Electric Control Patents (Class 477/129)
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Patent number: 9938908Abstract: A system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a pedal position prediction module and an engine actuator control module. The pedal position prediction module predicts a pedal position at a future time based on driver behavior and vehicle driving conditions. The pedal position includes at least one of an accelerator pedal position and a brake pedal position. The engine actuator control module controls an actuator of an engine based on the predicted pedal position.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2016Date of Patent: April 10, 2018Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Shifang Li, Yue-Yun Wang, Chen-Fang Chang, Christopher E. Whitney
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Patent number: 9827975Abstract: Systems and methods for improving operation of a hybrid vehicle are presented. In one example, an engine is couple to a transmission in response to a transmission upshift to reduce transmission output shaft torque disturbances.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2013Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Gregory Michael Pietron, Jeffrey Allen Doering, Dennis Craig Reed, Alex O'Connor Gibson, Seung-Hoon Lee
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Patent number: 9676395Abstract: Biometric data is received from a wearable device. The biometric data concerns a vehicle operator measured by at least one sensor in the wearable device. A load score is determined. The load score is a measurement of operator capacity to operate the vehicle based at least in part on the biometric data from the wearable device. At least one vehicle component is actuated based at least in part on the load score.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2015Date of Patent: June 13, 2017Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventors: Adil Nizam Siddiqui, Jeffrey Allen Greenberg, Brad Alan Ignaczak, Patrick Kevin Holub, John Robert Van Wiemeersch, Gary Steven Strumolo, Pramita Mitra, David Melcher, Mark A. Cuddihy, Craig John Simonds, Ali Hassani
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Patent number: 9623878Abstract: A driver assistance system for a vehicle includes at least one sensor including an image sensor operable to capture image data. An image processor is operable to process captured image data to determine at least one of (i) a driving condition of the vehicle and (ii) a road condition of the road that the vehicle is traveling along. The driver assistance system, when activated and at least in part responsive to image processing of captured image data, is operable to control at least one accessory or system of the vehicle. The driver assistance system is operable to adjust at least one parameter of the control of the at least one accessory or system of the vehicle in response to (i) an identification of a particular driver and (ii) at least one preferred parameter indicative of the driver's preference for the at least one accessory or system of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2015Date of Patent: April 18, 2017Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.Inventors: Honghao Tan, Brian J. Tedesco
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Patent number: 9435425Abstract: An automotive transmission that selects a shift position based on various shift patterns without changing the structure of the automotive transmission. The automotive transmission includes a controller configured to input a selection value based on a shift pattern selected from a plurality of shift patterns and operate a shift lever to move through a moving path based on the selected shift pattern when a shift intention is sensed. When the selection value is input, the shift position is set at an initial position based on the selected shift pattern and actuation power is generating according to the movement of the shift lever. The controller is configured to operate the moving path of the shift pattern based on the selected shift pattern and sense a position of the shift lever using a positing sensing unit.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2013Date of Patent: September 6, 2016Assignee: SL CorporationInventors: Chun Nyung Heo, Jeong Ho Bak, Dae Hyung Kim
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Patent number: 9410618Abstract: A method of generating shift schedules for a vehicle having a transmission with a plurality of gears includes providing a plurality of a transmission operational modes categorized by ratios of available traction power after a transmission gear shift compared to available traction power before the transmission gear shift. Based on the list of available traction power the available traction power is determined for each of the plurality of gears over a range of engine speeds. This includes adjusting for parasitic losses and dynamic de-rate conditions at each engine speed datum point. Shift schedules are generated for shifts between gears of the transmission for at least a first transmission operational mode in terms of ratios of available traction power before and after gear shifts.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2014Date of Patent: August 9, 2016Assignee: International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLCInventors: Andrew Thomas Seay, Michael Padowski
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Patent number: 8180536Abstract: During control of a shift of a first friction engagement element from an engaged state into a disengaged state and a shift of a second friction engagement element from a disengaged state into an engaged state for a gear shift to a first target gear from a second target gear, a desired torque capacity of the first friction engagement element is set based on an actual transmission gear ratio by interpolation from values of the desired torque capacity corresponding to at least first and second reference transmission gear ratios, wherein the first reference transmission gear ratio is a transmission gear ratio at start of an inertia phase of the shift control. When the first reference transmission gear ratio is between the actual transmission gear ratio and the second reference transmission gear ratio, the desired torque capacity is set to the value corresponding to the first reference transmission gear ratio.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2009Date of Patent: May 15, 2012Assignee: Jatco LtdInventors: Masami Suzuki, Goh Endo
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Patent number: 7578761Abstract: A hydraulic circuit control device that selectively supplies oil to a first oil passage and a second oil passage by an oil pump, the control device includes: an oil passage switching unit adapted to connect the oil pump to either the first oil passage or the second oil passage; a control mode switching unit adapted to switch the control mode of the electric motor to either a torque control mode or a speed control mode; an oil passage selecting unit adapted to select whether to connect the oil pump to the first oil passage or the second oil passage; and a control unit adapted to perform control so that the control mode switching unit switches the control mode to the torque control mode when the first oil passage has been selected, and perform control so that the control mode switching unit switches the control mode to the speed control mode when the second oil passage has been selected.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2006Date of Patent: August 25, 2009Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Ryo Nishikawa, Takashi Aoki, Masashi Tanaka, Nobuhiro Kira
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Patent number: 7513850Abstract: An automatic transmission includes a planetary gear arrangement, and a plurality of engaging elements each arranged to vary an engagement state among the rotating elements of the planetary gear arrangement in such a manner to establish a normal gear ratio set and an emergency gear ratio set excluded from the normal gear ratio set. A control section of the automatic transmission performs the following: selecting a gear from the normal gear ratio set in accordance with a running state of a vehicle under normal operating conditions; controlling the engagement state of each of the engaging elements in such a manner to shift into the selected gear; detecting a failure in the engaging elements; selecting an escape gear ratio set from the normal gear ratio set and the emergency gear ratio set; and driving the vehicle with the escape gear ratio set when a failure is detected in the engaging elements.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2006Date of Patent: April 7, 2009Assignee: JATCO LtdInventor: Nobuyuki Yoneyama
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Patent number: 6896636Abstract: The oil supply device for a change-under-load transmission having a high-pressure circuit and a low-pressure circuit is designed in such a manner that the high-pressure feed line to the consumer devices of the transmission system incorporates an inlet aperture of small size, the low-pressure feed line is connected between the inlet aperture and the consumer device, and the low-pressure feed line can be cut off from the high-pressure feed line by a one-way valve.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2003Date of Patent: May 24, 2005Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventor: Winfried Fideler
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Patent number: 6692408Abstract: A shift control system for an automatic transmission having an automatic shift mode in which a proper gear ratio is automatically selected according to a shift command based on a throttle valve opening and a vehicle speed, and further having a manual shift mode in which a gear ratio is selected according to a shift command given by driver's manual operation. The shift control system includes timer means for counting an elapsed time after a shift operation has been started. The elapsed time is compared with a predetermined first re-shift permission time in the case of automatic shift operation and with a predetermined second re-shift permission time in the case of manual shift operation. The first re-shift permission time and the second re-shift permission time are different from each other to optimize the shift control both in the automatic shift mode and in the manual shift mode.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2002Date of Patent: February 17, 2004Assignee: JATCO LtdInventors: Osamu Sato, Tatsuya Imamura, Toshihide Fukasawa, Kazuhiro Takatori
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Patent number: 6687582Abstract: The present invention includes an apparatus and a method for controlling the idle speed of a powertrain. The possible idle speed control operating modes detailed are (1) engine-torque-control/motor-speed-control, (2) engine-off/motor-speed-control, and (3) engine-speed-control/motor-torque-control. The engine-off/motor-speed-control mode is used when all conditions to turn the engine off are met. The motor is run at a speed that is determined by the ancillary demands—subject to motor or engine constraints. The engine-torque-control/motor-speed-control operating mode is used when the engine is required to be on to provide torque to various mechanically driven ancillary loads, or to charge the batteries. The engine-speed-control/motor-torque-control operating mode is used when the engine is required to be on because of conditions not related to providing torque to other components.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2002Date of Patent: February 3, 2004Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Stephen De La Salle, Michael Larsen, Rongjun Zhang, Mathew Breton
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Patent number: 6157882Abstract: In an electronic control system for an automatic transmission, a vehicular input signal detecting system samples an analog signal from the sensor based on a pulse signal output to control a solenoid.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 1997Date of Patent: December 5, 2000Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hirotaka Hayakawa, Masao Saito, Masaharu Chiba, Kenji Suzuki
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Patent number: 6123644Abstract: A method/system for controlling downshifting in an automated mechanical transmission system (10) utilized on a vehicle. The anti-hunt logic after an upshift will sense conditions of high throttle demand (THL>85%) and low vehicle acceleration (d/dt(OS)<0) and reduce at least a portion (72) of the direction of last shift anti-hunt offset to the downshift profiles.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 1999Date of Patent: September 26, 2000Assignee: Eaton CorporationInventors: Daniel P. Janecke, Mark D. Boardman
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Patent number: 5991679Abstract: For an automatic gearbox (2) a safety system is proposed in which erroneous releasing of the clutch or brake during cross-over is detected by the fact that the time variations of the transmission input speed and of the product of the transmission output speed multiplied by the first reduction ratio do not increase.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 1998Date of Patent: November 23, 1999Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventor: Peter Sigg
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Patent number: 5679097Abstract: A control unit 11b which consists of a microcomputer compensates the detected intake manifold pressure Pb with an atmospheric pressure, obtains a first estimated position of the throttle when the amount of by-pass air is null and a second estimated position of the throttle when the mount of by-pass air is the maximum from the intake manifold pressure compensated with the atmospheric pressure and the detected revolution speed Ne, obtains the ratio of the amount of by-pass air currently under control to the maximum controllable amount of by-pass air, estimates the position of the throttle from the ratio and the first and second estimated positions of the throttle, and collates the estimated position of the throttle after compensation and the detected vehicle speed V.sub.s with the speed change map to shift the gear of the automatic transmission 3.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 1995Date of Patent: October 21, 1997Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Toshio Ohtsuka
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Patent number: 5474507Abstract: The invention proceeds from an automatic transmission wherein upshift and downshift operations are triggered in dependence upon first and second signals for adjusting transmission ratios. The first signal is representative of the transmission output rpm and/or the engine rpm and/or the transmission input rpm and the second signal is representative of the driver command. These upshift and downshift operations take place with a hysteresis which is typical for the particular upshift and downshift operation. According to the invention, the hysteresis has a time-dependent component. Thus, a time-dependent hysteresis is defined in addition to the hysteresis mentioned above which is a basic hysteresis between upshifting and downshifting. The time-independent basic hysteresis can then be selected to be very small for adjusting the gear optimal for the particular operating condition.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 1994Date of Patent: December 12, 1995Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbHInventors: Martin Streib, Hong Zhang
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Patent number: 5459658Abstract: An apparatus is provided for use in a vehicle having an engine driven transmission which includes a plurality of gear ratios. The apparatus includes a sensor adapted to sense an operating parameter and responsively produce a parameter signal. A memory device includes a custom shiftpoint map for storing data which relates transmission gear ratio to the parameter signal. A programming device for allowing the custom shiftpoint map to be reprogrammed during vehicle operation. A controller is adapted to receive the vehicle speed signal, retrieve data from the custom shiftpoint map, and process the retrieved data and the parameter signal to produce a transmission control signal. An actuator is adapted to receive the transmission control signal and responsively control the transmission gear ratio.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 1992Date of Patent: October 17, 1995Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: Stephen J. Morey, Rick D. Vance, Steven T. Ufheil
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Patent number: 5436834Abstract: In a transmission control for a motor vehicle, the load acting on the motor vehicle, the engine rpm and the engine torque are taken into consideration when determining a point for shifting gears. A circuit determines if the engine torque lies above a first threshold value characterizing a traction operation of a motor vehicle, as a first condition; if an amount of acceleration lies below a second threshold value characterizing unaccelerated drive, as a second condition; and if the engine torque lies above a torque characterizing a movement resistance on a level surface plus a third threshold value, as a third condition. A signal is generated when the first, second and third conditions have been met for displacing the point for shifting gears in a direction of increased output rpm.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 1993Date of Patent: July 25, 1995Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Friedrich Graf, August Kammerl
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Patent number: 5434779Abstract: An improved adaptive transmission pressure control in which cumulative adaptive corrections are stored in a multi-cell memory array, the cells being associated with specified contiguous ranges of a vehicle operating parameter, such as engine throttle position. Periodically determined adaptive correction amounts are applied to a selected cell which includes the engine throttle setting measured at the initiation of the shift and to two or more cells associated with contiguous engine throttle ranges. In this way, a relatively large number of cells may be employed to minimize approximation errors, while maintaining a cell-to-cell continuum of pressure correction values. In operation, an electro-hydraulic pressure regulator is controlled as a combined function of a predefined pressure command obtained from a normal table look-up and a cumulative correction amount obtained from the memory array.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 1991Date of Patent: July 18, 1995Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: William J. Vukovich, Melissa M. Koenig
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Patent number: 5400678Abstract: A method is provided for use in a vehicle including an automatic transmission having at least one load carrying friction element, such as clutch, of optimizing the line pressure in the transmission by slipping the weakest friction element by a small amount. The method includes the steps of decreasing the line pressure from a predetermined base pressure to allow for incipient slip across the weakest friction element and then increasing the line pressure to obtain a temporary pressure at which the weakest friction element is no longer slipping. The method also includes the step of further increasing the line pressure from the temporary pressure to obtain an operating line pressure. Preferably, the operating line pressure provides the weakest friction element with additional capacity for transmitting torque without slip for normal driving conditions, i.e. sensed vehicle throttle positions within a predetermined hysteresis band.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 1992Date of Patent: March 28, 1995Assignee: Ford Motor CompanyInventors: Pramod K. Jain, Andrew Paredes