Shift control device and shift control method

Abstract

To achieve smooth engagement between a gear and a dog.SOLUTION: A processing circuit of a shift control device determines whether a condition is, when receiving a shift command from a first gear shift stage to a second gear shift stage, a first condition that the shift command is a shift-down command and a dog contacts with a first face of the first gear shift stage or that the shift command is a shift-up command and a dog contacts with a second face of the first gear shift stage. When the condition is determined to be the first condition, a separation control is started in which output of an engine is adjusted to separate the dog from a contact face that is the first face or the second face the dog contacts with when receiving the shift command, and synchronization control is started, after the separation control and before the dog goes through a storage space of the first gear shift stage, in which rotation number of the dog in the second gear shift stage is made to approach rotation number of a shift gear in the second gear shift stage, or the rotation number of the shift gear in the second gear shift stage is made to approach the rotation number of the dog in the second gear shift stage.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a gear shift control device and a gear shift control method. [Background technology]

[0002] In a conventional dog clutch gear transmission, when shifting from the current gear to the next gear, the dog is disengaged from a gear pair with a certain reduction ratio, then moved along the input shaft or output shaft of the gear transmission and engaged with a gear pair with a different reduction ratio, thus switching the gear pair that transmits the driving force of the prime mover from the input shaft to the output shaft (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-264519 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a dog clutch type gear transmission, when the dog moves, it is desired that the dog smoothly engages with the transmission gear at the next gear stage.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a gear shift control device and a gear shift control method that can achieve smooth engagement of the dog with the gear. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a transmission control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a transmission control device for controlling the prime mover in a system including a prime mover, an input shaft to which driving force of the prime mover is transmitted, an output shaft, a plurality of dogs that are movable relative to the input shaft and the output shaft and correspond respectively to a plurality of gear stages, and a plurality of transmission gears that correspond respectively to the plurality of gear stages and have accommodation spaces into which the dogs can enter, the transmission control device controlling the prime mover, wherein the transmission gears have a first surface and a second surface that define the accommodation spaces in the circumferential direction of the transmission gear, the first surface is a surface against which the dogs abut when transmitting torque to the output shaft in a positive direction, and the second surface is a surface against which the dogs abut when transmitting torque to the output shaft in a negative direction opposite to the positive direction, the transmission control device is provided with a processing circuit, and the processing circuit is configured to process a plurality of gear stages from a first gear stage to a second gear stage. A determination is made as to whether the situation when a shift command to shift to the second gear stage is a first situation in which the shift command is a downshift command and the dog is in contact with the first surface of the first gear stage, or the shift command is an upshift command and the dog is in contact with the second surface of the first gear stage, and if it is determined that the situation is the first situation, a separation control is initiated to adjust the output of the prime mover so that the dog moves away from the contact surface, which is the first surface or the second surface, with which the dog was in contact when the shift command was acquired, and after the separation control is executed and before the dog of the first gear stage moves out of the accommodation space of the first gear stage, a synchronization control is initiated to bring one of the rotational speed of the dog of the second gear stage and the rotational speed of the transmission gear of the second gear stage closer to the other.

[0007] A speed change control method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a speed change control method for controlling a prime mover in a system including: a prime mover; an input shaft to which a driving force of the prime mover is transmitted; an output shaft; a plurality of dogs movable relative to the input shaft and the output shaft, each corresponding to a plurality of gear stages; and a gear transmission including a plurality of speed change gears each corresponding to a plurality of gear stages and having an accommodation space into which the dogs can enter, wherein the speed change gears have a first surface and a second surface that define the accommodation space in a circumferential direction of the speed change gear, the first surface is a surface against which the dogs abut when transmitting torque to the output shaft in a positive direction, and the second surface is a surface against which the dogs abut when transmitting torque to the output shaft in a negative direction opposite to the positive direction, and the speed change control method includes: a gear transmission for shifting from a first gear stage to a second gear stage; A determination is made as to whether the situation when a shift command is acquired is a first situation in which the shift command is a downshift command and the dog is in contact with the first surface of the first gear position, or a first situation in which the shift command is an upshift command and the dog is in contact with the second surface of the first gear position, and if it is determined that the situation is the first situation, a separation control is initiated to adjust the output of the prime mover so that the dog moves away from the contact surface, which is the first surface or the second surface, with which the dog was in contact when the shift command was acquired, and after the separation control is executed and before the dog of the first gear position moves out of the accommodation space of the first gear position, a synchronization control is initiated to bring one of the rotational speed of the dog of the second gear position and the rotational speed of the transmission gear of the second gear position closer to the other. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a gear shift control device and a gear shift control method that can achieve smooth engagement of a dog with a gear. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a left side view of a motorcycle equipped with a gear change control device according to one embodiment. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the power system of the motorcycle of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic view showing an example of a state in which a dog of a first speed change stage and a speed change gear of the first speed change stage are engaged with each other. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic view showing another example of a state in which the dog of the first gear position and the speed change gear of the first gear position are engaged with each other. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the transmission control device and its inputs and outputs. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of control by the gear change control device while the motorcycle of FIG. 1 is traveling. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged schematic diagram of a dog and a speed change gear for explaining an example of separation control. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an enlarged schematic diagram of a dog and a speed change gear for explaining an example of synchronous control. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an enlarged schematic view showing an example of a state in which the dog of the second speed change stage and the speed change gear of the second speed change stage are engaged with each other. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] 1 is a left side view of a motorcycle 1 equipped with a gear change control device 40 according to one embodiment. Motorcycle 1 is an example of a saddle-ride vehicle on which a rider straddles, and is a hybrid vehicle. Directions in the following description are based on the direction as seen by the driver of motorcycle 1, with the front-to-rear direction corresponding to the vehicle length and the left-to-right direction corresponding to the vehicle width.

[0012] Motorcycle 1 includes a front wheel 2, a rear wheel 3, a body frame 4, a front suspension 5 that connects front wheel 2 to the front part of body frame 4, and a rear suspension 6 that connects rear wheel 3 to the rear part of body frame 4. Front suspension 5 is connected to brackets 7 that are spaced apart in the vertical direction. A steering shaft connected to bracket 7 is supported angularly displaceably on a head pipe 4a that is part of body frame 4. A handlebar 8 that a rider grips is provided on the steering shaft. A fuel tank 9 is provided behind the handlebar 8, and a seat 10 on which the rider sits is provided behind the fuel tank 9.

[0013] A swing arm 15 that supports the rear wheel 3 and extends in the fore-and-aft direction is supported on the body frame 4 so as to be angularly displaceable. A power unit 11 is also mounted on the body frame 4 between the front wheel 2 and the rear wheel 3. The power unit 11 includes a first prime mover and a second prime mover that are two driving sources for traveling. The first prime mover is an engine 12 that is an internal combustion engine. The second prime mover is a drive motor 13 that is an electric motor. Hereinafter, any of the first prime mover and the second prime mover, or the first prime mover and the second prime mover will be referred to collectively as the "prime mover."

[0014] The engine 12 includes cylinders 12a and a crankshaft 12b connected to pistons in the cylinders. The crankshaft 12b of the engine 12 is housed in a crankcase 14. A gear transmission 20 is disposed on the rear side of the engine 12. The gear transmission 20 is housed in the crankcase 14. A shift switch 17 for changing the gear position, which is the shift position of the gear transmission 20, is provided on the left grip of the handlebars 8. A gear change control device 40 is disposed below the seat 10. The gear change control device 40 controls the engine 12, the drive motor 13, and a clutch actuator 19 and shift actuator 30, which will be described later.

[0015] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the power system of the motorcycle 1 of Fig. 1. The gear transmission 20 has an input shaft 21, an output shaft 22, and a plurality of pairs of speed-change gears 23.

[0016] The input shaft 21 can transmit the driving force of at least one of the first prime mover and the second prime mover. Specifically, a main clutch 18 is interposed in an engine power transmission path between the crankshaft 12b of the engine 12 and the input shaft 21 of the gear transmission 20. The main clutch 18 is, for example, a multi-plate clutch. The rotational power of the crankshaft 12b of the engine 12 is input to the input shaft 21 via the main clutch 18. The main clutch 18 is driven by a clutch actuator 19 to connect and disconnect the engine power transmission path. In addition, the rotational power of the rotating shaft of the drive motor 13 is input to the input shaft 21. The input shaft 21 can simultaneously transmit power from both the engine 12, which is the first prime mover, and the drive motor 13, which is the second prime mover.

[0017] The output shaft 22 is disposed parallel to the input shaft 21. Hereinafter, the direction parallel to the input shaft 21 and the output shaft 22 will be referred to as the "axial direction." The multiple sets of change gear pairs 23 are aligned in the axial direction. The multiple sets of change gear pairs 23 have different reduction ratios. The reduction ratio may also be referred to as the gear ratio or the speed ratio. Each change gear pair 23 includes one change gear 23 provided coaxially on the input shaft 21 and one change gear 23 provided coaxially on the output shaft 22.

[0018] Of the two change gears 23 included in each change gear pair 23, one change gear 23 is a gear (hereinafter referred to as a "co-rotating gear") 23a that rotates integrally with the input shaft 21 or the output shaft 22 that is coaxial with that gear. For example, the co-rotating gear 23a is attached to the input shaft 21 or the output shaft 22 by spline fitting. Of the two change gears 23 included in each change gear pair 23, the other change gear 23 is a gear (hereinafter referred to as an "idling gear") 23b that is rotatable relative to the input shaft 21 or the output shaft 22 that is coaxial with that gear.

[0019] The co-rotating gear 23a and the idling gear 23b in each speed change gear pair 23 are always in mesh. In this embodiment, the co-rotating gears 23a and the idling gears 23b are arranged alternately in the axial direction on the input shaft 21. Similarly, the idling gears 23b and the co-rotating gears 23a are arranged alternately in the axial direction on the output shaft 22. Note that in FIG. 2, to avoid complication, only some of the co-rotating gears and idling gears are labeled with reference numerals, and the rest are omitted.

[0020] The gear transmission 20 is a dog clutch type transmission and includes a plurality of dogs 24 corresponding to a plurality of gear stages, respectively, and a shift mechanism 26.

[0021] The dogs 24 are movable in the axial direction relative to the input shaft 21 and the output shaft 22 by a shift mechanism 26. Any one of the multiple dogs 24 is moved axially by the shift mechanism 26 to selectively engage with one of the multiple sets of change gear pairs 23. As a result, one change gear pair 23 engaged with the dog 24 is able to transmit driving force from the input shaft 21 to the output shaft 22. In other words, the driving force transmitted to the input shaft 21 is transmitted to the output shaft 22 via the change gear pair 23 engaged with the dog 24. The rotational power of the output shaft 22 is transmitted to the rear wheel 3, which is a drive wheel, via an output transmission member 16. The output transmission member 16 is, for example, a chain, a belt, or the like.

[0022] The shift mechanism 26 includes shift forks 27a, 27b, and 27c, a support shaft 28, and a shift drum 29. The shift forks 27a, 27b, and 27c are slidably supported on the support shaft 28, which is provided parallel to the input shaft 21 and the output shaft 22. As will be described later, in this embodiment, some of the co-rotating gears 23a are integrated with the dogs 24. One end of the shift fork 27a is connected to the co-rotating gear 23a, which is mounted on the input shaft 21 and moves integrally with the dogs 24. In addition, one end of the shift forks 27b and 27c is connected to the co-rotating gear 23a, which is mounted on the output shaft 22 and moves integrally with the dogs 24.

[0023] The other ends of the shift forks 27a, 27b, and 27c are fitted into guide grooves G of the shift drum 29. When the shift drum 29 rotates, the shift forks 27a, 27b, and 27c, guided by the guide grooves G, move the corresponding dogs 24 in the axial direction. When the dogs 24 enter a housing space S, described below, of the idle gear 23b, the dogs 24 engage with the idle gear 23b with play. When the dogs 24 come out of the housing space S, described below, of the idle gear 23b, the dogs 24 disengage from the idle gear 23b.

[0024] 3 and 4 are enlarged views of several transmission gears 23 provided coaxially on the input shaft 21, viewed in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. Figures 3 and 4 show an example of an engagement state between the transmission gears 23 and the dogs 24 at a certain gear position. For convenience, the current gear position will be referred to as the first gear position, and the gear 23 that is engageable with the dog (which may also be referred to as the first dog) 24 corresponding to the first gear position among the transmission gear pair 23 corresponding to the first gear position will be referred to as the first gear (or current gear or pre-transmission gear) 23b1. In addition, the next gear stage after the dog 24 shifts from the current gear stage based on a shift command will be referred to as the second gear stage, and the gear 23 that can be engaged with the dog (which can also be referred to as the second dog) 24 corresponding to the second gear stage among the gear pairs 23 corresponding to the second gear stage will be referred to as the second gear (or next gear or post-transmission gear) 23b2.

[0025] 3, in this embodiment, some of the co-rotating gears 23a are integral with the dogs 24 and are capable of moving axially together with the dogs 24 relative to the input shaft 21 or the output shaft 22. Specifically, the dogs 24 are provided so as to protrude in the axial direction from the axial end face of the co-rotating gear 23a. The dogs 24 are configured from a plurality of protrusions arranged at predetermined intervals on the end face of the co-rotating gear 23a in the circumferential direction of the co-rotating gear 23a.

[0026] The idle gear 23b, which faces the dog 24 and the co-rotating gear 23a in the axial direction, has an accommodation space S into which the dog 24 can enter. The accommodation space S is open on the side where the dog 24 is arranged in the axial direction so that the moving dog 24 can enter. In this embodiment, the accommodation space S is formed by multiple protrusions arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of the idle gear 23b on the axial end face of the idle gear 23b. That is, the accommodation space S is a space formed between adjacent protrusions in the circumferential direction of the idle gear 23b on the end face of the idle gear 23b. Note that the accommodation space S may also be a hole formed in the axial end face of the idle gear 23b. That is, the accommodation space S may or may not be open in the radial direction of the idle gear 23b.

[0027] 3, the speed change gear 23 having the accommodation space S has a first surface 25a and a second surface 25b that define the accommodation space S in the circumferential direction of the speed change gear 23. The first surface 25a is a surface against which the dog 24 inserted into the accommodation space S abuts when transmitting torque to the output shaft 22 at least in a predetermined positive direction. The second surface 25b is a surface against which the dog 24 inserted into the accommodation space S abuts when transmitting torque to the output shaft 22 at least in a negative direction opposite to the positive direction.

[0028] 3 and FIGS. 4, 7, and 8 described below, the axial direction and the positive direction are indicated by arrows. In this specification, the positive direction refers to the torque generation direction of the input shaft 21 and the output shaft 22 that accelerates the output shaft 22 when the vehicle (motorcycle 1 in this example) moves forward. That is, the first surface 25a is the surface against which the dog 24 entering the storage space S abuts when at least accelerating the rotation of the output shaft 22, and the second surface 25b is the surface against which the dog 24 entering the storage space S abuts when at least decelerating the rotation of the output shaft 22. In particular, in this example, the first surface 25a is the surface against which the dog 24 entering the storage space S abuts when the vehicle (motorcycle 1 in this example) is accelerating forward, and the second surface 25b is the surface against which the dog 24 entering the storage space S abuts when the vehicle (motorcycle 1 in this example) is decelerating. It should be noted that while the vehicle is moving at a constant speed, the dog 24 may come into contact with the first surface 25a or the second surface 25b.

[0029] As shown in Figure 3, when the dog 24 abuts against the first surface 25a of the first gear 23b1, the driving force transmitted from the prime mover to the input shaft 21 is transmitted from the dog 24 to the first gear 23b1 and then to the output shaft 22 via the co-rotating gear 23a that meshes with the first gear 23b1.

[0030] 3, when the rotation speed of the dog 24 decreases relative to the rotation speed of the first gear 23b1, the dog 24 moves away from the first surface 25a and comes into contact with the second surface 25b. Fig. 4 shows the state in which the dog 24 comes into contact with the second surface 25b of the first gear 23b1. When the dog 24 comes into contact with the second surface 25b of the first gear 23b1, torque in the negative direction is transmitted from the dog 24 to the first gear 23b1 and then to the output shaft 22 via the co-rotating gear 23a that meshes with the first gear 23b1.

[0031] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the gear change control device 40 and its inputs and outputs. The gear change control device 40 controls the engine 12, drive motor 13, clutch actuator 19, and shift actuator 30. As shown in Figure 5, detection signals are input to the gear change control device 40 from an accelerator operation amount sensor 32, a shift switch 17, a gear position sensor 31, an engine rotation speed sensor 33, a motor rotation speed sensor 34, an output shaft rotation speed sensor 35, and the like. The gear change control device 40 outputs control signals to the throttle device 12c, the ignition device 12d, the fuel supply device 12e, the drive motor 13, the clutch actuator 19, and the shift actuator 30.

[0032] The accelerator operation amount sensor 32 detects the accelerator operation amount (requested acceleration amount) of the driver.

[0033] The shift switch 17 sends a shift command to the transmission control device 40 to change the gear position of the gear transmission 20 in response to manual operation by the driver. For example, the shift command is an upshift command or a downshift command. The upshift command is a command to increase the gear position of the gear transmission 20. More specifically, the upshift command is a command to increase the reduction ratio of the output shaft 22 relative to the input shaft 21. The downshift command is a command to decrease the gear position of the gear transmission 20. More specifically, the downshift command is a command to decrease the reduction ratio of the output shaft 22 relative to the input shaft 21.

[0034] The gear position sensor 31 detects the rotation angle of the shift drum 29. Based on the rotation angle of the shift drum 29, it is possible to detect which of the multiple shift gear pairs 23 of the gear transmission 20 is in a selected state, that is, which gear position it is in.

[0035] The engine rotation speed sensor 33 detects the rotation speed (hereinafter also referred to as "engine rotation speed") of the output shaft (i.e., drive shaft) of the engine 12. The motor rotation speed sensor 34 detects the rotation speed (hereinafter also referred to as "motor rotation speed") of the output shaft of the drive motor 13.

[0036] The output shaft rotation speed sensor 35 detects the rotation speed of the output shaft 22. The output shaft rotation speed sensor 35 may be provided on the output shaft 22 and may directly detect the rotation speed of the output shaft 22. Alternatively, the output shaft rotation speed sensor 35 may indirectly detect the rotation speed of the output shaft 22 by detecting another parameter. For example, the output shaft rotation speed sensor 35 may be a wheel rotation speed sensor that detects the rotation speed of the rear wheels 3, which are drive wheels (see FIG. 2).

[0037] The throttle device 12c adjusts the amount of intake air of the engine 12. For example, the throttle device 12c is an electronically controlled throttle device that opens and closes a throttle valve using a motor. The ignition device 12d ignites the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber of the engine 12. The ignition device 12d is, for example, a spark plug. The fuel supply device 12e supplies fuel to the engine 12.

[0038] The shift actuator 30 generates power to move the dog 24. Specifically, the shift actuator 30 is controlled by a gear change control device 40 to rotationally drive a shift drum 29 of the shift mechanism 26. The gear change control device 40 controls the shift actuator 30 in response to the driver's operation of the shift switch 17. The shift actuator 30 is, for example, an electric motor.

[0039] The gear shift control device 40 includes, in terms of hardware, one or more processors 41. The processor 41 includes an arithmetic device, a volatile memory, and a nonvolatile memory. The processor 41 is an example of a processing circuit. The arithmetic device of the processor 41 performs arithmetic processing using the volatile memory in accordance with a program stored in the nonvolatile memory, and outputs a control signal corresponding to a detection signal input to the gear shift control device 40. In terms of software, the gear shift control device 40 includes a mode switching unit 41a, an engine control unit 41b, a motor control unit 41c, a clutch control unit 41d, a shift control unit 41e, a situation determination unit 41f, a position estimation unit 41g, a target determination unit 41h, and a timing determination unit 41i. Note that in FIG. 5, the one or more processors 41 are shown as a single block, and the functional blocks 41a, 41b, 41c, 41d, 41e, 41f, 41g, 41h, and 41i are collectively shown within the single block. The gear shift control device 40 also includes a memory 42. The memory 42 includes a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory.

[0040] The mode switching unit 41a selects one mode from a plurality of driving modes including an EGV mode, an EV mode, and an HEV mode.

[0041] The EGV mode is a mode in which the engine 12 is driven without driving the drive motor 13, and the rear wheels 3, which are drive wheels, are driven by the rotational power of the engine 12 alone. In the EGV mode, the clutch actuator 19 puts the main clutch 18 into an engaged state so that the rotational power of the engine 12 is transmitted to the rear wheels 3, which are drive wheels, via the gear transmission 20.

[0042] The EV mode is a mode in which the engine 12 is stopped and the rear wheels 3, which are the driving wheels, are driven by the power generated by the drive motor 13. In the EV mode, the clutch actuator 19 disengages the main clutch 18 so that the engine 12 does not create resistance when the drive motor 13 is driven.

[0043] The HEV mode is a mode in which the rear wheels 3, which are drive wheels, are driven by power generated by the drive motor 13 and the engine 12. In the HEV mode, the clutch actuator 19 connects the main clutch 18 so that the rotational power of the engine 12 is transmitted to the rear wheels 3 via the gear transmission 20.

[0044] The engine control unit 41b controls the throttle device 12c, the ignition device (spark plug) 12d, and the fuel supply device 12e to adjust the output of the engine 12. For example, the engine control unit 41b performs torque control so that the output torque of the engine 12 becomes a value corresponding to the amount of accelerator operation by the driver. The motor control unit 41c controls the drive motor 13 to adjust the output of the drive motor 13. For example, the motor control unit 41c performs torque control so that the output torque of the drive motor 13 becomes a value corresponding to the amount of accelerator operation by the driver. The engine control unit 41b and the motor control unit 41c perform control according to the driving mode selected by the mode switching unit 41a.

[0045] The clutch control unit 41d controls the clutch actuator 19 to switch the state of the main clutch 18. For example, when the mode switching unit 41a selects the EV mode, the clutch control unit 41d puts the main clutch 18 in a disengaged state, and when the mode switching unit 41a selects the EGV mode or HEV mode, the clutch control unit 41d puts the main clutch 18 in a connected state.

[0046] The shift control unit 41e, situation determination unit 41f, position estimator 41g, target determination unit 41h, and timing determination unit 41i are related to the gear shifting process that is executed when a shift command is issued, i.e., when a shift command is received from the shift switch 17. The shift control unit 41e controls the shift actuator 30 according to the acquired shift command. The situation determination unit 41f determines the situation when the shift command is acquired. The position estimator 41g estimates the angular position θ of the dog 24 of the first gear relative to the accommodation space S of the first gear. The target determination unit 41h determines the target engine rotation speed, target motor rotation speed, target drum angle, etc. when shifting the dog 24. The timing determination unit 41i determines the timing to start synchronization control, which will be described later, and the timing to start control to move the dog 24.

[0047] <Gear shift processing> An example of the gear shifting process will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of control by the gear shift control device 40 while the motorcycle 1 is traveling. When explaining the gear shifting process, Figs. 7 to 9 will be referred to as appropriate. Fig. 7 is an enlarged schematic view of the dog and the gear shifting for explaining an example of separation control, which will be described later. Fig. 8 is an enlarged schematic view of the dog and the gear shifting for explaining an example of synchronization control, which will be described later. Fig. 9 is an enlarged schematic view showing an example of a state in which the dog of the second gear position and the gear shifting for the second gear position are engaged.

[0048] While the motorcycle 1 is traveling, at least one of the engine control unit 41b and the motor control unit 41c basically performs the torque control described above (step S1).

[0049] For example, in the EGV mode, the processor 40 determines an engine torque command value in accordance with the driver's accelerator operation amount, and the engine control unit 41b controls the throttle device 12c and other devices based on the engine torque command value. For example, in the EV mode, the processor 40 determines a motor torque command value in accordance with the driver's accelerator operation amount, and the motor control unit 41c controls the drive motor 13 based on the motor torque command value. For example, in the HEV mode, the processor 40 determines an engine torque command value and a motor torque command value in accordance with the driver's accelerator operation amount, and the engine control unit 41b controls the throttle device 12c and other devices based on the engine torque command value, and the motor control unit 41c controls the drive motor 13 based on the motor torque command value.

[0050] During the torque control, the situation determination unit 41f determines whether or not there is a shift command (i.e., a shift-up command or a shift-down command) to shift from the first gear to the second gear (step S2). If it is determined that there is no shift command (step S2: No), the torque control by at least one of the engine control unit 41b and the motor control unit 41c continues.

[0051] (Assessment of the situation) If it is determined that a shift command is present (step S2: Yes), the situation determination unit 41f determines whether the situation when the shift command is received is a predetermined first situation. The first situation is the following situation (a) or (b): (a) A situation in which the shift command is a downshift command and the dog 24 is in contact with the first surface 25a of the first gear position. (b) A situation in which the shift command is an upshift command and the dog 24 is in contact with the second surface 25b of the first gear position.

[0052] The situation determination unit 41f determines whether the dog 24 is in contact with the first surface 25a, the second surface 25b, or neither the first surface 25a nor the second surface 25b, depending on the angular position θ of the dog 24 estimated by the position estimation unit 41g.

[0053] (Dog position estimation) Here, a description will be given of an example of a method by which the position estimator 41g estimates the angular position θ of the dog 24. The position estimator 41g estimates the angular position θ of the dog 24 relative to the accommodation space S of the first gear 23b1.

[0054] The angular position θ of the dog 24 is expressed as the displacement angle of the dog 24 from a reference position, which is the position of the dog 24 when the dog 24 is located at a predetermined position in the accommodation space S. In this embodiment, the position of the dog 24 when the dog 24 abuts against the second surface 25b of the first gear 23b1 is the reference position, and the angular position θ of the dog 24 is 0° (see FIG. 4). Furthermore, by angularly displacing the dog 24 by 20° from the reference position in the accommodation space S, the dog 24 abuts against the first surface 25a. Therefore, the angular position θ of the dog 24 when the dog 24 abuts against the first surface 25a of the first gear 23b1 is 20° (see FIG. 3).

[0055] For example, as shown in Fig. 3, consider a case where the first speed stage is in a state where a dog 24 that rotates integrally with a co-rotating gear 23a provided coaxially on the input shaft 21 is engaged with a first gear 23b1 that is an idling gear provided coaxially on the input shaft 21. In this case, of the dog 24 and the first gear 23b1 that are engaged with each other in the first speed stage, the dog 24 is on the input side of the power transmission path that runs from the prime mover to the output shaft 22 via the input shaft 21, and the first gear 23b1 is on the output side of the power transmission path. The angular acceleration α [rad / s 2 ] is calculated by the following formula (1).

[0056]

number

[0057] Here, T [N m 2] is the value obtained by subtracting the total resistance force T2 from the total driving force T1 of the prime mover. Hereinafter, T will be referred to as output torque. For example, in the EGV mode, the total driving force value T1 is the driving force of the engine 12. For example, in the EV mode, the total driving force value T1 is the driving force of the drive motor 13. For example, in the HEV mode, the total driving force value T1 is the sum of the driving force of the engine 12 and the driving force of the drive motor 13.

[0058] Furthermore, the resistance force corresponds to mechanical loss associated with the rotation of multiple rotating bodies that rotate substantially without play due to the driving force of the prime mover. For example, in the EGV mode, the total resistance force value T2 includes, for example, a resistance force corresponding to mechanical loss in the engine power transmission path. In the EGV mode, if rotating bodies on the motor power transmission path from the drive motor 13 to the input shaft 21 also rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the input shaft 21, the total resistance force value T2 further includes a resistance force corresponding to mechanical loss in the motor power transmission path. For example, in the EV mode, the total resistance force value T2 includes, for example, a resistance force corresponding to mechanical loss in the motor power transmission path. For example, in the HEV mode, the total resistance force value T2 includes a resistance force corresponding to mechanical loss in the engine power transmission path and a resistance force corresponding to mechanical loss in the motor power transmission path.

[0059] In this embodiment, an engine torque command value and a motor torque command value are used to calculate the output torque T of the prime mover. For example, the torque indicated by the engine torque command value can be used as the driving force of the engine 12, and the torque indicated by the motor torque command value can be used as the driving force of the drive motor 13. Alternatively, for example, information indicating the correspondence between the torque command value for each prime mover and the resistance force (in other words, mechanical loss) may be stored in advance in the memory 42, and the resistance force can be calculated using the torque command value and the correspondence stored in the memory 42. The memory 42 may also store information indicating the correspondence corresponding to each mode. Because the angular position θ of the dog 24 can be calculated from the torque command value, the number of sensors for calculating the angular position θ of the dog 24 can be reduced. However, the method of obtaining the driving force is not limited to this. For example, the driving force of the engine may be calculated in advance from the engine speed and the throttle opening (or the accelerator operation amount) using a torque map.

[0060] In addition, J [kg m 2 ] is the total value of inertia of multiple rotating bodies that rotate with substantially no play due to the output torque of the prime mover. In other words, the total inertia value J is the total value of inertia of multiple rotating bodies that rotate due to the output torque from the prime mover even when the gear transmission 20 is in a state where none of the speed change gear pairs 23 are engaged with the dogs 24 (disengaged state). For example, in this embodiment, the total inertia value J includes the inertia of the input shaft 21, the inertia of several co-rotating gears 23a coaxial with the input shaft 21, several idling gears 23b coaxial with the output shaft 22 that mesh with the co-rotating gears 23a, and the inertia of the dogs 24 provided on the co-rotating gears 23a coaxial with the input shaft 21.

[0061] For example, in the EGV mode, J further includes the inertia of each rotating body in the engine power transmission path (such as the output shaft of the engine 12). In the EGV mode, if a rotating body in the motor power transmission path also rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the input shaft 21, J further includes the inertia of each rotating body in the motor power transmission path (such as the output shaft of the drive motor 13). Furthermore, in the EV mode, for example, J also includes the inertia of each rotating body in the motor power transmission path (such as the output shaft of the drive motor 13). Furthermore, in the HEV mode, for example, J includes the inertia of each rotating body in the engine power transmission path (such as the output shaft of the engine 12) and the inertia of each rotating body in the motor power transmission path (such as the output shaft of the drive motor 13).

[0062] Furthermore, J does not necessarily include the inertia of the output shaft 22, the inertia of several co-rotating gears 23a coaxial with the output shaft 22, several idling gears 23b coaxial with the output shaft 22 that mesh with these co-rotating gears 23a, and the inertia of the dogs 24 provided on the co-rotating gears 23a coaxial with the output shaft 22.

[0063] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the time from receiving a shift command in the gear shifting process to completing the shift operation is extremely short compared to the time it takes for a speed change to occur in the rear wheel 3, for example. For this reason, the position estimator 41g estimates the angular position θ of the dog 24 by assuming that the first gear 23b1 on the output side of the power transmission path and the rear wheel 3 are moving at a constant speed while the torque T is being applied to the dog 24. In other words, the angular acceleration of the first gear 23b1 on the output side is set to 0. Therefore, the position estimator 41g estimates the angular position θ of the dog 24 relative to the first gear 23b1 by performing a second-order integration of the angular acceleration α calculated from equation (1) as shown in the following equation (2).

[0064]

number

[0065] However, in the first gear position, the movement range of the dog 24 of the first gear position relative to the first gear 23b1 is limited within the accommodation space S of the first gear 23b1. In other words, the angular position θ of the dog 24 is limited between a predetermined lower limit value (θ=0° in this example) and an upper limit value (θ=20° in this example). Therefore, the position estimator 41g estimates that the angular position θ of the dog 24 is at the lower limit value when the angular position obtained by integrating the angular displacement amount is below the lower limit value, and estimates that the angular position θ of the dog 24 is at the upper limit value when the angular position obtained by integrating the angular displacement amount is above the upper limit value.

[0066] As described above, in this embodiment, the position estimator 41g calculates the angular position of the dog 24 based on the total torque T output from the prime mover and the total inertia J of each rotating body that rotates together with the input shaft 21. For example, if the angular position θ estimated by the position estimator 41g is 0°, the situation determination unit 41f determines that the dog 24 is in contact with the second surface 25b of the first gear position. For example, if the angular position θ estimated by the position estimator 41g is 20°, the situation determination unit 41f determines that the dog 24 is in contact with the first surface 25a of the first gear position.

[0067] The estimation of the angular position θ of the dog 24 by the position estimator 41g can be performed at all times while the motorcycle 1 is traveling, regardless of whether the gear change control device 40 has received a shift command. When the dog 24 and the first gear 23b1 are engaged with each other in the first gear position, and the first gear 23b1 is on the input side of the power transmission path, the angular acceleration α [rad / s 2 ] is obtained.

[0068] (separation control) In step S3, if the situation determination unit 41f determines that the situation when the shift command was acquired was the first situation (step S3: No), separation control is started (step S4). The separation control is a control that adjusts the output of the prime mover so that the dog 24 moves away from the first surface 25a or the second surface 25b that was in contact with the dog 24 when the shift command was acquired (see FIG. 7). Hereinafter, the first surface 25a or the second surface 25b that was in contact with the dog 24 when the shift command was acquired will be referred to as the "contact surface," and the surface of the first surface 25a or the second surface 25b that is not the contact surface will be referred to as the "opposite surface."

[0069] In step S4, at least one of the engine control unit 41b and the motor control unit 41c performs control to adjust the output so that the dog 24 moves away from the contact surface when a shift command is received. The separation control is performed to prevent the synchronization control, which will be described later, from being hindered by the dog 24 and the contact surface coming into contact with each other (see the arrow in the accommodation space S in FIG. 8).

[0070] In step S3, if the situation determination unit 41f determines that the situation when the shift command is acquired is not the first situation (step S3: Yes), the separation control is omitted because, if the situation is not the first situation, the synchronization control described below will not be hindered by the dog 24 and the contact surface coming into contact with each other.

[0071] For example, in step S3, if the situation determination unit 41f determines that the situation when the shift command is acquired is a second situation different from the first situation, the separation control is omitted. The second situation is a situation other than the first situation (a) or (b). For example, the second situation includes the following situation (c) or (d): (c) A situation in which the shift command is an upshift command and the dog 24 is in contact with the first surface 25a of the first gear position. (d) A situation in which the shift command is a downshift command and the dog 24 is in contact with the second surface 25b of the first gear position.

[0072] (Determining target values) If it is determined in step S3 that the first situation is not present, or after the separation control in step S4 has been executed, the target determination unit 41h determines various target values ​​(step S5). Specifically, the target determination unit 41h determines a target engine rotation speed, a target motor rotation speed, and a target drum angle. The target engine rotation speed and the target motor rotation speed are rotation speeds corresponding to the second gear position. More specifically, the target engine rotation speed and the target motor rotation speed are engine rotation speed and motor rotation speed for synchronization control that brings one of the rotation speed of the dog 24 in the second gear position and the rotation speed of the transmission gear in the second gear position closer to the other.

[0073] Here, "synchronization control that brings one of the rotation speed of the dog 24 in the second gear and the rotation speed of the transmission gear in the second gear closer to the other" refers to control that brings the input side of the dog 24 and the second gear 23b2 closer to the output side. For example, when the dog 24, which rotates integrally with the input shaft 21, is engaged with the second gear 23b2 mounted on the input shaft 21, the above-mentioned synchronization control refers to control that brings the rotation speed of the dog 24 closer to the rotation speed of the second gear 23b2. Also, when the dog 24, which rotates integrally with the output shaft 22, is engaged with the second gear 23b2 mounted on the output shaft 22, the above-mentioned synchronization control refers to control that brings the rotation speed of the second gear 23b2 closer to the rotation speed of the dog 24. By performing synchronization control before the dog 24 is placed in the accommodation space S of the second gear 23b2, the dog 24 can be smoothly engaged with the second gear 23b2.

[0074] In this embodiment, in step S5, the shift control unit 41e first determines the first gear, which is the current gear of the gear transmission 20, from the detected angle signal of the gear position sensor 31. The shift control unit 41e also determines the second gear, which is the next gear, depending on whether the shift command is an upshift command or a downshift command. The target determination unit 41h calculates the target engine rotation speed and the target motor rotation speed from the reduction ratio of the second gear and the current rotation speed of the output shaft 22 so as to match one of the rotation speed of the dog 24 and the rotation speed of the second gear 23b2 in the second gear with the other. Note that in the HEV mode, the rotation speed of the input shaft 21 corresponding to the target engine rotation speed and the rotation speed of the input shaft 21 corresponding to the target motor rotation speed are the same value.

[0075] (Determining timing) After step S5, the timing determination unit 41i determines the timing to start the above-mentioned synchronization control and the timing to start the control to move the dog 24 (step S6).

[0076] The timing determination unit 41i determines the start timing of the synchronization control so that the start timing of the synchronization control is after the separation control is executed and before the dog 24 of the first gear stage moves out of the accommodation space S of the first gear stage.

[0077] Here, the start timing of the synchronous control refers to the timing at which the synchronous control is first started for one of the multiple prime movers when there are multiple prime movers transmitting driving force to the input shaft 21. For example, in the HEV mode, when the synchronous control of the engine 12 is started prior to the synchronous control of the drive motor 13, the timing determination unit 41i determines the start timing of the synchronous control of the engine 12 so that the start timing of the synchronous control of the engine 12 is after the separation control is executed and before the dog 24 of the first gear shift stage moves out of the accommodation space S of the first gear shift stage.

[0078] In this embodiment, synchronous control is started in accordance with the angular position θ of the dog 24 estimated by the position estimator 41g. Specifically, the timing determiner 41i determines the timing to start synchronous control when it is determined that the angular position θ of the dog 24 estimated by the position estimator 41g has reached a predetermined position away from the contact surface. After starting execution of the separation control, the timing determiner 41i determines the timing to start synchronous control when it is determined that the angular position θ of the dog 24 in the first gear position estimated by the position estimator 41g has reached an angular position at which the dog 24 contacts the opposite surface of the first surface 25a or the second surface 25b that is not the contact surface.

[0079] Furthermore, the timing determination unit 41i determines the timing to start movement control for disengaging the dog 24 of the first gear from the first gear 23b1 and moving the dog 24 of the second gear toward the second gear 23b2. The timing to start movement control of the dog 24 may be determined based on the estimated angular position θ of the dog 24. Alternatively, the timing to start movement control of the dog 24 may be determined based on the determined start timing of synchronization control. In other words, the start timing of synchronization control may be determined first, and then the start timing of movement control of the dog 24 may be determined.

[0080] When the start timing of the synchronous control and the start timing of the movement control of the dog 24 are determined in step S6, the above-mentioned synchronous control (step S7) and control of the shift actuator 30 (step S8) are performed in accordance with the determined timings (see FIG. 8).

[0081] Specifically, in the EGV mode or HEV mode, the engine control unit 41b controls the engine 12 to start the synchronization control at the timing determined in step S6. The engine control unit 41b feedback-controls the engine 12, i.e., the throttle device 12c, the ignition device 12d, the fuel supply device 12e, etc., so that the rotation speed of the engine 12 approaches the target engine rotation speed R1 determined in step S5.

[0082] In the EV mode or HEV mode, the motor control unit 41c controls the drive motor 13 to start the synchronous control at the timing determined in step S6. The motor control unit 41c feedback-controls the drive motor 13 so that the rotation speed of the drive motor 13 approaches the target motor rotation speed R2 determined in step S5.

[0083] Additionally, the shift control unit 41e controls the shift actuator 30 to start control for moving the dog 24 at the timing determined in step S6.

[0084] In this embodiment, the same control parameters are used in the synchronous control performed after the separation control in step S4 and the synchronous control performed after the separation control in step S4 is omitted. For example, in step S3, if the situation determination unit 41f determines that the situation when the shift command was acquired is situation (b), at least one of the engine control unit 41b and the motor control unit 41c adjusts the output so that the dog 24 moves away from the second surface 25b in the accommodation space S for the first gear position in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 7. Then, when the angular position θ of the dog 24 for the first gear position reaches an angular position (θ = 20° in this example) where the dog 24 abuts against the first surface 25a, which is the opposite surface, at least one of the engine control unit 41b and the motor control unit 41c starts the synchronous control.

[0085] Here, the situation after the situation (b) in which the dog 24 is moved away from the second surface 25b and brought into contact with the first surface 25a by the separation control is the same as the second situation, that is, the situation (c) described above. Therefore, by bringing the dog 24 into contact with the first surface 25a after the situation (b), the synchronous control can be performed using the same control parameters as those used in the synchronous control in the case of the situation (c).

[0086] Similarly, the situation in which the dog 24 is moved away from the first surface 25a and brought into contact with the second surface 25b by the separation control after the situation (a) is the same as the situation (d) above. Therefore, by bringing the dog 24 into contact with the second surface 25b after the situation (a), the synchronous control can be performed using the same control parameters as those used in the synchronous control in the case of the situation (d).

[0087] The engine control parameters include, for example, at least one of the following: ignition cut timing, ignition cut duration, ignition retard amount, fuel injection amount, and fuel injection timing. The drive motor 13 control parameters include, for example, at least one of current, voltage, command duty, forward / reverse rotation command, torque command value, and rotation speed command value.

[0088] The shift control unit 41e determines whether the shift operation corresponding to the shift command has been completed (step S9). Specifically, the shift control unit 41e determines whether the dog 24 is engaged with the second gear 23b2. For example, the shift control unit 41e determines whether the drum angle detected by the gear position sensor 31 is the target drum angle determined in step S5.

[0089] While the shift control unit 41e does not determine that the shift operation corresponding to the shift command has been completed (step S9: No), the above-described synchronization control, i.e., the feedback control of the rotation speed, is continued. On the other hand, when the shift control unit 41e determines that the shift operation corresponding to the shift command has been completed (step S9: Yes; see FIG. 9), the process returns to the torque control of step S1.

[0090] As described above, when the transmission control device 40 of this embodiment determines that the situation when a shift command is acquired is the first situation, it first starts separation control to adjust the output of the prime mover in a direction in which the dog 24 moves away from the abutment surface of the first gear stage, and then starts synchronization control after the start of separation control and before the dog 24 moves out of the storage space S of the first gear stage.

[0091] In the first situation, even if synchronous control is started without separation control, the synchronous control is hindered because the dog 24 is in contact with the contact surface, but in this embodiment, the dog 24 and the contact surface of the first gear are separated by separation control, so it is possible to start synchronous control before the dog 24 moves out of the accommodation space S of the first gear (see the arrow in the accommodation space S in FIG. 8). Also, it is easier to ensure time for synchronous control compared to when synchronous control is started after the dog 24 moves out of the accommodation space S of the first gear.

[0092] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if it is determined that the situation when the shift command is acquired is the second situation, separation control is omitted and synchronous control is started, so it is easier to secure time for synchronous control compared to starting synchronous control after the dog 24 has left the accommodation space S of the first gear stage or starting synchronous control after separation control.

[0093] If synchronous control is started when the dog 24 is not sufficiently separated from the contact surface, there is a high possibility that the dog 24 will collide with the contact surface of the first gear stage. However, in this embodiment, synchronous control is started only after it is determined that the contact surface and the dog 24 have separated, so that synchronous control can be started effectively.

[0094] Furthermore, in this embodiment, synchronous control is initiated when it is determined that the angular position θ of the dog 24 has reached a position where the dog 24 abuts against the opposite surface. Therefore, synchronous control can be initiated with the dog 24 and the abutment surface sufficiently separated, making it even easier to secure time for synchronous control.

[0095] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the same control parameters are used to execute synchronous control in the first situation and the second situation, which facilitates the adjustment of the control parameters.

[0096] In addition, in this embodiment, the accuracy of calculating the angular position of the dog 24 can be improved by calculating the angular position of the dog 24 using the output torque of the prime mover and the sum of the inertia of the rotating body that is essentially rotated by the output torque.

[0097] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the angular position θ of the dog 24 estimated by the position estimator 41g is used both to determine the situation in step S3 and as a trigger for starting synchronous control in step S7. In this way, the estimated angular position of the dog 24 is used not only to determine the start timing of the synchronous control, but also to determine whether the dog 24 is in contact with the first surface or the second surface of the first gear, which simplifies the gear shifting process.

[0098] <Other embodiments> The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the configurations thereof can be changed, added, or deleted.

[0099] For example, in the above embodiment, the dogs 24 are integral with the co-rotating gear 23a, but the dogs 24 may be separate from the co-rotating gear 23a. For example, instead of making the co-rotating gear 23a slidable relative to the input shaft 21 or the output shaft 22, a dog ring having the dogs 24 may be provided slidable relative to the input shaft 21 or the output shaft 22. Furthermore, the dogs do not have to be arranged around both the input shaft 21 and the output shaft 22, and the dogs for all gear stages may be arranged around only one of the input shaft 21 and the output shaft 22.

[0100] 3, 4, 7, 8, and 9 show the transmission gear 23 provided with both the dog (first dog) 24 for the first gear, which is the current gear, and the dog (second dog) 24 for the second gear, which is the next gear, but the gear transmission does not have to be provided with such transmission gears. That is, the dog 24 for the first gear and the dog 24 for the second gear, which is the next gear, may be provided on separate transmission gears 23, or may be provided on separate dog rings.

[0101] In the above embodiment, the angular position of the dog 24 is estimated based on the torque command value for the prime mover and the inertia of the prime mover. However, this is not limited to this method of estimating the angular position of the dog. For example, the position estimator may calculate the angular position of the dog 24 based on the rotation speed of the input shaft 21 or a parameter corresponding thereto, and the rotation speed of the output shaft 22 or a parameter corresponding thereto. Examples of the rotation speed of the input shaft 21 or a parameter corresponding thereto include an engine rotation speed sensor and a motor rotation speed sensor. Examples of the rotation speed of the output shaft 22 or a parameter corresponding thereto include a rotation speed sensor that directly detects the rotation speed of the output shaft 22 and a wheel rotation speed sensor that detects the rotation speed of the rear wheels 3, which are the drive wheels. This configuration allows the use of built-in sensors to estimate the dog position.

[0102] In the above embodiment, the angular position of the dog 24 is calculated based on the torque command value for the prime mover and the inertia of the prime mover, but the method for estimating the angular position of the dog is not limited to this. For example, the angular position of the dog may be calculated based on the rotation speed of the input shaft or a parameter corresponding thereto, and the rotation speed of the output shaft or a parameter corresponding thereto.

[0103] The shift command may be sent from another device instead of a shift switch. Alternatively, the shift command may be generated automatically by the gear change control device. For example, the gear change control device may store a gear change map that defines the relationship between vehicle speed, engine speed, throttle opening, and gear change timing, and may automatically generate the shift command based on the gear change map.

[0104] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the first prime mover is an internal combustion engine and the second prime mover is an electric motor, but the type of prime mover that transmits driving force to the input shaft is not limited to this. For example, the prime mover may be an internal combustion engine, an external combustion engine, an electric motor, a fluid machine, or the like. The type of engine is also not particularly limited; for example, the engine may be a reciprocating engine or a rotary engine. For example, the engine may be a gasoline engine or a diesel engine. For example, the engine may be a two-stroke engine or a four-stroke engine. The first prime mover and the second prime mover may both be the same type of prime mover.

[0105] Furthermore, the timing at which synchronization control is started may differ between the first prime mover and the second prime mover. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the vehicle equipped with the transmission control device 40 is a hybrid vehicle equipped with a first prime mover and a second prime mover, but the vehicle does not have to be a hybrid vehicle. For example, the vehicle may be equipped with only one of an engine and an electric motor.

[0106] The vehicle is not limited to a motorcycle. For example, the vehicle may be, for example, a three-wheeled motor vehicle or a four-wheeled motor vehicle. In the above embodiment, the transmission control device 40 for the power system of the motorcycle 1 has been described, but the transmission control device can also be applied to the power systems of other types of vehicles, such as a three-wheeled motor vehicle or a four-wheeled motor vehicle.

[0107] The transmission control device can also be applied to shift operations in systems other than vehicle power systems, such as machine tools.

[0108] The functions of the elements disclosed herein can be performed using circuits or processing circuits, including general-purpose processors, special-purpose processors, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), conventional circuits, or any combination thereof, configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. A processor is considered a processing circuit or circuit because it includes transistors and other circuitry. In this disclosure, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that performs the recited functions or hardware that is programmed to perform the recited functions. The hardware may be hardware disclosed herein or other known hardware that is programmed or configured to perform the recited functions. Where the hardware is a processor, which is considered a type of circuit, the circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software, and the software is used to configure the hardware or processor.

[0109] A speed change control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a speed change control device for controlling a system including a prime mover, an input shaft to which a driving force of the prime mover is transmitted, an output shaft, a plurality of dogs that are movable relative to the input shaft and the output shaft and correspond respectively to a plurality of gear stages, and a plurality of speed change gears that correspond respectively to the plurality of gear stages and have accommodation spaces into which the dogs can enter, the speed change control device controlling the prime mover, wherein the speed change gears have a first surface and a second surface that define the accommodation spaces in the circumferential direction of the speed change gear, the first surface is a surface against which the dogs abut when transmitting torque to the output shaft in a positive direction, and the second surface is a surface against which the dogs abut when transmitting torque to the output shaft in a negative direction opposite to the positive direction, the speed change control device is equipped with a processing circuit, and the processing circuit is configured to shift the gear from a first gear stage to a second gear stage. a determination is made as to whether a situation when a shift command to shift the dog to the second gear position is acquired is a first situation in which the shift command is a downshift command and the dog is in contact with the first surface of the first gear position, or a first situation in which the shift command is an upshift command and the dog is in contact with the second surface of the first gear position; and if it is determined that the situation is the first situation, a separation control is initiated to adjust the output of the prime mover so that the dog moves away from the contact surface, which is the first surface or the second surface, with which the dog was in contact when the shift command was acquired; and after the separation control is executed and before the dog of the first gear position moves out of the accommodation space of the first gear position, a synchronization control is initiated to make one of the rotation speed of the dog of the second gear position and the rotation speed of the transmission gear of the second gear position approach the other.

[0110] According to the above configuration, when the shift control device determines that the situation when it receives a shift command to shift from the first gear to the second gear is a first situation in which the shift command is a downshift command and the dog is in contact with the first surface of the first gear, or the shift command is an upshift command and the dog is in contact with the second surface of the first gear, it first starts separation control to adjust the output of the prime mover in a direction in which the dog moves away from the contact surface of the first gear, and then starts synchronization control after the start of separation control and before the dog moves out of the accommodation space of the first gear.

[0111] In the first situation, even if synchronous control is started without separation control, the dog abutting the abutment surface will hinder synchronous control. In contrast, with the above configuration, because the dog and the abutment surface of the first gear are separated by separation control, synchronous control can be started before the dog moves out of the accommodation space of the first gear. Furthermore, it is easier to ensure time for synchronous control compared to starting synchronous control after the dog moves out of the accommodation space of the first gear.

[0112] When the processing circuit determines that the situation is a second situation different from the first situation, it may omit the separation control and start the synchronization control. According to this configuration, the gear change control device omits separation control and starts synchronization control if the situation is other than the first situation, so it is easier to ensure time for synchronization control compared to when synchronization control is started after the dog has come out of the accommodation space of the first gear or when synchronization control is started after separation control.

[0113] The processing circuit may estimate the angular position of the dog relative to the accommodation space of the first gear position in the rotational direction of the dog while adjusting the output of the prime mover, and start the synchronous control when it determines that the estimated angular position of the dog has reached a predetermined position away from the abutment surface. If synchronous control is started before the dog has separated from the abutment surface, there is a high possibility that the dog will collide with the abutment surface of the first gear position. With the above configuration, synchronous control is started after it is determined that the abutment surface and the dog have separated, so that synchronous control can be started effectively.

[0114] The processing circuit may start the synchronous control when it determines, after starting the separation control, that the estimated angular position of the dog has reached a position where the dog abuts on the opposite surface of the first surface or the second surface that is not the abutment surface. With this configuration, the synchronous control can be started with the dog and the abutment surface sufficiently separated, making it easier to ensure time for the synchronous control.

[0115] The control parameters used in the synchronous control executed after the separation control may be the same as the control parameters used in the synchronous control executed when it is determined that the situation is the second situation. With this configuration, the synchronous control can be executed using the same control parameters in the first situation and the second situation, which makes it easier to adjust the control parameters.

[0116] The processing circuit may calculate the angular position of the dog based on the output torque of the prime mover and the total value of the inertia of a plurality of rotating bodies rotated by the output torque of the prime mover, and the plurality of rotating bodies may include the output shaft of the prime mover, the input shaft, and a rotating body that rotates with the input shaft even when none of the plurality of dogs is engaged with the corresponding transmission gear among the plurality of transmission gears and the plurality of dogs in the gear transmission. By calculating the angular position of the dog using the output torque of the prime mover and the total value of the inertia of the rotating bodies that substantially rotate by the output torque, the calculation accuracy of the angular position of the dog can be improved.

[0117] The processing circuit may calculate the angular position of the dog based on the rotation speed of the input shaft or a parameter corresponding thereto and the rotation speed of the output shaft or a parameter corresponding thereto. With this configuration, an installed sensor can be used to estimate the dog position.

[0118] When determining whether the situation is the first situation, the processing circuit may estimate the angular position of the dog relative to the accommodation space of the first gear position, and determine whether the dog is in contact with the first surface or the second surface of the first gear position based on the estimated angular position of the dog. According to this configuration, the estimated angular position of the dog is used not only to determine the start timing of the synchronization control, but also to determine whether the dog is in contact with the first surface or the second surface of the first gear position. This simplifies the processing performed by the processing circuit.

[0119] A speed change control method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a speed change control method for controlling a prime mover in a system including: a prime mover; an input shaft to which a driving force of the prime mover is transmitted; an output shaft; a plurality of dogs movable relative to the input shaft and the output shaft, each corresponding to a plurality of gear stages; and a gear transmission including a plurality of speed change gears each corresponding to a plurality of gear stages and having an accommodation space into which the dogs can enter, wherein the speed change gears have a first surface and a second surface that define the accommodation space in a circumferential direction of the speed change gear, the first surface is a surface against which the dogs abut when transmitting torque to the output shaft in a positive direction, and the second surface is a surface against which the dogs abut when transmitting torque to the output shaft in a negative direction opposite to the positive direction, and the speed change control method includes: a gear transmission for shifting from a first gear stage to a second gear stage; A determination is made as to whether the situation when a shift command is acquired is a first situation in which the shift command is a downshift command and the dog is in contact with the first surface of the first gear position, or a first situation in which the shift command is an upshift command and the dog is in contact with the second surface of the first gear position, and if it is determined that the situation is the first situation, a separation control is initiated to adjust the output of the prime mover so that the dog moves away from the contact surface, which is the first surface or the second surface, with which the dog was in contact when the shift command was acquired, and after the separation control is executed and before the dog of the first gear position moves out of the accommodation space of the first gear position, a synchronization control is initiated to bring one of the rotational speed of the dog of the second gear position and the rotational speed of the transmission gear of the second gear position closer to the other.

[0120] In the first situation, even if synchronous control is started without separation control, the dog abutting the abutment surface will hinder synchronous control. In contrast, with the above method, because the dog and the abutment surface of the first gear are separated by separation control, synchronous control can be started before the dog moves out of the accommodation space of the first gear. Furthermore, it is easier to ensure time for synchronous control compared to starting synchronous control after the dog moves out of the accommodation space of the first gear. [Explanation of symbols]

[0121] 1: Motorcycle 12: Engine 13: Drive motor 20: Gear transmission 21: Input shaft 22: Output shaft 23: Speed ​​change gear 23: Gear pair 23a: Co-rotating gear 23b: Idle gear 23b1: 1st gear 23b2: 2nd gear 24: Dog 25a: 1st page 25b: 2nd side 40: Transmission control device 41: Processor

Claims

1. The prime mover and A gear transmission including an input shaft to which a driving force of the prime mover is transmitted, an output shaft, a plurality of dogs that are movable relative to the input shaft and the output shaft and correspond to a plurality of gear stages, respectively, and a plurality of speed change gears that correspond to the plurality of gear stages and have accommodation spaces into which the dogs can enter, is provided. A speed change control device that controls the prime mover, the speed change gear has a first surface and a second surface that define the accommodation space in a circumferential direction of the speed change gear, the first surface being a surface against which the dog abuts when torque is transmitted to the output shaft in a positive direction that accelerates rotation of the output shaft, and the second surface being a surface against which the dog abuts when torque is transmitted to the output shaft in a negative direction that is opposite to the positive direction and decelerates rotation of the output shaft, The transmission control device includes a processing circuit, The processing circuitry determining whether a state when a shift command to shift from a first gear position to a second gear position is acquired is a first state in which the shift command is a downshift command and the dog is in contact with the first surface of the first gear position, or a first state in which the shift command is an upshift command and the dog is in contact with the second surface of the first gear position; When it is determined that the situation is the first situation, starting separation control for adjusting an output of the prime mover so that the dog separates from the contact surface, which is the first surface or the second surface with which the dog was in contact when the shift command was acquired; after determining that the situation is the first situation and executing the separation control, or after determining that the situation is a second situation different from the first situation and not executing the separation control, and before the dog of the first gear stage moves out of the accommodation space of the first gear stage, starting synchronization control to bring one of the rotational speed of the dog of the second gear stage and the rotational speed of the transmission gear of the second gear stage closer to the other, the up-shift command is a command to increase the reduction ratio of the output shaft relative to the input shaft, The downshift command is a command to decrease the reduction ratio of the output shaft relative to the input shaft.

2. The processing circuit Calculating the angular position of the dog relative to the accommodation space of the first speed change stage in the rotation direction of the dog is repeated regardless of whether the shift command is acquired or not.

2. The gear shift control device according to claim 1, wherein it is estimated whether the dog of the first gear position is in contact with the first surface or the second surface of the first gear position based on a calculation result of the angular position of the dog.

3. The processing circuit Estimating an angular position of the dog relative to the accommodation space of the first gear stage in a rotational direction of the dog; 3. The gear shift control device according to claim 1, wherein a timing for starting movement control of a shift actuator that generates power to move the dogs to disengage the dog of the first gear stage from the transmission gear of the first gear stage and move the dog of the second gear stage toward the transmission gear of the second gear stage is determined based on the estimated angular position of the dog.

4. The processing circuitry During adjustment of the output of the prime mover, an angular position of the dog relative to the accommodation space of the first speed change stage in a rotational direction of the dog is estimated; 4. The gear shift control device according to claim 1, wherein the synchronization control is initiated when it is determined that the estimated angular position of the dog has reached a predetermined position away from the contact surface.

5. 5. The gear shift control device according to claim 4, wherein the processing circuit starts the synchronization control when, after starting the separation control, it determines that the estimated angular position of the dog has reached a position where the dog abuts against the opposite surface of the first surface or the second surface that is not the abutment surface.

6. 6. The gear shift control device according to claim 1, wherein control parameters used in the synchronous control executed after the separation control are the same as control parameters used in the synchronous control executed when it is determined that the situation is the second situation.

7. the processing circuit calculates the angular position of the dog based on the output torque of the prime mover and the total value of the inertia of a plurality of rotating bodies rotated by the output torque of the prime mover; The plurality of rotating bodies are an output shaft of the prime mover; the input shaft, and 6. The shift control device according to claim 2, further comprising: a rotating body that rotates together with the input shaft even when none of the plurality of dogs among the plurality of shift gears and the plurality of dogs in the gear transmission is engaged with the corresponding shift gear.

8. 6. The gear shift control device according to claim 2, wherein the processing circuit calculates the angular position of the dog based on a rotation speed of the input shaft or a parameter corresponding thereto, and a rotation speed of the output shaft or a parameter corresponding thereto.

9. When determining whether the situation is the first situation, the processing circuitry: Estimating an angular position of the dog relative to the accommodation space of the first speed change stage; The gear shift control device according to claim 2 , further comprising: determining whether the dog is in contact with the first surface or the second surface of the first gear stage, based on the estimated angular position of the dog.

10. A gear shift control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the second situation includes a situation in which the shift command is the shift up command and the dog is in contact with the first surface of the first gear stage, or a situation in which the shift command is the shift down command and the dog is in contact with the second surface of the first gear stage.

11. The prime mover and A gear transmission including an input shaft to which a driving force of the prime mover is transmitted, an output shaft, a plurality of dogs that are movable relative to the input shaft and the output shaft and correspond to a plurality of gear stages, respectively, and a plurality of speed change gears that correspond to the plurality of gear stages and have accommodation spaces into which the dogs can enter, comprising: the speed change gear has a first surface and a second surface that define the accommodation space in a circumferential direction of the speed change gear, the first surface being a surface against which the dog abuts when torque is transmitted to the output shaft in a positive direction that accelerates rotation of the output shaft, and the second surface being a surface against which the dog abuts when torque is transmitted to the output shaft in a negative direction that is opposite to the positive direction and decelerates rotation of the output shaft, The speed change control method includes: determining, by at least one of the one or more processors, whether a situation when a shift command to shift from a first gear to a second gear is acquired is a first situation in which the shift command is a downshift command and the dog is in contact with the first surface of the first gear, or whether the shift command is an upshift command and the dog is in contact with the second surface of the first gear; When at least one of the one or more processors determines that the situation is the first situation, starting separation control that adjusts an output of the prime mover so that the dog separates from the contact surface, which is the first surface or the second surface with which the dog was in contact when the shift command was acquired; and starting a synchronization control of bringing one of the rotation speed of the dog of the second gear stage and the rotation speed of the transmission gear of the second gear stage closer to the other, after at least one of the one or more processors determines that the situation is the first situation and executes the separation control, or determines that the situation is a second situation different from the first situation and does not execute the separation control, before the dog of the first gear stage moves out of the accommodation space of the first gear stage, the up-shift command is a command to increase the reduction ratio of the output shaft relative to the input shaft, The shift-down command is a command to decrease the reduction ratio of the output shaft relative to the input shaft.

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