Interrelated power delivery controls, including engine control inventions 02/07

20070042861 - Control device of cylinder reducing operation of multi-cylinder engine: A control device for cylinder reducing operation of a multi-cylinder engine for a vehicle controls the number of working cylinders in the engine more appropriately for fuel economy while ensuring the operational stability of the engine and comfortable drivability of the vehicle. The control device comprises a detector detecting engine... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20070042862 - Methods and systems for improving the operation of transmissions for motor vehicles: Methods and systems for improving the operation of a transmission for an automotive vehicle are provided for modifiying the original hydraulic circuits to increase the capacity or holding ability of the low and reverse clutches when the transmission is shifted into manual low gear to slow down a moving vehicle,... Agent: Mark P. Stone

20070042863 - Control system for internal combustion engine: A control system for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders and a switching mechanism for switching between an all-cylinder operation in which all of the plurality of cylinders are operated and a partial-cylinder operation in which at least one of the plurality of cylinders is halted. A... Agent: Lahive & Cockfield, LLP

20070042864 - Transmission system: A transmission having a plurality of gear ratios (15, 17), selector means (13) for selectively engaging the gear ratios, clutch means (2) for selectively transmitting drive from a drive source to the transmission, and a control system for controlling a clutch torque limit, said control system being constructed and arranged... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20070042865 - Driving arrangement for motor vehicle and method to determine torque transmitting characteristic for an intermediate shaft brake in a gearbox included in the driving arrangement: Drivetrain for a motor vehicle including an engine (1), a gearbox (9) having an intermediate shaft (11) with intermediate shaft brake (17) and a friction clutch (3) coupled between the engine and the gearbox. A torque sensor (19) is provided, which detects the input torque to the gearbox. The intermediate... Agent: Novak Druce & Quigg, LLP (volvo Prosecution)

20070037660 - Vehicle control apparatus and control method: In a torque assisted automated MT, an assist clutch is controlled to ensure that the transmission torque increase rate is reduced when disengaging a dog clutch while engaging the assist clutch. In a twin clutch type automated MT, in stepped speed change, one of the two clutches as the twin... Agent: Crowell & Moring LLP Intellectual Property Group

20070037661 - Engine running at fixed speed incorporated controllable transmission power system: A power system of controllable transmission incorporated with an engine running at fixed speed that controls the engine to run at a fixed speed or approaching a fixed speed within an rpm range with higher BSFC (braking specific fuel consumption) when the engine is started up from static status and... Agent: Rabin & Berdo, P.C. Suite 500

20070037662 - Control strategy for active torque control: A torque transfer mechanism includes a multi-plate clutch assembly that is operably disposed between a first rotary and a second rotary member. A control system determines a desired quantity of torque to deliver to the second rotary member and controls the clutch to produce the desired torque.... Agent: Harness, Dickey & Pierce, P.L.C

20070032338 - Robotized gear change for motor vehicles: A robotized gear change for motor vehicles, and in particular motor vehicles for disabled persons, configured for implementing a plurality of operating modes that can be selected by the driver via a manually operable hand or foot selection device, in which first operating modes associated with the automatic gear-change mode... Agent: Seed Intellectual Property Law Group PLLC

20070032339 - Drive force distribution device and method for distributing drive force: An ECU estimates the temperatures of the heat generating portions provided in a drive force transmission system, or a transaxle, a rear differential, and a torque coupling, in correspondence with not only the rotational speed (the differential rotational speed) of each heat generating portion and the torque transmission rate of... Agent: C. Irvin Mcclelland Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070032340 - Driveline shift quality in variable valve engine equipped drivelines: In one example, a method for controlling powertrain operation in a vehicle is provided, the powertrain having an engine and an automatic transmission, the engine having at least an electrically actuated cylinder valve. The method includes changing gears from a first discreet gear ratio to a second discreet gear ratio... Agent: Alleman Hall Mccoy Russell & Tuttle, LLP

20070032341 - Driving force control apparatus and driving force control method: In a driving force control apparatus and a driving force control method, a curve ahead of a vehicle is detected; a target vehicle speed is set to pass the curve; a starting-point shift speed is set to pass the starting point of the curve; and an end-point shift speed is... Agent: C. Irvin Mcclelland Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070032343 - Gearshift unit for a transmission of a motor vehicle: In a gearshift unit for a transmission of a motor vehicle, wherein a driver of the motor vehicle shift the gears of the transmission by means of a gearshift lever and the gearshift unit has a gearshift power-assist unit to enhance the shift force exerted by the driver of the... Agent: Klaus J. Bach

20070032342 - Method of using a pto clutch for auxiliary load measurement: A method is provided wherein when an auxiliary device is being powered by the PTO driveline the PTO clutch is periodically slowly ramped down in pressure until slippage is detected in the clutch. Slippage is determined by monitoring the shaft speed into the clutch as well as the shaft speed... Agent: W. Michael Dixon Patent Department

20070026993 - Starting clutch control apparatus: There is provided a starting clutch control apparatus which is capable of controlling transmission torque of a starting clutch according to changes in accelerator operated amount without preparing a plurality of data maps of torque coefficients in advance. A clutch controller determines a clutch instruction torque based on torque coefficient,... Agent: Rossi, Kimms & Mcdowell LLP.

20070026994 - Transmission and motorcycle comprising the same: A transmission configured to change a gear position by rotation of a shift drum operative in association with an operation of a change pedal, including a potentiometer configured to detect a rotational angle of the shift drum; and a determiner configured to determine a gear position based on whether or... Agent: Alleman Hall Mccoy Russell & Tuttle LLP

20070026997 - Device and method for preventing over-rotation of engines: A device and method that suppresses delay in response to gear-shifting in upshifting during control for preventing over-rotation. An engine torque control part controls the torque of the engine based on a driver request for driving force, a rotation velocity sensor detects the rotation velocity of the engine, and an... Agent: Young & Basile, P.C.

20070026996 - Shift control apparartus and shift control method of automatic transmission of vehicle: The invention relates to a shift control apparatus for an automatic transmission that executes a torque reduction control when the transmission downshifts in response to a downshift determination made during an upshift. The shift control apparatus includes a multiple shift execution unit that starts the downshift in response to the... Agent: C. Irvin Mcclelland Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070026995 - System and method for improved fuel economy during vehicle deceleration conditions: A method of operating an engine of a vehicle having a powertrain having a transmission is described. The method includes, during a driver tip-out condition where the vehicle is decelerating, adjusting engine output based on a gear of the transmission, and reducing airflow to reduce engine torque output without reducing... Agent: Alleman Hall Mccoy Russell & Tuttle, LLP

20070026998 - Control apparatus for vehicular automatic transmission: In a hydraulic control apparatus for a vehicular automatic transmission, if it is determined that there is a failure that may cause tie-up in an automatic transmission, communication is provided between a first output port and a first drain port in a switching valve. As a result, a hydraulic frictional... Agent: C. Irvin Mcclelland Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.