Granted Patent B2

US 7,292,922 · App. 11/222,066 · Granted Nov 6, 2007

Abstract

Claims (46)

1. A transmission control system for a transmission including a first gear engagement element that receives fluid and engages a first gear in response to pressure from the fluid, comprising:

an electromagnetic actuator that receives a control signal and that selectively interrupts flow of the fluid to the first gear engagement element based on a duty cycle of said control signal; and

a control module that generates said control signal and that adjusts said duty cycle so that a flow rate of the fluid to the first gear engagement element continuously decreases as the first gear engagement element produces a first torque sufficient to hold the first gear,

wherein said flow rate is based on a first estimated volume of the fluid necessary for the first gear engagement element to produce said first torque.

2. The transmission control system of claim 1 wherein said control module computes a current volume of the fluid when the first gear engagement element produces said first torque and wherein said control module adjusts a value of said first estimated volume for subsequent transmission control when a difference between said current volume and said first estimated volume is greater than a predetermined volume.

3. The transmission control system of claim 1 wherein said control module stores a plurality of values of said first estimated volume that are each associated with at least one of a respective position of a throttle blade and/or a respective transmission input speed and wherein said control module utilizes one of said plurality of values of said estimated volume for transmission control that corresponds with at least one of a current position of said throttle blade and/or a current transmission input speed, respectively.

4. The transmission control system of claim 1 wherein:

the transmission includes a second gear engagement element that receives fluid and that engages a second gear;

a second estimated volume of fluid is necessary for the second gear engagement element to produce a second torque sufficient to hold said second gear;

said control module stores a first plurality of values of said first estimated volume that are each associated with at least one of a respective position of a throttle blade and/or a respective transmission input speed and stores a second plurality of values of said second estimated volume that are each associated with at least one of a respective position of a throttle blade and/or a respective transmission input speed; and

said control module utilizes a value in one of said first or second pluralities of values for transmission control that corresponds with one of said first or second gear engagement elements that is currently being applied and based on at least one of a current position of said throttle blade and/or a current transmission input speed, respectively.

5. The transmission control system of claim 1 wherein said control module adjusts said duty cycle so that the gear engagement element produces said first torque a predetermined amount of time after a shift is initiated and wherein said predetermined amount of time is fixed for all upshifts in the transmission.

6. The transmission control system of claim 1 wherein the transmission includes a second gear engagement element that includes a first volume of fluid before a shift is initiated and wherein, after initiating said shift, said control module begins to evacuate said first volume of fluid from said second gear engagement element after a first predetermined time period.

7. The transmission control system of claim 6 wherein said first predetermined time period is based on at least one of a line pressure of the fluid and/or a temperature of the fluid.

8. The transmission control system of claim 1 wherein the transmission is an automatic transmission of a vehicle and the gear engagement element is an applying clutch that is applied during an upshift from a lower gear to a higher gear.

9. The transmission control system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said flow rate exponentially decreases and/or a volume of the fluid exponentially increases as the first gear engagement element produces said first torque.

10. A transmission control system for a transmission including a first gear engagement element that receives fluid and engages a first gear in response to pressure from the fluid and a second gear engagement element that includes a first volume of the fluid and holds a second gear, comprising:

an electromagnetic actuator that receives a control signal and that selectively interrupts flow of the fluid to the first gear engagement element based on a duty cycle of said control signal; and

a control module that begins to evacuate the first volume of fluid from the second gear engagement element a first predetermined amount of time after said control module initiates a shift, that generates said control signal, and that adjusts said duty cycle so that a flow rate of the fluid to the first gear engagement element continuously decreases as the first gear engagement element produces a first torque sufficient to hold the first gear,

wherein the first gear engagement element produces said first torque a second predetermined amount of time after said shift is initiated and wherein said second predetermined amount of time is fixed for all upshifts in the transmission.

11. The transmission control system of claim 10 wherein said flow rate is based on a first estimated volume of the fluid necessary for the first gear engagement element to produce said first torque.

12. A method for operating a transmission control system for a transmission including a first gear engagement element that receives fluid and engages a first gear in response to pressure from the fluid, comprising:

selectively interrupting flow of the fluid to the first gear engagement element based on a duty cycle of said control signal; and

adjusting said duty cycle so that a flow rate of the fluid to the first gear engagement element continuously decreases as the first gear engagement element produces a first torque sufficient to hold the first gear,

wherein said flow rate is based on a first estimated volume of the fluid necessary for the first gear engagement element to produce said first torque.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

computing a current volume of the fluid when the first gear engagement element produces said first torque; and

adjusting a value of said first estimated volume for subsequent transmission control when a difference between said current volume and said first estimated volume is greater than a predetermined volume.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

storing a plurality of values of said first estimated volume that are each associated with at least one of a respective position of a throttle blade and/or a respective transmission input speed; and

utilizing one of said plurality of values of said estimated volume for transmission control that corresponds with said at least one of a current position of said throttle blade and/or a current transmission input speed, respectively.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

providing a second gear engagement element that receives fluid and that engages a second gear, wherein a second estimated volume of fluid is necessary for the second gear engagement element to produce a second torque sufficient to hold said second gear;

storing a first plurality of values of said first estimated volume that are each associated with at least one of a respective position of a throttle blade and/or a respective transmission input speed;

storing a second plurality of values of said second estimated volume that are each associated with at least one of a respective position of a throttle blade and/or a respective transmission input speed; and

utilizing a value in one of said first or second pluralities of values for transmission control that corresponds with one of said first or second gear engagement elements that is currently being applied and based on at least one of a current position of said throttle blade and/or a current transmission input speed, respectively.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

adjusting said duty cycle so that the gear engagement element produces said first torque a predetermined amount of time after a shift is initiated; and

fixing said predetermined amount of time for all upshifts in the transmission.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

providing a second gear engagement element that includes a first volume of fluid before a shift is initiated;

initiating said shift; and

initiating evacuation of said first volume of fluid from said second gear engagement element a first predetermined time period after said shift is initiated.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising computing said first predetermined time period based on at least one of a line pressure of the fluid and/or a temperature of the fluid.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the transmission is an automatic transmission of a vehicle and the gear engagement element is an applying clutch that is applied during an upshift from a lower gear to a higher gear.

20. The method of claim 12 further comprising adjusting said duty cycle so that at least one of said flow rate exponentially decreases and/or a volume of the fluid exponentially increases as the first gear engagement element produces said first torque.

Assignments (19)