Patent ID: 6847877

Claim:
A method for controlling a drive unit of a vehicle wherein a driver command is determined from the degree of actuation of an operator-controlled element actuable by the driver, and wherein a desired value for the torque of said drive unit is formed from said driver command and the torque of said drive unit is controlled in dependence upon said desired value, the driver command being subdivided into first, second and third ranges, the method comprising the steps of: causing said first range to include a zero value of said driver command and forming said desired value for the torque of said drive unit in said first range from the driver command value while considering changing ancillary loads of said drive unit; forming said desired value for the torque of said drive unit from the driver command value in said second range independently of changing ancillary loads of said drive unit; and, causing said third range to include a maximum value of said driver command and forming said desired value for the torque of said drive unit from the driver command value in said third range while again considering said changing ancillary loads of said drive unit.