Patent ID: 8050831

Claim:
A vehicle having at least one wheel and a positionable acceleration device adapted to cause the vehicle to accelerate, the vehicle comprising: an engine being responsive to the position of the acceleration device, wherein the engine provides torque to the at least one wheel; a transmission coupled to the engine and the at least one wheel, the transmission providing multiple speed ratios and configured to operate in a continuously variable mode; and a controller that communicates with the engine, the transmission, and the acceleration device, the controller sensing the position of the acceleration device, selecting a drive mode based on the position of the acceleration device, the drive mode corresponding to the manner in which the vehicle is being operated, determining a shift schedule based on the position of the acceleration device and the selected drive mode, setting an engine speed limit for the engine based on the shift schedule and current vehicle speed, and generating signals for the transmission to achieve at least one of the speed ratios based on the engine speed limit while the transmission is operating in the continuously variable mode, the controller receiving at least one vehicle operating signal, determining a second shift schedule based on the position of the acceleration device, the selected drive mode, and the at least one vehicle operating signal, and setting a second engine speed limit based on the second shift schedule and the current vehicle speed while the vehicle continues to operate in the selected drive mode.