Patent ID: 6085137
Filing Date: 2000-07-04
Classification: B60W,F16H,Y10T

Abstract:
A vehicle control device comprising road information obtaining means for obtaining road information, current position sensor means for detecting an on-road current position of a vehicle, an automatic transmission, optimum gear-ratio determining means for determining, in accordance with said road information, an optimum gear-ratio at which the vehicle could run from the current position detected by said current position sensor means through a specific forward position, decelerating operation sensor means for detecting that a driver begins decelerating operation, drive condition sensor means for detecting drive condition including a vehicle speed, primary upper-limit set means for determining said optimum gear-ratio determined by said optimum gear-ratio determining means as a primary upper-limit gear-ratio, in response to detection of initiation of the driver's decelerating operation by said decelerating operation sensor means, secondary upper-limit set means for determining a specific gear-ratio as a secondary upper-limit gear-ratio, independent of detection of initiation of said driver's decelerating operation, after determination of said primary upper-limit gear-ratio by said primary upper-limit set means, upper-limit gear-ratio determining means for comparing said primary and secondary upper-limit gear-ratios to select a lower one and outputting an upper-limit command designating said selected gear-ratio, and restriction means for restricting a shiftable range of said automatic transmission by setting said upper-limit gear-ratio designated by said upper-limit command.