FR2825327A1 - Controlling and regulating process for automatic clutch and automatic transmission involves driver intervention to alter creep strategy - Google Patents

Abstract

The automatic clutch and transmission controlling and regulating process involves the application of a creep strategy to deal with the tendency to creep. This creep strategy can be altered by the intervention of the driver, so that the vehicle's tendency to creep can be influenced by him, possibly by acting on a field in the vehicle designed for the purpose.

Description

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 The invention relates to a method for controlling and / or adjusting an automated clutch and / or an automated gearbox of a vehicle, in particular of a motor vehicle, according to which a creeping tendency is controlled by means of a strategy of crawl.

 In the automotive technique, such methods are known for automating the clutch process and / or the entire speed change process. In this method, it is also known to use an appropriate creep strategy. By means of the creeping strategy, a creeping tendency can be set in the vehicle so that as soon as the selector lever of the automatic gearbox is adjusted accordingly, the vehicle is started. This means that the vehicle begins a crawling process when the vehicle brake is not applied.

 Consequently also on a flat section, the driver of the vehicle must constantly apply the brake to on the one hand prevent the vehicle from moving inadvertently and on the other hand to allow, also in this case, an adaptation of the point d activation.

In such situations, a disadvantage is that the driver must apply the brake continuously in order to prevent the vehicle from starting by crawling.

 The object of the invention is to indicate a method of the type mentioned above, in particular the comfort of which is further improved.

 This problem is solved in accordance with the invention using a method for controlling and / or adjusting an automated clutch and / or an automated gearbox of a vehicle, in particular of a motor vehicle, according to which a tendency creep is regulated by a creep strategy, characterized in that the creep strategy is changed by the driver of the

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 vehicle so that the vehicle's creeping tendency can be influenced by the driver.

 Consequently, a method is proposed according to the invention, in which the driver can influence or modify the vehicle creep strategy. Thus it is possible that the tendency for the vehicle to crawl can be activated or deactivated by the driver. Consequently, the driver can adapt the creep strategy to certain displacement situations, so that overall the driving comfort of the vehicle is improved by the method according to the invention.

 In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, it can be seen that the tendency for the vehicle to crawl is influenced by the driver, in that the latter actuates an appropriate control zone. The control area can preferably be arranged within reach of the driver, for example on the steering wheel or the like.

 It is particularly advantageous that, under the effect of actuation of the control zone, the tendency for the vehicle to crawl is interrupted. Consequently, the vehicle can knowingly modify the creeping tendency or the creeping strategy, under predetermined driving conditions. Consequently, the driver can intervene manually at will in the crawling strategy so as to increase in himself the comfort of movement or control, in appropriate driving situations and preventing unpleasant situations.

 According to another alternative embodiment of the present invention, in the method according to the invention, it is provided that an adaptation of the activation point is preferably carried out once by pressing or actuating the control zone during an interval of predetermined time. For example, the time interval can be approximately four seconds.

Naturally, we can also execute with several

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 the adaptation of the activation point during actuation of the control area.

 After the adaptation of the activation points has been carried out, it is advantageous for the creeping tendency to be interrupted until an appropriate time. It can also be provided that in the case of the method according to the present invention, the tendency to creep is interrupted for a predetermined period of time.

 According to another arrangement of the present invention, it can be provided that preferably during the adaptation of the activation point, the vehicle brake is applied. In the case of vehicles having the possibility of performing active braking, this can be achieved for example by a brief impulse activation of a control zone, so that the brake is activated under the effect of this impulse control until the adaptation of the activation point is complete. Advantageously, the driver no longer needs to apply the vehicle brake.

 According to another alternative embodiment of the present invention, in the method according to the invention it can be provided that the tendency to crawl is interrupted until the driver for example brakes or accelerates again. Consequently, the driver can, if he wishes, determine himself the time interval in which the creeping tendency or the creeping strategy is modified.

 It is also possible that the creeping tendency is interrupted until the driver activates the creeping tendency again by means of a predetermined control zone. Naturally one can also imagine other arrangements in the case of the method according to the invention to advantageously influence the creeping strategy and the tendency to creep.

 It is particularly advantageous to use

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 as control zone at least one key of the adjusting device on a constant speed. Of course one can also use other appropriate keys in the vehicle to influence the crawling strategy. However, it has turned out that the keys of the known speed adjustment device, the designation "Tempound", are very well suited in particular in this sense, since almost the vehicle stop state is memorized with the keys.

 To activate the creep trend, the acceleration button of the speed control device can preferably be used as the control zone.

For deactivation of the creeping tendency or at the start of the adaptation of the activation point, the memory key of the speed adjustment device can advantageously be used. Similarly for activating the brake during adaptation of the activation point, the memory button of the speed control device can also be used.

 With the method according to the invention, a vehicle can be maintained or stopped, according to the wish of the driver, also without actuation of the vehicle brake.

 The method according to the present invention can preferably be used in all vehicles comprising an automatic gearbox. This process may be appropriately integrated into the electronic clutch management unit (EKM) and / or into the automated gearbox (ASG).

 According to another idea according to the invention, it is provided that the driver has the possibility of predetermining the intensity of the tendency to creep or creep by means of a control element.

 Under the expression intensity of the creeping tendency we can understand that this is the maximum torque

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 which is transmitted during the sliding phase of the clutch, via the latter, and applies to the wheel during the sliding phase of the clutch. The driver can predetermine, for example, the creeping torque at the clutch (for example 0-20 Nm) or at the wheel (for example 0-150 Nm).

 As devices for influencing / predetermining the creeping torque, it is possible, for example, advantageously to use the following control elements, possibly already present in a vehicle: a control lever for the speed control device, a separate control element, for example a rotary button or a push button button, an on-board computer control element.

Provision may be made for the driver to be able to modify the creeping torque only in certain driving situations, for example during creeping. The creeping torque can be changed depending on the duration of actuation of the control element. Likewise, control elements can be used on the basis of an incremented or decremented evaluation. For example, the creeping torque M (creeping) can be adjusted according to the function M (creeping) = f (M (o), T), M (o) being an initial creeping torque and T the duration of actuation of the actuating element. Advantageously, it can be a function
Mramp = MO + a * T the starting value MO which can be set during each creep process to an implicit value, for example a torque transmitted by means of the clutch and equal to 10 Nm or else no creep process (M (o) = 0), or may correspond to the value last set for the creeping torque. Advantageously, provision can be made for MO to be stored in a non-volatile memory and therefore may also be available in a cycle of

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 immediately following displacement. If the driver does not, for example, adjust the creeping torque, a value fixed in advance can be chosen between a starting value for MO. The constant a sets the slope of the starting value for a duration T, and for example values between 1 and 5 Nm / s have proved to be advantageous for a.

 It may be advantageous to limit the value of the creeping torque as a function of the torque that can be transmitted via the clutch, for example to a maximum value of 50 Nm, preferably 20 Nm, in which case, once this limit has been reached, the driver can be notified, for example acoustically or optically, of this fact.

 In the same way, the creeping torque can be predetermined, apart from the duration of actuation of a control element, also as regards the number of actuations or else by means of an analog regulator. It is also obvious that it is not absolutely necessary that the rates of increase of the creeping torque which can be applied by the driver are linear, and on the contrary one can choose particular conditions between the desired creeping torque, communicated via the control element, and the creeping torque actually set.

 The driving torque predetermined by the driver can be read directly by the automated clutch control device and be transmitted to other control devices, for example via a CAN bus, or can be read by a control device which is part of the control element, and for example the control device can be a control device for the speed setting device "Tempound" or the on-board computer, and be transmitted to the engine and / or clutch control unit. If the

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 automated clutch control detects excessive clutch temperature, a reduction of the crawling torque depending on the temperature can be provided to protect the clutch, also without the driver's wish. But if this driver wishes to increase the creeping torque, this wish of the driver can first be ignored or be transmitted (optically, acoustically) only after the issuance of a warning. In addition, the creeping torque can be increased again, after the clutch has cooled, to the value set before the temperature increase, by the creeping torque as a function of the temperature. It is obvious that the idea according to the invention of an intensity, adjustable by the driver, of the crawling can be advantageously also used for other gearboxes comprising a controlled starting element, for example for automatic adjustment systems. switching stages, so-called CVT gearboxes with continuous switching and two-clutch gearboxes.

 This is why provision can be made for a profile of the creeping torque to be memorized in a driver-specific manner, for example in the on-board computer, so that when identifying a determined driver, the value , last selected by the latter, of the creeping torque or a corresponding profile of the creeping torque is activated.

 The claims appended to this application are proposed formulations, without prejudice to the obtaining of patent protection which continues. The plaintiff reserves the right to claim yet other characteristics or combinations of characteristics which have so far been described only in the description and / or the drawings.

 References used in the subclaims relate to the further development of the object

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 the main claim by virtue of the features of the respective sub-claims; they should not be considered as a renunciation of obtaining independent protection of the subject matter of the characteristics or combinations of characteristics of the subclaims concerned.

 Given that the subject-matter of these claims may constitute, in the light of the technical condition at the priority date attached to the present application, own and independent inventions, the plaintiff reserves the right to be the subject of them. other independent claims or divisional claims. These objects may also contain independent inventions which represent an independent configuration of the objects of the preceding claims.

 The exemplary embodiments should not be considered as a limitation of the invention. On the contrary, numerous changes and modifications are possible within the framework of the invention as presently presented, in particular variants, elements and combinations and / or materials which are for example inventive by combination or transformation of the characteristics or elements or steps of the process. described in the general description and the embodiments as well as the claims and contained in the drawings and which lead by features which can be combined to a new object or to new process steps or sequences of process steps, insofar as it also relates to manufacturing, verification and machining methods, and where it would allow the skilled person to provide a solution to the problem underlying the invention.

Claims (9)

1. Method for controlling and / or adjusting an automated clutch and / or an automated gearbox of a vehicle, in particular of a motor vehicle, according to which a tendency to creep is regulated by means of a creep strategy, characterized in that the creep strategy is modified by the driver of the vehicle so that the tendency for the vehicle to creep can be influenced by the driver.  2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the tendency for the vehicle to crawl is influenced by the actuation of at least one appropriate control zone in the vehicle.  3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the tendency to creep is interrupted by the actuation of the control area.  4. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that during the actuation of the control zone during a predetermined time interval, an adaptation of the activation point is carried out and then the tendency to creep is interrupted until at an appropriate time.  5. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that during the adaptation of the activation point, the vehicle brake is applied.  6. Method according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the yield trend is interrupted until the vehicle brakes or accelerates again.  7. Method according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the creeping tendency is interrupted until the driver activates the creeping tendency again by means of a control zone.  8. Method according to any one of the claims <Desc / Clms Page number 10>  tions 2 to 7, characterized in that at least one button of the vehicle speed control device, called Tempound, is used as the control zone.  9. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the intensity of the creep can be influenced by the driver.