Patent ID: 6019698
Filing Date: 2000-02-01
Classification: B60K,B60W,F16H,Y02T,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A hybrid transmission system for a vehicle, the vehicle having an engine, a drive wheel, a drive shaft connected to the drive wheel for rotating the drive wheel, comprising:a transmission gear set substantially arranged as a manual transmission gear set having an input shaft and an output shaft the input shaft being driven by and driving the output shaft, the output shaft being adapted to cause motion of the drive wheel through the drive shaft, the input and output shafts having a plurality of gears which selectively mesh for engagement to vary a relative speed of rotation between the input shaft and the output shaft;a plurality of shift motors to effect engagement and disengagement of the gears;a clutch for selectively coupling the engine to the transmission;a clutch motor for engaging and disengaging the clutch;an electric machine connected to the input shaft for selectively increasing and decreasing the speed of the input shaft;a selection lever for selecting between one of park, neutral, drive, and reverse conditions for the transmission gear set, the shifter generating a condition signal, wherein a drive condition defines a plurality of forward gear combinations;a transmission controller which receives a plurality of input signals, including the condition signal, and generates a plurality of output signals, the output signals controlling the electric machine to vary the speed of the input shaft in order to synchronize engagement of the gears of the transmission and controlling the motors to mesh the gears for engagement, the transmission controller automatically operating the motors and the electric machine for a selected condition; anda shift state machine within the transmission controller, the shift state machine controlling changes from one state to another state, wherein the transmission is generally in one of a plurality of states which define a respective plurality of configurations of the transmission.