Paddle-Shift Logic for Automatic Transmission Down-Shifting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automatic transmission vehicles using paddle shifters experience sudden shifts and down-shift shock due to immediate gear changes, leading to engine braking and discomfort for the driver.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a paddle shifter system that sends signals for half-shifts when the paddle is actuated and released for a predetermined time, allowing the transmission to perform gradual gear changes, reducing the shock associated with traditional full down-shifts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a full down-shift is performed immediately when the paddle is pressed, then the gear change is completed quickly, but down-shift shock and engine braking occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments a full down-shift into two half-shifts. When the paddle is pressed, the transmission shifts from current gear to intermediate gear (first half-shift). When the paddle is released, the transmission shifts from intermediate gear to target gear (second half-shift). This segmentation reduces the shock and engine braking associated with immediate full down-shifts while maintaining reasonable shift speed.
2Loss of time
If a full down-shift is performed immediately when the paddle is pressed, then the shifting response is immediate, but the shift is sudden with large ratio changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the down-shift process into two segments triggered by paddle press and release events. The first half-shift occurs on paddle press, and the second half-shift occurs on paddle release. This segmentation provides a more gradual transition with smaller ratio changes at each step, improving shifting smoothness while maintaining responsive control through the driver's paddle input.
3Ease of operation
If paddle shifters are used for manual control, then the driver has direct gear control, but sudden shifts with large ratio changes occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the paddle shifter operation by segmenting the gear change into two half-shifts triggered by press and release events. This allows the driver to maintain manual control through paddle input while the system automatically implements smoother transitions, reducing down-shift shock without eliminating manual control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate gear acts as a mediator between the current gear and the target gear. Instead of directly shifting from current to target gear, the transmission uses the intermediate gear as a stepping stone, reducing the abruptness of the ratio change and minimizing down-shift shock while preserving manual control intent.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for shifting an automatic or continuously variable transmission of a vehicle. The system includes a plurality of wheels, an engine, a transmission, a memory, a processor, and a paddle shifter. The engine provides a torque to the plurality of wheels through the transmission. The transmission has a plurality of set gear ratios to shift through. The processor detects when the paddle shifter is pressed and held, to instruct the transmission to perform a first half shift. When the paddle shifter is subsequently released, the processor instructs the transmission to perform a second half shift, completing a full shift.