CONTROL OF AN ACTUATOR FOR ACTUATING A MOTOR VEHICLE CLUTCH

Abstract

A method is disclosed for controlling an actuator to activate a motor vehicle clutch. A shift operation is acquired for a motor vehicle transmission. A shift actuator is controlled as a function of the acquired shift operation. The acquisition of the shift operation includes acquiring an operational force that is exerted on a shift mechanism during the operation, A shifting duration for the shift operation and/or a clutch adjustment duration (i.e., disengaging and/or engaging) of the motor vehicle clutch is modified as a function of the acquired shift operation.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A method for actuating a motor vehicle clutch comprising: acquiring an actuation parameter of a manual gear shift for a transmission shift input; and controlling an actuator to operate the clutch using an actuator operation having a closing ramp and an opening ramp in response to the transmission shift; and modifying the operation as a function of the actuation parameter.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the actuation parameter is a shift force applied to the manual gear shift, the method further comprising: controlling the actuator to operate the clutch using a first actuator operation having a first closing ramp and a first opening ramp when the shift force having a first actuation force; and controlling the actuator to operate the clutch using a second actuator operation having a second closing ramp and a second opening ramp when the shift force has a second actuation force different than the first actuation force; wherein at least one of the second closing ramp and the second opening ramp are shorter than the corresponding first closing ramp and the first opening ramp.

13. The method according to claim 12 further comprising controlling the actuator to operate the clutch using a third actuator operation having a third closing ramp and a third opening ramp when the shift force has a third actuation force different than the first and second actuation force; wherein at least one of the third closing ramp and the third opening ramp are shorter than the corresponding second closing ramp and the second opening ramp.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising computing a function of the shift force, wherein the function is selected from the group consisting of a maximum of the shift force, an average of the shift force, a time derivative of the shift force, a time integral of the shift force or a combination thereof and the second actuation parameter is greater than the first actuation parameter.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the actuation parameter is a shift duration applied to the manual gear shift, the method further comprising: controlling the actuator to operate the clutch using a first actuator operation having a first closing ramp and a first opening ramp when the shift force having a first actuation duration; and controlling the actuator to operate the clutch using a second actuator operation having a second closing ramp and a second opening ramp when the shift force has a second actuation duration different than the first actuation duration; wherein at least one of the second closing ramp and the second opening ramp are shorter than the corresponding first closing ramp and the first opening ramp.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the actuation parameter is the shift duration applied to the manual gear shift, the method further comprising: controlling the actuator to operate the clutch using a third actuator operation having a second closing ramp and a second opening ramp when the shift force has a third actuation duration different than the first and second actuation durations; wherein at least one of the third closing ramp and the third opening ramp are shorter than the corresponding second closing ramp and the second opening ramp.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising computing a function of the shift duration, wherein the function is selected from the group consisting of a maximum of the shift duration, an average of the shift duration, a time derivative of the shift duration, a time integral of the shift duration or a combination thereof and the second actuation parameter is greater than the first actuation parameter.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprises acquiring a position of the gear shift, wherein the shift duration is a period between a first acquired position of the gear shift and a second acquired position of the gear shift.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the first acquired position is a deselection of a given gear.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the second acquired position is a selection of a given gear.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising processor-executable instructions for reading data from a processor in communication with a manual gear shift for a motor vehicle transmission, the processor-executable instructions when executed on the processor in a control system configure the control system to: acquire an actuation parameter from the manual gear shift for a transmission shift input, wherein the actuation parameter includes at least one of a shift force and a shift duration; and control an actuator to operate the clutch using an actuator operation having a closing ramp and an opening ramp in response to the transmission shift; and modify the operation as a function of the actuation parameter.

22. A control system for controlling an actuator to operate a clutch in a motor vehicle transmission comprising a controller configured to: acquire an actuation parameter from a manual gear shift indicating a transmission shift input, wherein the actuation parameter includes at least one of a shift force and a shift duration; control the actuator using an actuator operation having a closing ramp and an opening ramp in response to the transmission shift; modify a duration for at least one of the opening ramp and the closing ramp as a function of the actuation parameter.

23. The control system according to claim 22, wherein the actuation parameter is the shift force applied to the manual gear shift and the controller is further configured to: control the actuator to operate the clutch using a first actuator operation having a first closing ramp and a first opening ramp when the shift force having a first actuation force; and control the actuator to operate the clutch using a second actuator operation having a second closing ramp and a second opening ramp when the shift force has a second actuation force different than the first actuation force; wherein at least one of the second closing ramp and the second opening ramp are shorter than the corresponding first closing ramp and the first opening ramp.

24. The control system according to claim 22, wherein the actuation parameter is the shift duration applied to the manual gear shift and the controller is further configured to: control the actuator to operate the clutch using a first actuator operation having a first closing ramp and a first opening ramp when the shift force having a first actuation duration; and control the actuator to operate the clutch using a second actuator operation having a second closing ramp and a second opening ramp when the shift force has a second actuation duration different than the first actuation duration; wherein at least one of the second closing ramp and the second opening ramp are shorter than the corresponding first closing ramp and the first opening ramp.

25. A motor vehicle comprising the control system according to claim 22 and a vehicle transmission having at least two gears, wherein the actuator and the clutch are operable to selectively engage and disengage the at least two gears in response to an from the manual gear shift.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] The present disclosure will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements.

[0045] FIG. 1 is part of a motor vehicle with an actuator and a control system for controlling the actuator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0046] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the actuator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and

[0047] FIG. 3 illustrates three operations of the actuator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background of the invention or the following detailed description.

[0049] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a part of a motor vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure with a drive 4 for driving drive wheels 7 via a motor vehicle transmission 6, which a motor vehicle clutch 5 can optionally couple to or decouple from the drive 4, which can be electrically adjusted or activated by an actuator 50.

[0050] In order to shift the motor vehicle transmission 5, the driver operates a gear shift in the form of a gear shift 2, which in a shifting gate is guided with a reverse gear alley 30, an alley with a first branch 31 and a second branch 32, another alley with a third branch 33 and a fourth branch 34 and another alley with a fifth branch 35 and a sixth branch 36.

[0051] A control system with an controller or electronic clutch unit acquires a position or positional change of the gear shift 2 and opens the motor vehicle clutch 5 when it acquires (the beginning) of a disengagement motion to or a disengagement of a gear by the gear shift 2, and closes the motor vehicle clutch 5 when it has acquired an executed engagement motion to or an engagement of a gear by the gear shift 2 by correspondingly controlling the actuator 50.

[0052] For this purpose, the exemplary embodiment provides contact sensors 10 through 16 in the shifting gates 30 through 36, which are signal-connected with the ECU 1: If one of these contact sensors 10-16 acquires the gear shift 2, a completed engagement of the corresponding gear is acquired. If this contact sensor then acquires a detachment of this contact, a beginning of a disengagement of the corresponding gear is acquired. In certain modifications, this can naturally also be acquired in another way.

[0053] Arranged on the gear shift 2 is a force sensor with one or several strain gauges 18, which acquire a signal representative of the operational force exerted on the gear shift 2 and transmits the signal to the ECU 1, with which it is signal-connected.

[0054] The control system with the ECU 1 implements a method for controlling the actuator 50 for automatically activating the motor vehicle clutch 5 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2, 3.

[0055] The contact sensors 10-16 acquire a disengagement of an engaged gear in a step S10. Step S10 is repeated for as long as no beginning of a disengagement motion for the disengagement of an engaged gear is acquired (S20: N). Otherwise (S20: Y), the ECU 1 opens the motor vehicle clutch 5 in a step S30 by correspondingly actuating the actuator 50 for this purpose.

[0056] In a step S40, the ECU 1 uses the contact sensors 10-16 to check whether a gear has been completely engaged by the gear shift 2. Step S40 is repeated for as long as this is not the case (S40: N). Otherwise (S40: Y), the ECU 1 closes the motor vehicle clutch 5 in a step S50 by correspondingly actuating the actuator 50 to this end, and returns to step S10.

[0057] To this end, a solid line on FIG. 3 shows the progression of a torque T5 transferable by the motor vehicle clutch 5 over time t. The solid line represents an opening duration or ramp o,1 and a closing duration or ramp c,1.

[0058] A timer may also started in step S30, i.e., with the disengagement of a gear, and a maximum amount of operational force exerted by the driver on the gear shift 2 is acquired by means of the force sensor 18. In step S30, the ECU 1 shortens the opening duration or ramp to a prescribed minimum value, proportionally to this maximum amount.

[0059] To this end, a dashed line on FIG. 3 shows a shortened opening duration or ramp o,2 for a larger maximum operational force in terms of amount, and a dashed-double dotted line shows an even further shortened opening duration or ramp o,3 for an even larger maximum operational force in terms of amount.

[0060] As a consequence, the actuator 50 for activating the motor vehicle clutch 5 is controlled in an operation by activating the motor vehicle clutch with a first opening duration or ramp o,1 when a first operational force exerted on the gear shift 2 is acquired, controlled in another operation in which the motor vehicle clutch 5 is activated with a second opening duration or ramp o,2 shorter than the first opening duration or ramp o,1, when a second operational force exerted on the gear shift 2 is acquired whose maximum amount is larger than for the first operational force, and controlled in a third or further operation in which the motor vehicle clutch 5 is activated with a third opening duration or ramp o,3 even shorter than the second opening duration or ramp o,2, when a third operational force exerted on the gear shift 2 is acquired whose maximum amount is even larger than for the second operational force.

[0061] In step S50, the timer is additionally stopped, and thus indicates a shifting of the gearshift 2 from the disengagement of a gear (S20: Y) to the engagement of a gear (S40: Y).

[0062] The quotient of the value for the timer divided by a reference value specific to a gear change is acquired as the shifting duration. In step S50, the ECU 1 shortens the closing duration or ramp to a prescribed minimum value, proportionally to this shifting duration.

[0063] To this end, a dashed line on FIG. 3 once again shows a shortened closing duration or ramp o,2, and a dash-double dotted line exemplarily shows an even further shortened closing duration or ramp o,3.

[0064] As a consequence, the actuator 50 for activating the motor vehicle clutch 5 is controlled in an operation by activating the motor vehicle clutch with a first closing duration or ramp c,1 when a first shifting duration between a disengagement of a gear and an engagement of a gear is acquired, controlled in another second operation in which the motor vehicle clutch 5 is activated with a second closing duration or ramp c,2 shorter than the first closing duration or ramp c,1, when a shorter second shifting duration between disengagement and engagement is acquired, and controlled in a third or further operation in which the motor vehicle clutch 5 is activated with a third closing duration or ramp c,3 even shorter than the second closing duration or ramp c,2, when an even shorter third shifting duration between disengagement and engagement is acquired.

[0065] When controlling the actuator 5, the ECU 1 thus shortens the opening and/or closing duration or ramp of the motor vehicle clutch 5 as a function of the acquired operational force and shifting duration of the operation.

[0066] Even though exemplary embodiments were explained in the preceding description, let it be noted that a plurality of modifications is possible. For example, in order to modify the opening or closing duration or ramp, the period from when a gear was disengaged or a contact was released until when the selection alley 37 was reached, the period from when the selection alley 37 was exited until a gear was engaged or a contact was closed or the like can be taken as the basis instead of the period between when the release of a contact was acquired and the closing of a contact was acquired by the contact sensors 10-16, i.e., only how fast the driver disengages the engaged gear, only how fast the driver engage the new gear or the like.

[0067] While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment as contemplated herein. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.