A column-mounted shifter for a transmission includes a housing adapted to mount on a steering column and a shaft supported for rotation within the housing. A lever is operably coupled to the shaft and extends radially therefrom. The lever is pivotal between a series of positions corresponding to a series of modes of the transmission. Rotation of the lever causes rotation of the shaft within the housing. A sensor is configured to sense rotation of the shaft and output a signal indicative of the position of the lever. An actuator arrangement is connectable with the shaft and is configured to rotate the lever from one of the positions to another of the positions.

In a transmission control device, a controller determines failure of a rotation sensor. A hydraulic control circuit and the controller variably control a speed ratio of a variator. The hydraulic control circuit and the controller variably control a gear position of a sub-transmission mechanism, and in a case where the failure is determined, fix the gear position of the sub-transmission mechanism to first speed. The hydraulic control circuit and the controller fix the gear position of the sub-transmission mechanism to the first speed during a vehicle stop in a case where the gear position of the sub-transmission mechanism upon a determination of the failure is second speed.

A method of controlling a multispeed transmission includes providing a transmission controller, a plurality of ranges of the transmission of which at least one of the plurality of ranges is defined as a limiting range, and a communication link. The transmission is operated in a first range of the plurality of ranges and the method includes detecting a loss of communication over the communication link between the transmission controller and another controller. The method also includes determining if the first range is defined as the limiting range when communication is lost and commanding a shift from the first range to a second range of the plurality of ranges which is not defined as the limiting range. The method further includes controlling the shift from the first range to the second range.

A control apparatus for a vehicle provided with drive wheels, an automatic transmission, and a manual shifting device for shifting the automatic transmission, the control apparatus includes an automatic parking control portion configured to implement an automatic parking control for automatically parking the vehicle in a predetermined parking space, and controls the automatic transmission to be shifted according to a shifting control signal corresponding to an operation of the manual shifting device, the automatic parking control portion comprising a shifting control portion configured to place the automatic transmission in a power-cutoff state in which a vehicle drive force is not transmitted to the drive wheels, when the manual shifting device is operated to a position a running direction in which is different from a running direction of the vehicle when the automatic parking control is implemented.

A shift-by-wire type control device whose control target is an automatic transmission including a parking lock mechanism, the shift-by-wire type control device includes an electronic control unit that controls the automatic transmission in response to an instruction to select a shift range when selection of the shift range based on an operation on a to-be-operated part is performed.

A method of controlling a multispeed transmission includes providing a transmission controller, a plurality of ranges of the transmission of which at least one of the plurality of ranges is defined as a limiting range, and a communication link. The transmission is operated in a first range of the plurality of ranges and the method includes detecting a loss of communication over the communication link between the transmission controller and another controller. The method also includes determining if the first range is defined as the limiting range when communication is lost and commanding a shift from the first range to a second range of the plurality of ranges which is not defined as the limiting range. The method further includes controlling the shift from the first range to the second range.

A variable-speed speed-up mechanism includes: an electric device which is configured to generate a rotational driving force and a planetary gear transmission device which is configured to change the speed of the rotational driving force transmitted from the electric device to a constant-speed input shaft and a variable-speed input shaft and transmit the rotational driving force to a target to be driven via an output shaft. The electric device includes a constant-speed electric motor including a constant-speed rotor which is configured to rotate the constant-speed input shaft of the planetary gear transmission device and a variable-speed electric motor including a variable-speed rotor which is configured to rotate the variable-speed input shaft of the planetary gear transmission device.

A vehicle shift control device comprises: a shift position deciding portion deciding a shift position of a shift operating device based on a sensor signal output according to an operation of the shift operating device; and a drive power output command portion selecting a shift range based on a shift position determination signal output from the shift position deciding portion to cause a vehicle to run, when a communication abnormality has occurred so that the shift position determination signal is not transmitted from the shift position deciding portion to the drive power output command portion, the vehicle shift control device selecting a shift range maintained at the time of occurrence of the communication abnormality of the shift position determination signal if a vehicle speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and selecting a neutral range if the vehicle speed is less than the predetermined value.

A variable speed accelerator includes an electric driving device and a transmission device. The electric driving device includes a constant-speed motor rotating a constant-speed input shaft of the transmission device in a first direction, and a variable-speed motor having a variable-speed rotor connected to a variable-speed input shaft of the transmission device and rotating an output shaft of the transmission device at a maximum rotation rate by rotating the variable-speed rotor at a maximum rotation rate in a second direction. The accelerator includes a power source line connecting the variable-speed motor with a power source so that the variable-speed motor rotates in the second direction, a rotation rate controller, and a bypass line connecting the variable-speed motor with the power source so that the variable-speed motor rotates in the first direction.

An electronic transmission range select actuator (ETRSA) includes a primary drive system that operates during normal operation. The ETRSA includes an output shaft that is connected to the system via a lock pin during normal operation. The ETRSA also includes a release mechanism having a secondary motor that operates during a power loss or failure of the system. The secondary motor drives a gear that rotates freely relative to the output shaft. Rotation of the gear results in axial movement of the gear toward the lock pin, which in turn causes disengagement of the lock pin from the output shaft, allowing the output shaft to rotate due to the biasing load of a torsion spring such that the output shaft is returned to the P-range position. Thus, the mechanism is configured to return the output shaft to the P-range during a power loss or failure of the first motor.