Patent ID: 8886423

Claim:
A vehicle comprising: an internal combustion engine; an engine control module (ECM) operable to generate engine control signals and control a speed of the engine via the engine control signals; and a transmission assembly having: a stationary member; a plurality of gear sets each having a plurality of nodes, wherein the nodes for each of the plurality of gear sets include a ring gear, a sun gear, and a carrier member; a transmission input member that is continuously connected to the engine and to one of the plurality of gear sets; a binary clutch assembly having a freewheeling element which holds torque only in a first rotational direction and a binary device that, when engaged, prevents rotation of the binary clutch assembly in a second rotational direction, and that allows the binary clutch assembly to freewheel in the second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction when released; and a transmission control module (TCM) in communication with the ECM and with the binary clutch assembly, wherein the TCM includes a processor and memory on which is recorded instructions for controlling a slip speed differential of the binary clutch assembly when the vehicle is coasting while the transmission is in a forward gear state, and wherein the controller is configured to execute the instructions from the memory via the processor to thereby: determine a threshold maximum value of the slip speed differential; calculate a required engine speed for achieving no more than threshold maximum value; and transmit the required engine speed to the ECM to thereby request that the ECM maintain the speed of the engine, via the engine control signals, at or above a level of the required engine speed.