Eaton Corporation

Keith Wright

Robert Stanley Wheeler

John E Stainton

Kwok W Chan

Paul Martin Fowler

Anthony Stasik

Ian Richard Bates

Alfred John Richardson

Martin Fowler

John Slater Tuson

Keith Parmee

The invention relates to a method for calculating a modification to the predetermined amount of torque needed to provide an urge to move sensation for a vehicle, the modification to take account of the weight at which and gradient on which the vehicle is operating and then commanding the engine to generate said modified torque and to transmit the modified urge torque to a clutch device to provide the urge to move according to the current operating conditions.

Calculation of automated friction clutch urge torque on grades

An automated clutch system for transferring torque from an engine to a change gear transmission is connected to a processing unit which uses various input parameters to calculate the grade on which the vehicle is operating and its current weight to determine an appropriate start gear to minimise clutch slip when the vehicle is launched from rest.

Automatic selection of start gear

A system for controlling an automated mechanical change-gear transmission system including a processing unit for processing inputs according to predetermined logic rules to determine currently engaged and allowably engaged gear ratios and throttle positions, for changing between automatic and semi-automatic transmission modes, for issuing command output signals to non-manually controlled operators, and for temporarily selectively overriding a pre-selected transmission mode if either cruise control or power take off are activated.

Driver-programmable driving mode system for automatic transmissions

A security/antitheft system in combination with a vehicular automated transmission system (10) is provided, requiring a minimum or no additional hardware. The security system includes logic rules for the transmission system controller (38) for preventing the controller from issuing the command output signals necessary for mobilizing the vehicle in the absence of operator-initiated enabling signals and, preferably, for interpreting a predetermined sequence of manipulations of the existing selector (1) as the required enabling signals.

Security system for vehicle equipped with automated mechanical

A control system and method for a vehicular semi-automatic mechanical transmission system (10) having a clutch operator (30) and an overriding manual clutch control (3) for controlling engagement and disengagement of the master clutch (14) is provided. The control is effective to sense manual clutch disengagement during a downshift and to cease further attempts to cause synchronization by engine fuel manipulation (ES=IS=OS * GR.sub.T) until a change in conditions is sensed.

Downshift logic for semi-automatic mechanical transmission with manual

A control system and method for a semi-automatic mechanical transmission system (10) is provided for allowing operator request for a scrolling display of allowable ratios in either the upshift or downshift direction, and for a direct shift into the selected one of the displayed ratios. In one embodiment, retaining the control (1) lever in a displaced position for one or two seconds will initiate the scrolling display, while retaining the transmission engaged in the initial ratio, and subsequently release of the control lever to its centered position will cause a direct shift into the then displayed ratio.

Scrolling gear ratio selection control system and method

A control system and method for a semi-automatic mechanical transmission system (10) is provided for allowing operator request for a direct upshift and/or downshift into a preselected start ratio, under certain predefined conditions, by a single movement, or two movements, of the shift lever (1).

Start ratio selection control system and method

A control method/system is provided for controlling start from stop shifting operations of a vehicular semi-automatic transmission system (10) of the type automatically implementing selected gear changes of a mechanical change gear transmission (12) and requiring manual operation (3) of the vehicle master clutch (16) in start from stop conditions is provided. During engagement of a selected start ratio, the system controller (38) monitors for gear butt conditions and will warn the operator if such conditions are sensed.

Gear butt warning

Open-circuit and closed-circuit faults in a solenoid controlled actuator are detected using shunt resistors (R1, R4) across the solenoid (1), a transistor switch (4), and a voltage monitor (7) and/or (14) across one or both of these which can detect a faulty open-circuit solenoid that is not energized, or a faulty closed-circuit solenoid that is energized. According to the present invention, before each change in actuator position, the solenoids are all caused to assume an opposite energization condition for a period of time insufficient to move the actuator, but enough to check the voltage monitor responses. In this way, both open and closed circuit faults are detected.

Transmission system solenoid controlled actuator fault detection system

A fuel control system (100) for controlling the fueling of an internal combustion engine (E), and a fault detection system therefor, is provided. Signals (12, 17, 15, 16) indicative of the positioning of an operator controlled master unit (2) and of the slaved actuator (6,1) are compared to sense the existence of faults.

Throttle error detection logic

A method and control for controlling an AMT system (10) having input shaft (IS) and output shaft (OS) speed sensors is provided including sensing faulty determinations of transmission engagement in a known gear ratio (GR).

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Preston, United Kingdom

Keith Wright