Method for controlling a transmission device of a vehicle, transmission device for a vehicle, and vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling a transmission device (14) of a vehicle (10), the transmission device comprising an automatic transmission (16), a control device (18) for controlling the transmission (16), a selection device (20) for manually selecting a gear of the transmission (16), wherein the control device (18) automatically sets the gear in a first operating mode on the basis of at least one determined driving state, and wherein the control device (18) switches into a second operating mode when the selection device (20) is operated, in which the control device (18) sets and maintains the manually selected gear, wherein the method comprises the following steps: a. manually triggering a gear shift by means of the selection device (20) and transmitting the manual gear selection to the control device (18) by means of the selection device (20); b. setting the gear on the basis of the manual gear selection by means of the control device (18); and c. comparing the manual gear selection in the second operating mode with the automatic gear selection corresponding to the determined driving state of the first operating mode, and switching the control device (18) into the first operating mode when the control device (18) recognizes that the manual gear selection coincides with the automatic gear selection. Furthermore, the invention also relates to a transmission device (14) for a vehicle and a vehicle having such a transmission device (14).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for controlling a transmission device for a vehicle, the transmission device including an automatic transmission, a control device for controlling the transmission, and a gear selector for manually selecting gears in the transmission. Furthermore, this invention relates to a transmission device for a vehicle and a vehicle having such a transmission device. Background Technology

[0002] For automatic transmissions used in vehicles, it is known that a driver can manually select a gear to adapt to driving conditions while the automatic gear selection is active. The problem here is: after the driver requests a manual shift, thus temporarily suppressing the automatic gear selection, determining the return-to-automatic gear selection time. In the simplest solution, the transmission would then be switched back to automatic gear selection in a time-controlled manner. To address this, it is known to consider transitional conditions depending on driving conditions, which exceed the scope of simple time control.

[0003] DE19912963B4 discloses a device for controlling an automatic transmission for a vehicle, comprising first and second selection devices operable by a driver. The control device for the transmission can operate in two modes based on signals from the selection devices. In an automatic first operating mode selectable via the first selection device, the control device automatically sets the transmission ratio based on operating parameters determined by sensors. In a second operating mode influenced by the driver, the control device sets the transmission ratio based on signals from the second selection device. The second operating mode can be selected without time restriction via the first selection device, and the control device can switch from the first operating mode to the second operating mode within a predetermined time period by operating the second selection device without selection via the first selection device. Based on other signals, even after the predetermined time period has elapsed, the control device will not automatically switch back to the first operating mode if at least one of the following conditions is met: the signal from the lateral acceleration sensor exceeds a preset value, or the signal from the traction-thrust detector indicates thrust operation, or the vehicle speed signal is less than a predetermined threshold value.

[0004] The difficulty lies in identifying the initial driver intent toward manual intervention, and in observing subsequent behavior related to changes in driver actions or driving conditions. If the driver's intention is misinterpreted, the return to automatic gear selection is either too early or too late, and the driver cannot adapt to the gear selection. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The objective of this invention is to provide a method, a transmission device, and a vehicle that enables the return to automatic gear selection in accordance with the driver's intention.

[0006] To address this task, a method having the features of claim 1, a transmission device having the features of claim 6, and a vehicle having the features of claim 10 are proposed.

[0007] Advantageous designs of the method and the transmission device are the subject of the corresponding dependent claims.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the invention, a method for controlling a transmission device of a vehicle is provided, wherein the transmission device includes an automatic transmission, a control device for controlling the transmission, and a gear selector for manually selecting a gear of the transmission, wherein the control device automatically sets a gear based on at least one determined driving state in a first operating mode, and wherein the control device switches to a second operating mode when the gear selector is operated, in which the control device sets and maintains the manually selected gear. In the method, in a first step, a gear shift is manually triggered by the gear selector and transmitted to the control device. In a second step, the control device sets a gear based on the manual gear selection. In a third step, the control device compares the manual gear selection with the automatic gear selection corresponding to the determined driving state in the second operating mode, and switches back to the first operating mode when the control device detects that the manual gear selection matches the automatic gear selection.

[0009] The method thus evaluates the correlation between automatic gear selection and manual gear selection by the driver. If a correlation exists between the automatic gear selection and the manual gear selection, the automatic gear selection is returned to. Therefore, returning to the first operating mode and thus to the automatic gear selection is neither too early nor too late, and the driver can adapt to the gear selection. Thus, the method enables a return to the automatic gear selection in accordance with the driver's intention.

[0010] In one advantageous design, the gear selector transmits a gear selection signal generated based on manual gear selection to the control unit. The control unit then sets the manually selected gear based on the gear selection signal. Furthermore, it is advantageous for the control unit to compare the gear selection signal with an automatic gear selection corresponding to the determined driving state.

[0011] The vehicle may be a motor vehicle, such as a passenger car, truck, or motorcycle.

[0012] In an advantageous design, when the manual gear selection coincides with the automatic gear selection corresponding to a determined driving state within a predetermined time period, the control unit switches to a first operating mode. Following manual intervention, the point at which the manual and automatic gear selections match can then be identified. Switching to automatic gear selection thus avoids unwanted shifting and can be done quickly and intuitively. For example, using appropriate acceleration sensors, based on information about the tilt position of a single-lane vehicle or the lateral acceleration of a multi-lane vehicle, the upshift point can be shifted towards higher speeds to counteract the reduction in available traction at the exit of a curve. A possible example of this is: the driver approaches a curve and consciously downshifts beforehand to have a low gear and thus high traction available at the exit of the curve. During curve driving, the upshift point of the automatic gear selection shifts towards higher speeds, so the automatic gear selection no longer uses upshifts to correct manual downshifts. Thus, the automatic and manual gear selections are aligned, and the control unit can regain control.

[0013] In an advantageous design, the control unit switches to a first operating mode when one of the shift directions of the automatic gear selection corresponding to the determined driving state corresponds to the shift direction of the manual gear selection. The initial shift direction that causes the automatic gear selection to be suppressed is used to interpret the upcoming same-direction automatic shift as a condition for exiting the manual gear selection. Thus, manual upshifts and manual downshifts are distinguished when the initial driver intention is determined. If subsequent driving conditions result in the automatic gear selection pointing in the direction of the initial driver intention, then the automatic gear selection also takes over in advance. For example, if the driver performs a manual downshift during coasting and thereby switches to a second operating mode, another downshift request is generated as the vehicle further decelerates, but this time from the automatic gear selection in the first operating mode. In this case, the system returns to the first operating mode and thus returns to the automatic gear selection, and the upcoming downshift is executed. Alternatively, while in the second operating mode (during which the automatic gear selection is suppressed), subsequent manual driving interventions can continue to be observed, and the automatic gear selection in the first operating mode can be evaluated for the same shift direction. If the shift direction is the same, this cannot be evaluated as a further manual intervention intended to force a stay in the second operating mode; instead, a shift to the first operating mode can be initiated earlier. For example, if the driver manually downshifts to the second operating mode, thereby suppressing automatic gear selection, and then shifts up in the subsequent process of suppression, and automatic gear selection also wants to shift up, then the consistency of the shift direction is used as an exit condition, resulting in an early shift to the first operating mode and thus to automatic gear selection. The example here is: the driver downshifts to increase thrust and reduce speed. After reaching the target speed, he manually upshifts again. This manual upshift matches the automatic shift direction. Instead of a re-trigger to stay in the second operating mode, a shift to the first operating mode is initiated, thus to automatic gear selection.

[0014] In an advantageous design, the driving state is determined using at least one sensor. Advantageously, the sensor sends a sensor signal to a control device, which then determines the driving state from the sensor signal.

[0015] In an advantageous design, the driving state is determined by at least one of the following parameters: vehicle speed, driving mode, tilt position or lateral acceleration, braking pressure; throttle grip gradient or throttle pedal gradient and throttle grip position or throttle pedal position. Advantageously, a single sensor can be used to detect vehicle speed, vehicle tilt position or lateral acceleration, braking pressure, throttle grip gradient or throttle pedal gradient, and throttle grip position or throttle pedal position.

[0016] According to another aspect of the invention, a transmission device for a vehicle is provided. The transmission device includes an automatic transmission, a control device for controlling the transmission, and a gear selector for manually selecting a gear in the transmission. The control device is configured to: automatically set the gear in the transmission based on at least one determined driving state in a first operating mode, and switch to a second operating mode when the gear selector is operated, in which the control device sets a manually selected gear, and wherein the control device is configured to: compare the manual gear selection with the automatic gear selection corresponding to the determined driving state in the second operating mode, and switch back to the first operating mode when the control device detects that the manual gear selection matches the automatic gear selection.

[0017] Advantageously, the control device is configured to switch to a first operating mode when the manual gear selection coincides with the automatic gear selection corresponding to the determined driving state within a predetermined time period.

[0018] In one advantageous design, the control device is configured to switch to a first operating mode when one of the shift directions of the automatic gear selection corresponding to the determined driving state corresponds to the shift direction of the manual gear selection.

[0019] In one advantageous design, the transmission equipment includes at least one sensor, by means of which at least one driving state can be detected.

[0020] According to another aspect of the invention, a vehicle is provided that includes a transmission device according to the invention. The vehicle may be a passenger car, a truck, or a motorcycle. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The following description, with the aid of embodiments schematically illustrated in the accompanying drawings, details a vehicle, a transmission device, a method for controlling the transmission device, and other features and advantages. Wherein:

[0022] Figure 1 A vehicle equipped with a transmission is shown; and

[0023] Figure 2 An enlarged view of the transmission equipment is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0024] exist Figure 1 The image shows a vehicle 10, which in this embodiment is a motorcycle 12. The motorcycle 12 has... Figure 2 The transmission device 14 shown.

[0025] like Figure 2As can be seen, the transmission device 14 includes an automatic transmission 16, a control device 18 for controlling the transmission 16, and a gear selector 20 for manually selecting the gears of the transmission 16. Furthermore, the transmission device 14 includes a first sensor 22 for detecting the tilt position of the motorcycle 12, a second sensor 24 for detecting the braking pressure of a brake (not shown) on the motorcycle 12, a third sensor 26 for detecting the vehicle speed of the motorcycle 12, and a fourth sensor 28 for detecting the position of a throttle grip (not shown).

[0026] The control device 18 is configured to determine the driving state of the motorcycle 12 in a first operating mode based on at least one of the parameters detected by the sensors 22, 24, 26, 28 and / or the driving mode of the motorcycle 12 detected by the control device 18, and automatically set the gear of the transmission 16 accordingly.

[0027] Furthermore, the control device 18 is configured to switch to a second operating mode when the gear selection device 20 is operated, in which the control device 18 sets the gear manually selected by the gear selection device 20.

[0028] The gear selector 20 can be configured as a paddle shifter 29, schematically shown, which is disposed on the handlebars 30 of the motorcycle 12. The gear of the transmission 16 can be manually selected by operating the paddle shifter 29. For example, upshifting is performed by operating the paddle shifter 29 upwards, and downshifting is performed by operating the paddle shifter 29 downwards.

[0029] Based on the manual gear selected using the paddle shifter 29, the gear selector 20 sends a gear selection signal to the control device 18, which then switches to the second operating mode to set the manually selected gear. After a predetermined time interval has elapsed and a predetermined driving state has been met, the control device 18 automatically returns to the first operating mode based on input signals from sensors 22, 24, 26, and 28.

[0030] To ensure that returning to the second operating mode and thus to automatic gear selection is neither too early nor too late, and that the driver can adapt to the gear selection, the control unit 18 is configured to evaluate the correlation between automatic gear selection and manual gear selection by the driver. To evaluate this correlation, the following method is performed using the transmission device 14. In a first step, a gear is manually selected using the gear selection device 20, and the manual gear selection is transmitted to the control unit 18 by sending a gear selection signal corresponding to the manual gear selection.

[0031] In the second step, the control device 18 switches to the second operating mode and sets the gear based on the gear selection signal.

[0032] In the third step, the control device 18 compares the manual gear selection with the gear selection corresponding to the determined driving state. To do this, the control device 18 determines the driving state from at least one sensor signal transmitted by sensors 22, 24, 26, 28, and, if necessary, the detected driving mode, and determines the matching automatic gear selection based on the determined driving state. Subsequently, the control device 18 compares the manual gear selection with the automatic gear selection. When the control device detects that the manual gear selection matches the automatic gear selection corresponding to the determined driving state within a predetermined time period, or when the control device detects that one of the shift directions of the automatic gear selection corresponding to the determined driving state corresponds to the shift direction of the manual gear selection, the control device 18 switches to the first operating mode.

[0033] In the first application scenario, the timing of the matching between manual and automatic gear selection can be identified after manual intervention. Switching to the first operating mode and thus to automatic gear selection will not result in unwanted shifting and can be done quickly and intuitively. For example, by using the tilt position information of the first sensor 22, which is configured as an acceleration sensor, the upshift point is moved towards a higher speed to counteract the reduction in available traction at the exit of a curve. A possible example of this is: the driver approaches a curve and consciously downshifts beforehand so that a low gear and thus high traction are available at the exit of the curve. During the curve, the upshift point of the automatic gear selection then moves towards a higher speed, so that the automatic gear selection no longer uses upshifting to correct manual downshifting. Thus, the automatic and manual gear selections are aligned, and the control unit 18 can regain control.

[0034] In the second application scenario, the initial shift direction that leads to the transition to the second operating mode and thus suppresses automatic gear selection is used to interpret the upcoming same-direction automatic shift as an exit condition for exiting the second operating mode. Thus, manual upshifts and manual downshifts are distinguished when the initial driver intent is determined. If subsequent driving conditions result in the automatic gear selection pointing in the direction of the initial driver intent, then the first operating mode is switched back in advance, thus switching to automatic gear selection. For example, when the driver performs a manual downshift during coasting, another downshift request is generated as the vehicle further decelerates, but this time from automatic gear selection. In this case, the first operating mode is returned to, thus returning to automatic gear selection, and the upcoming downshift is executed. Alternatively, during the time in the second operating mode (during which automatic gear selection is suppressed), subsequent manual driving interventions can continue to be observed, and the same shift direction regarding automatic gear selection can be evaluated. If the shift direction is the same, this cannot be evaluated as a further manual intervention aimed at suppressing automatic gear selection, but rather a switch back to the first operating mode and thus to automatic gear selection can be initiated in advance. For example, if a driver manually downshifts to switch to the second operating mode, thereby suppressing automatic gear selection, and then shifts up in the subsequent upshifting process, during which automatic gear selection also wants to shift up, this consistency in shift direction is used as an exit condition, enabling an early switch back to the first operating mode and thus to automatic gear selection. An example of this is: the driver downshifts to increase thrust and reduce speed. After reaching the target speed, he manually upshifts again. This manual upshift matches the automatic shift direction. Instead of re-triggering the manual overdrive (Überstimmung) and thus the second operating mode, the driver switches to the first operating mode and thus to automatic gear selection.

[0035] According to the invention, the transmission device 14 thus evaluates the correlation between the automatic gear selection and the gear selection made manually by the driver. If a correlation exists between the automatic gear selection and the gear selection made manually by the driver, the system returns to the first operating mode and thus returns to the automatic gear selection. Therefore, the return to the automatic gear selection is neither too early nor too late, and the driver can adapt to the gear selection. Thus, the transmission device can achieve a return to the automatic gear selection in accordance with the driver's intention.

[0036] List of reference numerals in the attached diagram:

[0037] 10 vehicles

[0038] 12 motorcycles

[0039] 14. Transmission Equipment

[0040] 16-speed automatic transmission

[0041] 18 control devices

[0042] 20-speed selector

[0043] 22 First Sensor

[0044] 24 Second Sensor

[0045] 26 Third Sensor

[0046] 28 Fourth Sensor

[0047] 29 Paddle Shifters

[0048] 30 handlebars

Claims

1. A method for controlling a transmission device (14) of a vehicle (10), said transmission device comprising an automatic transmission (16), a control device (18) for controlling the transmission (16), and a gear selector (20) for manually selecting a gear of the transmission (16), wherein, The control device (18) automatically sets the gear based on at least one determined driving state in a first operating mode, and wherein the control device (18) switches to a second operating mode when the gear selector (20) is operated, in which the control device (18) sets and holds the manually selected gear, wherein the method includes the following steps: a. Manually trigger gear shifting using the gear selector (20), and transmit the manual gear selection to the control device (18) using the gear selector (20). b. Using the control device (18), a gear is set based on manual gear selection; and c. In the second operating mode, the manual gear selection is compared with the automatic gear selection in the first operating mode corresponding to the determined driving state, and when the control device (18) recognizes that the manual gear selection and the automatic gear selection are consistent, the control device (18) switches to the first operating mode.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the manual gear selection is consistent with the automatic gear selection corresponding to the determined driving state within a predetermined time period, the control device (18) switches to the first operating mode.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When one of the shift directions selected by the automatic gear mode corresponds to the shift direction selected by the manual gear mode, the control device (18) switches to the first operating mode.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving status is determined by using at least one sensor (22;24;26;28).

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, Driving status is determined by at least one of the following parameters: vehicle speed, driving mode, tilt position or lateral acceleration, braking pressure; throttle grip gradient or throttle pedal gradient and throttle grip position or throttle pedal position.

6. A transmission device (14) for a vehicle (10), the transmission device comprising an automatic transmission (16), a control device (18) for controlling the transmission (16), and a gear selector (20) for manually selecting gears of the transmission (16), wherein, The control device (18) is configured to: automatically set the gear of the transmission (16) based on at least one determined driving state in a first operating mode, and switch to a second operating mode when the gear selector (20) is operated, in which the control device (18) sets the manually selected gear, and wherein the control device (18) is configured to: compare the manual gear selection with the automatic gear selection corresponding to the determined driving state in the second operating mode, and switch to the first operating mode when the control device (18) recognizes that the manual gear selection and the automatic gear selection are consistent.

7. The transmission device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The control device (18) is configured to switch to the first operating mode when the manual gear selection is consistent with the automatic gear selection corresponding to the determined driving state within a predetermined time period.

8. The transmission device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The control device (18) is configured to switch to the first operating mode when one of the shift directions of the automatic gear selection corresponding to the determined driving state corresponds to the shift direction of the manual gear selection.

9. The transmission device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The transmission device (14) includes at least one sensor, by means of which at least one driving state can be detected.

10. A vehicle (10) comprising a transmission device (14) according to any one of claims 6 to 9.

Images