Patent ID: 7097587

Claim:
A gear ratio selection method for a transmission in a motor vehicle comprising: determining a vehicle operator power request; detecting a vehicle speed of the motor vehicle; detecting an engine speed of the motor vehicle; providing a plurality of variograms relating vehicle speed to requested power for determining corresponding engine speed; selecting a first variogram and a second variogram from the plurality of variograms; calculating a first desired engine speed from the first variogram using the power request and the vehicle speed; calculating a second desired engine speed from the second variogram using the power request and the vehicle speed; determining a blend factor from the power request, the vehicle speed, and the engine speed wherein the blend factor represents a ratio of the vehicle operator's desire for performance reflected by the first desired engine speed versus performance reflected by the second desired engine speed; calculating a blended desired engine speed from the first desired engine speed, the second desired engine speed, and the blend factor; and using the blended desired engine speed to determine a gear ratio for the transmission.