Patents by Inventor Maik Würthner

Maik Würthner 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).

  • Patent number: 11899119
    Abstract: A method for processing GPS route data of a vehicle is proposed, in which the GPS route data are used for the route guidance of the vehicle along a route (1), wherein vehicle positions and an offroad position information or an onroad position information are generated as route data, wherein a vehicle position calculation function for route guidance of the vehicle is used, if erroneous vehicle positions are generated from the GPS route data. Furthermore, a control device for carrying out a method is proposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Rachid Mansour, Robert Gronner, Thomas Ascher, Freddy Josef Frombach, Maik Würthner
  • Patent number: 11892075
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining a position of a motor vehicle by means of a location device of the motor vehicle. First, a first position (x1) related to an installation point of the location device in the motor vehicle is determined. In order to determine a position suitable for controlling the motor vehicle, with reference to the said first position (x1) a second position (x2) related to a center of gravity of the vehicle is determined, in that the first position (x1) is offset by a distance (a) between the said installation point of the location device and the center of gravity of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Rachid Mansour, Thomas Ascher, Freddy Josef Frombach, Maik Würthner, Robert Gronner
  • Publication number: 20220412455
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining a position of a motor vehicle by means of a location device of the motor vehicle. First, a first position (x1) related to an installation point of the location device in the motor vehicle is determined. In order to determine a position suitable for controlling the motor vehicle, with reference to the said first position (x1) a second position (x2) related to a center of gravity of the vehicle is determined, in that the first position (x1) is offset by a distance (a) between the said installation point of the location device and the center of gravity of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Rachid Mansour, Thomas Ascher, Freddy Josef Frombach, Maik Würthner, Robert Gronner
  • Publication number: 20220381925
    Abstract: A method for processing GPS route data of a vehicle is proposed, in which the GPS route data are used for the route guidance of the vehicle along a route (1), wherein vehicle positions and an offroad position information or an onroad position information are generated as route data, wherein a vehicle position calculation function for route guidance of the vehicle is used, if erroneous vehicle positions are generated from the GPS route data. Furthermore, a control device for carrying out a method is proposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Rachid Mansour, Robert Gronner, Thomas Ascher, Freddy Josef Frombach, Maik Würthner
  • Publication number: 20220342087
    Abstract: A method for processing GPS position signals in a vehicle is proposed, wherein the GPS position signals of the vehicle are received successively at a predefined time interval and are processed in order to control the vehicle, and wherein at least one intermediate position value of the vehicle is determined within the time period formed by the time interval between two successive GPS position signals. Furthermore, a control device is proposed for carrying out the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Rachid Mansour, Robert Gronner, Thomas Ascher, Freddy Josef Frombach, Maik Würthner
  • Patent number: 10351136
    Abstract: A method for controlling a rolling or a freewheeling mode of a vehicle having a drive-train with an engine, an automatic or automated transmission and controllable means for interrupting force flow in the drive-train. A current vehicle position and a first road stretch, between the current vehicle position and a road stretch section ahead along which a speed limit applies, are determined. While driving with the drive-train engaged, for the road stretch section ahead, a predicted speed variation, if the force flow in the drive-train is interrupted, is calculated and, based this speed variation, a second road stretch is determined which the vehicle, with the force flow interrupted covers, until a value of the predicted speed variation corresponds to a value of the speed limit ahead. With regard to the determined road stretches, a road stretch point for initiating the rolling or freewheeling mode is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Rachid Mansour, Maik Würthner
  • Publication number: 20180162402
    Abstract: A method for controlling a rolling or a freewheeling mode of a vehicle having a drive-train with an engine, an automatic or automated transmission and controllable means for interrupting force flow in the drive-train. A current vehicle position and a first road stretch, between the current vehicle position and a road stretch section ahead along which a speed limit applies, are determined. While driving with the drive-train engaged, for the road stretch section ahead, a predicted speed variation, if the force flow in the drive-train is interrupted, is calculated and, based this speed variation, a second road stretch is determined which the vehicle, with the force flow interrupted covers, until a value of the predicted speed variation corresponds to a value of the speed limit ahead. With regard to the determined road stretches, a road stretch point for initiating the rolling or freewheeling mode is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Inventors: Rachid Mansour, Maik Würthner
  • Patent number: 9085293
    Abstract: A method of shift control for an automatic transmission of vehicle power train, having a permanent brake between a drive motor and a final drive, in which current vehicle-specific, road-specific and driver-specific operating parameters, topographical data relating to an upcoming stretch of road ahead of the vehicle are determined while driving, and from which a tractive resistance value for the upcoming stretch of road is determined, and control commands for thrust downshifts and/or upshifts are derived and implemented, within the transmission, during a thrust operation depending upon the tractive resistance value. This is achieved in that the maximum permanent braking force curves that are possible for the upcoming stretch of road, in the currently engaged gear, and each adjacent gear is determined based on the current traveling and engine speeds and analyzed to derive control commands for a thrust downshift and/or upshift in relation to the tractive resistance value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Alexander Maier, Maik Wuerthner, Joachim Staudinger, Johannes Kemler
  • Patent number: 9020717
    Abstract: A method of controlling an automated motor vehicle transmission. A current driving resistance is taken into account when selecting a target gear to be engaged as part of a shifting process. In order to be able to regulate shifting processes in a driving-resistance-dependent manner so as to ensure that the motor vehicle can always able to continue driving on, during selection of the target gear, disregarding gears for shifting from a currently engaged gear, in a driving-resistance-dependent manner, when the required associated shifting times are longer than a respective permitted maximum shifting time. In connection with the above, the method is incorporated in an automated motor vehicle transmission, a computer program product and a data carrier, containing the computer program product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Johannes Kemler, Maik Wuerthner, Joachim Staudinger
  • Publication number: 20150032346
    Abstract: A method of controlling an automated motor vehicle transmission. A current driving resistance is taken into account when selecting a target gear to be engaged as part of a shifting process. In order to be able to regulate shifting processes in a driving-resistance-dependent manner so as to ensure that the motor vehicle can always able to continue driving on, during selection of the target gear, disregarding gears for shifting from a currently engaged gear, in a driving-resistance-dependent manner, when the required associated shifting times are longer than a respective permitted maximum shifting time. In connection with the above, the method is incorporated in an automated motor vehicle transmission, a computer program product and a data carrier, containing the computer program product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Johannes KEMLER, Maik WUERTHNER, Joachim STAUDINGER
  • Patent number: 8781698
    Abstract: A method for controlling shifts in an automated multi-step variable-speed transmission, in a drive-train of a motor vehicle, between a drive engine in the form of an internal combustion engine and an axle drive. During driving, besides current vehicle, road and driver-specific operating parameters, topographical data relating to a road section ahead of the motor vehicle, in particular the road section height profile, are determined, and from this information, the driving resistance profile (FFW(xF)) of the motor vehicle for the road section ahead is determined. In the automatic mode of the multi-step variable-speed transmission, control commands for traction upshifts and/or traction downshifts are derived, during the traction operation, as a function of the driving resistance profile (FFW(xF)) and are implemented in the transmission. A limiting gear progression (GGr(xF)) is determined, which consists of the sequence of gears, and is evaluated for the derivation of control commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Alexander Maier, Maik Wuerthner, Joachim Staudinger, Johannes Kemler
  • Patent number: 8700277
    Abstract: A transmission control device (6) for an automatic or automated transmission (2). A shifting strategy of the transmission control device (6) controls and/or regulates the operation of the transmission (2) based on driving condition data such as vehicle mass, driving resistance, vehicle inclination, vehicle velocity, vehicle acceleration, engine rotational speed and/or engine torque, and based on data about the driver's wishes. The transmission control device (6) continuously calculates the driving condition data of the vehicle mass, driving resistance and/or vehicle inclination based on topographic data of a current position of the motor vehicle, and/or the shifting strategy determines a gear change from an actual gear into a target gear based on topographic data of a defined distance ahead of a motor vehicle. The defined distance ahead of the motor vehicle depends on the currently velocity of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Joachim Staudinger, Ingo Sauter, Maik Würthner, Johannes Kemler
  • Publication number: 20130211681
    Abstract: A method for controlling shifts in an automated multi-step variable-speed transmission, in a drive-train of a motor vehicle, between a drive engine in the form of an internal combustion engine and an axle drive. During driving, besides current vehicle, road and driver-specific operating parameters, topographical data relating to a road section ahead of the motor vehicle, in particular the road section height profile, are determined, and from this information, the driving resistance profile (FFW(xF)) of the motor vehicle for the road section ahead is determined. In the automatic mode of the multi-step variable-speed transmission, control commands for traction upshifts and/or traction downshifts are derived, during the traction operation, as a function of the driving resistance profile (FFW(xF)) and are implemented in the transmission. A limiting gear progression (GGr(xF)) is determined, which consists of the sequence of gears, and is evaluated for the derivation of control commands.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Alexander Maier, Maik Wuerthner, Joachim Staudinger, Johannes Kemler
  • Publication number: 20130179045
    Abstract: A method of shift control for an automatic transmission of vehicle power train, having a permanent brake between a drive motor and a final drive, in which current vehicle-specific, road-specific and driver-specific operating parameters, topographical data relating to an upcoming stretch of road ahead of the vehicle are determined while driving, and from which a tractive resistance value for the upcoming stretch of road is determined, and control commands for thrust downshifts and/or upshifts are derived and implemented, within the transmission, during a thrust operation depending upon the tractive resistance value. This is achieved in that the maximum permanent braking force curves that are possible for the upcoming stretch of road, in the currently engaged gear, and each adjacent gear is determined based on the current traveling and engine speeds and analyzed to derive control commands for a thrust downshift and/or upshift in relation to the tractive resistance value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Inventors: Alexander Maier, Maik Wuerthner, Joachim Staudinger, Johannes Kemler
  • Patent number: 8370033
    Abstract: A method of controlling an automated multi-step change-speed transmission of a vehicle having an electronic control unit connected to sensors for detecting operating parameters and to gear and/or clutch control elements for carrying out shift operations. The control comprises a data memory such that the multi-step change-speed transmission can be operated automatically to initiate gearshifts in an automatic mode, manually initiated by a driver in a manual mode to provide gearshifts, and manually actuated in a learning mode in which gearshifts and operating parameters can be recorded automatically. When necessary to assist technicians in the application of the transmission, a configuration-learning mode that can be activated in which, during a test drive with manual gearshift initiation, operating parameters are automatically detected in an event-dependent manner, processed to produce control data for the transmission, and the control data stored in the data memory for the future control of the transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Werner Wolfgang, Maik Wuerthner, Ingo Sauter
  • Patent number: 8188385
    Abstract: A method and device for provisionally determining the mass of a vehicle when it is initialized. After initialization of the vehicle, the method determines a vehicle mass value by a static mass determination method and then checks whether this value is within a predetermined tolerance band around the dynamically last-determined vehicle mass value, which has been stored for that purpose. If this is so, and there has in the meantime been no significant change of the vehicle's mass, the previously stored dynamic vehicle mass value is probably more accurate and is used in the determination. Otherwise it can be assumed that the vehicle mass value has changed substantially, and the statically determined vehicle mass value is therefore used until a device for the dynamic determination of a vehicle mass can supply a more accurate vehicle mass value after a short time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Werner Wolfgang, Maik Würthner, Ingo Sauter
  • Patent number: 8165764
    Abstract: A method of controlling an automatic transmission arranged in a vehicle between a drive motor and an axle drive of a drive axle or a transfer box such that the current road inclination is determined and, after driving onto a downhill stretch of road, to increase a braking action of the drive motor and/or a permanent brake, a shift to a lower gear is carried out and after a transition to a traction operation or after driving onto level ground, a shift to a higher gear is carried out. To improve transmission shifting behavior, when transitioning between a downhill stretch and level ground, it is provided that a function for detecting a downhill run-out is started and if a downhill run-out is detected, and a shift to a higher gear is carried out while still in a thrust operation before driving onto the level ground and/or before the transition to traction operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Werner Wolfgang, Maik Wuerthner
  • Publication number: 20120072085
    Abstract: A method of determining the size of a gear interval from a currently engaged gear to a target gear in a transmission. The method includes the steps of, for each current gear and for each possible gear interval from the current gear, recording a limit value for an acceleration or a deceleration in the target gear corresponding to the current gear and the respective gear interval used; for the current gear, starting with the smallest gear interval, applying a loop with successive increases of the gear interval to determine, depending on the current driving situation and characteristic parameters of the vehicle, the acceleration or the acceleration theoretically obtainable in the target gear produced by using the gear interval, which is compared with the respective recorded limit value until the acceleration or the deceleration theoretically obtainable no longer contravenes the limit value. The gear interval is then selected for a gearshift.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Maik WÜRTHNER, Joachim STAUDINGER, Johannes KEMLER
  • Patent number: 8068964
    Abstract: A method for determining the driving resistance of a motor vehicle simultaneously with a shift of an automated shift transmission from a load gear to a target gear such that if a difference between a first driving resistance value F_fw_1 and a second driving resistance value F_fw_2 is large, the shift operation can be corrected. The second driving resistance value F_fw_2 is determined during the shift operation. a time interval ?t which contains the traction-force-free phase of the shift, a plurality of acceleration values a_i of the motor vehicle are measured to obtain the minimum acceleration a_min if the shift operation is a traction shift or the maximum acceleration a_max if it is thrust shift. With the mass m of the vehicle, the second driving resistance value F_fw_2 is calculated with one of the formula F_fw_2=?m*a_min or F_fw_2=?m*a_max.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Werner Wolfgang, Maik Würthner, Ingo Sauter
  • Patent number: 8047091
    Abstract: A method of controlling an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle having clutches controlled by an electronic control unit. A transmission rotational speed in an initial transmission stage is determined. If a first transmission shifting rotational speed is reached, the transmission is shifted from the initial transmission stage to a target transmission stage. A target transmission rotational speed of the target transmission stage is then ascertained. A difference is next ascertained between the target transmission rotational speed and a second shifting transmission rotational speed. An initial counter value, of a counter, is determined, which depends on the transmission rotational speed difference. The counter is next caused to carry out counting, from the initial counter value, as time progresses. If and when the counter value reaches zero, the transmission is shifted from the target transmission stage toward the initial transmission stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Werner Wolfgang, Maik Würthner, Ingo Sauter, Achim Tegen