A vehicle control device performs a drive mode switching control including switching a drive mode, when a request for switching to a manual drive control is made during execution of an automated drive control, to one of a plurality of drive modes that allows a driving force to accord with a required driving force based on an operation of the driver of the vehicle, over a wide range.

A manual transmission unit has one transmission input shaft, one transmission output shaft, a first intermediate shaft, a second intermediate shaft, a plurality of gear wheels, of which a first and a second drive gear wheel are arranged on the transmission input shaft and connectable in a rotationally fixed manner thereto, in particular in a permanently rotationally fixed manner thereto, and a plurality of torque transmission units for selective connection of additional gear wheels to at least one of the intermediate shafts. The first drive gear wheel intermeshes together with two intermediate wheels and the second drive gear wheel intermeshes together with two additional intermediate wheels. At least two, preferably at least three and more preferably at least four of the intermediate wheels are selectively connectible to the intermediate shafts for power transmission.

A transmission where a first shaft is rotationally fixable to a third shaft and to a second shaft, the second and third shafts are rotationally connectable to a fourth shaft, the second shaft is rotationally connectable to a fifth shaft, the fourth shaft is rotationally connectable to the fifth shaft, the third shaft is rotationally connectable to the fifth shaft, fixed gears of the fourth and fifth shafts are rotationally connected to a drive output, a first gearwheel of the sixth shaft meshes with a fixed gear of the second shaft, and a second gearwheel of the sixth shaft meshes with a fixed gear of the third shaft. Moreover, a first gearwheel of the sixth shaft is an idler gear and a second gearwheel of the sixth shaft is a fixed gear, or vice versa. Additionally, the idler gear of the sixth shaft is rotationally fixable to the sixth shaft.

The invention relates to a transmission (100) for a hybrid drive arrangement which can be coupled to two drive assemblies (7, 8), comprising an input shaft (10), and an output shaft (11), at least one first, second, third and fourth shifting element (SE1, SE2, SE3, SE4), and at least one first planetary gear (5) and one second planetary gear (6). The input shaft (10) can be coupled to the ring gear planet carrier of the first planetary gear (5) by means of the first shifting element (SE1) and the output shaft (11) is coupled to the planet carrier of the first planetary gear (5). The planet carrier of the first planetary gear (5) can be coupled to the ring gear of the second planetary gear (6) by means of the second shifting element (SE2) and the planet carrier of the first planetary gear (5) can be coupled to the sun gear of the second planetary gear (6) by means of the third shifting element (SE3). The sun gear of the first planetary gear (5) can be coupled to the sun gear of the second planetary gear (6) by means of the fourth shifting element (SE4).

A transmission arrangement for a hybrid vehicle, in which a connection for an internal combustion engine, a connection for an electric machine, and a transmission part are arranged in a manner able to be coupled to each other. The transmission part comprises a simple Ravigneaux planetary gear set with two planetary gears (PG1, PG2) and a single ring gear. The ring gear is coupled to a spur and bevel gear transmission (KT), which forms a power takeoff of the transmission arrangement. The transmission part furthermore comprises two brakes (B1, B2) and two clutches (K1, K2) as force-locking shifting elements.

A method to control a road vehicle provided with a dual-clutch, servo-assisted transmission and standing still with the internal combustion engine turned on; the control method comprises, when the road vehicle is standing still with the internal combustion engine turned on, the steps of: engaging a forward gear associated with a first clutch; engaging a reverse gear associated with a second clutch, which is different from and independent of the first clutch; closing the first clutch so as to cause the first clutch to transmit a first torque; and closing the second clutch so as to cause the second clutch to transmit a second torque, which is equal to the first torque multiplied by the quotient between a gear ratio of the reverse gear and a gear ratio of the forward gear.

A method to control a road vehicle for the execution of a multiple downshift in a drivetrain provided with a servo-assisted transmission; the control method comprises the steps of: detecting a condition of slowing down of the road vehicle and, simultaneously, detecting a driver's request for a multiple downshift; carrying out, in succession, a plurality of downshifts while the road vehicle is slowing down and in an autonomous manner regardless of further interventions of the driver; determining a duration of a shift time interval; and carrying out each downshift following a first downshift when said shift time interval has exactly elapsed since the previous downshift.

A method to automatically control a drivetrain provided with a servo-assisted transmission; the method comprises the steps of: measuring a rotation speed of the internal combustion engine; carrying out a shift to a lower gear in an autonomous manner and independently of an intervention of a driver, when the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine reaches a lower threshold; carrying out a shift to a higher gear in an autonomous manner and independently of an intervention of the driver, when the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine reaches an upper threshold; detecting a release of an accelerator pedal in a first instant; waiting, starting from the first instant, a time interval until a second instant, which is subsequent to the first instant; and increasing a value of the lower threshold starting from the instant until a following pressing of the accelerator pedal.

A method to control a road vehicle provided with a clutch, which connects an internal combustion engine to drive wheels and is arranged upstream of a servo-assisted transmission; the control method comprises the steps of: checking whether the tyres of the drive wheels are close to a grip limit; and opening the clutch so that the clutch transmits a torque to the drive wheels with a slip of the clutch that is constant and other than zero when the tyres of the drive wheels are close to the grip limit.

A method to control a road vehicle provided with a servo-assisted transmission during a slowing down phase; the control method comprises, when the servo-assisted transmission is in an automatic operating mode, the steps of: calculating, assuming that a pressing of the brake pedal remains constant, an opening time interval needed to allow the road vehicle to reach an opening speed at which a clutch of the servo-assisted transmission is definitively opened; calculating a number of downshifts that can be carried out in the opening time interval based on a time needed to carry out a downshift; scheduling the downshifts to be carried out in order to get from the current gear engaged in the servo-assisted transmission to an opening gear with which the clutch of the servo-assisted transmission is definitively opened, so as to carry out no more than the number of downshifts that can be carried out in the opening time interval; and carrying out the scheduled downshifts.