Generally, transmission control systems may be provided in a vehicle to effectuate transmission gear change (i.e., upshift or downshift) at particular intervals called shift points. These shift points may be selected by monitoring various vehicle conditions (i.e., acceleration, road grade, accelerator depression, speed, etc.) and calculating a shift point to minimize transmission gear “hunting”, overrunning or misshifting. A user may, however, select or adjust the shift points to dynamically personalize vehicle performance. Typically, a user may control a shift point by adjusting a selector. In one such system, the selector may provide selection of shift points from a finite set of shift points (i.e., a discrete selector). However, such systems are inflexible and limited in the programmability they can provide. In another such system, the selector may only provide instantaneous selection of a shift point (i.e., shifting immediately when a shifting mechanism is engaged). However, such systems do not allow for setting or programming shift points. Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods that have greater flexibility and allow for more user control. There is also a need for systems and methods that provide user-selectable shift points without a need for continual user interaction.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds