Patent ID: 8527160

Claim:
A method for automatically controlling a drivetrain coupled to at least one drive wheel of a vehicle, the drivetrain including a first assembly including a low range drive ratio and a high range drive ratio, and a second assembly including a reverse drive ratio and a plurality of forward drive ratios, the method comprising: providing an electronic control unit configured to receive information from at least one sensor located on the vehicle and to provide an output signal based on the information; providing an actuator mechanism configured to cause the first assembly to operate at a selected one of the low range drive ratio and the high range drive ratio; automatically causing the actuator mechanism to select one of the low range drive ratio and the high range drive ratio regardless of a manipulation of one of the reverse drive ratio and the plurality of forward drive ratios and based on the output signal from the electronic control unit; and driving the at least one drive wheel at the selected one of the low range drive ratio and the high range drive ratio and simultaneously with one of the reverse drive ratio and a ratio of the plurality of forward drive ratios.