Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Randall B Dlugoss

Paul G Otanez

Bret M Olson

Vijay A Neelakantan

John E Marano

Karl Andrew Sime

Micheal P Portell

Robert L Moses

Min-Joong Kim

Joseph M Tolkacz

Matthew Pruski

R Travis Schwenke

Dara Monajemi

John R Maten

Kenneth K Lang

Kurt J Mitts

Xiaoping Wu

Xiao Dong Zhang

Tiffany N Vicks

A vehicle propulsion system includes an engine including a crankshaft and adapted to generate torque, a crankshaft sensor that outputs a signal that is indicative of a rotary position of the crankshaft, a transmission with a clutch that is connected to the engine to receive the torque from the engine, a drive member connected to the transmission to receive torque from the transmission, and a controller that commands operation of the clutch based upon the signal from the crankshaft sensor for controlling engine compression pulse disturbances as the engine speed changes from an elevated rpm to low or zero rpm as well as low or zero rpm to an elevated rpm.

Vehicle propulsion system and method for a vehicle

A motor vehicle propulsion system, an engine control system, and a method for starting an engine of a motor vehicle system are provided, which are configured to request an engine restart after stopping the engine, decrease a K-factor in a torque converter coupling within 1.5 seconds of requesting the engine restart, and to increase the K-factor in the torque converter coupling to minimize the lash and disturbance between interconnecting components in a vehicle system during negative torque vehicle driving to positive torque propulsion system driving transitions where a torque converter exists.

Lash mitigation

A regulator valve regulates pressure of transmission fluid applied to a clutch of a transmission and a flow rate of the transmission fluid from the regulator valve to a transmission fluid sump. A transmission fluid pump is driven by an engine of the vehicle. A control module, while an ignition system of the vehicle is ON, selectively shuts down the engine of the vehicle for an auto-stop event. A target pressure module, before an engine speed reaches zero for the auto-stop event, increases a target value of a pressure of the transmission fluid at an output of the transmission fluid pump. A regulator control module, before the engine speed reaches zero for the auto-stop event and based on the increase in the target value of the pressure, adjusts the regulator valve to increase the pressure of the transmission fluid at the output of the transmission fluid pump.

Transmission fluid control systems and methods for engine auto-stops

A control system of a vehicle comprises a torque sensor, a vehicle direction module, and a control module. The torque sensor determines a driveline torque signal based on a torque produced by a device of a driveline. The vehicle direction module determines whether a vehicle direction includes one of a forward direction and a reverse direction based on the driveline torque signal. The control module controls the vehicle based on the vehicle direction.

Torque sensor based vehicle direction determination

A vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, brake actuators configured to slow the vehicle in response to braking commands, and a transmission. The transmission includes a plurality of gear sets each having a plurality of nodes, an input member that is continuously connected to the engine and to a node of one of the gear sets, a reverse clutch, a binary clutch assembly, and a controller. The binary clutch assembly is connected at least to the same gear set as the input member, and is applied with the reverse clutch when entering a reverse gear state. The controller executes a method to transmit the braking commands to the brake actuators in response to a requested garage shift into a reverse gear state when the vehicle is rolling above a calibrated speed threshold, and thereby slows the vehicle until a calibrated target slip is achieved across the binary clutch assembly.

Garage shift control of a binary clutch assembly

A vehicle includes an engine, transmission, and controller. The transmission has gear sets each having multiple nodes, an input member continuously connected to the engine and one of the gear sets, and a binary clutch assembly. The controller executes a method to detect a requested event of a binary clutch engagement and to command a calibrated energy pulse from the engine to the input member in response to the requested event. The energy pulse reduces slip across the binary clutch assembly. The controller applies the binary clutch assembly within a calibrated window of initiation of the pulse, and may shift the transmission into reverse or drive. A transmission has the controller, at least first, second, and third gear sets, an input member selectively connected to the first gear set and continuously connected to the second gear set, and a binary clutch assembly connected to the first and second gear sets.

Binary clutch assembly control in neutral-to-drive or neutral-to-reverse transmission shifts

A system for controlling a hybrid powertrain having an electric motor, an engine and a transmission includes an engine control module that receives a torque request, and when the hybrid powertrain is being powered by the electric motor, determines whether to switch from the electric motor to the engine based on the torque request. A transmission control module, in response to a determination to switch from the electric motor to the engine, determines a target engine speed based on the torque request, and switches the hybrid powertrain from the electric motor to the engine based on a comparison between a current engine speed and the target engine speed.

System and method for controlling a hybrid powertrain

A vehicle includes an engine and transmission assembly, the latter having a stationary member, a plurality of gear sets, an input member, a friction clutch, a binary clutch assembly, and a transmission control module (TCM). The binary clutch assembly includes a freewheeling element and a binary device such as a selectable one way clutch or dog clutch. The TCM selectively delays a release of the binary clutch assembly via a binary clutch indicator method by detecting a requested shift of the transmission requiring an engagement of the friction clutch, and commanding the release of the binary clutch assembly. The TCM determines an amount of slip across the binary clutch assembly and executes the requested shift of the transmission only when the determined amount of slip exceeds a calibrated slip threshold. Slip may be measured or calculated.

Slip-based release verification for a binary clutch assembly

A vehicle includes an engine and transmission having gear sets, an input member that is continuously connected to the engine and a gear set, a binary clutch assembly, a speed sensor, and a controller. The binary clutch assembly includes a freewheeling element holding torque in one rotational direction, and also a selectable one-way clutch (SOWC) portion holding torque in two rotational directions when applied. The controller executes a method to transmit a first binary clutch command to the binary clutch assembly and thus apply the SOWC portion at vehicle launch, and calculates, via the processor, an acceleration value of the vehicle using the measured speed. The controller also selects a shift apply point of the binary clutch assembly as a function of the calculated acceleration value, and transmits a second binary clutch command to the binary clutch assembly to release the SOWC portion at the selected shift apply point.

Acceleration-based state control of a binary clutch assembly

A vehicle includes an engine and a transmission assembly having a stationary member, gear sets, an input member connected to one of the plurality of gear sets, a binary clutch assembly, and a transmission control module (TCM). The binary clutch assembly includes a freewheeling element which holds torque only in a first rotational direction and a binary device that, when engaged, prevents rotation of the binary clutch assembly in a second rotational direction, and that allows the binary clutch assembly to freewheel in the second rotational direction when released. The TCM executes a method via instructions to determine a total amount of clutch energy of the binary clutch assembly, compare the determined total amount of clutch energy to a calibrated clutch energy threshold, and delay an execution of the requested shift when the determined total amount of clutch energy exceeds the calibrated clutch energy threshold.

Energy-based shift control of a binary clutch assembly

A hybrid transmission includes a transmission having a selectable clutch device effective when engaged to mechanically couple an internal combustion engine to a first axle at a fixed engine speed to axle speed ratio. A method for starting the engine includes executing an engine start event including spinning and fueling the engine such that an engine speed to axle speed ratio exceeds the fixed engine speed to axle speed ratio, and engaging said selectable clutch device after the engine speed to axle speed ratio exceeds the fixed engine speed to axle speed ratio.

Method to reduce lash clunk in a hybrid electric vehicle

The method can control an automatic transmission and includes the following steps: (a) determining, via a controller, an initial gear ratio of the automatic transmission based on a gear shift map while the vehicle is solely driven by an electric motor-generator; (b) identifying a plurality of potential clutches of the automatic transmission based on the initial gear ratio; (c) determining a temperature of a transmission fluid; (d) determining which of the potential clutches has a largest fill time in order to identify at least one of a plurality of target clutches; (e) determining, via the controller, a target gear ratio of the automatic transmission based on at least one identified target clutch; (f) transferring sufficient transmission fluid to at least one identified target clutch to reach a pressure threshold in the target clutches.

System and method for controlling an automatic transmission

A pressure sensor module for a vehicle includes a sensing element module, a sampling module, a filtering module, and a monitoring module. The sensing element module measures a pressure of a fluid and outputs a pressure signal based on the pressure. The sampling module samples the pressure signal. The filtering module receives at least one filter coefficient from a control module and determines a filtered pressure based on at least one of the samples. The monitoring module receives a condition monitoring request from the control module, receives a predetermined value from the control module, and notifies the control module when a condition is satisfied based on a comparison of the predetermined value and one of the filtered pressure and a parameter determined based on the pressure signal.

Sensor messaging systems and methods

A vehicle includes an engine, an engine control module (ECM), and a transmission assembly. The transmission assembly includes a transmission control module (TCM), a stationary member, gear sets, an input member connected to the engine and one of the gear sets, and a binary clutch assembly. The binary clutch assembly has a freewheeling element and a binary device preventing rotation of the binary clutch assembly when applied, and allows the binary clutch assembly to freewheel when released. The TCM controls a slip speed differential of the binary clutch assembly when the vehicle is coasting in a forward gear state. The TCM determines a threshold maximum slip speed differential, calculates a required engine speed for achieving no more than the threshold maximum, and transmits the required engine speed to the ECM to maintain engine speed at or above the required engine speed. Doing so enables transmission state and direction change flexibility.

Slip control of a binary clutch assembly

A vehicle includes an engine and a transmission, the latter of which includes a controller which executes an adaptive speed-based control method. The transmission includes gear sets each having multiple nodes, an input member continuously connected to the engine and to one of the gear sets, and a binary clutch assembly connected to the same gear set as the input member. The controller is programmed to detect a requested transmission shift into an engine braking state while the vehicle is coasting. The controller also commands an increase in engine speed to a target engine speed in response to the requested shift, and applied the binary clutch assembly when the engine output speed reaches the target engine speed. The controller calculates slip across the binary clutch assembly and adjusts the target engine speed as needed over time until the target slip is achieved at the target engine speed.

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Royal Oak, MI, United States of America

Randall B Dlugoss