Patent ID: 8083641

Claim:
A method for operating an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle, the automatic transmission comprising at least five shift elements, at least three shift elements of the at least five shift elements are engaged to transfer one of torque or force in a forward gear and a reverse gear, and to shift the automatic transmission from a neutral position to one of the forward gear and the reverse gear, at least one shift element of the at least three shift elements that are engaged in the forward gear and the reverse gear is engaged in a controlled manner, the method comprising the steps of: engaging the shift element that transfers the one of the torque or the force of the automatic transmission to shift the automatic transmission from the neutral position to the respective forward or reverse gear in the controlled manner only if the other shift elements that are engaged in the forward gear or the reverse gear are already engaged; and engaging at least two shift elements one of independently or simultaneously to shift the automatic transmission from the neutral position to the forward gear or the reverse gear, if all of the at least three shift elements that are engaged in the respective forward gear and the reverse gear are completely disengaged in the neutral position, and then engaging the shift element that transfers the one of the torque or the force of the automatic transmission in the controlled manner.