Adjustment of the speed of a motor vehicle with an automatic gearbox

• US 7,246,675 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2005
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Pindl, Stephan, Lankes, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): VANAMAN, FRANK BENNETT
• Application Number:
  US11/180,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20050261107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 180/170, 180/171, 180/179, 701/51, 701/52, 701/53, 701/93, 701/95, 701/96
• US Class Current: 180/170
• 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 motor vehicle comprising:

a drive train,

an automatic gearbox coupled with the drive train that can be operated in a manual mode and an automatic mode in which the transmission ratio is changed automatically,

a automatic speed adjustment unit coupled with said gearbox,

a control device coupled with said automatic gearbox and said automatic speed adjustment unit, wherein the control device comprises means to detect the activation of the automatic speed adjustment unit, and wherein the control device further comprises a switching means to switch from the manual mode to the automatic mode of the automatic gearbox, wherein the switching means are controlled if the automatic speed adjustment is active and the automatic gearbox is in manual mode, wherein the control device controls the transmission ratio of the gearbox and determines during activation of the automatic speed adjustment unit whether to change the transmission ratio to obtain a setpoint speed and that a change into the automatic mode is only triggered if the control device affirmatively determines to change the transmission ratio of the gearbox to obtain the setpoint speed.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control device triggers the change into the automatic mode of the gearbox by outputting a signal to the driver instructing the driver to change the gearbox to the automatic mode.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control device triggers the change in the automatic mode of the gearbox by activating a gearbox control and/or adjustment in such a way that it automatically carries out the change.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein on initiating the automatic speed adjustment, the gearbox'"'"'s then current mode of operation is stored.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 4, wherein on ending the automatic speed adjustment, the control unit activates the gearbox control and/or adjustment in such a way that the gearbox is returned to a stored mode of operation.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit ends the automatic speed adjustment if the driver of the motor vehicle activates the manual mode of the gearbox.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit initiates the automatic speed adjustment or offers to the driver of the motor vehicle the initiation of the automatic speed adjustment when it is monitored that the driver of the motor vehicle has kept the speed constant.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein on initiating and/or carrying out the automatic speed adjustment, the control unit detects the setpoint speed once only.

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the control unit uses an acceleration pattern to carry out the automatic speed adjustment that was selected from several different stored acceleration patterns.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 9, further comprising a selection means for selecting a stored acceleration pattern.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 9, wherein a stored acceleration pattern is selectable based on information gained during the distance covered by the driving operation.

12. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control device controls the automatic speed adjustment unit based on the distance to and/or the speed of possible obstacles.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the drive train comprises a plurality of components that output and/or receive power, wherein the control device controls at least one of the plurality of components when an-automatic speed adjustment is made.

14. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control device makes an automatic speed adjustment based on wheel moment.

15. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein on initiating and/or carrying out the automatic speed adjustment, the control unit detects the setpoint speed repeatedly.