Appeal No. 2006-0945
Application No. 10/245,888
FIGS. 5 to 7 show another embodiment of the present invention which can
eliminate the above-mentioned problem, and in which the application capacity
of the lock-up clutch for the coasting drive is not determined to be a fixed value
and
is changed by a learning control in accordance with whether or not the slip of
the torque converter occurs during the coasting drive in this example [See Narita
col. 10, l. 7-23] (emphasis added).
Similarly, Narita provides the rationale for applying a different factor into the
computation of a coasting lock-up capacity depending on the on or off load level of an air
conditioner.
When using no torque sensor, there naturally occurs an error between the
retrieved reverse driving torque T and an actual value due to the operation/non-
operation of auxiliary devices driven by the engine such as an air
conditioner, a power steering apparatus and an alternator, or due to the engine
coolant temperature. Hence, the correction may be taken for correcting such
error. Using an air conditioner as an example of the auxiliary device, since the
driving load of air conditioner does not significantly vary by the engine speed Ne
as shown in FIG. 13, it is set that only the ON/OFF state of the air conditioner is
detected. The driving load of the air conditioner is added to the retrieved
reverse driving torque T, and the control shown in FIG. 9 is performed at the
time of ON. Further, the correction is not carried out at the time of OFF.
[emphasis added; See Narita, col. 12, l. 37-51].
We note, therefore, that Narita I teaches that use of a learning control that updates
parameters in a table achieves superior performance by adapting to specific circumstances
relative to use of fixed values of parameters based on experimentation. We note that Narita II
teaches that an air conditioner is a device that applies added load to an engine and its adverse
effect on a coasting lockup capacity may be improved by applying an adjustment depending on
the air conditioner ON or OFF status. One of ordinary skill in the art would have immediately
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