Adjustment of the Speed of a Motor Vehicle with an Automatic Gearbox

• US 20060131094A1
• Filed: 03/03/2006
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Pindl, Stephan, Lankes, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 7,451,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/338
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/00 Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator fittings acting on two or more sub-units B60W30/14; speedometers G01P; systems or devices for controlling speed in general G05D13/00 ; in traffic anti-collision system for road vehicles G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/04 and means for comparing one electrical quantity, e.g. voltage, pulse, waveform, flux, or the like, with another quantity of a like kind, which comparison means is involved in the development of an electrical signal which is fed into the controlling means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/105 Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2300/14 Selecting a state of operation, e.g. depending on two wheel or four wheel drive mode
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0213 characterised by the method for generating shift signals

Abstract

A method relieves the burden of a driver of a motor vehicle in which the drive train is provided with a gearbox which can be operated in an automatic mode and a manual mode. The method comprises the following automatic steps: a) detection whether the speed of the vehicle should be adjusted, b) initiation of the adjustment if necessary, and c) the carrying out of the adjustment. During step b) and/or step c) it is determined on one or several occasions whether the gearbox is operating in an automatic mode or in a manual mode in order to trigger a change into the automatic mode of the gearbox if the gearbox is operated in the manual mode.

Claims

1. A method for relieving the burden of a driver of a motor vehicle in which the drive train is provided with an automatic gearbox that is operated in a manual mode and can be switched into an automatic mode in which the transmission ratio is changed automatically comprising the following steps:

a) detecting whether the speed of the vehicle is maintained within a speed range for a predetermined time period,

b) indicating a possible switch into an automatic mode for said gearbox,

c) switching the gearbox into automatic mode,

d) detecting whether the speed of the vehicle should be adjusted,

e) initiating of the adjustment of the speed of the vehicle, if necessary, and

f) carrying out the adjustment of the speed of the vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein step c) is only performed after the driver confirmed the switch.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein step c) is automatically performed after an evaluation of the gearbox ratio.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein triggering the change into the automatic mode of the gearbox takes place by outputting a signal to the driver that he should manually change the gearbox into the automatic mode.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein triggering the change into the automatic mode of the gearbox takes place by activating a gearbox control and/or adjustment in such a way that it automatically carries out the change.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when starting the execution of step e), the mode in which the gearbox is operated at the moment is stored.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, after executing step f), operation of the gearbox in the stored mode is ensured.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein step f) is terminated automatically if the driver has activated the manual mode of the gearbox.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein step d) includes that it is monitored whether or not the driver keeps or tries to keep the speed constant.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein step e) and/or step f) includes the once only or repeated detection of a setpoint speed.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, on executing step f) by engaging the drive train and/or other components of the motor vehicle, the real speed of the motor vehicle tracks the setpoint speed and for this an acceleration pattern is used that is selected from several different acceleration patterns.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the driver can select the used acceleration pattern.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein a previous driving operation is evaluated and the acceleration pattern is selected on the basis of this evaluation.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein, on executing step e), the distance to and/or the speed of possible obstacles is evaluated.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the drive train has several components that can output and/or receive power and that the execution of step f) includes managing the effect of output or received power on one or several of these components.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the execution of step f) takes place on the basis of the wheel moment.