A vehicle control device including an electronically controlled throttle device and configured to control a vehicle for supplying a hydraulic pressure to a friction engaging element of a transmission on the basis of a throttle valve opening controls a start timing of a supply of the hydraulic pressure to the friction engaging element on the basis of an accelerator pedal opening and the throttle valve opening if a shift lever is changed from an advance position to a reverse position or from the reverse position to the advance position.

A shift device for an outboard motor includes a forward gear and a reverse gear; a clutch gear; a shift actuator configured to move between a neutral reference position where the clutch gear is disengaged from the forward gear and the reverse gear and an engagement reference position where the clutch gear is engaged with the forward gear or the reverse gear; and a control device configured to control a movement of the shift actuator. The control device is configured to set an intermediate target position, and to set a speed at which the shift actuator moves from the intermediate target position to the engagement reference position slower than a speed at which the shift actuator moves from the neutral reference position to the intermediate target position.

Systems and methods for transitioning a hybrid vehicle from park or neutral to drive or reverse are presented. In one example, a requested engine speed is adjusted in response to a transmission disengaging indication and a transmission disengaging timer when a transmission is being disengaged from a gear. In another example, the requested engine speed is adjusted in response to a transmission engaging indication and a transmission engaging timer when the transmission is being engaged to a gear.

Systems and methods for transitioning a hybrid vehicle from park or neutral to drive or reverse are presented. In one example, a requested engine speed is adjusted in response to a transmission disengaging indication and a transmission disengaging timer when a transmission is being disengaged from a gear. In another example, the requested engine speed is adjusted in response to a transmission engaging indication and a transmission engaging timer when the transmission is being engaged to a gear.

A shift device for an outboard motor includes a forward gear and a reverse gear; a clutch gear; a shift actuator configured to move between a neutral reference position where the clutch gear is disengaged from the forward gear and the reverse gear and an engagement reference position where the clutch gear is engaged with the forward gear or the reverse gear; and a control device configured to control a movement of the shift actuator. The control device is configured to set an intermediate target position, and to set a speed at which the shift actuator moves from the intermediate target position to the engagement reference position slower than a speed at which the shift actuator moves from the neutral reference position to the intermediate target position.

Torque reduction control is executed for temporarily reducing a torque capacity of a reaction engagement device during a transition of a shift. The reaction engagement device is maintained in an engaged state from before the shift to after the shift such that a predetermined rotating element in an automatic transmission bears a reaction caused by progress of the shift resulting from a change of an engaging-side engagement device into an engaged state. Therefore, without delaying a change of the engaging-side engagement device into the engaged state, transmission of torque that is generated as a result of rattling during a transition of a shift is reduced. Thus, in shift control over the automatic transmission, shock at the time of rattling is reduced while a stop of a shift due to a delay in change of the engaging-side engagement device into the engaged state is prevented.

A method of controlling a gear shifting in a neutral gear stage for shortening a gear shifting time in the neutral gear stage when performing a gear shifting of a hybrid electric vehicle is characterized in that when a shift class of the gear shifting is determined, a hybrid control unit of the vehicle determines a shift gear ratio in the N-stage in a current state by use of a transmission (TM) output speed and a transmission (TM) input speed at a class transition time point, determines an N-stage gear shifting progressing rate by use of the determined N-stage shift gear ratio, sets time points of a start and an end of the gear shifting based on the determined gear shifting progressing rate, and controls the gear shifting speed in the N-stage with reference to a gear shifting target speed and the transmission input speed in a section of the time points of the start and the end of the speed control.

A method of controlling a gear shifting in a neutral gear stage for shortening a gear shifting time in the neutral gear stage when performing a gear shifting of a hybrid electric vehicle is characterized in that when a shift class of the gear shifting is determined, a hybrid control unit of the vehicle determines a shift gear ratio in the N-stage in a current state by use of a transmission (TM) output speed and a transmission (TM) input speed at a class transition time point, determines an N-stage gear shifting progressing rate by use of the determined N-stage shift gear ratio, sets time points of a start and an end of the gear shifting based on the determined gear shifting progressing rate, and controls the gear shifting speed in the N-stage with reference to a gear shifting target speed and the transmission input speed in a section of the time points of the start and the end of the speed control.

Systems and methods for performing a garage shift of an automatic transmission of a vehicle comprise maintaining a clutch at a first holding pressure while the transmission is in a neutral gear and a brake input signal satisfies a threshold and maintaining the clutch at a lower second holding pressure while the transmission is in the neutral gear and the brake input signal satisfies the threshold to mitigate or eliminate causing drive torque to be transferred from a torque generating system of the vehicle to its driveline via the transmission. When the brake input signal satisfies the threshold and a shift from the neutral gear to a non-neutral gear is requested, the garage shift is then executed.

Systems and methods for performing a garage shift of an automatic transmission of a vehicle comprise maintaining a clutch at a first holding pressure while the transmission is in a neutral gear and a brake input signal satisfies a threshold and maintaining the clutch at a lower second holding pressure while the transmission is in the neutral gear and the brake input signal satisfies the threshold to mitigate or eliminate causing drive torque to be transferred from a torque generating system of the vehicle to its driveline via the transmission. When the brake input signal satisfies the threshold and a shift from the neutral gear to a non-neutral gear is requested, the garage shift is then executed.