Manual transmission clutch control using measured torque

• US 9,243,706 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2014
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Fujii, Yuji, Gibson, Alex O'Connor, Pietron, Gregory M., Kapas, Nimrod, Kucharski, Joseph F.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, TISHA D
• Application Number:
  US14/168,045
• Publication Number:
  US 20150211625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/40 Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/1082 Manual transmission
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/30401 On-off signal indicating the engage or disengaged position of the clutch
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/30814 Torque of the input shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/30822 Torque of the output shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/31413 Clutch pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/31466 Gear lever
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/7041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/70426 Clutch slip
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/7044 Output shaft torque
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/7061 Feed-back
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 48/06 Control by electric or electronic means, e.g. of fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/147 Transmission input torque, e.g. measured or estimated engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/02 Selector apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 63/46 Signals to a clutch outside the gearbox
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2014 Manually operated selector [e.g., remotely controlled device, lever, push button, rotary dial, etc.]

Abstract

A method for controlling a manual transmission includes using a controller to determine a desired torque transmitted through an input clutch and a desired clutch slip for the desired gear after a shift lever is moved to a desired gear position and while a clutch pedal is being released for engaging the clutch; measuring torque in the vehicle drive assembly; using measured torque to determine actual clutch torque transmitted through the clutch; and reducing torque error using the controller to adjust a clutch actuator such that a difference between the desired torque and the actual torque is reduced. Slip error may also be reduced by adjusting the clutch actuator to reduce the difference between the desired slip and measured slip.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a manual transmission gearshift, comprising:

(a) using a controller to determine a desired clutch torque transmitted through a transmission input clutch for a desired gear after a shift lever is moved to a desired gear position and while a clutch pedal is being released;

(b) measuring torque in a vehicle drive assembly;

(c) using the measured torque to determine actual torque transmitted through the clutch as the clutch slips;

(d) reducing clutch torque error using the controller to adjust a clutch actuator such that a difference between the desired clutch torque and the actual clutch torque is reduced.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) determining a current engine torque;

(f) using the controller to determine a desired engine torque for the desired gear; and

(g) using the controller to reduce a difference between the desired engine torque and the current engine torque.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the controller to reengage the clutch.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises using the controller to determine the desired clutch torque for the desired gear after an accelerator pedal is redepressed.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

(e) using the controller to determine a desired clutch slip of the clutch;

(f) measuring slip across the clutch; and

(g) reducing clutch slip error using the controller to adjust the clutch actuator such that a difference between the desired clutch slip and the measured slip is reduced.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) is further defined by the torque being measured by a torque sensor in a manual transmission.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) is further defined by the torque being measured by a torque sensor located between an engine and a manual transmission.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) is further defined by the torque being measured by a torque sensor being located between a manual transmission and a driven wheel.

9. A method for controlling a manual transmission gearshift, comprising:

(a) using a controller to determine a desired clutch torque transmitted through a transmission input clutch for a desired gear, after a shift lever is in a desired gear position for a gearshift, a clutch pedal is depressed and thereafter released, and an accelerator pedal is released and thereafter depressed;

(b) measuring torque in at least one location in a vehicle drive assembly;

(c) using the measured torque to determine actual torque transmitted through the clutch;

(d) reducing clutch torque error using the controller to adjust a clutch actuator such that a difference between the desired clutch torque and the actual clutch torque is reduced.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining a current engine torque;

using the controller to determine a desired engine torque for the desired gear; and

using the controller to reduce a difference between the desired engine torque and the current engine torque.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising using the controller to reengage the clutch.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

(e) using the controller to determine a desired clutch slip of the clutch;

(f) measuring slip across the clutch; and

(g) reducing clutch slip error using the controller to adjust the clutch actuator such that a difference between the desired clutch slip and the measured slip is reduced.

13. A method for controlling a manual transmission gearshift, comprising:

(a) using a controller to unlock a shift lever after a switch state indicates a gearshift is desired and an accelerator pedal is released;

(b) after the shift lever is moved to a new gear position, using the controller to determine a desired clutch torque transmitted through a transmission input clutch for the new gear position;

(c) measuring torque in at least one location in a vehicle drive assembly;

(d) using the measured torque to determine actual torque transmitted through the clutch;

(e) reducing torque error using the controller to adjust a clutch actuator such that a difference between the desired clutch torque and the actual clutch torque is reduced.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a current engine torque;

using the controller to determine a desired engine torque for the new gear position; and

using the controller to reduce a difference between the desired engine torque and the current engine torque.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising using the controller to reengage the clutch.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein step (a) further comprises using the controller to determine the desired clutch torque for the new gear position after an accelerator pedal is redepressed.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

(e) using the controller to determine a desired clutch slip of the clutch;

(f) measuring slip across the clutch; and

(g) reducing clutch slip error using the controller to adjust the clutch actuator such that a difference between the desired clutch slip and the measured slip is reduced.