Abstract: A vehicle control system capable of improving drivability by reflecting driving environment and driving preference accurately on driving characteristics. The vehicle control system is configured to change an index for setting driving characteristics of the vehicle. When accelerations Gx and Gy are changed, a sportiness index is changed in a different manner depending on a detail of an operation for changing accelerations Gx and Gy executed by a driver, thereby reflecting the driving preference of the driver appearing on the operation can be reflected on sportiness of the vehicle.

Abstract: A braking/driving force control device includes an operating unit that executes an acceleration operation and a deceleration operation by an integral pedal, a stroke sensor that detects a stroke amount due to an operation of the operating unit, a load sensor that detects a load due to an operation of the operating unit, and a control unit that controls acceleration of a vehicle based on a stroke amount detected by the stroke sensor and further controls deceleration of a vehicle based on a load detected by the load sensor.

Abstract: A gear shift control apparatus for an automatic transmission includes: a gear-shift-state-determining unit for determining the presence or absence of a gear-shift-determination of the automatic transmission; a gear-shift-time-estimating unit, when there is the gear-shift-determination, for estimating gear-shift-completion-time since the present gear is shifted to another gear and, after that, further shifted to the present gear; a fuel-consumption-estimating unit for estimating a first fuel consumption in the case where the vehicle drives for the gear-shift-completion-time in the present gear and a second fuel consumption in the case where the present gear is shifted to another gear and, after that, further shifted to the present gear; and a fuel-consumption-determining unit for determining validity of the gear shift on the basis of fuel consumptions.

Abstract: A compact sensing device capable of sensing a rotational angle and a rotational velocity, or a rectilinear moving distance and a moving velocity. A displacement sensing device that senses a rotational angle of a moving member rotation and a distance of a linear movement of the moving member, or senses an angular velocity of the moving member rotation and a velocity of a linear movement of the moving member, includes: a first movable member, moved together with the moving member by a linear movement of the moving member; a second movable member holding the first movable member in a rotatable manner, and rotated together with the moving member by rotation of the moving member; a first sensor outputting a signal in accordance with a linear movement of the first movable member; and a second sensor outputting a signal in accordance with a rotation of the second movable member.

Abstract: A control unit mounting structure capable of being detached without disassembling a casing is provided. The control unit mounting structure includes a casing having a through hole, a connector fitting into the through hole, and an ECU accommodated in the connector and located within the casing. The connector has a flange section in contact with an outer surface of the casing, and the flange section is fixed to the casing.

Abstract: A driving force control apparatus includes a driver model which is a functional block adjusting characteristics relevant to human senses and a powertrain manger which is a functional block adjusting vehicle's hardware characteristics. The driver model includes a target base driving force calculation unit (static characteristics) calculating a target driving force from an accelerator pedal position using a base driving force map or the like, and a target transient characteristics addition unit calculating a final target driving force from the target driving force using transient characteristics represented by a transfer function. The powertrain manager includes a target engine torque and AT gear calculation unit and a characteristics compensator compensating for response of the vehicle.

Abstract: The present invention provides inspection of a transmission with higher precision and in a shorter period of time. Before a finished A/T is inspected, a V/B ASSY and an ECU are inspected together by a V/B tester in a subsidiary line. A solenoid current command value (a characteristic value inherent in the A/T) for a linear solenoid of the V/B ASSY is corrected and written into the ECU through CAN communication. Spring load of a return spring SP and stroke of the piston of a hydraulic servo for a frictional engagement element are measured. Actually measured values or corrected values of the spring load and the stroke are stored. In the final inspection of the A/T a finished-product tester reads the stored characteristic values and transmits them to the ECU integrated with the A/T through CAN communication. The characteristic values are then written into the ECU. The finished-product tester inspects the finished A/T product, using the characteristic values thus written into the ECU.

Abstract: A control apparatus and method control a torque of an engine coupled to an input shaft of an automatic transmission during a shift by that automatic transmission. A torque-down control by which the engine torque is decreased by a predetermined amount is performed, a torque-restore control starting point at which time torque-restore control is to be started is determined, and the torque-restore control so as to gradually restore the engine torque to a value before the torque-down control was performed is started at the torque-restore control starting point. The torque-restore control starting point is determined according to a dynamic model which simulates behavior of the automatic transmission over time from start of the torque-down control, so that a rotational speed of the input shaft of the automatic transmission at a target point substantially matches a target speed.

Abstract: The load element state detecting portion 72 detects the completion of the filling of the hydraulic oil into the clutch 62 and the working limit of the accumulator 64 on the basis of the displacement of the spool valve element 42. That is, since the completion of the filling of the hydraulic oil into the clutch and the working limit of the accumulator 64 are directly detected, so that the completion of the filling of the hydraulic oil into the clutch 62 and the working limit of the accumulator 64 can be detected with high precision regardless of differences among products and the time-lapse variation. Furthermore, they can be detected without equipping any special device to the hydraulic control circuit, and thus there is an advantage that the device construction is simple.

Abstract: A control unit mounting structure capable of being detached without disassembling a casing is provided. The control unit mounting structure includes a casing having a through hole, a connector fitting into the through hole, and an ECU accommodated in the connector and located within the casing. The connector has a flange section in contact with an outer surface of the casing, and the flange section is fixed to the casing.

Abstract: A control apparatus and method for an automatic transmission, by which a shift is executed by simultaneously controlling release and application of different friction engaging elements, are provided which i) control a clamping force of a friction engaging element to be released and a clamping force of a friction engaging element to be applied, ii) adjust an output torque of a prime mover for driving a vehicle, iii) detect a predetermined timing that is after the start of a torque phase during a shift of the automatic transmission and before the clamping force of the friction engaging element to be applied increases to the point at which torque input to the automatic transmission can be transmitted by only the friction engaging element to be applied, and iv) output a command to gradually reduce the clamping force of the friction engaging element to be released and a command to gradually increase the clamping force of the friction engaging element to be applied, in the torque phase.

Abstract: In order to control slip amount of a disengagement side engagement device at the time of a gear shift operation, a target value Nr for rotational speed of an input shaft of an automatic transmission is calculated inside an input shaft speed target value calculating block. Slip control of the disengagement side engagement device is then carried out by controlling engine torque using an engine torque control amount obtained from a engine torque control amount estimation block and the clutch slip amount compensation value calculating section to cause rotation speed Nt of the input shaft to follow the target value Nr. In this way, responsiveness and precision of slip control of the disengagement side engagement device at the time of gear shift operation are improved, and it is possible to improve gear shift shock and to carry out a gear shift operation in a short period of time.

Abstract: The load element state detecting portion 72 detects the completion of the filling of the hydraulic oil into the clutch 62 and the working limit of the accumulator 64 on the basis of the displacement of the spool valve element 42. That is, since the completion of the filling of the hydraulic oil into the clutch and the working limit of the accumulator 64 are directly detected, so that the completion of the filling of the hydraulic oil into the clutch 62 and the working limit of the accumulator 64 can be detected with high precision regardless of differences among products and the time-lapse variation. Furthermore, they can be detected without equipping any special device to the hydraulic control circuit, and thus there is an advantage that the device construction is simple.

Abstract: A control apparatus and method for an automatic transmission, by which a shift is executed by simultaneously controlling release and application of different friction engaging elements, are provided which i) control a clamping force of a friction engaging element to be released and a clamping force of a friction engaging element to be applied, ii) adjust an output torque of a prime mover for driving a vehicle, iii) detect a predetermined timing that is after the start of a torque phase during a shift of the automatic transmission and before the clamping force of the friction engaging element to be applied increases to the point at which torque input to the automatic transmission can be transmitted by only the friction engaging element to be applied, and iv) output a command to gradually reduce the clamping force of the friction engaging element to be released and a command to gradually increase the clamping force of the friction engaging element to be applied, in the torque phase.

Abstract: The present invention provides inspection of a transmission with higher precision and in a shorter period of time. Before a finished A/T is inspected, a V/B ASSY and an ECU are inspected together by a V/B tester in a subsidiary line. A solenoid current command value (a characteristic value inherent in the A/T) for a linear solenoid of the V/B ASSY is corrected and written into the ECU through CAN communication. Spring load of a return spring SP and stroke of the piston of a hydraulic servo for a frictional engagement element are measured. Actually measured values or corrected values of the spring load and the stroke are stored. In the final inspection of the A/T a finished-product tester reads the stored characteristic values and transmits them to the ECU integrated with the A/T through CAN communication. The characteristic values are then written into the ECU. The finished-product tester inspects the finished A/T product, using the characteristic values thus written into the ECU.

Abstract: When changing gear, engagement side clutch coupling force of an automatic transmission (32) is controlled in response to an engagement side clutch coupling force control amount set in advance in an engagement side clutch coupling force control amount storage section (36). A disengagement side clutch coupling force control amount calculating block (40) has a physical model of the automatic transmission (32) internally. This disengagement side clutch coupling force control amount calculating block (40) then calculates disengagement side clutch coupling force control amount from a transmission input torque estimation value estimated by a transmission input torque estimation block (34), a running resistance estimation value from a running resistance estimation block (38) and engagement side clutch coupling force control amount using the physical model, and controls the automatic transmission (32) using the calculated disengagement side clutch coupling force control amount.

Abstract: A control apparatus and method are provided for controlling a torque of an engine coupled to an input shaft of an automatic transmission during a shift by that automatic transmission. In that control, torque-down control by which the engine torque is decreased by a predetermined amount is performed, a torque-restore control starting point at which time torque-restore control is to be started is determined during the torque-down control, and the torque-restore control so as to gradually restore the engine torque to a value before the torque-down control was performed is started at the torque-restore control starting point. The torque-restore control starting point is determined according to a dynamic model which simulates the behavior of the automatic transmission over time from the start of the torque-down control, and so that a rotational speed of the input shaft of the automatic transmission at a target point substantially matches a target speed.

Abstract: When changing gear, engagement side clutch coupling force of an automatic transmission (32) is controlled in response to an engagement side clutch coupling force control amount set in advance in an engagement side clutch coupling force control amount storage section (36). A disengagement side clutch coupling force control amount calculating block (40) has a physical model of the automatic transmission (32) internally. This disengagement side clutch coupling force control amount calculating block (40) then calculates disengagement side clutch coupling force control amount from a transmission input torque estimation value estimated by a transmission input torque estimation block (34), a running resistance estimation value from a running resistance estimation block (38) and engagement side clutch coupling force control amount using the physical model, and controls the automatic transmission (32) using the calculated disengagement side clutch coupling force control amount.

Abstract: In order to control slip amount of a disengagement side engagement device at the time of a gear shift operation, a target value Nr for rotational speed of an input shaft of an automatic transmission is calculated inside an input shaft speed target value calculating block. Slip control of the disengagement side engagement device is then carried out by controlling engine torque using an engine torque control amount obtained from a engine torque control amount estimation block and the clutch slip amount compensation value calculating section to cause rotation speed Nt of the input shaft to follow the target value Nr. In this way, responsiveness and precision of slip control of the disengagement side engagement device at the time of gear shift operation are improved, and it is possible to improve gear shift shock and to carry out a gear shift operation in a short period of time.

Abstract: A deviation between a target value of a quantity of state and an actual value of the quantity of state that is caused to follow the target value or a time-integral of the deviation is filtered. Based on the filtered value, a switching surface &sgr; is calculated. Based on a value of the switching surface &sgr;, a control input value u is outputted. The filter is set through comparison in Bode diagrams between a design model of a control system based on an ordinary sliding mode control method and a characteristic variation model of the control system, and by performing compensation in such a direction as to cancel out the variation. The filtering process makes it possible to properly control the control system having a dead time by the sliding mode control method.