Patent ID: 7850570

Claim:
A method for determining an application point of an automatically actuated friction clutch of an automated mechanical transmission of a motor vehicle, which, when shifting gear ratios, a new gear is pre-selected, the friction clutch automatically disengages, an activated gear disengages, a rotational speed of an engine is adjusted to a target value for the new gear and the friction clutch is advanced, prior to and continuously after the application point, such that a transmission input shaft is precisely entrained to bring a rotational speed of the transmission input shaft to a shifting rotational speed required for engaging the new gear, the method comprising the steps of: observing a gradient (G) of the transmission input shaft rotational speed curve over time; detecting a time at which a significant change in the gradient (G) occurs, wherein the significant change in the gradient (G) is a change from a negative value to a positive value; determining a position of the friction clutch at the time (t 4 , t 41 ) at which the significant change in the gradient (G) occurs; and defining this position of the friction clutch as the application point.