Patent ID: 8965645
Filing Date: 2015-02-24
Classification: F16H,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for automated control of transmission ratio change of a transmission for a first vehicle, the method comprising: detecting environmental conditions of the first vehicle; determining whether the detected environmental conditions indicate a likelihood of a transmission ratio increase based on whether a longitudinal acceleration of the first vehicle is sufficient to pass a second vehicle; maintaining the operation of the transmission in a normal state when the detected environmental conditions indicate no likelihood of the transmission ratio increase; changing the operation of the transmission from the normal state to a prepared state when the detected environmental conditions indicate the likelihood of the transmission ratio increases; detecting, using an acceleration pedal sensor, an acceleration input by a user of the first vehicle; changing the operation of the transmission from the prepared state to the normal state for preserving energy efficiency when the acceleration input is greater than an acceleration input threshold value for a downshift or a transmission ratio increase, the acceleration input threshold value for the downshift or the transmission ratio increase being stored in a shift map of the first vehicle; maintaining a time count to determine whether a user indication that the transmission ratio should be increased is received within a predetermined period of time; and automatically changing the operation of the transmission from the prepared state to the normal state after the predetermined amount of time has lapsed even when the acceleration input is not greater than the acceleration input threshold value for the downshift or the transmission ratio increase.