claim 11 wherein the processor is configured to control the desired operation of the continuously variable transmission using the default gear map or the adjusted gear map based on the user generated gear adjustment mode data.

13. A method for adjusting a gear map in an automobile comprising:

detecting, using an input device, user generated gear adjustment mode data indicating a gear map adjustment;

storing, in a memory, the user generated gear adjustment mode data corresponding to a gear map including a plurality of virtual gears;

adjusting, using a processor, the gear map by adjusting at least one of the plurality of virtual gears based on the user generated gear adjustment mode data; and

controlling, using the processor, an operation of a continuously variable transmission based on the adjusted gear map.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising determining an available virtual gear placement area in the gear map.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of adjusting the gear map includes:

adjusting at least one of the plurality of virtual gears in the adjusted gear map based on the user generated gear adjustment mode data and the available virtual gear placement area in the gear map;

adjusting a gear ratio of at least one of the plurality of virtual gears based on the user generated gear adjustment mode data and the available virtual gear placement area in the gear map; and

adjusting a location on the gear map of at least one of the plurality of virtual gears based on the user generated gear adjustment mode data and the available virtual gear placement area in the gear map.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising storing, in the memory, a default gear map and the adjusted gear map.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising controlling, using the processor, the operation of the continuously variable transmission using the default gear map or the adjusted gear map based on the user generated gear adjustment mode data.