US 12,173,787 B2
Throttle input limiting system
Jeremy Fohrenkamm, Bloomington, MN (US); Nathan Wiater, Bloomington, MN (US); Ryan Foss, Bloomington, MN (US); and Greg L. Lawrence, Bloomington, MN (US)
Assigned to The Toro Company, Bloomington, MN (US)
Filed by The Toro Company, Bloomington, MN (US)
Filed on Mar. 1, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/177,042.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/364,704, filed on May 13, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0366458 A1, Nov. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. F16H 59/68 (2006.01); F16H 59/02 (2006.01); F16H 59/04 (2006.01); F16H 63/50 (2006.01)
CPC F16H 59/0204 (2013.01) [F16H 59/044 (2013.01); F16H 59/68 (2013.01); F16H 63/502 (2013.01); F16H 2063/508 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A transmission shifting system configured for use with a transmission of a vehicle, comprising:
a transmission selector configured to shift between a plurality of gears for changing a desired power output between an engine and a drive shaft of the vehicle;
a gear position sensor configured to sense and communicate via a gear position signal whether the transmission is 1) engaged with one of the plurality of gears or 2) disengaged and in a dead zone between one or more of the plurality of gears; and,
an electronic control unit configured to receive a gear input signal from the transmission selector, receive the gear position signal from the gear position sensor;
and receive an input throttle signal from a throttle input;
wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to:
switch between a first state and a second state each time the gear position signal indicates that the transmission is disengaged from and in the dead zone between one or more of the plurality of gears, and switch between the second state and the first state each time the gear position signal indicates that the transmission is engaged with one of the plurality of gears;
in the first state, limit the input throttle signal to a zero-input throttle state so that any user command to the throttle input to increase the input throttle signal will not be conveyed to the engine; and
in the second state, communicate the input throttle signal to the engine so that any user command to the throttle input to increase the input throttle signal will be conveyed to the engine.