The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 10, 2004
Filed:
Apr. 16, 2003
Tooru Matsubara, Toyota, JP;
Hideo Tomomatsu, Nagoya, JP;
Yoshikazu Tanaka, Toyota, JP;
Ayato Noumori, Okazaki, JP;
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota, JP;
Abstract
A vehicle drive control apparatus includes an engine that generates power through combustion of fuel, an automatic transmission that transmits a reverse input from a driving wheel to the engine and automatically performs a gear shifting among a plurality of forward gear stages each having a different gear ratio, a fluid power transmission device interposed between the automatic transmission and the engine for transmitting power through fluid, the fluid power transmission device having a lock-up clutch, and a controller. The controller executes a fuel cut control for stopping supply of the fuel to the engine upon establishment of a fuel cut condition including that a vehicle is in a coasting state where a throttle valve of the engine is fully closed, and an engine speed is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, executes a control for engaging the lock-up clutch upon establishment of a lock-up clutch engagement condition including that the vehicle is in the coasting state, and executes a control of the automatic transmission for downshifting at a coast down vehicle speed that changes in accordance with a state of the lock-up clutch under the control for engaging the lock-up clutch.