Patent ID: 7878084

Claim:
A method of determining a position of a shifting element ( 11 ) in an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle, the shifting element ( 11 ) being actuated by an actuating element via an operating element ( 1 ), the method comprising the steps of: providing the operating element ( 1 ) with an actuating pressure to actuate the actuating element; displacing the shifting element ( 11 ) by a nominal displacement to engage a gear ( 12 a ) by actuating the actuating element; detecting a value of the actuating pressure with a sensor upon engagement of the gear ( 12 a ) and associating the value of the actuating pressure to the nominal displacement; deforming the actuating element by further actuating and displacing the actuating element to a total displacement which is greater than the nominal displacement; determining a deformation displacement of the actuating element by subtracting the nominal displacement from the total displacement; and computing a precise position of the shifting element ( 11 ) using the deformation displacement.