Patents by Inventor Bernd Allgaier

Bernd Allgaier has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20090181821
    Abstract: A method for operating a drivetrain of a motor vehicle including a hybrid drive with a combustion engine and an electric motor. A transmission is arranged between the hybrid drive and a drive output and a clutch is arranged between the combustion engine and the electric motor so that, if a failure occurs in the drivetrain, especially in a transmission control device of the transmission, a gear corresponding to an emergency gear is engaged or remains engaged in the transmission. When the emergency gear is engaged, the motor vehicle is in motion and the engine speed falls below a defined value, the clutch arranged between the combustion engine and the electric motor disengages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Markus Henneken, Thilo Schmidt, Bernd Allgaier
  • Publication number: 20090176612
    Abstract: A method for operating an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle, in particular a variable-speed automatic transmission. The automatic transmission has five shift elements and for transferring torque or force in a forward gear and in a reverse gear at least three of the five shift elements are engaged. In a neutral position of the automatic transmission, to prevent torque or force flow at least one of the shift elements that are engaged in the respective forward or reverse gear is fully disengaged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Inventors: Christian Popp, Klaus Steinhauser, Peter Schiele, Bernd Allgaier, Thilo Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20090112425
    Abstract: A method of operating an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle, in particular a variable-speed transmission. The automatic transmission includes at least five shift elements, at least three of which are engaged in a forward and a reverse gear to transfer torque or force. When disengaging gears for shifting the automatic transmission from a forward or reverse gear to a neutral position, at least one of the at least three shift elements that are engaged in the respective forward or reverse gear is completely disengaged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Christian Popp, Klaus Steinhauser, Peter Schiele, Bernd Allgaier, Thilo Schmidt
  • Patent number: 7416071
    Abstract: A braking method for a vehicle is proposed as a safety measure and replacement function if the brake system fails, in particular the X-by-wire brake system of a motor vehicle, in which the vehicle is braked with the help of the transmission by a defined engagement of frictional shift elements until the vehicle comes to rest, such that the combination of frictional shift elements actuated when the vehicle's working brake system fails does not correspond to the shift logic of a gear during normal driving operation of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Christian Popp, Peter Schiele, Christian Schwemer, Georg Gierer, Klaus Steinhauser, Bernd Allgaier
  • Publication number: 20080064560
    Abstract: A method of operating a drive train of a motor vehicle with a hybrid drive having an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, an automatic transmission. The drive train also having a clutch between the internal combustion engine and the electric motor, and a clutch or a torque converter between the electric motor and the automatic transmission. This arrangement enabling the internal combustion engine to be started by engaging the clutch arranged between the internal combustion engine end the electric motor, when the drive train is powered exclusively by the electric motor. The braking power, generated during an upshift in response to a drop in the rotational speed of the drive train components, is used to start the internal combustion engine, such that the energy required from the electric motor for starting the combustion engine is minimized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2007
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Christian POPP, Bernd ALLGAIER, Heinrich ZELLER
  • Publication number: 20080064561
    Abstract: A method of operating a motor vehicle drive train having a hybrid drive including an internal combustion engine, an electric motor and an automatic transmission. A clutch is located between the internal combustion engine and the electric motor, and a clutch or a torque converter is located between the electric motor and the automatic transmission such that, when the drive train is powered exclusively by the electric motor, the internal combustion engine can be started by engagement of the clutch located between the internal combustion engine and the electric motor. The clutch, arranged between the internal combustion engine and the electric motor, is engaged during the process of downshifting when the internal combustion engine is started.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2007
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Christian POPP, Bernd ALLGAIER
  • Publication number: 20080016599
    Abstract: A method for operating a parallel hybrid drive train of a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, an electric engine and an output. The electric engine being located in the power drive between the output and the internal combustion engine. A second shifting element is located between the internal combustion engine and the electric engine and a first shifting element between the electric engine and the output. Output torque driving the output can be adjusted according to the transmitting capacities of the first and second shifting elements and according to the input torque of the electric engine and/or internal combustion engine. These adjustments are corrected according to standards derived from divergences found in parameters during operation of the drive train.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2007
    Publication date: January 17, 2008
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Ralf Dreibholz, Johannes Kaltenbach, Michael Gromus, Stefan Blattner, Bernd Allgaier, Stefan Kilian, Peter Schiele, Friedrich Tenbrock, Gerd Frotscher
  • Publication number: 20070246273
    Abstract: A method for operating a parallel hybrid powertrain (1) of a vehicle having one internal combustion engine (2) and one electric motor (3). The electric motor is located in the drivetrain between an output and the internal combustion engine. Between the internal combustion engine and the electric motor, a frictionally engaged shifting element is provided, while between the electric motor and the output, a starting element (6) having a hydrodynamic torque converter (6A) and a converter lock-up clutch (6B) is disposed. A target output torque to be applied to the output is dependent on the slippage of the starting element. During a starting phase of the internal combustion engine via the electric motor, an input torque produced by the electric motor is directed at least in part via the torque converter and in part via the converter lock-up clutch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2007
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Friedrich Tenbrock, Peter Schiele, Johannes Kaltenbach, Bernd Allgaier, Christian Schwemer, Michael Gromus, Martin Neumann, Klaus Habe
  • Publication number: 20070207892
    Abstract: A method is described for operating a parallel hybrid device train (1) of a vehicle having an internal combustion engine (2), an electric engine (3) and an output (5) wherein the electric engine (3) is disposed in the power train between the output (5) and the internal combustion engine (2) and both between the internal combustion engine (2) and the electric engine (3) and between the electric engine (3) and the output (5) is respectively provided a frictionally engaged shifting element (7, 8). In addition, a nominal output torque abutting on the output (5) can be adjusted according to the transmitting capacity of the first shifting element (8) located between the electric engine (3) and the output (5). According to the invention, the transmitting capacity of the first shifting element (8) is adjusted under control according to the nominal input torque required so that the first shifting element (8) has a transmitting capacity needed for producing the nominal output torque on the output (5).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2007
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Ralf Dreibholz, Johannes Kaltenbach, Michael Gromus, Stefan Blattner, Bernd Allgaier, Stefan Kilian, Peter Schiele, Friedrich Tenbrock, Gerd Frotscher
  • Publication number: 20070085497
    Abstract: A method for operating power train side components of a motor vehicle. Using a control device of a motor, at least one motor parameter is issued and delivered via a databus to at least one control device of one other power drive side component working independently of the motor control device in order to operate all or each one of the power drive side components dependent in a first inventive aspect, a behavior of the respective other power drive side components that adjusts itself according to the motor torque actually made available by the motor is evaluated. In second inventive aspect, the motor torque issued by the motor control device is compared with a torque stored according to motor operation parameters in the control device working independently of the motor control device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2006
    Publication date: April 19, 2007
    Inventors: Christian Popp, Georg Gierer, Thilo Schmidt, Klaus Steinhauser, Peter Schiele, Bernd Allgaier, Christian Schwemer, Ruben Cuppers
  • Publication number: 20060113158
    Abstract: A braking method for a vehicle is proposed as a safety measure and replacement function if the brake system fails, in particular the X-by-wire brake system of a motor vehicle, in which the vehicle is braked with the help of the transmission by a defined engagement of frictional shift elements until the vehicle comes to rest, such that the combination of frictional shift elements actuated when the vehicle's working brake system fails does not correspond to the shift logic of a gear during normal driving operation of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2004
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Inventors: Christian Popp, Peter Schiele, Christian Schwemer, Georg Gierer, Klaus Steinhauser, Bernd Allgaier