Patents by Inventor Timothy R. Stockdale

Timothy R. Stockdale 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: 10407044
    Abstract: A method for supporting car wash mode of a vehicle with internal electronic transmission range selection includes entering the vehicle into car wash mode with the engine off and the transmission in the Neutral position. Next, the method continues with monitoring the vehicle for misuse of car wash mode, and transitioning the vehicle transmission to Park from Neutral when misuse of car wash mode is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Shawn M Harris, Timothy R Stockdale, Mark S Reinhart, Leanne F Giardini
  • Publication number: 20190054912
    Abstract: A method for supporting car wash mode of a vehicle with internal electronic transmission range selection includes entering the vehicle into car wash mode with the engine off and the transmission in the Neutral position. Next, the method continues with monitoring the vehicle for misuse of car wash mode, and transitioning the vehicle transmission to Park from Neutral when misuse of car wash mode is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2017
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Inventors: Shawn M. Harris, Timothy R. Stockdale, Mark S. Reinhart, Leanne F. Giardini
  • 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: 9746073
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Matthew D. Whitton, Timothy R. Stockdale, Amanda P. Igel, Nathaniel E. Wilke
  • Patent number: 9574657
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, a transmission, and a controller. The transmission includes a pressure control solenoid (PCS) valve device having a PCS and a regulating valve, a friction clutch, and a clutch piston in fluid communication with the regulating valve. The piston is operable to apply a clutch pressure to the friction clutch during a shift of the transmission. The controller is programmed to receive an acceleration value describing a lateral and/or longitudinal acceleration force of the vehicle, calculate the clutch pressure using the received acceleration value, and control an operation of the regulating valve via the PCS using the calculated clutch pressure. The acceleration value may be determined via one or more accelerometers or calculated. A method is also disclosed for compensating for acceleration in control of the regulating valve in a vehicle having a transmission that includes a friction clutch, PCS, and regulating valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Shawn M. Harris, Timothy R. Stockdale, Joel H. Gunderson
  • Patent number: 9194484
    Abstract: A control system for a transmission of a vehicle includes a first angular rotation module, a second angular rotation module, and a lash module. The first angular rotation module determines a first angular rotation of a first shaft during a first predetermined period based on a first signal generated by a first shaft sensor. The second angular rotation module determines a second angular rotation of a second shaft during the first predetermined period based on a second signal generated by a second shaft sensor. The lash module selectively detects lash between gears of the transmission based on the first angular rotation and the second angular rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Dongxu Li, Timothy R. Stockdale
  • Patent number: 9080619
    Abstract: A control system for a transmission of a vehicle includes a first angular rotation module, a second angular rotation module, and a slip module. The first angular rotation module determines a first angular rotation of a first component of the transmission during a predetermined period based on a first signal generated by a first sensor. The second angular rotation module determines a second angular rotation of a second component of the vehicle during the predetermined period based on a second signal generated by a second sensor. The slip module selectively indicates that a clutch of the transmission is slipping based on the first angular rotation and the second angular rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Inventors: Dongxu Li, Timothy R. Stockdale, David C. Webert
  • Publication number: 20140309894
    Abstract: A control system for a transmission of a vehicle includes a first angular rotation module, a second angular rotation module, and a lash module. The first angular rotation module determines a first angular rotation of a first shaft during a first predetermined period based on a first signal generated by a first shaft sensor. The second angular rotation module determines a second angular rotation of a second shaft during the first predetermined period based on a second signal generated by a second shaft sensor. The lash module selectively detects lash between gears of the transmission based on the first angular rotation and the second angular rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Inventors: Dongxu Li, Timothy R. Stockdale
  • Publication number: 20140309899
    Abstract: A control system for a transmission of a vehicle includes a first angular rotation module, a second angular rotation module, and a slip module. The first angular rotation module determines a first angular rotation of a first component of the transmission during a predetermined period based on a first signal generated by a first sensor. The second angular rotation module determines a second angular rotation of a second component of the vehicle during the predetermined period based on a second signal generated by a second sensor. The slip module selectively indicates that a clutch of the transmission is slipping based on the first angular rotation and the second angular rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Dongxu Li, Timothy R. Stockdale, David C. Webert
  • Patent number: 8548699
    Abstract: A control system for a transmission includes a pressure control module and a pressure adapt module. The pressure control module operates a hydraulic control system of the transmission at a target pressure during steady-state operation of the transmission. The target pressure is based on first and second learned pressures for different predetermined first and second torque ranges. The pressure adapt module selectively adjusts at least one of the first learned pressure and the second learned pressure based on a first pressure at which a slip condition of the transmission occurs. The first and second learned pressures define a learned pressure gain and offset. When adjusting the first and second learned pressures, the pressure adapt module limits increases and decreases in the learned pressure gain offset based on a predetermined pressure gain and offset. A method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Inventors: David C. Webert, Todd R. Berger, Timothy R Stockdale, Matthew D. Whitton
  • Publication number: 20120191310
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Matthew D. Whitton, Timothy R. Stockdale, Amanda P. Igel, Nathaniel E. Wilke
  • Publication number: 20110295472
    Abstract: A control system for a transmission includes a pressure control module and a pressure adapt module. The pressure control module operates a hydraulic control system of the transmission at a target pressure during steady-state operation of the transmission. The target pressure is based on first and second learned pressures for different predetermined first and second torque ranges. The pressure adapt module selectively adjusts at least one of the first learned pressure and the second learned pressure based on a first pressure at which a slip condition of the transmission occurs. The first and second learned pressures define a learned pressure gain and offset. When adjusting the first and second learned pressures, the pressure adapt module limits increases and decreases in the learned pressure gain offset based on a predetermined pressure gain and offset. A method is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: David C. Webert, Todd R. Berger, Timothy R. Stockdale, Matthew D. Whitton