Patent ID: 8768588

Claim:
A transmission for use in a vehicle, the transmission comprising: a first clutch to switch between a first connection state, in which the first clutch is connected to a power source, and a first disconnection state, in which the first clutch is disconnected from the power source; a second clutch to switch between a second connection state, in which the second clutch is connected to the power source, and a second disconnection state, in which the second clutch is disconnected from the power source; a first input shaft detachably connected to the power source by the first clutch; a second input shaft detachably connected to the power source by the second clutch; an output shaft; a first change-speed mechanism disposed between the first input shaft and the output shaft, the first change-speed mechanism comprising: a first gear mechanism including a plurality of change-speed stages having a plurality of gears; and a first gear-mechanism selector to select one of the plurality of change-speed stages; a second change-speed mechanism disposed between the second input shaft and the output shaft, the second change-speed mechanism comprising: a second gear mechanism including a plurality of change-speed stages having a plurality of gears; and a second gear-mechanism selector to select one of the plurality of change-speed stages; and a controller to control the first clutch, the second clutch, the first gear-mechanism selector, and the second gear-mechanism selector based on an estimated pre-shift time (Δt), which is an estimated time required for the first gear-mechanism selector or the second gear-mechanism selector to shift a current change-speed stage to a subsequent change-speed stage, the controller comprising: a change-speed stage anticipator to operate the first gear-mechanism selector or the second gear-mechanism selector based on identifying a temporary change-speed stage, which is estimated based on a state of the vehicle after the estimated pre-shift time, as a subsequent change-speed stage when the temporary change-speed stage coincides with an anticipated change-speed stage, stored in an anticipated change-speed group, that corresponds to the estimated pre-shift time (Δt).