Generation of acceleration profiles for smooth gear shift operations

The main goal of the engine-gear-clutch electronic control system is to improve the performance of the vehicle even in terms of passenger´s comfort. Based on trajectory generation techniques, this paper proposes a nonlinear filter for the generation of comfortable car acceleration profiles during automatic gear shift operations. The passenger´s head oscillations are evaluated by means of a head-neck dynamic model validated by experimental measurements. The on-line generation of the acceleration profiles ensures the required flexibility. The paper proposes also a methodology that can easily be extended either to fit with different comfort specifications or to match driveline constraints.