Patents by Inventor Alessandro Barone

Alessandro Barone has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11274743
    Abstract: A method to control the execution of a shift to a lower gear while an accelerator pedal is released in a drivetrain provided with a dual-clutch, servo-assisted transmission; the control method comprises the following steps: opening, in a first instant, an outgoing clutch; closing, in the first instant, an incoming clutch; completing the opening of the outgoing clutch and the closing of the incoming clutch in a second instant; synchronizing, between the second instant and a third instant, a rotation speed of the internal combustion engine with a rotation speed of the incoming clutch; and controlling the incoming clutch between the second instant and the third instant so as to have the incoming clutch temporarily transmit a greater torque than the torque that the clutch is going to transmit immediately after the shift to a lower gear and than the torque that the outgoing clutch transmitted immediately before the shift to a lower gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: FERRARI S.P.A.
    Inventors: Alessandro Barone, Andrea Nannini, Giacomo Senserini, Stefano Marconi
  • Patent number: 11248667
    Abstract: A method to control a road vehicle provided with a clutch, which connects an internal combustion engine to drive wheels and is arranged upstream of a servo-assisted transmission; the control method comprises the steps of: checking whether the tyres of the drive wheels are close to a grip limit; and opening the clutch so that the clutch transmits a torque to the drive wheels with a slip of the clutch that is constant and other than zero when the tyres of the drive wheels are close to the grip limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: FERRARI S.P.A.
    Inventors: Alessandro Barone, Andrea Nannini, Giacomo Senserini, Stefano Marconi
  • Patent number: 11215246
    Abstract: A method to control the execution of a shift to a higher gear with a released accelerator pedal in a drivetrain provided with a dual-clutch, servo-assisted transmission, comprising the steps of: opening, in a first instant, an outgoing clutch; closing, in the first instant, an incoming clutch; synchronizing, between a second instant and a third instant, a rotation speed of the internal combustion engine with a rotation speed of the incoming clutch, namely with the rotation speed imposed by the gear ratio of the following gear; completely opening, in the third instant, the outgoing clutch; completely closing, in the third instant, the incoming clutch; keeping the torque transmitted by the outgoing clutch constant between the second instant and a fourth instant; and keeping the torque transmitted by the incoming clutch constant between the second instant and the fourth instant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: FERRARI S.p.A.
    Inventors: Alessandro Barone, Andrea Nannini, Giacomo Senserini, Stefano Marconi
  • Patent number: 11215279
    Abstract: A method to automatically control a drivetrain provided with a servo-assisted transmission; the method presents the steps of: measuring a rotation speed of the internal combustion engine; carrying out a downshift to a lower gear in an autonomous manner, when the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine reaches a lower threshold; carrying out an upshift to a higher gear in an autonomous manner, when the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine reaches an upper threshold; detecting a release of an accelerator pedal in a first instant; waiting, starting from the first instant, a time interval until a second instant, which is subsequent to the first instant; and increasing a value of the lower threshold starting from the second instant until a following pressing of the accelerator pedal, if in the second instant the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine still exceeds the lower threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: FERRARI S.P.A.
    Inventors: Alessandro Barone, Andrea Nannini, Giacomo Senserini, Stefano Marconi
  • Patent number: 11214260
    Abstract: A method to control the execution of a shift to a lower gear with a released accelerator pedal in a drivetrain provided with a dual-clutch, servo-assisted transmission; the following steps are provided: opening, in a first instant, an outgoing clutch; closing, in the first instant, an incoming clutch; completing the opening of the outgoing clutch with a first linear ramp in a second instant; synchronizing, between the second instant and a third instant, a rotation speed of the internal combustion engine with a rotation speed of the incoming clutch; closing of the incoming clutch with a second linear ramp starting from a fourth instant, which is prior to or coincides with the second instant; completing the closing of the incoming clutch in a fifth instant, which coincides with or is subsequent to the second instant; and activating the internal combustion engine so as to generate a torque between the fourth instant and the third instant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: FERRARI S.p.A.
    Inventors: Alessandro Barone, Andrea Nannini, Giacomo Senserini, Stefano Marconi
  • Patent number: 11203341
    Abstract: A method to control a road vehicle for the execution of a standing start; the control method comprises the steps of: engaging a gear in a transmission while a corresponding clutch is open; progressively closing the clutch causing the clutch to transmit a torque that causes the rotation of at least a pair of drive wheels; determining a target slip of the drive wheels; cyclically determining a real slip of the of the drive wheels; and continuously modulating the torque transmitted by the clutch during the closing of the clutch based of a difference between the target slip of the drive wheels and the real slip of the of the drive wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: FERRARI S.P.A.
    Inventors: Alessandro Barone, Andrea Nannini, Giacomo Senserini, Stefano Marconi
  • Patent number: 11204094
    Abstract: A method to control a road vehicle provided with a servo-assisted transmission during a slowing down phase; the control method generally includes, when the servo-assisted transmission is in an automatic operating mode, the steps of: calculating, assuming that a pressing of the brake pedal remains constant, an opening time interval needed to allow the road vehicle to reach an opening speed at which a clutch of the servo-assisted transmission is definitively opened; calculating a number of downshifts that can be carried out in the opening time interval based on a time needed to carry out a downshift; scheduling the downshifts to be carried out in order to get from the current gear engaged in the servo-assisted transmission to an opening gear with which the clutch of the servo-assisted transmission is definitively opened, so as to carry out no more than the number of downshifts that can be carried out in the opening time interval; and carrying out the scheduled downshifts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: FERRARI S.P.A.
    Inventors: Alessandro Barone, Andrea Nannini, Giacomo Senserini, Stefano Marconi
  • Patent number: 11199256
    Abstract: A method to control a road vehicle for the execution of a multiple downshift in a drivetrain provided with a servo-assisted transmission; the control method comprises the steps of: detecting a condition of slowing down of the road vehicle and, simultaneously, detecting a driver's request for a multiple downshift; carrying out, in succession, a plurality of downshifts while the road vehicle is slowing down and in an autonomous manner regardless of further interventions of the driver; determining a duration of a shift time interval; and carrying out each downshift following a first downshift when said shift time interval has exactly elapsed since the previous downshift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: FERRARI S.P.A.
    Inventors: Alessandro Barone, Andrea Nannini, Giacomo Senserini, Stefano Marconi
  • Patent number: 11173908
    Abstract: A method to control a road vehicle provided with a dual-clutch, servo-assisted transmission and standing still with the internal combustion engine turned on; the control method generally includes, when the road vehicle is standing still with the internal combustion engine turned on, the steps of: engaging a forward gear associated with a first clutch; engaging a reverse gear associated with a second clutch, which is different from and independent of the first clutch; closing the first clutch so as to cause the first clutch to transmit a first torque; and closing the second clutch so as to cause the second clutch to transmit a second torque, which is equal to the first torque multiplied by the quotient between a gear ratio of the reverse gear and a gear ratio of the forward gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: FERRARI S.p.A.
    Inventors: Alessandro Barone, Andrea Nannini, Giacomo Senserini, Stefano Marconi
  • Publication number: 20210094545
    Abstract: A method to control a road vehicle provided with a dual-clutch, servo-assisted transmission and standing still with the internal combustion engine turned on; the control method comprises, when the road vehicle is standing still with the internal combustion engine turned on, the steps of: engaging a forward gear associated with a first clutch; engaging a reverse gear associated with a second clutch, which is different from and independent of the first clutch; closing the first clutch so as to cause the first clutch to transmit a first torque; and closing the second clutch so as to cause the second clutch to transmit a second torque, which is equal to the first torque multiplied by the quotient between a gear ratio of the reverse gear and a gear ratio of the forward gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Alessandro BARONE, Andrea NANNINI, Giacomo SENSERINI, Stefano MARCONI
  • Publication number: 20210095761
    Abstract: A method to control the execution of a shift to a lower gear while an accelerator pedal is released in a drivetrain provided with a dual-clutch, servo-assisted transmission; the control method comprises the following steps: opening, in a first instant, an outgoing clutch; closing, in the first instant, an incoming clutch; completing the opening of the outgoing clutch and the closing of the incoming clutch in a second instant; synchronizing, between the second instant and a third instant, a rotation speed of the internal combustion engine with a rotation speed of the incoming clutch; and controlling the incoming clutch between the second instant and the third instant so as to have the incoming clutch temporarily transmit a greater torque than the torque that the clutch is going to transmit immediately after the shift to a lower gear and than the torque that the outgoing clutch transmitted immediately before the shift to a lower gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Alessandro BARONE, Andrea NANNINI, Giacomo SENSERINI, Stefano MARCONI
  • Publication number: 20210094549
    Abstract: A method to control the execution of a shift to a lower gear with a released accelerator pedal in a drivetrain provided with a dual-clutch, servo-assisted transmission; the following steps ate provided: opening, in a first instant, an outgoing clutch; closing, in the first instant, an incoming clutch; completing the opening of the outgoing clutch by means of a first linear ramp in a second instant; synchronizing, between the second instant and a third instant, a rotation speed of the internal combustion engine with a rotation speed of the incoming clutch; closing of the incoming clutch by means of a second linear ramp starting from a fourth instant, which is prior to or coincides with the second instant; completing the closing of the incoming clutch in a fifth instant, which coincides with or is subsequent to the second instant; and activating the internal combustion engine so as to generate a torque between the fourth instant and the third instant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Alessandro BARONE, Andrea NANNINI, Giacomo SENSERINI, Stefano MARCONI
  • Publication number: 20210095726
    Abstract: A method to control a road vehicle provided with a clutch, which connects an internal combustion engine to drive wheels and is arranged upstream of a servo-assisted transmission; the control method comprises the steps of: checking whether the tyres of the drive wheels are close to a grip limit; and opening the clutch so that the clutch transmits a torque to the drive wheels with a slip of the clutch that is constant and other than zero when the tyres of the drive wheels are close to the grip limit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Alessandro BARONE, Andrea NANNINI, Giacomo SENSERINI, Stefano MARCONI
  • Publication number: 20210095727
    Abstract: A method to control the execution of a shift to a higher gear with a released accelerator pedal in a drivetrain provided with a dual-clutch, servo-assisted transmission, comprising the steps of: opening, in a first instant, an outgoing clutch; closing, in the first instant, an incoming clutch; synchronizing, between a second instant and a third instant, a rotation speed of the internal combustion engine with a rotation speed of the incoming clutch, namely with the rotation speed imposed by the gear ratio of the following gear; completely opening, in the third instant, the outgoing clutch; completely closing, in the third instant, the incoming clutch; keeping the torque transmitted by the outgoing clutch constant between the second instant and a fourth instant; and keeping the torque transmitted by the incoming clutch constant between the second instant and the fourth instant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Alessandro BARONE, Andrea NANNINI, Giacomo SENSERINI, Stefano MARCONI
  • Publication number: 20210095759
    Abstract: A method to control a road vehicle provided with a servo-assisted transmission during a slowing down phase; the control method comprises, when the servo-assisted transmission is in an automatic operating mode, the steps of: calculating, assuming that a pressing of the brake pedal remains constant, an opening time interval needed to allow the road vehicle to reach an opening speed at which a clutch of the servo-assisted transmission is definitively opened; calculating a number of downshifts that can be carried out in the opening time interval based on a time needed to carry out a downshift; scheduling the downshifts to be carried out in order to get from the current gear engaged in the servo-assisted transmission to an opening gear with which the clutch of the servo-assisted transmission is definitively opened, so as to carry out no more than the number of downshifts that can be carried out in the opening time interval; and carrying out the scheduled downshifts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Alessandro BARONE, Andrea NANNINI, Giacomo SENSERINI, Stefano MARCONI
  • Publication number: 20210095760
    Abstract: A method to automatically control a drivetrain provided with a servo-assisted transmission; the method comprises the steps of: measuring a rotation speed of the internal combustion engine; carrying out a shift to a lower gear in an autonomous manner and independently of an intervention of a driver, when the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine reaches a lower threshold; carrying out a shift to a higher gear in an autonomous manner and independently of an intervention of the driver, when the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine reaches an upper threshold; detecting a release of an accelerator pedal in a first instant; waiting, starting from the first instant, a time interval until a second instant, which is subsequent to the first instant; and increasing a value of the lower threshold starting from the instant until a following pressing of the accelerator pedal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Alessandro BARONE, Andrea NANNINI, Giacomo SENSERINI, Stefano MARCONI
  • Publication number: 20210095758
    Abstract: A method to control a road vehicle for the execution of a multiple downshift in a drivetrain provided with a servo-assisted transmission; the control method comprises the steps of: detecting a condition of slowing down of the road vehicle and, simultaneously, detecting a driver's request for a multiple downshift; carrying out, in succession, a plurality of downshifts while the road vehicle is slowing down and in an autonomous manner regardless of further interventions of the driver; determining a duration of a shift time interval; and carrying out each downshift following a first downshift when said shift time interval has exactly elapsed since the previous downshift.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Alessandro BARONE, Andrea NANNINI, Giacomo SENSERINI, Stefano MARCONI
  • Publication number: 20210094543
    Abstract: A method to control a road vehicle for the execution of a standing start; the control method comprises the steps of: engaging a gear in a transmission while a corresponding clutch is open; progressively closing the clutch causing the clutch to transmit a torque that causes the rotation of at least a pair of drive wheels; determining a target slip of the drive wheels; cyclically determining a real slip of the of the drive wheels; and continuously modulating the torque transmitted by the clutch during the closing of the clutch based of a difference between the target slip of the drive wheels and the real slip of the of the drive wheels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Alessandro BARONE, Andrea NANNINI, Giacomo SENSERINI, Stefano MARCONI
  • Patent number: 10046769
    Abstract: A control method for carrying out a gear shift in a transmission provided with a dual-clutch gearbox, so as to shift from a current gear to a following gear. The control method comprises the steps of; receiving a gear-shift command; filling with oil, always supplying the maximum possible oil flow rate, a second clutch associated with the following gear after receiving the gear-shift command; completely closing the second clutch at the maximum possible speed as soon as the oil filling ends; and completely opening a first clutch associated with the current gear A at the maximum possible speed as soon as the oil filling in the second clutch ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Ferrari S.p.A.
    Inventors: Alessandro Barone, Barbara Prina, Francesco Marcigliano
  • Patent number: 10011272
    Abstract: A method to control an electric motor including the steps of: determining a target torque; calculating a target current by dividing the target torque by a torque constant; determining an equivalent impedance by means of a predetermined map; calculating the voltage drop by multiplying the target current by the equivalent impedance; calculating a counter-electromotive force by multiplying an actual rotation speed by a speed constant; determining a control voltage to be applied to the power supply terminals of the electric motor by adding the voltage drop to the counter-electromotive force; determining an offset parameter; and correcting the equivalent impedance provided by the predetermined map by applying the offset parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Ferrari S.p.A.
    Inventors: Barbara Prina, Alessandro Barone