JPH11325226A - Controller for automatic transmission in vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a controller for an automatic transmission in a vehicle, capable of selectable operation between an automatic transmission (D) range and a manual transmission range for transmission corresponding to the operation of an operation member arranged near a steering wheel, wherein engine brake works with simple operation as the D-range remains selected. SOLUTION: In the condition that the a driver intends to make engine brake is recognized, in other words, that an accelerator switch is turned off with the cancellation of accelerator operation when a vehicle speed V exceeds a predetermined value VS during running, control is stopped in an automatic transmission mode to execute down-shift (S8) when down-shift operation is done by an operation member (S6).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a control device for an automatic transmission for a vehicle, which can select an automatic transmission range and a manual transmission range.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an automatic transmission for a vehicle, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 6-74318, an automatic transmission range and a manual transmission range can be freely selected by a select lever disposed on a floor beside a driver's seat. In the automatic shift range, control is performed in an automatic shift mode in which a shift is automatically performed according to the traveling state of the vehicle, and in the manual shift range, a shift is performed according to an operation of an operation member disposed near the steering wheel. Such is known.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned prior art, when it is desired to apply the engine brake during traveling in the automatic shift range, the operation is switched to the manual shift range and the operating member is operated to the downshift side. , A downshift is performed, and the engine brake becomes effective. However, this requires two steps of a range switching operation using a select lever and a downshift operation using an operation member, which complicates the operation.

[0004] In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a control device capable of applying an engine brake with a simple operation.

[0005]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems,
The present invention relates to an automatic shift range for performing control in an automatic shift mode for automatically shifting gears according to a running state of a vehicle, and a manual shift range for performing shift according to operation of an operation member disposed near a steering wheel. When the operating member is operated to the downshift side while the accelerator operation is released during traveling in the automatic shifting range, control in the automatic shifting mode is performed. The automatic shift mode canceling means for canceling the shift and executing the downshift is provided.

According to the present invention, when the vehicle is running,
In addition, in a state where the accelerator operation is released, that is, in a state where it is recognized that the driver intends to apply the engine brake, the downshift can be performed only by the downshift operation using the operation member even if the automatic shift range is selected. As a result, the engine brake will work. Therefore, the switching operation to the manual shift range becomes unnecessary, and the operation for applying the engine brake is simplified.

Further, after performing the downshift as described above, an automatic shift mode return means for returning to the automatic shift mode when engine braking becomes unnecessary, that is, when the vehicle is stopped or the accelerator operation is restarted, may be provided. If this is the case, restarting and re-acceleration in the automatic transmission mode can be performed without requiring a special return operation, and operability is further improved.

In the embodiment to be described later, the process corresponding to the automatic shift mode stopping means corresponds to the process from step S1 to step S8 in FIG. 2, and the automatic shift mode returning means corresponds to the automatic shift mode returning means. This is processing from the steps S1 and S2 to the step S4 in FIG.

[0009]

FIG. 1 shows a front-wheel drive vehicle in which front wheels 1 and 1 are drive wheels and rear wheels 2 and 2 are driven wheels, and is driven by an engine 3 as a power source via an automatic transmission 4. The front wheels 1 and 1 are driven.

[0010] The automatic transmission 4 is controlled by a controller 5 comprising a vehicle-mounted computer. The controller 5 includes a signal from a range selection device 6 disposed on the floor beside the driver's seat, a signal from an operation member 8 disposed near the steering wheel 7, and a signal from a vehicle speed sensor 9 for detecting a vehicle speed V. And Engine 3
Sensor 10 for detecting the throttle opening TH of the vehicle
On by the signal from and the depression operation of the accelerator pedal,
A signal from the accelerator switch 11 that is turned off when the depression operation is released is input.

The range selection device 6 includes a "P" range for parking, an "R" range for reverse, an "N" range for neutral, a "D" range for automatic shifting,
A select lever 6a is provided for selecting a total of seven ranges of an "M" range for manual shifting, a "2" range for holding the second speed, and a "1" range for holding the first speed. The controller 5 controls the automatic transmission 4 in the control mode corresponding to the range selected in the above.

In the "D" range, control is performed in an automatic shift mode in which the vehicle speed V and the throttle opening TH are automatically shifted according to a shift map set as a parameter,
In the “M” range, control is performed in a manual shift mode in which a shift is performed according to the operation of the operation member 8. In this embodiment, the operating member 8 is connected to an UP (upshift) side mounted on a steering column 7a that supports the steering wheel 7 and a DO.
It is composed of an arm switch that can be operated on the WN (downshift) side. When the "M" range is selected, the upshift is performed by operating the arm switch to the UP side, and D
Downshifting is performed by operation to the OWN side. The operating member 8 may be constituted by left and right flaps attached to the steering column 7a, or switches attached to the steering wheel or an instrument panel near the steering wheel. Further, in the present embodiment, “P”, “R”, “N”, “D” by the select lever 6a of the range select device 6
Although the “M”, “2”, and “1” range selection positions are arranged in series, the “M” range selection position may be arranged next to the “D” range selection position. The "M" range may be selected by pressing a switch provided in an appropriate position near the driver's seat without providing the "range" selection position.

When the "D" range is selected, the control in the automatic shift mode as described above is normally performed.
In a state in which the driver is deemed to intend to apply the engine brake, that is, in a state in which the accelerator pedal is depressed during traveling, the control in the automatic shift mode is performed when the operating member 8 is operated to the DOWN side. Is stopped and the downshift is executed.

The details are as shown in FIG. 2. When the D range is selected, first, in step S1, it is determined whether or not the vehicle speed V is equal to or higher than a predetermined vehicle speed VS which is a reference for determining whether the vehicle is at a stop. If V ≧ VS, the process proceeds to step S2, where it is determined whether or not the accelerator switch 11 is off.

When V <VS when the vehicle stops, or when the accelerator switch is turned on by depressing the accelerator pedal, the process proceeds to step S3 to reset the automatic transmission mode stop flag F to 0, Next, the process proceeds to step S4 to execute control in the automatic shift mode.

If the accelerator switch is turned off by releasing the accelerator pedal while the vehicle is running and V ≧ VS, the process proceeds to step S5, and is the automatic transmission mode stop flag F set to 1? Determine whether or not. Since this flag F has been reset to 0 as described above, it is determined that F ≠ 1 and the process proceeds to step S6, and whether or not the operation member 8 has been operated to the DOWN side, that is, whether or not a downshift operation has been performed. Determine whether or not. If the downshift operation is not performed, the process proceeds to steps S3 and subsequent steps to continue the control in the automatic transmission mode. If the downshift operation is performed, the process proceeds to step S7 and the automatic transmission mode stop flag F is set. It is set to 1, and then the process proceeds to step S8 to execute a downshift. That is, the control in the automatic shift mode is stopped, and the shift is shifted down to a shift speed one step lower than the previous shift speed. Next time, S7
Since the automatic transmission mode stop flag F is set to 1 in the step S, it is determined that F = 1 in the step S5, and the process proceeds to the step S9 to determine whether the downshift operation is performed again. If the downshift operation is not performed, one control process is terminated as it is, and the gear position that was previously downshifted is maintained. If the downshift operation is performed again, the process proceeds to step S8. The gear is downshifted to a gear one step lower than the gear previously downshifted.

Thus, even when the "D" range is selected, when the engine brake is desired, it is possible to stop the control in the automatic shift mode and perform the downshift only by the downshift operation using the operating member 8. The operation for applying the engine brake becomes easy. Further, after the downshift is executed as described above, when the engine brake becomes unnecessary, that is, when the vehicle is stopped or when the accelerator pedal is depressed again, the process proceeds from the steps S1 and S2 to the steps S3 and below to automatically perform the steps. Control in the shift mode is resumed.
Thus, restart and re-acceleration in the automatic transmission mode can be performed without requiring a special return operation, and the operability is further improved.

In the above-described embodiment, only the downshift is executed in the step S8. However, in the step S8, the control in the manual shift mode similar to that when the "M" range is selected is executed, and the excessive shift is executed. The upshift may be performed by an upshift operation using the operation member 8 when the engine brake is applied.

[0019]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, even if the automatic shift range is selected, when the engine brake is desired, the downshift is performed only by the downshift operation using the operating member. And the operability is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of the apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing control contents in an automatic shift range.

[Explanation of symbols]

 4 Automatic transmission 5 Controller 6 Range select device 7 Steering wheel 8 Operating member

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI F16H 59:18

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An automatic shift range for performing control in an automatic shift mode for automatically shifting gears according to a traveling state of a vehicle, and a manual shift for performing a shift in response to an operation of an operation member disposed near a steering wheel. In the control device for an automatic transmission for a vehicle, the range of which can be selected, when the operation member is operated to the downshift side while the accelerator operation is released during traveling in the automatic transmission range,
A control device for an automatic transmission for a vehicle, comprising: an automatic shift mode canceling unit for canceling control in the automatic shift mode and executing a downshift. 2. An automatic shift mode returning means for returning to the automatic shift mode when the vehicle is stopped or when the accelerator operation is restarted after executing the downshift by the automatic shift mode stop means. Control device for automatic transmission for vehicles.