1. A multi-speed transmission comprising:
an input shaft;
an output shaft;
a stationary member;
first, second and third planetary gear sets each having first, second and third members;
a first and second input clutch connected with said input shaft;
said second member of said second planetary gear set being continuously connected with said second input clutch;
a first interconnecting member continuously interconnecting a member of said second planetary gear set with a member of said third planetary gear set; and
nine torque-transmitting mechanisms for selectively interconnecting said members of said first, second or third planetary gear sets with said first or second input clutch, said output shaft, said interconnecting member, said stationary member or with other members of said planetary gear sets, two of said nine torque-transmitting mechanisms being selectively operable for interconnecting said first and second members of said first planetary gear set with the first member of said second planetary gear set and said output shaft, said nine torque-transmitting mechanisms being engaged in combinations of at least three to establish at least five forward speed ratios and a reverse speed ratio between said input shaft and said output shaft.
2. The transmission defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second of said nine torque-transmitting mechanisms are selectively operable for interconnecting the first member and the second member of said first planetary gear set, respectively, with said first input clutch.
3. The transmission defined in claim 1, wherein the fifth and sixth of said nine torque-transmitting mechanisms are selectively operable for interconnecting members of said second planetary gear set with members of said third planetary gear set.
4. The transmission defined in claim 1, wherein the seventh of said nine torque-transmitting mechanisms is selectively operable for interconnecting a member of said first planetary gear set with said stationary member.
5. The transmission defined in claim 1, wherein the eighth and ninth of said nine torque-transmitting mechanisms is selectively operable for interconnecting members of said third planetary gear set with said stationary member.
6. The transmission as defined in claim 1, further comprising a tenth torque-transmitting mechanism, wherein three of said ten torque-transmitting mechanisms are selectively operable for interconnecting said first, second and third members of said first planetary gear set with the first member of said second planetary gear set and said output shaft.
7. The transmission defined in claim 6, wherein the first and second of said ten torque-transmitting mechanisms are selectively operable for interconnecting the first member and the second member of said first planetary gear set, respectively, with said first input clutch.
8. The transmission defined in claim 6, wherein the sixth and seventh of said ten torque-transmitting mechanisms are selectively operable for interconnecting members of said second planetary gear set with members of said third planetary gear set.
9. The transmission defined in claim 6, wherein the eighth and ninth of said ten torque-transmitting mechanisms are selectively operable for interconnecting members of said first planetary gear set with said stationary member.
10. The transmission defined in claim 6, wherein the tenth of said ten torque-transmitting mechanisms is selectively operable for interconnecting a member of said third planetary gear set with said stationary member.
11. The transmission defined in claim 6, wherein said first, second and third members of said planetary gear sets comprise a sun gear member, a ring gear member and a planet carrier assembly member, and wherein the planet carrier assembly members of a plurality of said planetary gear sets are of the single pinion carriers.
12. The transmission defined in claim 6, wherein said first, second and third members of said planetary gear sets comprise a sun gear member, a ring gear member and a planet carrier assembly member, and wherein the planet carrier assembly members of a plurality of said planetary gear sets are of the double pinion carriers.
13. The transmission defined in claim 6, wherein each of said ten torque-transmitting mechanisms comprises a synchronizer.
14. The transmission defined in claim 6, wherein said first input clutch is applied for odd number speed ranges and said second input clutch is applied for even number speed ranges.
15. The transmission defined in claim 6, wherein said first input clutch is applied for even number speed ranges and said second input clutch is applied for odd number speed ranges.
16. The transmission defined in claim 6, wherein selected ones of said ten torque-transmitting mechanisms are engaged prior to gear shifting to achieve shifting without torque interruptions.
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 of using a computer network for interactive collaboration, comprising:
creating a collaborative environment for members of a team in communication with the computer network;
in the collaborative environment, collecting information from the members of the team in an interactive forum offering varying degrees of structure; and
facilitating a collaboratively derived decision based on the collected information.
2. The method of claim 1 further including supporting an interactive process having a topic to be considered by the members of the team.
3. The method according to claim 2 further including employing techniques to collect data from the members of the team regarding the topic or process.
4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the techniques include requesting the members to consider at least one option regarding the topic.
5. The method according to claim 3 wherein the data is returned in the form of an absolute metric, relative measure, or free-form input.
6. The method according to claim 2 further including automatically informing members of the team of the topic in an asynchronous manner.
7. The method as claimed in claim 6 further including providing a direct link to the members for responding.
8. The method as claimed in claim 1 further including employing a process that solicits input from the team members for a present state of the topic, an end state of the topic, and a process for proceeding from the present state to the end state.
9. The method as claimed in claim 1 further including building the team in a manner that allows a member to be coached on the problem solving process in a manner driven by the team member.
10. An apparatus for interactive collaboration over a computer network, comprising:
a collaborative environment for members of a team in communication with the computer network; and
in the collaborative environment, an interactive forum offering varying degrees of structure to collect information from the members of the team that is used to arrive at a collaboratively derived decision.
11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 further including an interactive process having a topic to be considered by the members of the team.
12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 further including techniques to collect data from the members of the team regarding the topic or process.
13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the techniques request the members to consider at least one option regarding the topic.
14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the data is in the form of an absolute metric, relative measure, or free-form input.
15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 further including a generator automatically informing members of the team of the topic in a asynchronous manner.
16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein the generator provides a direct link to the members for responding.
17. The apparatus according to claim 10 further including a solicitation unit to solicit input from the team members for a present state of the topic, an end state of the topic, and a process for proceeding from the present state to the end state.
18. The apparatus according to claim 10 further including a composer to build the team in a manner that allows a member to be coached on the problem solving process in a manner driven by the team member.
19. An apparatus for interactive collaboration over a computer network, comprising:
means for creating a collaborative environment for members of a team in communication with the computer network; and
in the collaborative environment, means for providing an interactive forum offering varying degrees of structure for collecting information from the members of the team that is used to arrive at a collaboratively derived decision.
20. A system for providing interactive collaboration, comprising:
an interface coupled to a computer network;
a processor coupled to the interface that creates a collaborative environment for members of a team in communication with the server over the computer network, the collaborative environment having an interactive forum offering varying degrees of structure to collect information from the members of the team that is used to arrive at a collaboratively derived decision; and
a data store coupled to the processor and storing the information from the members in the interactive forum for later retrieval.