Vehicle Transmission Control Using Future Speed Estimation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle transmission systems often experience improper gear shift timing, leading to unnecessary gear shifts or failure to perform desired shifts, especially when driving conditions require engine braking, due to reliance on current vehicle speed and engine rotational speed without consideration of future conditions.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle equipped with a data storage system and electronic controller that estimates future vehicle speed based on running conditions, including road information and traffic data, to determine optimal gear shifts, thereby improving timing and reducing unnecessary operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If gear shift is automatically performed based on current vehicle speed and engine rotational speed, then gear shift operation is simplified, but unnecessary gear shifts occur and desired gear shifts may not occur at proper timing
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary estimation of future vehicle speed based on current running conditions (accelerator operation amount, vehicle speed, engine rotational speed, road gradient, curvature) before executing gear shift control. This allows the gear shift to be timed appropriately for upcoming conditions rather than reacting to current conditions alone, preventing both unnecessary shifts and missed desired shifts.
2Adaptability or versatility
If gear shift is performed manually by driver, then driver has direct control, but driver needs to perform additional operations and pay additional attention due to torque change
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission system performs self-service by automatically determining and executing gear shifts based on estimated future vehicle speed and running conditions. This eliminates the need for the driver to manually operate the shift actuator while maintaining appropriate gear shift timing, as the system independently manages the torque conversion requirements.
3Speed
If gear shift timing is determined based on current running conditions only, then response is immediate, but improper gear shift timing occurs under varying driving conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates future vehicle speed by integrating predicted acceleration over a future time period based on current running conditions. This preliminary calculation allows the gear shift timing to be determined in advance for upcoming conditions while maintaining immediate system responsiveness through continuous real-time calculation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors running conditions (accelerator operation, vehicle speed, engine rotational speed, road gradient, curvature) and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust the future vehicle speed estimation. This closed-loop feedback ensures accurate gear shift timing determination that adapts to changing driving conditions while maintaining immediate response capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle includes a main body, a transmission having a plurality of gear stages, a data storage, and an electronic controller. The data storage stores vehicle running condition data that includes at least one of a prescribed vehicle running condition, a sensed vehicle running condition, or a transmitted vehicle running condition. The electronic controller determines a gear shift of the gear stages of the transmission based on a future vehicle speed that has been estimated based on the vehicle running condition data.