Patent ID: 6929580

Claim:
A method for controlling an automated start-up clutch of a vehicle transmission according to a thermal load of the start-up clutch, the method comprising the steps of: determining at least one of a driving state, a tractional resistance and the thermal load of the start-up clutch for the vehicle; controlling the start-up clutch by providing a control module for regulating at least one of a plurality of clutch control parameters according to at least one of the driving state, the tractional resistance and the thermal load of the start-up clutch for the vehicle; determining a change in the thermal load for the start-up clutch according to at least one of an increased thermal load value and an increased wear value; reducing friction work of said start-up clutch to reduce the thermal load of the start-up clutch below a critical control limit value by reducing slip in the start-up clutch; regulating the slip in the start-up clutch via the control module according to at least one of the following control parameters: a friction value of the start-up clutch; a proportional, integral or differential portion of at least one of an engine dependent part rotational speed value (M_Control), a nominal engine rotational speed value (n_Nominal), and an engine torque dependent pressure part value (p_Gradient); adding the engine torque dependent pressure part value (p_Gradient) to a regulating pressure (p_Regulator) after lapse of a preset slipping time according to at least one of an increasing tractional resistance and an increasing clutch temperature; and, utilizing a plurality of the control parameters to simultaneously regulate the slip in the start-up clutch and reduce the friction work in the start-up clutch and correspondingly lower the thermal load of the start-up clutch.