Arrangement for automatically shifting vehicle aggregates of a motor vehicle

• US 4,821,606 A
• Filed: 08/12/1987
• Issued: 04/18/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daimler-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Leiber, Heinz
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Creighton
• Application Number:
  US07/084,432
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 74/856, 74/866, 180/197, 364/424.1
• US Class Current: 477/154
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0195 characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/952 Electronic driving torque distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/165 acting on elements of the vehicle drive train other than the propulsion unit and brakes, e.g. transmission, clutch, differential acting on brakes B60T8/17
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/00 Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force by changing number of effective brake cylinders in power brake systems B60T17/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/125 Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/003 Detecting or using driving style of a driver, e.g. for adapting shift schedules
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/183 Rate of change of accelerator position, i.e. pedal or throttle change gradient
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/141 of rate of change of torque or torque demand
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/58 dependent on signals from the steering
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0213 characterised by the method for generating shift signals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 477/903 Control signal is steering
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 477/904 Control signal is acceleration

Abstract

An arrangement for the automatic shifting of vehicle aggregates such as a drive slippage-regulating system, an automatic transmission, shock absorbers for the adaptation to different driving manners of drivers, such as fuel saving, "sporty" etc., which includes a logic circuit in which signals coordinated to the drive pedal, the vehicle cross acceleration, the steering angle and the driving velocity are evaluated and are processed into control signals for shifting the vehicle aggregates.

Claims

1. An arrangement for the automatic shifting of vehicle aggregates for the adaptation to different driving manners of drivers of motor vehicles, including a wheel slip control means for selecting permissible wheel slip settings between "select low" and "select high", and between different slippage thresholds, wherein a logic circuit means includes input means for receiving the following input signals:

signal A, indicating that a given value of an actuating velocity of a vehicle drive pedal was exceeded;

signal B, indicating that a full load position of the vehicle drive pedal was reached;

signal C, indicating that a value of a vehicle cross-acceleration calculated from a vehicle steering angle and driving speed is higher than a measured value;

signal E, indicating that a given value of the steering angle has been exceeded; and

wherein said logic circuit means generates from at least one of these input signals, at least one of the following output signals;

signal W, for the shifting of the wheel slip control system from the "select low" to the "select high" operation;

signal X, for the shifting of the wheel slip control system from a lower to a higher slippage threshold; and

wherein said logic control means generates signal W whenever either signal A or signal B exceeds an integrated value, or when signals B and E both appear, and wherein said logic control means generates signal X when signal W and signal C appear at the same time.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein that the logic circuit means generates an output signal Z for the shifting of the shock absorbers of the vehicle from softer to harded damping values, whenever either signal A or signal B exceeds an integrated value, or when signals B and E appear.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the logic circuit means generates an output signal Y for the shifting of the automatic transmission of the vehicle from rotational speed ranges assigned to a fuel-saving manner of driving to rotational speed ranges assigned to a forced-up manner of driving whenever either signal A or signal B exceeds an integrated value when signals B and E appear.

4. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the input means also receives the following input signals:

signal D, indicating that a value of the vehicle cross-acceleration has been exceeded;

signal F, indicating that a value of the driving speed has been exceeded; and

wherein signal W is also produced whenever signal B appears without any of signals D, E or F appearing.

5. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the integrated value of signal A occurs when signal A appears for a repeated number of times in a given time frame.

6. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the integrated value of signal B appears when signal B either appears for a repeated number of times in a given time frame or lasts for a predetermined period of time.

7. An arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the integrated value of signal B appears when signal B either appears for a repeated number of times in a given time frame or lasts for a predetermined period of time.

8. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein means are provided for generating the vehicle cross-acceleration signal C is obtained by comparing the actual value of the vehicle cross-acceleration with the calculated value and wherein signal C occurs when the actual value exceeds the calculated value.

9. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the means for generating signal C is obtained when actual vehicle cross-acceleration exceeds the calculated value.

10. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said logic circuit means includes a first integrator means which produces a signal when signal A appears several times sequentially.

11. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said logic circuit means includes a second integrator means which produces a signal when signal B is maintained for a predetermined duration or is reached several times sequentially.

12. An arrangement according to claim 10, wherein said logic circuit means includes a second integrator means which produces a signal when signal B is maintained for a predetermined duration or is reached several times sequentially.

13. An arrangement according to claim 12, wherein said logic circuit means also controls an automatic change-speed transmission provided with rotational speed ranges shiftable for the individual speeds.

14. An arrangement according to claim 13, wherein said logic circuit means also control shock absorber means shiftable in their spring/damping characteristics.

15. An arrangement according to claim 14, wherein an output signal of one of the integrator means effects a "select high" adjustment of the drive slippage-regulating means, a shifting to higher transmission speed rotational speed ranges of the automatic change-speed transmission and a shifting to a harder adjustment of the shock absorber means.

16. An arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the simultaneous occurrence of a signal indicating the full load position of the drive pedal and exceeding a predetermined value of the steering angle effects a "select high" adjustment of the drive slippage-regulating system, a shifting to higher transmission speed-rotational speed ranges of the automatic transmission and a shifting to a harder adjustment of the shock absorber means.

17. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said logic control means produces a signal indicating exceeding a predetermined value of the vehicle cross-acceleration for effecting an adjustment to higher slippage thresholds of the drive slippage-regulating means if at the same time a signal is present effecting a "select high" adjustment of the drive slippage-regulating means.