Patents by Inventor Wolfgang Vallaster

Wolfgang Vallaster 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).

  • Method for controlling an automatic transmission
    Patent number: 6442467
    Abstract: A method for controlling an automatic transmission having several gears in which a downshift to a lower gear is triggered when, during an actuation of the acceleration pedal toward an increase of the load input, a shifting characteristic line is exceeded. It is proposed to compare an accelerator pedal gradient signal (DKIG) with a presettable threshold value (DKIG_Limit) and to trigger a downshift already before the shifting characteristic line is exceeded when the actual value of the accelerator pedal gradient signal is great than the threshold value. This significantly reduces the reaction time of the transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Franz-Josef Schuler, Wolfgang Vallaster, Adolf Bucher