A method is disclosed for operating a multi-gear vehicle transmission in a motor vehicle during a coasting phase. The coasting phase includes an overrun phase with a driving gear engaged and a freewheeling phase with the neutral gear engaged. It is determined whether the motor vehicle is in the overrun phase of the coasting phase, whether a condition for a transition to the freewheeling phase of the coasting phase is fulfilled, and whether a transmission condition with elevated drag losses exists. If the motor vehicle is in the overrun phase of the coasting phase, if the condition for transition to the freewheeling phase is fulfilled, and if a transmission condition with elevated drag losses exists, then at least one further shifting element (D, E) is closed in addition to the shifting elements (A, B, C) of the driving gear, which are closed during the overrun phase of the motor vehicle.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a control system, apparatus, and method includes dynamic optimization of at least one of a vehicle reference speed and/or transmission gear state of a vehicle by determining current and future engine power requirements from the current and forward-looking route conditions to improve performance, drivability, and/or fuel economy of the vehicle over what is achievable through conventional gear state selection via static calibration tables and conventional shifting strategies. The selection of the vehicle reference speed and gear state can be performed independently of one another in one embodiment, and complementary of one another in another embodiment.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a control system, apparatus, and method includes dynamic optimization of at least one of a vehicle reference speed and/or transmission gear state of a vehicle by determining current and future engine power requirements from the current and forward-looking route conditions to improve performance, drivability, and/or fuel economy of the vehicle over what is achievable through conventional gear state selection via static calibration tables and conventional shifting strategies. The selection of the vehicle reference speed and gear state can be performed independently of one another in one embodiment, and complementary of one another in another embodiment.

A transmission includes an input shaft coupled to a prime mover, a countershaft, main shaft, and an output shaft, with gears between the countershaft and the main shaft. A shift actuator selectively couples the input shaft to the main shaft by rotatably coupling gears between the countershaft and the main shaft. The shift actuator is mounted on an exterior wall of a housing including the countershaft and the main shaft. An integrated actuator housing includes a single external power access for the shift actuator. A controller interprets a shaft displacement angle, determines if the transmission is in an imminent zero or zero torque region, and performs a transmission operation in response to the transmission in the imminent zero or zero torque region.

In the active transportation mode of a motor vehicle, only the forward gears can be selected. The weakest shift element, in particular the weakest brake or clutch in an automatic transmission, always is closed in the forward gears. Preferably, manual shifting options in an electronically controlled automatic transmission with a manual mode are additionally suppressed.

In the active transportation mode of a motor vehicle, only the forward gears can be selected. The weakest shift element, in particular the weakest brake or clutch in an automatic transmission, always is closed in the forward gears. Preferably, manual shifting options in an electronically controlled automatic transmission with a manual mode are additionally suppressed.

A method is provided for controlling a drivetrain of a vehicle, wherein the drivetrain comprises a multi-clutch transmission. The gear shift of the multi-clutch transmission is adapted to be performed either by power cut shift or by power shift dependent on predetermined vehicle shift conditions. The method includes detecting at least one of a plurality of indications of slippery road conditions and setting a slip risk factor, wherein the slip risk factor is dependent on the indication of slippery road conditions. If the slip risk factor is above a first predetermined threshold value the method further comprises controlling the multi-clutch transmission such that an upcoming gear shift is performed as a power-shift independently of if upcoming shift was determined to be performed as a power-cut shift or as a power shift.

Disclosed are a hybrid vehicle and a method of calculating driving load therefor for determining a more effective gear shift reference in consideration of a driving mode. The method of controlling gear shift of a hybrid vehicle includes predicting required power of a forward driving path, determining a representative driving mode based on mode switch power as a reference of switch between a first driving mode using only an electric motor and a second driving mode using at least an engine and the predicted required power, and applying any one of a first gear shift map corresponding to the first driving mode based on the determined representative driving mode or a second gear shift map corresponding to the second driving mode.

Disclosed are a hybrid vehicle and a method of calculating driving load therefor for determining a more effective gear shift reference in consideration of a driving mode. The method of controlling gear shift of a hybrid vehicle includes predicting required power of a forward driving path, determining a representative driving mode based on mode switch power as a reference of switch between a first driving mode using only an electric motor and a second driving mode using at least an engine and the predicted required power, and applying any one of a first gear shift map corresponding to the first driving mode based on the determined representative driving mode or a second gear shift map corresponding to the second driving mode.

A transmission includes an input shaft coupled to a prime mover, a countershaft, main shaft, and an output shaft, with gears between the countershaft and the main shaft. A shift actuator selectively couples the input shaft to the main shaft by rotatably coupling gears between the countershaft and the main shaft. The shift actuator is mounted on an exterior wall of a housing including the countershaft and the main shaft. An integrated actuator housing includes a single external power access for the shift actuator. A controller interprets controls the shift actuator with actuating and opposing pulses, and interprets a shaft displacement angle, determines if the transmission is in an imminent zero or zero torque region, and performs a transmission operation in response to the transmission in the imminent zero or zero torque region.