DESC:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to a transmission system and in particular, relates to systems and methods for automated manual transmission in a tracked vehicle.

BACKGROUND

Driving a tracked vehicle has become an increasingly cumbersome task. The inconvenience and exertion caused to an operator, for example, due to the bad road conditions and terrain, cannot be ignored. These issues become even more prominent in case of driving for longer distance. For example, in the long duration driving, the vehicle usually drives through a variety of terrains, for example, flat terrain, hilly terrain, and marshy terrain. The vehicle cannot be driven at the same speed and acceleration across all such terrains. Therefore, the operator has to frequently change the driving characteristics of the vehicle, for example, by shifting gear positions, pressing and releasing the clutch, and accordingly accelerating and decelerating the vehicle. Considering the frequent manual intervention involved in driving, the exertion caused to the operator is significant. Moreover, in order to effect such frequent variations, the operator has to regularly focus on the gear position, the clutch position, and the speed of the vehicle, which distracts the driver from focusing on the road/path. Also, if the operator is not a learned driver, significant wear and tear and consequently damage can be caused to the vehicle over a long duration of usage.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts, in a simplified format, that are further described in the detailed description of the invention. This summary is neither intended to identify key or essential inventive concepts of the invention and nor is it intended for determining the scope of the invention.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, an automated manual transmission system of a tracked vehicle is disclosed. The automated manual transmission system includes at least one input device for receiving a user input indicative of a terrain on which the vehicle has to be travelling. The automated manual transmission system includes a sensing unit adapted to detect at least one value of operational parameters related to driving of the vehicle at the time of receipt of the user input. The operational parameters include at least one of a speed of the vehicle, an acceleration of the vehicle, and a gear position of the vehicle. The automated manual transmission system includes a controller in communication with the at least one input device and the sensing unit. The controller is adapted to receive details pertaining to the user input and the at least one value of the operational parameters from the at least one input device and the sensing unit, respectively. The controller is adapted to control an operation of a first electro-mechanical actuator to control an operation of a clutch, an operation of a set of electro-mechanical actuators to control the gear position, and an operation of a second electro-mechanical actuator to control the acceleration of the vehicle. The clutch, the gear position, and the acceleration are controlled based on the selected terrain.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, an automated manual transmission apparatus of a tracked vehicle is disclosed. The automated transmission apparatus includes a first electro-mechanical actuator adapted to translate a movement of a clutch, a set of electro-mechanical actuators adapted to translate a movement of a gear stick to select a gear position, and a second electro-mechanical actuator adapted to control an acceleration of the vehicle. The automated manual transmission apparatus includes at least one input device for receiving a user input indicative of a terrain on which the vehicle has to be travelling. The automated manual transmission apparatus includes a sensing unit adapted to detect at least one value of operational parameters related to driving of the tracked vehicle at the time of receipt of the user input. The operational parameters include at least one of a speed of the vehicle, the acceleration of the vehicle, and the gear position of the vehicle. The automated manual transmission apparatus includes a controller in communication with the first electro-mechanical actuator, the set of electro-mechanical actuators, the second electro-mechanical actuator, the at least one input device, and the sensing unit. The controller is adapted to receive details pertaining to the user input and the at least one value of the operational parameters from the at least one input device and the sensing unit, respectively. The controller is adapted to control an operation of the first electro-mechanical actuator to control the operation of the clutch, an operation of the set of electro-mechanical actuators to control the gear position, and the operation of the second electro-mechanical actuator to control the acceleration of the vehicle. The clutch, the gear position, and the acceleration are controlled based on the selected terrain.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of automated manual transmission in a tracked vehicle is disclosed. The method includes receiving, by at least one input device, a user input indicative of a terrain on which the vehicle has to be travelling. The method includes detecting, by a sensing unit, at least one value of operational parameters related to driving of the vehicle at the time of receipt of the user input. The operational parameters include at least one of a speed of the vehicle, an acceleration of the vehicle, and a gear position of the vehicle. The method includes controlling, by a controller, an operation of a first electro-mechanical actuator to control an operation of a clutch, an operation of a set of electro-mechanical actuators to control the gear position, and an operation of a second electro-mechanical actuator to control the acceleration of the vehicle. The clutch, the gear position, and the acceleration are controlled based on the selected terrain.

To further clarify advantages and features of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which is illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram of an automated manual transmission apparatus of a tracked vehicle, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and
Figure 2 illustrates a flow chart depicting a method of automated manual transmission in the tracked vehicle, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Further, skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the drawings are illustrated for simplicity and may not have been necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the flow charts illustrate the method in terms of the most prominent steps involved to help to improve understanding of aspects of the present invention. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the drawings by conventional symbols, and the drawings may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the drawings with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having benefit of the description herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated system, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are explanatory of the invention and are not intended to be restrictive thereof.

Reference throughout this specification to “an aspect”, “another aspect” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrase “in an embodiment”, “in another embodiment” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.

The terms "comprises", "comprising", or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a nonexclusive inclusion, such that a process or method that comprises a list of steps does not include only those steps but may include other steps not expressly listed or inherent to such process or method. Similarly, one or more devices or subsystems or elements or structures or components proceeded by "comprises... a" does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other devices or other sub-systems or other elements or other structures or other components or additional devices or additional sub-systems or additional elements or additional structures or additional components.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The system, methods, and examples provided herein are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.

It should be understood at the outset that although illustrative implementations of the embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated below, the present invention may be implemented using any number of techniques, whether currently known or in existence. The present disclosure should in no way be limited to the illustrative implementations, drawings, and techniques illustrated below, including the exemplary design and implementation illustrated and described herein, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims along with their full scope of equivalents.

The term “some” as used herein is defined as “none, or one, or more than one, or all.” Accordingly, the terms “none,” “one,” “more than one,” “more than one, but not all” or “all” would all fall under the definition of “some.” The term “some embodiments” may refer to no embodiments or to one embodiment or to several embodiments or to all embodiments. Accordingly, the term “some embodiments” is defined as meaning “no embodiment, or one embodiment, or more than one embodiment, or all embodiments.”

The terminology and structure employed herein is for describing, teaching and illuminating some embodiments and their specific features and elements and does not limit, restrict or reduce the spirit and scope of the claims or their equivalents.

Reference is made herein to some “embodiments.” It should be understood that an embodiment is an example of a possible implementation of any features and/or elements presented in the attached claims. Some embodiments have been described for the purpose of illuminating one or more of the potential ways in which the specific features and/or elements of the attached claims fulfil the requirements of uniqueness, utility and non-obviousness.

Use of the phrases and/or terms such as but not limited to “a first embodiment,” “a further embodiment,” “an alternate embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “multiple embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “other embodiments,” “further embodiment”, “furthermore embodiment”, “additional embodiment” or variants thereof do NOT necessarily refer to the same embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, one or more particular features and/or elements described in connection with one or more embodiments may be found in one embodiment, or may be found in more than one embodiment, or may be found in all embodiments, or may be found in no embodiments. Although one or more features and/or elements may be described herein in the context of only a single embodiment, or alternatively in the context of more than one embodiment, or further alternatively in the context of all embodiments, the features and/or elements may instead be provided separately or in any appropriate combination or not at all. Conversely, any features and/or elements described in the context of separate embodiments may alternatively be realized as existing together in the context of a single embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

For the sake of clarity, the first digit of a reference numeral of each component of the present disclosure is indicative of the Figure number, in which the corresponding component is shown. For example, reference numerals starting with digit “1” are shown at least in Figure 1. Similarly, reference numerals starting with digit “2” are shown at least in Figure 2.

Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram of an automated manual transmission apparatus 100 of a tracked vehicle, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For the sake of ease of readability, the automated manual transmission apparatus 100 and the tracked vehicle are hereinafter interchangeably referred to as the apparatus 100 and the vehicle, respectively.

The apparatus 100 may include, but is not limited to, a first electro-mechanical actuator 102 adapted to translate a movement of a clutch (not shown), a set of electro-mechanical actuators 104 adapted to translate a movement of a gear stick to select a gear position, and a second electro-mechanical actuator 106 adapted to control an acceleration of the vehicle. Further, the apparatus 100 may include an automated manual transmission system 108 having at least one input device 110, a sensing unit 112, and a controller 114. The automated manual transmission system 108 is hereinafter interchangeably referred to as the system 108.

The controller 114 may be in communication with the first electro-mechanical actuator 102, the set of electro-mechanical actuators 104, the second electro-mechanical actuator 106, the at least one input device 110, and the sensing unit 112. The at least one input device 110 may be adapted to receive a user input. The user input may be indicative of a terrain on which the vehicle has to be travelling. The terrain may include, but is not limited to, an uphill terrain, a marshy terrain, a flat terrain, a downhill terrain, and a hard terrain. In an embodiment, the at least one input device 110 may be touch-enabled display device installed in a dashboard of the vehicle. Therefore, the user may tap on the touch-enabled display device to indicate the type of the terrain. In another embodiment, the at least one input device 110 may be a mechanical selector switch, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The mechanical selector switch may be operated to select the type of terrain being travelled by the vehicle. The mechanical selector switch may be provided at least in form of a slider, a push-pull button, and a rotary knob. The mechanical selector switch may be operated to be in different positions associated with the corresponding type of terrains.

Further, at the time of the receipt of the user input, the sensing unit 112 may be adapted to detect at least one value of operational parameters related to driving of the vehicle. In an embodiment, the sensing unit 112 may include, but is not limited to, sensors and limit switches. In an embodiment, the operational parameters include, but are not limited to, a speed of the vehicle, the acceleration of the vehicle, and the gear position of the vehicle. In an embodiment, such sensors and the limit switches may be operably coupled with the first electro-mechanical actuator 102, the second electro-mechanical actuator 106, and the set of electro-mechanical actuators 104. The sensing unit 112 may be in communication with the controller 114.

The controller 114 may be adapted to receive details pertaining to the user input and the at least one value of the operational parameters from the at least one input device 110 and the sensing unit 112, respectively. In an embodiment, the controller 114 may include a processor (not shown), memory (not shown), modules (not shown), and data (not shown). The modules and the memory may be coupled to the processor. The processor may be a single processing unit or a number of units, all of which could include multiple computing units. The processor may be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, state machines, logic circuitries, and/or any devices that manipulate signals based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the processor is configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions and data stored in the memory.

The memory may include any non-transitory computer-readable medium known in the art including, for example, volatile memory, such as static random access memory (SRAM) and dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and/or non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable ROM, flash memories, hard disks, optical disks, and magnetic tapes.

The modules, amongst other things, include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., which perform particular tasks or implement data types. The modules may also be implemented as, signal processor(s), state machine(s), logic circuitries, and/or any other device or component that manipulate signals based on operational instructions.

Further, the modules can be implemented in hardware, instructions executed by a processing unit, or by a combination thereof. The processing unit can comprise a computer, a processor, such as the processor, a state machine, a logic array or any other suitable devices capable of processing instructions. The processing unit can be a general-purpose processor which executes instructions to cause the general-purpose processor to perform the required tasks or, the processing unit can be dedicated to perform the required functions. In another aspect of the present disclosure, the modules may be machine-readable instructions which, when executed by a processor/processing unit, perform any of the described functionalities.

Based on the received details, the controller 114 may be adapted to transmit instructions to the first electro-mechanical actuator 102, the set of electro-mechanical actuators 104, and the second electro-mechanical actuator 106 for controlling the associated parameters. In an embodiment, the controller 114 may control an operation of the first electro-mechanical actuator 102 to control the operation of the clutch. Further, the controller 114 may be adapted to control an operation of the set of electro-mechanical actuators 104 to control the gear position. The controller 114 may also be adapted to control an operation of the second electro-mechanical actuator 106 to control the acceleration of the vehicle. The clutch, the gear position, and the acceleration may be controlled based on the selected terrain. For example, if the terrain is uphill, the controller 114 may operate the first electro-mechanical actuator 102, the set of electro-mechanical actuators 104, and the second electro-mechanical actuator 106 in order to ensure that the vehicle is driven in a lower gear with high acceleration.

In an embodiment, the set of electro-mechanical actuators 104 may include, but are not limited to, a third electro-mechanical actuator 104-1, a fourth electro-mechanical actuator 104-2, and a fifth electro-mechanical actuator 104-3. In an embodiment, the third electro-mechanical actuator 104-1 may be adapted to move the gear position towards Neutral. The fourth electro-mechanical actuator 104-2 may be adapted to move the gear position in a first direction whereas the fifth electro-mechanical actuator 104-3 may be adapted to move the gear position in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction. In an embodiment, the vehicle may include a five-speed transmission based on a constant mesh gearbox with 1st gear and reverse gear non-synchronized and being shifted by mechanical linkages. Further, the 2nd gear, the 3rd gear, the 4th gear, and the 5th gear may be synchro-mesh gears that may be shifted by pneumatic boosters or pneumatic-actuators.

In an embodiment, operational characteristics of the first electro-mechanical actuator 102 and the second electro-mechanical actuator 106 may be different from the operational characteristics of the set of electro-mechanical actuators 104, i.e., the third electro-mechanical actuator 104-1, the fourth electro-mechanical actuator 104-2, and the fifth electro-mechanical actuator 104-3. Table 1 depicts the operational characteristics of the first electro-mechanical actuator 102 and the second electro-mechanical actuator 106, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As would be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, Table 1 is provided to offer better understanding and clarity of the present subject matter and therefore, should not be construed as limiting in any way.

Table 1
Sl. No Description Requirement
1 Maximum load, [N]
dynamic / static
Min 300/1200
2 Speed [mm/s]
at no load/ at maximum load
Min 26/17
3 Input voltage 24V
4 Stroke length [Inch] Min 3.5 / Max 4.5
5 Operation temperature limits [0C] -250 to +650
6 End of stroke limit switch Integrated
7 Protection class IP65 and above
8 Weight [kg] Less than 1 kg
9 Max Height & Width of actuator H- 75 mm, W – 41mm

Table 2 depicts the operational characteristics of the set of electro-mechanical actuators 104, i.e., the third electro-mechanical actuator 104-1, the fourth electro-mechanical actuator 104-2, and the fifth electro-mechanical actuator 104-3, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As would be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, Table 2 is provided to offer better understanding and clarity of the present subject matter and therefore, should not be construed as limiting in any way.

Table 2
Sl. No Description Requirement
1 Maximum load, [N]
dynamic / static
Min 130/260
2 Speed [mm/s]
at no load/ at maximum load
Min 48/37
3 Input voltage 24V
4 Type Worm and screw
5 Current draw, max (A) 2
6 Stroke length [Inch] Min 2
7 Operation temperature limits [0C] -400 to +650
8 End of stroke protection Integrated
9 Protection class IP67 and above
10 Weight [kg] Less than 1.5 kg
11 Max Height & Width of actuator H- 135 mm, W – 66 mm
12 Self-locking Available
13 Analog position feedback sensor and
limit switches Available
14 Analog position feedback sensor input voltage 24V

In an embodiment, each of the first electro-mechanical actuator 102, the set of electro-mechanical actuators 104, and the second electro-mechanical actuator 106 may be provided with a limit switch in communication with the controller 114. The limit switch may form a part of the sensing unit 112 and provide details relating to the operational parameters to the controller 114, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Figure 2 illustrates a flow chart depicting a method 200 of automated manual transmission in the tracked vehicle, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the method 200 may be a computer-implemented method 200. Further, for the sake of brevity, details of the present disclosure that are explained in details in the description of Figure 1 are not explained in detail in the description of Figure 2.

At a block 202, the method 200 includes receiving the user input indicative of the terrain on which the vehicle has to be travelling. In an embodiment, the at least one input device 110 may receive the user input.

At a block 204, the method 200 includes detecting at least one value of the operational parameters related to driving of the vehicle at the time of receipt of the user input. The operational parameters may include, but are not limited to, the speed of the vehicle, the acceleration of the vehicle, and the gear position of the vehicle. In an embodiment, the sensing unit 112 may detect the at least one value of the operational parameters.

At a block 206, the method 200 includes controlling the operation of the first electro-mechanical actuator 102 to control the operation of the clutch, the operation of the set of electro-mechanical actuators 104 to control the gear position, and the operation of the second electro-mechanical actuator 106 to control the acceleration of the vehicle. The clutch, the gear position, and the acceleration may be controlled based on the selected terrain.

As would be gathered, the present disclosure relates to the apparatus 100, the system 108, and the method 200 that offer a comprehensive approach for automated manual transmission of the vehicle. In particular, the present disclosure refers to upgrading of the mechanical-transmission in the tracked vehicles to Automated Manual Transmission (AMT), thereby automating the gear shifting by linear actuators, without requiring any driver-intervention. The apparatus 100 at least renders an add-on solution with respect to the existing manual-transmission systems, wherein the control-technology facilitates guaranteed-performance and ease of use.
The solution provided by the present disclosure is an indigenous solution with maximum make-in-India content. The apparatus 100 offers a compact solution with minimum changes to the existing gearbox. Further, the apparatus 100 is easy to be implemented and maintained afterwards. Overall, the AMT rendered by the present subject matter provides an add-on or retro-fit solution to an existing manual transmission system in tracked vehicles that are equipped to cover different terrains. The control-technology or ETC as employed in the present subject matter facilitates performance and ease of use of the vehicles while traversing different terrains. Therefore, the present disclosure offers the apparatus 100, the system 108, and the method 200 that are simple, easy to install, maintain and operate, efficient, flexible in implementation, and economical.
While specific language has been used to describe the present disclosure, any limitations arising on account thereto, are not intended. As would be apparent to a person in the art, various working modifications may be made to the method in order to implement the inventive concept as taught herein. The drawings and the foregoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment.
,CLAIMS:1. An automated manual transmission system (108) of a tracked vehicle, the automated manual transmission system (100) comprising:
at least one input device (110) for receiving a user input indicative of a terrain on which the vehicle has to be travelling;
a sensing unit (112) adapted to detect at least one value of operational parameters related to driving of the vehicle at the time of receipt of the user input, wherein the operational parameters comprising at least one of a speed of the vehicle, an acceleration of the vehicle, and a gear position of the vehicle; and
a controller (114) in communication with the at least one input device (110) and the sensing unit (112), the controller (114) is adapted to:
receive details pertaining to the user input and the at least one value of the operational parameters from the at least one input device (110) and the sensing unit (112), respectively; and
control an operation of a first electro-mechanical actuator (102) to control an operation of a clutch, an operation of a set of electro-mechanical actuators (104) to control the gear position, and an operation of a second electro-mechanical actuator (106) to control the acceleration of the vehicle, wherein the clutch, the gear position, and the acceleration are controlled based on the selected terrain.

2. The automated manual transmission system (108) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one input device (110) comprising of a touch-enabled display and a mechanical selector switch.

3. The automated manual transmission system (108) as claimed in claim 1, wherein operational characteristics of the first electro-mechanical actuator (102) and the second electro-mechanical actuator (106) are different from operational characteristics of the set of electro-mechanical actuators (104).

4. The automated manual transmission system (108) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the terrain comprising at least one of an uphill terrain, a marshy terrain, a flat terrain, a downhill terrain, and a hard terrain.

5. An automated manual transmission apparatus (100) of a tracked vehicle, the automated transmission apparatus (100) comprising:
a first electro-mechanical actuator (102) adapted to translate a movement of a clutch;
a set of electro-mechanical actuators (104) adapted to translate a movement of a gear stick to select a gear position;
a second electro-mechanical actuator (106) adapted to control an acceleration of the vehicle;
at least one input device (110) for receiving a user input indicative of a terrain on which the vehicle has to be travelling;
a sensing unit (112) adapted to detect at least one value of operational parameters related to driving of the vehicle at the time of receipt of the user input, wherein the operational parameters comprising at least one of a speed of the vehicle, the acceleration of the vehicle, and the gear position of the vehicle; and
a controller (114) in communication with the first electro-mechanical actuator (102), the set of electro-mechanical actuators (104), the second electro-mechanical actuator (106), the at least one input device (110), and the sensing unit (112), the controller (114) is adapted to:
receive details pertaining to the user input and the at least one value of the operational parameters from the at least one input device (110) and the sensing unit (112), respectively; and
control an operation of the first electro-mechanical actuator (102) to control the operation of the clutch, an operation of the set of electro-mechanical actuators (104) to control the gear position, and the operation of the second electro-mechanical actuator (106) to control the acceleration of the vehicle, wherein the clutch, the gear position, and the acceleration are controlled based on the selected terrain.

6. The automated manual transmission apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the at least one input device (110) comprising of a touch-enabled display and a mechanical selector switch.

7. The automated manual transmission apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein operational characteristics of the first electro-mechanical actuator (102) and the second electro-mechanical actuator (106) are different from operational characteristics of the set of electro-mechanical actuators (104).

8. The automated manual transmission apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the terrain comprising at least one of an uphill terrain, a marshy terrain, a flat terrain, a downhill terrain, and a hard terrain.

9. A method (200) of automated manual transmission in a tracked vehicle, the method (200) comprising:
receiving, by at least one input device (110), a user input indicative of a terrain on which the vehicle has to be travelling;
detecting, by a sensing unit (112), at least one value of operational parameters related to driving of the vehicle at the time of receipt of the user input, wherein the operational parameters comprising at least one of a speed of the vehicle, an acceleration of the vehicle, and a gear position of the vehicle; and
controlling, by a controller (114), an operation of a first electro-mechanical actuator (102) to control an operation of a clutch, an operation of a set of electro-mechanical actuators (104) to control the gear position, and an operation of a second electro-mechanical actuator (106) to control the acceleration of the vehicle, wherein the clutch, the gear position, and the acceleration are controlled based on the selected terrain.

10. The method (200) as claimed in claim 9, wherein operational characteristics of the first electro-mechanical actuator (102) and the second electro-mechanical actuator (106) are different from operational characteristics of the set of electro-mechanical actuators (104).