Gear availability and synchronization indicator and method

摘要

A gear availability indicator for multi-gear transmissions of motor vehicles includes a signal processing unit for receiving input signals representative of vehicle speed and engine speed. The signal processing unit can determine a gear ratio value representative of the relationship between vehicle speed and engine speed for each gear in the vehicle transmission and can generate output signals for operation of a display. The display includes a first section displaying a range of acceptable engine speeds and a second section displaying gear symbols representative of gear ratio values. The displayed range of acceptable engine speeds and the displayed gear symbols are relatively moveable. The mutual alignment of the displayed range of acceptable engine speeds and one or more of the displayed gear symbols indicates that one or more gears represented by the one or more gear symbols are available for engagement in the transmission. A method of calibrating the gear availability indicator includes operating the vehicle at a predetermined velocity and the engine at a predetermined rate of revolution, operating the vehicle with the transmission engaged in one of the gears while monitoring the vehicle speed and engine rate of revolution, and calculating a gear ratio for the engaged gear from the monitored vehicle speed and engine rate of revolution.