Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft

Rudolf Ehrmaier

Josef Neuner

Sigmund Fuerst

Norbert Woeste

Anton Sappler

Joerg Michael

Reinhard Schmerer

Anette Sedlmaier

Achim Siepker

Alois Abel

Norbert Wöste

Christian Stempel

In order to satisfy the key interlock regulation in a system for keyless starting of a motor vehicle by an ID transducer carried by the vehicle user and a control element () for starting and stopping the engine, a mechanism is provided such that the engine can only be stopped when the gear position 'P' for Park is engaged but the engine can be stopped at a vehicle speed (v) equal to or greater than a preset threshold speed (v-threshold) without the gear position 'P' for Park being engaged, so that the driver can turn off the engine in emergencies even while driving.

Rolling away protection after engine switch off and security device

Monostable shifting mechanism, in which two shifting channels are provided for the shift lever. 'Monostable' means that the shifting element or the shift lever has only one stable position. As a function of the actual 'operating condition' of the shifting mechanism, certain other operating conditions can be selected by means of the deflection of the shift lever. For this purpose, the shift lever is deflected manually in either one or the other shifting channel and, after the release, automatically returns into the stable starting position from any possible deflected position.

Transmission shifting mechanism

An electronic unit for automatically activating a parking brake in dependence of at least one specified operating parameter or operating mode of a motor vehicle, which can be started without a mechanical key, is equipped with a device for arbitrarily preventing the automatic activation of the parking brake. In a first alternative, the unit is connected with a key button, which can be directly manually actuated, in the form of an OFF switch for the arbitrary prevention of the automatic activation of the parking brake. In a second alternative, the electronic unit in a motor vehicle, which can be started through an electronic authorization verification device with wireless code transmission, is equipped with a mechanism with which the arbitrary prevention of the automatic activation of the parking brake can be triggered by inserting the authorization verification device in a holding shaft that is provided for this purpose.

Electronic control unit for automatically activating a parking brake and method for preventing the automatic activation of the parking brake in motor vehicles

The invention relates to a device for increasing the security of a motor vehicle comprising an automatic transmission, which is impinged upon by an electrical transmission control system and a detection unit for detecting a critical driving situation and for generating a corresponding signal. In order to increases driving security, an evaluation device is provided which checks whether the generated signal has reached a specific value or exceeded a specific threshold. If said value has been reached or the threshold has been exceeded, the evaluation device causes the transmission control system to interrupt the positive engagement of the transmission.

Device for increasing the security of a motor vehicle

An electronic control unit is provided for automatically activating a parking brake in dependence of at least one specified operating parameter or operating mode of a motor vehicle, which can be started without a mechanical key. The operating mode for the basic automatic activation of the parking lock is the fact that the internal combustion engine is shut off.

Electronic control unit and method for the automatic activation of the parking brake in motor vehicles

A driving position selector for selecting at least the driving steps of the automatic transmission, &ldquo;D&rdquo;, &ldquo;N&rdquo;, &ldquo;R&rdquo;, &ldquo;P&rdquo;, which are selected by the driver over a control device and engaged by electro-hydraulic setting elements is provided. It is possible to disengage a parking position by a release device in the automatic transmission housing. An operating device is connected by a Bowden cable with a release lever of the release device. The swiveling motion of the release lever is not transferred to the Bowden traction cord, since the release lever can move along a Bowden traction cord suspended in the release lever.

Driving position selector with an emergency release for a parking position

The invention relates to an automatic gearbox for motor vehicles, comprising an electronic drive control device and an electric gear range selecting element. In case the drive control device fails such that the gears can no longer be changed when the gear range selecting element is actuated with a view to changing gear range, and if the gears which can be changed by means of the gear range selecting element can be identified, the driver receives a corresponding optical, acoustic and/or haptic feedback signal which indicates said failure. In case the gera rage selecting element fails in such a way that the gear ranges adjustable by means of said gear range selecting element can no longer be identified, a corresponding optical, acoustic and/or haptic feedback signal which indicates said failure is immediately transmitted to the driver.

Automatic gearbox for motor vehicles

A motor vehicle has a transmission controlled by an electronic transmission unit and an internal-combustion engine controlled by an electronic engine unit. The transmission unit normally shifts the selected gear by controlling actuators in the transmission, as a function of the adjustment of a gear selection switch. In an emergency, which can be detected by the engine unit via a communication connection with the transmission unit, and in which the adjustment of the gear selection switch is not detected by the transmission unit and/or the selected gear cannot be shifted in the transmission, the engine unit enforces a limitation of vehicle acceleration.

Motor vehicle having a transmission controlled by an electronic transmission unit

A motor vehicle having a driving engine and an automatically shifted transmission, particularly an automatic transmission, includes at least one selector lever used as the operating element. With this selector lever, a driver triggers an electric transmission control device which, as a function of an operating position for the automatically shifted transmission selected on the selector lever and of other operating parameters of the motor vehicle, controls the automatically shifted transmission. By deflecting the selector lever, certain operation positions of the automatically shifted transmission are selected. This selector lever can be moved along at least one shifting channel, for preselecting individual driving positions in the automatic operation, into at least two deflecting directions. The lever automatically returns from the two deflecting positions always into the same starting position. Always the same driving position of the automatically shifted transmission is assigned to each deflecting direction of the selector lever in the shifting channel for the preselecting of individual driving positions in the automatic operation, and, in at least one deflecting direction of the selector lever, two different driving positions can be selected. The selector lever, for selecting a first driving position, is movable a first distance to a first stop in the deflecting direction, and, for selecting a second driving position, the selector lever is movable a second, longer distance to a second stop in the same deflecting direction, in which case the first stop is overpressed.

Motor vehicle having a selecting device

A selecting device facilitates selecting operating positions of an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle by the deflection of a selector lever which moves back automatically from all deflecting directions for selecting the individual operating positions. The automatic transmission can be controlled by this selector lever in a first operating mode&mdash;selecting individual driving positions in the automatic operation&mdash;or, in a second operating mode&mdash;step-by-step shifting of the gears in the manual operation. For each operating mode, one operating position of the automatic transmission respectively is assigned to each deflecting direction of the selector lever. The selector lever is movable, in two shifting channels which are essentially disposed perpendicularly with respect to one another such that maximally four operating positions can be selected in each of the two operating modes. In a third operating mode, cruise control functions can be controlled by means of the selector lever.

Selecting device for an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle

A motor vehicle having an electronically controlled automatic transmission, which comprises a parking position, and a power parking brake. The parking position and the power parking brake are operable independently of one another. A redundant system is provided in that a device checks the parking position as well as the power parking brake with respect to its optional functioning and, in the event of an operating failure of one system, operates the respective other system to take over the function of the failed system.

Motor vehicle having an electronically controlled automatic transmission and a power parking brake

The invention relates to a method for selecting a gear position of an automatic vehicle transmission with at least one forward gear position and a reverse gear position, in the case of which, at defined operating conditions, a shifting operation from the forward gear position into the reverse gear position or vice versa is ignored. The object of avoiding faulty operations when operating an automatic transmission and increasing the driving comfort is achieved in that the shifting operation is carried out up to a defined first speed of the vehicle, in that, in a speed range of the vehicle between the first and a second speed, during the shifting operation, only a neutral gear position is engaged, and in that the shifting operation is ignored above the second speed.

Method for selecting a gear position of an automatic transmission

A selecting arrangement having a display device, particularly for a motor vehicle, is described by which, by the deflection of a control element which is automatically restored for certain deflecting directions, particularly of a selector lever, a currently selected operating position and additional, optionally selectable operating positions, of a unit which can be controlled into several operating positions, particularly a motor vehicle transmission, are displayed. The currently selected operating position and the resulting shifting possibilities into additional, not selected operating positions are always displayed. More operating positions of the unit are adjustable than there are deflecting directions for the control element. The display of the currently selected operating position and the display of each individual additional selectable operating position are always displayed at the same point of the display device. The control element for selecting one defined operating position respectively must in each case always be deflected in the same direction.

Selecting arrangement having a display device

A motor vehicle is described which has an engine and an automatically shifted transmission. As an operating element, the transmission has at least one selecting device by which a driver controls an electric transmission control device. As a function of a driving position selected on the selecting device and of other operating parameters of the motor vehicle, the electric transmission control device controls a parking position function of the automatic transmission among other functions. In this case, the parking position will be engaged in the automatically shifted transmission when the driving speed of the motor vehicle is equal to zero and simultaneously the ignition circuit was interrupted by the ignition key and after a predetermined time period has elapsed or when a vehicle door is opened. Alternatively, the parking position is engaged or no later than when the ignition key is removed from the ignition lock.

Growing community of inventors

Munich, Germany

Rudolf Ehrmaier