Patent ID: 8162798

Claim:
A method for controlling an automatic transmission having a hydrodynamic torque converter in a vehicle driven by means of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising the steps of: (a) braking a first planetary gear set, which has a first brake clutch and a second brake clutch, such that the first planetary gear set is fixed in a non-rotatable manner relative to a transmission housing in a braked neutral position by means of simultaneous actuation of the first and second brake clutches, wherein an output shaft that is directly connected to the first planetary gear set is likewise locked, and (b) simultaneously with step (a), actuating a third brake clutch into a slipping state, wherein a second planetary gear set is connected in terms of gearing to an input shaft and to the first planetary gear set, and the second planetary gear set is fixable relative to the transmission housing by means of the third brake clutch.