Patent ID: 6456917
Filing Date: 2002-09-24
Classification: B60W,F02D,F16H,Y10T

Abstract:
A method for reducing the thermal load of an automatic transmission for a motor vehicle during operation in an emergency operating mode wherein the automatic transmission is controlled by an electronic transmission control device which exchanges signals with a digital engine electronics system of an internal combustion engine, and the electronic transmission control device being unable to function during the emergency operating mode, the method comprising the steps of:(1) detecting when the vehicle is operating in the emergency operating mode and when the vehicle is operating in a normal mode; (2) when the vehicle is operating in the normal mode, determining a highest speed of operation for the vehicle as an admissible speed of vehicle operation; (3) when the vehicle is operating during the emergency operating mode, determining a preset admissible vehicle emergency mode speed as a preset maximum vehicle speed for operating during the emergency mode; (4) determining if an actual vehicle speed of the vehicle is higher than the preset maximum vehicle speed for operating in the emergency operating mode; and (5) when the actual vehicle speed is determined as being higher than the preset maximum vehicle speed for operating in the emergency operating mode, reducing the actual vehicle speed to the preset maximum vehicle speed.