Patent ID: 7467038

Claim:
A method for determining a direction of rotation of a secondary side of an automatic starting clutch ( 16 ) of a motor vehicle ( 10 ), the secondary side of the starting clutch ( 16 ) being connected to a transmission input shaft ( 21 ) and a primary side of the staring clutch ( 16 ) being connected to an output shaft ( 19 ) of a drive motor ( 14 ), the method comprising the steps of: comparing a primary speed of rotation (U Prim ) of the primary side of the staring clutch ( 16 ) and a secondary speed of rotation (U Sek ) of the secondary side of the starting clutch ( 16 ), and when the secondary speed of rotation (U Sek ) is greater than the primary speed of rotation (U Prim ), engaging the starting clutch ( 16 ) by a degree of closure dependent upon a resulting acceleration of the secondary speed of rotation (U Sek ); determining a specified value for a speed of rotation (U Soll ) for the drive motor ( 14 ) that is proportional to the secondary speed of rotation(U Sek ) of the starting clutch ( 16 ) and exceeds the primary speed of rotation (U Prim ) of the starting clutch ( 16 ); and regulating the drive motor ( 14 ) so that the primary speed of rotation (U Prim ) of the starting clutch ( 16 ) is equal to the specified value (U Soll ); determining and comparing the primary speed of rotation (U Prim ) and the secondary speed of rotation (U Sek ) of the staring clutch ( 16 ), during a preselected period of time, and when the primary speed of rotation (U Prim ) and the secondary speed of rotation (U Sek ) of the starting clutch ( 16 ) are equivalent to one another, within the preselected period of time, indicating that the directions of rotation of the primary side and the secondary side of the starting clutch ( 16 ) are the same; and comparing the speed of rotation of the primary side of the starting clutch ( 16 ) and an idling speed of rotation (U Leer ) of the drive motor ( 14 ), and when the speed of rotation of the primary side of the starting clutch ( 16 ) is less that the idling speed of rotation (U Leer ) of the drive motor ( 14 ), indicating that the directions of rotation of the primary side and the secondary side of the starting clutch ( 16 ) are different.