Method for controlling and/or adjusting a torque transmission system in the drive chain of a vehicle

• US 20040143383A1
• Filed: 11/17/2003
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Beteiligungs KG (INA-Holding Schaeffler GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Luk Lamellen Und Kupplungsbau GmbH (INA-Holding Schaeffler GmbH & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Jaeger, Thomas, Schindler, Michael, Castro, Claudio, Kuepper, Klaus
• Application Number:
  US10/714,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20040143383A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/51
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0275 Clutch torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0604 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/16 Driving resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/027 Clutch torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0644 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/105 Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18027 Drive off, accelerating from standstill
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1819 Propulsion control with control means using analogue circuits, relays or mechanical links
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3067 Speed of the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3068 Speed change of rate of the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/30806 Engaged transmission ratio
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/30818 Speed change rate of the input shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3108 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3111 Standing still, i.e. signal detecting when the vehicle is standing still or bellow a certain limit speed
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3125 Driving resistance, i.e. external factors having an influence in the traction force, e.g. road friction, air resistance, road slope
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3127 : Road slope
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3144 : Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3166 : Detection of an elapsed period of time
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/50224 : Drive-off
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/50825 : Hill climbing or descending
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/51 : Relating safety
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/7044 : Output shaft torque
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/70605 : Adaptive correction; Modifying control system parameters, e.g. gains, constants, look-up tables
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/70663 : State analysis; Analysing potential states of the machine and developing control strategies at each state
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 48/08 : Regulating clutch take-up on starting
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/443 : Detecting travel direction, e.g. the forward or reverse movement of the vehicle

Abstract

A method for controlling and/or adjusting a torque transmission system in the drive chain of a vehicle, especially a motor vehicle, wherein a clutch torque is modified according to a starting resistance of the vehicle in order to provide a strategy for the start of said vehicle. According to the invention, said strategy is modified in such a way that the progression of said clutch torque is adapted to a starting situation.

Claims

1. A method for controlling and/or regulating a torque transmission system in a drivetrain, a clutch torque being changed as a function of a starting resistance of the vehicle in order to implement a strategy for starting the vehicle, the method comprising the step of:

modifying the strategy so that a progression of the clutch torque is adjusted to a starting situation.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the strategy influences the progression of the clutch torque as a function of the engine speed.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein, for the starting situation of the vehicle on a hill, the clutch torque is built up slowly.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein, for the starting situation of the vehicle over a curb, the clutch torque is built up rapidly.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining a velocity of the vehicle for use in the strategy.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising running a starting aid routine integrated in the strategy.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 further comprising running a multistage starting aid routine in the strategy.

8. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein a first stage and a second stage are provided in the starting aid routine.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein a higher maximum speed is implemented in the second stage of the starting aid routine than in the first stage.

10. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein roll direction recognition of the vehicle is implemented in the starting aid routine.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the roll direction is recognized in any driving situation of the vehicle with the aid of at least one sensor.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein, for the roll direction recognition, a gradient of a transmission input speed is observed at least during a predetermined time interval, a negative gradient of the transmission input speed indicating that the vehicle is rolling backward, and a positive gradient of the transmission input speed indicating that the vehicle is rolling forward.

13. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein engine speed regulation is provided in the starting aid routine.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein, in the engine speed regulation, the clutch torque is reduced before the engine speed reaches a preset target engine speed.

15. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein, in the engine speed regulation, a target engine speed is determined by a constant component in combination with a second component, the second component being a function of the engine speed gradient.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein the constant component in the engine speed regulation is implemented by a speed offset.

17. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining if the vehicle is starting on a hill, and if so, building up the clutch torque at a predetermined rate.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 further comprising determining if the vehicle is against a curb, and if so, building up the clutch torque at a rate faster than the predetermined rate.

19. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the vehicle is a motor vehicle.

20. A method for controlling and/or regulating a torque transmission system in a drivetrain, a clutch torque being changed as a function of a starting resistance of the vehicle in order to implement a strategy for starting the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

determining if a starting resistance of the vehicle is above a certain level, and

if so, modifying the strategy so that a progression of the clutch torque is adjusted by modifying a factor altering the clutch torque, the factor being modified by setting the factor to a first amount during a first time period so as to reduce the clutch torque, and increasing the factor by a predetermined rate after the first time period.