Method and device for operating a drive mechanism

1. A method for operating a drive mechanism for shifting an automatic transmission and/or a clutch in a motor vehicle ( 1 ), with the motor vehicle being provided with a control device ( 19 ), by which at least a control of the drive mechanism and a determination of measurement data of a transmission path sensor and/or a clutch path sensor ( 20 ) for determining the position of the transmission and/or the clutch occurs, with the drive mechanism having an engine ( 16 ), being connected in a driving manner to a mobile element ( 18 ) to be positioned, comprising the steps of:

a) bringing the mobile element ( 18 ) into a predetermined reference position with the help of the engine ( 16 ) and setting an absolute position signal to a reference value allocated to a reference position;

b) changing the position of the mobile element ( 18 ) with the help of the engine ( 16 ) and creating an incremental position measurement signal, depending on the change in position, for the mobile element ( 18 );

c) controlling the incremental position measurement signal and following the absolute position signal when a change in the incremental position measurement signal occurs;

d) repositioning the mobile element ( 18 ) in the reference position with the help of the engine ( 16 ) and determining the position value indicated by the absolute position signal in the reference position;

e) determining a difference value from the position value and the reference value and saving said difference value in a data storage; and,

f) repeating steps b) through e) are performed at least one more time;

g) wherein at least two of the difference values created in this manner are added to a control value;

h) wherein the control value is compared to a predetermined target value range and an error state is detected when deviations occur between the control value and the target value range.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the incremental position measurement signal is compared to the saved signal, and an error state is detected when a deviation occurs between the position measurement signal and the saved signal.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein during and/or after the detection of an error state the control of the engine ( 16 ) is blocked.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a signal is provided, which shows the reliability of the absolute position signal, and that during or after the error state has been detected said signal is set to a value allocated to a lower reliability.

5. A method for operating a drive mechanism for shifting an automatic transmission and/or a clutch for a motor vehicle ( 1 ), with the motor vehicle being provided with a control device ( 19 ), by which at least a control of the drive mechanism and the detection of measurements of a transmission path sensor and/or a clutch path sensor ( 20 ) occurs for determining the position of the transmission and/or the clutch, with the drive mechanism being provided with an engine ( 16 ) being drive connected to the mobile element ( 18 ) to be positioned, comprising the steps of:

a) bringing the mobile element ( 18 ) into a predetermined reference position with the help of the engine ( 16 ) and setting an absolute position signal to a reference value allocated to a reference position;

b) changing the position of the mobile element ( 18 ) with the help of the engine ( 16 ) and creating an incremental position measurement signal, dependent on the change of position, for the mobile element;

c) controlling the incremental position measurement signal and following the absolute position signal when a change of the incremental position measurement signal occurs;

d) positioning the mobile element ( 18 ) once more in the reference position with the help of the engine ( 16 ) and the position value indicated by the absolute position signal in the reference position is determined and saved in a data storage; and,

e) repeating steps b) through d) at least one more time;

f) wherein the position values determined in this manner are added to a total value and the difference between the total value and the product of the reference value and the number of added position values is determined as the control value;

g) wherein the control value is compared to the predetermined target value range and an error state is detected when a deviation occurs between the control value and the target value range.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the incremental position measurement signal is compared to the saved signal, and an error state is detected when a deviation occurs between the position measurement signal and the saved signal.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein during and/or after the detection of an error state the control of the engine ( 16 ) is blocked.

8. The method according to claim 5 , wherein a signal is provided, which shows the reliability of the absolute position signal, and that during or after the error state has been detected said signal is set to a value allocated to a lower reliability.

9. A device for operating a drive mechanism for adjusting an automatic transmission and/or a clutch of a motor vehicle ( 1 ) with the motor vehicle having a control device ( 19 ), by which at least a control of the drive mechanism and the collection of measurements of a transmission path sensor and/or a clutch path sensor ( 20 ) occurs for determining the position of the transmission and/or the clutch, with the drive mechanism being provided with an engine ( 16 ), which is in a drive connection to the mobile element ( 18 ) to be positioned, characterized in that the device is operatively arranged to execute a method comprising the following steps:

a) bringing the mobile element ( 18 ) into a predetermined reference position with the help of the engine ( 16 ) and setting an absolute position signal to a reference value allocated to a reference position;

b) changing the position of the mobile element ( 18 ) with the help of the engine ( 16 ) and creating an incremental position measurement signal, depending on the change in position, for the mobile element ( 18 );

c) controlling the incremental position measurement signal and following the absolute position signal when a change in the incremental position measurement signal occurs;

d) repositioning the mobile element ( 18 ) in the reference position with the help of the engine ( 16 ) and determining the position value indicated by the absolute position signal in the reference position;

e) determining a difference value from the position value and the reference value and saving said difference value in a data storage; and,

f) repeating steps b) through e) are performed at least one more time;

g) wherein at least two of the difference values created in this manner is added to a control value;

h) wherein the control value is compared to a predetermined target value range and an error state is detected when deviations occur between the control value and the target value range.

10. A device for operating a drive mechanism for adjusting an automatic transmission and/or a clutch of a motor vehicle ( 1 ) with the motor vehicle having a control device ( 19 ), by which at least a control of the drive mechanism and the collection of measurements of a transmission path sensor and/or a clutch path sensor ( 20 ) occurs for determining the position of the transmission and/or the clutch, with the drive mechanism being provided with an engine ( 16 ), which is in a drive connection to the mobile element ( 18 ) to be positioned, characterized in that the device is operatively arranged to execute a method comprising the following steps:

a) bringing the mobile element ( 18 ) into a predetermined reference position with the help of the engine ( 16 ) and setting an absolute position signal to a reference value allocated to a reference position;

b) changing the position of the mobile element ( 18 ) with the help of the engine ( 16 ) and creating an incremental position measurement signal, dependent on the change of position, for the mobile element;

c) controlling the incremental position measurement signal and following the absolute position signal when a change of the incremental position measurement signal occurs;

d) positioning the mobile element ( 18 ) once more in the reference position with the help of the engine ( 16 ) and the position value indicated by the absolute position signal in the reference position is determined and saved in a data storage; and,

e) repeating steps b) through d) at least one more time;

f) wherein the position values determined in this manner are added to a total value and the difference between the total value and the product of the reference value and the number of added position values is determined as the control value;

g) wherein the control value is compared to the predetermined target value range and an error state is detected when a deviation occurs between the control value and the target value range.