SHIFT MAP SWITCHING CONTROL UNIT

• US 20080161158A1
• Filed: 10/26/2007
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: KOJIMA, Hiroyuki, NEDACHI, Yoshiaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,967,724 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 477/120
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0227 Shift map selection, i.e. methods for controlling selection between different shift maps, e.g. to initiate switch to a map for up-hill driving
• 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 61/0213 characterised by the method for generating shift signals
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/66254 controlling of shifting being influenced by a signal derived from the engine and the main coupling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 477/90 Control signal is vehicle weight

Abstract

A controller selects a shift map for deriving the shift timing of an automatic transmission according to output signals from a front seat seating sensor, a pillion seating sensor and a carrier loading sensor. The controller switches the shift map of a standard type to an output-emphasizing type shift map when the seating of the rider is sensed and at least one of the seating of the passenger and the loading on the carrier is sensed. The controller judges the seating of the rider or the loading of the cargo when a load equal to or exceeding a predetermined value is continuously applied to each load sensor for predetermined time or longer. Load sensors that can measure weight are used and a shift map may be also selected based upon a total value of loaded weight.

Claims

1. A shift map switching control unit comprising:

a plurality of load sensors including a rider load sensor that senses the seating of a rider on a vehicle, a passenger load sensor that senses the seating of a passenger on the vehicle and a cargo load sensor that senses the loading of cargo on the vehicle;

a plurality of shift maps for deriving shift timing of an automatic transmission, and

a controller for selecting one shift map of said plurality of shift maps according to output signals from said plurality of load sensors, and controls the shift timing of the automatic transmission according to the selected one shift map.

2. The shift map switching control unit according to claim 1, wherein said rider load sensor is attached to a seat on which the rider is seated, said passenger load sensor is attached to a pillion on which said passenger is seated and said cargo load sensor is attached to a carrier that carries the cargo.

3. The shift map switching control unit according to claim 1, wherein said controller switches from the selected one shift map to another shift map when the seating of the rider is sensed by the rider load sensor and at least one of the seating of the passenger and the loading onto the carrier of the cargo is sensed by at least one of said plurality of load sensors.

4. The shift map switching control unit according to claim 2, wherein said controller switches from the selected one shift map to another shift map when the seating of the rider is sensed by the rider load sensor and at least one of the seating of the passenger and the loading onto the carrier of the cargo is sensed by at least one of said plurality of load sensors.

5. The shift map switching control unit according to claim 3, wherein said controller judges the seating of the rider, the seating of the passenger and the loading of the cargo when a load equal to or exceeding a predetermined value is continuously applied to said plurality of load sensors for a predetermined time or longer.

6. The shift map switching control unit according to claim 4, wherein said controller judges the seating of the rider, the seating of the passenger and the loading of the cargo when a load equal to or exceeding a predetermined value is continuously applied to said plurality of load sensors for a predetermined time or longer.

7. The shift map switching control unit according to claim 1, wherein said controller calculates a total value of weight measured by said plurality of load sensors and selects the selected one shift map according to the total value.

8. The shift map switching control unit according to claim 2, wherein said controller calculates a total value of weight measured by said plurality of load sensors and selects the selected one shift map according to the total value.

9. The shift map switching control unit according to claim 5, wherein said vehicle is a motorcycle or a three-wheeled vehicle provided with a power plant.

10. The shift map switching control unit according to claim 6, wherein said vehicle is a motorcycle or a three-wheeled vehicle provided with a power plant.

11. The shift map switching control unit according to claim 7, wherein said vehicle is a motorcycle or a three-wheeled vehicle provided with a power plant.

12. The shift map switching control unit according to claim 8, wherein said vehicle is a motorcycle or a three-wheeled vehicle provided with a power plant.