Did You Know...
...that to encourage use of his new invention, the shopping cart, market owner Sylvan Goldman hired fake shoppers to push the carts around his store in Oklahoma City? Seems his customers were reluctant to give up their hand-carried baskets.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8190343 | Gear actuator control systems and methods for dual clutch transmissions A control system for a dual clutch transmission (DCT) of a vehicle comprises a difference module, a summer module, and a position control module. The difference module determines a difference between a desired position for a gear actuator and a measurement of a curr... | 05/29/2012 |
| 8160792 | Clutch failure detection system, straddle-type vehicle, and method for detecting failure A failure detection system for accurately detecting a failure of a clutch. A clutch actuation mechanism changes the relative positions of drive-side and driven-side members of the clutch. A position detector detects a position of the clutch actuation mechanism as a ... | 04/17/2012 |
| 8150589 | System and method for managing accumulator effects during engagement of a lockup clutch in a torque converter A dynamic model that is configured to produce a lockup clutch command as a function of a plurality of torque converter operating parameters is continually solved and the lockup clutch command is asserted to control engagement of the lockup clutch. A profile of one o... | 04/03/2012 |
| 8116957 | System and method for controlling clutch engagement in hybrid vehicle The present invention provides a system and method for controlling clutch engagement in a hybrid vehicle, in which an appropriate clutch engagement mode is selected based on vehicle state, and the like, and a speed difference between both sections of a clutch and a ... | 02/14/2012 |
| 8116956 | Fault tolerant clutch actuator A method of engaging a clutch within a drive train may include detecting a fault in a clutch engagement data link, selecting an alternative clutch control logic, detecting a value indicative of a rotational speed of a first portion of the clutch and moving a second ... | 02/14/2012 |
| 8108114 | Clutch controller, method of controlling clutch, and straddle-type vehicle A clutch controller that improves riding comfort when a clutch is engaged. A target torque obtaining section obtains torque that is supposed to be transmitted from a drive-side member of the clutch to a downstream mechanism in a torque transmission path as target tr... | 01/31/2012 |
| 8108115 | Vehicle control device A vehicle control device including an input member drive-connected to a power source; a mechanical pump; an electric pump assisting the mechanical pump; a drive mechanism transmitting the rotational driving force of the input member to an output member; a fluid coup... | 01/31/2012 |
| 8073604 | Method and system for protecting a starting clutch A method protects a starting clutch. The method generates an estimated equivalent temperature of the starting clutch and performs an operation for protecting the starting clutch if the estimated temperature exceeds critical temperature, in order to prevent the burno... | 12/06/2011 |
| 8060286 | Torque converter clutch control A clutch control system comprises a clutch torque determination module and a clutch pressure control module. The clutch torque determination module determines a desired torque value for a torque converter clutch (TCC) based on a torque output of an engine, a pump to... | 11/15/2011 |
| 8046143 | Automatic gear control device An ECU executes a program including: a step of detecting a turbine revolution speed, a step of detecting an engine torque TE, a step of detecting a speed change ratio, a step of setting a range an enlarged slip region when a slip region enlargement condition is sati... | 10/25/2011 |
| 8041489 | Method for controlling a transmission during acceleration from idle A method for controlling a transmission in a motor vehicle during acceleration from an idle condition begins when the vehicle is stationary, the engine is at idle, and the transmission is in the first gear range or ratio. When the vehicle begins to accelerate, the m... | 10/18/2011 |
| 8024098 | System and method for determining the engagement point of a clutch A method of determining an engagement position of a clutch of a vehicle is provided. The clutch is operable by a clutch pedal adapted to move over a travel range. The method comprises determining a rate of change of position of the clutch pedal, locating a dwelling ... | 09/20/2011 |
| 8010268 | Control apparatus for automatic transmission An ECU executes a program including causing a brake to enter an engaged state, when a first gear is implemented and when a difference between an output shaft rotation speed estimated from an input shaft rotation speed and a detected output shaft rotation speed is gr... | 08/30/2011 |
| 8000868 | Method and control unit for controlling a friction clutch between an internal combustion engine and a change speed transmission A method controls a friction clutch disposed between an internal combustion engine and a change speed transmission. The friction clutch is controlled in such a way that it transmits an average coupling torque of the internal combustion engine and does not transmit p... | 08/16/2011 |
| 7979186 | Torque converter clutch apply adapt and quality apply detection converter slip acceleration A torque converter clutch slip rate monitoring system includes a slip rate calculation module that receives a raw slip speed of a torque converter clutch and that calculates torque converter clutch slip acceleration based on the raw slip speed. A torque converter cl... | 07/12/2011 |
| 7949453 | Control method for clutch arrangement A method controlling a clutch arrangement that serves, in a powertrain of a motor vehicle, for the transmission of a torque from an input element to an output element. Starting from an activated state of the clutch arrangement, a respective estimated torque value is... | 05/24/2011 |
| 7945366 | Motor vehicle transmission control for operating a motor vehicle transmission In a control for a motor vehicle transmission having a clutch and means for establishing and/or releasing an engagement of a toothing or of jaws of the motor vehicle transmission including a control unit for actuating the clutch for transmitting a torque to a first ... | 05/17/2011 |
| 7933707 | Method for triggering the clutch moment of a clutch of an automated gear and device for implemention of the method A method is proposed for triggering the clutch moment of a clutch of an automated gear in the power train of a vehicle with the creep function activated, where the clutch moment is triggered as a function of the slippage on the clutch and/or as a function of the spe... | 04/26/2011 |
| 7917268 | Vehicle clutch engagement control system and method A clutch engagement control system for a vehicle transmission. The system comprises an automatic transmission gearset and at least one hydraulic clutch coupled to the gearset. A hydraulic pressure controller is coupled to the clutch. A clutch engagement controller i... | 03/29/2011 |
| 7912617 | Air purge method for a rotating clutch A method for controlling trapped air in a clutch of an automatic clutch-to-clutch transmission includes, calculating a pulse on time based on a clutch volume and adaptive convergence. A pulse off time is calculated based on a temperature of transmission fluid. A pul... | 03/22/2011 |
| 7881847 | Clutch control device and vehicle An EEPROM of an ECU (engine control unit) stores regulation maps corresponding to a plurality of running modes (e.g., normal mode, swift mode and gentle mode). The regulation maps regulate the relationship between the clutch rotational speed difference and the targe... | 02/01/2011 |
| 7873457 | Clutch control system for power transfer unit in four-wheel drive vehicle A power transfer assembly for use in a four-wheel drive vehicle has a torque transfer mechanism equipped with a power-operated clutch actuator for controlling adaptive engagement of a friction clutch and a control system for controlling actuation of the clutch actua... | 01/18/2011 |
| 7739020 | Device for controlling functions of a mobile vehicle, and method for controlling said functions A driving motor drives power-consuming devices and, via a clutch device, driving wheels as well. Upon actuation of a brake pedal, an electronic controller determines an input torque of the clutch device and disengages the clutch device when the brake pedal has reach... | 06/15/2010 |
| 7702445 | Control system and method for controlling the driving-away manoeuvre in a motor vehicle with a servo-controlled gearbox What is described is a control system for controlling the driving-away maneuver in a motor vehicle provided with a gearbox comprising a primary input shaft which can be coupled to a drive shaft of a propulsion system of the vehicle by means of a servo-assisted frict... | 04/20/2010 |
| 7693638 | Commanded clutch diagnostic for hybrid vehicles A method of regulating operation of a hybrid transmission in a vehicle includes determining a desired transmission state using a first module, generating transmission control signals based on the desired transmission state using a second module and receiving at leas... | 04/06/2010 |
| 7689340 | Method and device for controlling the operation of a parallel shifting transmission A method for controlling operation of a parallel transmission comprising two partial transmissions that act upon a common drive shaft and can be coupled to a drive shaft via one respective clutch. The gear ratio of the parallel transmission can be changed from the g... | 03/30/2010 |
| 7650214 | Avoiding drift engagement of a hydraulic clutch A method for controlling speed of an input shaft to a hydraulically actuated clutch that includes a hydraulic balance dam volume includes determining a limit speed of the input shaft that varies as a function of time during a predetermined period after the clutch st... | 01/19/2010 |
| 7643925 | Automatic transmission clutch timing optimization apparatus and method A method for determining when in the course of a shift event an on-coming clutch gains torque capacity is provided. The method includes closed-loop controlling an off-going clutch to maintain a predetermined slip threshold by generating an off-going clutch pressure ... | 01/05/2010 |
| 7613558 | Differential limiting control apparatus for a vehicle and the method thereof The differential limiting control apparatus having a clutch unit interposed between one rotational shaft and the other rotational shaft for variably transmitting a driving force between the one rotational shaft and the other rotational shaft, having: a feedback cont... | 11/03/2009 |
| 7584041 | Wheel slippage detection for drivetrain control A method for preventing a torque converter clutch that controls the slip in a torque converter between a vehicle engine and transmission from locking up in response to wheel slip from one or more of the vehicle wheels. The method includes monitoring the vehicle spee... | 09/01/2009 |
| 7574296 | Clutch reference position A process and device for the currentless referencing of a clutch position in non self-locking clutch actuating systems which are switched without current for a first predetermined, passive period of time or until an actuator standstill occurs, in order to verify a c... | 08/11/2009 |
| 7522984 | Method and system for determining the point of engagement of a clutch operable via an actuating device A method and system for determining the point of engagement of a clutch of a motor vehicle operable via an actuating device, where the actuating device has an electrically drivable positioning motor that is operationally linked to an actuating mechanism which actuat... | 04/21/2009 |
| 7509203 | Lock-up control for torque converter A lock-up clutch control device which controls a lock-up clutch provided in a torque converter installed between an engine and a transmission, is disclosed. The lock-up clutch control device changes over between a converter state and a lock-up state of the torque co... | 03/24/2009 |
| 7474950 | Method for determining the clutch application point A method is proposed for determining a clutch application point in a transmission of a vehicle having a spring-actuated clutch system in which the clutch application point is adapted according to at least one adequate regulated quantity of the clutch system. ... | 01/06/2009 |
| 7467038 | Procedure for the detection of the direction of rotation and secondary side of a starting clutch A method for detecting a rotational direction of the secondary side of a starting clutch in a motor vehicle string comprising the steps of determination of the primary speed of rotation of the primary side and of the secondary speed of rotation of the starting clutc... | 12/16/2008 |
| 7433768 | Method for determining a steering-wheel torque In a method, a steeringwheel torque for the steering wheel of a motor vehicle is determined. In this context, a steering angle for steered wheels is predefined by the driver by means of the steering wheel. A steering torque which represents the forces on the vehicle... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7424356 | Method and device for referencing an incremental travel sensor in an electronically controlled actuation device of a clutch A method for referencing an incremental travel sensor in an electronically controlled actuation device of a clutch in the drive train of a traveling vehicle, the actuation device containing a memory in which a characteristic curve is stored that indicates the clutch... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7421326 | Clutch fault detection A method for detecting a clutch fault of an automatic transmission includes determining a current clutch energy density of a clutch during a range shift and comparing the current clutch energy density to a first energy density threshold. A diagnostic alert is activa... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7416068 | Power take-off clutch control system Clutch control systems for a power take-off system of a vehicle, such as those employing all-wheel and four-wheel drive systems. The control system calculates the temperature of the clutch system, based on one or more vehicle operational parameters. If the clutch sy... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7415335 | Mobile data collection and processing system and methods The mobile data collection system includes a positioning system, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and/or an Inertial Navigation System (INS), to generate position and time data. A down looking line scan camera for mounting on a vehicle, obtains a s... | 08/19/2008 |
