Control of an automatic or automated gearbox using voice command

• US 6,778,895 B1
• Filed: 03/21/2002
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Schwab, Manfred, Ronge, Ludger
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gibson, Eric M.
• Application Number:
  US10/088,882
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 701/51, 701/53, 701/55, 701/1
• US Class Current: 701/51
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/023 Selectors for gearings using voice control for vehicle control B60R16/0373
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/08 Range selector apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0213 characterised by the method for generating shift signals

Abstract

In a system for shifting an automatic or automated variable transmission (2) of a vehicle with a voice command device (20) by the driver in which the voice commands given by the driver are compared with reference voice commands stored in a memory (22) and therefrom control signals are formed, in a transmission control (6) the control signals formed form the driver'"'"'s voice commands are superimposed onto the shift signals calculated by the transmission control (6) in order therefrom to form a shift command of the variable transmission (2) of the vehicle appropriate for the driving situation.

Claims

1. A method of shifting a vehicle transmission by a driver'"'"'s voice, the method comprising the steps of:

issuing a voice command (20) to a voice command input device;

converting the voice command to an electronic command signal and outputting the electronic command signal to a voice command convertor device (20) having a memory (22);

comparing the electronic command signal from the driver with a plurality of reference voice commands electronically stored in the memory (22) to determine a desired one of the reference voice commands;

forming a transmission control signal based on the determined desired one of the voice commands;

calculating a shift signal in the transmission control (6); and

directly overriding a shift signal generated by the transmission control (6) with the electronic command signal generated by the driver'"'"'s voice command to obtain a new shift signal and executing the transmission shift solely according to the new shift signal which is appropriate for the driving situation.

2. The method of shifting a vehicle transmission by a driver'"'"'s voice according to claim 1, the method further comprising the steps of providing the number of gear steps during a change of a reduction ratio both in the upshifts and also in the downshifts via a driver'"'"'s command issued to the voice command device (20).

3. The method of shifting a vehicle transmission by a driver'"'"'s voice according to claim 1, the method further comprising the steps of providing special driving programs, such as economy, sports programs and winter programs via a driver'"'"'s command issued to the voice command device (20).

4. The method of shifting a vehicle transmission by a driver'"'"'s voice according to claim 1, the method further comprising the step of suppressing the creeping of the vehicle via a driver'"'"'s command issued to the voice command device (20).

5. The method of shifting a vehicle transmission by a driver'"'"'s voice according to claim 1, further comprising the step of maintaining an engaged reduction ratio via a driver'"'"'s command issued to the voice command device (20).

6. The method of shifting a vehicle transmission by a driver'"'"'s voice according to claim 1, further comprising the step of issuing a desired starting reduction ratio via a driver'"'"'s command issued to the voice command device (20).

7. The method of shifting a vehicle transmission by a driver'"'"'s voice according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing an easily accessible device for overriding the operation of the voice command device (20).

8. The method of shifting a vehicle transmission by a driver'"'"'s voice according to claim 7, further comprising the step of overriding the operation of the voice command device (20) for a predetermined time interval.

9. The method of shifting a vehicle transmission by a driver'"'"'s voice according to claim 7, further comprising the step of making the overriding of the voice command device accessible exclusively to the driver.

10. A method for shifting a transmission (2) of a vehicle having a voice command device (2) operable by the driver via voice commands, the method comprising the steps of:

issuing a driver'"'"'s voice command (20) to a voice command input device;

comparing the driver'"'"'s voice command with reference voice commands stored in a memory (22), and forming a control signal in a transmission control (6) from the reference voice commands stored in the memory (22);

before executing a transmission shift, always modifying shifting signals calculated by said transmission control (6) according to the control signals formed from the driver'"'"'s voice commands to form therefrom a shift command for said variable transmission (2) of the vehicle appropriate to the situation.

11. A method of overriding shifting of a vehicle transmission by a driver'"'"'s voice, the method comprising the steps of:

generating shift signals in a transmission control (6);

executing shifting of the transmission according to the shift signal generated in the transmission control (6);

when the driver desires to control shifting of the transmission, the driver issuing a voice command (20) to a voice command input device;

converting the voice command to an electronic command signal and outputting the electronic command signal to a voice command convertor device (20) having a memory (22);

comparing the electronic command signal from the driver with a plurality of reference voice commands electronically stored in the memory (22) to select a desired one of the reference voice commands;

forming a transmission control signal based on the selected one of the reference voice commands in the memory (22);

calculating a shift signal in the transmission control (6) based upon the selected one of the reference voice commands;

always overriding the shift signal generated in the transmission control (6) by the electronic command signal generated by the driver'"'"'s voice command, regardless of the shift signal generated in the transmission control (6), to obtain a new shift signal; and

shifting the transmission based solely upon the new shift signal generated from the driver'"'"'s voice command.