Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Link Engineering Company

Yuji Fujii

Gregory Michael Pietron

Joseph F Kucharski

Diana Yanakiev

Seung-Hoon Lee

Alex O'Connor Gibson

Nimrod Kapas

Bradley Dean Riedle

James William Loch McCallum

Jeffrey Allen Doering

Hongtei Eric Tseng

Christopher John Teslak

Hong Jiang

Alexander O'Connor Gibson

Davorin David Hrovat

Felix Nedorezov

Eric Hongtei Tseng

Marvin Paul Kraska

Michael Glenn Fodor

Roger Lyle Huffmaster

Yijing Zhang

Joseph Norman Ulrey

Jeffrey Edward Maurer

Ted Duane Snyder

Jason Meyer

Gregory Daniel Goleski

Peter John Grutter

William Emil Tobler

Rohit Hippalgaonkar

Stephen Michael Cicala

Robert Orley Burkhart

Hiral Jayantilal Haria

Ross Dykstra Pursifull

Gopichandra Surnilla

John Edward Brevick

Akshay Bichkar

Weitian Chen

Jahan Asgari

Jau-Wen Tseng

Huanyi Shui

Steven Adam Hermann

Nicholas Joseph Witte

Seung Hoon Lee

Mohamed Redissi

David Popejoy

Walter Joseph Ortmann

Roberto Teran, Jr

Mark Richard Dobson

Vladimir Ivanovic

Ronald Thomas Cowan

Christopher Gregory Garbacz

Bruce Granstrom

Hang Yang

Fengyi Chen

Jianbo Lu

Stefano Di Cairano

Dennis C Reed

Steven Anatole Frait

Devesh Upadhyay

Hafiz Shafeek Khafagy

Davor Hrovat

Zhengyu Dai

Steven Joseph Szwabowski

Todd Mccullough

William Goodwin

Stuart N Ford

Siraj Siddiqui

Alex Gibson

Jose Velazquez Alcantar

Yang Xu

Richard Reynolds Hathaway

Laurence Andrew Deutsch

Conor Edward Sullivan

Qi Wang

Seunghoon Lee

John Butwin

Anthony J Grzesiak

Kevin Douglas Macfarlane

James J Dottavio

Josko Deur

James William McCallum

Dimitar P Feliv

Bud Orley Burkhart

Ankit Saini

Mark Edward Urbaniak

Christian Meyer

Greg Michael Pietron

Gregory Michael Pletron

Hirai Jayantilal Haria

Christopher Charles Denault

Ivan Cvok

Thirumal Nagadi

Michael John Leads

A hybrid vehicle includes an engine, an electric machine, a disconnect clutch configured to selectively couple the engine to the electric machine, and a controller. The controller is programmed to, in response to a request to start the engine with the electric machine, command a target pressure to the disconnect clutch that depends on a seal friction derived from a measured line pressure of the disconnect clutch and a rate change of the measured line pressure.

Controls and methods to calculate clutch torque to include seal friction

A vehicle includes an engine, a clutch, and a controller. The clutch is configured to crank the engine during an engine start. The controller is programmed to, in response to a command to start the engine, adjust a clutch actuator pressure to drive a disconnect clutch torque toward a desired value. The controller is further programmed to, in response to variances of the disconnect clutch torque relative to the clutch actuator pressure exceeding a threshold, issue a disconnect clutch fault.

Vehicle powertrain control system

A method of producing a disconnect clutch includes producing a disconnect clutch, configured to selectively connect an engine and an electric machine, such that the disconnect clutch exhibits a clutch transfer function that causes a transmission output shaft torque variability that is less than a predetermined threshold during a simulated starting of the engine using the electric machine.

Method for identifying wet clutch design requirements based on stochastic simulations

A vehicle includes a powertrain, an inertial measurement unit configured to measure inertial forces exerted onto the vehicle, and a controller. The controller is programmed to control the torque at the powertrain based on a mapped relationship between the inertial forces and a vehicle velocity, wherein the mapped relationship utilizes at least one mapping parameter. The controller is further programmed to estimate a mass of the vehicle based on the mapping parameter.

Vehicle mass calculation and vehicle controls

A vehicle includes a transmission, an engine, a clutch, and a controller. The transmission has an input. The engine is configured to generate and deliver torque to the input. The clutch is configured to connect and disconnect the engine from the input, and to crank the engine during an engine start. The controller is programmed to, in response to a command to adjust a torque of the clutch during an engine start and a presence of first condition of the clutch, drive a clutch actuator pressure to a first desired value based on a first transfer function. The controller is further programmed to, in response to a command to adjust the torque of the clutch during the engine start and a presence of a second condition of the clutch, drive the clutch actuator pressure to a second desired value based on a second transfer function.

A vehicle includes a transmission, a powerplant, an inertial measurement unit, and a controller. The transmission has an input shaft and an output shaft. The powerplant is configured to generate and deliver torque to the input shaft. The inertial measurement unit is configured to measure inertial forces exerted onto the vehicle. The controller is programmed to, in response to a demanded torque at the output shaft and a non-transient condition of the vehicle, control the torque at the output shaft based on a torque at the input shaft and a gear ratio of the step-ratio transmission. The controller is further programmed to, in response to the demanded torque at the output shaft and a transient condition of the vehicle, control the torque at the output shaft based on the inertial forces and a vehicle velocity.

A powertrain includes a transmission having an input shaft, an output shaft, and a plurality of clutches engageable in various combinations to establish varying power flow paths between the input and output shafts. A controller is programmed to, responsive to a shift of the transmission: reduce torque capacity of an off-going one of the clutches and increase torque capacity of an oncoming one of the clutches during a torque transfer phase of the shift, and, in response to an inertia phase of the shift, continue to command non-zero torque capacity to the off-going clutch such that the off-going clutch brakes the output shaft throughout an entire duration of the inertia phase.

Predictive-based control for transmission shifting

A vehicle includes a transmission, an engine, a disconnect clutch, an inertial measurement unit, and a controller. The transmission has an input shaft and an output shaft. The engine is configured to generate and deliver torque to the input shaft. The disconnect clutch is configured to connect and disconnect the engine from the input shaft. The disconnect clutch is also configured to crank the engine during an engine start. The inertial measurement unit is configured to measure inertial forces exerted onto the vehicle. The controller is programmed to, in response to a command to adjust a torque of the disconnect clutch to a desired value that is derived from the inertial forces and a vehicle velocity, drive the clutch actuator pressure to a value that corresponds to the desired value.

A control system and method for controlling a multiple gear ratio automatic transmission in a powertrain for an automatic transmission having pressure activated fiction torque elements to effect gear ratio upshifts. The friction torque elements are synchronously engaged and released during a torque phase of an upshift event as torque from a torque source is increased while allowing the off-going friction elements to slip, followed by an inertia phase during which torque from a torque source is modulated. A perceptible transmission output torque reduction during an upshift is avoided. Measured torque values are used during a torque phase of the upshift to correct an estimated oncoming friction element target torque so that transient torque disturbances at an oncoming clutch are avoided and torque transients at the output shaft are reduced.

Clutch torque trajectory correction to provide torque hole filling during a ratio upshift

A vehicle includes a transmission and a controller. The transmission has clutches that are configured to establish multiple speed ratios, including a first clutch. The first clutch has a measured drag torque distribution. The measured drag torque distribution has a median and a standard deviation. The controller is programmed to increase a pressure at a rate to engage the first clutch and to increase the rate in response to a measured first clutch torque exceeding the median by a predetermined multiple of the standard deviation.

Vehicle transmission clutch engagement control system

A system and method for operating an automatic start/stop system in a motor vehicle having an internal combustion engine, an automatic transmission and a torque converter with an impeller disconnect clutch is disclosed. A controller may implement an engine start/stop system by, at appropriate times, stopping engine by halting fuel and restarting engine when propulsion is needed. During an engine start/stop event, the engine is automatically shut down and the impeller clutch of the torque converter may be disengaged to decouple the impeller and the engine to provide for fuel and emissions savings.

Method for operating an automatic start/stop system in a vehicle utilizing a torque converter

During a transmission upshift, a torque capacity of an off-going clutch is maintained at a non-zero state during the transition from the torque phase to the inertia phase and throughout a substantial portion of the inertia phase. This permits the inertia phase to be completed faster without an unacceptable increase in output torque during the torque phase. Monotonically reducing the off-going clutch torque and using feedback from an output torque sensor enable sufficiently precise control of the off-going clutch torque capacity during this interval.

Method of controlling a transmission during an upshift

A transmission and control method are disclosed which ensure proper stroke pressure and minimize torque transients during a shift event. The transmission includes a clutch having a torque capacity based on a fluid pressure, a torque sensor adapted to measure a torque value that varies in relationship to the torque capacity, and a controller. The method includes varying the fluid pressure around a predetermined value, measuring a resulting torque difference with the torque sensor, and adjusting a clutch control parameter if the resulting torque difference is less than a threshold value.

Transmission and method of controlling clutch during ratio change

A control system and method for controlling a multiple gear ratio automatic transmission in a powertrain for an automatic transmission having pressure activated friction torque elements to effect gear ratio upshifts. The friction torque elements are synchronously engaged and released during a torque phase of an upshift event as torque from a torque source is increased while allowing the off-going friction elements to slip, followed by an inertia phase during which torque from a torque source is modulated. A perceptible transmission output torque reduction during an upshift is avoided. Measured torque values are used during a torque phase of the upshift to correct an estimated oncoming friction element target torque so that transient torque disturbances at an oncoming clutch are avoided and torque transients at the output shaft are reduced.

A vehicle having a drivetrain is controlled based on a difference between a torque transmitted by the drivetrain when the vehicle has constant non-zero speed and the torque transmitted by the drivetrain when the vehicle is accelerating. The drivetrain torque may be measured by a drivetrain torque sensor. The effective vehicle mass is computed from the torque difference. The computed mass of the vehicle is used to adjust the activation of a collision warning system or a collision avoidance system. A method of operating a vehicle where the activation of a collision avoidance system is adjusted based on a difference between a torque transmitted by a drivetrain when the vehicle has constant non-zero speed and the torque transmitted by the drivetrain when the vehicle is accelerating is disclosed. The torque difference is used to compute a vehicle mass that is used to adjust a collision warning distance.

Vehicle mass computation

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Yuji Fujii