System and method to control the operation of a transmission using engine patterns

• US 9,726,279 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2015
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allison Transmission Incorporated (Allison Transmission Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Allison Transmission Incorporated (Allison Transmission Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Anderson, Jessica, West, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Dirk
• Application Number:
  US14/958,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20170159803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 2061/022 Calculation or estimation of optimal gear ratio, e.g. best ratio for economy drive or performance according driver preference, or to optimise exhaust emissions
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0213 characterised by the method for generating shift signals
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction

Abstract

A system and method of controlling the operation of a transmission using fuel consumption data. The system and method includes controlling the operation of a vehicle transmission which is operatively connected to an engine and to a transmission control module having access to a memory. Fuel consumption data for a plurality of engines is converted to engine efficiency loss data representative of the each of the engines'"'"' operation. The plurality of patterns, each representative of the operating characteristics of one of plurality of engines, is stored in the memory. Engine operating characteristics are recorded during operation of the vehicle. One of the pluralities of patterns is selected based on the recorded operating characteristics to operate the vehicle in a fuel efficient manner.

Claims

1. A method of controlling the operation of a vehicle transmission operatively connected to an engine and operatively connected to a transmission control module having access to a memory, the method comprising:

providing a plurality engine patterns, wherein each of the plurality of engine patterns represents one of a plurality of different engines, and wherein each of the plurality of engine patterns is configured to model the operating characteristics of one of the plurality of different engines during operation thereof;

recording a plurality of power operating points and associated fuel consumption values of the engine during operation thereof;

determining a weight factor for each of the recorded plurality of power operating points;

determining a minimum brake specific fuel consumption (MnBSFC) value for each of the plurality of engine patterns using the recorded plurality of power operating points, the recorded fuel consumption values, and the determined weight factors;

determining an error value for each of the plurality of engine patterns as a function of the determined MnBSFC values;

selecting one of the plurality of engine patterns based on the determined error value; and

operating the transmission using the selected one of the plurality of engine patterns.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising continuously updating the determined error value as a function of the recorded plurality of operating points and associated fuel consumption values.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising selecting a different one of the plurality of engine patterns when the updated error value reaches a preferred value.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising operating the transmission using the different one of the plurality of engine patterns.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the selecting a different one of the plurality of engine patterns when the updated error value reaches a preferred value of better than a predetermined margin of a previously determined error value.

6. A method of controlling the operation of a vehicle transmission operatively connected to an engine and operatively connected to a transmission control module having access to a memory, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of engine patterns, wherein each one of the plurality of engine patterns represents a fuel consumption data record of a different one of a plurality of different engines;

recording actual fuel consumption data of the engine during operation thereof;

determining an agreement between the recorded actual fuel consumption data and the plurality of engine patterns;

selecting one of the plurality of engine patterns as a function of the determined agreement;

using the transmission control module and the selected one of the plurality of engine patterns to operate the transmission.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the determining the agreement includes determining the agreement using data compression to determine an error value for each of the plurality of engine patterns.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the determining the agreement includes determining the error value using a predetermined set of polynomials.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the determining the error value using the predetermined set of polynomials includes using a first polynomial representing a lowest engine speed, a last polynomial representing a highest engine speed, and using one or more intermediate polynomials representing one or more intermediate engine speeds between the lowest engine speed and the highest engine speed.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the using the predetermined set of polynomials to determine the error value includes using a reduced set of the set of polynomials having at least seven polynomials.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising storing the recorded actual fuel consumption data of the engine over a predetermined first period of time to determine weight values for each of the recorded actual fuel consumption data, wherein the weight values are based on a frequency of occurrence of each of the recorded actual fuel consumption data over the first period of time.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining a first error value for each of the plurality of engine patterns using the recorded actual fuel consumption data over the first period of time and the weight values and identifying a first period of time engine pattern having the lowest error value over the first period of time.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising storing the recorded actual fuel consumption data of the engine over a predetermined second period of time to determine weight values based on a frequency of occurrence of each of the recorded actual fuel consumption data over the second period of time.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining a second error value for each of the plurality of engine patterns using the recorded actual fuel consumption data over the second period of time and the weight values and identifying a second period of time engine pattern having the lowest error value over the second period of time.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising using the transmission control module and the identified one of the first period of time engine pattern and the second period of time engine pattern to operate the transmission.

16. A transmission system configured to drive a drive assembly of a vehicle in response to an engine output shaft of one of a plurality of different engine types, each responding to a throttle command, the transmission assembly comprising:

a transmission including an input configured to be coupled to the engine output shaft and an output configured to drive the drive assembly;

a memory configured to store a plurality of engine patterns, wherein each one of the plurality of engine patterns represents a fuel consumption data record of a different one of the plurality of different engines; and

a transmission controller operatively coupled to the transmission and to the memory, the transmission controller configured to execute stored program instructions to;

record a plurality of engine operating points and associated fuel consumption values of the engine during operation thereof;

determine an error value for each of the plurality of engine patterns using the recorded plurality of engine operating points and associated fuel consumption values;

identify one of the plurality of engine patterns and the error value thereof;

determine at least one of engine speed and engine torque from the throttle command;

determine a current operating condition of the transmission;

access the memory to retrieve the identified one of the plurality of engine patterns;

determine an updated operating condition of the transmission using the accessed identified one of the plurality of engine patterns and the at least one of engine speed and engine torque; and

modify the current operating condition of the transmission to an updated operating condition of the transmission based on the determined updated operating condition of the transmission.

17. The transmission system of claim 16 wherein the transmission controller is further configured to execute stored program instructions to:

determine whether the updated operating condition of the transmission is an acceptable operating condition.

18. The transmission system of claim 17 wherein the memory is configured to store one or more unacceptable transmission operating conditions.

19. The transmission system of claim 18 wherein the transmission controller is further configured to execute stored program instructions to:

compare the updated operating condition to the stored one or more unacceptable transmission operating conditions to determine whether the updated operating condition is an acceptable transmission operating condition.

20. The transmission system of claim 19 wherein the transmission controller is further configured to execute stored program instructions to:

not modify the current operating condition of the transmission to the updated operating condition if the updated operating condition is not an acceptable operating condition; and

provide an alert indicating that the updated operating condition is an unacceptable operating condition.

21. The transmission system of claim 20 wherein the transmission controller is further configured to execute stored program instructions to:

modify the current operating condition of the transmission to the updated operating condition if the updated operating condition is an acceptable operating condition.