IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,969,004
Granted Patent B2
US 10,969,004 · App. 16/239,656 · Granted Apr 6, 2021

Vehicle

Inventors: Keiji Nishimura (Cypress, CA); Thomas Low (Belmont, CA)
Assignees: SRI INTERNATIONAL; YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
F16H59/44F16H59/66F16H59/68F16H59/74F16H61/0213F16H63/02B60Y2200/12F16H2059/366F16H2059/605F16H2059/663F16H2059/666F16H2061/0216F16H2306/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,969,004
App. No.
16/239,656
Granted
Apr 6, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle includes a main body, a transmission having a plurality of gear stages, a data storage, and an electronic controller. The data storage stores vehicle running condition data that includes at least one of a prescribed vehicle running condition, a sensed vehicle running condition, or a transmitted vehicle running condition. The electronic controller determines a gear shift of the gear stages of the transmission based on a future vehicle speed that has been estimated based on the vehicle running condition data.

Claims (52)

1. A vehicle comprising:

a main body;

a transmission having a plurality of gear stages;

a data storage storing vehicle running condition data that includes at least one of a prescribed vehicle running condition, a sensed vehicle running condition, or a transmitted vehicle running condition; and

an electronic controller configured to determine a gear shift of the gear stages of the transmission based on a current vehicle speed and a future vehicle speed that has been estimated based on the vehicle running condition data, wherein

the electronic controller is further configured not to perform a gear upshift upon determining that the vehicle is accelerating and that the current vehicle speed is below a first prescribed threshold for a current gear stage, and

the electronic controller is further configured not to perform the gear upshift upon determining that the vehicle is accelerating and that the future vehicle speed is below a second prescribed threshold for the current gear stage.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the electronic controller is further configured to perform the gear upshift upon determining that the current vehicle speed is above the first prescribed threshold for the current gear stage, and that the future vehicle speed is above the second prescribed threshold for the current gear stage.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the first prescribed threshold for the current gear stage is smaller than the second prescribed threshold for the current gear stage.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the future vehicle speed is estimated using maximum and minimum vehicle speeds along a predicted route based on the vehicle running condition data.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein

the maximum and minimum vehicle speeds are maximum and minimum vehicle speeds within a predetermined range of the predicted route.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein

the predetermined range of the predicted route has a predetermined time period.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the electronic controller is further configured to determine the gear shift of the gear stages of the transmission further based on at least one of a slope of a road, a camber of the road, a bank of the road, or a road surface condition.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein

the electronic controller is further configured to perform a gear downshift to maintain the future vehicle speed upon determining a change in the slope of the road based on the vehicle running condition data.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising

an external vehicle actuator including the electronic controller, the external vehicle actuator being configured to operate the transmission and steer the vehicle.

10. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising

an internal vehicle actuator configured to operate the transmission and steer the vehicle.

11. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising

a handlebar, and

a single steerable front wheel mounted to the main body via a front fork.

12. A vehicle comprising:

a main body;

a transmission having a plurality of gear stages;

a data storage storing vehicle running condition data that includes at least one of a prescribed vehicle running condition, a sensed vehicle running condition, or a transmitted vehicle running condition; and

an electronic controller configured to determine a gear shift of the gear stages of the transmission based on a current vehicle speed and a future vehicle speed that has been estimated based on the vehicle running condition data, wherein

the electronic controller is further configured not to perform a gear downshift upon determining that the vehicle is deaccelerating and that the current vehicle speed is above a third prescribed threshold for a current gear stage, and

the electronic controller is further configured not to perform the gear downshift upon determining that the vehicle is deaccelerating and that the future vehicle speed is above a fourth prescribed threshold for the current gear stage.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein

the electronic controller is further configured to perform the gear downshift upon determining that the current vehicle speed is below the third prescribed threshold for the current gear stage, and that the future vehicle speed is below the fourth prescribed threshold for the current gear stage.

14. The vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein

the third prescribed threshold for the current gear stage is larger than the fourth prescribed threshold for the current gear stage.

15. The vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein

the future vehicle speed is estimated using maximum and minimum vehicle speeds along a predicted route based on the vehicle running condition data.

16. The vehicle according to claim 15 , wherein

the maximum and minimum vehicle speeds are maximum and minimum vehicle speeds within a predetermined range of the predicted route.

17. The vehicle according to claim 16 , wherein

the predetermined range of the predicted route has a predetermined time period.

18. The vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein

the electronic controller is further configured to determine the gear shift of the gear stages of the transmission further based on at least one of a slope of a road, a camber of the road, a bank of the road, or a road surface condition.

19. The vehicle according to claim 18 , wherein

the electronic controller is further configured to perform a gear downshift to maintain the future vehicle speed upon determining a change in the slope of the road based on the vehicle running condition data.

20. The vehicle according to claim 12 , further comprising

a handlebar, and

a single steerable front wheel mounted to the main body via a front fork.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2024
From: SRI INTERNATIONAL
To: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 068846/0838 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 30, 2020
From: NISHIMURA, KEIJI; LOW, THOMAS
To: SRI INTERNATIONAL; YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 051666/0790 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62613800 · Jan 5, 2018
Related Publication 20190211919A1 · Jul 11, 2019