Patents by Inventor James L. Abington

James L. Abington 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: 10046750
    Abstract: A continuously variable transmission, a control system, and a method is provided for synchronizing a clutch application state change and a continuous upshift in a motor vehicle propulsion system having a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The control system and method are configured to determine whether a continuous upshift of the CVT is impending. The continuous upshift is defined as a pulley ratio change exceeding a predetermined threshold for a predetermined pulley ratio change period. If a continuous upshift is impending, the control system and method are configured to alter a clutch engagement state after a predetermined delay period to synchronize the change in clutch engagement state with an engine speed change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Inventors: James L Abington, Christopher J Weingartz
  • Patent number: 9989146
    Abstract: A continuously variable transmission, a control system, and a method are provided. The control system and method are configured to learn a desired running pressure to be applied to a clutch that is lower than a pulley clamping pressure and higher than a pressure at which the clutch would slip (a clutch critical pressure), so that the clutch can act as a fuse to avoid pulley slip. A plurality of clutch slip tests are performed, each of which include decreasing pressure supplied to the clutch until a clutch slip occurs. Clutch slip data points are collected at the point of slip and used to determine a gain and an offset, where the gain is a clutch pressure versus clutch torque capacity gain, and the offset is a clutch pressure offset, which is used to determine the clutch critical pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: James L Abington, Chet Daavettila, Colin Hultengren, Timothy R Stockdale, Dongxu Li
  • Patent number: 9327733
    Abstract: A method of controlling a clutch-to-clutch power-on upshift of a transmission includes defining a possible engine torque as a latched possible engine torque value. An on-coming clutch torque phase target value is defined as a latched on-coming clutch torque value, and held constant until a final ramp. A commanded engine torque is reduced and maintained to a maximum torque reduction value until a shift completion ratio is achieved. The commanded engine torque is increased until the commanded engine torque is equal to a restore ramp target value. Both the on-coming clutch torque and the commanded engine torque are simultaneously increased at a final ramp rate, such that the increase in the on-coming clutch torque parallels the increase in the commanded engine torque, until an actual engine torque is substantially equal to the possible engine torque, to complete the shift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: James L. Abington, Matthew Kempeinen, Paul R. Peterson, Matthew D. Whitton, Craig J. Hawkins
  • Publication number: 20160039422
    Abstract: A method of controlling a clutch-to-clutch power-on upshift of a transmission includes defining a possible engine torque as a latched possible engine torque value. An on-coming clutch torque phase target value is defined as a latched on-coming clutch torque value, and held constant until a final ramp. A commanded engine torque is reduced and maintained to a maximum torque reduction value until a shift completion ratio is achieved. The commanded engine torque is increased until the commanded engine torque is equal to a restore ramp target value. Both the on-coming clutch torque and the commanded engine torque are simultaneously increased at a final ramp rate, such that the increase in the on-coming clutch torque parallels the increase in the commanded engine torque, until an actual engine torque is substantially equal to the possible engine torque, to complete the shift.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2014
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: James L. Abington, Matthew Kempeinen, Paul R. Peterson, Matthew D. Whitton, Craig J. Hawkins