Patent · US Expired

Control system for automatic resumption of speed control after gear change

US5680309A · kind A · utility

8Cited by
12References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 7, 1995
Grant dateOct 21, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 7, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF16H63/40
  • WIPO fieldMechanical elements
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A method for automatically resuming vehicle speed control after a gear change of the vehicle's manual transmission. The method may be implemented as a subroutine in the vehicle's general control software. After disengagement of the clutch, the subroutine suspends the automatic speed control system and then periodically checks to determine if the driver has shifted gears within a predetermined time period. This determination is made by checking to see if the clutch has once again been engaged with the transmission in gear. If this occurs within the predetermined time period, then the control system automatically resumes the speed control of the engine. The determination of whether the transmission has been placed into another gear is made by an examination of calculated gear ratios, rather than by the addition of a hardware sensor.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.