Patents by Inventor Nathaniel E. Wilke
Nathaniel E. Wilke 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).
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Patent number: 9746073Abstract: A system for a vehicle includes a desired pressure module, a valve actuation module, a filter module, and a capacity detection module. The desired pressure module selectively generates an increase in a desired pressure of hydraulic fluid for a clutch of an automatic transmission. The valve actuation module actuates a solenoid valve based on the desired pressure. The solenoid valve supplies hydraulic fluid to a regulator valve, and the regulator valve supplies hydraulic fluid to the clutch. The filter module filters an acceleration of a shaft of the automatic transmission to generate a filtered acceleration. The capacity detection module indicates whether the clutch reached torque carrying capacity based on the filtered acceleration.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2011Date of Patent: August 29, 2017Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Matthew D. Whitton, Timothy R. Stockdale, Amanda P. Igel, Nathaniel E. Wilke
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Patent number: 9383006Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, torque converter, and transmission assembly. The transmission assembly includes gear sets each having a plurality of nodes, an input member, a binary clutch connected to a node of one of the gear sets, friction clutches, and a controller. The controller detects a requested rolling garage shift of the transmission into a forward drive mode above a calibrated threshold absolute speed, and controls an amount of slip across a selected assisting clutch via modulation of pressure commands to the selected assisting clutch once the vehicle has slowed below the first calibrated threshold speed. The controller also stages the binary clutch to a calibrated staging pressure while controlling slip across the selected assisting clutch, and commands an engagement of the binary clutch and a release of the selected assisting clutch when a speed of the binary node reaches zero or a calibrated low non-zero speed.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2014Date of Patent: July 5, 2016Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Paul G. Otanez, Nathaniel E. Wilke
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Publication number: 20160047466Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, torque converter, and transmission assembly. The transmission assembly includes gear sets each having a plurality of nodes, an input member, a binary clutch connected to a node of one of the gear sets, friction clutches, and a controller. The controller detects a requested rolling garage shift of the transmission into a forward drive mode above a calibrated threshold absolute speed, and controls an amount of slip across a selected assisting clutch via modulation of pressure commands to the selected assisting clutch once the vehicle has slowed below the first calibrated threshold speed. The controller also stages the binary clutch to a calibrated staging pressure while controlling slip across the selected assisting clutch, and commands an engagement of the binary clutch and a release of the selected assisting clutch when a speed of the binary node reaches zero or a calibrated low non-zero speed.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2014Publication date: February 18, 2016Inventors: Paul G. Otanez, Nathaniel E. Wilke
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Patent number: 9182036Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, a transmission having a friction clutch and a binary clutch assembly, and a controller. The controller executes a method to detect the requested shift of the transmission to neutral, and when a set of conditions are satisfied during the requested shift, to automatically decrease a pressure command to the friction clutch such that torque capacity of the friction clutch decreases from a full torque capacity and begins to slip. The controller holds the binary clutch assembly at a calibrated pressure while the friction clutch slips, disengages the binary clutch assembly only when the binary clutch assembly is released and not loaded, and increases the pressure command to the friction clutch to restore full torque capacity to the friction clutch and complete the requested shift to neutral.Type: GrantFiled: December 24, 2013Date of Patent: November 10, 2015Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventor: Nathaniel E. Wilke
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Publication number: 20150176701Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, a transmission having a friction clutch and a binary clutch assembly, and a controller. The controller executes a method to detect the requested shift of the transmission to neutral, and when a set of conditions are satisfied during the requested shift, to automatically decrease a pressure command to the friction clutch such that torque capacity of the friction clutch decreases from a full torque capacity and begins to slip. The controller holds the binary clutch assembly at a calibrated pressure while the friction clutch slips, disengages the binary clutch assembly only when the binary clutch assembly is released and not loaded, and increases the pressure command to the friction clutch to restore full torque capacity to the friction clutch and complete the requested shift to neutral.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 24, 2013Publication date: June 25, 2015Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventor: Nathaniel E. Wilke
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Patent number: 9020722Abstract: A vehicle includes a transmission having a plurality of clutches, including an oncoming binary clutch and an off-going clutch. The oncoming binary clutch is a binary device and the off-going clutch is a non-binary device. An internal combustion engine is operatively connected to the transmission and configured to generate an engine torque based on an input torque request. A controller is operatively connected to the transmission and has a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded instructions for executing a method for controlling a power-on downshift with the off-going clutch and the oncoming binary clutch. The controller is configured to generate a first pressure command at below a threshold pressure to at least partially pressurize the oncoming binary clutch and initiate a clutch slip for the off-going clutch. Among other steps, the controller is configured to determine if synchronization is met.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2013Date of Patent: April 28, 2015Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventor: Nathaniel E. Wilke
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Patent number: 8983745Abstract: A method of executing a double transition shift in a transmission includes determining via a controller that one of four clutches involved in the shift has a clutch slip direction relative to input member rotation direction in one of the current gear and the commanded gear and an opposite clutch torque direction relative to input member torque direction in the other of the current gear and the commanded gear. The controller then calculates clutch torques for at least some of the offgoing clutches and at least some of the oncoming clutches, and controls torque at the offgoing clutches and the oncoming clutches during the shift according to the calculated clutch torques to ensure that the clutch with the opposite slip and torque directions does not provide reaction torque during the shift unless clutch slip across said one of the four clutches is zero or in the clutch torque direction.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2013Date of Patent: March 17, 2015Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Vijay A. Neelakantan, Nathaniel E. Wilke
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Patent number: 8862352Abstract: A control system for an automatic transmission includes a double transition shift detection module and first and second clutch control modules. The double transition shift detection module detects whether a double transition shift operation is requested. The first clutch control module controls two of four transitioning clutches of the transmission during an inertia phase of the double transition shift operation. The second clutch control module controls each of the four transitioning clutches of the transmission during a torque phase of the double transition shift operation.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2011Date of Patent: October 14, 2014Inventors: Nathaniel E. Wilke, John E. Marano, Andrew W. Phillips
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Patent number: 8840520Abstract: A method is provided for shifting a transmission having an input member, an output member, at least four planetary gear sets, a plurality of coupling members and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. At least one of the torque transmitting devices is a dog clutch or a band clutch. The method includes applying a torque transmitting mechanism to interconnect a first member of a planetary gear set with another member of a planetary gear set or a stationary member. The method also includes applying the dog clutch or band clutch to interconnect a second member of a planetary gear set with another member of a planetary gear set or the stationary member, after the first torque transmitting mechanism is applied. After the dog or band clutch is applied, the torque transmitting mechanism is released.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2012Date of Patent: September 23, 2014Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, LLCInventors: Vijay A. Neelakantan, Nathaniel E. Wilke, Ryan A. Bruss
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Publication number: 20140277977Abstract: A method of executing a double transition shift in a transmission includes determining via a controller that one of four clutches involved in the shift has a clutch slip direction relative to input member rotation direction in one of the current gear and the commanded gear and an opposite clutch torque direction relative to input member torque direction in the other of the current gear and the commanded gear. The controller then calculates clutch torques for at least some of the offgoing clutches and at least some of the oncoming clutches, and controls torque at the offgoing clutches and the oncoming clutches during the shift according to the calculated clutch torques to ensure that the clutch with the opposite slip and torque directions does not provide reaction torque during the shift unless clutch slip across said one of the four clutches is zero or in the clutch torque direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 12, 2013Publication date: September 18, 2014Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Vijay A. Neelakantan, Nathaniel E. Wilke
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Publication number: 20130281246Abstract: A method is provided for shifting a transmission having an input member, an output member, at least four planetary gear sets, a plurality of coupling members and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. At least one of the torque transmitting devices is a dog clutch or a band clutch. The method includes applying a torque transmitting mechanism to interconnect a first member of a planetary gear set with another member of a planetary gear set or a stationary member. The method also includes applying the dog clutch or band clutch to interconnect a second member of a planetary gear set with another member of a planetary gear set or the stationary member, after the first torque transmitting mechanism is applied. After the dog or band clutch is applied, the torque transmitting mechanism is released.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 23, 2012Publication date: October 24, 2013Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLPInventors: Vijay A. Neelakantan, Nathaniel E. Wilke, Ryan A. Bruss
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Publication number: 20130008754Abstract: A control system for an automatic transmission includes a double transition shift detection module and first and second clutch control modules. The double transition shift detection module detects whether a double transition shift operation is requested. The first clutch control module controls two of four transitioning clutches of the transmission during an inertia phase of the double transition shift operation. The second clutch control module controls each of the four transitioning clutches of the transmission during a torque phase of the double transition shift operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 18, 2011Publication date: January 10, 2013Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Nathaniel E. Wilke, John E. Marano, Andrew W. Phillips
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Patent number: 8308608Abstract: A method of filling a clutch chamber of an automatic transmission includes determining an engage pressure to engage a clutch of the automatic transmission. The method determines a reactive pressure of a return spring of the clutch. The method also estimates a fill pressure based on the engage pressure and the reactive pressure. The method estimates a flow rate based on the engage pressure, and generates a fill pressure command signal to fill the clutch chamber based on the fill pressure, the flow rate and a flow rate limit.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2010Date of Patent: November 13, 2012Inventors: Nathaniel E. Wilke, Todd R. Berger, Joel H. Gunderson
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Publication number: 20120191310Abstract: A system for a vehicle includes a desired pressure module, a valve actuation module, a filter module, and a capacity detection module. The desired pressure module selectively generates an increase in a desired pressure of hydraulic fluid for a clutch of an automatic transmission. The valve actuation module actuates a solenoid valve based on the desired pressure. The solenoid valve supplies hydraulic fluid to a regulator valve, and the regulator valve supplies hydraulic fluid to the clutch. The filter module filters an acceleration of a shaft of the automatic transmission to generate a filtered acceleration. The capacity detection module indicates whether the clutch reached torque carrying capacity based on the filtered acceleration.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2011Publication date: July 26, 2012Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Matthew D. Whitton, Timothy R. Stockdale, Amanda P. Igel, Nathaniel E. Wilke
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Publication number: 20110183811Abstract: A method of filling a clutch chamber of an automatic transmission includes determining an engage pressure to engage a clutch of the automatic transmission. The method determines a reactive pressure of a return spring of the clutch. The method also estimates a fill pressure based on the engage pressure and the reactive pressure. The method estimates a flow rate based on the engage pressure, and generates a fill pressure command signal to fill the clutch chamber based on the fill pressure, the flow rate and a flow rate limit.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2010Publication date: July 28, 2011Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.Inventors: Nathaniel E. Wilke, Todd R. Berger, Joel H. Gunderson