Device for controlling a starting procedure

• US 6,041,276 A
• Filed: 12/18/1997
• Issued: 03/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BMW AG (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG), ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: BMW AG (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG), Mannesmann Sachs AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Kuhn, Thomas, Nehse, Wolfgang, John, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US08/992,981
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 701/67, 701/82, 701/87, 701/70, 180/197, 192/31, 477/77, 477/78, 477/175, 477/176, 477/180
• US Class Current: 701/67
• 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 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/11 Stepped gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/025 Clutch slip, i.e. difference between input and output speeds
• 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: B60Y 2200/114 Racing vehicles, e.g. Formula one, Karts

Abstract

A device for controlling a starting procedure of a motor vehicle for initiating a movement of the motor vehicle includes a controller which receives as input, signals generated by an engine shaft speed sensor, a driving speed sensor, a transmission shaft speed sensor, a transmission output shaft speed sensor, and an accelerator pedal position sensor. The controller is operatively connected to the engine for increasing the engine speed above a minimum threshold value when the driver signals his desire for a racing start. The controller is also operatively connected to a clutch activation device for deliberately producing a slip of the driving wheels and for controlling the slip of the driving wheels by controlling a slip of the clutch after a starting time point signaled by the driver.

Claims

1. A device for controlling a starting procedure of a motor vehicle by controlling an automatic friction clutch of the motor vehicle, comprising:

a controller operatively connected for receiving signals from an engine shaft speed sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, a transmission shaft speed sensor, a transmission output shaft speed sensor, and an accelerator pedal position sensor;

a racing start device operatively connected to said controller for generating a racing start desire signal and a starting time point signal in response to an input from a user of the motor vehicle;

said controller operatively connected to an engine of said motor vehicle for producing an engine speed above a minimum engine speed threshold value in response to said racing start desire signal; and

said controller operatively connected to the automatic friction clutch for controlling the automatic friction clutch to produce a first slip of the drive wheels of the motor vehicle and to produce a second slip of the automatic friction clutch in response to said starting time point signal, said controller also operatively connected to the automatic friction clutch for controlling a magnitude of said first slip in response to a speed of the motor vehicle during said starting procedure.

2. The device for controlling a starting procedure of claim 1, wherein said racing start device is operatively connected to said accelerator pedal position sensor for generating said racing start desire signal when an accelerator pedal of the motor vehicle is depressed with an activation gradient which lies above a preset racing start gradient stored in said controller.

3. The device for controlling a starting procedure of claim 1, wherein said racing start device comprises a racing start switch movable between a first position and a second position by the operator of said motor vehicle;

and

said racing start device operatively connected to said racing start switch for generating said racing start desire signal when said racing start switch is in said first position.

4. The device for controlling a starting procedure of claim 3, wherein said racing start device is operatively connected to said racing start switch and said accelerator position sensor for generating said racing start desire signal after said racing switch is positioned in said first position and said accelerator position sensor senses a deflection of an accelerator pedal greater than a lower accelerator threshold value.

5. The device for controlling a starting procedure claim 3, wherein racing start device is operatively connected to said racing start switch for generating said starting point signal when said racing start switch is moved from said first position to said second switch position.

6. The device for controlling a starting procedure of claim 5, wherein said racing start switch is operative for automatically returning to said second position, whereby the user of the motor vehicle must hold said racing start switch in said first position until said starting point signal is desired by the user, whereby said starting point signal is generated when said driver releases said racing start switch from said first position.

7. The device for controlling a starting procedure of claim 3, wherein said racing start device is operatively connected to said racing start switch and said accelerator pedal position sensor for generating said racing start desire signal in response to a brief positioning of the racing start switch in said first position and an accelerator pedal of the motor vehicle being deflected greater than a lower accelerator pedal activation threshold value;

and

said racing start device is operatively connected to said accelerator pedal position sensor for generating said starting time point signal in response to said accelerator pedal being deflected greater than an upper accelerator pedal activation threshold value.

8. The device for controlling a starting procedure of claim 1, wherein said controller is operatively connected to the automatic friction clutch for controlling a slip value of the driving wheels in response to a speed of said motor vehicle.

9. The device for controlling a starting procedure of claim 8, wherein said controller is operatively connected to said automatic friction clutch for controlling a moment transmitted to the driving wheels during said starting procedure by operation of said friction clutch only.

10. The device for controlling a starting procedure of claim 1, wherein said controller is operatively connected to said automatic friction clutch for producing a slip of the driving wheels by first briefly closing said automatic friction clutch and for establishing a slip value of the driving wheels dependent on a driving speed of the motor vehicle by operating the automatic friction clutch with increasing slip, so that only a portion of a force moment generated by the engine that is required to set the slip value of the driving wheels is transmitted to the driving wheels.

11. The device for controlling a starting procedure of claim 1, wherein said controller comprises an overload protection device operatively connected for preventing an overload of the friction clutch by terminating the starting procedure in response to a detected overload.

12. The device for controlling a starting procedure of claim 11, wherein said controller is operatively connected for continuously controlling the motor vehicle using a second starting procedure stored in the controller when said starting procedure is terminated in response to said overload.

13. The device for controlling a starting procedure of claim 1, wherein said controller comprises an overload protection device operatively connected for detecting an overload situation and for briefly intervening the starting procedure by operating the engine in response to said overload situation.

14. The device for controlling a starting procedure of claim 11, wherein said overload situation comprises an engine speed greater than a preset upper engine speed threshold value.

15. The device for controlling a starting procedure of claim 11, wherein said overload protection device comprises a time interval detection device for detecting a time interval initiated by said starting time point signal;

and

said overload protection device operatively connected for terminating said starting procedure after said time interval exceeds a preset racing start time interval stored in the overload protection device.

16. The device for controlling a starting procedure of claim 11, wherein said overload situation comprises a speed of a transmission shaft of the motor vehicle that lies below a preset threshold value after the expiration of an intermediate time interval which starts at the starting time point signal.

17. The device for controlling a starting procedure of claim 11, wherein said overload comprises a differential speed of the engine relative to the transmission shaft that lies above a preset differential speed value after the expiration of an intermediate interval which starts at the starting time point signal.

18. The device for controlling a starting procedure of claim 17, wherein said controller is operatively connected for closing the friction clutch in response to said overload situation until the differential speed falls below the preset difference.

19. The device for controlling a starting procedure of claim 11, wherein said overload situation comprises a frictional work of said automatic friction clutch exceeding a preset frictional work threshold, wherein said controller is operatively connected for determining said frictional work of the automatic friction clutch by said transmission shaft speed sensor and said engine shaft speed sensor.

20. The device for controlling a starting procedure of claim 1, wherein said controller is operatively connected to a gear actuator of a transmission of said motor vehicle for automatically shifting between driving gears during said starting procedure.

21. The device for controlling a starting procedure of claim 20, wherein said controller is operatively connected to said transmission for initiating a gear shift in said transmission in response to a speed of the driving wheels and a speed of the motor vehicle.

22. The device for controlling a starting procedure of claim 1, further comprising a clutch activation system for the automatic activation of the friction clutch having a clutch activation housing and a transmission actuator for automatically changing gears of said transmission having a transmission actuator housing, wherein said control device is mounted in one of said clutch activation housing and said transmission actuator housing.