1. A method for warning a driver of a motor vehicle including at least one sensor for detecting a potentially hazardous condition, an automatic transmission and a controller, said method comprising:
detecting a potentially hazardous condition with the at least one sensor; and
alerting the driver by directing the transmission, with the controller, to perform an upshift or unlock a lockup clutch of a torque converter of the automatic transmission when the potentially hazardous condition is detected.
2. (canceled)
3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the upshift or unlocking the lockup clutch constitutes a first transmission operation, further comprising:
directing, with the controller, the transmission to perform a second transmission operation at a predetermined time after the first transmission operation, thus defining a first transmission operation cycle; and
directing the transmission to perform a second transmission operation cycle including a third transmission operation and a fourth transmission operation.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein performing the third transmission operation includes performing an upshift or unlocking a lockup clutch of a torque converter of the automatic transmission, and wherein performing the second and fourth transmission operations includes performing a downshift or locking the lockup clutch.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the potentially hazardous condition further includes:
determining a traffic condition in front of the vehicle;
determining whether the driver is requesting to slow the vehicle;
determining if the vehicle is traveling above a predetermined rate of speed; and
determining a time-to-collision.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the potentially hazardous condition further includes:
determining a curvature or a degree of banking of a road in front of the vehicle; and
determining whether the driver is requesting to slow the vehicle.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the potentially hazardous condition further includes:
determining a speed limit of a road on which the vehicle is traveling; and
directing the transmission to perform the upshift if the vehicle is exceeding the speed limit by a predetermined amount or percentage.
8. A method for warning a driver of a first motor vehicle including at least one sensor for detecting a potentially hazardous condition, an automatic transmission and a controller, said method comprising:
detecting, with the at least one sensor, a second vehicle approaching the first vehicle from behind; and
alerting the driver by directing the transmission, with the controller, to perform a transmission operation that generates an acceleration when the second vehicle is detected.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein performing the transmission operation that generates an acceleration includes performing a downshift or locking a lockup clutch of a torque converter of the automatic transmission.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting the second vehicle approaching the first vehicle from behind further includes:
determining a time-to-collision;
determining whether the driver is requesting to increase a speed of the first vehicle; and
determining whether there is a low time-to-collision with an obstacle in front of the first vehicle.
11. A method for warning a driver of a motor vehicle including at least one sensor for detecting a potentially hazardous condition, an automatic transmission and a controller connected to the at least one sensor and the transmission, said method comprising:
detecting a potentially hazardous condition with the at least one sensor; and
alerting the driver by directing the transmission, with the controller, to perform at least two transmission operations, the transmission operations generating an acceleration or a deceleration, when the potentially hazardous condition is detected with the at least one sensor.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein performing the at least two transmission operations includes performing a downshift, performing an upshift, locking a lockup clutch of a torque converter of the automatic transmission or unlocking the lockup clutch.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein directing the transmission, with the controller, to perform at least two transmission operations includes directing a first transmission operation and a second transmission operation, and further includes directing the transmission to perform the second transmission operation a predetermined time after the first transmission operation.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first transmission operation and the second transmission operation define a first transmission operation cycle, further comprising:
directing the transmission to perform a second transmission operation cycle including a third transmission operation and a fourth transmission operation.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the potentially hazardous condition further includes:
determining a speed limit of a road on which the vehicle is traveling; and
directing the transmission to perform an upshift if the vehicle is exceeding the speed limit by a predetermined amount or percentage.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the potentially hazardous condition further includes:
detecting a second vehicle approaching the vehicle from behind.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein detecting the second vehicle approaching the vehicle from behind further includes:
determining a time-to-collision;
determining whether the driver is requesting to increase a speed of the vehicle; and
determining whether there is a low time-to-collision with an obstacle in front of the vehicle.
18. A control system for a motor vehicle with an automatic transmission comprising:
at least one sensor configured to detect a potentially hazardous condition; and
a controller configured to direct the automatic transmission to perform a first transmission operation if the potentially hazardous condition is detected, wherein the controller is further configured to direct the transmission to perform a second transmission operation shortly after the first transmission operation.
19. (canceled)
20. The control system of claim 18, wherein performing the first transmission operation includes performing an upshift or unlocking a lockup clutch of a torque converter of the automatic transmission, and wherein performing the second transmission operation includes performing a downshift or locking the lockup clutch.
21. The control system of claim 18, wherein the first and second transmission operations define a first transmission operation cycle, and wherein the control system is further configured to direct the transmission to perform a second transmission operation cycle including a third transmission operation and a fourth transmission operation.
22. The control system of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine a traffic condition in front of the vehicle;
determine whether a driver has eased up on an accelerator pedal;
determine whether the vehicle is traveling above a predetermined rate of speed; and
determine a time-to-collision.
23. The control system of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine a curvature or a degree of banking of a road in front of the vehicle; and
determine whether a driver has eased up on an accelerator pedal.
24. The control system of claim 20, wherein the control system is further configured to:
determine a speed limit of a road on which the vehicle is traveling;
direct the transmission to perform the upshift if the vehicle is exceeding the speed limit by a predetermined amount or percentage.
25. A control system for a first motor vehicle with an automatic transmission comprising:
at least one sensor configured to detect a second vehicle approaching the first vehicle from behind; and
a controller configured to direct the transmission to:
perform a transmission operation if the second vehicle approaching the vehicle from behind is detected;
determine a time-to-collision;
determine whether a driver is requesting to increase a speed of the vehicle; and
determine whether there is a low time-to-collision with an obstacle in front of the vehicle.
26. The control system of claim 25, wherein performing the transmission operation includes performing a downshift.
27. A method for warning a driver of a motor vehicle including at least one sensor, a controller and an automatic transmission having a torque converter with a lockup clutch, said method comprising:
detecting a potentially hazardous condition with the at least one sensor; and
alerting the driver, when the potentially hazardous condition is detected, by directing the transmission, with the controller, to lock or unlock the lockup clutch to generate an acceleration or deceleration.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for a wireless terminal performing a handover from a first cell to another cell in a wireless system, comprising:
(A) receiving a first channel burst from a first base station on a wireless channel, wherein the first base station serves the first cell and wherein the first channel burst supports a data service;
(B) determining whether a serving signal quality associated with the first cell satisfies a handover criterion;
(C) in response to (B), obtaining measurements associated with a list of candidate cells, wherein the list comprises at least one candidate cell and wherein each measurement gauges a corresponding signal quality that is provided by a corresponding candidate cell;
(D) if a selected signal quality is acceptable, deciding to perform the handover to a selected candidate cell, wherein the selected candidate cell is a member of the list and wherein the selected signal quality corresponds to the selected candidate cell;
(E) after performing (D), receiving a final channel burst from the first base station; and
(F) in response to (E), performing the handover to the selected candidate cell and receiving a new channel burst from a selected candidate base station, wherein the selected candidate base station is serving the selected candidate cell.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein (C) comprises:
(i) if the wireless terminal cannot complete obtaining the measurements before receiving the final channel burst from the first base station, suspending obtaining the measurements;
(ii) receiving another channel burst from the first base station; and
(iii) in response to (ii), resuming obtaining the measurements.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the serving signal quality is determined from the first channel burst.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the serving signal quality is selected from a group of indicators consisting of a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value, a bit error rate (BER), a packet error rate (PER), and a frame error rate (FER).
5. The method of claim 1, wherein (D) comprises:
(i) adjusting the selected signal quality by a hysteresis value.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
(G) determining the list of candidate cells.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein (G) comprises:
(i) receiving handover information from the first base station, wherein the handover information comprises candidate information indicative of the list of candidate cells.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
(G) determining a phase shift offset that is associated with the selected candidate cell.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein (G) comprises:
(i) receiving handover information from the first base station, wherein the handover information comprises the phase shift offset that is associated with the selected candidate cell.
10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
(H) in response to (E), suspending reception on the wireless channel until performing (F).
11. The method of claim 10, wherein (H) comprises:
(i) reducing power consumption of the wireless terminal.
12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
(G) if a candidate signal quality is not acceptable, removing the associated candidate from the list of candidate cells.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein (F) comprises:
(i) receiving the new channel burst associated with a different frequency.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein (F) comprises:
(i) receiving the new channel burst associated with a different channelization code.
15. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 1.
16. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 10.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless system serves a digital broadband broadcasting area and the data service is associated with a digital broadband broadcasting service.
18. The method of claim 1, wherein a phase shift offset associated with the selected base station is not provided by the wireless system.
19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
(G) in response to (E), determining that the serving signal quality is not indicative of a handover; and
(H) in response to (G), canceling the handover to the selected candidate cell.
20. A wireless terminal that receives a plurality of data packets from a wireless system, the wireless system comprising a first base station and a second base station, comprising:
a storage buffer;
a timing module;
a radio module that communicates with the wireless system over a radio channel;
a processor that receives an indication from the timing module that a current first channel burst is being transmitted, wherein the current first channel burst contains a first group of data packets, and that stores the first group of data packets into the storage buffer, the processor configured to perform:
(A) receiving a first channel burst from a first base station on a wireless channel, wherein the first base station serves the first cell and wherein the first channel burst supports a data service;
(B) determining whether a serving signal quality associated with the first cell satisfies a handover criterion;
(C) obtaining measurements associated with a list of candidate cells, wherein the list comprises at least one candidate cell and wherein each measurement gauges a corresponding signal quality that is provided by a corresponding candidate cell;
(D) if a selected signal quality is acceptable, deciding to perform the handover to a selected candidate cell, wherein the selected candidate cell is a member of the list and wherein the selected signal quality corresponds to the selected candidate cell;
(E) after performing (D), receiving a final channel burst from the first base station; and
(F) in response to (E), performing the handover to the selected candidate cell and receiving a new channel burst from a selected candidate base station, wherein the selected candidate base station is serving the selected candidate cell.
21. The wireless terminal of claim 20, wherein the processor is configured to perform:
(G) adjusting the selected signal quality by a hysteresis value.
22. The wireless terminal of claim 20, wherein the processor is configured to perform:
(G) determining a phase shift offset that is associated with the selected candidate cell.
23. The wireless terminal of claim 20, wherein the processor is configured to perform:
(G) determining a phase shift offset that is associated with the selected candidate cell;
(H) in response to (E), suspending reception on the wireless channel until performing (F); and
(I) in response to (H), reducing power consumption of the wireless terminal.
24. The wireless terminal of claim 20, wherein the processor is configured to perform:
(G) if a candidate signal quality is not acceptable, removing the associated candidate from the candidate list.
25. A wireless terminal that receives a plurality of data packets from a wireless system, the wireless system comprising a first base station and a plurality of candidate base stations, the base stations serving corresponding cells, the wireless terminal comprising:
a communications module that receives a plurality of channel bursts from the first base station before a handover and a new channel burst from a selected base station and that controllably tunes to one of the plurality of candidate base stations, wherein the plurality of channel bursts and the new channel burst support a data service on a wireless channel;
a measurement module that obtains signal quality information from the communications module, the signal quality information being indicative of the first base station and a selected base station, the selected base station being a member of the plurality of base stations; and
a handover analysis module:
that instructs the communications module to tune to said one of the plurality of base stations and instructs the measurement module to obtain corresponding signal quality information corresponding to said one of the plurality of base stations;
that processes the signal quality information to determine whether the handover to the selected candidate base station is necessary;
that instructs the communications module to receive a last channel burst from the first base station after the handover analysis module determines to perform the handover; and
that instructs the communications module to tune to the selected candidate base station and to receive the new channel burst from the selected candidate base station.
26. The wireless terminal of claim 25, further comprising:
a power control module that reduces electrical power to the communications module if provided an instruction by the handover analysis module, wherein the handover analysis module generates the instruction between a time interval between the last channel burst and the new channel burst, and wherein the communications module suspends reception on the wireless channel.
27. A method for a wireless terminal performing a handover from a first cell to another cell in a wireless broadcast system, comprising:
(A) receiving a first channel burst from a first base station on a wireless channel, wherein the first base station serves the first cell and wherein the first channel burst supports a multicast service;
(B) determining a list of candidate cells, wherein the list comprises at least one candidate cell;
(C) determining whether a serving signal quality associated with the first cell satisfies a handover criterion;
(D) obtaining measurements associated with the list of candidate cells, wherein each measurement gauges a corresponding signal quality that is provided by a corresponding candidate cell;
(E) adjusting a selected signal quality by a hysteresis value;
(F) if a candidate signal quality is not acceptable, removing an associated candidate from the candidate list;
(G) if the selected signal quality is acceptable, deciding to perform the handover to a selected candidate cell, wherein the selected candidate cell is a member of the list and wherein the selected signal quality corresponds to the selected candidate cell;
(H) after performing (G), receiving a final channel burst from the first base station; and
(I) in response to (H), performing the handover to the selected candidate cell and receiving a new channel burst from a selected candidate base station, wherein the selected candidate base station is serving the selected candidate cell and wherein the new channel burst supports the multicast service.