Patents by Inventor Maik Wurthner

Maik Wurthner 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: 20090265067
    Abstract: A method for controlling gear shifts in an automated stepped gear transmission of a motor vehicle in which operating parameters of the motor vehicle are continuously determined and evaluated for initiating and carrying out a shift from a currently engaged gear to a target gear such that, before a shift, the shift speed for initiating the shift and the target gear are determined. For better adaptation of the shift, in particular the determination of the shift speed and the target gear, to the current driving and operating conditions of the motor vehicle, the shift types “shift-speed-orientated shift” and “target-speed-orientated shift” are provided and, immediately before a shift operation, it is decided, as a function of at least one of the operating parameters in which, of the two shift types, the shift is to be carried out.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2007
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Inventors: Werner Wolfgang, Maik Wurthner, Ingo Sauter
  • Publication number: 20090240408
    Abstract: A method for controlling a vehicle's automated transmission, which is arranged in a drive train in the force flow between a engine and a drive axle or a transfer box, depending on certain operating parameters and control actions of an adaptive cruise control system (ACC) that can be operated using engine and brake mechanisms to regulate speed and distance from a car in front. The method controls the transmission when an engine torque demand differs from the torque demand of the ACC. The operating mode of the ACC, which is active at the time, and the load direction of the torque demand of the ACC are determined, and the torque demand, used for controlling the transmission when speed or distance regulation is activated, is determined depending on the ACC operating mode and the load direction of the torque demand.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Werner WOLFGANG, Maik WURTHNER
  • Publication number: 20090198404
    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: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2007
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Werner Wolfgang, Maik Würthner, Ingo Sauter
  • Publication number: 20090192664
    Abstract: A method for determining a motor vehicle mass which is implemented in conjunction with shifting an automated shift transmission from a current gear to a desired gear. In determining the mass, a value force and movement parameters are determined partly before or after the shift operation and partly during it. For the more rapid and accurate determination of mass, the drive-wheel-related traction force of the drive engine before and after the shift F_zug_vor, F_zug_nach, the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle before and after the shift, a_zug_vor, a_zug_nach, and the acceleration a_roll determined in the traction-force-free phase during the shift are determined, and from these and in accordance with the equation m=F_zug/(a_zug?a_roll), a first mass value m_vor=F_zug_vor/(a_zug_vor?a_roll) is calculated for the beginning of the shift and a second mass value m_nach=F_zug_nach/(a_zug_nach?a_roll) is calculated for the end of the shift.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2007
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Werner Wolfgang, Maik Würthner, Ingo Sauter
  • Patent number: 7479720
    Abstract: A seal of an electric machine installed within a motor vehicle drive mechanism with of one of a wet-running oil-cooled disk gearshift element, a multiple disk clutch and a multiple disk brake being accommodated within a free space of a rotor of the electric machine. An oil free annular gap (3) is formed between the rotor (2) and the stator (1) of the electric machine and the annular gap (3) has a seal (9) which, at a high rate of rotation by the rotor (2) and depending on the type of gap seal, seals without touching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Matthias Reisch, Maik Würthner, Axel Heitmann, Stefan Kilian
  • Publication number: 20080274857
    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: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2006
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Werner Wolfgang, Maik Wurthner, Ingo Sauter, Achim Tegen
  • Publication number: 20080183371
    Abstract: A device for a motor vehicle having an internal combustion engine which drives a transmission, via an automated clutch. The transmission has one or more continuous or stepped variable ratios and the vehicle has a coasting cutoff signal. While coasting, the coasting cutoff signal can interrupt the supply of fuel to the internal combustion engine and, upon reaching or falling below a previously defined rotational speed, causes the supply of fuel to the internal combustion engine is resumed. The transmission has, In addition to the gear ratios needed for driving, coasting ratios for operating the transmission with a coasting cutoff signal, which enables lower reduction ratios than the ratios for the driving operation in order to reduce the drag torque of the internal combustion engine that acts on the output. The additional ratios are either stepped or continuously variable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2008
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Werner WOLFGANG, Olrik WEINMANN, Peter REITZ, Uwe GRIESMEIER, Maik WURTHNER
  • Publication number: 20060244325
    Abstract: A relatively abrasion-free seal for an electric motor that is inserted within the motor vehicle drive mechanism (6) to an electric motor rotor located within the free construction space (4) of the wet-running electric machine rotor (2) or oil-cooled gearshift element of a multiple disk clutch (5) with which the very highest possible degree of an oil free annular gap (3) between the rotor (2) and the stator (1) of an electric machine is provided essentially in that the face side of the annular gap (3) is designed to have a seal (9) which, at a high rate of revolutions by the rotor (2) and depending on the type of gap seal, has been built to seal without touching.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2004
    Publication date: November 2, 2006
    Inventors: Matthias Reisch, Maik Würthner, Axel Heitmann, Stefan Kilian