Patent ID: 7468018

Claim:
A method for controlling the operation of a vehicle having a drivetrain system, wherein the drivetrain system includes an engine, a engine speed sensor that detects a speed of the engine, a manual transmission, a clutch coupled to the engine and the manual transmission, a clutch sensor to detect an engagement or disengagement of the clutch, a vehicle speed sensor coupled to the vehicle to detect a speed of the vehicle, a throttle input, and a throttle sensor that detects a throttle position of the throttle input; the method comprising steps of: (a) detecting a first engagement of the clutch from the clutch sensor; (b) detecting a first speed of the vehicle with the vehicle speed sensor, with the clutch in the first engagement; (c) detecting a first engine speed of the engine with the engine speed sensor, with the clutch in the first engagement; (d) determining a selected transmission gear of the manual transmission based on at least the first vehicle speed and the first engine speed; e) detecting and storing a first throttle position of the throttle input with the throttle sensor, with the clutch in the first engagement; (f) detecting a first disengagement of the clutch with the clutch sensor subsequent to the first engagement; (g) detecting and storing a second throttle position of the throttle input with the throttle sensor, with the clutch in the first disengagement; (h) detecting a second speed of the vehicle with the vehicle speed sensor, with the clutch in the first disengagement; (i) determining a next intended transmission gear of the manual transmission based on at least the first throttle position, the second throttle position, and the selected transmission gear; (j) determining a desired value for the engine speed of the engine based on the next intended transmission gear and the second vehicle speed; (k) automatically adjusting the engine speed to achieve the desired value; (l) detecting with the clutch sensor whether the clutch is re-engaged in a second engagement subsequent to the first disengagement; and (m) upon a detection that the clutch is in a second engagement, repeating the method from step a.