How many of ya’ll have one of them there fancy shmancy GPS thingys? Purdy kewl, eh? How would you like the idea of your car’s transmission using a GPS system to control the shifting and such? It could happen! It’s actually happening now, or at least, it’s being developed for future use in cars. Here’s what I know…

Most of ya know that the GPS systems can give you directions, distances, ETAs, and that kind of info. What is being developed now will be able to determine where you are, and if there are any hills, dips, curves, etc. The system will take this info, and using the on-board PCM (Powertrain Control Module), modify the shifting characteristics of the trans to suit the situation.

In 1998, the Nissan corp. got a patent for …”Controlling Vehicular Driving Force in Anticipation of Road Situation on which Vehicle is to Run Utilizing Vehicular Navigation System”.(WHEW!) One design level of this system uses the GPS to find the vehicle’s present location on a CD-rom, or stored electronic road map. This map has information that includes gradient info on the road driven on. It then calculates the estimated position of where the car will be in a few seconds, and the height difference between now and then, and change the air/fuel ratio and/or the trans shifting characteristics according to the predicted load condition at the estimated position. Nissan says this will optimize the engine and trans settings, improve fuel economy, reduce emissions, and avoid unnecessary shifting. Hmmm….

In Dec, 2005, IBM got a patent on... (here we go again..) “Method and System for Controlling an Automatic Transmission using a GPS Having a Learn Mode”. The purpose of this is to improve the performance, and the life of the trans by using the GPS. It is fully integrated into the on-board electronics, and can obtain info including altitude, position, and trans data. It uses this info to determine whether the trans performance can be improved, and if so, it will adjust to avoid un-needed shifting. If the car comes upon a strong headwind, crosswind, or other one-time event, the programming reverts back to the factory settings.

Automatic trannys have always been basically reactive, shifting when a change in road-speed, or load has occurred. The IBM set-up is pro-active. It will make adjustments as the car approaches a position seen in the GPS data and then it may re-adjust after passing that point. Here’s the kewl part…if you happen to drive that route often, say, to work every day, it will store that information, and recall the previous settings ahead of time! Even if it’s a month later, it will still recognize the area you’re in, and how it adjusted the shift/air/fuel parameters before, so it will be able to anticipate what it needs to do before you get there.

Some of this may smell sorta “Somebody doesn’t have enough to do”-ish. IBM claims this system will create smoother shifts, less wear & tear on the trans, and better fuel economy. Who knows?
I just wonder how long it’s gonna take some 12 year old to hack into the system, and have you driving in first gear all the way to Gramma’s house 200 miles away…or…hack in, and leave you stranded on the side of the road until their party (that you specifically told them NOT to have while you were gone) is over…

This is why I LOVE 4-speeds!

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1974 Coupe, Multiple NCRS 'Top Flight' 1985 Coupe

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