Patent ID: 7427252

Claim:
A vehicle transmission comprising: a stationary member; a differential gear set having first, second, third, fourth, and fifth coaxial gear elements operatively interconnected with one another; an input shaft; an output shaft; first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth torque-transmitting mechanisms selectively engageable to operatively connect one of said gear elements with said stationary member or with said output shaft; wherein the first and second of said torque-transmitting mechanisms are capable of operatively exchanging power with one another; wherein said torque-transmitting mechanisms are configured to produce an input-split operating mode, a first compound-split operating mode, a second compound-split operating mode and a third compound-split operating mode of the transmission; wherein said third torque transmitting mechanism is selectively engageable to operatively connect one of said gear elements to the output shaft to form an input-split operating mode, wherein said one of said gear elements is continuously connected to said first or second torque transmitting mechanism such that the rotational speed of said one of said gear elements is proportional to the rotational speed of said first or second torque transmitting mechanism; wherein the differential gear set is configured such that the rotational speeds of two of the gear elements may be independently established and determine the rotational speeds of the other three gear elements; the fourth torque transmitting mechanism is selectively engageable to operatively connect the fourth gear element to the output shaft to form the first compound-split operating mode; the fifth torque transmitting mechanism is selectively engageable to operatively connect the fifth gear elements to said output shaft to form the second compound-split operating mode; and the sixth torque transmitting mechanism is selectively engageable to operatively connect said fourth gear element to the output shaft to form the third compound-split operating mode.