Patents by Inventor Chuanchi Steve Tang

Chuanchi Steve Tang 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).

  • Control strategy and method for independently controlling friction element actuators for an automatic transmission
    Patent number: 6385520
    Abstract: A control strategy and method for controlling application and release of friction elements in an automatic transmission to effect gear ratio changes as one friction element is release and another friction element is applied during ratio changes. The transmission has an electronic controller and multiple solenoid regulator valves hydraulically coupled directly to pressure-operated friction elements. Powertrain variables are obtained and processed to calculate gear ratio control parameters derived from desired line pressure for a pressure control valve circuit that communicates with the friction elements. The desired gear ratio is determined for each given set of powertrain variables. Upshifts and downshifts are obtained by releasing one friction element in synchronism with an application of the other friction element, whereby a direct friction element to friction element torque transition is achieved with minimal inertia torque disturbances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Pramod K. Jain, Howard Cecil Kuhn, Ronald Thomas Cowan, Bradley Dean Riedle, Chuanchi Steve Tang, James M. Merner