System and methods of adjusting a transmission shift schedule

• US 9,989,147 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2015
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Inventors: Sujan, Vivek A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Holmes, Justin
• Application Number:
  US14/725,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20150345622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/663 Road slope
• 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 2059/743 using engine performance or power for control of gearing transmission input torque F16H2059/147
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0234 Adapting the ratios to special vehicle conditions
• 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 59/66 Road conditions, e.g. slope, slippery
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/74 Inputs being a function of engine parameters F16H59/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0213 characterised by the method for generating shift signals

Abstract

A method for a vehicle includes receiving a shift schedule for a transmission of a vehicle, the shift schedule indicating when shift events occur based on operation of the vehicle. The method further includes receiving vehicle operation data during operation of the vehicle. The method further includes determining a power to overcome vehicle losses based on the vehicle operation data. The method further includes determining an adjustment to the shift schedule to optimize a vehicle operating parameter based on the determined power to overcome vehicle losses and implementing the adjustment to the shift schedule.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a shift schedule for a transmission of a vehicle, the shift schedule indicating when shift events occur based on operation of the vehicle;

receiving vehicle operation data regarding operation of the vehicle;

determining a power to overcome vehicle losses based on the vehicle operation data;

determining an adjustment to the shift schedule responsive to the determined power to overcome losses and a vehicle operating parameter; and

implementing the adjustment with the shift schedule of the transmission, wherein the adjustment includes one of a delay to a scheduled shift event, an early implementation of the scheduled shift event, or a skipping of the scheduled shift event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle losses include an aerodynamic power loss, a powertrain loss, a rolling resistance power loss, a road grade load, and a vehicle acceleration load.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the power to overcome vehicle losses is determined based on an expression for vehicle losses using a vehicle speed.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the expression is a low-order polynomial expression that has a predefined amount of convergence.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the predefined amount of convergence is at least one of time based and distance based.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying at least one transmission setting corresponding with a vehicle speed, and identifying an engine torque and an engine speed for each of the at least one transmission setting based on the determined power to overcome vehicle losses.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle operating parameter includes at least one of a fluid consumption rate, an exhaust emissions characteristics, a noise level of the vehicle, an acceleration characteristic, a number of transmission setting shifts, and a gradability characteristic.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a cost function for the vehicle operating parameter, determining at least one of a minimum and a maximum value for the cost function, and associating the at least one of the minimum and the maximum value with a transmission setting for the transmission.

9. A system, comprising:

a powertrain system including an engine and a transmission; and

a controller communicably coupled to the power train system, the controller structured to;

receive a shift schedule for the transmission of a vehicle, the shift schedule indicating when shift events occur based on operation of the vehicle;

receive vehicle operation data regarding operation of the vehicle;

determine a power to overcome vehicle losses based on the vehicle operation data;

determine an adjustment to the shift schedule responsive to the determined power to overcome losses and a vehicle operating parameter; and

implement the adjustment with the shift schedule, wherein the adjustment includes one of a delay to a scheduled shift event, an early implementation of the scheduled shift event, or a skipping of the scheduled shift event.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the implementation of the adjustment is one of providing a prompt to an input/output device of the vehicle for an operator to implement the adjustment or automatically implementing the adjustment with the transmission without operator input.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the power to overcome vehicle losses is determined based on an expression for vehicle losses using vehicle speed.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the expression is a low-order polynomial expression that has a predefined amount of convergence, wherein the predefined amount of convergence is at least one of time based and distance based.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is further structured to receive route data indicative of a condition of a route of the vehicle in advance of the vehicle traveling the route, determine a power to overcome vehicle losses based on the route data, and determine an adjustment to the shift schedule in response to the determined power to overcome vehicle losses for a segment of the route.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a vehicle operation module structured to receive operation data regarding operation of a vehicle;

a power module structured to determine a power to overcome vehicle losses in response to the vehicle operation data and based on an expression for vehicle losses using vehicle speed; and

a transmission module structured to adjust a shift schedule of a transmission of the vehicle responsive to the determined power to overcome vehicle losses and a vehicle operating parameter, wherein the adjustment includes one of a delay to a scheduled shift event, an early implementation of the scheduled shift event, or a skipping of the scheduled shift event.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the expression is a low-order polynomial expression that has a predefined amount of convergence, wherein the predefined amount of convergence is at least one of time based and distance based.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the transmission module is structured to identify at least one transmission setting corresponding with the vehicle speed, and identify an engine torque and an engine speed for each of the at least one transmission settings based on the determined power to overcome vehicle losses.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the transmission module is structured to identify a brake specific fuel consumption for the identified engine speed and engine torque for each at least one transmission setting, and wherein the transmission module is structured to determine a transmission setting corresponding to a lowest brake specific fuel consumption and facilitate implementation of the transmission setting corresponding to the lowest brake specific fuel consumption with the vehicle.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a route module structured to receive route data for a designated route of the vehicle, and wherein the power module is structured to determine a power to overcome vehicle losses for at least one segment of the route based on the route data.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a network communications module structured to receive dynamic data indicative of one or more upcoming operating conditions for the vehicle from at least one of another vehicle and an external network, wherein the power module is structured to determine a power to overcome vehicle losses based on the dynamic data, and wherein the transmission module is structured to adjust the shift schedule in response to the determined power to overcome vehicle losses based on the dynamic data.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the vehicle operating parameter includes at least one of a fluid consumption rate, an exhaust emissions characteristics, a noise level of the vehicle, an acceleration characteristic, a number of transmission setting shifts, and a gradability characteristic.