Method for operating a motor vehicle by creep mode of the clutch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10647323-B2
Application number	US-201616064122-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2016
Priority date	Dec 21, 2015
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

A method of controlling a creep mode of a motor vehicle with a drive train having a drive unit (1), a gear mechanism (2) and a friction clutch (4) arranged between the drive unit (1) and the gear mechanism (2). The creep function, for controlling the creep mode, having a first partial function for controlling the creep mode, in a case of an activated brake pedal (15), and a second partial function for controlling a creep mode, in a case of a non-activated brake pedal (15). The first partial function of the creep function is only activated once the second partial function of the creep function is activated.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a creep mode of a motor vehicle with a drive train having a drive unit, a gear mechanism and a friction clutch arranged between the drive unit and the gear mechanism, in which a creep function for controlling the creep mode comprises a first partial function for controlling the creep mode in a case of an activated brake pedal and a second partial function for controlling the creep mode in a case of a non-activated brake pedal, the method comprising:
only activating the first partial function of the creep function once the second partial function of the creep function has been activated; and
activating the first partial function and deactivating the second partial function when the brake pedal is moved from a non-activated position to a position which lies between the non-activated position and a predefined threshold value of the brake pedal position or of a braking pressure.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising activating the second partial function when at least the drive unit is operating, a gear is engaged in the gear mechanism and an accelerator pedal and the brake pedal are not activated.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, in a case of an activated first partial function of the creep function, determining creep torque transferred via the friction clutch from a characteristics map depending on a brake pedal activation and a driving resistance.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, in a case of a first activation of the second partial function of the creep function, moving the friction clutch to a position in which a creep torque is transferred, via the friction clutch, which is slightly smaller than a clutch torque required for creeping of the motor vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising when the friction clutch is engaged by either the first or the second partial function of the creep function to such an extent that the friction clutch is in a locking state and neither an accelerator pedal nor the brake pedal is activated, moving the friction clutch by a certain amount further in an engaging direction and operating the drive unit via an idling rotational speed regulation.

6. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising ending the idling rotational speed regulation of the drive unit when one of:
either a brake pedal activation or an accelerator pedal activation is detected;
a safety-critical driving mode is initiated; or
a maximum permissible motor load is either reached or exceeded.

7. A control device for controlling a creep mode of a motor vehicle comprising at least a reception interface, which is designed to receive input signals from drive train components, an analysis unit to analyze either the received input signals or information from the received input signals, and a sending interface to emit control signals to the drive train components, the control device being designed to control the creep mode of the motor vehicle by a creep function,
wherein the control device only enables a first partial function for controlling the creep mode, in a case of an activated brake pedal, when previously a second partial function for controlling the creep mode, in a case of a non-activated brake pedal, has been activated by the control device, and
the control device enabling activation of the first partial function and deactivation of the second partial function when the brake pedal is moved from a non-activated position to a position which lies between the non-activated position and a predefined threshold value of the brake pedal position or of a braking pressure.

8. The control device according to claim 7 , wherein the motor vehicle having a drive train having a drive unit, a gear mechanism and a friction clutch arranged between the drive unit and the gear mechanism, the control device carrying out a method for controlling a creep mode of the motor vehicle, in which the creep function for controlling the creep mode comprises the first partial function for controlling the creep mode, in the case of the activated brake pedal, and the second partial function for controlling the creep mode, in the case of the non-activated brake pedal, the first partial function of the creep function only being activated once the second partial function of the creep function is activated.

9. A computer program product with program code means, which are stored on a computer-readable medium to carry out a method for controlling a creep mode of a motor vehicle when the computer program product is executed on either a computer or a control device of the motor vehicle with a drive train having a drive unit, a gear mechanism and a friction clutch arranged between the drive unit and the gear mechanism, in which a creep function for controlling the creep mode comprises a first partial function for controlling the creep mode, in a case of an activated brake pedal, and a second partial function for controlling the creep mode, in a case of a non-activated brake pedal, the method comprising only activating the first partial function of the creep function once the second partial function of the creep function is activated, and activating the first partial function and deactivating the second partial function when the brake pedal is moved from a non-activated position to a position which lies between the non-activated position and a predefined threshold value of the brake pedal position or of a braking pressure, the computer or the control device having a reception interface, which is designed to receive input signals from drive train components, an analysis unit to analyze either the received input signals or information from the received input signals, and a sending interface to emit control signals to the drive train components, the control device being designed to control the creep mode of the motor vehicle by the creep function, the control device only enabling the first partial function for controlling the creep mode in the case of the activated brake pedal when previously the second partial function for controlling the creep mode in the case of the non-activated brake pedal has been activated by the control device.

Assignees

• Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen

Inventors

• Bemetz Stefan
• Mair Roland
• Chiandetti Achim
• JäGER THOMAS

Classifications

• B60W2540/12

  Brake pedal position · CPC title

• B60W10/02

  including control of driveline clutches · CPC title

• B60W10/06

  including control of combustion engines · CPC title

• B60W20/00

  Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles {(hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L)} · CPC title

• B60W30/18027

  Drive off, accelerating from standstill · CPC title